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From the book: Reminiscences and Recollections by Dr. D. S Hoig.
"The Henrys were very early settlers and made as great an impression as any.
Some of the third generation are among our most respected citizens. The
founder of the family - in Canada - emigrated from County Cavan, Ireland and
after some wanderings, which included New York and Niagara on the Lake, finally
settled on a farm at Port Oshawa, which for many years has been the home of
the family, or some of them. The most interesting figure in the family was
Thomas, or as he came to be known "Elder" Henry. He was a son of the original
settler, and was born in Ireland, coming to this country at an early age.
When his father went to the "Rouge" to engage in hotel keeping, a perfectly
acceptable trade in the early days, Thomas continued in the homestead in Port
Oshawa, building a comfortable house for his young wife, and went to work
with a will, clearing the land and seeding it. About this time he was thrown
under the influence of the "Christians," a religious body originating in the
United States and spreading into Canada. He was afterwards an accredited
minister of this denomination and carried on preaching together with his
farming. A tall, well made, good looking, fresh colored man with a winning
smile and a natural eloquence that made him in great request, not only with
his own people but at all out-of-doors religious gatherings and revivals.
Some abstruse theological differences prevented the Methodists and perhaps
the Presbyterians from offering him the "right hand of fellowship" as it
was called, a rite that was supposed to envisage complete spiritual accord.
After a time the trivial nature of these differences was recognized and the
"Christian" Church now forms part of the United Church of Canada. But at
the time religious points of view were taken seriously. Thomas Henry was
himself a broad-minded man and attached little importance to the non-essentials.
He had a large family and some of the sons were well-known and respected both
in Oshawa and at the Harbor. One of these, the Rev. Albert Henry, was a
Clergyman in the Christian body, and was much respected for his literary
attainments. His wife, a beautiful girl, died when she was very young,
leaving two children to the care of the grief-stricken father. Of John Henry
I have already spoken in connection with the McLaughlin carriage shop [later became General Motors
of Canada.], of
which in the early days he was the chief selling agency. During Elder Henry's
life he was in great requisition for performing marriages, partly, I suspect,
on account of his cheerful manner and the encouraging words with which he
accompanied the performance of the rite."
Please also see Edward S. Dearborn notes.
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