Ritualism in Hamilton in the Anglican Churches - 1891

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, Anglican churches were sometimes afflicted by bitter controversies to do with the rites and ceremonies used in their worship services. Commonly known as the ritualists and the memorialists, the contending sides polarized, even divided both the various Anglican churches in Hamilton, but sometimes even pit the congregations of individual churches into battlegrounds.

        Hamilton's Church of the Ascension, John street south, was the scene of one of the most bitterly divisive outbreaks of hostility relating to the attempted introduction of ritualistic practices into a congregation primarily known for its memorialist leanings.

        The congregation of the Church of the Ascension had traditionally been known as a “low” church, and its members generally had little regard for such ritualistic practices such as surpliced choirs, the chanting of litanies, processional hymns and full prostration before the altar.

        When Reverend Edward Crawford was hired as rector of the Church of the Ascension in the summer of 1889, he was warned not to attempt to introduce any aspects of ritualism into the services of that church.

        However, Rev. Crawford immediately started to do just that.

        By December, 1889, the congregation was in an uproar. Stormy meetings were the rule of the day and much church business could not take place because of the contending factions.

        The practice of prostration before the altar was particularly controversial.

        One member of the Church of the Ascension congregation was quoted in the local press as saying:

        “This is real prostration – not simply bowing. It reminds me of a Chinese worshiper prostrating himself before his idol.”

        On Thursday, May 7, 1891, Ascension Day, the controversy came to a head, resulting in one of the most extraordinary church services ever held in Hamilton.

        Reverend Crawford had planned a series of services for this festival, a festival which, of course, had special significance for the Church of the Ascension.

        The morning service went off without any problems. The evening service was to be the one where problems arose.

        Choirs from other Hamilton churches were invited to participate in the service. One of Rev. Crawford's invitations went to the surpliced choir from Christ's Church Cathedral. This invitation was seen by the memorialists as a direct provocation

        People's Warden George J. Williams and a committee approached Reverend E. M. Bland of Christ's Church Cathedral to have the arrangement canceled to avoid any potential trouble. When Reverend Bland agreed to cancel, Reverend Crawford then invited the surpliced choir of St. Mark's Anglican Church, who immediately accepted.

        At a hastily summoned meeting just before the eight o'clock service, the memorialists of the Church of the Ascension came to the conclusion that Reverend Crawford had gone too far. It was decided to cut off the gas and water supply so that the service would have to be held in darkness and without organ music.

        Rumors of impending trouble had spread quickly and there was an unusually large congregation present for the service.

        The church was brightly lit up as the processional crosses appeared, to signal the beginning of the service. As soon as the surpliced choir from St. Mark's appeared, the lights went out. People's Warden Williams was the one responsible for turning off the gas supply.

        In the very dim light left, the white robes of the choir could be barely seen. The processional hymn had to stop because there was not even enough light left to read the hymn books.

        After a moment of confusion, Canon Sutherland, visiting from St. Mark's with the choir, proceeded with the service from memory. The confession, absolution and Lord's Prayer followed without a hitch.

        The sermon was to be delivered by Rev. A. Brown, from Paris, Ontario. Just before he was about to begin, two oil lamps and four candles were found, easing the situation somewhat.

        After the sermon and collect, the Coronation hymn was sung by the choirs and the ritualists in the congregation. At the same time, the memorialists who were mainly located to the rear of the sanctuary were getting boisterous.

        As described by a local reporter present:

        “At length the church became a Babel of Sounds. Hisses and groans were heard mingling with the music and while the choir and clergymen and part of the congregation were near singing, 'Crown Him Lord of All,'  the memorialists were singing 'Nearer My God to Thee' and with as much lung power as they could command.”

        After the formal part of the service was over, Rev. Crawford remained in the chancel. With a candle in his hand, he addressed the congregation, telling them that he had sent for the police to eject those causing the disturbance.

        In response, a voice from the back of the church yelled out, “Better put you out!”

        “Put the choir boys out,” shouted another.

        When two policemen entered the church, City Alderman Griffin approached one of them demanding to know what business the police had in the church.

        Constable John Ford replied: “I was brought here by Mr. Crawford to put out disturbers.”

        Griffin shot back that People's Warden Williams was in charge, not Reverend Crawford.

       “The real disturbers,” added Alderman Griffin, “are those people's from St. Mark's.”

        The Hamilton Herald had sent one of its reporters to the Church of the Ascension that evening.

        In the characteristic 'penny journalistic' style of the Herald, the reporter captured in vivid detail the chaotic scene noting that “while the members of the congregation were stumbling over pews and other articles of church furniture, several sharp and spicy dialogues took place.”

        “Turned Out the Lights : Another Incident in the Church of the Ascension Trouble.”

           Hamilton Herald. May 8, 1891.

        “One of the first persons that P. C. Ford met when he entered the church to quell the disturbance was an old lady who was sitting well up to the front of the church.

        “ 'Clear out those trespassers!' came the order from the rector to the constable.

        “The old lady rose and firmly declared her intention of seeing the rumpus through.: 'I shall not leave the church. I have been a member here for over 30 years and shall not leave. This is the trespasser, officer (pointing at the rector) put him out!'

        “When the obstructionists had turned their attention to the organ and cut off the water supply, the instrument was in use at the time, and the escaping wind from the bellows caused such a weird, ghost-like screeching that many of the women were badly scared before they could ascertain what was the matter.

        “ 'Oh such an outrage!' was the exclamation that escaped Mrs. T. H. Stinson as she made her down to the gas meter to turn on the supply.

        “ ' Excuse me, there is no one allowed to touch this meter,' said the captain of the guard at the meter, when she reached the object of her search.

       “ 'Do you know who I am ?,' came the indignant response. 'I am Mrs. Thomas H. Stinson.'

        “ ' I am sure we are very sorry for that,' mildly replied the previous speaker, 'but we cannot help that, and it don't make any difference to us who you are.' ”

        After a hasty meeting between People's Warden Williams and Reverend Crawford, it was decided to send the police away. As the police were leaving, Crawford turned his back on the hissing and jeering crowd, and also left the sanctuary.

        “Beaten again,” shouted one of the memorialists triumphantly.

        While the trouble in the church was erupting, someone  had broken into the rectory where sandwiches, cake and lemonade had been laid out for the refreshment of the members of the visiting choirs

        Tables had been overturned, demolishing the sandwiches and spilling lemonade all over the floor.

        As the congregation filed out of the church, People's Warden Williams and the rector Christ's Church Cathedral , Reverend Bland, got into a heated argument.

        It began with Rev. Bland saying “whatever sympathy I may have had with you has been dissipated by what I have seen and heard tonight.”

        Williams then accused Rev. Bland of secretly adding some of the cathedral's choir in order to increase the numbers of the surpliced choir members

        Reverend Bland denied the charge vehemently. Williams responded by saying that he had a “broad doubt as to the truth of the clergyman's statement.”

        “Do you mean to doubt my word? Demanded Reverend Bland, “if you mean to insinuate that I am not telling the truth, I wish you would come outside and repeat the insinuation.”

        Mr. Williams declined the invitation.

        Later, Reverend Bland told the reporter from the Spectator that his religion was “not of the Quaker variety,” and that he would have knocked Mr. Williams down “without compunction.”

        In the following days, Reverend Crawford and the ritualist element of the Church of the Ascension congregation attempted to press criminal charges against those responsible for disturbing the service. Their case collapsed in police court and the charges were dismissed.

        The hostilities amongst the warring factions at the Church of the Ascension continued for many months afterward, although of less dramatic ways than turning a public service into chaos.

        Reverend Crawford refused to call any vestry meetings,while the memorialists continued to cut off the water supply, necessary to operate the church organ.

        Finally, in July, 1892, Reverend Crawford conceded defeat and announced his acceptance of a call to St. Luke's church in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

        For his final sermon at the Church of the Ascension before his departure from Hamilton, Reverend Crawford chose the theme, “The Beauty of Tolerance.”