Thomas Trivitt 1813-1894

© 1989 Harry Burke

Our thanks to Harry Burke for use of the portraits, and Thomas Burke for the wonderful information.

For the beginning of this we must go back a few years to the appointment of S.F. Robinson who came right out of Huron College to the parish at the age of then over 70 years of age.  Mr. Trivitt was a medium-sized man who had inherited an ample fortune which he looked after carefully by sound investments and simple personal habits.  Evidently he had three main interests; birds, flowers and theology.  An aviary filled with rare birds showed his tastes for ornithology.  His extensive greenhouse kept his friends well supplied with flowers.  He was a scholarly man, well read theologically, and he held very decided opinions on both politics and religion.  Robinson, the new clergyman, held the view that "the people of Canada need only to be shown what the Church of England is, to make a wonderful revival."  With this Thomas Trivitt agreed.  This probably explains why Trivitt Memorial was built on such a grandiose scale. 

Trivitt was born in Taunton Deane, Somerset, England in 1813.  He married, in 1848, a lady from Norfolk County and the same year emigrated to Upper Canada where he settled on the present site of Centralia.  Becoming the first clerk of the Township of Stephen, he held that office for several years.  In 1852, when the Fifth Division Court for the County of Huron was organized, he became its Clerk.  The Court was later moved to Exeter but he retained the post.  In 1857 he was named a Justice of the Peace.  Through his enterprise and liberality in connection with the building of the London, Huron and Bruce Division of the Great Western Railway, many permanent advantages were secured for Centralia which became a village in 1868.  Although Robinson makes the idea of a new church in Exeter sound like his idea, it must have been discussed at some length before any official announcement was made.   After the Good Friday service of 1887 Robinson,  informs us he met with the Wardens, Denovan and Spackman, in the latter's office.  There he outlined the idea for a new church, "the plan being proposed by the Rector, and warmly seconded by the Wardens".  Mr. Denovan mentioned the subject to Mrs. Trivitt and "that faithful friend of the church in the parish enlisted the sympathy of her husband.  A firm and definite plan was soon arranged by which Mr. Trivitt offered to become the donor of a new church in Exeter".  On the 5th of May Bishop Baldwin was at Trivitt's home and gave his consent to the plan.  At a Vestry Meeting called for the 9th of May, Robinson, as Chairman read the "following handsome offer" which Trivitt himself had written: 

Thomas Trivitt, Esquire, proposes to the Churchwardens and congregation of Christ Church, Exeter, and to the Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Huron, that he will erect on the Hamelin Lot, Main Street, to be deeded to the said Incorporated Synod, a substantial and commodious new church at the minimum cost of at least $5,000, and any outlay beyond this amount to be entirely at his own option. The size and style of architecture to be decided upon by a building committee composed of the Bishop, the Incumbent, the two Churchwardens, and the Donor, assisted by the advice of competent architects, as well as of the congregation occasionally called together by vestry meetings for that purpose, (the said Churchwardens and congregation undertaking to provide the said site, properly drained and prepared for building and also everything necessarily required within said church when built, such as heating, lighting, seating, etc. together with the appropriate church organ) when being guaranteed the following conditions viz: -- First, that the said Church for all time be called and known as " The Trivitt Memorial Church" -- and second that the Donor be allowed to have permanently placed within said Church as soon as consecrated, and at any spot he may choose, either a window or mural tablet with this inscription, or its equivalent, viz: " This Church was erected by Thomas and Elizabeth Trivitt as a grateful memorial of the many Divine favours conferred upon them, and was consecrated for the worship and service of God by the Right Rev'd Maurice Scollard Baldwin. D.D., Lord Bishop of Huron, on the ... day of ....... A.D. 188-."

To this was attached in the Bishop's own handwriting these words:

May 5th, 1887 __ I heartily approve of the above and trust that God's blessing may rest upon the undertaking.

A resolution sponsored by A.A.C. Denovan and B.S. O'Neil was passed unanimously by those attending the meeting. It said: 

That we, having heard Mr. Trivitt's proposition to erect a church on the Hamlin lot, Main Street, Exeter, do hereby heartily approve of and accept the same and we also do hereby guarantee that all the conditions shall be fully carried out in every particular. 

A second resolution proposed by B.V. Elliott and George Kemp also passed without dissent:

That we present our hearty thanks to Mr. Trivitt for his very generous offer to erect a new church and that we will do our utmost to carry to completion the said church in a manner worthy of so munificent a donation.

The Wardens were empowered to begin negotiations for the site of the new building . The meeting closed with the singing of the Doxology led by Mrs. Kemp and by prayers by the Rector.  The Wardens were successful in obtaining from Thomas Hamlin two lots, each 50 feet wide north of Gidley Street.  An Exeter man, Welsh was given the contract for draining and excavating the land.  On this property a street 50 feet wide was opened between Main and Andrew Streets.  The Wardens were to interview the Town Council to see if that body would be willing to accept "Baldwin Street" and keep it in repair.  On April 2nd, 1888 the church people at the annual meeting agreed that "this parish fro Exeter 1888 be known as "The Parish of the Trivitt Memorial Church" The cornerstone was laid by Bishop Baldwin on the 1st of August 1887 according to the service appointed by the Provincial Synod. Mr. Trivitt read an address to the bishop and handed him an engraved trowel with which his Lordship "well and truly in the name of the Eternal Trinity laid the foundation stone" Those present included Archdeacon Marsh of London, The Reverend Messrs. Criag of Clinton, (The Rural Dean), Downie of Lucan, Magahy of Seaforth, Kar of Mitchell, Thomas of Ailsa Craig, Bridgeman of Hensall, Freeman of London ( the Curate of the Cathedral), Dr. Rollins who represented the Town Council, and the ministers of the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches. The choir was accompanied by an orchestra conducted by Mr. Samuel Gidley. In the cornerstone were placed papers, coins, etc. Also enclosed were papers prepared by Trivitt, Elliott, and W. J. Carling. 

( An interesting point to the narrative I am personally adding here, W. J . Carling was the man who had our home here in Exeter built in 1895, and strangely enough the first day we viewed the property and the house was on August 1st. 1987 exactly 100 years to the day from the laying of the cornerstone on the church!  Unfortunately when they opened the time capsule from the cornerstone of the church in the fall of 1987, the personal papers that had been put in were destroyed by dampness and not legible. Would have loved to have known what he had written!!!! - Thomas Burke)

The collection from the "immense crowd", Robinson noted, was $74.  To conclude the day the visiting clergy were entertained by the Rector "at his residence".  The plans for the church were drawn up, at a cost of more than $1500, by the firm of Peter Jones and McBride of London and are a replica of a portion of Exeter cathedral.  The contract for the brickwork was awarded to Howard, Dyer, Evans and Heaman.  Nobbs of London did the cut stone work, and W. H. Reynolds of Hensall was responsible for the woodwork.  Painting, slating, and everything else was the work of the London firm.  The building of the church was under the architect's supervision.  It is a fine specimen of early Gothic architecture, consisting of a nave, transepts, chancel, and tower -- all substantially built of local white brick.  Ohio sandstone trimmings are liberally used throughout and every opportunity of creating a massive and solid effect was utilized.  The bosses, finials of the towers, and some portions of the belt courses and the five Ionian crosses which finish each gable, are beautifully carved.  The northern entrance is by a handsome open porch while the main entrance on the western side of the tower is through a double arch of lofty height and beautifully molded.  Each arch is supported on a pair of New Brunswick granite pillars with carved capitals. 

Inside the walls are sand finished and painted.  The woodwork is of white pine, stained and oak shade. The interior dimensions are nave, 79 by 38 feet; chancel, 25 feet square; transepts, each 25 by 14 feet.  The seating accommodation is 600 and with extra seats, 1000. The tower is solid and massive, 17 feet square outside, not including the buttresses. It rises to a height of 92 feet.  A spiral oak staircase in the turret in the southeast angle leads from the vestibule to the first floor.   From here to the top of the tower is reached by a well-built staircase.  The belfry was specially built to hold a set of chimes.  The chancel rises three steps above the floor of the nave and contains the organ loft on the north side. The ceiling of the chancel was paneled in squares, painted blue with gold stars, and forming a groined arch over the organ loft.  The door to the east of the organ loft leads to the crypt or basement where the coal cellars and gas-lighting machines used to be.  A temporary Vestry was placed under the organ loft.  

Trivitt Memorial Church was opened on the 23rd. of December 1888 one week after the closing services in Christ Church.  The bell, "in its new home". rang for the first that morning at 7:30 to call the people to the first service -- Holy Communion, at 8:00 o'clock. The largest number of Communicants, sixty-one, in the history of the Parish were present. During the balance of the day three more services were held. At each of them Bishop Baldwin preached to congregations overflowing the seat: 650 at eleven o'clock; 850 at a Confirmation service in the afternoon; and 1200 in the evening -- a total of 2700 persons. The offering, Robinson pointed out was $350. A Vestry meeting was called for February 15,1889, at which the church furnishings committee reported on their activities and considered with the people "the means to be adopted for raising the funds necessary to discharge the liability incurred for-- the seating, lighting, warming', and otherwise furnishing the church". Application was made to the Synod Office for permission to sell the old church property. 

A committee consisting of Spackman, Archer, Mill, E.H. Fish, and N.D. Hurdon was to solicit funds with which to meet the indebtedness. The stipend was raised to $800 per annum. Mr. Lambrook. the Sexton, was to receive $125 a year. On May 10th. the debts were: Hoag, $209; Reynolds, $324; Lambrook, $20 ; Byrne, $125; Hamlin, $208 ( on a note held by him}; other notes in the hands of a Mr. Bell totaled $1100 and a Mr. Whilcock for $1400. With the addition of a bill for $10 for gasoline, and a few other outstanding debts the total owed by the parish was $3782. Against this were promises of $460 which would reduce the indebtedness to $3322. This was not to mention the $100 owed on the matting "for which the "Busy bees' are working or the $874 still owing on the organ "which debt is being provided for by the Ladies Guild". In October 1889 one of the Minutes of the Meeting stated that the members present "heartily sympathize with Mr. Trivitt in the trials he is at present enduring for the Church's sake and we trust that he may be spared to surmount them all and complete the work by Divine providence allotted to him to fulfill". The 'trials" were in connection with a lawsuit brought against him by Nobbs, the stone mason. No more information is available but it may be that the difficulty concerned the tower which it is thought, was not finished at the same time as the rest of the building.

But Trivitt was not yet finished with his generosity to the parish. At a special meeting on the 17th. of February, 1890 the Rector announced that Mr. Trivitt had offered to provide $2000 for a Rectory, $2000 for a school-house (Parish Hall), and a Vestry, $2000 for the purchase and installation of a Peal of Bells, and $6000 which, at his death, was to be used as an Endowment Fund. In consideration of this the Synod agreed to pay him 6% interest on $4000 of this latter amount during his lifetime. Further, the congregation was to apply the proceeds of the sale of the old Rectory and grounds against the cost of the new one, including the furnace. It was Trivitt's wish that the new buildings conform as nearly as possible with the architectural style of the church. To these things the Vestry Meeting agreed and the Rector, Wardens, and R.H. Collins presented the proposals to the Executive Committee of the Diocese for their approval.

The first child baptized in Trivitt Memorial Church was Frederick John, son of the late Samuel Littlejohn. Mary Anne Clarke and James Flynn were the first to be married within its walls. The first funeral service was conducted for Alfred Dew. The church was consecrated by Bishop Baldwin on the 31st. of December,1889. There was the "usual trouble about seats" (whatever that was!), Robinson reported in his summary of the year's activities. There was, as well. "an unusual one regarding the organist. This last trouble was settled by Mrs. Trivitt with a large personal outlay for the cause of Christian peace -- we deem it thus an ungodly and mischief making woman caused the trouble and a pious and peace-loving one settled it".

We have no way of knowing whether this difficulty, whatever it was contributed to Mrs. Trivitt's sudden death on December 23,1889 which, incidentally, occurred exactly a year to the day after the church was opened. Robinson called her "the lady bountiful of Exeter for many years". He continued: "With sad hearts we laid her to rest beneath the chancel on the last day of the year". (The same day as the consecration of the church) "The stone vault may hold the lady til Jesus comes but the life upon earth by its example is existing still. O, the dreary future without her. She gave of her means, she laboured for the church, a noble woman, a faithful wife, while she lived we felt that sainthood was a reality. "Bishop Baldwin gave the funeral address to a congregation that filled the seats and the aisles. Anticipating a few years, we find that her husband joined her in 1894. He died on the 18th. of July at the age of 82 and was buried beside his wife in a vault under the chancel of the church. This service was conducted by Bishop Baldwin, assisted by Robinson (who had moved in the meantime), Shore of Lucan, and the Rector, E.W. Hunt. Brass plates on the floor now mark their place of burial. The church has continued to serve the parish. There have been many problems for the parish in maintaining such a large and imposing church but somehow the Anglicans of Exeter have continued to meet the costs of doing so. 

A comment is perhaps needed to explain the greater detail given about Trivitt as opposed to the other churches. The explanation is simply that the author used the history of the church done by Dr. H. Seegmiller, a former rector. No such detailed history exists for the other churches, and the author was unable to met the deadline for publication and also do the necessary research on the other churches. Quite a history indeed. Hope it is enjoyed and can be appreciated by all. - Thomas Burke

© 1992 Harry Burke

You can see more of Harry Burke's work at Between The Maples