An Historical Resume
The first known settler in this area was Hezekiah Clark, who, in 1796, came to what was then a wilderness area. The approach was from St. Andrews East, on the Ottawa River, thence up the North River, to what is now known as Lachute. (La Chute or the Falls) Like Clark, many early settlers came from the United States until the early 1800’s when problems in Scotland and Ireland brought more of an entity itself, although still sparsely populated.
Cyrus Thomas’ History of the Counties of Argenteuil, Quebec, and Prescott, Ontario, records early efforts to establish Presbyterian congregation in this area, first in St. Andrews East, the larger settlement at the time, then later Lachute. These congregations were established through the efforts of Secessionist Presbyterian missionaries; that is, ministers of the Associate Synod (Burgher) of Scotland.
According to Thomas, by 1816 St. Andrews East was sufficiently well established to have a resident minister. The Rev. Achibald Henderson, a Secessionist Presbyterian minister was called in 1818. He served the congregation faithfully for 59 years. People from Lachute area would walk to St. Andrewas East to attend the worship services. Once a month Mr. Henderson conducted a service in a school house in Lachute.
It was not until 1832 that there were a sufficient number of people for the Session of St. Andrews East to agree to a petition to establish a distinct congregation in Lachute. Thus begins the Presbyterian presence in Lachute, led by Rev. William Brunton, another Secessionist Presbyterian minister, who served the congregation from 1831 to 1839. When he died in 1839, a few of the members who were formerly Church of Scotland, wished to call a minister connected with the Church of Scotland. The majority of the congregation desired to remain affiliated with the Secessionist Presbyterians. The Church of Scotland party left to form its own congregation. The Rev. Thomas Henry was called and inducted in 1843. The following year, he and his congregation affiliated with the Free Church of Scotland in Canada established as a consequence of the 1843 Church of Scotland division. This meant that there were now two separate congregations in Lachute: First Presbyterian Church, a United Associate congregation, sometimes known as Mackie’s church and the Free Church congregation, known as Henry’s church. Both entered The Presbyterian Church in Canada which was formed in 1857 and became one congregation again in 1899. The 1891 census of Lachute counts 856 Presbyterians of a total population of 2609 persons.
The Church Union of 1925 saw the minority group of 229 Presbyterians (39%), continue as the Lachute Presbyterian Church although they had no building. They worshiped in the Baptist Church under student minister Grant Hollingsworth until 1926, when Rev. Henry Cousins was called. In 1927 the congregation purchased the former Methodist Church (on our present site) and worshiped there. The growing congregation’s need for a larger building resulted in the very generous gift of $19,000.00 to the Church by William Rodger and his sister Elizabeth. The old Methodist Church was torn down and the present building erected in 1932. The Church was named after Margaret Rodger, a sister to William and Elizabeth Rodger, who had served as a Lay Missionary to India. (Artifacts belonging to Margaret Rodger are displayed in the church). The Church Hall building was added in 1962.
Margaret Rodger Memorial Presbyterian Church of Lachute serves not only the city of Lachute, but a much wider area. Members come from Brownsburg and further north, and from as far east as St. Columban. The members of St. Andrews East worship with us during the winter months. In the late 1920’s Church buildings were erected in Brownsburg and Upper Lachute east of Lachute as offshoots of this congregation however declining support eventually closed both churches with their members returning to the Lachute Church.
Lachute is much like other small towns in the province, where our youth must leave the city to attend CEGEP’s or other educational institutions to further their education after they complete High School. As a result, the majority of our members are people who have retired to Lachute after having left their homes as youths to further their education and often to find employment away from Lachute.