June 28, 2026
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Members of Knox Presbyterian Church, Kincardine, are looking for some historical information about a "signature quilt" donated to the church for the flea market back in May.
Church member Bev Harris says signature quilts were often made as fund-raisers. You donated 10 cents and your signature was added to the quilt.
"The centre block on this particular quilt says, 'Knox Church Bervie 1882'," says Harris. "The surrounding 24 blocks each contain at least 20 signatures. The blocks are titled from such places as Atwood, Seaforth, Kinloss, Bright, Walkerton and Clinton. There are a number of blocks titled Bervie. Each block has about 20 names embroidered on it. The stitching is very uniform which might suggest that it was done by machine not hand-done."
According to the archives of the Presbyterian Church of Canada, the congregation at Knox Bervie closed the doors in 1926, probably as a result of church union with the Methodist Church to form the United Church of Canada.
"If we assume that Knox Bervie functioned for 46 years, then the question becomes how, when and why was this quilt made?" says Harris.
Knox Church, Bervie, was torn down in 1951 to make way for highway widening. One of the names on the quilt has been recognized as the aunt of a person who is 90 years old. That suggests that his aunt would be over the age of 100 if she were living.
The quilt will be on display as part of the Kincardine Sunset Quilters' Guild Quilt Show at Knox Kincardine, July 16-17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $10, with proceeds shared between the guild and the church.
Kincardine Presbyterians would like to know a little more about the quilt. If you recognize any name as an ancestor or an ancestor of someone you know, please share that information.
The "signature quilt" is held up by Wendy Cox (left) and Bev Harris; photo by Eric Howald
Harris says she has been reading further in "A History of Kincardine Township," and the Presbyterians in Bervie decided in 1902 to build their own church. They had been using the Primitive Methodist Church for worship. When the church was built in 1902, the history of Presbyterians in Bervie was placed in the cornerstone. When the church was torn down for highway widening, that history was sent to the Ontario Archives.
Eric Howald, also a member of Knox Kincardine, says that according to Norman Robertson’s “History of the County of Bruce,” a post office named Bervie was opened in 1853 and a village quickly sprang up. John McKinney built a tavern and nearby, through his efforts, a Presbyterian Church was erected. Rev. Walter Inglis held services in the 30-foot-by-50-foot building (page 436).
In Robertson’s second book, “The History of the County of Bruce 1907-1968,” he says the early churches were the Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican. The first two united in 1925 and a continuing Presbyterian Church closed in the 1940s. The information is on page 367.
Church member Wendy Cox says she researched on-line and found the Bervie Presbyterian Church Cemetery, with accompanying photos (below).
The Bervie United Presbyterian Church Cemetery
She also discovered on-line that the earliest prominent church was the Presbyterian congregation, established with a frame building erected shortly after 1853 near the 50th Sideroad, where services were led by such figures as Rev. Walter Inglis. This structure, measuring about 30-feet-by-50 feet, included a small graveyard marked by marble stones. An Anglican church followed in 1860, built on the southwest corner of Lot 54, Concession 1, serving as one of the village's foundational public buildings under early leaders, such as Benjamin Cronyn.
A Methodist presence emerged through two branches — the Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists — with the latter constructing a log church in the village centre before transferring it to the Presbyterians amid shifting needs.[2][22]
In the 20th Century, these traditions converged in the Bervie United Church, formed in 1925 from the former Methodist circuit encompassing Bervie, Armow, Millarton, and Kinloss; despite Knox Presbyterian's initial refusal to unite, the pastoral charge evolved into an active United Church of Canada outpost.
The current Bervie United Church continues to offer worship, community events, and spiritual support in a welcoming setting, embodying the area's enduring Protestant legacy.[23][24]
The Presbyterian Church, one of the first religious sites, was erected near the 60th Sideroad corner, through the efforts of local resident John McKinney, who also operated a nearby tavern. The frame structure measured approximately 30-feet-by-50-feet, oriented broadside to the road with two entrance doorways, and hosted services led by Rev. Walter Inglis.
Today, only a few marble gravestones remain in the adjacent graveyard, highlighting the site's historical significance amid the decline of some early institutions.
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