St. John's Anglican Church (Hilton Beach, Ont.) [formerly Marksville] is part of the Anglican Parish of St. Joseph and St. George (St. Joseph's Island, Ont.)
St. John's started construction about 1881 and was the mother church of St. Joseph's Island and included a parsonage. The church could seat approximately 80 people. The church was consecrated on July 18, 1883 along with the churchyard (as a place of burial). Work on the chancel and vestry began in the winter of 1889, under the direction of Rev. Charles Piercy.
In the early 1920's the church was moved down the hill and to its present location at Hilton Beach. In 1927 the congregation installed a furnace and chimney, the cost being met with donations, leaving the church free of debt.
In 1953 the outer walls of the church were sided with asbestos shingles and a new outer door was installed; as well, various other improvements were made. In October of 1957 new cemetery gates that were donated by a Mr. Lynn Hollingsworth, were dedicated by Archbishop Wright. Between 1956 and 1959 the basement of the church was also repaired.
In 1979 the parish of St. Joseph (which includes Hilton Beach) and St. George became self-supporting.
Incumbents include: Rev. Henry Beer (1881-1888), Rev. C. Piercy (1888-1890), Rev. W. J. Eccleston (1892-1896), Rev. R. Atkinson (1896-1899), Rev. A. C. Mackintosh (1900-1901), Rev. P. W. P. Calhoun (1901-1904), Rev. Benjamin Bean (1905-1906), Lay Readers (1906), Mr. G. M. Brewin (1907), Mr. H. Bailey (1907), Mr. H. G. Watts (1907-1908), Rev. H. Frankland (1908-1909), Rev. H. C. Dunn (1910-1913), Rev. E. G. Heaven (1914-1916), Rev. J. D. Granger (1916-1917), Mr. E. B. Ellis (1918), Rev. H. F. C. Cocks (1919-1922), Rev. Canon R. Haines (1923-1925), Rev. H. H. Heard (1925-1927), Rev. J. Armour (1927-1928), Rev. J. S. Rhodes (1929-1931), Rev. J. S. R. Sturgeon (1931?-1933), Rev. J. D. Wall (1934-1937), Mr. M. J. Dempsey (1937), Rev. J. Stewart (1937-1940), Rev. D. H. Dixon (1940-1954), Christopher Passey (Locum Tenens) (1949), Rev. N. Hornby (1954-1960), Rev. K. A. Robinson (1960-1965), Rev. T. E. Collins (1966-1968), Rev. P. Hill (1969-1976), Rev. M. C. Eldred (1976-1982), Rev. C. (Bud) Moote (1982-1991), Rev. Muriel Hornby (Assistant Priest) (1984-1985), Rev. H. Hamilton (Assistant Priest) (1989-1991) (Priest in Charge) (1991-2006), Rev. Rosalie Goos (2006-2011), Mr. Pat Brown (2011-2018), Susan Montague Koyle (2018-present).
Sources:
- "The Bishop's Visitation", The Algoma Missionary News and Shingwauk Journal 6, no. 21 (1883): 5. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_002_1883Oct.
- "St. Joseph's Island", The Algoma Missionary News 1, no. 1 (1889): 5. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_001_003_1889Sept.
- "St. John's, Hilton Beach", The Algoma Missionary News 23, no. 1 (1927): 21. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_002_001_1927JanFeb.
- "St. John's, Hilton Beach", The Algoma Missionary News 79, no. 2 (1953): 17. Algoma University Archives, 2009-081_002_006_1953MayJun.
- "Dedicate Windows and Gates at St. Joseph's Island", The Algoma Anglican, October (1957): 3. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086-001-001_1957October.
- Canon Donald Dixon, "It Happened on St. Joe", 1986, Ruth A. Cox-Ingle fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2013-051_001_046_001.
