Blandford Mennonite Church (Bright, ON)

Title: Blandford Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1883 (photocopy)

Physical description: 3 sheets

Administrative history: The church was located 11/2 miles south of Bright.

The Blandford congregation dissolved in 1904. It was affiliated with the Mennonite Conference of Ontario. The language of worship was German.

The congregation began services in 1839, and formally organized in 1846. The first building was occupied in 1846. Jacob Bretz, who was ordained in 1839 at the Wanner Mennonite Church is considered the founding leader of the group. John Basinger was a longtime deacon in the congregation. The congregation originated through colonization from Waterloo County. The church was closed in 1904 and the building sold. The Blandford cemetery was still maintained by the community in the 1950s.

Early family names in the community were Basinger, Newschwander, Strickler, Miller, Baer, Stauffer, and Bingeman.

As early as 1851 Blandford was listed in the Mennonite Conference of Ontario meeting calendar every fourth Sunday. By 1892 services were held only every six weeks.

Custodial history: The origin of the materials in this fonds is not known.

Scope and Content: There is one series: Records

Notes:
For photographs related to this congregation search the Mennonite Archival Image Database.
An encyclopedia entry for this congregation may be found in GAMEO
Original archival description created 2002 by Sam Steiner

Series 1: Records

1. Deed from Noah Shantz estate to British North American Mennonite Society's Meeting House and Burial Ground in the Township of Blandford, March 10, 1883 (photocopy)

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