50
HISTORY
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
CHAPTER II.-EARLY CATHOLIC SETTLERS.
The first Catholic immigrants from Europe came
in about 1826 or 1827. Being poor, they first remained for some years
among the older and wealthier Mennonites and worked for them until they
became acquainted with the conditions of this new country and earned a
little money to begin farming for themselves.
Then they bought land located east of the
river, on what were called the back lots of the German Tract. As
the German Catholic population increased and occupied all the land in
Waterloo Township they overflowed north into Woolwich and Pilkington
Townships. The greater part of Woolwich also belonged to the
German Land Company, while Pilkington had been granted to General
Pilkington for services in India. In Guelph Township the settlers
obtained the land direct from the Crown.
The first arrivals from Europe came from Baden.
Among them were Matthias Fehrenbach, John Schumacher, Felix
Scharbach, Christian Rich, Joseph Thoman. Somewhat later others
came from Wuertenberg, Alsace, France, Hessia, The Rhineland and
Bavaria. (Note.-In the Appendix
will be found a more complete list of immigrants with their origin and
approximate time of arrival.)
Many of these settlers had a trade, and
practised it for many years, at least in part, after they had secured
farms. For years oxen were used almost exclusively as cheaper and
better suited for the work at logging and farming on land covered with
stumps and stones. In 1850 a team of oxen and driver earned $1.25
per day, a horse team $1.50. At harvest time 75 cents and board was the
usual rate of wages per day, less at other times.
Currency was figured in pounds, shillings
and pence York.
When the decimal system became prevalent they
did not know what to do with the third money column. They made it
dollars, cents and coppers.
To say when the first settlers bought their
land would require tedious and costly investigations in the Government
records. The time of obtaining their deeds can be easily found in
the Registry Office of the respective county. George Benninger
seems to have secured his deed first, July 30, 1833, 143 acres of Lot
80. Jacob Haus and Andrew Schnurr were the next in 1838.
The newcomers from Europe, having scanty means
and being quite inexperienced in bush life, obtained valuable advice,
employment and credit from their better situated Mennonite neighbors.
These were uniformly kind, neighborly and hospitable to a degree.
In fact, without this helpful disposition of the Mennonites the
European settlers could scarcely have remained in the wilderness.
Even with these kind neighbors most of the immigrants from Europe
had a hard enough task to get on in the new world. Almost every
one of them could tell of many instances of getting help in distress
and great need.
One of the disagreeable features among the New
Germany settlers was, that, although composed of Germans almost
exclusively, rivalry and uncharitable raillery between the people from
different principalities was very prevalent. Then there was no
German citizen because there was no Germany, each one was an Alsatian,
a Bavarian, Prussian, etc. Every one considered his Principality
the best and had a supreme contempt and ugly nicknames for all the
others. This, however, has all passed away. All are now
Canadians.
New Germany is the most compact of all the
parishes in Waterloo County. In the large school section of the
village there is only one non-Catholic. In Woolwich and
Pilkington there are two more schools almost entirely Catholic.