BRINTON PAINE BROWN settled in the Township of Southhold, Elgin County on the Back Street at Kettle Creek (now Paines Mill) in the year 1824. He was at the time a Local Preacher. About the year 1835, he was ordained a Minister in the New Connexion Methodist Church and the Rev. James Jackson, generally called Hickory Jackson, were neighbours and very intimate friends. They organized a church at the Five Stakes (now Talbotville), another on the North Street and another in their own neighbourhood. They were the founders of Methodism in that part of the the country.
He obtained his License to marry from a Government Official in London before the New Connexion Methodist had any legal authority to marry. He married a great many couples in those early days. Among them was Amasa Wood (founder of the Amasa Wood Hospital in St. Thomas). He also attended many of the funerals for miles around.
In the spring of 1841, he moved into Dereham and settled on Lot 22 concession 11 (now Brownsville). At that time there were only about ten settlers on the 10th concession between Dorchester and Delmer, mostly new settlers. They seemed to have little regard for the Sabbath - if they did not work, they would go hunting. Father soon commenced to preach in the Neighbour's houses.
There was no school in the settlement nor ever had been. He also preached over in Chancy Smith settlement, now Bayham Church, and other places. He generally preached once or twice every Sabbath. In the fall of 1841, he got two good Methodist friends to buy land and move into the neighbourhood, from Malahide. Mr. John Loucks, who was at the time called an Exorter and Mr. James Dennis who was a class Leader. They were both active workers.
In the fall of 1842, they held what was then called a protracted meeting
for a few nights in Father's empty log house on Lot 22, concession 10.
They organized a little class and put it into working order consisting
of the following persons:
Brinton Paine Brown as Minister, and wife
John Loucks as Exorter, and wife
James Dennis as class Leader, and wife
Able Collins and wife
Mrs. Rheuben Andrews
Elias Rowley
Ira Dean
Edward F. Brown and
Brinton Paine Brown Jr.
Laying the foundation stone of the Methodism in Brownsville, they not only established the little church, but during the same winter 1842-43 believing that temperance was the handmaid of Religion, they inaugurated the cause of temperance by getting a Temperance Lecturer by the name of John Wheaton to hold meetings in the same log house and organized an old fashioned Temperance Society.
The influence of that humble beginning was very forceably demonstrated by the Referendum Vote last year when only four out of 136 electors voted against the temperance cause in this polling sub-division, exceeding all other polling sub-divisions in favour of temperance in Ontario.
In the spring of 1843, Father applied to some of the Methodist Officials and succeeded in getting them to send in a circuit preacher by the name of Edward Bailey. He came in every four weeks on horse back and carried his saddle bags on his horse's shoulders in front of him and preached in Father's house.
That year (1843), the first quarterly meeting was held in Father's barn, some people coming five or six miles through the wood on foot to the meeting. Old Father Malcolm and wife; John Malcolm and wife; Chancy Smith and wife; John Benstead from Bayham, Peter Johnson and wife on horse back from Norwich and others. Most of these stopped at Father's for dinner. He told them there was only room for as many as there was boards in the floor. Those were days of true friendship and hospitality.
The next year this little class was attached to the Tillsonburg Circuit. Thomas Ramage was the Minister on that circuit. He came and preached every other Sabbath and Father preached the others.
The school house was built by that time and they held the meetings in it. Father's old friend Hickory Jackson came down from St. Thomas once or twice every year and preached. He did that for a number of years.
In the fall of 1846, they held an old fashioned Protracted Meeting for four or five weeks in the school house and gathered quite a number of new members into the church.
By this time, quite a number of good solid men moved into the neighbourhood such as Mathias Millard, Edward York, Joel Nims, Lineus Ford, Daniel and Gideon Hawkins, Henry Downing, Lewis Wooley and others. On the 10th concession Benjamin Hopkins, David Phelps, Andrew Baxter, John Allison and others; on the 9th con. J.D. Freeman on the 12th con.. Many of them Methodists who greatly strengthened the church and neighbourhood with a fine class of people. They still held meetings in the school house.
About the year 1855 they built a new frame church at a cost of about $1,200. Father gave the land. The church grew and prospered until the church was too small; they then built the present brick church and parsonage at a cost of about $7,000. Benjamin Hockins gave the land. Several of the ministers later were elected Presidents of the Conference. I hope our present minister Rev. D. E. Martin may in coming years, have the same honour.
May the present and future generations ever emulate and hold in sacred remembrance and gratitude down to them and may their influence and memory be as fresh and as fragrant as the Rose.
"The Rose had one powerful virtue to boast; Above all of the flowers
of the field.
When its leaves are all dead and its fine colour lost;
Still how sweet a perfume it will yield.
"
Brownsville, 1903 E. B. Brown
copied by Mrs. Lowell C. Brown, April 1967 from original document.