Fenwick in Pelham in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Pelham Quaker Settlement
Photographed by Tim Boyd, March 14, 2025
1. Pelham Quaker Settlement Marker
Pelham Monthly Meeting, the first Monthly Meeting in Canada, was established here in a log Meetinghouse on 10th month, 2nd day, 1799
The Quakers or Religious Society of Friends began arriving in Canada as early as 1786 These settlers were part of a larger migration from the states of New York, New Jersey and Lancaster and Bucks Counties in Pennsylvania. Early Quakers were instrumental in the foundation of education, peace and justice in Canada.
A frame Meetinghouse was erected here in 1807
A larger Meetinghouse was built in 1875 and removed in 1929
The cemetery was closed to burials in 2009
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Quakerism series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1799.
Location. 43° 1.49′ N, 79° 18.613′ W. Marker is in Pelham, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is in Fenwick. It is at the intersection of Welland Road and Effingham Street, on the right when traveling east on Welland Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 280 Welland Road, Pelham ON L0S 1C0,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe and in Niagara Canada. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: W.W. 1 German Trench Mortar (approx. 1.8 kilometers away); Pelham Cenotaph (approx. 1.8 kilometers away); Fonthill Nurseries (1837-1968) (approx. 2.2 kilometers away); Dexter D’Everardo (approx. 3 kilometers away); Electric Park / Stop 19 on the NS&T (approx. 3.9 kilometers away); The Brethren in Christ Church / L’Église de la Fraternité Chrétienne (approx. 4.2 kilometers away); The Fenwick Fair (approx. 4.4 kilometers away); The Reverend Daniel W. Eastman (approx. 4.8 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pelham.
Also see . . . The Quakers in Pelham.
Photographed by Tim Boyd, March 14, 2025
2. Pelham Quaker Settlement Marker
By 1799, Pelham had enough Quaker settler (79) to establish its own Monthly Meeting. This was the first Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends to be established in Canada. These meetings gave the Friends the opportunity to worship and to discuss any matters dealing with their organization. A Quaker meeting house had already been built in 1784, but it was too small and cramped to suit the needs of the growing community. Another meeting house was built in Effingham (Beckett’s Mills), which was, for a long time, the centre of Quaker influence in Pelham. Then in 1807, the original meeting house of 1784 was rebuilt.(Submitted on March 14, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)
Photographed by Tim Boyd, March 14, 2025
3. Pelham Quaker Cemetery
Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 14, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 174 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 14, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
