A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
History
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
This situation he has since filled without interruption, and has
seen the progress made up to this date, the number of schools having
increased to twenty-six, and a class of buildings provided unsurpassed
by any in Ontario. Shortly after the Rev. Mr. Torrance’s settlement in
Guelph, a new presbytery was formed, called the Presbytery of
Wellington, and of this he was chosen clerk, and this office he filled
till the union of the churches, which took place in 1861, when Mr., now
Rev. Dr. Middlemiss, who had been clerk of the Free Church Presbytery,
was chosen clerk of the united one. In 1870, Mr. Middlemiss resigned,
and was succeeded by Mr. Torrance, who still occupies the office. The
church with which he was connected was known in his early days as the
“United Secession,” a name afterwards changed to “United Presbyterian,”
when the union between the Relief and Secession churches was effected.
For some years he filled the position of convener of their committee on
statistics, and also of their committee on the supply of vacancies and
distribution of probationers. In 1874, his name appears for the first
time as convener of the committee of the united church on statistics,
and he was continued in the office at the farther union, which took
place in 1875, and still occupies it. For some time the supply of
vacancies and allocation of probationers were under the charge of the
Home Mission committee, but they chose a sub-committee for the purpose,
and for a few years the burden of the work fell to him with the other
members. Ultimately a distinct committee was appointed by the General
Assembly, to whom this service was assigned, and he was chosen convener.
In 1880 he was chosen moderator of the Synod of Toronto and Kingston,
which met in St. James’ Square Church, Toronto, and occupied the office
for the usual period of one year. In 1883, he tendered his resignation,
when Rev. Mr. Laidlaw of St. Paul’s Church, Hamilton, was chosen to
succeed him. The scheme fell out of use, and it was considered
unnecessary to continue the committee after 1884, till 1886, when the
want of it having made itself felt, a new committee was appointed under
a revised scheme, of which Rev. Mr. Laidlaw was appointed convener by
the Assembly, and Mr. Torrance clerk by the committee, Mr. Laidlaw
feeling that he could not carry on the work of the committee in
connection with the weight and responsibility of his labours as the
minister of an important city charge. In 1884, Mr. Torrance was chosen a
life member of the British Association for the Advancement of Science at
its meeting in Montreal. In 1885, he was installed as a member of the
Canadian Postal College of the natural sciences, and in September of the
same year, he was constituted a life member of the Canadian Short-Hand
Society. For several years he has been a member, by the appointment of
the General Assembly of the Board of Examiners of Knox College, Toronto,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account