Christ Church (Anglican)
Oil Street at Henry Avenue
Petrolia, Ontario, Canada
LL: N 42.8811, W 82.1442
Site locator map
*Player:
(none)
*Past chimers:
1998-2018 Evelyn Ward de Roo
Glenn Bicknell
Julia Cardiff
Sylvia Fairbank
Bonnie Harris
Charlene Mumberson
Stu Sharp
*Contact:
Christ Church
414 Oil Street
Petrolia, ON N0N 1R0
T: 519-882-1430
E: christchurchpetrolia@gmail.com
*Schedule:
(unknown)
*Remarks:
Tower and chime survived a fire which
destroyed the church in 1957, and were
reinstalled in new building in 1958.
*Technical data:
Traditional chime (chimestand) of 11 bells
Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the middle octave
Transposition is nil (concert pitch)
Keyboard range: D#F / NONE
There are two added semitones
The presence or absence of a practice console is unknown
The whole instrument was installed in 1909
with bells made by Meneely/Wvlt
No auxiliary mechanisms known
Tower details not available
Year of latest technical information source is 2009
*Links:
The church no longer has a Website,
though it does have a
Facebook presence
with a brief video of some chime music and a view of the tower.
However, a church member has provided the following history:
The total net weight is alone over 10,000 pounds, and with the frame, mountings
and complete appliance, will aggregate about 15,000 pounds. Made by Meneely
Foundry, W Troy NY they were bequeathed to Christ Church, Anglican by oil baron
Jacob Lewis Englehart, Esq over a century ago, in memory of his beloved wife
Charlotte Eleanor (nee Thompson). Jake Englehart, an American, came as a young
man to Petrolia and made his fortune in oil. He was one of the founders of
Imperial Oil Ltd. He was influential in starting the Northern Ontario Railway
and a town there bears his name.
A brass plaque at the entrance to the church is inscribed:
"To the Glory of God. This tablet is erected by the congregation of Christ
Church. In memory of Charlotte Eleanor Thompson, died 31st December 1908 and to
record their appreciation of the memorial gift of the church bells by her
husband J.L. Englehart. I know that my Redeemer liveth."
Jake’s courtship and marriage to Charlotte is one of the most romantic love
stories of the area. Upon her death on Dec 31, 1908, as per her wishes, the
beautiful home he built her was left to the town to become the cornerstone of
the hospital and the grounds became the golf course. Jake provided an endowment
toward the salaries of the rector and chimer. He stipulated that all women
getting married in Petrolia could have the bells played for free on their
wedding day. When Jake Englehart died he left money for the bells to be played
at least once a year. Now they are played every Sunday by a volunteer chimer.
Inscribed on the largest bell - "This chime of bells was presented to CHRIST
CHURCH, PETROLIA in loving memory of CHARLOTTE ELEANOR THOMPSON by her husband
JACOB LEWIS ENGLEHART died December 1908".
The bells are named, from first to last — Charity, Faith, Hope, Love, Joy, Peace,
Long Suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Meekness, and Temperance. The words on the
bells 4-11 inclusive are what St Paul call the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22-23). The Tenor bell is named Charity, as that grace, in its original
meaning of love and in its modern meaning of kindness to the poor and needy, and
toleration of diverse opinion, was prominent in the character of her [for] whom the
bells are a memorial.