It may come as a surprise to most that Earltown, a bastion of Presbyterianism, the host of an Orangeman’s Lodge, and the settlement of former soldiers who “kept order” in the future Republic of Ireland, produced a prominent Roman Catholic Priest who served congregations in Massachusetts.

As explained in an earlier post here, Earltown’s western front extended almost to East New Annan and thus encompassed the old school district and postal station of Kavanagh’s Mills. While not thrilled over their association with the “gallick” speakers of Earltown, they did identify as natives of Earltown when referring to their homeland. Among those families outside the Earltown Gàidhealtachd were a sprinkling of Irish Catholics who settled upstream of the Kavanagh Mills bridge. This gave rise to the locally dubbed community of Corktown.

While searching the online archives of the Boston Globe, I came across the following:

“William Henry Fitzpatrick was born in Earltown, Colchester County on November 21, 1832” reported the Boston Globe. “His father was an Irishman and his mother, Jane Jardine¹, a native of Ayr, Scotland, was born next door to Robert Burns’ cottage… her father being personal acquaintancesof the immortal poet”.

The father was Stephen Fitzpatrick, a native of Enniscorthy, County Wexford. How he came to be in Pictou in the late 1820’s, and by what route, is unknown. Here he met and married Jane “Jennie” Jardine, a native of Middebie near Ecclefehan, Scotland. Shortly thereafter, Stephen and Jennie acquired an acreage near Kavanagh’s Mills. The property was located in a remote location off the Kennedy Hill Road². A number of other families of Irish Catholic origin were in the immediate area with names such as Ryan, White, Burke, Canary and Woodlock.

William attended the school at Kavanagh’s Mills³ for as long as it would take him. In his late teens, he taught at the same school for two years and “.. filled that exacting office to the satisfaction of all concerned”⁴. At the age of 20 he left his native land and went to Massachusetts and worked for a few years in Bilerica, Bolton and Dedham to save money for college. He enrolled in Holy Cross College in Worcester and graduated in 1862. His theological training took place at the Sulpician Seminary in Montreal, where at the end of four years he was ordained on May 26, 1866.

His early priesthood was spent in Milford, the Boston Cathedral, and East Boston. This was followed a successful attachment to a church in Stoneham where he expanded the parish by purchasing former Protestant churches in Stoneham and Melrose and modified them for his own faith. He also led the building of a church in Wakefield.

In 1875 he was sent to St. Gregory’s Church in Dorchester, Massachusetts, where he would labour for 38 years. Social outreach was his passion and during his lengthy tenure at St. Gregory’s, he established four separate parishes out of the original. His expertise in land transactions and construction were an asset to the diocese. In addition to building churches for the four new parishes, he also acquired land and planted the seeds for a high school, convent, and grammar school. Beginning in 1894, a substantial renovation to the main church was started resulting in its impressive towers and facade.

Father William’s three brothers also lived in Massachusetts and his parents left Kavanagh’s Mills for Hazelton around 1871. His father only lived for two more years. His mother lived for a time in the rectory but spent many years in a nursing home in Boston. For many years the workings of the rectory were ably managed by Christy Munro, a native of Pictou County. After much research, it turns out that she was a maternal first cousin of Father William. She continued in the employ of Father William until his death and was generously remembered in his will.

The Father was not shy of the powers to be. In 1908, while in Washington, he was invited to the White House to visit President Roosevelt. In 1906 at the age of 74, he took his first major leave of four months. During that time he visited the native parishes of both his mother and father, toured the continent, the Holy Land and went to Rome to pay a visit to the Pope. He was warmly received and had a grand chat with Holy Father⁵.

Nor did he forget his humble beginnings. He came back to Kavanagh’s Mills on occasion to visit old acquaintances. The Catholic community of Corktown migrated out shortly after the Fitzpatricks but the relationship between Catholic and Presbyterian was always cordial in that area. My grand aunt, Reta Murray MacRae⁶, recalled that a Fitzpatrick priest would come and stay with her family while visiting the neighbourhood. There was no mention of grand schemes or powerful personalities. Like any former teacher, he was likely more interested in the lives of his former pupils.

On Friday, December 12th, 1913, Rev. William Henry Fitzpatrick LL.D. was found dead in bed by one of the assistant priests. There had been no indication of ill health, although he had written a brief sketch of his life history days before. “Last Monday in the church which Father Fitzgerald had built, and at whose alter he had so often broken the Bread of Life to his people, his funeral service was held. The spacious church could not contain all who wished to attend th obsequies, and many waited outside. Several hundred priests were in attendance, included a number of Monsignori, and Cardinal O’Connell occupied the throne in the sanctuary”⁷.

In the old Dorchester Cemetery are the graves of Father William and his parents James and Jennie, his birthplace not forgotten.

1. The Ayr connection to Robert Burns is often mentioned in articles celebrating Father Fitzpatrick’s milestones. The Old Parish Registers show that Jane’s parents, Robert and Ann Jardine lived in Middlebie near Annan in 1816. The connection between Burns and Jardine most likely happened when Burns was moving about in Dumfries-shire. Father Fitzpatrick would make humorous complaints about daily papers getting his life record wrong. ↩︎
2. Locals will be familiar with the old homestead of John Will Sutherland on Studivan Mountain. The Fitzpatrick place was southeast of this. ↩︎
3. The school was located near the west end of the Kavanagh Bridge close to where the Hiltz cottage stands today. It closed around 1900 as the backcountry emptied out. ↩︎
4. The Sacred Heart Review, Vol 5, No 24, 29th November 1913 ↩︎
5. Pilot, Vol 69, No. 23, 9 June 1906 ↩︎
6. The visit came up in a conversation with Reta in 1980. I don’t recall if the visit was when she was girl or she was recalling what her parents had told her. My grandmother often mentioned the Fitzpatricks but I don’t recall mention of the priest. One of Reta’s uncles was named Alexander Fitzpatrick Murray in honour of the family friendship. The late Andrew MacKay of Tatamagouche Mountain also mentioned a Fitzpatrick priest from Boston visiting the neighbourhood. ↩︎
7. The Sacred Heart review Vol 51, No 1, 20 December 1913 ↩︎

Sources:

Several articles at Newspapers.com taken from the Boston Globe during the lifetime of Rev. Fitzpatrick

Pilot Vol 69 No 23 9 June 1906 Boston College Libraries

The Sacred Heart Review Vol 51, No 1 20 December 1913

1838 Census, Earltown, Colchester County

Registry of Deeds Index, Colchester County

Interview – Mrs. Reta Murray MacRae 1980

Interview – Andrew MacKay 1982

Assistance of David Heatley, Forester, with locating the site of the Fitzpatrick house at Kavanagh’s Mills