Title: Rev. Frederick G. Stevens Fonds

Dates: 1897 – 1957

Extent: 1 folder textual material

Repository: The United Church of Canada Archives Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference and All Native Circle Conference

Retrieval Numbers: Accession: Ex-104; I.D.: 3520; Location: PP44

Historic Note

Rev. Frederick G. Stevens (1869-1946) served the Methodist and United Churches of Canada for over forty years. Stevens was born in Markdale, Ontario on October 9, 1869.

He attended Wesley College in Winnipeg and received special ordination from the College in 1896. Rev. Stevens then travelled north and served the Oxford House Indian Mission until 1901. He then served the southern Manitoba farming community of Cartwright from 1901 to 1907, and the Fisher River Indian Mission, north of Winnipeg, from 1907 to 1940.

United College presented Rev. Stevens with a honourary Doctorate of Divinity degree in 1938. In 1939, Rev. Stevens acted as the presiding officer of the Manitoba Conference.

During his career, he also became known as a relative authority on Cree syllabics. He edited ‘Spiritual Light’, a Cree magazine, and wrote a Cree dictionary, primer, and hymnbook. Rev. Stevens retired in 1940 and passed away on August 9, 1946, in Norway House, Manitoba.

The life and work of Rev. Stevens’ wife, Frances Stevens, was the subject of Nan Shipley’s book entitled Frances and the Crees. Rev. and Mrs. Stevens had a large family including William Gordon, Charles (of Dauphin), Frederick (of Sioux Ste. Marie), Marguerite (married Guy Broughton of Crystal City), Frances (married Stanley Wood of Toronto), Dorothy (Mrs. Lachlan of Vancouver), and a daughter who passed away as an infant.

Scope and Content

The surviving records of Rev. Frederick G. Stevens include: a Manuscript entitled ‘The Sandy Lake Story, 1897-’, originally printed in the Missionary Bulletin (January 1920), later additions made by Rev. Stevens and Rev. John Freeman, dating from 1897 to 1957.

Custodial History

The records of Rev. Frederick G. Stevens came to the archives of the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario as part of several transfers of records around 1970.

Related Material in this Repository

Biographical File UCA biographical file; Rev. George H. Cornish, LL.D., Cyclopaedia of Methodism in Canada, Volume II. (Toronto: Methodist Book and Publishing House, 1903)

Documentation Digitization

Relevant items in this fonds related to Indian Residential Schools are included in The United Church of Canada Archives Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference and All Native Circle Conference 2014 Index of IRS Related Records and were digitized for submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Contact the Archivist for more information.

Language:  The records are in English.

Restriction on Access:   No restrictions apply.

Accruals:   No further accruals are expected.