Rev. John A. Doyle Fonds

Title: Rev. John A. Doyle Fonds

Dates: 1855 – 1951

Extent: .75m textual records

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

Retrieval Numbers Accession: 79-14; I.D.: 3130; Location: PP12, PP13, PP14, PP15, PP16

Historic Notes

Rev. John Allison Doyle (?-1953) served the Methodist and United Churches of Canada for over thirty years. Doyle was born into a Quaker family in Elora, Ontario. Before moving to Toronto to attend Victoria University in 1895, Doyle served congregations at Lion’s Head and Arkwright in the Methodist Conference of Guelph. Following his graduation in 1898, Doyle served congregations at Alma and Hepworth in the Hamilton Conference.

He was transferred to the Manitoba and Northwest Conference in 1901 and served Wesley Methodist Church in Winnipeg and then in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Doyle was ordained a Methodist minister in Hamilton, Ontario in 1909 and subsequently served in Regina and Prince Albert, and at Gordon Methodist Church in Winnipeg. In addition to his ministerial activities, Rev. Doyle served as secretary of the Conference Epworth Leagues and Sunday Schools in 1907, and as Superintendent of Missions of the Manitoba and Saskatchewan Conferences of the Methodist Church in 1915. Doyle was appointed principal of the Brandon Residential School in 1929, and remained in the position until 1941. Rev. John A. Doyle passed away in Winnipeg on November 29, 1953.

 Scope and Content

The surviving records of Rev. John A. Doyle include: an Agreement pertaining to the care of cemetery lots in Elora, Manitoba, dating from 1922; Notes pertaining to sermons, 1939-1950 (also many dates unknown); Various prayers, dates unknown; Letters and correspondence, pertaining to the church, native people, Brandon Indian Residential School, ‘Thought for the day’, and personal matters, dating from 1935 to 1951; a Typescript of the ‘Thought for the day’ collection, including one-year of quotations, date unknown; a Report of the Board of Home Missions regarding Non-Anglo Saxon work in Edmonton, Alberta, dating from 1932; Poetry, produced by a class of the Brandon Indian Residential School (some authors identified), dating from 1936; ‘The New Testament’ Bible, dating from 1923; ‘The New Testament in the Original Greek’ Bible, dating from 1896; ‘The Scripture Atlas to Illustrate the Old and New Testaments’, dating from 1878; a United Church publication entitled ‘Forms of Service for the Offices of the Church’, dating from 1926; a ‘Marriage Certificate and Ceremony’ booklet, dating from 1940; a Radio talk presented by a Cree Indian of Manitoba, date unknown; and a Tribute album compiled in honour of a Mrs. E.L. Curts, c. 1855.

Related Material in this Repository

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

Custodial History

The records of Rev. John A. Doyle came to the archives of the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario as part of a transfer of records in 1979.

Documentation Digitization

Relevant items in this fonds related to Indian Residential Schools are included in theThe United Church of Canada Archives Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference and All Native Circle Conference2014 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.