Rev. Ambrose, Pastor and Naturalist

Nova Scotia # 2, 3d blue on 1859 cover from South Maitland, Nova Scotia to St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia. Addressed to The Reverend John Ambrose Dr M, St Margaret's Bay. Backstamps: South Maitland, Co Hants, JA 7 1859, St Margaret's Bay, NS, JA 14 1859.

The Rev. Dr. John Ambrose was the 46 year old pastor of St. Paul's Anglican Church, French Village, St. Margaret's Bay when he received this letter from South Hants.

The Rev. Dr. John Ambrose

John Ambrose was born at Saint John, New Brunswick on September 25th, 1823, the son of Richard and Katherine (Phillips) Ambrose. He died in Sackille, Nova Scotia, on September 12th, 1898. He was born one month after the arrival of his parents from Cove of Cork, Ireland. Although the Ambrose family was originally from England, his ancestors had resided in Ireland for generations. He was educated at Truro and at King’s College, Windsor. (B.A. 1852; M.A. 1856; D.C.L. 1888) For over forty-four years he served as an Anglican clergyman at St. Margaret’s Bay (1858-70), Digby, Liverpool, New Dublin and Herring Cove. He was editor of ‘Church Work’ and ‘The Halifax Church Chronicle’, and also was a governor of King’s College. John married, June 30th, 1853, at Liverpool, Charlotte Ann Barss. Together they had fourteen children. During a busy life as a country parson, he found in natural history a recreation, although not claiming to be an authority on the subject. He was an original member of the Institute and was proposed as a member of the first council, but as he lived at a distance from Halifax, he could take but little active part in it’s work; and in 1890 was elected a corresponding member. He published six papers in it’s Transactions, all relating to either the fishes or birds of St. Margaret’s Bay, where he was stationed for thirteen years and so had ample opportunity of gathering from the fishermen much information regarding the inhabitants of the deep.

Sea Serpent in St. Margaret's Bay, South West Island, 1849

Rev. John Ambrose, 1867

“In the summer of 1849, Joseph Holland, now living near Port Medway, being in company with Jacob Kedy and two other fishermen, on South West Island, at the west side of the entrance of this Bay, saw something very large and long in appearance, swimming on the surface of the water, at some little distance from the land. Curiosity at length induced the men to launch a flat, and row out for a nearer inspection of the object, which apparently did not perceive them until they had rowed over where it was swimming. They now found it to be no other than an immense snake, about sixty feet in length, and as large in circumference as a puncheon. It was proportioned like an eel, i.e., tapering towards the extremities, with no caudal fin perceptible, but one very high fin, or row of spines, each of about one inch in diameter at the base, erected along its back, serving indeed for a dorsal fin, like the folding fin of the Thynnus vulgaris, or albicore.

This spinal erection seemed to occupy about one third of its length, each end of it being about equal distant from the Serpent’s extremities; and at a distance, somewhat resembling, in size and appearance, the sail of a skiff. The animal’s back was covered with scales, about six inches long and three inches wide, extending in rows across the body, i.e., the longer diameter of scale being in the direction of the circumference of the body. The colour of the back was black. The men had no opportunity of seeing the belly, but what the Americans would call, “a smart chance” of becoming acquainted with the inside of it; for the creature, perceiving the boat, rised its head about ten feet above water, turned towards it, and opening its jaws, showed the inside of its mouth red in colour and well-armed with teeth about three inches long, shaped like those of a cat-fish. The men now thinking it high time to terminate the interview, pulled vigorously for shore, followed for some distance by the snake, which at length gave up chase and disappeared.

Rev. Ambrose continues, in summation of the sightings...

“The Sea Serpent has not been seen in St Margaret’s Bay since 1849. It is supposed by some of the inhabitants of the place, that there were two of these creatures in the Bay, at or near the same time. This may account for the differences between the descriptions, especially in colour, given by Holland and Wilson. It may be that, in these as in other animals, the sexes are distinguished by peculiarities of shape and colour. I have not been able to ascertain the motion of these animals in swimming, whether vertical or horizontal in its sinuosities. Wilson’s first idea of the corks would seem to indicate a succession of vertical motions."

Posted to HISTORICAL STORIES OF NOVA SCOTIA by Jocelyn Freeman

Dr. John Ambrose Obituary

The Halifax Herald, Wednesday, September 14, 1898

REV. JOHN AMBROSE GONE TO HIS REWARD

Death of One of the Fathers of the Church of England In Nova Scotia

SAVED TEN FROM DROWNING

Dr. Ambrose Was Strong in the Pulpit; Out or it He Was Loved as Man and Minister.

Rev. John Ambrose, D.C.L., died at his home, Sackville, N. S, on Monday evening, after a few days illness Interment will be at Digby. There will be a funeral service to-morrow evening at 7 o’clock on arrival of the express train on Friday.

Rev. Dr. Ambrose nearly three quarters of a century ago was born In St John, of Irish parents. In every way one might take him he was emphatically one of our grand old men. He was a worthy type of those men of brawn end brain who have reflected lustra throughout the English-speaking world from this sea girt province.

A Nova Scotian in all but the accident of birth, he moved at a very early age with his parents to Truro, where, after attending the Academy, he entered Kings college, Windsor In 1848. Among

HIS FELLOW STUDENTS

were Judge Savory, of Annapolis Royal; Rev. Dr. Bowman, of Windsor: Robert Haliburton, (a son of "Sam Slick”) of Ottawa, and John Butler.

After completing his arts and divinity courses, he was ordained deacon In 1851, and priest In 1852, by the late Bishop Binney. For the first two and a half years he acted as curate to the late Dr. Nicolls, of Liverpool, and about the end of 1854 was appointed to the extensive parish of New Dublin. The original parish had no less than twelve centres or stations, where services were regularly held, and the magnitude, and the consequent labor, entailed upon the priest in charge may be inferred from the fact that

TODAY THREE CLERGYMEN

are at work In the same field - none of whom but have their hands full. During his three years charge of this parish, a church was erected, paid for and consecrated at Conquerall. His next parish was that of St. Margaret's Bay. which has since been sub -divided Into two distinct charges. While here he erected a church at French Village, for which he collected funds at immense personal Inconvenience and labour. After remaining thirteen years In this most laborious parish, which then contained five stations, he was elected to the parish of Digby, where he remained nearly twenty-three years. While at Digby, Dr. Ambrose accomplished what he considered was in many respects the crowning work of his life. He Inaugurated and largely carried through by his own personal exertions the movement for abolishing the Iniquitous system of

SELLING PAUPERS

to the lowest bidder which at that time disgraced the municipal statute books of the maritime provinces. He did a splendid work for his parish. At a cost of ever $11,000 he erected the present beautiful church, $5,000 of which he collected hlmself In Montreal and England. While In England he took a number of lecturing tours for the society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts, and the Society for the promotion of Christian knowledge. Some valuable old half lapsed government land grants were owing to his instrumentality, recovered by the parish.

On his resignation of this important parish, which was due to falling health, the congregation voted him a pension of $100 per annum.

For three years he held the parish of Herring Cove.

About two and a half year ago he resigned his charge on account of continued failing health, moat undoubtedly due to his exceptionally arduous labors. He then went to reside on his own farm at Sackvllle, near this city, where he continued to do a great deal of work.

Of splendid presence and great energy, Dr. Ambrose was all his life remarkable for aquatic powers and was In his time probably one of the most skillful, fearless swimmers In the province. He has been instrumental In

SAVING NO LESS THAN TEN LIVES

at his own Imminent risk. When a boy of only nine he saved two of his school fellows in the Salmon River (Wm. Ross and George Kline). He has also saved, out of the same river, George Archibald. Harvey Blair Leander Crowe (high sheriff), Henry Crawford, his own brother Richard Ambrose, his own son R. W. Ambrose. -  Blair, Michael Head, a son of the late Dr. Head, of Halifax, the last named from under the Ice.

For every one at these cases he was most undoubtedly entitled to the royal humane society's medal, and It was only his characteristic modesty that prevented him from claiming and obtaining them. But for all that, it seems a pity that so much heroism should have gone utterly unrecognized.

Dr. Ambrose, among his multifarious labors, found time to give close study to

THE NATURAL HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA.

Himself one of the founders of the Halifax Institute of Natural Science, he has been a frequent contributor to Its transactions. An essay upon the habits of the stormy petrel has been published by the Smithsonian Institute. This same paper also appeared in the columns of the London Illustrated News, and In the “transactions" of the Essex (Mass) Natural History Society.

He also took a prominent part In diocesan work and was one of the founders of the Diocesan Synod. While a governor of Kings College he was mainly instrumental In preventing its removal to Halifax.

About thirteen years ago Dr. Ambrose assumed the editorship and management of that excellent little religious monthly "Church Work." Under his supervision the paper greatly prospered, and it has now a wide circulation in Canada and the United States. For some time be was editor of the Halifax Church Chronicle.

MARRIED 48 YEARS AGO

In 1883, Dr. Ambrose married Charlotte N. Barss, a daughter of Edward Barss of Liverpool, and by her had a family of fourteen children. Mrs. Ambrose comes of old Puritan stock, and Is a direct descendant of John and Pricilla Alden, Immortalized by Longfellow. She la also a blood relation of the poet himself. The Barss family are loyalist refugees and came to the province over a century ago.

The family was as follows: Elisabeth died young; Edward, died young; Robert Willie, born 1859, trained to the profession of civil engineer. Is now a commercial traveler, and resides In St. John; John Richard, born 1860 served for over ten years In the Bank of Montreal, but being disabled by an accident he retired on a pension; Katherine Elisabeth, some years ago became a member of the St Margaret’s sisterhood, and la now working In Boston. The mothers house of the order Is at East Grinstead, England. She Is known as "Sister Katherine." Charlotte Is a trained nurse, and is at present In New York. Helen, married to Dr. Baker, of New Jersey. Mary, died young. Edith Margaret, a nurse In New York. Josephine, married the late W. E. Bragg, of Cumberland comity. Edwin Gilpin, a non-commissioned officer in the mounted police, was one of the contingent of picked men who participated In the Jubilee festivities last year. Henry McCarthy, also a member of the north-west mounted police. George Michael, studying for Holy Orders at Kings college, Windsor.

HIS WAS A NOBLE RECORD.

Such is a meagre outline of a remarkably busy, useful, laborious and arduous life. These many years of active service represent an amount of severe physical labor and actual hardship, and occasional danger that today might belong to life on the Labrador coast, or In the wilds of the far north-west. Without undue croaking over the "degeneracy of the times”, it may safely be asked how many of our younger clergy would feel like tackling a parish extending over half a county, and embracing twelve distinct station. a parish which now taxes the energies, mental and physical, of three clergymen. Dr. Ambrose was always noted as a remarkably hard worker in this country of hard working people. Whatsoever his hand found to do he did it with the might of his strong resolute nature. On all occasions he seemed to have put the work first, and himself and his own ease or comfort last. And his unremitting and self denying labors told upon even his magnificent physique.

Although in the course of his long toilful career he did not accumulate a lavish share of the so-called "good things" of this life he earned for himself the love and respect of hundreds of people In all parts of the province. Few men Indeed have been as

PROFOUNDLY RESPECTED.

Mentally, morally and physically he proved himself a man. and when that Is said what more can be added. Though not In the ordinary acceptation of the word "a popular preacher”, Dr. Ambrose was one of our leading sermonizers. and many of his sermons were published. His academic degree of D.C. L.. he received from his Alma Mater (Kings College) as a special recognition of the noble work done by