Rev. Hugh Cowan (May 20, 1867 – April 19, 1943) was a

Presbyterian Church in Canada The Presbyterian Church in Canada () is a Presbyterian denomination, serving in Canada under this name since 1875. The United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939. According to the Religion in Canada, Canada 2021 Censu ...

and later

United Church of Canada The United Church of Canada (UCC; ) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and the second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholic Church in Canada. The United Chu ...

minister, author, editor and historian.

Background

Hugh Cowan was born on May 20, 1867, in Bentinck, Ontario, Canada to John Cowan and Mary McLean both of whom were born in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. In 1893, he finished his

Bachelor of Arts degree A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

Manitoba College Manitoba College was a college that existed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from 1871 to 1967, when it became one of the University of Winnipeg and University of Manitoba’s founding colleges. It was one of the first institutions of higher learning ...

. He pursued his Master of Arts at

Knox College, Toronto Knox College is a postgraduate theological college of the University of Toronto located at the St. George campus in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1844 as part of a schism movement in the Church of Scotland following the Disruption ...

in 1896. He later pursued his Bachelor of Divinity degree at

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

's Queen's Theological College and graduated in 1905. During Cowan's first ministry at Rutherford Presbyterian Church in

Dawn-Euphemia Dawn-Euphemia is a township in southwestern Ontario, Canada, in Lambton County. Residents primarily are employed by the agricultural industry, or by local industries such as Union Gas distribution centre, along with various smaller agricultural ...

, he met Jean Eloise Wood. They were married on October 31, 1899, in

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

. Hugh Cowan and Jean Eloise Wood had three daughters and six sons.

Career

Church ministry

Cowan was ordained by the Chatham Presbytery of the

on August 17, 1897. Cowan served as a pastor in Oakdale United Church (formerly known as Oakdale Presbyterian Church), and Rutherford Presbyterian Church in

Lambton County Lambton County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is bordered on the north by Lake Huron, which is drained by the St. Clair River, the county's western border and part of the Canada-United States border. To the south is Lake Saint Cla ...

from 1897 to 1900, in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in

North Easthope North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

and Shakespeare Presbyterian Church in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

Perth County, Ontario Perth County is a county and Census divisions of Canada, census division in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario in Southwestern Ontario, west of Toronto. Its population centres are Listowel, Ontario, Listowel, Mi ...

from 1900 to 1905, a minister in charge of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Harwhich Township,

Kent County, Ontario Kent County, area 2,458 km2 (949 sq mi) is a Historic counties of Ontario, historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. The county was created in 1792 and named by John Graves Simcoe in honour of the England, English Kent, County. ...

, Bethel Presbyterian Church, and The Ridge Presbyterian Church from 1905 to 1913, in Haynes Ave. Church in

St. Catharines St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2021, St. Catharines has an area of and 136,803 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, south of Toronto ac ...

from 1914 to 1916, Chalmer's Presbyterian Church in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

from 1919 to 1921, and in High Park Presbyterian Church in 1922. From 1925 to 1937, in various congregations of the

, he served as a minister at Bethel United Church near Chatham, Ontario, as a pastor at MacLennan, Desbarats and

Portlock Portlock is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Jenice Dena Portlock (born 1987), also known as Sabi, is an American pop singer, songwriter, dancer and actress * Joseph Ellison Portlock (1794–1864), British geologist and soldier ...

near Sault Ste. Marie, and Sault Suburban Church area charge in

Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie may refer to: People * Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a Native American tribe in Michigan Places * Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada ** Sault Ste. Marie (federal electoral district), a Canadian federal electora ...

. Cowan retired in 1937.

Other

He authored numerous books during his time. One was ''Canadian Achievement in the Province of Ontario'', where he wrote about the achievements of the Canadian people in Detroit River District, Essex county,

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places *Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region Australia New South Wales *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...

, and the whole province of Ontario. The book was recently republished on April 9, 2012, as ''Ontario and the Detroit Frontier 1701–1814''. Another book on Chatham, Ontario including Kent County and Lambton County includes information on the Underground Railway as well as the early history of the communities in the area. The book was created as part of the Canadian Achievement in the Province of Ontario but currently only exists in a galley proof in The Chatham Public Library. Mer Douce The Story of Ontario by Hugh Cowan

Mer Douce The Story of Ontario by Hugh Cowan

Another of his histories was ''Gold and Silver Jubilee, Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, incorporated a town, 1887, a city, 1912'' detailing the history of

, that includes illustration of its port and map of the city. ''Mer Douce'' was an historical magazine later published in book form, that includes articles of history and life in the Georgian Bay, Manitoulin Island, Parry Sound and other communities of Ontario. It is considered an important historical reference in the region. He also wrote a fictional book entitled ''La Cloche. The Story of Hector MacLeod and His Misadventures in the Georgian Bay and the La Cloche Districts'' is an adventure tale of a United Loyal Empire Loyalist set in

Georgian Bay, Ontario The Township of Georgian Bay is an area municipality of the District Municipality of Muskoka, in south-central Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Severn River, where it empties into the eponymous Georgian Bay. The municipal offices are at Po ...

of what was then

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

. The book was recently republished on April 3, 2014, under the title ''The Misadventures of Hector MacLeod: In the Georgian Bay and the La Cloche Districts''. Cowan also served as the managing editor of Algonquin Historical Society of Canada. Hugh Cowan also published a book reflecting the progress of Christianity over his years of ministry and some of the major questions he encountered. It was published in 1937 and was entitled ''The Great Drama of Human Life''. The book was recently republished on January 30, 2014, under its original title.

Death

Cowan died at the General and Marine Hospital in

Owen Sound, Ontario Owen Sound ( 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The seat of government of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydenham Rivers on an inlet of Georgian Bay. The primary tourist ...

on April 19, 1943, at the age of 73. His resting place is at the Greenwood Cemetery in

Owen Sound Owen Sound (2021 Canadian Census, 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat, seat of government of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi River, Pottawatomi and Sydenham River ...

, Ontario.

References