Campbell Memorial Windows

It is known that the money for the window came from Colin Campbell, who lived in Burlington in the late 1800s, although it appears that the money was not originally intended for that purpose, in fact was designated for general welfare within the church.

There are no records available as to how the money - all $600 of it – went to a different cause, but it is understood that the gift of the window resulted in the building of the narthex.

The money was donated in memory of Colin Campbell’s mother, a member of the Knox congregation in the late 1800s, and in fact her name shows up in early church records.

Stories over the years have indicated that Colin Campbell was the lieutenant governor of Manitoba at the time of the donation, but in fact he was attorney general and if memory serves me right, he held the dual role of minister of public works for the Manitoba government around the turn of the century.

Colin Campbell died at a relatively early age, but his wife, the daughter of one of the pioneer doctors from Halton, lived on for several decades and after she died, two truck loads of documents relating to the Campbell and Buck families were donated to the museum in Milton.

The former Pearl Buck was a strong advocate for children’s rights, and her action was instrumental in leading to legislation toward the protection of children, thus making the donation such a treasure trove of historical documentation.

There had been discussion last year about observing the 100th anniversary of the window, but missing documentation means that we are still searching for further detail, perhaps to be found in the records transferred to Milton.