Rev. Robert Ferrier, D.D., Pastor of the Fort Massey Presbyterian church, Halifax, Nova Scotia. This popular minister was born in Paisley, Scotland, on the 23rd of December, 1826. His father was Robert Burns, D.D., and his mother, Janet Orr, daughter of the first provost of Paisley. His mother’s sister, Susan, was mother of Sir Archibald Orr Ewing, baronet, M.P. for Dumbarton. His father had three brothers in the ministry of the Church of Scotland—namely, Rev. James Burns, who for forty years was minister of the parish of Brechin; Rev. William H. Burns, D.D., Kilsyth; and Rev. George Burns, D.D., first Presbyterian minister of St. John, New Brunswick, afterwards of Tweedsmuir and Corstorphine, Scotland—and two uncles in the service of their Sovereign—Major-General Islay Ferrier, the last governor of Dumbarton castle, and Sir William Hamilton, baronet, who commanded the marines that pulled the guns up to the Plains of Abraham, in 1759, at the taking of Quebec. Miss Ferrier, author, and friend of Sir Walter Scott, was a second cousin. Rev. Dr. Burns, sr., was pastor for thirty-three years of Dr. Witherspoon’s church (Laigh Kirk and St. George’s), Paisley, and moved to Toronto in 1845, and became the first pastor of Knox’s Church in that city, and professor in Knox’s College. He died at Toronto on the 19th of August, 1869; and his widow on the 22nd of August, 1882. Rev. Dr. Robert Ferrier Burns received his early education at the High school of Paisley, and then entered the University of Glasgow, where he remained four years, taking honours in Latin, Greek, logic, and moral philosophy. He studied theology in the New College (Free Church), Edinburgh, and Knox’s College, Toronto. In April, 1847, he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Toronto, and on the 1st of July following he was ordained pastor of Chalmer’s Presbyterian church, Kingston, Ontario. He was Presbyterian chaplain in the 71st Highland Light Infantry for a year. He remained in this charge for eight years, and, during his ministry there, succeeded in having built for his congregation a handsome church edifice. In July, 1855, he moved to St. Catharines, and was settled over Knox Presbyterian church of that place. A fine building was erected by his people for him. Here he ministered until March, 1867, when he accepted a call from the Scotch Presbyterian church in Chicago, United States, to become its first pastor, and, during his residence there of three years, a church was built. In 1866, the degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by Hamilton College, New York. In April, 1870, he was translated to Côté Street Presbyterian church (now Crescent street), Montreal, as successor to Principal MacVicar, where he did good work. On the 18th of March, 1875, he became pastor of Fort Massey Presbyterian church in Halifax, as successor to the Rev. J. K. Smith, M.A., now of Galt, who for two years had been first pastor of this influential congregation. In 1873, Dr. Burns occupied the position of moderator of the Synod of Montreal, and in 1883 he was moderator of the Synod of the Maritime provinces. During his residence in Montreal he was chairman of the Presbyterian College Board; and, for the past twelve years, has acted as chairman of the Halifax College Board. In 1880 he was sent as a delegate to the Raikes’ centenary celebration in London, and during the same year he represented the Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Canada in the Presbyterian Council at Philadelphia. In 1884 he was a delegate from the same church to the council held in Belfast, Ireland, where he read one of the papers presented to that body, and was appointed one of its executive committee. This year (1887) the doctor has been nominated for the moderatorship of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, which meets in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in June next. Rev. Dr. Burns takes a great interest in Sunday-school work, and was one of the first to advocate the establishment of Sunday-school conventions in Canada, which have done so much of late years to advance this branch of Christian work. As a platform speaker he stands high, and has often spoken on subjects, professional and otherwise, before large audiences. At present he is lecturer on theological themes in the Presbyterian College at Halifax. As a book-writer, too, he has done his share. His life of his father, a volume of nearly five hundred pages, published in Toronto in 1873, soon went through three editions. His other writings, “Sketch of Abraham Lincoln,” “The Presbyterian Church,” “Modern Babylon,” “The Maine Law,” “Christian Liberality,” “Confession and Absolution,” and a variety of sermons and tracts—have all been favourably received, and commanded a good sale. He has also contributed largely to the columns of the newspaper press and our periodicals. Dr. Burns has travelled a good deal, and has visited Great Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, and various other places in Europe, and is very familiar with Canada and the United States. He was married on the 1st of July, 1852, at Belleville, Ontario, to Elizabeth, second daughter of Rufus Holden, M.D., a much esteemed physician, and elder of the Presbyterian church, in Belleville. Dr. Burns has eight children—four sons and four daughters.
Bullock, Joseph, Oil Merchant, St. John, New Brunswick, is a native of Springfield, Ohio, and was born on September 6th, 1833. His father was William Bullock, a native of Staffordshire, England, who came to the United States a few years prior to the birth of Joseph. His mother’s maiden name was Ann Clark Peacock, she being of the Yorkshire family of that ilk. His mother’s parents came out to Ohio about the same time as Mr. Bullock, sr. Mr. Peacock went there to accept the position of engineer for the state of Ohio. Joseph Bullock’s parents removed to Hamilton, Ontario, in the spring of 1834, he then being only a few months old. Two years later they removed to what is now known as Bullock’s Corners, near Dundas, the place taking its name from his father. It was here Mr. Bullock spent his boyhood, and got what education could in those days be procured in the public school of the vicinity. On leaving school he helped his father in his business, which, by the way, was that of lumberman. During the time he was so engaged, he married when in his 25th year, Elizabeth, daughter of Isaac Duffield, a farmer of the township of Glanford, South Wentworth. Two years after his marriage, the lumber business declining, he commenced business as general store-keeper at Bullock’s Corners, which he continued for about three years. After this he settled upon a farm he owned in West Flamboro’, and worked it for two years. His father having died in the meantime, he left West Flamboro’ and took up his residence at the old homestead. Here he remained about three years, travelling occasionally for his brothers-in-law, Duffield Bros., of London, oil refiners. In the year 1869, Confederation being an accomplished fact, Mr. Bullock removed to St. John, New Brunswick, to engage in the oil business, which has now assumed such large proportions. His original intention was to handle Canadian oil exclusively, but as the years rolled on, American products had also to be handled, and he is now the largest dealer in oils in the maritime provinces. In politics, Mr. Bullock is thoroughly independent, voting more on the character of the man than from purely party motives. It is, however, in the religious world that Mr. Bullock is most conspicuous. As a boy he was identified more particularly with the Church of England, but at the age of about twenty years he became a member of the Methodist church, of which he is a consistent and earnest member. Prior to the great fire of 1877, Mr. Bullock was a trustee of the old German Street Methodist Church, the oldest church in the city, and after its destruction by that fire, was chairman of the building committee of the present Queen Square Methodist Church, and of which he still continues a trustee. It was largely to his energy and liberality that the erection of this church was due. He is also a member of the quarterly board of his church, and is one of the board of directors of the British and Foreign Bible Society for the city of St. John. He is a total abstainer, and has been for the most of his life, and is pronounced in favour of the prohibition of the liquor traffic. When Gen. Booth visited St. John, he was the guest of Mr. Bullock. Mr. Bullock has had a family of three children, one of whom is deceased, and the remaining ones, two sons, are associated with him in business.
Binney, Irwine Whitty, Collector of Customs, Port of Moncton, New Brunswick, was born on the 10th of July, 1841, at Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is a son of the late Stephen Binney, who for many years was a leading merchant in Halifax, and who, when the city was incorporated, was elected its first mayor. Mr. Binney, sr., acting as mayor, on the occasion of the birth of the Prince of Wales, visited England, and presented an address to Her Majesty the Queen, signed by a large number of the citizens. This gentleman was grandson of the late Hon. Hibbert N. Binney, who for a period of nearly forty years, filled the office of collector of customs and excise at Halifax, and was also a member of the Legislative Council; and great-grandson of the late Hon. Jonathan Binney, one of the first residents of Halifax, who was a member of the first Legislative Assembly (1758) of the province. He and Frederick des Barras met the Indian chiefs at Arichat, New Brunswick, in 1761, and concluded a lasting peace, and was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1768; second judge at St. John’s Island (near Prince Edward
