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William Abbott (1799-1859)

Portrait of William Abbott, charcoal, head and shoulders, adult. He has short hair and light brown sideburns, light grey eyes. He is wearing a black minister’s robe and a white collar. The background is dark grey-brown. The portrait is set in a gilded woodwork frame with gold mat.

Source: Musée régional d’Argenteuil, Espace Famille Abbott, Collection MRA, 2020.001.001.

William Abbott grew up on the family farm in the county of Westmorland in northern England. He began theological studies and then accepted a request from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts to leave his homeland to pursue missionary work in Canada. On reaching St. Andrews aboard a Durham boat in late summer 1818, the young curate, who was accompanying his older brother Reverend Joseph Abbott, discovered the rigours of pioneer life in this new land. He was ordained deacon in 1826 and succeeded his brother Joseph as rector of the parish of St. Andrews and Christ Church Anglican Church until his death in 1859.