Reverend Salter was born in Devon England on May 26th, 1815, to Reverend John Salter and Dinah Adams (some reports mention a Dinah Pinhey).
He received a formal education after entering Christ Church April 17th, 1833, at the age of 17. Salter obtained his BA in 1837 then went on to complete his Master of Arts at Oxford. He was ordained as clergyman of the Church England in 1848.
Rev. Salter’s journey brought him to Upper Canada in 1847 where he was appointed missionary by Bishop Strachan of the foundry. Rev. Salter was missionary in the Township of Moore and parts adjacent. He held services in Sarnia once every three weeks at a time when there was no building of the Church of England. In 1849, Captain Richard E. Vidal erected St. George’s church at his own expense on a small one-acre parcel on the north side of London Road. Rev. Salter was the first to hold church services here.
“It was called St. Georges, I believe, in honor of myself.” – Rev. Salter
Capt. Vidal furnished the church with pews, an altar, and the bell which was given by Mr. Townsend but possibly paid for by Capt. Vidal’s estate. During Capt. Vidal’s life he refrained to give the church to the bishop since he wanted to keep control of the church in his hands.
“Capt. Vidal always had during his time the keys of the church. I lived 7 miles away and when I got there the church was always ready for service.” – Rev. Salter
Capt. Vidal used to make the collections each year and add it to the pew rents or give it as wine to the clergymen. Any remaining collections would go back to the church for general purposes such as a widow’s orphan fund or as gratuity to Rev. Salter.
“When I asked him (Capt. Vidal) from time to time to give this property to the church he persistently refused and said in a joking way perhaps at some time I will give it to Maria, my wife.”
In August of 1850, Reverend Salter married Capt. Vidal’s sixth child and first-born daughter Maria Charlotte Vidal. She gave birth to at least thirteen children and they lived in Sarnia until 1869 before moving to Brantford.
“I still preached with the church at the time of his death. I was not incumbent to the church as it was a private building. I was in intimate and confidential terms with Capt. Vidal during this perish. I married his daughter. He died in my arms.” – Rev. Salter
After Capt. Vidal’s death in 1854 and before the consecration of the church in 1858 by Bishop Ben Cronyn, Rev. Salter continued to be a missionary of the church, holding services as he did formerly. After the church was consecrated, Rev. Salter remained incumbent of the church until he took a new post in Brantford in 1869.
Rev. Salter passed on October 3rd, 1889. Less than two months later his wife passed after a brief illness.
Note: Late March 1867 the first telegram sent from England to Sarnia was addressed to Reverend Salter informing him of the sad news of his eldest sister’s death in the days previous.
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