Of the thirty-six thousand population of Pictou County, according to the census of 1911, 24,000 were members of the Presbyterian churches, leaving a 12,000 membership to the other denominations, 5600 of whom were Catholics. All the settlers who arrived in the "Hope" and "Hector" were Presbyterians, with the exception of one Catholic man on the former, and one family, of the same faith on the latter.

The Presbyterians built a church near Loch Broom and one in New Glasgow near the old Duff cemetery, following the coming of Rev. James D. McGregor, the first regularly established minister in Pictou County. For nine years Rev. McGregor was the only Presbyterian minister in this section of the Province. In 1803 the log church near New Glasgow was replaced by a new one in Irishtown (now Plymouth). In 1834 James church was incorporated in honor of Rev. now Dr. McGregor, and in 1852 a church building was erected in the limits of new Glasgow.

In 1907 the new St. Andrew's Congregation organized in 1888, was united with James Church and the congregation was called the First Presbyterian church, followed by the dedication on April 12, 1914, of the beautiful brick structure in which they worship at present.

In 1845 Free Church adherents built Knox Church, In 1874 they were joined by the Primitive Congregation - an off shoot of James congregation organized the same year as the former - and in 1876 they built the church in which they worship today, now known as the United church.

St. Andrew's Congregation (known as the Kirk) was originally a wing of the McLellan Mountain church. During 1817 a church was built at Frasers Mountain about two miles from New Glasgow. About 1837 the congregation divided, and St. Andrew's of New Glasgow was formed, and a church erected which in 1856 was replaced by the present one, the congregation having at present about 430 communicants and 1300 adherents.

Next to the Presbyterians the strongest church body in the county are the Catholics who built their first church in 1810 at Merigomish. In 1885 the New Glasgow church known as St. John the Baptist, was erected. It is located along the street car line leading to Trenton, for the Catholics of which town it also serves as a place of worship. The congregation which numbers abour 1000 communicants also conduct a Parish school attended by 300 pupils, who are taught by the Sisters of Charity and whose convent is located on the church property.

The Church of England was first established in the county in 1826 in Pictou, from where as a centre the other churches in the county were served. In 1852 the part of the county including New Glasgow and Albion Mines was constituted a separate parish, and in 1888 St. George's Church in which the congregation worships, was erected.

The first Baptist society in the county was organized in 1911 followed by the formation of the regular Baptists in 1838. By 1875 they had a membership large enough to erect the church in which they worship at present, and it now has the largest membership in the county.

The history of the Methodists in the county virtually began with the opening of the coal mines in 1798. New Glasgow was a part of the Stellarton Mission, until 1888, service being held in the former town early in the sixties. During the pastorate of Rev. Isaac Thurlow the old Free church property was purchased and remodeled into the church, where the congregation numbering some 200 communicants, with a Sunday school of 300 pupils, worship at present.

Stellarton has five churches: St. John's Presbyterian, an offshoot of St. Andrew's Church, New Glasgow, was dedicated in 1863. Sharon Presbyterian church is a child of James church, New Glasgow. The original building was erected on the banks of the East river, about 1856, and 1889 its present attractive structure was dedicated.

Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic church located at Lourdes, near the Albion Mines, was built in 1875 under the direction of the present pastor Rev. W. B. McDonald. Connected with it is a tuberculosis hospital, Convent and school, the latter being attended by the Catholic children of the parish.

Christ Church, Anglican, was built in 1851, altho services were held as early as 1826, when the settlement was known as Albion Mines. About the same time too, Methodists living near the mines were visited by itinerant preachers. By 1845 they had increased sufficiently in numbers to have a regular pastor and in 1861 the congregation erected the building in which they worship at the present.

St. Phillips Presbyterian Church at Westville was opened for service in January, 1871. In 1907 the corner stone for the present attractive building was laid, which is none too large to meet the needs of the congregation comprising at present some 350 communicants and 1300 adherents.

The first building of the Carmel Presbyterian church was erected in 1870, but while the dedication services were in progress it caught fire and burned to the ground. Work on a new building was at once begun and completed in 1873. This served the congregation as a church home until 1913 when it was remodelled, the congregation in the meantime having grown to 320 communicants and 1200 adherents.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Roman Catholic, located in Westville with the coming of the first miners, has 875 communicants.

St. Bees, Anglican, was made a separate parish in 1897, and the Methodist church is the center of a flourishing congregation.

Of its three churches in Trenton, the First Presbyterian was organized in 1889 and a church building erected in 1890. The Methodists have had a congregation in Trenton since 1893, and the present church, was dedicated in 1914, in which year also the Anglicans established a mission in the town.