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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1974-01-10, Page 6LOVE'S LAST GIFT REMEMBRANCE VVhethe'r it's a • MONUMENT • MARKER • INSCRIPTION - You are remembering a loved one - LET T. PRYDE & SON LTD. Help You Decide on Your Memorial Requirements PHONE : EXETER 235-0620 Plan now for garden 4-ium Hpiem xPosrroP:,3 sw,0 Brussels Postmistress Miss Pearl Baker and Mrs. Muriel Carniss of Brussels rook ,.,over the construction work in progress at the Post Office here. Remodelling of the Post Office interior is being done by E Z Consthiction of London. oti41T, JAN. .10, 1914 With the winter wind blowing outside, it might be difficult to envision your spring and summer gardens. But think about it: would a climbing rose look good near the patio? Or an evergreen at the corner of the house? Your ideas and plans can get an added boost if you look through one of the new seed catalogues, says Dave Sangster, horticltural specialist. Mr. Sangster points out that the latest flower and vegetable varieties are listed; and often illustrated in color, so that you can see the results yourself before you buy. Seed catalogues contain some useful cultural information including the number of days to maturity, tolerance to disease, temperaturS' and soil requirements and suitability of vegetables for canning and freezing. A wide range of gardening equipment is also listed that could make your .hardening more enjoyable and" more successful. Many of the seed catalogues contain a list of gardening books which give more detailed information on specific crops. SEAFORTH JEWELLERS for DIAMONDS, WATCHES JEWELLERY, FINE CHINA GIFTS FOR EVERY OCCASION All Types of Repairs .Phone 527-0270 FUNK'S SEED CORN GOOD YIELD and STANDABILL1GY FREE Spring De livery on early orders. SPECIAL VOLUME - DISCOUNTS Distributed in Huron Cdunty by Milton J. Dietz LTD. PURINA CHOWS SANITATION PRODUCTS SEED CORN LAYER CAGES VENTILATION (Wholesale & Retail) R.R. 4, Seafor1h, Ontario Phone 527-060$ CANADIAN IMPERIAL BANK OP COMMERCE 35, package of personal banking services and you can use them at yotr home branch or in any,pf-the more than 1500 Corrmerce branches across Canada. And that's more breiches than any other bank. The-whole idea is to make you feel at home no matter where y u are. It's simple. And convenient.' A Commerce Ke Account eliminates separate service chaiges and only costs you a flat $2.50 a month. • Here's what yOu'll be getting. 0 A Commerce, Key Account I.D. Card. CI Custom cheques. 0 Overdraft protection. This identifi6tion card entitles you to cash your personal cheque instantly at any Commerce branch. The Commerce Key A Commerce Chargex Account is a tdtally And get every Other, banking Service - Card. 0 Unlimited new approach ;ID personal you're likely t0 need.... • cheque writing. ti Preferred banking. It's a complete _ . rates on most Sankplan loans. O Unlimited travellers' cheques. 0 A 24-Hour Cash Dispenser Card. 0 Automatic savings plan. 0 Money orders. 0 Payment of utility bills O 24-hour deposits. 0 Transfers. O And joint accounts. Youyget alt of this and more for only $2.50 a month. So fmd out about the Key Account at your local Commerce branch and become_ oneof our key customers. History of (Continued from December 20th) Andrew Archibald Several of the early immigrants linked themselves with their old home by giving the new one the same name as the one left behind in their native land. One, who did this, was Andrew Archibald. His farm was named "The Poldars". Andrew was a native of Kippen, near Sterling in Scotland. He came to the Whitby area with his father, but after hearing good reports of the Huron Tract he journeyed-west in 1855. Here he settled on Lot 5, Con- cession 5„ H.R.S. in Tuckersmith. The next.year he mar- ried Alice Ratcliff, an English town maiden, who had no former experience with country frontier work. However, -like many other brides, she proved herself to have what was necessary to face up to the duties of frontier life. At an early date the Archibalds planted a good apple or- chard sand, today, Robert Archibald, grandson of the or- iginal owner, grows and sells more apples than anyone in Tuckersmith. Many descendants of Andrew Arch- ibald gave war service and several sacrificed their lives in defence of their country in both World War I and World War II. McKay The many McLeans, Broadfoots and McKays with the same christian name in the township created a prob- lem to distinguish one, from the other. Three John McLeans were known as Curly Jack, River Jack and Mill Road Jack. Three Sandy Broadfoots were distinguished by their location - Sandy at the river, Sandy on the hill and Sandy at the bend. On Concession 4, L.R.S., three Hugh McKays li'ved short digances apart. These were named Hugh "Drainer", Hugh "Keggy" and "Red" Hugh. Three Alexander MacKays, all called "Sandy" caused more trouble. These were Sandy "Bain" conces- sion 10, Sandy "Gough" and Sandy "Bain" concession 8. The last mentioned Sandy was a native of Edin- burgh, Scotland. After he had been sixteen weeks on the Atlantic Ocean during which the vessel had to return to Scotland for repairs, he' arrived in Tuckersmith in 1854. When he reached concession 8, he commenced chopping on the 50 acres, S1/2 of Lot 5, which he supposed was his\ grant from the Canada Company. At the end of seven years, he had ten acres cleared but had still put off lay- ing claim for his deed. Imagine his feelings, when one day another settler drove up to the clearing and inform- ed Sandy that he had just returned from ,Goderich after claiming this plot. It is not known what compensation Sandy got for his seven years of hard labor but, never- theless, he was forced to leave what he considered was his home. Not to ,be outdone another time, Sandy im- mediately travelled to Goderich and claimed the fifty east of it. From th.,t day till November 1971 no one but MacKays owned and lived on this west 50 of Lot 4, Con- cession 8. John McGregor It Was in 1851 John McGregor, his wife Isabella Bain and )eight of their eleven children left Cromarty, Rossshire, Scotland, for the land of promise across the seas. The eldest son, Alexander, remained in his native land. Three other sons, John, Thomas and Donald came in 1849 to scout for land. Most of this they secured on Concession 3, L.R.S., one and a quarter miles east of Kip- pe Donald then returned to the homeland. Tom work- ed r a time in a brickyard in London, while John clear- ed s me land in preparation for the arrival Of the fam- ily. e was a sturdy, strong, healthy fellow with a good appetite. Often he cooked a bit of oatmeal on a shovel over a camp fire in the bush to appease his appetite and strengthen him for his strenuous task. The others in the family were Duncan,. Archie, Fraser, Mrs. Wliliam (Ellen) McDougall, Mrs. Thomas (Ann) Robertson, Mrs. George (Grace) Jervis, later Mrs. Duncan McLean and Isabella. Donald, Fraser and Isabella went to Min- nesota in 1856. After. six weeks on the ocean John and his family landed at Quebec and then made their way by water to Hamilton. The last lap of the journey to Tuckersmith was made in a wagon drawn by oxen. Archie at this time, seven years old, rode with his mother most of the way in thN4agon with the proiisions and their, personal belongings, while the others trudged wearily along on foot. At night the father and seven children '-snuggled together and slept under the wagon, while the mother and Archie had their sleeping quarters above in the wagon box. The parents planned an older son would go to the backwoods farni, 'Lot 7, Concession 11, H.R.S., but this he reftfsed to do. Duncan, around the middle '60's, as- sumed the task of clearing this lot which is still occupied by his descendants. The old McGregor Homestead, Lot 16 on Concession 3 and also the one south of it have been occupied almost for a century and a quarter by McGreg- ors. Hugh McMillan Hugh McMillan, a native of Knoydart, Inverness- Shire, Scotland, arrived in Canada in June 1850 and in September came to Lot 7, Concession 10, H.R.S. He was a twenty-year-old \with little or no funds but, what was more important,, he had plenty of enthusiasm and was willing to work hard to hew out a home for himself. His future wife, Isabella McGinnis, also came from Scotland to Stanley Township with her parents in 1850 and four years later these two were married. With their combined. enthusiasm and hard work they hewed out for themsel- ves the home of their dreams. Around 1885 two of their sons, Jack and Miles; bought, if not the first, one of the first steam threshing outfits in the township-one with ••the upright boiler. Because these were just beginning to take the place of the old horse power threshing method, Miles went to the Watrons Engine Works in Berlin, now Kitchener, and took a course in the running of this type of engine. When Paul-Boa joined these two, it is said, they made a happy thr/eshing gang. WEDDING INVITATIONS THE HURON EXPOSITOR PHONE 527-0240 -- SEAPORT-If • ersm John Walker John Walker, who married Margaret Halliday, lived on Glengape, a 600 acre farm in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, which had been leased by his ancestors on the 20-year lease plan for over 200 years. As the last lease was nearing completion in 1838 word was received the rent was to be raised. At that time many were leaving for Canada and Australia. The father gave son, George, an 18-year-old, who was 6 feet tall and weighed 180 pounds, funds for his tour to choose land for the future home of the family. Canada was his choice and here he arrived six weeks later. After working at York and Ham- ilton and also on the lakes, exploring land at different points, he made the trip to Goderich on a boat owned by Donald McKay. From there he walked and searched the land in the Huron Tract till he arrived at "River" McLeans. ,Near here he made his choice for the Canadian home of the Walkers. For himself George chose La 30, -Concession 5, on the Mill Road, now owned by Wilson McCartney. For this he paid 65 pounds 10 shillings. For his father he chose Lot 29, west of his, for his bachelor veterinary brother John, he took up the east 50 of Lot 30, Conces- sion 4 and for his brother David the farm across the road. His elloice for Jimmy was Lot 34, a little further north on Concession 2. Donald McKay, who married his sister Grace, settled on Lot 29, Concession 4, on the Mill Road, now owned by Carl Richardson. Other sisters - Margaret (Mrs. William Payne), Elizabeth (Mrs, David CP mpbell) and Mary (Mrs. David Mitchell) all settled within a few miles of the others. William, another broth- er, died young after the family got settled in Tucker- smith. The mother, Margaret Halliday Walker, did not have the privilege to see her family settled in the new land. Ten years before John Walker and his family set sail for Canada in May, 1839, she had passed away. The first clearing was on the northeast corner of George's lot. It was made by James Broadfoot, who had chosen this lot for his home when he arrived in 1836. However, when he had. only a small clearing made and a few logs cut for his shanty, Adam Black told him of a Mr. Gosman, near Brig End Bridge, who had a lot for sale with a ten-acre clearing and a shanty already built. He at once dropped his axe and hurried off to purchase it. George Walker, the "Scouter" was ,twice married. His first wife was Ann Candlish, a sister of Mrs. Robt. Charters and his second was Mrs. William (Ann McMil- lan) Robertson, who had lived earlier in Nova Scotia. The first meeting of-George and Ann, his first wife, was a romantic one. At a certain season the sheep had to be treated with tar to preyent foot and mouth disease, a process called "smearing". As the sheep run on the hills some distance from the "steading", food had to be taken each day to the "swearers". On this certain day Ann's turn had come. When returning home she got lost in the Rig and started stalling faintly. Her. SOS call was heard by the Walkers doing the same work some disi-q.nce off, and it was George who made haste to find the lost one. Each answered the call of , the other till they met. Ann was taken to "Glengape" the Walker home and later in the day George drove her in a light cart the six miles. to her home. That cart ride reached its climax in a mar- riage in November, 1839, shortly after Ann arrival with the other members of the John Walker family in Tuck- ersmith. Their children, three girls and one boy were John, known as Geordie's Jack, Margaret (Mrs. Hugh McCartney), Isabell (Mrs. Robert McCartney) and 4P Mary (Mrs. John B. McLean). The many descendants of John Walker have and still are taking an active part in the welfare of this community. Brave Women Sarah Townsend, Ivho was born in Nottingham- shire, near Sherwood -Forest of. Robinhood fame, came at an early date to York, now Toronto, with her parents. It was here she married William Rattenbury. Later they came to the Huron Tract and got little more than set- 4 tled on Lot 42, London Road when they heard rumors of the 1837 Rebellion. During that fall and winter duties to protect his country took William away from his fam- ily. While he was gone Sarah, like other thrifty pioneer wives, threshed the grain, cut the wood and fed the stock. In the early 1840's they moved to Goderich, then in 1845 William bought Yankee Reed's tavern at Vanderburg's. Corners. The popularity of this couple made this tavern famous. Clinton, was named by William for Lord Clinton in his native Devonshire, England. Sarah Rattenb-ury and her husband Francis -Walters followed William Rat-tenbury on Lot 42. The Walters left the old land with four children and arrived on Canada's shore with only one. The other three were buried at sea. Edward, who married Helen Fairbairn and was killed in a threshing machine acci- dent, was the one who survived. His young widow was left with 9 children, the youngest born a few weeks after the death of her husband. However, she continued to op- erate the home farm and kept her little flock together till they were -well able to care for themselves. It was then she married Robert Dalrymple, an old school mate. Through her long life she continued to be remarkably active and interested in everyday events till a short time before she passed away in Huronview on January 11, 1971, in her 104th year. When Jane Hay married Robert Gemmell they set- tled on Lot 26, Concession 5,'L.R.S.. Robert died young and Jane was left with four young children. Later she married Hugh Simpson and to the0 were born five sons. When Mary Gemmell's husbandr4ohn Kyle, was killed when taking a pump out of a well, Jane took three of Mary's five children to raise. After another daughter, ?Ones Gemmell (Mrs. George, Hinchley) passed away and left a daughter, Jane added another to her already large family. Still another, Mary McKenzie, was taken in when Mary was, left alone after her parents died from tubercolosis. Theie fourteen kind-hearted Jane mother- ed and cared for and this without any baby bonus or wel- fare allowance. Other young widows who faced the struggle .of pioneer life alone with -young children were Mrs. .To-fin Munro, Mrs. Alex Gray Sr., Mrs. Frances Shanahan, Mrs. John Gemmell, Mrs. John McIntosh, Mrs. William McLean, Mrs. Henry Chesney, Mrs. James McEwing and Mrs. John Finlayson. These are just a few of the courageous home-loving women who did so much to in-fluence and develop the sterling character of their child- ren who later became influential citizens of the town-ship. (Continued next week) byIsabe t ;else ampbell :