HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1975-06-26, Page 80•• •
Lorne •Villa on Goderich St., West, about 1890.
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SPS neiptil 'built big house..' „on Goderich
By Mabel Grace McFaul
When the U. E. Loyalists came
to Canada a family named
"McFaul" settled in Prince
Edward county . Leonard, the
oldest of three boys (Leonard,
John Henry and Edward) became
paymaSter on the roads with
brotight him into Huron County.
He boarded with the Johq
Henderson family in McKillop.
He married Gace, one of the five
daughters.
When John Henderson married
a second time Leonard bought the
farm house and he and Grace
lived there until he built the big
house at #92 Goderich St.' in
Seaforth. After some time he
began teaching and became the
principal of Seaforth Public
School in 1875 retaining the
position until 1901 (26 years).
The house was called "Lorne
Villa" because it was built during
• the time that the Marquis of
Lorne was Governor General of
Canada. There were two children,
John and Grace. John became a
concert singer and travelled with
an opera company for a few years=
led the choir in First Church.
In 1907 Grace went to Los
Angeles where she, married.
James Mullen who was stationed
there with the Canadian Bank of
Commerce. In 1916 she came
back to Seaforth to care for her
father who died in Sept. of that
year.
4 ank Manager
Mr. Mullen was made manager
of the Seaforth bank and they
lived in Lorne Villa and it becatne
known as The Mullen house.
I had many train trips,as a little
girl, from Toronto to Seaforth in _
holiday time and enjoyed my
grandparents and Auntie Grace
very much. When reaching the
station I would get into the round
yellow bus, horse drawl:1,440
with my trunk was on my way to
the big mansion.
I loved the place and would
boastfully tell my playmates in
Toronto "My Grandpa lives in the
biggest and best house in
Seaforth" and I thought the
second best house was the red
brick house on Spading Street
from which you cah look all the
way down John Street to Main. I
think people by the name of
"Fear" lived in it.
Grandpa was a fine Christian
gentleman but rather solemn.
When we would be out driving I
would be sitting on a small
leather seat, my back to Billy the
horse, facing my grandparents
and Grandpa would look up into
the starry sky saying "Oh! the
wonders of the firmament". That
was a big word for a little girl.
Grandma taught me to sew
small squares of cloth together,
nine pieces to make a quilt block
and') would spread a blanket on
the lawn at the west side of the
house where I would sit and sew.
I had a' great tithe picking
saspberries for there was a huge
patch back of the stable
stretching all the may to James
St. and the whole width of the
property.
Mr. A. G. Ault would come to
buy the berries. I can see
Grandma yet, in her red wrapper,
sun hat and gloVes with no`fingers
picking berries and myself with a
basket 'tjed round, my waist
helping.
One day I came home from
Main Street saying "That man's
name is Mr. Gault, I saw the sign
on his store A, G. -Ault". Of
course I knew better than either
Grandma or Auntie Grace. It was
Mr. Gault -
Tritumhig Hats -
I loved to get down town
becau. se Grandpa's brother, Mr.
Edward McFaul kept a wonderful
store. In a back room was a lovely
lady a Miss Stobie trimming hats.
She made a little hat for my doll.
How I loved to watch the metal
containers going along the wires
to the office and then to see them
coming back with the change f6r
the customer.
R was a treat to, get upstairs
over the store to see Aunt Maggie
- uncle Ed's wife. She had been
Miss MacTavish, an aunt of John
MacTavish who succeeded Uncle
Ed in the store.
I remember the parade which
took place in 1897 when Queen
Victoria's Diamond Jubilee was
celebrated. Aunt Maggie rode in
a carriage. She was Queen
Victoria.
I spent the whole summer that
year in Seaforth. When I returned
home to Toronto I found I had a
baby brother who was Leonard
Lawrence McFaul (to be L. L.
McFaul) named for Grandpa.
In the store I can remember an
elderly gentleman named
'Chittendon and a lady Hattie
Murray (I believe she sang in the
choir duets with Auntie Grace)
and another lady Dora Smithers. I
would go to meet her on her way
hOme. One day I went all the way
to her home and she gave me a lot
of apples. I had them in my pinny
(little girls wore pinnys in those
days).
As I was coming home, I got
the idea that perhaps Grandma
and Auntie would not approve of
my taking the apples - so - I let -
them fall' in the ditch arid then in
the night I was awake, worrying,
that if Dora . saw them next
morning on her way to work she
would not like to think I had
thrown them away. (Little ones •
sometimes have troubles that
parents know nothing about).
I loved to go over to Laidlaws to
play with Minnie and Florence in
a fancy lattice summer house on
their lawn. It was interesting to
watch the man filling the
watering cart at the corner, a
round wooden cart from which a
big spray would water the dirt
road.
It gave me great pleasure to go
to Harpurhey Cemetery because
of the stile. I loved going up one'
side of the fence and down the
other. How wonderful it is to take
pleasure in simple things!
The trips around the
countryside - to uncle Geordie
Habkirks, to Aunt Nancy Grieves,
where I always got peppermints;
to the house by the stream where
I gathered clam shells. That
stream now flows into the Lions
Pool.
I would visit Mrs. Gale's in the
small house to the west where on
Sunday mornings Vera and Ray
Dorrance would stable their 'horse
while they attended the, Presby-
terian Church. They took me
home with them once for a couple
of days. What a treat that was!
On the east I played with
Evelyn Greig who became Mrs.
U.D.Clarke.
Many an hour I spent in the
stable sitting .in the old phaeton,
then in the cutter. Then, looking
through a round hole in the
wooden door to see Billy, the
horse. For Canada's Centennial,
the stable was remodelled into a
duplex facing James Street. It is
now called the Coach. House
where Mrs. Bennett and Mrs.
Dinsmore live. Mr. Hogg now
owns it. He and his sister have a
lovely home next door - So much
for my childhood memories! ,
(Continued on Page 13)
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Featuring a complete line of.... '
°STATIONERY SUPPLIES o GIFTS AND GIFT WRAPPINGS
• GREETING CARDS—
, COUTTS HALLMARK, RUSTCRAFT, AND NORCROSS
o NOVELTIES °GAMES o BOOKS, ETC'
CHILDREN'S WEAR HOSIERY cr SEWING SUPPLIES
EDWARD MerAtt , brother
of Leonard who built Lorne Villa
and owner of the store.
MRS, EDWARD, MoFAUL,
sister-in-law of the owners of
Lorne Villa and wife of Edward
MCFaul who had the .grocery
store, dressed as Queen Victoria
in Seaforth's Diamond Jubilee
parade.
LARONES
Phone 527-1960 Seoforth
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, JUNE 25, 197 —7
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