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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1972-06-29, Page 11Second Section Clinton, Ontario. Clinton News-Record Thursday, June 29 1972 107 Year Na. 26 Miss Clinton takes part in the annual Power Squadron Sail Pass at Goderich Picture of The Lambton and The Simcoe in dock at Parry Sound —Courtesy of Thomas E. Appleton, Historian„ Marine Administration. ambling with Lucy Ely LUCY R. WOODS Picture of Captain Alexander Brown —Courtesy of Mrs. J.H. Parker. Special service held to honour The Rev. J. Ure Stewart grandchildren and two great grandchildren, Mr, and Mrs. John D. Baker of Seaforth watched as the hostess house which they purchased from the former Canadian Forces Base in Tuckersmith Township was moved to its new home on the second concession of Tuckersmith, Wednesday. Moving contractor, W. R, Parsons of R.R. 2, Staffa, was in charge of moving the 34 footby 24 foot main section and the smaller addition to the building, to the site where the oldNo. school was locatedbefore it was burned by vandals a few years ago, The hostess house had been built by volunteer air force personnel in 1941. According to an airman who was formerly stationed at the Base it was the focal point of the Air Force community—the location for all the social activities in the early days before the chapel and the other recreation centres were built,— photo by Wilma Oke, Jingles,4he dog who adopted School a few weeks ago, has took a liking to Doug Smith, took him home with him to the grade one class at Clinton Public found a home. The big, lovable dog shown here hugging him, and Doug the old Clinton Air Base. BY WILMA OKE A special recognition service for Rev. J. Ure Stewart of Seaforth was held June 18 in Northside United Church by the Huron-Perth Presbytery to celebrate and honour him on his 90th birthday. The service also marked the 65th ar,,iiversary of his ordination on April 30, 1972. Mr, Stewart is a native of Saltford and moved to Goderich as a boy. More than 300 guests attended the service and reception later in the church school room. Included among these were almost all the clergy and their wives in the Huron-Perth Presbytery, as well as many friends from the various charges where Mr, Stewart has served over the years, and the places where he has served as supply minister since his formal retirement. Taking part in the service were Rev. J, A. Mowatt of Wesley Willis Church in Clinton, and Rev, F. M, Faist, Stratford, chairman of the Presbytery and president- elect of London Conference of the United Church. Mr. Faist also acted as master of ceremonies at the fellowship hour following the service. In his sermon, Mr. Mowatt said Mr. Stewart has been a forceful preacher and still preaches with amazing power. Although Mr. Stewart has retired, he is still preaching actively as a supply minister throughout this area. Mr. Faist said that the secret of Mr. Stewart's life is the way he translated thanksgiving into thanksliving—a person who is grateful has found a way. of involving himself with others, and he can never repay what others have done for him. Mr. Stewart said he had received over 160 cards and letters. Among these were letters of congratulations and best wishes from Robert McKinley, M,P.; from Rev. Clinton A 13rittain of Orillia, who was best man at his marriage to the former Laura Mole Workman in 1961: from Rev, 0, L. Royal of Goderich and the Session of Knox Presbyterian Church of Goderich, in which congregation as a boy and young man he was raised so far as his spiritual life was concerned. At the social hour, words of greeting were received from Rev, Angus MacKay, just retired as a missionary of the Presbyterian church in India, and who. as a boy, was received into membership of the Whitechurch Presbyterian Church, where Mr. Stewart was the minister from 1913 to 1918. Other letters read were from the official board of Mount Forest United Church charge and from the session of Napier Presbyterian Church which was the first charge he served in Canada. Also read was a letter from George Milligan who is in his 90th year and who was a member of the first board of Fort Wayne Presbyterian Church in Detroit Michigan, which Mr. Stewart organized in 1906. Mr. Milligan in his letter stated that his son, Robert, in the Kindergarten class then, is now 70 years old, with ten Writing history is frustrating and full of deadends Did it ever occur to you, gentle reader, the time consuming amount of work which goes into gathering history? Nor what prompts the writing in the first place? Take the Rambling in the issue of April 9, 1972, the subject of which Was Captain Alexander Brown of the Government Supply Ship, The Lambton, lost with all hands aboard in a Severe storm near Cariboo Island, April 19, 1922. In 1970 Lucy read a book, Lost Ships of the Great Lakes by Dwight Boyer, She was disappointed that Captain Alexander Brown's name was not mentioned. After all it was a tragedy felt keenly by relatives in Bayfield, his native village, There was a picture of the supply ship, The Lambton, which "went . missing" on Lake Superior in a severe storm on April 19, So Lucy telephoned Mrs. J.H, Parker, Captain Brown's daughter, She was kind enough to visit Lucy a couple of times and give her the family background and interesting details of her father's life but thewriter wanted to know the names of the crew, if possible. So she wrote to the Department of Transport and the enquiry was turned over to Thomas E. Appleton, Historian— Marine Services, since all records had been destroyed. He very kindly sent her photostatic copies containing references to The Larribton from his book "Usque Ad Mare" a history of the Canadian Coast Guard and Marine Services which he had written for the Centennial year, Mrs. Appleton advised going to the libraries, so Lucy wrote to the London Library for copies of newspaper reports concerning the loss from The London Advertiser, The London Free Press, and The Globe and Mail. Miss Elizabeth Spicer, Librarian, London Room, Humanities Department, wrote that she could find nothing concerning the loss of the Government Supply Ship, The Lambton, in April 1922, but sent photostatic copies of the sinking of the Steamer Lambton, who met her doom on the Parisienne Shoals in Lake Superior on December 8, 1927. Miss Spicer suggested someone coming to the library to make a search with advance notice to her. Our niece, Miss Margaret Durham, went later in the year but it was a busy day and she was only able to find one reference in the London Free Press file. A staff member of the Clinton News-Record searched files but the emphasis was on the storm locally, and the hydro interruption which prevented the News-Record from printing that week just as all was ready to go to press. Mrs. J.H. Parker's brother-in- law, William E. Parker, has a keen memory and gave Lucy details of the storm which she had forgotten. He had visited the Marine Service's Headquarters at Parry Sound and was most helpful in checking dates, Lucy's manuscript and in obtaining a picture of Captain Brown from Mrs. Parker whose eyesight is, unfortunately, very poor. Miss Ethel Dewar, County Librarian. also helped greatly by obtaining other copies of newspaper reports. One Globe and Mail report listed Captain Alexander A. Brown as being from Orillia instead of Owen Sound, William E. Parker said that the error occurred because many of the crew were from Orillia, An effort to obtain copies relating to the loss of the Lambton from The Owen Sound Sun-Times failed. So she finally made the decision to assemble the facts obtained and that is how the story grew. But as so often happen's, there is a sequel. Mr. T,E. Appleton requested any additional information Lucy Could obtain locally. Ile hadn't even known that Captain Brown's given name was Alexander until she wrote for information. Lucy sent him a clipping from the Clinton News- Record and back came a picture which had since come to light, for the Clinton News-Record of The Simcoe and The Lambton in dock at Parry Sound. The Simcoe was the ship on which Captain Brown obtained his papers and of which he was first mate before assuming command of The Lambton. Mrs. Parker presented a replica of The Simcoe which her father had made to the Huron County Museum. Mr. Appleton writes: "The loss of these two ships was a great tragedy. In 1917, the Simcoe, which was stationed at Parry Sound, was ordered to Saint John, N,B, to relieve another ship and Captain W.J. Dalton with Chief Engineer W.T. Pitt from Saint John went to Parry Sound to take delivery. On the way through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Simcoe stopped to supply coal and stores to Bird Rock Lighthouse and to liftbuoys for the winter. She was caught in a gale of hurricane force off the Magdalen Islands and overwhelmed with loss of all on board. The last message from the Simcoe came in a radio distress call at 8:10 p.m. on Saturday. December '7, 1917. On the previous day, Halifax had been shattered by the famous explosion in which 1,630 people were killed. In April that year. 11,000 Canadian soldiers had died on Vimy Ridge with another 16,000 at Passchendaele only a few weeks previously from the loss of the Simcoe. In these circumstances the loss of the Simcoe was submerged in the greater sadness of the entire nation and it excited very little notice at the time."