Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1995-06-21, Page 13James Hodgins first farmer in Biddulph Ross Haugh T -A staff with information provided by Austin Hodgins LUCAN - James Hodgins 1786- 1869 was the first child of John and Mary (Prittie) Hodgins. As a young man he joined the Yeoman Cavalry and the Royal Irish Constabulary. He was stationed in the town of Borrisokane where he became chief of police. In 1813 he married Mary Napier Hodgins 1790-1880 daughter of - John and Jane (Napier) Hodgins. In 1831 they sailed for Canada. They stopped at Ottawa where his brothers Thomas and John had set- tled in 1822. His youngest brother Adam had spent the summer of 1831 helping survey the Huron Tract including Biddulph. In the spring of 1832 Adam and James with his wife and eight children came to Lot 25, Con. 16, London township where their friend James Stanley had settled in 1822. James Hodgins purchased Lot 39, Con. 3 Biddulph from the Canada Com- pany and built his log house. He purchased 1,400 acres for his children and other close friends. In 1835 he became agent for the Can- ada Company and sold the lots to newcomers to Biddulph. In 1837 when the McKenzie Rebellion broke out, even though he was 51 he volunteered to serve his new country and trained the new troops. He was attached to the 6th Bat- talion of the Huron Militia where he earned the rank of Lt. Colonel. His son John was a Major in the same Battalion. In 1844 James returned to Ireland to encourage more fam- ilies to emigrate to Canada. James Hodgins was Biddulph's first reeve and was also a Justice of the Peace. One hundred years after his arrival in Canada, his de- scendants erected a stone cairn 11 feet high in his memory. It was un- veiled on September 4, 1932. Lt. Col. James Hodgins and his wife Mary had the following chil- dren; John 1814-1898; (Amelia Roberts) Jane 1817-1892 (Thomas Coursey): Mary Ann 1819- 1906 (Gilbert Carter); Adam.1821-1872; James 1826-1896 (Hannah _Rod- gins); William 1828-1884 (Annie Webb); Thomas 1831-1892. • John and Amelia farmed Lots 34 on Con. 2 and 3. They had seven children; Edward 1846-1928 (Mary Broadwood); James 1848-1921 (Ann Cluterham and Agnes Bar- tholomew); Mary Jane 1850-1930 (John Howard); John Albert 1853- 1932 (Mary Ann Chisholm); Re- becca 1855-1928 (William McMil- lan); Charles Constantine 1857- 1942 (Margaret Matilda Hodgins) and Helen Antoinette 1860-1899 (Henry Dishman). Charles or C,C. as he was usually called and Margaret built a new house and barn on Lot 34, Con. 2. They had seven children: Mildred 1885-1953 (Ed Shear); Kathleen 1888-1982 (Herb Lloyd); Marjorie 1890-1947 (Fred Smith); Con- stance 1892-1972 (George Otton); Dorothy 1895- (Meb Moore); Charles 1897- (Marjorie Murray); Aileen 1900- 1981 (Jack Sterling). C.C. began teach- ing public school at the age of 16. He was Head Consul Commander of the Woodmen of The World. He was elected deputy - reeve of Biddulph in 1885 and reeve two years later and was warden of Middlesex in 1892. He was a member of the Lucan High School .board _and in 1905 was elected Conservative member for North Middlesex to the Ontario Legislature. When Lucan's Holy Trinity Anglican Church was built he was on the board of man- agement and served on the Senate of UWO. Later he was bursar of the Epileptic Hospital at Woodstock and Kingston's Ontario Hospital. the farm until 1888. Then Eli Lot 33, Con. 2. In 1837 when the McKenzie Rebellion broke out, even though he was 51 he volunteered to serve his new country and trained the new troops. Adam sand Jane farmed Lot 33, Con. 2. They had a family of 12 children; Mary Ann 1845-1927 (James Kayes, John Blythe and Da- vid McBride); James B. 1846-1904 (Annie Coulter); Henry B. 1848- 1921; Margaret 1851-1928 (Thom- as Walls); Elizabeth 1854-1889 (Malcolm McKizie); Emma 1856- 1934 (Alex Henry); Annie 1857- 1921 (Andrew Henry); Isabella 1861- (James Dorman); Adam Eli 1863-1949; (Eliza Matilda Hod- gins); Susan 1865- (James Walls ) Robert 1867 -;(Sarah ?) Alfretta 1868-1940 (Wes Stanley). On May 15, 1872, Adam was hit by a train and killed. His widow and children continued to operate Bill and Helen Delorme and Scott Triebner in front of their old house at Lot 34, Conc. 2 R E • Eli got married in and Matilda farmed They had a fami- ly of eight: James Oscar 1889-1956 (Lulu Reith); Ma- bel 1891-1904; Ethel 1894-1993 (Maurice Corbett); Arnold 1896-1981 (Estelle Corbett); Reginald 1899- 1901; Franklin 1901-1957 (Mar- garet Leitch); Evan 1906-1994 (Alma Fitzimmons); Olive 1908-- (William Bannister). In addition to Lot 33, Con. 2 Eli purchased Lots 29, 32 and 34, Con. 2; Lot 34, Con. 3 and Lot 33, Con. 1. He served as a Biddulph coun- cillor in 1914-15 and 1919-20. His wife Matilda died in 1920. A year later he married Ethel Wilson. They had three sons: Wilson 1922 - (Minnie Hodgins); Alfred 1923 - (Margit Koffman); Eric 1925- (Gla- dys Henderson); Wilson held many municipal po- sitions. They included Biddulph councillor, deputy reeve and reeve until 1988 and warden of Mid- dlesex in 1971. On his father's death, Eric took over Lot 33, Con. 2. After he mar- ried Gladys they had a son that died at birth. They adopted son Wayne and daughter Paula. In addition to his farming activities, Wayne pumps septic tanks and has a semi- trailer transport truck. He plans to get married in July of this year to Miss Eileen Allen. When James Oscar was engaged to be married in 1917, he took over Lot 34, Con. 3 where he built a new house for his bride. Oscar and Lulu raised six children: Hamilton 1918 - (Audrey Grose); Austin 1920- ( Dolly Vandenberg); Gwen 1921 - (Charles Grose); Vincent 1923 (Lil- lian Hassack); Genevieve 1927 - (Lyle Worrall); Larry 1936-1988 (Gloria Beech). Oscar was educated as an ac- countant and worked for Massey Harris in Regina and a canning fac- tory in British Columbia. He was Biddulph auditor 1925-36 and S.S. 1 school sec-treas. for 30 years. Shortly after World war 2 broke out, Austin joined the army and served in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany with the 23rd Field Artillery Regiment. When the war was over Austin took over Lot 34, Con. 3 and then purchased Lot 28, Con. 2; Lot 33 and south -half of 32, Con. 3 and the east half of Lot, 2, South of the London Road.. He married Dolly Vandenberg and they have two daughters, Jack- ie 1953- (Peter Martens) and Anita 1955 - (Joe Matika). Austin was Warden of Holy Trin- ity anglican Church at the age of 21 and again after the war in 1947-49. He was a Biddulph councillor and reeve for six years each along with the position of clerk for 23 years, the last three also as treasurer. When Evan married Alma he took over. Lot 34, Con. 2. They had two daughters Dallas 1938- (Robert Robinson and Helen 1944- (Thom- as Triebner and William Delorme). Helen and Bill now own Lot 34, Con. 2 where they built a new house. They have one son by Hel- en's first marriage, Scott 1970-. In addition to their farming operation, Helen is an operating room nurse at London's St. Joseph's Hos- pital.They have clothing stores in Forest, London and St. Marys. Scott recently graduated from the University of Windsor and is now an administrative assistant to the deputy whip in Parliament in Ot- tawa. Lt. Col. James and Mary's third son James Jr. and his wife Hannah got Lot 35, Con. 2. They had 10 children: Mary Ann 1854-1956 (Francis Ryan); Elizabeth 1857- 1858; William 1859- (Margaret Sadler); Uri 1862-1907 (Levine Stanley); Eliza Matilda 1864-1920 (Eli Hodgins); John 1867-1869; Jane 1869-1870; Albert 1871-1941 (Ellen Hamilton); Kae 1872 (George Hamilton); Effie 1879- (Elisha Carroll); Albert and Ellen (Nellie) re- mained on Lot 35, Con. 2 and pur- chased Lot 36, Con. 3. They raised three children: George 1903-1964 (Florence Thompson); Harvey 1905-1985 (Edna Roberts) and Edythe 1916- (John Murdy). Albert and Nell • ow red brick home in 1923. Harvey and Edna 4 r the Iwo farms when they i cd in 1928. They raised three children: Beverley 1930-; Rosco 1933- (Mar- ion Ashworth); Loreen 1939 - (Bruce Morley). Rosco trained to be a pilot. They built a new house, two hangars and a landing strip on Lot 36, Con. 3 where together with his son Paul they operate General Airspray Ltd.. They do crop dusting and take gov- ernment contracts to maintain the forests of northern Ontario. Beverley is now the owner of Lot 35, Con. 2 and in addition to farm- ing, he has been the rural mail cour- ier for R.R. 3 Lucan for several years. w Austin and Dolly Hodgins at their house on Lot 34, Conc. 3 IN YOUR HOMETOWN...YOU CAN MAKE YOUR MONEY WORK FOR YOU AGAIN & AGAIN & AGAIN... 1I Local retailer pays wages for 2 employees EMPLOYEES deposit their wages In local Trust Company WITH EARNINGS employees arrange for car/'. loan CAR PURCHASED from Exeter dealership. Salesperson paid wages When you spend your money in the community of Exeter it never goes to waste. It's recycled over and over and over again to the benefit of everyone. Let's explain; spending gets the economy moving. It increases employment. It provides more donations for churches, servive clubs and more. k bolsters selection with expanded inventories while it lowers the cost of public services through a greater tax base. Spending improves our comforts through home improvements and recreational courses.Your money spent in your community can work for you again and again. On the average your dollar spent will change hands seven times before leaving Exeter.What a friendly good buy for your dollars. ENOUGH MONEY has been saved to purchase extra home furnishings PLUMBER decides upgrade his home with purchase of house in subdivisla WITH WAGES salesperson has plumber Install new bathroom HOME FURNISHINGS STORE feels business up turn and hires new employee N EMPLOYEE rewa%ds his positwe future with M pet purchase from pet score STORE OWNER makes donation to youth sports; Exeter Figure Skating Get the pkture! Be o recycle, of your dolor by moking them work ond work and work and work - Brought to you courtesy of t RECYCLE YOUR DOLLARS... IT PAYS