HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-06-30, Page 144Page 104
;After Waterloo, William Bennett Rich left the Guards and
with his attractive young wife, Sarah Cobb, enjoyed a gay
life in London until increasing debt dictated migration to
Canada in 1633. Here is a photograph of the attractive Lucy,
probably taken in Goderich some time in the 1860s, when
IAT., Johnson, advertising in the semi-weekly Signal, offered
the facilities of "the largest Photograph Gallery in the
Province.- 11 is lent for reproduction here by Mr. H.R.
Holland, of :Sarnia, a great-greatl r•andson of William
Bennett ]tick. ()t cIIesley !louse.
Lucy Rich
survived
1833 voya
"Another of the old residents of
Goderich" passed away, the
. Goderich Star reported when
Lucy Bennett Rich Widder died
in Toronto, May 1, 1929, and her
body was brought here for
burial in Maitland Cemetery.
Readers of the Star may have
wondered why her age was not
stated, and persons who later
saw the memorial at the grave
may have been even more
surprised, for only the date of
death was carved thereon- The
Star did come close to
disclosing Mrs. Widder's age
when it described her as "one
of the original members of St.
George's Church,"
The Rev. R.F. Campbell,
first resident clergyman of the
Church of England here,
arrived the fall of 1834. Lucy
Rich, born in England in 1833,
arrived in Goderich in the same
year with her parents. It is
unfortunate that no letter of her
father, William Bennett Rich,
has been found with a
description of that. Atlantic
Vtryage (to New York or
Boston 1 and the hardships of
the overland journey to Buf-
falo, Hamilton of wherever,
with several children, one- an
infant.
There is, however, a record
of a similar journey in the
previous year, by the Johnston
family which links up with the
William Bennett Rich story.
Thomas W. Johnston, of
Omagh, Ireland, brought his
wife, 13 chjldren and four
servants by stage to Lon-
donderry, thence by sailing
ship to New York - a voyage of
eight weeks - then by the
Hudson River to Niagara -on -
the -bake. There they, spent the
winter before moving on to
London.
They took up land at London,
but heard about better on the
St. Clair, and sold their farm to
a young Anglican clergyman,
Benjamin Cronyn. " Thomas
Johnston's son Hugh, built, the
house on St. Vincent Street,
Goderich, which is now Judge
Carter's, and married Matilda
Rich. Their daughter Daisy
married F.F. Pardee, longtime
M.P. .for West Lambton and
later senator, and their
daughter, Pauline Cowan
Jamison, lives in Sarnia.
The George Browns, for
e
whom the Iluntn road
later known ,ts Roy Run
was built, had a dau
Frances._ who married Dr,
Johnston, of Sarnia,
grandson, ft, R. Holl
Sarnia. therefore has a d
relationship with the
family.
Lucy \kidder's birth
1833,come. to light be
when mai rigid to Cha
Widder on .April '14, 1887,
gave her .lgc a; :.�4. Wid
:then 31, itk was bor
-Englandflaying survirf
ocean voyage of many w
and an ov crlantl trip in
transport conditions of
years ago, Lucy prove
durahlt.= little lady, outli
her husband by 52 years
her father by ti0.
"Little- is a proper term
all accounts. Lucy appe
very tiny \then big Ben A
acted as lief• coachman
shopping trip. She continue
live at 1.\ndhurst for m
years Id ho,01, but in 1
sold ;II, S
treed, ':tkburgh, ah
I lrrh En paste 1
Congratulations
Goderich
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needs of community
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