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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-04-25, Page 13A 7m tra Serving over 25,000 homes in Listowel, Wingharn, Mount Forest, Milverton, Eltinira, Palmerston, Harris Researching your family tree is a way to travel through time by Margaret Arbuckle It seems that wherever you go these -days, you run into people researching their family trees. They start out innocently enough, just trying to find out where great-grandfather was born. But usually it becomes much more than that as the researcher finds himself transported back to a different place and time. My own interest was piqued with the recent publication of a book detailing my family history, The Arbuckles of East Wawanosh. It was compiled and written by my aunt, Doreen Menzies Arbuckle, and contains genealogies of the Arbuckle, Bannerman, MacKenzie and Robertson families. It was this book that started me thinking about those people of long ago and hungering to know more about them. A good place to start if you are compiling a family tree is with 'a local genealogical society. Most counties contain a branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and iitican be contacted through the public library system. Alison Lobb, head of the Huron County Genealogical Society, said the branch started almost five years ago with 10 or 12 members. Today it boasts a membership of 350, a good indication how popular it has become to research genealogies. Joining a genealogical society can be a great boon to the beginning researcher because seasoned ambers-: -can _offer guidance. Also the local genealogical societies have done extensive research in their respective, counties and have that information compiled already, saving a beginner from having to wade through mountains of material needlessly. The Huron society has a large percentage of members from the United States and the Western provinces who want to know about ancestors who emigrated there years ago. These people from the U.S. and the 1J1est ,d,often run into stumbling blocks because they just don't know "the lay of the land" in Southwestern Ontario. SUDDEN INTEREST Mrs. Lobb said she is not sure what precipitated this recent rush to delve into genealogies, but she thinks it has a lot to do with centennial year, 1967, and the great upsurge of interest it produced in history. The television drama "Root's" based on the Alex Haley novel,, may have started the ball rolling in the United States, but not here. Elaine McKinnon of Fordwich, another genealogical society member, said she feels the interest has been aroused because we no longer are living in a stationary society. Years ago, she said, the information was passed down like an heirloom from generation to generation and you knew who your ancestors were. Today people grow up and leave the farm or the small town for the cities or sometimes even the other side of 'the Earth and gradually lose touch with their "roots". But somewhere along the line they come full circle and decide to find out more about those people who came before them. GENEALOGICAL SOURCES As far as starting a family history, there is no better time than the present. The people at the genealogical society suggest com- piling all the data you know about your family on a five -generation "pedigree" chart. I know what you're saying: I'm not a French poodle. But the pedigree chart is just a starting point, it gives you an idea what information you have and what you must find out. Older, family members often are a good source of information, but the cautious researcher always double checks his data. Vital statistics, such as births, deaths and marriages, were recorded in Ontario from 1869. The information can be obtained from the Ontario office of the registrar general, however it often is sketchy, depending upon the accuracy of the person who did the recording. Census records are another source of information, and once again, can be in- valuable or sadly incomplete. A census has been taken in Ontario from 1841 (1842 in some areas) right up to the present. If you have the name of an ancestor and where he lived in a certain time period, you may be able to find him listed, along with family members, in the census. These records are available on microfilm through government archives and are divided geographically. Unfortunately some are illegible or have weathered badly. They are only as accurateas the census taker chose to be and some of the spellings of names are imaginative to say the least. County registry offices house an index of wills registered in their jurisdiction as well as records of chronological land ownership per parcel of land. The Genealogical Society of the Church of Latter -Day Saints at Salt Lake City, Utah, ( the Mormons) has compiled what probably is, the most comprehensive collection of genealogical data in the world. This information is housed at their library at Utah, but copies can be viewed at branch libraries in Toronto, Hamilton and London. Parish records contain marriages, births, baptisms and • _deaths. Naturally it is ex- pensive and timeconsuming to travel across the sea to look at them, so they can be or- dered on microfilm. Through extensive research of such records, my aunt dated one of my ancestors back to 1499 and found that another ancestor was involved in a land transfer in 1511. Another excellent source of information is fford, Wallenstein, Drayton, Moorefield and Arthur, Wednesday April 25, 1984 GATHERING OF THE CLAN—David Robertson and his wife Mary Ann -celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in December of 1912 with their entire family drawn round. Such auspicious occasions usually were marked by a trip to the local photographer and these pictures help genealogy researchers today recreate a dif- ferent time and place. Note the small boy sitting on his grandfather's knee, his wife Mrs. Daniel Arbuckle, has compiled a family history which has been published. (Photo courtesy of Edythe Coutles) the microfilmed newspapers of the day. In they lived. addition to providing invaluable genealog- The Arbuckles, for example, were ical data such as births, deaths and mar- weavers from Lanarkshire, Scotland. They riages, they also give a most vivid -and ac- gradually found themselves out of well as curate description of the times. r the industrial revolution introduced such FASCINATING HOBBY , inqi-Jaarlainven ons as the jennies and the flying Genealogical research starts out as a neat 'Shutti . packaging of facts, but often ends up being So in 1853 or 1854,' William and Janet much more. The more you learn about -those Arbuckle, both 69 years of age, set off relatives from long ago, the more you want aboard ship for Canada with four of their to know about them and the times in which eight children and five grandchildren. A sixth grandchild was borvoff the coast of Newfoundland. They settled in Minto Township near aa.a_rriston, then moved to Zetland; a Turn - berry Township settlement that is long gone, and finally they moved to East Wawanosh Township. Somewhere along the line one branch of the family broke off and moved to Minnesota. Entries in the family Bible tell of hard- ships endured and the triumphs of these early settlers. Probably the most poignant entry comes from the pen of an early an- cestor who wrote to his son in 1835: "You were one month old 'when your mother died." Researching your_ family tree probably will not tell you why you are knock-kneed or why you have brown eyes. But it will tell you about those who came before you and it opens up doors to an entirely different place and time. CD CND GENEALOGY RESEARCH—can become a fascinating and all -consuming hobby. Family Bibles often are in- valuable sources of information for the data they provide and for the pictures which often are in them. Cardston, Alberta December 14, 1983 Dear Folks: What a treat Bob and I have just had! We just received our yearly "goody" Christmas box from my mother, Dorothy Allen of Listowel, and inside it, she included some pages from The Fordwich Record sec- tion of your paper, We have spent several hours reading„ and reminiscing about the good old days when we were growing„ up "back home' ° . We remember so many fun times, like Saturday nights skating in the arena, and the best skaters still stick in our minds as Jennie Wilson and Maxine Ridley. They both had that little bit of bounce and rhythm that stood out in the crowd, and there were very few nights that they missed being there. Remember the hockey games when Joe Higgins, the school tea cher, used to play on the Fordwich team? At the slightest body check from an opposing player, he'd throw down his stick and his gloves and up with the fists ready to do battle. Next day at school he'd lay down the law whenever he caught any of the kids fist -fighting. And there was Harold Pollock, so patient and even tempered — never raised his voice nor got excited. I remember so well the day World War 2 ended, and all the cars raced up and down main street blowing their horns. He never got excited, just went right on talk- ing just as if nothing was goington out there. I couldn't stand it, jumped up and looked out the window, and he gave mea half-hour detention, which by the way' I never did serve. Someone was sent to Miss Lenore Beswetherick's home to 'get a radio so we could find out what was really happening. and then we all went home early. Remember the Fordwich Mill horseshed" Best place in the world to catch pigeons in the dark, put them in a sack and then loL'c around for a likely closed -in front porch to let them go. I imagine the Beswetherick sisters would remember the night they got a bunch in their glassed -in front porch. (I didn't do it, honest Mom.) Then there were the Bellamy boys. For excitement, someone, who shall be nameless, put Roy inside an old tire and rolled him down the east hill by the mill, and he wedged in under the front loading ramp of the 'feed mill: knocked himself silly. Another time Bert got rolled down the same hill, hit the fence and landed in the river be- side the bridge. Hallowe'en Then on Hallowe'en and sometimes when things were a bit 'boring the gang "bor..row- ed" old Mr. Johnson's milk wagon, turned the shafts straight up and set Bert up on the top to steer it, and sent it tearing down that same hill. Poor old Bert couldn't steer it very well from up top and I think it landed in the creek also, as well as being a little worse forwear, and the poor old man had to go looking for his milk wagon before he could deliver milk the next morning. Can you remember Anson Demerling's ten -cent ice cream cones? Double ones and filled right up and overflowing. And there were Teena and Harvey McDermott and our favorite restaurant hang-out. Teena never got mad at us even when we got a bit out of hand. She'd just laugh and was a buddy to all. Harvey's outhouse was the favorite target to grace the main intersection on Hal- lowe'en, except for the year he got smart and moved it ahead early, and both Bob and Bruce Williamson fell in, and headed. straight for the river boots and all. 'Good s—, Gert' And there was Ward and Gertie, Schaef- fer's store. Once a week my mom sent us kids in there with a nickel to buyyeast so she could bake bread, and he'd break some off a one -pound block. How I remember the day I stood waiting while Ward, and someone (whose name es- capes me) tried to hang a large bunch of ba- nanas from a ceiling hook. Everything went fine until they let go, and then the ceiling hook let go too, and the whole bunch hit „the floor kersmack. Ward had a favorite explosive expression which he sometimes used, and I well re- member his "Good s—, Gert! the hook broke." I was about ten or twelve at the time, but I can still see his horrified face as he looked down at all those mashed bananas. I didn't dare laugh as bananas then cost a fortune. Besides I was too afraid of his bust- ed -in -nose Pekingese dog that always stood guard on the front step and barked and yap- ped at any kid who dared touch that door- knob. Nobody ever told Ward that dog was bad for his business, I guess. Likely all the adults knew his bark was worse than his bite, but we kids sure didn't spend much time getting in that front door when the dog was on duty. And there was the little library across from Pat Patterson's hardware. Minnie McElwain always picked out all the good westerns for my dadto read, and I always read everything Nellie McClung ever wrote. And there was Archie Roberts' Printing Shop where for years the Fordwich Record was printed. It was immaculately kept and smelled of printer's ink. Everyone got their bristol board there for school projects. Mr. Coates And good old Ross Coates' Harness Shop — the hang-out for all the men, old and young. Especially at four o'clock when school let out for the high schoolers. And the day I was so mortified when both feet went out from under me in a slippery sleigh track, and I landed smack on my fanny, books flying in all directions in the snoW and all the guys laughing their heads off and looking out the window. Bob still re- members being in there and seeing that spectacle, and that was over 35 years ago. Mr Coates had bronchitis and was always laughing, which made him cough, and he would keep tossing handfuls of tacks into his mouth, so he could spit them out faster to nail into the soles of your shoes. Maybe they stuck better when wet, I don't know; but I do know he never ever charged people enough for his work, and it's a mira- cle he never choked to death on all those tacks, as he just kept tacking away, and then stopping to laugh and to cough and then tacking away till he'd start to laugh again. He was the biggest tease to all the girls, but we just loved it: The Bank And the good old Bank of Commerce. Many a fun day Lois Hambly Simmons and 1 had in there. Especially the day I dropped a whole roll of pennies and they broke and ran down into the big register in the floor and Johnnie Caldwell had to stand on his head to get them out. I couldn't resist his behind sticking up, and gave him a push with my foot, and he fell in. He came up out of there spitting bad words and threatened to throw me down in with the pennies and put the lid on. And .who was the man who sold stainless cookware and wore the motorcycle helmet with ear lugs and chin strap? He dropped a bill and went down under the big heavy counter in front of the teller's cage and came up and whacked his head so hard he went cross-eyed. Lois and I looked at each other and started to laugh and just couldn't get stopped. Poor guy must have had a ridge on his head for weeks. Duffy's Pool Hall And "Duffy's" pool hall! and Polly always stealing his haircutting safety pins for Billy's diapers. George (Duffy) spent more time looking among the hair tonic bottles for a pin. One day in desperation he sent the whole row of bottles and brushes crashing off the shelf and onto the floor in the corner. /Still no pin, but turning around muttering unprintables he saw Polly's mother stand- ing meekly in the doorway looking at him. Never mind — her chocolates were so good they'd sweeten anyone up. She and Polly always made homemade chocolates every Christmas. And one Sunday morning about church time, seeing George sitting out front finish- ing plucking a chicken for Sunday dinner, and Milt Priess coming along and asking him what he was doing, and George with a straight face and serious voice, and looking right up into his face and saying, "Well I sure as H— ain't pluckin' no chicken'." And the time my dad went into town early on a Saturday night to get first in line for his favorite snooker table, and there sat George .on the front sidewalk, shirtless, and 'bare- footed with a turban wrapped around his head, playing his flute at some contraption in a pot at his feet. Said he was "snake charming". What a riot he was. .,Can you remember Harry Samson and his little singing dog Pepper.? Every time they. went downtown Harry would sing and the dog would howl like crazy. And my grandfather Billy Allen. They - used to say he'd vote Liberal if a pig was running. And the time the Tories sneaked in one night and hung a huge "Vote Conserva- tive" banner all across the north end of his barn. Only time I ever saw him speechless. Swimming Hole And the old swimming hole at Crosby Sotheran's, on the sixth, and the day the boys stole Ruth Patterson's clothes while she was swimming. She walked back into town in her swim suit and saw her bra and panties floating in the breeze on the cross - arm of the main corner hydro pole. She couldn't climb up to get them and the. boys wouldn't, so she walked home in some- one's rain coat. The culprits? Bruce and Bert again. We'll never forget the good old Fordwich dances with John Gamble and his orchestra, and the fun -loving Stewart brothers, Jim and Carl. Before the dance was over you could bet that Roy Simmons and Doug Holt would put on a good old step -dancing display, with Wally Gibson sometimes joining in, or Atchison Wallace. And they were good too. It seems strange to see Fordwich phone numbers with 335-6273. We remember them as 34r1-1 or 2-2, and Tish or Lou Matthews saying "Hello — Central." Do you still go to sleep in summer with the bull -frog serenade? They were the best sleep inducers when we were kids, with the big old grandfather frog taking the solo part and the hundreds of others joining in and then quiet for a second till the little straggler squeakers finally shut up. Then the old solo part again, with just that same one voice, and then everyone join- ing in — what a racket they made. I would give a lot to import some to Alber- ta to the river beside our ranch home here. Alberta doesn't have bull -frogs. However, we don't have turtles or crabs either and I don't miss those. Sometimes city people used to come out and catch the frogs and eat them, and we kids used to think that was just yuk! f'! Next summer we hope to come back to visit and if they are still there, I want to tape the sounds for our grandkids. They've never heard anything like that. You know, you can go anywhere in the world, but where you grew up will always be ",home". We have had lots of fun just read- ing who is doing what, and who is marrying whom, and who is still around and still going strong back there. It brings back so many fond memories. As Bob just said "Fordwich will never be the same as it was when we were growing up there." I think he's right. To those of you / who still remember us, we hope you have had a good, happy Christmas. Sincerely Bob and Nellie (Allen) Holland, Cardston, Alberta