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Early Wingham days described in: letter concerning Lloyd and 'Blackwell families
O
•
Continued from Page Three
on to finish the journey in, It
was pretty rough riding the rest
Of the way. But we were all
well and glad that any convey-
ance was obtainable to carry us
on our way. Our progress was
now slow as it was too rough for
fast driving.
About ten o'clock we reach-
ed our destination. The driver
went to the one hotel kept by
old Mr. Cornyn. The occu-
pants had retired but loud knock-
ing on the door roused the land-
lord who appeared with a can-
dle in his hand and his pants
held up by one suspender. The
stage driver explained why we
were so late and told him that
accommodation was needed for
two ladies and two gentlemen.
Well the old gentleman said he
did not see how they could
manage that for the men from
the woods had come in that
night and they were pretty full.
(I imagine the men were full as
well as the beds for Mr. C. us-
ed to say to himself "I'm the
bye to take in the quarthers").
However we were to come into
the kitchen and he would see
what could be done. In the
meantime the stage driver had
gone to a boarding house to
find out what could be done
there, but returned soon with
word that the boarding house
was full too.
Leaving us in the kitchen
with nothing but the firelight
from the kitchen stove to light-
en the gloom he went off with
the candle to investigate the
rooms. Finally he came back
and said there was one room
with two beds and that was the
best he could do for us.
The old lady and her help
were asleep in a room off the
kitchen but there was no word
of any supper and we felt it was
no use to ask for any. We felt
we could get along without any
if only we could get to bed for
we were all tired from our long
days travel since early morning.
Fortunately for me my baby was
good (the good baby was me but
it is a safe bet that I did not
suffer from either cold or hun-
ger probably draining her of
vatrength,and nourishment and
then the baby gets the credit for
being good -- but mothers are
like that). We were finally
shown into a room just long
enough to hold the two beds
end to end and just wide enough
to admit a chair to stand at
each end of the passage. We
thought it a little crowded but
had to make the best of it as
there was no other way. Select-
ing one of the beds our lady
passenger from the stage and
myself and baby were soon set-
tled for the night and slept the
sleep of weariness. Mr. Lloyd
and husband took the other bed
and they too were soon in the
land of dreams.
(And so our travellers are
now sleeping their first night in
the village that held their for-
tunes for the next few years. It
took considerable more time
and courage in those days to
make a move than it does now.
I suppose you frequently cover
the same ground that they did
in two or three hours).
Morning came bright and
rosy and my comrade of the
night found her way to the kit-
chen and secured a tin wash-
basin and brought it to me with
water so I could wash my baby
and we managed to prepare for
breakfast for we were hungry
not having had a chance to get
anything to eat except the
lunch prepared the day before.
Going down stairs to the sit-
ting room we found it also the
dining room, with one long
bare table and bare floor. The
lumbermen had eaten and gone
out and soon our breakfast was
served up to us. It consisted of
fried pork, potatoes, bread, but-
ter and syrup, but hunger is
good sauce and with the addi-
tion of a cup of tea we did not
fare so badly.
After breakfast my lady
friend and myself sat around
while Mr. Lloyd and my hus-
band went out to take in the
town and see if other accom-
modation could be found.
After a time a gentleman
came from Teeswater and took
his mother-in-law, our travel-
ling companion, home with
him and we saw her pleasant
face no more. Later my hus-
band came in and told me we
would have our dinner at a new
and unfinished hotel. Only the
sitting room and bedrooms on
the second floor were finished
and the household goods were
all sitting in the yard and the
family had been aecommodat,
ed at different neighbors in the
town (notice mother always says
town but it was pretty small po.
tatoes as towns go I guess), as
the plastering was too wet to
make it safe to sleep in the
rooms. But the cuokstove was
up in the sitting room and with
table and chairs and plenty to
cook with dinner would be pre-
pared. We left our rather rude
and uncomfortable quarters of
the night before and went over
to the new unfinished hotel be-
ing built by Mr, Thoma: Greg-
ory and Mr. Griffin who wasthe
landlord. His wife and daugh-
ters were efficient in the cook-
ing line and very hospitable and
though much crowded furnished
a good dinner, The kitchen,
dining-room and sitting room
were all one, but by giving the
menfolk their dinner first and
setting a second table for the
family and myself we got along
very comfortably and the day
was fine and everything was
bright and clean.
Mr. Griffin had occupied a
boarding house and would have
remained another week had he
been allowed but his landlord
threatened to charge him for six
months more rent if he stayed
another day so he moved right
out which accounts for the con-
fusion in which we found them.
Workmen were busy on the low-
er part and as fast as possible it
was finished.
There were only about three
or four houses in the place, the
rest were sort of shanties run up
in a hurry to accommodate the
incoming settlers. The town
had been laid out and named by
the government on land near
where there was waterpower and
mills had been erected by Fish-
ers and a store by T. G. Jack-
son and another by George
Green and there were quite a
number of houses in this part
called Lower Wingham but the
land was low and liable to be
flooded in the spring which was
an objection so someone owning
farm land adjacent that was
higher laid it out into half acre
town lots and these were being
bought and built and forming
what was called Upper Wing-
ham. My husband and Mr.
Lloyd looked about and decided
on lots they would like and set
to work to get up a place we
Could shelter in. The lots had
had timber on them but it was
mostly fallen down and lay
dead and dry waiting to be mov-
ed to make room for dwellings
So clearing a space large enough
fox a shanty they carried what
lumber was necessary from John
Gregory's saw mill on the Mait-
land River not far away to build
our shanty 12 x 16, Because a
man who owed my husband
S100.00 and had not been able
to pay up, my husband had no
money. Mr. Lloyd had a little
and helped us to build our shan-
ty and we went into our new
domicile the Saturday after ar-
riving in Wingham, May 1st,
1865. The door was not hung
and no window in but it was
ours, it was home and we were
happy. A piece of thin cotton
stretched over a hole cut for
half a window and the door was
set up on Monday and the next
day hinges put on and a wooden
latch with old fashioned latch
string for a fastening. The
place was all built of rough
hemlock lumber, the roof too
was of boards, no shingles were
used and scantlings across one
end and fixed with boards form-
ed two beds. The whole cost
including nails was $9.00. In
looking about in Lower Wing-
ham my husband saw in an
empty house an old stove and
bought it for $12.00 on time
and he and Mr. Lloyd brought
it home on a wheel barrow, We
had no furniture save a bureau
bought from Mr. Lloyd and a
whatnot I brought from Minne-
sota. Our table was made from
an old packing box and our
trunks and a box or two provid-
ed seats, and we were at home,
glad and happy. (How after she
refers to their Gladness and
Happiness in having their own
home surely woman is made for
the home and it is not much of
a home that lacks a woman.
"Ain't them your sentiments
old pal?" She tells next of
celebrating their wedding day
May 6th and my birthday May
14th, together on the latter
date and says they were very
happy and felt as if just begin-
ning to live.)
Mr. Lloyd got a job helping
to finish the new hotel and was
to board with us until he could
build a place for himself on his
lot next to ours and send for his
wife and family who were still
in Simcoe but unfortunately he
cut his foot with a broad axe on
the third day he worked, (I
thought it was with an adz),anci
was only able to get around with
the aid of a crutch for two
weeks.
As soon as he could he put
up his shanty 12 x 20 and divid-
ed it into two rooms, However
he sent for the family before
the shanty was ready and for two
weeks we all lived in our little
12 x 16 room. He had three
boys, Walter 7, Albert 3, and
Charlie 5 months. We put their
best furniture around the walls
of our room put the stove out -
doors and then lived outdoors
and came in to eat and sleep.
It was beautiful weather in June.
Our lot and Mr. Lloyd's were
soon cleared enough so that
they secured Mr. Tom Hender-
son to plow them so as to get in
a garden. Mrs. Lloyd was fond
of a garden and had brought a
lot of garden seeds with her and
she divided with us and they
were hurried into the ground as
fast as they could be and Mr.
Lloyd got his house built and
they got into it feeling thank-
ful for a place of their own and
that his foot had got well.
My husband got no chance to
work at plastering as there was
very little work in that line and
what there was had been taken
by a Mr. Pugh of Bluevale but
there was an old building own-
ed by C. Tait Scott and Mr.
Lloyd and my husband rented it
and engaged to pay the rent in
repairs. The basement was a
workshop for Mr. Lloyd and the
first floor for a showroom for
any furniture he might make
while the upper floor provided a
picture gallery when properly
fixed up for my husband to take
ambrotypes as that was all he
had learned of the photograph
business up to that time. The
photographic art was then in its
infancy. But he could not start
taking pictures for want of
money to buy materials,
He worked that summer at
anything he could get to do.
Road work was one of them and
splitting rails at 75¢ per hund-
red in hot July weather and
mosquitoes and board himself.
He also got a job of whitewash-
ing a large barn for T. G. Jack-
son. But the little he earned
was eaten up day by day and
there never was a surplus for
anything else.
Our garden grew apace. I
never saw one do better and we
were glad when we were able
to get a little out of it to eat.
At one time money was so
scarce that Mr. Lloyd and my
husband could only raise enough
between them to pay for 15 lbs.
of flour.
On the 12th of July the
Orangemen had a celebration
and for that day Wingham was
a lively place. My husband as-
sisted as table waiter in the new
hotel that day. This was a job
he well understood for be filled
the position as assistant butler
in England and head butler in a
Montreal house before he learn-
ed his trade with his brother
John. So pluck persevered and
sunshine and shower with a king
Providence provided our meals
from day to day. My husband
refused no work that offered if
it promised him bread and but-
ter and was honest. I took in
sewing and made a number of
dresses. I understood cutting
and fitting and Mrs. Lloyd was
a good sewer so she made the
skirts of the dresses for me
while I made the waists and did
the cutting and fitting. We
sewed a good deal for Mrs. Grif-
fin and took in pay of a quart
of milk a day which we divid-
ed between us.
My husband had his picture
gallery all ready and a good
camera but could not raise the
ten dollars to send for the
chemicals. Just when it seem-
ed almost hopeless he happened
to get into a conversation with
George Green and this was
mentioned. Mr. Green said
"Why just make out a list of the
chemicals you need and I'll
send for them with my next or-
der of goods." This was very
kind of Mr. Green and was
much appreciated. (Of course
you remember Geo. Green. As
I remember he was perhaps not
the one you would go to for
help but he must have been a
good sort after all and I think a
lot more of him since reading
this. Are there any of his fam-
ily in Wingham. I well re-
member when Willie was drown-
ed.)
As soon as the chemicals
tame they were put to use and
soon my husband was able to
produce very pleasing ambro.
types, but this was all he could'
do and there was a demand for
photographs. He learned how
to make these from a man in
Clinton, n Mr. Shark and was
then able to meet the demands
such as they were of the public.
Taking pictures then was
more difficult than it is now
where everything is prepared.
My husband made his own baths,
silvered his own paper, coated
his own negatives and turned
gold dollars and silver coins in-
to chloride of gold and nitrate
of silver and did many things
that the modern photographer
never dreams of. The business
increased and was a boon in
those days of small means,
Mr. Flock built a house that
year and Mr. Blackwell plaster-
ed it. It was his first job in
that new town but it advertised
his work and there was no lack
of work another year.
Mr. Lloyd was able to put up
a small house that year 14 x 20
consisting of a living room and
pantry and entry for the back
pantry and entry for the back
door. He put up mill stairs in
this entry that went to the attic
which later was made into a
bedroom. The two rooms of his
first building became two bed-
rooms opening off the new liv-
ing room. They got into it in
November, my husband getting
the plastering finished just be-
fore a cold snap and Mr. Lloyd's
brother-in-law came from Sim-
coe to visit them next day.
Mrs. Lloyd was laid up for three
weeks with an ulcerated ankle
that would not heal. But one
day she read in the Bible of
King Hezekiah being healed of
a boil with a poultice of figs.
Well she said "I have no figs
but I know raisins are healing
and I'll try them." So she split
a lot of raisins took out the
seeds and made a poultice of
them. In a short time the
wound began to heal so she
persevered and in time the an-
kle was completely healed.
This was a great relief as she
had to sit all the time in a chair
with her foot on another one
while a little girl came in daily
to do the work and look after
the children.
This same fall we built a
small house 15 x 22, my hus-
band working at it as he got
time from the picture business.
Finally he was ready for the
lumber in the shanty in which
we were living so on Dec. 17
we moved in the weather being
mild for the season. We had
slept at Mr. Lloyd's for two
nights while the shanty was be-
ing pulled down. One gable
was not closed in when we mov-
ed in but that was completed
the next day, The weather was
so warm I washed the windows
on the outside that day and my
husband went on lathing etc.
and had the help of a carpenter
Mr. James Haines to put in the
stairs and front door and help
hurry things along. He got the
bedroom plastered and by plac-
ing the stove in front of the
door was able to get it dry. At
New Years it turned very cold
and everything froze in the
house. We had to sit by the
stove to eat our breakfast and
could scarcely thaw the bread
fast enough to eat it but with a
good fire and our cups on the
stove hearth we managed to
make our breakfast of bread and
butter and tea and by ten o'-
clock it was getting milder and
I was able to get our dinner
comfortably. My husband
would gather enough of the
dead wood from the lot to do
the day, then he would go to
the picture gallery and fire up
there, then he would gather
enough wood to keep his fire
going and by eleven o'clock
when the country people began
to come in he would have it all
comfortable there. In this way
we were able to meet our daily
needs and a little more.
He did not come home at
noon as that was usually his
busiest hour but by four o'clock
it was too dark to take pictures
and then he came home and
spent the evening in fixing up
the house. It was a slow and
tedious business but was finally
completed as far as we were
able at that time and not a bit
too soon for on the 5th of Feb-
ruary our little Mary, a tiny
little fairy came to loving arms
who welcomed the little trea,
sure. Dear Mrs. Lloyd our dear
and ever willing advisor about
the children was an invaluable
friend. Mr. Lloyd did quite an
encouraging business in the fur-
niture line in the same build-
ing as my husband took the pic.
tures and so they were often to-
gether and their friendship nev-
er ceased until it was severed
by the death of Mr, Lloyd in
1000.
When Mary was about a
Month old a Mr, Fulford an
episcopal Methodist minister
came into the place and after
calling on a number of Metho-
dists held meetings in an upper
room provided free by T. G.
Jackson in Lower Wingham.
There were three branches of
Methodist in Canada at that
time — Wesleyan, Episcopal
and Primitive. There were a
few of the E.M.'s in Upper
Wingham who favored holding
protracted meetings in an up-
per room of Mr. James Shrig-
ley's house. The meetings
were started and quite a num-
ber came to assist in the meet-
ings. Accommodation was
scarce, so we offered to take
two overnight if they could put
up with a bed on the floor of
our living room. This was ac-
cepted. In the morning while
I was getting breakfast our
guests having got up some time
before one of whom was Mr.
Varney I saw Mr. Blackwell
gather up the bedding and carry
it into the bedroom. I asked
him where he put the clothes.
"Where did you put the baby?"
"Baby 7" said he "I never saw
her." I rushed in and there she
was buried in the clothes. Igot
her out quickly gasping for
breath but in a few minutes
none the worse. When she was
three months old she was christ-
ened on Sunday afternoon by
Mr. Fulford. Mr. and Mrs.
Lloyd and family took tea with
us. It was the anniversary of
our wedding - three years mar-
ried. Ever afterwards we in
some way celebrated the date
of our marriage. Our George
was a lively and interesting lit-
tle boy and Mary was like a lit-
tle fairy. Mr. Lloyd used to
say that George was a type of
the English and Mary of the
Americans.
I was not very well that
spring and Mrs. Lloyd told me
to go out in the fresh air, take
my two children and walk as
far as I could and then sit down
on a lot and rest awhile and
then return and as the dande-
lions begin to appear dig them
up and make a tea of the roots
and drink it. I followed her ad-
vice and the walk and the tea
proved a fine tonic and I soon
felt much better. That sum-
mer times for us were much bet-
ter. Our garden was good,
there was considerable building
being done and Mr. B. had
work at his trade and on holi-
days did a very good business in
the pictures. Mr. Lloyd's busi-
ness also increased and every-
body was hopeful. Mr. B. did
not run the picture business
much in the summer but in the
winter there was considerable to
do in that line and made up for
the loss of plastering.
(Just here she tells of an
acute illness I had - pneumonia
I guess - and again her dear
friend Mrs. Lloyd came to the
rescue with warm baths, wet
packs and other remedies and in
mother's opinion your mother
saved my life. She goes on to
say:) I always felt that Mrs.
Lloyd's skill and her kindly help
at that time saved our little boy
from perhaps a fatal illness.
Whenever I needed help in the
care of the children I always
found an unfailing and skilful
friend in Mrs. Lloyd. She had
been used to their ills and needs
and knew just what to do while
I had had so little experience
with them and had it all to
learn.
(She next tells of Mary when
a little tot getting hold of some
matches. She says:) I knew the
matches were poisonous and was
alarmed so taking Mary in my
arms I ran to the door and call-
ed loudly fq4r Mrs. Lloyd. She.
heard and came quickly and
advised an emetic of mustard
and water and we soon had her
vomiting and the phosphorus
was brought up. She was soon
none the worse for her experi-
ence and was wiser and more
careful to keep matches out of
the reach of children.)
That year we added a couple
of rooms to our little house and
got our half acre lot well culti
vated and everything grew splen-
didly.
The little town was growing
nicely and there was a real First
of July picnic. It was the first
First of July or Dominion Day
picnic for it was July 1st, 1867,
the day on which Canada was
declared a Dominion, A large
crowd gathered and did full jus-
tice to the great array of pro-
vision provided, while the
children and othersran races
and played games, the picnic
was held on the banks of the
Maitland in lower Wingham
not far from T. G. Jackson's
place. I remember the swings
and especially a merry-p-
round my husband had fixed for
the little tots,
The older folk had a busy
day. I remember that Mr.
Flack, Mr, Lloyd and my hus.
band as well as others were very
weary but well satisfied with the
success of their first Dominion
Day Picnic, They have all
passed to the great beyond
where joy is unconfined and
weariness is no more.
In September a little girl
came to Mr. Lloyd's home and
in November a little boy came
to ours, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd
had now three boys and one girl
and we had two boys and one
girl. That Christmas our Geer-
gie saw his first Christmas tree.
The English church had one for
their Sunday school, It was in
a hall over the horse shed by
Cornyn's Tavern. My husband
took our little boy to see the
tree, He was only three and
one-half years old at the time
but the sight was so new and so
pleasing that he never forgot it
and even yet speaks of it.
The next year and nearly
every year after we had our own
Christmas tree and many happy
memories cluster round those
pretty little trees with their
loads of toys, presents and tin-
sel.
The next year the English
church built an edifice for their
use. Mr. Lloyd was the con-
tractor. The building was to be
of brick so Mr. Lloyd bought a
piece of land from Mr. Thomas
Gregory where he had discover-
ed good brick clay about a mile
towards Teeswater on the gra-
vel road. He brought in a
brickmaker and soon there were
lively times getting out the
brick for the new church.
The church was built to the
satisfaction of the trustees. It
was a beautiful little church.
My husband did the plastering
and the ornamental work in
which he was skilful. But alas
for Mr. Lloyd he had taken the
work too cheap and he lost his
little home in consequence; but
every worker on the job was
paid. My husband ever a friend
of Mr. Lloyd shared with him
his losses. They were friends
indeed.
Mr. Lloyd lost on the church
but his reputation did not suffer
but was established for skill and
honesty, and the picture busi-
ness the following winter was
better then ever.
The Wesleyan Methodists
built a church near where the
salt block was afterwards built.
(She is a little out on this I
think. The Presbyterian church
was on the salt block site was it
not and the Methodist church a
little west and north of it.) My
husband plastered that. It was
built a year before the English
church I think. (For several
pages she deals with little do-
mestic affairs and records the
events connected with our build-
ing and moving into the cot-
tage on the hill above the
school. She mentions the
school house which must have
been built two or three years
before. We moved into the
cottage in July 1869. She men-
tions father plastering Tom
Henderson's house and the er-
rands I used to run but it would
appear that after we moved to
the cottage that when I went
down town I had to go past
your father's shop and it seem-
ed to have been the cause of
many mysterious delays. This
is how she puts it:) He had to
pass Mr. Lloyd's shop and it was
a great temptation to him to
want to stop and play with Al-
bert, but I could see him till
he got past the shop and then I
knew that nothing else would
stop him. In August Seraph
came to us and then we had
four. (Several more pages are
purely domestic. She tells of
an accident to father when he
fell from the English church
scaffold but forgot to mention
the horse running away with
your father and hurting him
badly but I can still see the
men carrying him home on
their shoulders. I don't think
he ever got fully over it, did
he? She tells of picnics On the
Green's Prairies and in one or
two places mentions the Mor‘
acles, tells about gathering dry
wood off the lots around and of
overdoing herself, trying to
save the woodpile by cutting
up dry poles. She had a good
deal of that sort of thing to do
it seems for father was away
from home all week at hit work
and seldom got home until late
Saturday night and she was
thrifty and wanted to save whore
she could.)
Yours sincerely,
G. IL Blackwell,"
June 12. 1029,