Clinton News-Record, 1985-07-10, Page 8711
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CQNCPSIONWIT:317
GQIDERIVOTOWNSHIV .
This 80 acre farm bas been in the gettleOi
faintly for aliTIVatlfalleat04 antithepresept
owners, Alvin nod..parli(Snell) -Betties, are
very proud of -their heritage,: ParktiaS
prepared a framed record documenting this
history which includes portraits of all. •
owners (excepting the first!). They have -
been able to .find 4riformation_about each
owner and his family and the WV* of life in,
their era by researching available local
resources. What a valuable heirlobanthis
picture will become to their descendents in
years to come!
JOHN DONLEY (1799-1879) contracted
for �/L31 from the Canada Company in
September 1835 and received the deed in
1851. Although the word mortgage is not us-
ed, he probably made regular payment to
the Company - and if he had defaulted .or
decided not to continue on that Lot) they
could have sold his land to somebody else.
In those days, of course, the land would be
primarily bush and in order to grow any
crop, our pioneer would have to clear these
trees. A time-consuming, labour-intensive
job, but probably the first he would tackle -
acre by acre over many years.
Initially the lumber was usually burned -
in order to dispcise of it - while the ashes left
from this burning could be processed and
sold as potash. Some farmers used these
ashes on their land as their first fertilizers
but we must remember the necessity to earn
Barb Betties has compiled a framed record documenting
of,their. GocierickTownship farm
some cash with which to make the con-
tracted land payments. In early days potash
was the only existing source of a strong
alkali - basic for soap, glass, paint, baking
powder, etc. and so was in demand. It was
often a farmer's first cash crop.
In 1850 figures which listed exports from
Goderich, wheat was the only product which
exceeded the value of the potash sold.
The Council
and Residents
of the
Town of Goderich
the heritage
the illOs Assesmentseat talk housed at the
•D.B, Web** Library, tnoden and we are
fortunate they. have. been .10Peririego
iiev`WOr Offoligt1)they.give-us fafrly 440, '
edfnformation about the crop acreages andi
livestock holdings, the names and ages Of.
only the heads of household were recorded.
You can find out how many. people there
were. in a family and the general. ages (ie,
two males under five) - but .no specifics. It is
not until the 1861, 071 and 1881 census
(available on microfilm at our local
libraries) that we find eliding of the names
and possible ages of all household members.
• As a result we have very little information
regarding John Donley and his family. We
know he likely worked ,at clearing the land
and building a home - probably a one storey
log building. In 1842 he had only four of his 80
acres cleared.
However we also find such. varied produce
as grass seed, port, butter, lard, flour,
wheat, lumber, oats, bacon and hams, bark,
isinglass, fish and peas listed as exports
from the Port of Goderich in this 1850
Report.
• Unfortunately we have few existing
records of our early pioneers and their lives.
Our earliest Goderich Township records are
JOHN COLWELL: It was in 1851 that John
Colwell bought the land. John had married
Mary Ann Browning in Nova Senile and they
raised six sons and six daughters. In those
days all of the cropping would be done by
hand - since no mechanization was yet ,
available. Oxen and horses would provide \
the only alternative to man -power. Perhaps
their large families were considered a reaL
blessing (even a necessity) by those
pioneers?
The 1850 census recorded acres in wheat,
barley, rye, oats, Indian corn. Buck wheat
potatoes, peas, mangels, turnips, and hay
along with the holdings of apples, maple
Turn to page 4A • -
t est Wishes
to our friends
in Goderich Township
HAVE A GREAT SESQUICENTENNIAL!
FROM THE RAT
Left to right: Steve (back), Adam, Sally, Michael
Rathwell
IVILETAI5GRAFT
biro
STEVE RATHWELL, PROPRIETOR
•custom Ornamental Railings
•Spiral Stairs
*Custom Machining
R.R. 5 GMB 123
CLINTON
482-3523