Clinton News-Record, 1985-07-10, Page 88Bettie§ farm
• from page 3A
sugar, flax, wool, fulled cloth, linen, flannel,
cheese, butter and barrels of beef. So ob-
viously these were the items of major im-
portance to the settlers of that era. A farmer
likely also had some horses (for both work
and transportation); cattle, sheep, and hogs.
The 1856 assessment rolls show 45 acres of ,
John's land cleared and his real property is
valued at 158 pounds. .His total taxes were
two pounds, four shillings, and four and a
half pence. Our Country had not yet changed
to dollar values.
JAMES COLWELL (I841-1914 ), John's
son, legally purchased the farm in 1864
although he was already shown as the
householder in the 1861 census. He was iden-
tified as a farmer, Presbyterian -in religious
affiliation, and lived in a one storey log
house. James was married but had no
children and his age was shown as 24. It is a
fact well-known to family history resear-
chers that the ages (and spellings!) record-
ed on these census records often owe more
to imagination and phonics than accuracy.
By 1867 James' real property was valued
at $1200. and his holdings included seven
0
•
•
cattle, 10 sheep, five hogs, two horses and
one dog. Although by 1878 the value of real
property had risen to•$2,788. there were still
only 45 acres cleared.
James, would have seen the development
of some mechanization during his lifetime.
Seed drills replaced hand sowing and horse-
drawn reapers and binders eased the job of
harvesting. This was the era of custom
threshing and Goderich Township reported
43 threshing machines in. the 1871 census.
Haying was very ' labour-intensive, a
EVERY farmer would have�some hay t r
ing in!. •
Their community life centred around the
church and school and we have identified 21
churches and 11 schools in the history of
Goderich Township. Compare this to today -
with the single Central School at
Holmesville and two churches (Holmesville
United and St. James' Anglican, Mid-
dletons ).
James and his wife, Susan Lindsay,
ultimately had twodaughters, but no sons to
take over his farm. In 1892 he sold the land
to THOMES S. BETTLES (1857-1934) and
retired to Gdilerich. Since then the land has
remained in Betties hands, transferred to
Ark
C 6/L 31-1985, Bruce, Alv, Barb, Marie, Margaret Ann and Mary Jean
Al.i.F,N BETTLES in 1920 and to his son,
ALVIN BETTLES, in 1941.
THOMAS SETTLES: In 1867 assessment
rolls, Thomas Betties is shown with 70 acres
cleared, but by 1921 only 65 were listed as
clear. Probably pasture land had been
returned to bush in hilly areas. Although the
bush was no longer being cleared, wood was ,
the major means of heating and cutting
wood was still a major occupation.
In .1904 he identified 1.5 acres of orchard
with 8 acres under fall wheat. He had 15 cat-
tle, 10 sheep, 15 hogs,, and three'horses. 'Phis
was still the era of mixed farming. When
Alvin took over the farm in 1941 his -taxes
'Draw page 5A
CONGRATULATIONS
GODERICH TOWNSHIP 1-5-0!
We are proud to have been a part
of your history for 55 years
Sincere, dependable service to the dairy farmers
of Goderich Township since 1930
MACK ELLIOTT BOB ELLIOTT
GEORGE PICOT KEN HARRIS
R.M. ELLIOTT MILK TRANSPORT LTD.
RR 3 - CLINTON
X482-9287