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'■ i

2 :

' : 3

Yours tritly,

John A. Cornell,

/ ■'

THE

Pioneers of Beverly

SERIES OF SKETCHES

JOHN A. CORNEIvL

liRANCHTON.

With Supplementary Articles

THE MUNICIPAL HISTORY

BY WALLACE MCDONALD, ES(^

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS

BY ROBERT MCC^UEEN, ESQ.
J. H. SMITH, ESti., P. 8. 1 .

THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

BY DAVID BELL, ESQ,

DUN DAS:

PKINTKU BY ROY V. SOMEKVII.LE, AT THIS OKKICE OF TJIK TKIK HANNKK.

1889.

\,j

~^^^^^=^

THE DUNDAS TRUE BANNER PRINTING AND PUBLISHING HOUSE.

ESTABLISHED 1857.

Entsred bccording^ to l;hc 4ct>!df iha f'arliament of Canada in the year
J •^housard eiKJii. hundred and fcigh^y-nlne.lby John A. Cornell, Branch-

oro

TON, in the office of the Minister of Agriculture at Ottawa,

1 * '

- ( I , 4 ., , , 1- 1 ! ,« — , — ,

PREFACE

For some time a goodly number of the older residents of
the Township of Beverly have requested nie to place upon
record a short sketch of the early settlement of the Township,
while some at least of the older people were alive.

This work began last summer, in a series of letters to the
newspapers. After I had got started I found that the work
was taking a more extended scope than I had intended, and it
was proposed that the letters should be gathered up and be
reproduced in book form as a more convenient way of preserv-
ing them, and this suggestion has resulted in the publication
of the present volume.

I did my best to get as correct a history as possible, and
I now dedicate it to the people of my native Township.

Hoping that all the imperfections in the work will be over-
looked, and that m the future it may form the basis of a more
extended history of our district

THE AUTHOR.

Beverly, May 27th, 1889.

THE

PIONEERS OF BEVERLY

THE SHEFFIELD LETTER.

FOR some time past I have been requested by a number of
the residents of Beverly to give, through the columns of
the newspapers, a sketch of the early history of that
Township, along with some of the events that took place dur-
ing the lapse of halt a century. In acceding to the request, I
could only wish that the task of giving these veteraas — these
noble men and women that fought and won the great battle
against the forest — a place on one of the pages in the history
of Canada had fallen upon some person who could have done
the subject more justice than I can ; for, as we ride or drive
along the roads through our Township and see the broad acres
that are cleared and fenced, the good barns, the fine and com-
fortable houses, the large orchards supplying our tables with
all the fruits that can be produced in our climate ; when we
look at the yellow wheat fields, the waving grass, the fine herds
of horses and cattle ; the villages ; there a noisy school house,
there a neat church where but a few years ago nothing was
to be heard but the rustle of the leaves, the dirge of the moan-
ing pine, the howl of the savage wolf, or the still more savage
yell of the wandering barbarian ; when we think of the mighty

8 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

ange that has taken place in so short a time, we feel like giv-
ing them a place among the heroes of Waterloo and Inkerman,
and they certainly compare well with the British band that
was taken captive by the French, which, when Napoleon asked
them to play a retreat, replied that they had never learned that
kind of music.

It is our intention to divide our work into six letters, name-
ly, Sheffield, Clyde, Kirkwall, Rockton, Copetown and Troy,
each settlement by itself, and in doing so we may at times have
to retrace our steps in order to pick up some important event
that I may have passed unnoticed, and I have done my best to
get all accessible information, and get it as accurately as
possible.

Beverly was always considered a poor township, so much
so, with the exception of a very few families who came in, in
the early history of this section of country, that the neigh-
boring townships were the favorites. Bverly's rocks and
swamps, and her towering pines, stood out as a barrier against
her settleujent, and to the emigrant who was seeking a home
in the wesi, acted as finger-boards, telling him, like the Wan-
dering Je.v, to move onward. Hence it was not imtil the year
1810 that that portion of Beverly, where Sheffield now stands
was anything l)ut an unbroken foiest. But in that year the
late John A. Cornell took up the land where the most of Shef-
field now stands, the farn) which he lived on being the one now
occupied by Mr. Christ. Ricker. He was for many years the
preacher, doctor and lawyer of the new settlement. These
professions are all separated now, and it is thought that a man
can only do one thing at a time ; but I suppose that in those
early days the laws were fewer, the preaching more simple,
and fewer people to get sick.

However, about the same time a number of other families
settled in the neighborhood, whose names we shall mention,
and many of whose destrendants live throughout this section,
while others have passed into oblivion and their names are not
known except by some of the older residents. Another of the
pioneers was David Main, just east of the village, and the farm
is now occupied by his two sons, Wesley and David. He had
two brothers, who came in about the same time, Adam and
Philip. Adam Main settled southeast of Sheffield on the farm
now occupied by Joseph Riciker. The Mains were of Dutch ex-

BREWIN CORNELL.

Native of Beverly. Served in Council seven years. Councillor

Ave years, Deputy-Reeve two years.

THE SHEFFIELD LETTER. 9

traction and came from the State of New Jersey. John A.
Cornell had two brothers, Joseph, who took a plot of about 500
acres and lived on what is known as the Heath farm. I believe
there are only two of his family still living, Mrs. David Main
and Samuel Cornell. About the same year another fau.ily by
the name of Babcock moved in and settled on the farm now
occupied by John Keachie, but after a short time sold out and
moved one mile west upon the farm of Mr. B. Hammill, where
for many >ears they kept an hotel, and many a weary traveller
after a hard day's march from the head of the lake, found rest
tor his feet in that rude but comfortable bush tavern. There
are none of that family in this section now except Mr. Charles
Babcock.

Mr. Aaron Cornell settled on the farm of Mr. Wm. Young,
better known as the Lloyd farm. He died about a year ago'
having outstripped all his competitors in the race of life, reach-
ing the age of ninety-two years. The Cornells came from the
State of New York, and were of Welsh extiaction. One Aaron
Brooks settled on Reuben Babcock's old farm. None of his
descendants are left here. Just north from this point t wo fam-
ilies of U. E. Loyalists settled on the Warnock farm, the Sipes
and McCartys. Just north of Sheffield, on what is known as
the Garroch fai'm, the Keachie family settled. Many of their
descendants remain throughout this section, where they are
known and respected. John Meriam, David Aldridge, Asa
Douglas and James Wedge, all of whom will be r-envembered
by the older residents, settled upon the farms now owne< [ by
Thomas McQueen, Samuel Grummet and Wm. P. Wedge. At
the place where Dr. Smit^ now resides, a man by the name of
Murdock lived and kept a little wayside inn. Just west of John
Kir kpatriiik's farm, a nran by the name of Wm. Bliss, who had
a relative of the same name, was the first chair-maker in this
section. Just one mile east of the village, in what is known as
"Romulus," Mr. Harry Lamb settled. He whs a man who
was known far and near, being a lai'ge land holder and stock
raiser, and if any of the new settlers wanted to purchase cattle
they could always get therw from Harry Lamb. He also built
a saw mill and supplied people with lumber, and some years
afterwards erected a grist mill. The farm now owned by Mrs.
Adam Moflfatt was taken rrp by Jonas Smith, and the More
family, who settled just south of Sheffield, I think, comprised

10 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

all the first permanent settlers in this part of Beverly, and in-
deed, most of the Township was settled at a later date.

How these few scattered families, shut up in an almost
unbroken forest, succeeded in mastering the difficulties and
surmounting the many obstacles that lay in their way, I suppose
will never be told. They are dead and the secret died with the
last one of them that ciossed the chilly waters. If they had
faults, why remember them ? If they made mistakes, why
repeat them ? No, let us rather extol their virtues, and as we
stand beside their graves and look at the great inheritance they
have left to their children and children's children and to the
stranger, let us say — " Peace to their ashes."

There was one remarkable feature about these people which
is worthy of imitation, and that is that although they were all
or mostly all Americans by birth and had lived in those trouble
some times previous to 1776, when the now United States had
got their independence from Great Britain, that they had lived
there for nearly thirty years to enjoy that boasted freedom,
that although they had lived to drink in that bitterness which
existed in the American mind against the old land for a quarter
of a century, when they came here they became perfectly loyal
and said — " We are going to make our home in this country
Its people and its Government use us well, and we will support
it." And some of them took sides with Britain in the war of
1812, and many helped to put down the Rebellion of 1837.

From 1810, the time when the first settlers came in, there
were very few who came to stay. For the next few years those
who came were simply goers and comers, and these people
devoted their energies to clearing th^ir land and raising some-
thing to feed their little families. In 1828 many of the children
had come to that age when they should be sent to school, and
those settlers, not unmindful of the duties they owed to their
children and to the community, nor ignorant of the advantages
of even the very limited education they were able to give to
their families, set to work to build a school house, and one was
put up en the corner where John Steel's blacksmith shop now
stands. We believe it was the second school house built in the
township, the first being near the riamboro' line, (many of its
pupils having occupied prominent positions, amongst whom is
Mr. Wm. C. Merriam, from whom much of my information
has been obtained), and for many years was known as the

THE SHEFFIELD LETTER. 11

•' Jones school house." The first teacher in the Sheffield school
was one Elias Smith, who boarded around in turn amongst the
settlers as part of his salary. In the same year, 1823, the
cemetery, now known as the " Sheffield Cemetery," was opened
up and a child of Phillip Main interred therein. Our informant,
who has now passed the winning post of three score and ten,
tells us how the men took the little coffin under their arms and
started through the bush to consign it to Mother Earth. The
next who was buried there was old Mr. Weaver, father of the
late Peter Weaver, whom we forgot to mention as one of the
first settlers. Thus was opened up a place which proved in the
end to be the last resting-place on earth of the men and women
and many of the children who first opened up this section of
country.

In 1832 quite an addition was made to the settlement by
the arrival of a number of families from England and Wales.
The Culham family, the old stock, are all dead, but many of the
younger members of the family still reside in this section.
They were Welsh, and so was Mr. Griffith Lloyd, who for many
years carried on wagon-making on a large scale. Mr. Lloyd
lives at Stratford now, and I think that he and John Ennis,
who came in about the same time, are the only ones living who
came into the township at that time. The other families who
settled about Sheffield at that period were the Grummets, the
Barlows, the Willards, the Eagles, John Wells and his brother,
James. These families all came from England and the older
members of them are all dead, but many of their descendants
are still living in the neighborhood. About the same time an
agitation was gotten up to try and get a postoffice, which they
secured through the influence of the late Mr. Shade, of Gait,
and Mr. John A. Cornell was the first postmaster.

In 18.34 the people began to feel the necessity for some place
of public worship, and the present U. B. Church was built in
that year. I believe that it is the first church which was built
in the township of Beverly. John A. Cornell was for many
years the minister. Ministers from other denominations fre-
quently preached in it, and before the English Chinch, east of
Sheffield, was built, the late Dr. Boomer, then of Gait, preached
in it somewhat regularly.

In 1835 or 1836 Warner Churchill built a store on the place
where Bond's store now stands, and ran it for a short time.

12 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

when he took in as a partner the late Samuel Congo. They did
(luite a trade during the time they kept the store, when they
sold out to Seth Holcomb, now of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
He enlarged the store and did a large business. He also dealt
in land and stock to a considerable extent. He took a leading
part in all the public affairs of the township and county and
was one of the township's first Reeves. When Sheffield first
got the postoffice, the mail came through from Hamilton on
horseback and afterwards by stage. Only one newspaper came
to the place at that time and that was taken by John A. Cornell
and known as the Hamilton Gazette. When it came the
neighbors used to go in to hear the news.

In 1850 Dr. Lundy came to Sheffield. When he first started
he boarded with Seth Holcomb, and then with Peter Middle-
miss, after which he purchased the place where Dr. Smith now
lives. I may have occasion to speak of him in some of ray
future letters.

The Stone Road was begun thr'ough Beverly in 1887, but
was not finished until some years later, and it was a great boon
to this part of the country, as the grain in those early days had
to be teamed through to Dundas.

As Sheflfteld now stands there is Bond & Bro. in the old
stand, Mr. C. W. Laing in a neat stone store on the north side
of the road, Mr. Laing also runs the cheese factory ; Chas.
Meyers, hotel keeper; John Steele, blacksmith ; Wm. Brogan,
wagon maker ; Mr-. McPhei'son, teacher ; Rev. Mr. Moat, pastor
of the U. B. Chuich, and Rev. Mr. Truax, pastor of the Meth-
odist Church ; Dr. Smith in Dr. Lundy's old stand. Jackson
More runs the mail between Sheffield and Dundas. We believe
that Mr. Charles Lamb, son of Harry Lamb, is the oldest native
of the place. He was born on the old farm in 1816,

We are now able to trace the settlement of the west part
of Beverly back beyond 1810, the period that I mentioned in nry
last letter, to the year 1800, when a man by the name of Linas
Peck settled one and a half miles south of Sheffield, on the farm
now owned by David Tansley, better known by the older resi-
dents as the Munson farm. This man, Peck, chopped about
ten acres, and the place was known for many years as the
" Peck" clearing. He left the place after other settlers began
to come in, no pei'son knew where he went. Philip Main,
father of George Main, of Gait, was the first man that owned

THE SHEFFIELD LETTER. la

a span of horse in this section, he was also the first who owned
a waggon, and his services were in great demand at funerals
for miles around. Philip Main always carried the corpse.
About the year 1S28 or '30 two other families moved into
Romulus, one mile east of Sheffield. Their names were, one
Wallace, and the other, Sutherland. Old Mr. Wallace started
a bakery along the road side and the Sutherlands ran what was
known as Lamb's Mills. Both families were well known in
Gait. Robert Wallace, of Hamilton, and George, of Biar.tford,
are of the Wallace family, and of the Sutherland family there
are John, of Hanover, and Mrs. Robert Wallace, of Hamilton.

Mr. Alonzo Bliss, whom I mentioned in my former letter
as the first chair-maker in this section, my informant wishes
me to state that he was a man who was held in high esteem
among the people on account of his piety ; that he and the late
and respected John Merriam organized the first Sabbath
School in Sheffield ; that he afterwards moved to Gait, and
thinks that he was the first chair-maker who started in Gait.
In 1884, the year of the great cholera epidemic, word came into
town that four men had taken that dread disease up on the
stone road, just east of the town, and were lying there, dead.
That the greatest excitement existed in the town need not be
told, and that Bliss, along with the late Mr. Soures, went up
and buried them, and when these men returned from their
loathsome mission, that they went down the street, singing a
hymn. Bliss took the cholera that night and died.

An anecdote or two in connection with the Sheffield school
and I will conclude my Sheffield sketch by inserting Mr.
Holcomb's letter. It is very interesting, as it deals with things
at a later date than I do. The school house on the corner was
built of logs ; the floor was about two feet from the ground.
When it got old the youngsters of that day had got a hole
worn and then tore through the floor in the north-west corner
of the building. When the teacher dismissed the school the
boys, instead of going out of the door, would jump into this
hole and then crawl out through the foundation, and, by way
of punishment for their misconduct, the Master would take his
taws, go out doors, and run these fellows undev the house and
up through the hole, and then march them out through the
door. Another party, who attended the Sheffield school, gives
me the following which is too good to keep :— There were no

14 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

set school books in thorfe days as now, but the children took
any hook that they happened to have, the New Testament
being the only general book in the school. Well, one day the
Testament class was called up to read, when one of the pupils
began to read the verse where the Jews were told that they
would strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. The fellow began
to spell his way through in this shape : — s-t-r-a-i-n-e-d (strained)
a-l (at) a g-n-a-t (gate) a-n-d (and) s-w-a-1-l-o-w-e-d a c-a-m-e-1
<saw-»nill), which made the passage read that they strained at
a gate and swallowed a saw-mill, much to the disgust of the
teacher, but it was fun for the school.

Below is the letter that I have received from Mr. Holcomb.
I give the whole, as he gives names and incidents that I
omitted giving :—

Mr. Holcomb's Letter.

Grand Rapids, Mich.,

July 10th, 1888.

In the issue of the Reporter of the 6th inst., I read with
much interest the excellent letter of John A. Cornell, wherein
he tells your readers much that must be new to some of them,
of the early settlement of the northern part of Beverly. As
succeeding letters will give the same information of those whose
names should be mentioned in a like connection with other
portions of the township, it seems to me that while the letters
are in type a fitting opportunity is afforded at little expense to
have them arranged in a convenient form for circulation and
preservation, as giving an early historyof the township. I
write this letter, however, partly to express for my father, Seth
Holcomb, and at his request, the satisfaction that Mr. Cornell's
letter gave him. To one of his age the circumstances of fifty
and less years ago would need to have been very unfortunate,
if a reminder of them were not pleasant, but beyond that the
reminder is the more welcome when the circumstances and
associations of those years were agreeable and the years them-
selves counted prosperous. My father's first visit to Beverly
was in July, 1836, when with another man, also on horse-back,
they went west from Hamilton through Dundas, etc., into
Beverly as far as the log tavern, about a mile west of Sheffield,
then kept by Wilder Babcock, where good entertainment was
had, although the sleeping room was reached by a primitive

THE SHEFFIELD LETTER. 15

stairway. A few years after he removed to Sheffield and com-
menced a little business in the very little two-roomed store
which Warner Churchill left vacant on his sudden change of
residence with his family to this State. The store was tnen
restored, and what it lacked in quantity and v^alue, was made
up in variety. There was not much the neighbors wanted
which the little store did not have somewhere about. The
butter and shingles, eggs and pork, beef, hides and oats, cattle
and horses, were bought or received in trade. As the business
grew and was successful. Bond's present store was built, and
there was for sale or exchange for the things just named, the
usual choice of a country store, from a grindstone to a trimmed
bonnet, from a rat trap to an overcoat, with the unusual choice
of horses, cattle and carriages, of various ages or value, from
somewhere about the store or farm, as the premises, purse or
prosperity of the purchaser warranted.

In the later years of father's business, about 1855-6, a store
was continued at Rockton, and Leonard H. Randall was aided
in a promising store at St. George, until he came here in 1857
or '58, where he afterwards became Mayor and had for many
years unusual and great prosperity as a merchant and a private
banker,which latter business in time merged into the strong
Fourth National Bank of Grand Rapids Mr. Randall is now
as genial and popular as he used to be in Beverly and St.
George, being comfortably situated in Chicago. At the late
Republican Convention in%that city a middle-aged man from
here came back, talking of Randall's enthusiasm and hospi-
tality, in the same way as William Snowball, Charles Coulters,
the Lawrason family, and the boys of St. George of thirty years
ago, will remember him. /

As a reminiscence I will recall to some old Beverly ac-
quaintances a homeless boy, named McGonegal, who was
working at Shannon's at Romulus, and came to live at our
house. He worked and went to school and Sunday school. He
left, and the next I heard of him was when he came to my office
in New York from New Orleans in 1864 or '65, accompanied
with wife, children and nurse, second floor front rooms at the
Metropolitan Hotel on Broadway, at a cost of $1^:0 to $200 per
week (war times), and at the same time was spending money as
I recollect in probably equal amounts not so reputably. I was
at the store in New Orleans in 186(i, of which he had control or

10 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

was owner. It was a very large, wholesale drug store. What
his relation with it was I do not well know, but his control was
apparent. He said he had " run " cotton through the Federal
lines and (luinine through the Confederal » lines and made
money during the war in connection with Gen. Butlei's brother,
George, and was worth $700,000. He entertained me nicely,
and as we drove with an attractive " turn-out " towards Lake
Pontchartrain, I contrasted the fatnous "shell" road with
" Beverly swamp " when he and I as boys took the butter, eggs
and hides weekly to Hamilton and brought home the usual
choice of a country store referred to, with one or more rejuven-
ated buggies or carriages from Williams & Cooper's factory,
Hamilton, hitched behind. And as he left me at the famous
St. Charles Hotel, I wondered how a boy, whose tather was a
stone breaker on the Beverly stone road, could be worth
$700,000, or a boy who had attended a Beverly Sunday School
could lie so wickedly. He died soon after of yellow fever. His
alleged friend, George Butler, was U. S. Consul to Cairo, Egypt,
married a well-known actress in whose society the founder of
a prominent New York paper is said to have died, and himself
has died in natural course of human events.

We are reminded by Mr. C.'s letter that father was compli-
mented by appointments as Magistrate, Postmaster, and in
other ways by the Government, — was a member of the old
District Council, meeting at Hamilton, representing the now
present counties of Wentworth, Halton, Brant and Waterloo,
— associated in Beverly township afrairs with Wm. Dickson,
(of Beverly), now deceased, and James McQueen, Malachia
Sager and George Jones, who are now living, — that afterwards
as Reeve for several years, he represented the township in the
County Council and as such had much to do with the building
of the Township Hall, —that he was connected with the form-
ation of the Agricultural Society, and was, I believe its first
President, — with the establishment of the Division Court at
Rockton, and with other advances in the township's history.

Mr. Cornell has probably delayed his mention of Beverly
swamp till his next. I would pass it lightly, as. would the foot_
man who tried to get over it. It commenced in its fullness
about two miles below Sheffield, nearMawhinney's, afterwards
McClure's, then corduroy and mud to near Barlow's ; stagg

THE SHEFB^IELD LETTER. 17

passengers walked over and through it, drivers swore about it,
and occasionally a hat floated on its miry surface, suggestive
of the man and horse beneath.

A little north was the hamlet called Rumolus, or Romulus.
It was t)ot much of a prohibition place, and perhaps the Hrst
was the best way to spell it, — but as a fellow who spelled his
name in the last way was supposed to have had something to
do with the founding of ancient Rome, the latter might have
been the correct way. It is proper, however, to note that the
Italian Rome was tounded some twenty-flve hundred years
before the Beverly Romulus and somewhat differed in location.
Still I am moved to the more glorious suggestion from the fact
that I once saw a plot of this expected city, from which radi-
ated somewhat diverging lines to Behring Straits, Australia,
Cape Cod, London, "Queen's Bush," Patagonia, " Little York,"
Mt. Vesuvious, and other notable points. Harry Lamb, sr.,
the founder was from Cornecticut. As Mr. C. saj's, Charles
Lamb only remains of the old family. The latter, pardoning
this personal reference, will not doubt my veracity, or recollec-
tion when I call to his mind the favorite expression on election
day that he voted on the " goose pasture," — and he did so vote
for men of less natural capacity than himself, for few were
blessed with greater. He will recollect the time when he,
holding the plough and I drivmg the oxen, in breaking ground
near the expected city, he gave me the distinctive differences
between Lord .lohn Russell and Sir Robert Peel, and that his
legs and my political lesson were marred by the half-broken
and rebovmding roots. The elder Mr. Lamb and his sons had
a saw mill and grist mill. The latter was burned while father
was the owner of the property by two young men whose
names will be recollected. But a better saw mill followed and
for a part of each year considerable work was done.

I do not wish to infringe on friend Cornell's writings, and
so pass old neighbors with a brevity, not otherwise justifiable,
and come west to the old school house on the corner at Shef-
field. It was of the block house shape, hewn logs, a door on
the corner, and small windows on three other sides ; a vener-
able stone in the middle ; a water pail and broom behind the
door ; a continuous desk about the sides, wherein were marked
initials suggestive of previous scholars, most of whom have
probably passed away. Solomon Shaver was then the master.^

18 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

He was as old as the surroundings. He punished consistently.
He twisted one leg about the other in a wonderful way. Being
a little blind, a hole in the floor was convenient to boys who
wanted to "go out"'. But he taught well with Cobb's Spelling
Book, Kirkham's Grammar, Dabold's Arithmetic, and Olney's
iieogiaphy. There were near the same period as teachers
Picton Brown, Edmund B. Wood, and later, Austin Smith.

It was a custom of the boys, more meritorious perhaps in
its breach than observance, to close the door on the "Master"
on the last day ot school. It was tried on "Master" Brown on
that day. The harricade was all ri^ht, but a rear attack from
the back windows was not expected. The boys saved an at-
tack on their respective flanks by executing a forward retreat
through the front door, where the right foot of "Master"
Brown waved as holding the tort. Mr. Wood was Provincial
Treasurer, and died as Chief Justice of Manitoba. Mr. Smith
became baliff at Hamilton. Some wanted a new school and
some did not. One night the ends of the logs in the old house
were torn out. and the top .settled down. A man whom I have
some reason to be acquainted with a good many years, told me
the other day that the boys did it. I think he knew better.
Well, it gave us a new school house, (not the present one).
There we had Sunday school and singing school, where Isaac
Bird taught at $1 a quarter. Spectators were not admitted.
He and his wile have lived many years at Adrian in this State.
There is a State reformatory institution there that I occasion-
ally visit officially. I called to see him about a year ago. I
told him that he taught me "do, ra," etc. It did not move
him. "Scotland is burning," etc., did not recall n)e. After we
had given our opinions about those Beverly folks that went to
Grand Rapids, I told him who I was, and then he wondered if
the rather heavy gray-haired man was little Johnnie Holcomb.

We had spelling matches inside the school house, and our
wrestlers settled the championship outside with Turnbull's
Corners and "all comers." The glory of a young athelete,
small in stature but great in prowess, living north of Sheffield,
was trailed in the dust, however, when attending a compli-
mentary "chivaree" just south of us. He was captured by a
sortie fi-om the house and was held a welcome but not thank-
ful guest till morning. We had debating societies, and when

THE SHEFFIELD LETTER. 10

Mr. McRoberts and I believe Peter Wood, of Troy, with their
followers met Sheffied eloquence, we had a good time.

Di . Lundy, as Mr. C. says*, came to Shefifleld about the time
to which I refer. He was agreeable, handsome, well learned in
his profession, and rode his gray n)are gracefully, and soon had
plenty to do. He boarded at our house, slept over the store,
worked hard p,nd poked fun at Randall's ihin legs and zebra
pants. There was a good deal of fever and ague about and the
doctor showed me how to make ague medicine. I did not
clc much about it except attend to the rain-water department,
but our success was most marked. Perhaps now I would be
r3liable in an ordinary ague case, and in other cases might fol-
low a course similar to that of the young physician who, if not
successful in certain complaints, threw his patients into fits, for,
as he said, he was shoel (new version) on tits.

But the years become modern. For the last time the four-
horse stage, nine inside, and top covered, leaves Hamilton,
with a stop at the old Half- Way House, another at Dundas, at
Flamboro', at "Barlow's," when, with a fresh four, we are
whirled onward to Wilder Babc;ock's, who neat, portly and
jolly, received his callers, whence the stage rolled on, the pas-
sengers warmer if the weather was cold, cooler it it was hot,
because of the entertainment, until it lands us at Chapman's or
Lowell's where the passengers say good-bye. And I end my
long story.

J. W. HOLCOMB.

MHWH

...^^il^i^fe.-^^

THE TROY LETTER.

As I have already stated, Sheffield was first settled in 1810.
In the same year, five miles south of the Sheffield settle-
ment, through an unbroken forest, where Troy is now
situated, another settlement sprang up. Thus we see how the
opinions of men ditt'er and what a variety of tastes the human
family have. One would naturally suppose that when a town-
ship that was nothing more nor less than a wilderness was
settled that people would huddle together ; that they would
push their conquest over the mighty forest from a common
centre, each new-comer going back further from that centre
until they had struck the boundary line of their municipality.
But Beverly appears to have had a number of centres from
which each little but plucky band of men and women started
out to lessen the great gap of dark and dismal woods that lay
between them, and to-day. As one rides over that once five
miles of logs, brush, trees and water as I did the other day and
sees from the beginning to the end one fine farm after another,
— when I saw those farms, well-fenced, and the fields covered
with waving grain ; the fine stock in the fields ; the fine build-
ings, to shelter both man and beast ; with wires strung along
the roads to convey man's thought^ to man, indeed everything
to make home, sweet home, I asked myself the question,
"Does man's ingenuity know any limit, or his pluck any
bounds ; can his energies be measured, or is he like the little
rivulet that flows on and on and on until its waters are lost in

THE TROY LETTER. 21

the mighty ocean. Look at what he has done and then ask
what he can do, and echo will answer " What ?" I said that I
am proud that I ann a Canadian ; I am proud that I belong to
a nation upon which the sun never ceases to shine ; that I be-
long to a nation whose home is the birth-place of liberty ; tl at
I belong to that part of the euipire which is the right arm of
that mighty nation ; but I am prouder still of the fact that I
am a descendant of those early pioneers of our country — me n
that labored all the day in clearing the land and providing a
home for the teeming thousands that would succeed them, and
then burnt the midnight oil in informing themselves and study-
ing up principles to inculcate into the young and rising gener-
ation and taught them to hand them down to the next and to
the next as long as time should roll.

But I must stop. These thoughts carry me away from my
subject. Troy, as I have said, lies about five miles south of
Sheflfield and was settled about the same year. The land about
Troy differs considerably from the land around Sheflfleld, it
being more rolling ; indeed, to the west and south of Troy I
might say hilly. In the year 1810 there were seven families
who moved into that section. The first was Hugh Mulholland,
who settled on the farni now occupied by his grandson Wel-
lington Mulholland. Just east of the village his son, Hugh, is
still living. Just east of the homestead, a little farther on,
George Mulholland lives, another grandson of Hugh's. He has
occupied the position of Reeve of the township. His farm was
taken up by one John Macllroy in 1883. His family has all dis-
appeared. The Mulhollands were Americans by birth and
came from the State of New Jersey. This family is aiid has
been highly respected in the neighborhood. On the north side
of what is known as the old Plank Road James Jones settled in
1817. The farm is still in the hands of the family. His son,
Andrew, is living upon it at the present time. Besides, there
are other members of the Jones family living in this vicinity.
Farther east from Troy John Clement settled. He came from
England and settled upon the farm he now resides on in 18.32.
He is now 84 years old and was a member of Beverly Council for
many years. Farther east yet Andrew Patrick settled at an
early date. I have not got the exact date of his settlement.
He is still aliv^e and part of his family are on the homestead.
EastyettheBoylefamilysettled. JosaphBoyleresidesin Dundas

22 THE PI0NEER8 OF BEVERLY.

at present ; but the most of the family live in the neighborhood,
where they were born. On the south side of the road David
Abel settled settled on the farm which is now occupied by
Walter Misener. Following up the south side of the road near
the villap^e, there was a lot of KK) acres of land with a saw mill
thereon. The land was owned by one Wm. Wedge, who built
the mill in 1810 and slashed down about 20 acres. In 1818 Adam
and Peter Misener came in and purchased the 40.) acres of land
and the saw-mill, paying the sum of $2,325, or a little less than
$0 per acre, mill and all. Petei' Misener is dead. His son, John,
is still on part of the old farm. Adam Misener is still alive,
hale and hearty, and UU years of age, which shows the reward
that people receive for abstaining from those vices that very
often make men old at 50. About the year 1828 Stephen Nisbet
settled on the farm now occupied by his son, Robert. Other
members of this family reside in the neighborhood.

In enquiring of the old man, Misener, for the facts of the
early settlement ot that section of country, I told him what I
wanted them for. He took a knowing look at my more youth-
ful appearance, as much as to say, " I wonder now if he can do
this thing as well as I could ? Can he tell the people of to-day
the hardships of those early years ? Can he make the people
understand when he describes the old log-house, with the
chimney stuck in one end and kitchen, parlor and bed-rooms
all in one room ; with an old rung ladder to get up and down
the stairs with ; will he stop the funeral procession and tell
them how we took our loved ones to the grav^e in lumber
wagons, around stumps and over corduroy bridges, or would
they stop as they roll along in their carriages to listen to his
story?" I said "Yes, old man. I want to hear your story.
I want to write a book, so that not only the people of to-day
shall know of your valor, of the great battles that you won, but
that your names shall be handed down to posterity and people
yet unborn shall know of your good deeds."

Peter Misener was the first man that got a stove
in the neighborhood. It was qurte a sight and the
folks thought he was getting proud. They showed it to
an Irishman, who declared that Peter Misener had got
the divil in his house, and he had run his tail up
through the roof. The Coleman family came in in 1812.
There were two brothers, John and William. John settled on

THE TROY LETTER. 23

the farm now owned by Walter Misener, wlilth runs down
to the 3id Concession, taking in what is now part of Troy.
Mrs. S. B. Lawrason, of St. George, is onR of the family. Wil-
liam settled just to the north of John. There are none of his
family here that I know of. Of the female part of the Cole-
man family there are Mrs. Adam Misener, of Troy, and Mrs.
Nelson Vrooman, of Harrisburg. still living. Mr. Conrad
Misener came m at a later date, I think in IKSS. Of his family,
one is on the old farm, east of the village ; Walter lives close
by, and one of them is a minister in the Methodist Church,
and another, Sidney, is a merchant in the village.

Then the land north of this point, between what is now
Troy and what was known as the Cornell settlement at that
time, was taken up at a later date by John Humphrey, John
Lee, one Burkholder, and a man by the name of Howell, who
got into some trouble about wheat in Dundas and was forced
to leave. The farm now owned by John Gamble was taken up
by a man by the name of Showers, and one McCormack was
on the same place. These families have all disappeared.

The school house was built first in 1824 on the side-road just
north of the village and was the third school house in the town-
ship, and a Mrs. Cline, grandmother ot Mr. Wm. Rosebrugh,
late ot Branchton, now of North Carolina, was the fir.«t teacher,
and James Deary was the second. Thus we see that the people
took an mterest in the education of their growing families at a
very early date ; indeed, as soon as possible after their settle-
ment they turned their attention in this direction.

In 1850 an agitation was got up to form a company and
build a good road for a thoroughfare through that part of the
township. After the forming of the company they decided to
make the road of plank. The completion of this road gave
that part of Beverly quite a boom. Adam Misener was the
secretary and treasurer of the company, and measured all the
lumber. The late Andrew Moscrip, of near Gait, had the con-
tract and pulled all the stumps on the road previous to this.
The people of that section had to go clear to Dundas for their
mail matter, what little they received ; but an agitation was
got up to get a post office for the place and call it Troy. They
succeeded, and the laie Alexander McRoberts was the first
postmaster. Jonathan Palmer was the first blacksmith that
started in the place long before Troy was Troy, and he being a

THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

good vvorkraeii, people came from a long distance to get their
work done. Mr. Palmer lives at Branchton now, an old and
respected resident. Mr. iSamuel Neff, still living, was the hrst
storekeeper in Troy. He was succeeded by the late Bi ice Mc-
Roberts, who took as partner his nephew, Alexander Mc-
Roberts, now of Toronto. They also dealt considerably in
lumber. The business afterwards passed into the hands of
Alexander McRoberts, who carried it on successfully for many
years. He is a man that is well known, and through his own
pluck, energy and ability has gained a Provincial reputation
and acquired a competency at an early day, and has gone to
spend the remainder of his days in the Ontario capital.

Later on there was a grist mill erected, which passed
through the hands of a number of people, noticeably Joseph
Stenabaugh, who, I think, is no longer living; Peter Wood,
now of Brantford, and others, but was burnt down a few years
ago, and nev^er re-built, as it proved in some way not to be a
paying investment, St. George, a few miles to the west, with
its fine water-power, being a too heavy competitor. Troy, like
many other villages which got their growth at their birth, was
unfortunate in losing many of its ener'getic citizens, and with
the exception of a few fine farm houses, has not made much
improvement for quite a number of years. The Episcopal
Methodists built a church about a mile east of Troy. I could
not find out the exact date when it was built, but think it was
somewhere late in the thirtie?. They also purchased a piece of
gcound for a cemetery, of which Malachi Sager, Adam Misener
and Heniy Mow were the first Trustees, and the first person
interred in this ground was a child of Rev. Benj. Lawrence.
The first minister that was sent to Troy was Rev. Mr. Stoney,
and bcifore the church w^as erected he used to preach in Mr.
Hugh MuIhcW land's house.

The business men of Troy, as it now stands, are:— Mr.Geo.
Claik, merchant and postmaster; Mr. Sidtiey Misener, mer-
chant in the l)rick store that Mr. McRoberts built ; anda couple
of blacksmiths, whose names I did not get. A few years ago
they tore down the old church and built a fine and commodious
brick church. Tue present minister is the Rev. Mr. Laird
The present school teacher is Mr. Wm. Hay, who has been as-
sisted for the past few years by Miss Mary Babcock.

'^\

JOHN CLEMENT.
Born in the pariah of Langtree, in Devonshire, England, 1804. Camo to
Canada in ia32. Came to Beverly in 1835. First settled on south-
east quarter of Lot 17, Concession 2. Moved into the place now
owned by him, in the fall of 1838. Was fifteen years in the Council.
Seven years Reeve, four years Deputy-Reeve, an ^ four years a
Councillor.

I ;

, 1

THE TROY LETTER 25

With the tide of emigration we move westward to the
farm now occupied by Mr. Malachi Sager, jr., which was set-
tled in 1826 by his father, Mr. Malachi Sager, si-., who is still
living and is now in the 92nd yea»' of his age, and in my inter-
view with him the othei day I found his intellect quite clear,
and although memory is one of the first faculties affected by
age and dimn)ed by years, his is still retentive and it was a
surprise to me to hear him recall with accuracy the events of
those earlier days, as well as those of later years. He was
born in the State of New York and is of German extraction.
The old man boasts of his loyalty and says that his grandfather
helped to take Quebec under Wolfe. He gave me the number
of houses (and I suppose they wouldn't be called houses now)
that stood between Flaniboro' and St. George, and to show
the change that so few years have brought about ; that
road that is now so spotted and in many places presents the
appearance of a village, at that time only contained thirteen
houses. He rehearsed many of those bitter scenes of 1837 and
told of the soldiers breakfasting in his garden.

Just east of the Sager homestead, on the farm now occu-
pied by Louis Wood, a man by the name of Munn settled.
They left many years ago and nothing is known of them since.
Further east the faim now occupied by John Bleasdell was
taken up by his father, Jonathan Bleasdell. Crossing the road
to the south, some years later a Mr. Acre settled on the Iron-
side farm. Westward, the farm now owned by William Robb
was settled by William Rolston. Some of this family still re-
side in this section. On this farm was the first orchard that
was known in this section. 1 was shown an apple tree that
had a ciicumfeience of eight feet eleven inches. Old Mr.
Sager, in pointing to the tree that 62 years ago, when he came
to that section, Mrs. Rolston gave him a pail of applet which
she had picked from that tree, which, strange to say, is loaded
this year as well as any other tree in the orchatd, and T thought
as the old gentleman was relating the incident, that it must be
pleasant in looking back over the long and eventful life, for-
getting the ups and downs, to recall those little acts of kind-
ness that helped to make the life of even a pioneer pleasant.

Between the old Sager homestead and the Governor's Road,
leaving the place where Harrisburg now stands a little to the
west, in 1826 there were just three families settled. These were

'1: ■

m '

§ i

26 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Barney Markle, who was widely known through that section
for many years as one of the first ministers who used to preach
in the old Troy church. Just here I will relate an incident of
my own recollection. When a little boy I attended a funeral
in the old church, at which Barney Markle preached the ser-
mon, and when he addressed the mourners he asked them to
stand up. Another family was that of Andrew Oweman, and
the third, Wm. Shaver, had built a saw-mill previous to 1826,
but it never ran after that date. To the north of the 3rd Con-
cession, on the Gore, the Wait family settled. They came in
about the year 1822 or '2:3. The land from the 3rd to the 5th
Concessions, on the west side of the road, now known as the
Town Line, which is now owned by Jas. Sager and others, was
bought by Samuel Smith, Jeremiah Wait and Harvey Wait,
from William Chisholm, father of D. B. Chisholm, late ot
Hamilton. The land lying on the east side was gradually set-
tled, the Huntley place being settled by Zachariah Odell, and
the farms now owned by John E. Sager and Walter Henderson
by the Beemer family.

Another family of considerable note moved in at an early
date. [ refer to the Cooley family. There were two brothers.
Preserved and Andrew. Andrew died a year or two ago, but
Preserved Cooley is still living and has occupied many promin-
ent positions, and was appointed a J. P. a number of years ago.
He married one of Mr. B. Beemer's daughters. Another old
family, in this section on the 5th Concession, was Wm. Smith.
He has been dead for many years, and his son, David, is on the
old homestead. The north half of Lot 9, in the 4th Concession,
was taken up' by Joseph Cornell, about the year 1826. Lot 10
was settled by the Meriam family. Joseph Cornell also took
up the place now owned bj'^ Albert Heath and Silas Cornell.
Another old family in the Troy section was the Bennet's, they
lived near the village. But there is scarcely any of them left,
they are either dead or have moved away from the place.

'^^iV^i

THE KIRKWALL LETTER.

IN ray last letter I made Shefifleld ray starting point and
went south five railes to Troy. I now start from the same
point and go north-east about the same distance, when I
reach the village of Kirkwall, and your readers will recollect
that I stated that the first settlers of Sheffield and Troy were
all, or mostly all, Americans hy birth, and that it was not until
later on that other nationalities began to ccme in, if you could
call the Americans a nation at that early period.

But at Kirkwall we meet with a very different class of people
altogether. A very large percentage of the pioneers of the
Kirkwall section came from Scotland, men and women who
had left the land of the thistle for the purpose of hewing out a
home for themselves and little families beyond the sea. And
if pluck and energy was needed by those early settlers who
came from the State of New York and other States to leave
their homes and go into the hackwoods of Canada, how much
more pluck and energy did it require for those who knew noth-
ing at all of pioneer life, nor even the work that had to be per-
formed ; a people who had lived in an old country, — a conntrv
that had been settled for centuries ; indeed a country where
the room for the last man, woman and child seemed to be taken
up. Then another thing strikes the traveller most forcibly as
he winds his way through that section, over rocks and through
swamps and marshes, which that hardy class settled in the

■i
! •

: I
;1

■I

:!;ifi! ^

m :

28 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

very worst part of the Township of Beverly. In enquiring of
Wallace McDonald, Esq., who was riding through that sec-
tion with me, how, on such land, the people of that pflrt
had done so well ; most of them comfortable, some of
them wealthy, he said that they were good farmers and good
managers, that although the land was poor, thev had been
brought up in a country where everything that was iri the land
was taken out to the very best advantage and that they had
put that knowledge which they brought with them to a practi-
cal test ; and I could not help thinking of the Sf otchman's
reply to Dr. Johnston on the definition of oatmeal, which the
doctor said was food for English horses and Scotchmen, Scotty
replied that England raised good horses and Scotland good
men. I repeat that if ever this was true, it was true of these
men, for you could see in passing through fiom the general
appearance of the farms, the stock, and the buildings, that
every advantage that could be got was taken, and, indeed, they
appeared to be doing well where we could see no advantage
that could be got. However, we arrived at Kirkwall, where
we found our old friend, Willie Dixon, who said that he would
give us all the information he could, and we proceeded to the
cemetery, and as I stood in the " city of the dead " and saw the
ground so spotted with tombstones I thought that we do not
need a page like the " Monarch of the East " to rennnd us that
we are mortal. There a father, here a mother: there a hus-
band, here a wife ; there a brother, here a sister. There they
lay, from the man that has seen his four score years, down to
the babe that could scarcely lisp its mother's name, and 1
thought what a sad, sad tale these stones tell. Our attention
was particularly taken up with the tomb of an old soldier who
haa fought under Graham in Spain. He had passed through
the last conflict. He had answered the last roll-call, not on the
bloody fields of Spain, but away from the scenes of his former
conflict in the backwoods of Beverly ; not under Graham,
but under a commander that never lost a battle. The name on
the tombstone was Wm. Wight, and on the back of the stone
were four verses cut out, and I was informed that they were
composed by his son, James Wight. Thev are good and I will
just give them here, but flrst let me say that I did not find out
what year the cemetery was laid out ; but the first one interred

THE KIRKWALL LETTER. 29

was a child of Mr. Mitchell in 1889, just six years after the first
settlement of the place, Kirkwall being settled first about 1832.
The following are the lines on the stone : —

" I fought with Graham in fort and field,
Beneath the burning sun of Spain ;
I stood unhurt 'mong heaps of dead,
Upon Barrossa's bloody plain.

Well may Britain proudly boast,
Of many fields her sons have won ;
Though they lie mouldering in the dust,
In every clime beneath the sim.

Ye storms of time, roll on, roll on,
Dawn, dawn ye days of peace and love ;
When Zion's songs from every throne.
Shall sound like anthenis from above.

. / Once more I'll hear the trumpet sound,

To burst the chains that hold us here ;
Not Albuera's thundering sound,
But Christ, our Saviour, in the air."

Kirkwall was first known as "Little Scotland," and was first
settled in 1832 by Robert Dickson and his family, and Thomas
Watson. Their families still occupy the old homesteads.
Jacob McCarty (later of Gait) about the same time took up the
farm now occupied by P. McBain. McCarty sold shortly after
settling on it to the Buchanan family. This family consisted
of the old man and his wife, four sons and one daughter. The
parents were well advanced in years when they settled there,
and soon passed away. The sister married about the begin-
ning of 1837 one McTavish, of Nassagaweya. The sons were
Hugh, Dimcan, Donald and Dugald. Hugh and Duncan died
after being there a number of years, and the place was sold to
McBain. Another sister, with her husband, Dunc>^n McColl,
settled on the farm now occupied by John Gilbert, jr, Mrs.
McColl died a few years after settling and left one daughter,
who soon after married, and then the old man sold out to John
Gilbert, sr. Robert Parker was also one of the first settlers on

80 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

the farm now occupied by his son, Joseph. James McQueen
and Alexander Innes settled on the farm now occupied by Mr.
McQueen, in 18313, McQueen on the west half, Innes on the east
half. A few years after Innes sold out to McQueen and pur-
chased the place now occupied by Mr. Benjamin Dickson from
one Thomas Wallace. Mr. Innes was Collector of Taxes for
the Township of Beverly from 1842 to 1849, both years included.
He then sold out to Dickson and moved to the County of
Bruce, and died a few years ago. James Stewart settled on
the farm (lot 18) now owned by John Whetham, and about
1833 or '.34 sold to John Fairgrieve, sr. and jr., (the father and
grandfather of John B. Fairgrieve and Hugh Fairgrieve, now
of Hamilton), who lived there for several years and then sold
to one Robert Purvis, who in turn sold to Whetham. There
was another son, Hugh Fairgrieve, who lived on the farm with
his father and brother, and who ntarned a Miss Mary Ann
Roberts, of a neighboring family, who are yet alive and on a
farm up Mill Creek, not far from Gait. John Frier, sr., settled
about 1833 on the farm west of Whetham's, and his son, John,
still occupies it and also 50 acres on the concession south of
where he lives. John Menzies, sr., in 1836 bought out one Mar-
latt, and still remains on the same place with his family, (the
old man is and has been for some time quite poorly in health).
One James Kerr took up the lot west of Menzies' farm and
sold to Mr. Roberts, who came out at the same time as the
Fairgrieves. Roberts had quite a large family of sons and
daughters. Roberts died soon after coming out, and his widow
kept a sort of store and supplied the early settlers with many
articles which in those days could not be got short of Gait or
Dundas. The farm next west, part of Lots 12 and 13, was first
settled by one Alex. McKerlie, who sold in 1837 to George
Carter, who occupied it until he died in 1880, and the farm is
now occupied by William Middlemiss. The farm now owned
by Edward Johnson was first taken up by a Robert Riddell
about 1832, the father of what is now Known as "Chief Rid-
dell," of near Rockton. He sold to the Johnsons. Robert
occupied the north half and John the south half. John sold
out and moved on to the farm now occupied by his son,
Andrew, which farm he purchased from Adam Ker (an ex-
Mayor of Gait). George Allan settled in 1837 on the farm
now owned by John Jamieson (south part Lot 21, Concession

mil. I

THE KIRKWALL LETTER. 31

7) He was an old man when he came to the country, and
after a few years sold to Jamieson. James Pt«»wart, when iic
sold out to the Fairgrieves, took up the farm now occupied by
his son, Archibald, about one mile east from Kirkwall. Robert
Riddel, known as " Kirkwall Robert," was a son-in-law of
Robert Dickson and came to this country with the Dickson
family. He first took up the west 50 acres of the Whetham
farm, and he sold the same to the Fairgrieves when they came
out. Robert worked a few years for Mr. and Mrs. Roberts and
then took up the farm now occupied by his family at Kirkwall.
George Jamieson and Thomas Jamieson settled on the farms
now occupied by their families about one and a quarter miles
west of Kirkwall. They married about 1837, daughters of
Robert Dickson. George, Thomas and George's wife have
passed away to the Land of the Leal, but Mrs. Thos. Jamieson
is still alive, and with her son, Robert, on the old homestead.
The two Jamieson families, the Riddel family, and the Dick-
son's form a very important portion of the population around
Kirkwall.

The side-road south and north from Kirkwall was not
opened for several years after the first settlement. The main
roAds south were the old Guelph Road, as it was called. When
going east and south, and in going west to Gait they took the
8th Concession, west, to what is now Harvie's ; then took the
road leading to John Scott's place ; and then west to Corrie's,
Alex. Markle's place, Mr. Hill's, Gibson's, Hendrie's, Mulhol-
land's and Warnock's ; then touching the 8th Concession again
and striking the Stone Road at Fraser's, at the Dumfries Line.
And when going to Lamb's Mill they went west from the old
church to the west side of Lot 16, then south along the west
side of the Menzie farm to the 7th Concession ; then south
through what is now Mr. Blake's place and Clelemas, and
struck the Stone Road near where McClure now keeps the Toll-
gate.

The old log Church was built in or about 1835 or 1836, and
on the site now occupied by the shop of Walter Tait. The Rev.
Thomas Christe organized the first congregation and held ser-
vice there once in three weeks. The first lay out of the church
ground was one acre square on the north-east corner of Dick-
son's farm. The first burial therein was in Sepetember, 1837, —

THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

iljij ;

f'lii '

Ii'f-:

Wl'm

ij !

tin

iviil!

It
I' I

a child of Jarues Mitchell's. It was inter od in the south-east
corner of t he church ajiound, and was r^ moved to another part
of the ground when the stone church wae erected in 1847. The
second burial was in 1844, it being the wife of Win. Riddle, sr.,
and giandtnother of Win Riddle, now of south part of Lot 5,
Cone. 9. The old Church, in its original state, if it could be seen
by I he present congregation, would be amusing and a surprise
to many of the younger portion. A short description may be
interesting : — The door was in the east end ; from the door an
aisle ran through to the west end. The Minister sat on a rough
pine plank, with his back t j the west wall. In fiont of him
was a desk or place for the Bible to rest upon. It was made of
a piece of maple split out of a lo/]^, then hewn with an axe, and
then planed smooth. It was elevated in front a little and was
supported by four holes being bored in the bottom, int(^ which
were driven four long logs like the legs of a herm. On each
side of the Minister was a table made of a pine board, smoothed
off, and running to the wall north and south; these tables were
used at Sacraments. There was a row of seats on each side of
the aisle. Each seat was simply a rough pine plank, with a
block of wood under tbe ends next the logs or side of the build-
ing. The plank rested on top of the block. The end near the
aiole was supported by an iron-wood pole running along each
side of the aisle, with holes bored in the under side and legs
put in, and forming a trestle for the ends of the planks
used as seats, and male or female who went into one of
the seats had to step over the trestle, about sixteen inches
high, and then take a seat on a tough pine plank and sit there
without any back to lean against, unless they got next to the
wall, when they had the logs for a back, and there sit and
listen to two long sermons, one after another, each sermon
half as long again as any common sermon we hear now. Con-
trast these times with the present, and the fine, substantial and
commodious stone church now used, with the fine, open pews,
with cushioned seats and backs, with every modern improve-
ment of the age (except th' kist of whistles), and when we com-
pare the early settlements with the present time, the present
generation may well feel proud of the push, tact and principle
of their primitive fathers. (I forgot to mention that the stove
first in use in the old church was a sheet-iron one, about 18 or
20 inches in length, and otherwise in proportion, and anything

t!il|

THE KIRKWALL LETTER. 88

but sufficient to keep the house warm or comfortable). Mr.
Christie continued to preach only a few years after the old
church was fitted up, and Rev. James Roy, of St. George, suc-
ceeded him until about 1847. Rev. Mr. Porteous was stationed
at Kirkwall about the end of 1847, and the new church was
built in 1848.

In the fall of 1840 Lemuel Tait purchased the plot now oc-
cupied by Mr. Christie, and built a house,— the west part of
the present structure, — and also a blacksniith shop, where
Christie's barn now stands. He carried on his trade as black-
smith for several years, and then Mr. John Galbraith succeeded
him.

Early in the fitties, Malcom Campbell got the place at the
corner and started a store and did well, and shortly after the
postoffice was started, first twice a week, then thrice a week, then
a daily mail. Mr. Campbell sold out to Wm. McMillan about
the beginning of 1858 and went to Lucknow, where he still is
in business. McMillan ran the store business until about eight
or nine years ago, when he sold out to the present occupant,
Geo. Christie. Shortly after Mr. (Campbell started business,
the building now standing east of the store was put up and a
tavern opened, but it could not be made to pay and had to
close up as a tavern or hotel. About the same time the store
on the north-west corner of Mr. McQueen's farm was put up by
Donald Martin, Mr. McQueen's son-in-law ; and Mr. Martin
carried on the business of store-keeping for several years and
did quite a successful business.

The common school was opened about 1R42. Mr. John
Harkness was the first, or about the first teacher. The old
church was from that time until the new church was built
used as a school house and church. The new school house was
built in or about the year 1861. Robert McQueen has been the
teacher for many years.

I send you a letter from Mrs. Adam Robertson, who is a
daughter of old Mr. Wallace, and sister of Robert Wallace, of
Hamilton, to take extracts from :

M THE PIONEERS OP BEVERLY.

■ A Lady Gives Some Reminiscences.

., [ Ferndell," Guelph,

■ July 18, 1888.

Mr. Cornell,

Dear Sir, — Beverly being my first home in this new

country, I was much pleased to read your reminiscences of the

{ Beverly Pioneers. It is many years since I left there, but

i there were incidents connected with that early time that are

i photographed on my memory, which time cannot efface. The

names you gave are quite familiar to me, and I occasionally
pay a visit to Mrs. David Main 7iec Polly Cornell. At your
request I will try to add a little to your manuscript, but you
will please excuse all mistakes, as I belong to the old school
and am unaccustomed to newspaper writing. The first family
' I shall mention is Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wallace, with four sons

and three daughters. They came from Scotland in the year
1834 and settled in Beverly in the fall of that year. He bought
100 acres of land, partly cleared, from Harry Lamb. Before he
could give him a deed Mr. W. had to advance money to the
same H. L. to get up his own deed from the Canada Company.
j, I (I mention this to show the scarcity of money.) Mr. W. also

'Pljiii bought a village lot from him in Romulus, built a house, and

kept a grocery store for some years there. The heads of the
family have long been gathered to their fathers, also two sons
and a daughter.

Romulus was laid out by old Mayor Lamb. He calculated
I on it rising to a great city like the one he named it after, but

il alas ! the name was too aristocratic for a new country, and it

died a natural death. I only know of another lot being bought
there, by Mr. Adam Robertson, a young Scotchman who ar-
rived later on the same fall. He was a millwright and put up
old Mr. Joseph Cornell's sawmill at the homestead. Money
was not very plentiful amongst the old settlers in those days,
so he bargained with him for 100 acres of land, paying Mr.
Cornell the balance in money. He was the other one who
bought a lot in Romulus. About two miles back from the
main road was a place called "Little Scotland," where some
five Scotch families lived. One was Mr. Roberts. He brought
with him a well filled purse of yellow Geordies. Mrs. Roberts
11 was of a very lively, cheerful disposition. With her winsome

daughters many a pleasant gathering was held at her house on

m\ ^

THE KIRKWALL LETTER. Sft

a winter's evening. I think the best sleigh ride I ever had was
behind a yoke of young oxen. Butt'alo robes were a scarce
article in those days, but the deficiences were made up with a
plentiful supply of straw. Scotch plaids, and an occasional
quilt or two, and leal hearts kept Jack Frost at a distance. It
was to Mrs. Roberts' we were going, and a most enjoyable
time was ispent. When leaving about the "wee short hours,"
a dance was proposed in the kitchen, the orchestra being com-
posed of poker and tongs, tin covers and vocal music. And
when the "mirth got fast and furious," the fiddler on the
poker and tongs, Mr. John Johnston, can>e in too close contact
with the dancers and poked a hole in one of the guest's ears. I
hope you do not for one moment imagine that there was any
other influence there but mirth and good friendship. And on
our departure each one was provided with a hickory torch to
light us through the bush.

Another highly esteemed family lived near by, Mr. John
Fairgrieve, and his kind, amiable partner and family, also Mr.
John Fairgrieve, ji., and his family lived there. He built a
new log house, and the neighbors all around were invited on a
New Year's Eve to the house warming, and a very genial host
he made. The house was divided by a temporary partition of
unseasoned boards. After we had done justice to a good, sub-
stantial supper, the dishes were removed to behind the par-
tition to make room for a dance. No pianos in those days, our
music was vocal. Mr. Fairgrieve, sr,, was a splendid whistler.
Mr. Adam Robertson sang a good song; and I have no doubt
some of the old settlers will remember a favorite song amongst
them that he sang, "When Charlie first came from the North."
When all were tripping the light fantastic toe, down came the
partition and broke most of the dishes. In those primitive
days, when there was a party or a bee, all the neighbors'
dishes were borrowed for the occasion. However, the break-
ing of the dishes did not mar the enjoyment of the evening.
Two of the company composed a piece of poetry on the gather-
ing. I will quote a verse :

"On the first of the year,

We all did appear,
At the graceful board of young Johnnie ;

l^'ome met his lass, others took their glass,
But the most o' us met with our cronies."

36 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

It is both pleasant and sad to recall those early days, as so

many have passed away to the land of the leal. But " there are

i^till some few remaining who remind us of the past," and I

hope they will give us a few sketches of their young days in

t'll^i the Beverly bush.

After giving you the balance of what might properly
be called the Kirkwall letter, I shall add to it another im-
portant sketch in the history of Beverly, the people on the
other side of the big swamp, on the 9th Con,, better known
now as the Valens Settlement. But there are a few things
about Kirkwall that I wish to notice befoce crossing over into
the Valens section, among which are the first church session
in 1836, the number of members then and now, the present
session, the number and names of the different ministers since
1847, the time when the Rev. John Porteous took charge of the
church. In going through that section I would just say here,
before going any farther, that I called on James McQueen, sr.,
and would have liked to have seen him, but he was out at the
time. He is 82 years of age, and one of the oldest settlers, if
not the oldest, in that section, and for many years has been
one of the leaders of public thought and has occupied many
public positions in the township. The same may be said ot
his son, Thomas, and another son, James, is Postmaster of
Dundas. But as I intend to take up the nnmicipal record of
the township of Beverly later on, I shall pass on for the present
to note the growth of the church at Kirkwall. During the
lapse of over half a century and while the years have brought
with them a great change, it would be well for the people of
to-day, with all their advantages, to ask themselves the ques-
tion, " Are we doing all we can, as did those early veterans
who worked so hard to sustain a place of worship in the back-
woods of Canada, wherein they might worship the God of their
fathers, that aniotig all their hardships they attended to these
things among the first."

Rev. Mr. Porteous was succeeded in the pastorate of the
congregation by Rev. Isaac Canipbell in June, 1870, whose
resignation was accepted on Noyember 1st, 1870, and the Rev.
Robert Thynne was inducted as his successor on May 1st, 1877.
Mr. Thynne tendered his resignation in April, 1882, and on
October 3, 1882, the present pastor, the Rev. Samuel Carruthers,.

THE KIRKWALL LETTER. 37

Avas ordained and inducted into the pastoral charge of the con-
gregation. The first elders of the congregation were, Andrew
McKnjght, Thomas Watson and Walter Robinson. The mem-
bers of the present session are, Robert McQueen, Andrew
McKnight, Alexander Mitchel, Robert Garroch, C W. Laing,
John McPhail, William Riddle and William Stewart. The
first named was ordained in January, 1857; McKnight and
Mitchell in 1877 ; Garrock, McPhail and Laing in 1882 ; Stewart
and Riddle the present year, 1888. The number of members
on the roll in 18.S6 was 40. The names were (that is the heads
of houses), Messrs. John McNab, Adam Thomson, James
Stewart, Mr. Roberts, Thomas Jamieson, Robert Dickson,
Thomas Watson, John Fairgrieve, sr., John Fairgrieve, jr.,
David Martin, John Cowie, Robert Riddle, William Riddle,
Alexander Innes, James Mitchel, John Frier, Robert Wallace,
sr., Hugh Fairgrieve, William Gartner, Robert Valens, Andrew
McKnight and James McQueen. There are a number of others
whose names appejir in 1837, but the foregoing are the names
of the heads of houses on the Roll for 1886, The number of
members at present is about 170, Mr. James McQueen has
filled the office of Treasurer from 18.36 to the present time.

As I stated before, the roads then in those early days were
very few, and the church was nearly surrounded by bush.
Then it was not as it is now, people rolling into the church yard
in their carriages, but the people all came on foot, and then
you never could see them until they came right near. My in-
formant tells me how they would come suddenly out of the
wooded roads from all directions. He also tells me how the
women used to do, how they would start awav from home
bare-footed, with their shoes on their arm, and just before they
came to the church they would sit down and put their shoes
on. After chvirch was concluded they would go to the place
where they put them on and take them off again and trip off
home bare-footed. This may appear very strange to the ladies
of to-day. Oh ! now, don't take on airs and turn up your noses,
but let me whisper in your oar that these women were your
mothers and grandmothers ; these were the women who left
the scenes of their youth and homes beyond the sea and fol-
lowed the fortunes of your fathers and your grandfathers away
to the wild west ; and to-day, as you roll along in your car-
riages and sit in your ctishioned pews, you are getting the

88 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

benefit of those years of toil and hardships in the early days of
our township. Do not V)e ashamed of them ; many of them
have taken the ship again ; they have taken their passage to
that " bourne from whence no traveller ever returns " ; the few
that are left, be kind to them, for posterity will write this
epitaph on thei' ^mbstones — '* They were the true nobility of
this country."

Mr. John Malcolm settled on a farm just to the east of where
Thos. McQueen now lives, on the 7th con. His son, John, is at
present in business in Gait, I do not know where the other
members of the family live. The old man had a seat in the
Beverly Council for some years, I do not know the date of his
settlement, but it was early. A story is told of those early
settlers wandering through the Beverly bush which is worth
repeating, as it goes to show the great difference between the
country they came from and the country they came to, and how
soon they adapted themselves to the usages of a new country
and put their shoulders to the wheel and helped to make out of
a howling wilderness the country you see to-day. A party of
men with their families came up through Beverly swamp in
1832, and after travelling for some days without seeing a place
where they could even stop over night, at last got discouraged,
and one Saturday night as they all sp.,c around the camp fire,
a proposition was made to go back to Scotland. "Let us all
turn around and go right away back home," said some. How-
ever, they all laid down to rest. The next morning, about sun-
rise, when everything was clear and still, one of the men
wandered away from the camp, and hearing some bells upon
the cattle which were wandering around through the bush, he
ran back to the camp and said, "Get up, we are all right. Get
up, we are near a town, I hear the kirk bells ringing."

As 1 have already stated, Wallace McDonald, Esquire,
went through that section with me, and it was from him that
I got the most of my information regarding the early settle
ment of that part of the township, he having spent his younger
days in that section. It was not only a pleasant trip, but it
was very interestmg to hear and see him go over the scenes of
his youth. I became very much interested in seeing how
these old men, after an absence of over thirty years, could
trace the old roads that they used to travel by trees and stumps
and stones, although the sound of the reaper can be heard

THE KIRKWALL LETTER. 3»

fifoing over many parts of them to-day ; telling? how they used
to twist around with their ox team through the bush, taking
their grain all the way to Dundas ; and how about the first of
August they would draw in a little wheat, thresh it out with a
flail, and then take it on an old sled with their oxen over to
Romulus to Lamb's mill; how the oxen would tire out and
they would stay in the bush and rest : to see how lightly he
would step on some of the old corduroy that still remains,
which he helped to put there over forty years ago. Tapping
me upon the shoulder, he said, "John, I am eighteen years old
again to-day." But I thought, "Old man, if it was not for
breaking the spell and letting you enjoy the pleasuies of youth
for a moment, I would like to have a looking-glass here."
But we leave the place, cross the fields to our horse which is
tied on the road side, seemingly unconscious of our mission,
that we are gathering up the history of those early years while
there is some one left to tell the story, so that the people shall
know of the good deeds of these old men after the last one of
them has gone over the banks of the river. We now cross the
hie: swamp at what is known as "Narrow Neck," just north-
east of Kirkwall, and give you the Valens sketch, along with a
description of what was known as the old Guelph road, as
it ran towards Dundas ; but before taking up the Valens
letter, we would mention one or two families which we omit-
ted in our last letter on Kirkwall.

The place now occupied by James Nicholson was first
settled by a family named Achin in about 1840 ; they sold to
John Train in about 1844 or '45, and Train in turn sold to
Nicholson. The place now owned by Walter Lapsley was first
settled by John Kenny, who sold out to Claud Lapsley,
Walter's father. Mr. (Jlaud Lapsley first settled on and lived
for quite a few years on the 50 acres where Ritchie Paterson is
now living. The Ballantyne family where the first settlers on
the farm now occupied by the Ballantyne family, between
forty-five and fifty years ago, and have continued there ever

since.

The place now occupied by Thomas Little was first owned

by a man named Ross, and was taken up early (about 1836).

It was sold by him to a Mrs. Chambers (afterwards Mrs. Maw-

hinney,) who in turn sold to the Little family, of which family

the present occupant is a representative.

'•■^^^^

THE VALENS LETTER.

VALENS Settlement, or the Ninth Concession as it was
first called, was first settled in or about 1834, and the
settlement as originally known included the 8th Conces-
sion on the north side of the big swamp and the south half of the
9th Concession, and extended from Lot No. 19, east, to Lot No.
33, or as far as could be settled for the swamp. The only road
leading into that settlement at that time and for several years
after, was the old Guelph Road, to which I referred in my letter
on Kirkwall. The Guelph Road began at the Dundas and
Waterloo Road, about half a mile east from Rockton, and a little
west from the brick house now owned and occupied by Mr.
Adam Thompson ; then took a northerly course, passing a little
east from where the residence of the late Wm. Henderson now
stands ; then crossing the rear of the 5th Concession near the
house now occupied by Thomas S win ton, then north to the 7th
Concession, passing near to the house occupied by And. John-
ston (formerly known as " Ker's Hill") ; then northerly again
and crossing the 8th Concession a little west of the big hill known
as " Parker's Hill," and about one and a half lots east from the
old log Church at Little Scotland ; then it continued north
through the farm now occupied by John Gilbert, and crossing
the big swamp at the narrowest place known, (the old road
may be traced through there now) : then northerly again and
striking the 9th Concession about where the jog now is near
Mr. John Cowle's farm, and running a little farther north
struck what was then known as the " Miller Line" of the 9th
Concession, and there the Guelph Road stopped and was never

GEORGE H. MULHOLLAND.

Served in Township Council 1883-7. Councillor in 1883, 2nd Deputy
Reeve in 1884. 2nd Deputy-Reeve in 1885, 2nd Doputy-
Reeve in 1886, Reeve in 1887.

THE VALENS LETTER. 41

opened any farther, and I may add that the whole route, from
the btone Road to the hig swamp was thiough the hush, with a
small clearing now and then, and the n»ad was only hrushed
out so as to allow a wagon to get along, and in some places a
pretty tight squeeze at that. Of course it was improved a
little after the first settlement and many a load of grain was
taken to the market over that rood. The line of the Road as I
have traced it out i.s as it was finally settled. The first lay-nut
varied a little in some places. It went around the east end of
the hig hill on the farms now owned by D. Mitchell, in the 6th
Ooncession, and then through Mr. Parker's clearing aad along
the east side of the hill on Mr. Gilbert's farm in the 8th Con-
<;ession, and came to the same point to cross the big swamp as
I have before described.

We will now go back to the year 1836 and review the
Valens Settlement from that time to this. We leave the
narrow neck of the big swamp and take a stroll along the road
into that settlement. We find the whole was composed of the
following : — 1st, David Martin, wife and child ; 2nd, John
Cowie, wife and two children ; 3rd, Wm. Robson (bachelor) ;
4th, two members of the Pentland family, brother and sister,
John and Eleanor ; 5th, the Valens family, two brothers, John
and Robert, their mother, and sister, Jane. Next, the Mc-
Donald family, father, mother, three sons, Robert, Wallace
and Malcom, and one daughter, Esther. The next was James
Mitchell, wife and four children, all young. And then next
and last, Robert Smith and Andrew Rowan, who kept bachelor's
hall, and also a comer and goer, (and a bachelor), whose name
was Thomas James Nimmo, — making a total population of 29.
David Martin located on the place he is now living on with his
daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Hector McCoag. The
old man is now very frail, and not much wonder, for he was
born in 1800. John Cowie is still on his oiiginal homestead
with his son, William, and is still pretty hearty considering
that he has now attained the age of near four score years.
Wm. Robson early in 1837 married Miss Jane Valens. They
gathered quite a lot of property, but both have passed over the
river, leaving the old home in the hands of their family. The
Valens family took up first Lot No. 25, and then the south half
of 24. The north quarter of Lot No. 25 was disposed of to two
brothers, James and Richard Yates, who came into the settle-

42 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

ment some time later, and centre 100 acres was allotted to
Robert, John holding the south quarter of 25 and south half of
24. Robert sold out some years ago to one Angus McKellar
and went to the county of Bruce, not far from Lucknow ; John
still holds the old homestead, with his son, John A. ; the old
man is gettmg pretty frail, but as he is about the age of four
score, such must be looked for.

The Valens family were the first settlers, and it is quite in-
teresting to hear the old man tell of the difficulties they had in
their fir^ entry into the settlement in getting over the big
swamp which I have before referred to. Many a stout heart
would have failed, but he braved it through and his early efforts
have been crowned with success, as his fine home at the present
time clearly shows. John was the first settler ; the first who
brought a threshing machine into the settlement. He built the
first saw mill in the settlement, and was always among the first
to aeisist in furthering anything for the improvement of the
settlement, and for which he was honored with the title of
"Governor."

The Pentland family all moved into the settlement in the
spring of 1837. They were nine in number. The father, mother,
four sons, John, James, Peter and Robert, and three daughters.
Their location was Lot 24, in Concession 8, and Lot 21, Con-
cession 9, to which was afterward added the north-east quarter
of Lot 23, in the 8th Concession. The mother died in the fall
of 1838, the first death in the settlement. She was buried in
the north part of the old burying ground on a part of the farm
now owned by Thos. McQueen. Her husband was laid beside
her about fifteen years after, and John the eldest son, was laid
beside them in 1871. James and his three sisters still live on
the old homestead. Peter married Miss E. McDonald, and
moved onto his allotment, the north half of Lot 21, Concession
9. He sold out to Andrew Valens several years ago and is now
living in the County of Perth. Robert married a Miss Fletcher
and took the 50 acres of Lot 23 and south part of Lot 21, and
after several years of success on the farm, he sold a few years
ago to one David Patterson, and retired on full pay to the
town of Gait, tatterson still occupies his farm, and Andrew
Valens is still on the place purchased from Peter Pentland.
The place now occupied by Samuel Gilbert was the first loca-
tion of the McDonald family. On account of a neck of the big-

THE VALENS LETTER. 48

swamp cutting the place in two, the sonb, Robert and Wallace,
purchased the south half of the same lot and of 27, and moved
southwards, and the first location was sold in 1850 to Samuel
Gilbert, grandfather of the present Samuel. Wallace left the
settlement about the end of 1863 and moved to Rockton, where
he still lives and is so well known that no farther notice of him
is required from me. He has since sold the old farm to one
Jared Marcy, and Robert having died about four ye:-rs ago,
and their parents many years since, and Malcom having moved
to the County of Huron, where he still resides, the McDonald
family has not at present any representative in the old settle-
ment. The lot that Jas. Mitchell first located on turned out to
be not very good, and owing to a change being made in the
lines of which I notice hereafter, Mr. M. took up another lot
by the north half of Lot 32, Concession 9, on which the youngest
son, William, is now living, and his mother with him. The
two men, Robert Smith and A. Rowan, whom I have noticed,
seemed to think it cold comfort to keep bachelors' hall, for they
pulled up stakes and left for good in or about the year 1838.

I have noticed the original settlers in 1836. How many of
that 29 are still living? The following is the list so far as
known, viz. : David Martin and his daughter, Mrs. McEvery ;
John Cowie and his son, William ; John Valens, Mrs. E. Pent-
land, Wallace and Malcolm McDonald and their sisters, Mrs.
P. Pentland and Mrs. James Mitchell, with her son, James.

I will now take up the settlers of later date. The place
now occupied by Benjamin Dickson was first settled by Thos.
Wallace, who was a shoemaker by trade, and owned the small
place now occupied by Wm. Robinson, the blacksmith, about
three miles east of Rockton. Wallace sold to Alex. James,
and James in turn to Dickson. The north part of the lot was
taken up by Thomas James Nimmo. He sold to John Lapsley,
and Lapsley to Robert Cook, the present occupant. The place
now occupied by Wm. Cook was first settled by Mr. Nimmo.
He sold to John Gilbert and moved west, as above noted.
Gilbert sold to Thomas Gray, and he to one Wra. Renwick,
who died on the place, and his representatives sold to Mr. Wm.
Cook. Mr. E. Cartwright bought the place where he now re-
sides, and engaged a family named Anderson to clear it up
for him. He afterwards moved on to it himself and remains
on it still. About 1&47 or 1848, Thomas Cook and John Curran

44 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

settled on the south part of the same lot. Ciirran afterwards
sold out his part to Cook, and Cook a tew years ago sold out to
his son William, whom I have already t.oticed ; and William
sold to the present owner, William Robson. The place now
occupied by Robert Telford was settled by Robert Hunter in
184.} or '46. Robert ran a threshing machine for some time,
and by which he lost his right hand. In this way he
was so crippled he could not get on with the farm work very
well, and in 1860 he rented his farm and went to Rockton,
where he acted as baliiT for 17 years, and then moved to Ham-
ilton. He has succeeded in all his undertakings, but his friends
son.etimes pass the joke with him that it was a God-send the
losing of his hand, and had it not been for that he would have
been digging away yet on the 9th concession. His farm, after
having been rented for seme terms, fell into the hands of its
present owner, Telford. It now includes the lot on which
James Mitchell first located. The farm now occupied by Mr.
Hood was first settled by David Vallance, who died in 1875.
His family sold the place. The owner is now Mr. Richard
Cornell, who also owns the N. W. quarter of lot 30, in 9th con.,
on which he settled some forty years since. Mr. Geo. Lennon,
who now occupies the IS. E. part of the same lot, was the
first settler thereon about the same time as Cornell. The
south part of the lot was taken up first by one David Alexan-
der, in or about 185(5, and shortly afterwards sold to D. Mc-
Phail, the father of the present occupant, John McPhail. The
farm now occupied by Edwin Gray was settled in 1838 by his
father, George Gray, who often was called Earl Gray. He
named his place Huggerglen. Lot 29 was settled on by R.
Smith and A. Rowen, whom I have noticed already. In or about
the end of 1841 the Fletcher family arrived on to it and cleared
it up rapidly. There were three brothers, two sisters and the
two '^Id folks. All have passed away but one of the brothers

i. (Robert) and one sister (Mrs. R. Pentland). The farm is still in

he family name. The next farm west was first settled on by
George Tennant, who chopped his first fallow thereon in the
winter of 1840, and put up a log house in the spring, and the

i'il winter following got married and began farming in earnest.

I i- He was quite successful. He raised a large family and sold his

place to Mr. Jamieson several years ago. The next farm west
is the Bickell place. The family moved on to this farm about

THE VALENS LETTER. 46

the beginning of 1887. Owned by David Bickell, his father,
mother and sister settled on the lot with him. Atter some
few years David, like many other men, saw fit to marry a wife.
The sister and parents then moved to Dundas, and are dead
long ago, and David is gone the way of all the earth, leaving
behind him his widow, three sons and two daughters — William
Richard, school teacher, Clyde ; Mrs. Thos. McLaren ; Rev. D.
Bickell, of Mount Forest ; and George Bickell, on the old
homestead, with his wife mother and sister. Next comes the
Gilbert farm, settled in the fall of IK^ by the three brothers,
Samuel, George and Thomas, and the father and mother.
They divided the lot into three parts, the long way of the lot
(north and south). The old folks, Samuel and George are all
gone. Thomas is in Hamilton with his son. George's part is
now owned by a Mr. Williams ; Thomas' part by one John
Cobiirn, and Samuel's portion, with what he purchased from
the McDonalds, is now in possession of his grandchildren.
The Harbottle farm was first settled on by the old man,
Robert, in or about 1842. He has done well on it and is a
pretty solid old man yet. The next place west, now occupied
by Mr. Blair, was first taken up by one George Strachen and
his brother-in-law, Thomas Gates, about the same time as
Harbottle settled on the adjoining lot. The place was first sold
to Wm. Peden, and then again the west part to the Hobson
family and the east part to Blair. I will now go west to lot 18,
the farm now of John Dickson. It was first sold to one Thos.
Misener over 40 years ago. He sold to Dickson about thirty
years since, and moved to Troy, where he died a little over a
year ago. The next lot west. No. 17, was first settled by two
brothers, John and Wm. Cope, of near Copetown. Bush life
did not suit them, so they sold out. John sold to James
Clark, and James Clark to his son John, who was killed by the
Indians in the far west. The place then got into the possession
of the present occupants, the Beatty family. William Cope's
part, the s. j, now forms part of the farms of John Dickson
and the McAlister estate.

I think I have now noticed all the Valens settlement
proper. There are some along the tenth concession that per-
haps I may notice later.

The early settlers took up their places as laid ont by what
was known as the Miller Smvey, made about the time of the

46 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Valens Settlement, in 1834. In Sept., 1830, the late James Kirk-
patrick, P. L. S., was sent out by the Government to make a
survey of the four north Concessions. By the survey he then
made, the concession lines were about chains and 40 links
south of where they were originally supposed to be, and the
division lines between the lots were also changed. By these
changes some lost part of their clearances ; some their build-
ings ; some got good land in place of poor land, and some the
reverse. By such means the whole four concessions were thrown
into confusion. The settlors did not know what to do, many
not knowing where toclear as their boundaries were not known.
The new survey caused much anxiety and many warm discus-
sions. Those who had benefited by the new survey, of course,
thought it a just one, and those who had lost by it an unjust
surve5\ Matters remained about the same for about a couple
of years, during which a report would sometimes come that
the new lines were to stand, and then another that the old
lines were to stand. In the meantime the Government had
appointed three Commissioners to settle disputes of this kind.
The Commissioners were the Hon. John Wilson, of Saltfleet :
John Chisholm, of East Flamboro', and Lewis Burswell, of
Brantford,

These Commissioners were called on in the spring of 1839.
They held their court in the Chapman hotel, on the Stone
Road, on the place now owned by Mr. John Kirkpatrick, ot
Gait. The hotel stood, I think, in front of where the big barn
now stands. After a lengthy investigation the lines were settled
where they now stand. By their settlement or award, the
jogs were made in the Concessions as they now appear. As the
line between the 8th and 9th Concessions interests us the most
at present, I will notice it only. The old line was followed
from the west boundary of the townships as far east as the line
between Lots 21 and 22 ; then jogs south 3 chains and 20 links ;
then east again to the line between Lots 26 and 27 ; then jogs
south again 3 chains and 20 links ; and then east, on the new
survey, to the Flamboro' line. The division lines between lots
were also changed materially, so as to, as far as practicable,
allow the settlers to remain on or hold their lands as they had
been known when first settled on. In the fall of 1839 the survey
was made as ordered by the Commissioners, and as that was
final, the whole settlement turned out and cut out the new

THE VALENS LETTER. 47

road where it is now travelled, coiniuencin^ opposite Lot 22'
where it was intersected by the Guelph road, before referred
to, thence east, choppinj? a good wide road. When they
came to the joj? at the line between lots 26 and 27 a halt was
made. The cause of which was this :— To follow the jog south
3 chains and 4() links, and then go east again on the road allow-
ance, the road would enter the Big Swamp just a little south
from where Mr. Telford's house now stands, and that there
would be a stretch of about one and a half miles to cross way ;
and then again the settlers in Lots 29, 30, 31 and 32 would re-
quire to make crossways to get from their clearances to the
road in front of their lots. To do so at that time was im-
possible, as there were no funds to do it with. The difHculty
was soon settled, and in this way :— A bushwhackers' council
was held there in the bush. The lands westward (except lots
29 and 30) were there represented, and the result or conclusion
was that the road should be continued straight on (not follow-
ing the jog) half way across lot 27 and then strike a bee line to
where the Miller line crossed the Big Creek in lot 29 ; then
follow the Miller line in to Lot 32 ; then south-easterly to the
concession. The new road was run out with pickets, and the
whole road cut out, bridges built over the Little Creek and Big
Creek and Valens Creek without a halt, and all was done with-
out any aid in the way of money, but by the work of the
settlers, free. Allow me to add that the piece of road so laid
out by the bushwhackers' council was at once made a good
road, and is a good road yet, and its validity has never been
questioned, nor is it likely to be. If such a road were to be laid
out now there would first have to be a petition got up and
signed, a deputation to lay it before the municipal Council ;
then a committee appointed by the Council to inspect it ; then
a report made by the committee, the report adopted, and a
survey made and a plan and description ; then notices to be
posted up and advertised in the newspapers ; then a by-law
drawn up and passed and registered ; then the road is to be
made, advertisements or notices posted up of letting the con-
tract, and the last and not least is who can get the job and
make the most out of it. Such is the difference between a
Bushwhackers' Council in 1839 and a Municipal Council in 1888.
The half-mile of swamp opposite Lots 33 and 34 was some years
after cut out and crossway made on west half, with brush and

48 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

stone and earth on the east halt. It was used as a winter road
after it was cut out, and when it would freeze hard enough to
carry a team, but was not a general route for summer and
winter until about ten years after the first settlement. I may
also add that the first opening was done by the settlers, with-
out any aid in the way of public money. The side road be-
tween Lots 24 and 25, in 8th Concession, was first cut out in/
1846, this was also by gratis work ; and in about three years
after, with aid of public money, was crosswayed and made fit
for travel. The road on the 9th concession, west of Lot 22, and
the side-road between Lots 18 and 19, in the 8th concession,
were opened years later, and when opened the old Guelph road
was abandoned.

The first school was started in the beginning ot 1842 in a
house on the place now occupied by Wm. Cook and then be-
longing to Mr. Nimmo. The first teacher was David Buchan.
His salary was very small. He claimed to be of high blood.
His intellect was not the best, but he had quite sufficient
education to teach the children of that time their primary les-
sons. He boarded around in the section at the homes of the
scholars a week in each place, or according to the number of
scholars. The first school house was built the same year. In
the winter in the fore part of the year a bee was made, the
settlers turning out pretty well. They went into the bush in
front of Lot 26, Cone. 9, (Gilbert's), and there chopped down
3uch timber as suited them. The timber was flattened on two
sides, such logs to be for the new school house. Another bee
wae made to draw the timber to where it was wanted at the
site for the new building. On a very warm day the following
summer another bee was made to raise the new school house,
and when it was up it was pronounced a No. 1 job, all good
pine timber and hewn on two sides. It contained as much
: timber as would make half a dozen of the same size now, I

I I think it was 20 x 26. A sum of money, amounting to about $60

I || or $70, was raised from some source, —I can't ascertain where, —

j I to be applied to the school house. This money was given to

1 j| Thomas Gates, a carpenter, Avho had to finish the house and

i I' make it fit for use. He did his Job according to agreement and

I i! the school was opened therein about the end of the same year

and did not retjuire much repair for the next ten years. Such
is a sample of the way school houses were erected and schools

THE VALENS LETTER. 40

opened in them in th" early settlement of that part of Beverly
and the connnencemeni of our common school system. What
a change from that time until now. I am reminded of the say-
ing of the old Hielaudman, after the union of Scotland and
England : —

" Scotland's turned on England noo,

New laws bring on the Cadger ;

Her name sell wad dirk him for't,

But oh ! she'll fear the sodger."

The site of the old school house was on the south-east
corner of Lot 23, Concession 9, and is the same building which
has been moved back a little and fitted up for a dwelling for
William Robson.

A fine new stone school house was erected in or about 1868,
to take the place of the old one, about a quarter of a mile east
from the old site.

. In 1854 a school section library was established in that
section under the rules and regulations of the Council of Public
Instruction. The sum of $100 was raised by a tax on the school
section, by consent of » public meeting of the ratepayers called
for that purpose, to which wfts added 75 per cent, by the Edu-
cation Department in Toronto. Another 25 per cent, was added
soon after. A fine selection of books was obtained by these
means and a No. 1 libraiy started. Wallace McDonald, now
of Rockton, was the leading spirit therein. He arranged all
the books, numbered them and labelled them, and took charge
of the library for several years. It would be but fair to say
that he had some valuable assistants, among whom were
Governor Valens, the late Thomas Fletcher, and David Martin.
The books were exchanged on the evening of every full moon,
and the regularity of attendance and the interest taken therein
was very satisfactory to all concerned as the books were all of
a first-class order and entertaining as well. The library created
quite a thirst for reading in the rising generation, the efVect of
which was shown in after years in the way of preachers,
teachers, commercial clerks, etc., etc., which the settlement
produced. At the same time it would be but fair to give a
good share of this credit to a school teacher who was engaged
some years after the library was started and continued to
teach there for about a dozen years. I refer with pleasure to
Mr. A. W. Falconer, now of Little's Corners, near Gait.

50 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

AtnoDis: other things of interest in the early settlement was
the rebellion. My informant, who at the time was only 16
years of age, tells me that he remembers well the first news of
the rebellion. He said he happened to be at a neighbor's house
one morning, when in caine Governor Valens and Earl Gray^
and the first word was that McKenzie had besieged Toronto
and that Hamilton was all in commotion. M essrs. Valens and
Gray being both carpenters, they were at work for Sir Allan
McNab at his castle at Dundurn when the news came
to Hamilton. As all work was stopped, Mr, Valens
came up to his homo, and Mr. Gray came with him to
make arragements to move his family from Hamilton
on to the land he had selected for his future home and
which I have already noticed. My informant describes the
story as related by Valens and Gray. How Sir A llan had come
up from Toronto to Hamilton with the news and how he ad-
dressed a crowd and called for Volunteers to go with him to
Toronto. He got about thirty in a short time, and then Sir
Allan mounted his favorite horse, " Sam Patch," started ror the
steamboatat the foot of .James street, and how proud Sir Allan
was of his followers. He said to them, " Boys, I am proud of
you." Then again he said, " I won't call you " boys," I will
call you " men." My informant had two brothers who were
Volunteers under Sir Allan. When he was at Chippewa, at
the time the rebels were on Navy Island, he tells a good story
about Sir Allan that I cannot let pass. It is as follows : — After
the battle of Gallowhill the Rebels fled to Buffalo, as thev had
many sympathizers there. About this time Sir Allan's carriage
was down Stoney Creek way one evening, when it was stopped
by some rebels and inspected, but as Sir Allan happened not
to be in the company, the carriage was allowed to go home-
ward. It was said at the time that the intention was to take
Sir Allan a prisoner. The news, however, sped to headquarters
at Buffalo that Sir Allan had been assassinated. The crier had
got nicely started on his mission when the news came that the
report of Sir Allan's assassination was false. The crier was at
once notified and requested to stop,— he was a colored Gemmen,
—but he replied thus :— " I got $5 to cry out that Sir Allan is
dead, and if you will give me $5 I will cry him alive again."
My informant also relates a song composed at the time on the
Navy Island aflfair, to the tune of " Yankee Doodle" :—
" When Mackenzie's Rebel Band was heat," &c.

THE VALENS LETTER. 51

In the spring of 1838 the militia of Beverly was summoned
to muster at Babcock's tavern, west of Sheffield, for the pur-
pose of being enrolled. That was the first call out of the kind
and was called the "11 th Regiment, Gore Militia." Andrew T.
Kirby, of near Bullock's Corners, was Colonel, Dr. James Ham-
ilton was Lieu. -Colonel, and Benjamin Babington, of Dundas.
was Adjutant. The Township was divided into four companies,
or quarters, the line between the 3rd and 4th Concessions be-
ing the division line from east to west, and the side-road be-
tween Lots 18 and 19 being the division line from north to
south. A. N. Vrooman, of near Harrisburg, was Captain of
No. 1, or south-west quarter ; a Mr. Robert Hammil, of near
Copetown, was Captain of No. 2, or south-east quarter ; Adam
Ainslie, (later of Gait), was the Captain of No. 3, or north-west
quarter ; and Aaron Cornell, of Spring Creek, (and a brother
of my grandfather, John A.Cornell), was Captain of the north-
east quarter, or No. 4.

About the end of June the same year, one Sunday, Andrew

McKnight, a young man about 18„ now kncwn as "Captain
McKnight," came into the settlment and warned every n)an to
turn out and muster at Hamilton for service, for the rebels had
got in the country and taken a stand at the Short Hills. The
news caused quite a commotion. Most of the men turned out
and were supplied with guns and ammunition at Hamilton
and were marched as far as Smithville, but the report turned
out to be what we now call a "canard," and the men all got
home the same week to the ioy of all with whom they were
connected. They were called out again about two weeks after,
taken to Hamilton, kept there three days, and then sent home.
At all these turnouts the men went on foot to Hamilton, on
foot to Smithville, and on foot home again. "Shanks' nag"
was the most used at that time. I was thinking if sueh a turn-
out were made now, how many fine hijirses, buggies and
harness would be required to convey them to their destination ?

About the close of the year 1838 a draft was made from the
11th Gore, and quite a number were drawn from Beverly.
They were first billeted in Dundas and drilled there, then they
were taken away as far west as London. When they got
there, things were all quiet, and the men were returned to
Dundas, and then sent home after some weeks of service.

The militia was called out annually in June for several
years after that to muster at Christie's Corners for training.

THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

After a few years' training this was dropped, and no more was
heard of soldiering until the Fenian raid in 1868.

In the early settlement clocks or time-pieces were rather
scarce, or, if any, liable to be out of order. The main guide a»
to time was the sun when it was a clear day. As the sidelines
run nearly north and south, the sun was on the line every day
at 20 minutes to 12 o'clock, noon, and nearly all had a mark
about the door, where the shadow of the sun should be at noon.
Such was often the only guide for the auld wife to know when
to have dinner ready. David Martin was a shepherd in his
young days and was quite a poet and a general favorite, and
was widely known, and as many will like to see some of his
compositions, through the kindness of Mrs.MCoaghis daughter,
I have been enabled to give "The Nick on the Door," as also
" Farewell to My Native Land." I believe both of these were
published some years ago, but they are well worth repeating : —

" The Nick on the Door."

In the rough old times and the tough old times, full thirty

years agone,
There was not a clock in the settlement, to tell how the time

went on ;
But we knew very well when the day began, and we knew very

well when 'twas o'er.
And our dinner bell was the gude wife's shout, when the sun

reach'd the nick on the door.

We had no cash and we were all alike, but we whacked away

at the trees.
And when summer came, oh then we had, such splores at the

logging bees ;
The affairs of the Church and the affairs of the State we seldom

did review.
But we talked and we sang of our " Fatherland," till faix we

whiles got fou'.

But now we blether politics, and knowing folks are we,
And some support and some oppose the present Ministry —
And who are bought and who are sold, the wherefore, why and

how—
We know as plain as A B C, oh what a difference now—

THE VALENS LETTER. 68

In the rough old times and the tough old times full thirty-
years agone.

There was not a Clock in the settlement, to tell how the time
went on ;

Now every house one time-piece has, and some have even
more,

And the "youngsters" laugh at their "mither's" Clock, the
auld nick on the door.

" Farewell to My Native Land."

I left my ain, my native land, the land of hill and glen,
And sighed farewell and sadly thought I'd never see't again,
I stood upon the vessel's deck that bore me fast away,
And sighed, farewell, ray native land, but could not add "for
aye"-

But now I'm here these many years, and here I've found a

home.
And many ties entwine my heart, which tempt no more to

roam ;
And scenes of youth grow like a dream, which o'er the fancy

play.
Yet when I sigh, farewell, farewell, I cannot add " for aye" —

The cottage where my mother dwelt, is now a roofless heap,
My early friends are scattered wide, or in the grave do sleep ;
All, all is chang'd save hill and stream, where my young steps

did stray.
Yet when I sigh, farewell, farewell, I cannot add " for aye"—

Is there a man on earth who dwells, 'mid scenes of childhood

past.
Can take a parting look and say, " It is, it is, my last ;"
Oh, no, a wish, a secret hope, though reason it gainsay.
When he shall sigh, farewell, farewell, will stop the sad '* for

aye."

ife=.^

THE CLYDE LETTER.

As in niy former letter, I a^ain start from Sheffield, but
my readers rtaay ask, "Why always start from Shef-
field ?" Strange, I should have a reason. It is a central
point. It was among the first parts of the township that were
settled. More, it is where I was born nearly fifty years ago ;
it is under the green sod in the Sheffield cemetery that my
grandfather lies ; it is there where my mother sleeps ; it is
there where we laid our only child to rest. The place seems
sacred. But I draw the veil over the scene and go on with my
story.

Starting, we go almost due north from Sheffield. Crossing
the 7th concession we leave the Garroch farm to our right,
now occupied by A. and R. Garroch. Farther north is the old
Keachie farm, now occupied by James and William Keachie,
sons of the late Bailie Keachie. On the left hand side of the
oad is the farm taken up by the late Wm. Culham, and oc-
cupied by his son, John. Then cross the 8th con. into the
Clyde settlement. The land around Clyde is a good deal better
than that about Kirkwall, and while we frequently meet with
swamps in that section, they are generally small ; indeed we
do not find any of any size until you go east on the 9th and
10th concessions towards the Valens' settlement. The land is
rolling and a number of very good farms can be found all
through that section. The village itself is like all the rest of
the villages in the township, small, containing the usual village
store and blacksmith shop, a small church of the Plymouth
Brethern denomination,— the most of the people go to Gait to

THE CLYDE LETTER. 55

church, — and there is one thing that is perhaps worthy of note,
that although the township is a large one, there is not a town
or incorporated village within its borders, nor a railroad run-
ning through the township. There are two railroads, one run-
ning across each end, the old Great Western running across
the south end, and the Credit Valley running across the north
end. Both roads are near the township limits, the one where
it joins upon Ancaster on the south, the other where it joins
upon Puslinch on the north. It is thought by some that if a
railroad was to run through the centre of the township, that it
would bring it more on a par with the surrounding townships,
and that we could then at least boast of one mayor, a worthy
that does not exist, nor is likely to exist for some time to
come, but being surrounded as Beverly is near the head of the
lake, and a net- work of railroads in her neighboring munici-
palities, all her markets are outside her boundary lines, with
Dundas and Hamilton on the east, Gait on the west, Brant-
ford on the south, and Guelph to the north, with each one bid-
ding high for the trade of her people, the people of Beverly
have never felt that want that very often is felt by other
places, and all attempts to get the ratepayers to invest money,
with no other advantage than simply to have a railroad run-
ning through the township, have proved a failure. One thing
strikes the traveller as he goes through the Clyde settlement,
as it does through every section in the township— the very few
of the old settlers that are here to tell the story of the hard-
ships of those early years, and how often we had to listen to
the reply to our questions since we started out upon this mis-
sion— "We cannot tell you, but if father or mother were alive
they could tell you all about it." But a few remain, and one
almost expects them to begin by saying, like those of old, "I
alone have escaped to tell you," and some of the lines in a
favorite poem of Abraham Lincon's came to my mind when I
thought of the many old veterans that have gone to their rest-
ing place. The lines were written down by Mr. Carpenter as
they fell from the President's lips :

"The thoughts we are thinking our fathers did think,
From the death we are shrinking our fathers did shrink ;
. To the life we are clinging our fathers did clinsr,
But it speeds from us all like the bird on the wing.

56 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

But I am aroused from my reverie when I see on ray right
hand and on my left, in front of me and behind me, the great
legacy that these old men and women have left behind them.
When their enemy, the mighty forest, began to lag, it could
not stand the repeated attacks of this gloriours army, and the
people of to-day will not be true to the trust reposed in them ;
they will not be worthy to bear the names of their sires and
carry the conquest that was begun by these great men on and
on until this great Canada of ours shall have become a mighty
people. The command that these fathers have left to their
children and children's children is the same as Wellington
gave at the close of the Battle of Waterloo — " Up guards and
at them ;" and when children yet unborn will be proud to boast
that they descended from those old pioneers we hope that the
people of to-day will so conduct themselves that these children
will not be ashamed to own the link that connected them with
these old people.

The neighborhood of Clyde was first settled in the year 1831
by William Anderson, who, I believe, was the first. My
informant says, that if a man deserves to be called a hero, that
man was William Anderson. There was no one at that time
had gone any farther north than the 8th Concession. David
Mulholland. a son of Hugh, of Troy, at that time was on the
old Sipes place, now occupied by his son Hugh. Mr. Anderson
then newly married, and his wife came to David MulhoUand's
with a yoke of oxen, where he left Mrs. Anderson and went
straight north with his oxen and axe and some provisions
through a dense forest to the 10th Concession on to the farm
now occupied by his son Wm. Ira. He did not return for some
time, when people began to suspect that he might be lost, but
not so ; he was battling away with the forest and building a
shanty as a shelter from the stormy blasts of winter, and out
of the reach of the howling wolves for his new-made bride, and
when he had finished he returned and took her to that woody
home where nothing could be seen but a sea of trees.

In talking over the scenes and recounting the hardships of
those early days, Mr. Anderson, in conversation with an inti-
mate friend not long ago, said, "My wife spent many lonesome
days and hours in the bush, where we were trying to hew out
a home. We were young then ; she is over eighty now, but
she is as beautiful as ever." And to give my readers an idea of

ROBERT FERGUSSON.
Reeve, 1889.

THE CLYDE LETTER. W

florae of the diffleultios that had to be met and overcome by
those early settlers and the difference between then and now,
it took Mr. Anderson four days to ><o from the farm of •
David Mulholland, on the 8th Concession, to what is now
known as the Anderson homestead. Lot 4, in the 10th Con.,
a distance of two and a half miles through that then pathless
wilderness, having to cut logs, brush and trees the whole dis-
tance. In the following year, 1832, he got some neighbors,
when two families moved into the settlement. These were
Duncan and Archibald McKellar, who settled in the Gore, the
western part of Puslinch. Mrs. McKellar, widow of Duncan,
is still living and :'esides with her son A. S. McKellar, in Gait.

On Wednesday, the 19th of September, 1888, 1 started away
again from my house in search of information regarding the first
settlement of the north-west part of Beverly Township. I
drove over to the residence of Robert Fergusson, Esq., the
present Reeve of the Township, where I was met by Wm. Ira
Anderson, son of the late Wm. Anderson : A. S. McKellar, of
Gait ; and Mr. McPhatter, the latter being an old man, and
together they gave me all the information they could : —

The land on the south side of the road, nearly opposite the
old Anf'erson homestead, was taken up from the Crown by the
late Wm. Anderson in 1840. The place is now occupied by his
eldest son, Mr. Nelson Anderson. Then Lot No. 5, on the west
side of the 10th Concession, was taken up by John Anderson
about 1833. It is now occupied by Nathan Palmer. Mr.
Palmer got it some way through the late Wm. Robinson, of
Gait. I believe that these two gentlemen were brothers-in-law.
The place now occupied by John Young was settled upon first
by one Nelson Burley, and was sold by Burley to Thomas
Young, father of the present owner. The Gibson farm was
taken up first by a man named Haggart. The farm now occu-
pied by Donald Gillies was first settled by his father, Duncan
Gillies. The farm now occupied by Charles Tilk was first
settled by Andrew TurnbuU. It afterwards fell into the hands
of Robert Turnbull, who sold to Tilk. The farm now owned by
the Wight familv was settled on first by one Winters who sold
to one Haggart. After his death it was sold to Angus Fer-
guson and so got into the hands of the Wight family. The
farm now occupied by Alex. Conkey was first settled by John
Scott about 1835. The farm now occupied by John Jamieson

08 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.-

was first settled by Hugh McCJoll, better known to the older

settlers as the '• Governor." He sold it to D. McPherson, Esq.,

• the present Reeve of South Dumfries, who in turn sold it in

18'1 by public auction to John Jamieson. The farm now

owned by John Oliver on the Clyde Road, and just west of

where Robert Fergusson now lives, was taken up by Duncan

McCoU, better known as " black Dune," and sold to Mr. Oliver*

the present owner.

I enclose a letter which I received from Mr. John Allen, son

of the late David Allen. John lives on Lot tt, north half, in the

8th Concession. The farm was first takeii up by Charles Mc-

Carty, who sold it to Alex. Harvie, and so fell into the hands

of the Allen family. There are four of this family, and the

mother, who is living in Gait with her two daughterd, John on

the Old Harvie farm, and David Allen, who resides in Michigan,

U. S. The following is his letter :—

Beverly, Sept. 14.

John A. Cornell,

Sir, — As you wanted me to get some information for you
regarding the early settlers, I have examined some of the old
deeds, and 1 find that the north half of Lot No. 3, 8th Con.,
was taken up by Jacob Sipes in 1812. He sold it to Jacob Mc-
Carty about two years after. Jacob McCarty sold to William
Oliver, in the year 1834, whose son Robert is now living on the
place. Lot 4, where William Bond lives, was taken up by one
Michael Hess, who sold it to Jacob Burkholder in March, 1808.
Burkholder sold it to my uncle, Alex. Allan, in 1837. Alex.
Allan was a mason by trade. He collected the taxes in Beverly
sometime between the years 183.5 and 1843. On this lot is the
graveyard I was telling you about. There have been 26 or 28
buried there, although there are only four headstones. An-
son McCarthy's is the oldest interment on record, he having
been buried there in 1813. Jonas Sipes died May 5th, 1825.
Jacob Sipes died 12th of Oct. 1823. On his head-stone is cut : —
•• In perfect health and strength from this world did go and
leave my friends in sorrow, grief and woe." I was told that he
died at Lamb's hotel. Joses Winter died June 4, 1838, aged 6.5,
On his head-stone is cut :

" Stop, traveller, as you pass by.
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, you soon must be,
Prepare for death and follow me."

THE CLYDE LETTER. 51^

He was at Hamilton preparing? for the celebration ot the coro-
nation of the Queen. He fell out of his buggy on the way
home and broke his neck. The last that was buried there was
Mrs. Gouch, about flfty years ago. I understand that it was
W. Grununet who cut the stones. He lived out near where Dr.
Smith now lives. The north part of Lot 5 was squatted on by
William Parks and his wife. They had nineteen children.
Parks sold his right to Barney Mooney, and my father bought
Mooney out, so that he must have come in hereabout the same
time my uncle did. William and Gilles McBain settled on
Lots Nos. 11, in the 9th and 10th Concessions, (which they
bought from Aikman, who received them by grant) in the year
1834. The latter remained upon hio farm until his death in De-
cember, 1880. William sold to Humphrey and moved to Mich-
igan with his family, where he died a short time since.

Arriong the early settlers was John McPherson, who settled

on Lot No. 10, in the 10th Concession, in or about the year .

Here he lived until his death in 1879. His sons, Dan. and Alex.,
are upon the old homestead. After the death of Gillies Mc-
Bain, Lot No. 11, in the 10th Con., was purchased by Alex.
Conkey, who sold it in 1885 to S. McLaren, the present owner.
In the year 1834 John McBain came to Beverly and purchased
the north quarter of Lot No. 11, in the 9th Concession, from
his brother, Gillies. His widow still owns the farm and is
among the few early settlers who are still alive. On Lots Nos.
10 and 8, in the 9th Concession, D. McColl settled. He sold
Lot No. 10 to McDonald Bros., and built a saw mill upon Lot
No. 8, but failed to make the lumber trade profitable. A Teu-
ton, by the name of Jonas Smith, settled on Lot No. 9, in the
10th Concession, about 1835 or '36. He sold to John Cameron,^
and the farm passed into the hands of John Kirkpatrick, who
sold it to Alex. McBain, who in turn sold to Walter Scott, the
present owner, and moved to Michigan. A German settled on
Lot No. 8 and sold the south half to D. Cameron. At his death
it was divided between hit. sons, who risked one-half the farm
in a law suit to win the other half, and lost all. Ira Vanmeter
settled on Lot No. 7, in the 10th Concession, owned by H.
Miller. Vanmeter bought the farm, and afterwards sold it to
John Jamieson, who sold it to Jas. Roseburgh, who in turn
sold it to W. H. Taylor, the present owner. On Lot No. 12, in
the 10th Concession, Simon Eraser settled in or about 1837, and

60 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

about the same time the McLean family located on Lots Nos.
13 and 14. The son, John, "Captain," with his son, Donald,
still occupy No. 14, and Lot 13 has passed into the hands of the
Cameron family. A family by the name of Eagle settled on
Lot No. 12, in the 9th Concession, and afterwards sold out to
Alex. McDonald, who still owns it, but has retired, and his son,
John F., works the farm. A family named Johnston settled
on Lot No. 15, in the 10th Concession, which is still in the
family. A man named Truman settled on Lot No. 16, and was
followed by T. Riddle ; he by Geo. Elliot ; he by R. Gibson '»
he by Jac. Archer; he by JVm Cook, now owner. Lachlan
McBain settled on Lot No. 13, in the 9th Concession, and after-
wards sold the north halt to one Peter McRae, who lived upon
it until about 1864. His son, James, and his daughter, Bella,
are living in Gait. Two of the sons are in California. The
Wight family settled upon Lot No. 14, in the 9th Concession.
It was afterwards divided between James and John Wight, the
latter taking the south half, on which he still lives, and James
taking the north half, which he sold to Chas. Zimmerman in
1887, and after living a year in Gait, moved to California.
Lot No. 15, north half, was given to A. Decker, as com-
pensation for land flooded by a milldam, near Crooks
Hollow. Mr. D. still lives upon the farm, with his son
Silas. Mr. Adam Thompson settled on the north half
of Lot No. 16, in the 9th Concession. W. Hobson
bought the south halt of it a short time since. His family are
still on the farm. Three daughters of A. Thompson have the
north fifty acres divided among them. Mr. Denholm settled on
Lot No. 17, north quarter, in the 9th Concession. He died, and
his son, James, lived upon it until his death. His widow mar-
ried one D. Sturgis, who lived upon the farm until 1884. Lot
No. 17, in the 10th Concession, was settled by one Stewart. At
his death the farm was divided between his sons, .John and
Alex. Alex.'s son, Williani, now lives upon the north half,
and John still lives on his father's homestead in single-blessed-
ness. The farm east of Stewart's was settled by another family
of the same name, one of whom married Geo. Tennant, of
Valens' Settlement, the others have moved to different parts.

School was first kept in a house on the Wight estate. Lot
No. 3, 9th Concession. School was then kept in a log house on
John Anderson's farm, west of Clyde. By some mischance

THE CLYDE LETTER. 61

the school house was burned and school was kept in a room of
John McBain's house until a new building was put up on Mc-
Pherson's farm, in which the youth were taught until the
present house was built some thirty-eight or forty years ago.
D. Martin, a brother of Donald Martin, formerly of Kirkwall,
now of Gait, was the second teacher. I do not know what
salary he received, but he boarded about the section, staying
longest where the food suited him best. Malcom Melntyre
was the first teacher ; he was followed by Duncan Martin,
who was succeeded by Wm. Melntyre— a famous teacher in
those days. I believe he was the first teacher in the present
school house.

The three McBain families moved to Canada from New
York State — where they had lived for a few years — with two
ox teams, and the wives, John's and Gillies', Wm. being a
bachelor. They stayed with Donald Eraser, of North Dum-
fries, until the rude houses of the pioneers were built. The trip
from the centre of New York to Beverly must have been inter-
esting. What would settlers in new countries say to such a
trip now ?

Mr. Alex. McDonald saw some profit in supplying the early
settlers with dry goods, so set out with a store on his back or
arm, and so acquired the cognomen of " peddler."

Wm. McPherson, son of Jno. McPherson, who settled on
Lot 10, in the 10th Concession, opened a store in a part of his
father's house, where he carried on trade for a few years, and
where the Clyde P. O. was first opened. He afterwards built
the store in Clyde and carried on business in it for some time.
After some changes. A, R. McNichol commenced business, and
did a very successful trade. He sold to E. M. Sipprell, who did
a good business for over two years, when he sold out the stock
to .7no. Latimer, of Seaforth, who removed to Prioeville after
a short sojourn in Clyde. For a few months .T. D. Mulholland
kept the store, when the stock and property were purchased
by E. McNichol, who still continues to cater to the wants of
the public very satisfactorily.

Lot 1, in the 9th con., north part, the farm now occupied
by James Cunningham, was settled first by John McKenzie,
brother of the late Simon McKenzie, who lived on the Gore in
the flth concession. I have not got the date of the settlement
of the Cunningham farm, but it was early. The Gore was a

62 THE PIONEERS OF BEV JRLY.

strip of land running through the township frona north to
south all the way from Puslinch to Ancaster. That part of it
that lies between the 6th concession and Puslinch to the north
was taken up from the Crown on the 15th of April, 1803, by one
John Clement, from the Township of Niagara, but was never
settled until the McKenzie family settled on it. The land is
occupied now between the 6th and 7th concessions by Donald
McKenzie, son of the late Simon McKenzie, and John Shearer
upon the Donald McKenzie homestead ; between the 7th and
8th concessions by John Kirkpatrick and Henry Bond ; be-
tween the 8th and 9th by the family of the late Peter McColl.
Between the 9th and 10th concessions the land is occupied by
a man by the name of Williamson. I could not learn anything
more of his history than that he takes a prominent part in all
public matters.

We now retrace our steps to the south part of the 9th
concession, where we find a family that has taken a very
prominent part in all of the public questions which have agita-
ted the township for the last few years. I refer to Archibald
and Robert Fergusson. Both of these men have occupied seats
in the Beverly Council at different times, both have held the
position of Reeve, and Robert is Reeve at the present time.
They are the sons of the late John Fergusson They have a
brother, William, who resides iu the township of Blenheim,
and his two sisters, Mrs. Robert Young, and Mrs. Angus Mc-
Kellar, both of Beverly. I will here just give the names of
one or two of the early neighbors of the Fergusson family,
along with a short description of the old Fergusson homestead :

Lot No. 10, in the 8th concession, was taken up and settled
by Henry Sipes about the year 1833, who remained on the
place till his death a few years ago. His wife and family still
occupy the place. As the reaper and binder was not heard of
in those days, Mr. Sipes supplied their needs far and near
with a very superior make of cradles.

Lot No. 9, in the 8th concession, was taken up and settled
on by Andrew Whitsell about the year 1834. He remained on
up to his death. His wife died a few years afterwards. The
place then became the property of his son, Johnston, who sold
it to Robert Fergusson, the present owner. Andrew Whitsell
•claims to have fought at the battle of Lundy Lane and Queen-
^ton Heights, and iu those early days he acted in the capacity

THE CLYDE LETTER. 68

of auctioneer, legal adviser, veterinary surgeon, doctor, den-
tist, tree grafter, and various other things. Whether his
diploma would answer for the present day or not, I cannot
say, in those days his decision was final.

Lot No. 9, in the 9bh concession, was taken up in 1792 by
one Talbot Reid and purchased from him by Andrew Whitsell
and afterwards sold to John Fergusson. Archibald Fergusson
is the present owner.

Lot No. 8, in the 9th concession, was taken up and settled
by one McCarty about the year 1827. Afterwards it was sold
to Mr. Hackney and then purchased by John Fergusson in the
year 1836. In addition to farming operations, which were on a
comparatively limited scale, Mv. Fergusson carried on quite a
brisk blacksmithing business, his forge being often the centre
of quite a lively group. There being no other blacksmith
nearer than Gait, most of the work for many miles around
reached him. The echoes of the old anvil are among the
things of the past except when required for repairs about the
farm. John Fergusson passed over to the majority in 1875, the
old homestead being occupied by his son, Robert. "Archie," as
he is generally called, lives just to the north of the old home-
stead.

There is ano^^er family in the northern part of the Town-
ship, who came m early. I refer to the McDonald family.
They are ^ large family and highlv respected in the community.
I could not get th^ history of this family when I was going
through the Clyde section, so I wrote Alex. McDonald, Esq., of
Gait, and asked him to give me th >ir early history, and as I
can not improve on his letter, I wih just give it here in full : --

Galt, Sept. 22nd, 1888.
Mr. J. A. Cornell,

Dear Sir, — Your card to hand and will endeavor to give
our history as near as possible. Thomas McDonald and family
emigrated from the Parish ot Alvie, Inverness-shire, Scotland,
to the County of Glengarry, Canada, in 1843. After remaining
there one year, we all moved west to the Township of Beverly
and settled on the farm now owned by me, Lot 12, Con. 9,
which I had purchased from John Cameron, better known as
" Blinkeye." My father and brothers ren)ained on my lot for
a few years, I engaged myself at peddling and drove between
Montreal and Woodstock, calling on my customers twice a

f^ THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

year, hence came the name " Peddler McDonald.'' For ten
years 1 followed peddling, when I settled on my own lot. In
the meantime my brothers had bought from Duncan McColU
Lot 10, in the 9th Con., where they at this time lived, and
where my father and mother died some years after. Duncan^
my brother, then bought the south half of Lot 12, on the same
Con., from Geo. Elliott, where he resides at the present time,
his wife dying a year ago. A few years after my brother,
Thomas, bought the north half of Lot 8 from Miss Mary Priest
—this property was better known as the old Saw Mill property,
Duncan McColl having a mill on this property many years ago
— he still resides on this farm with his two young children, his
wife dying years ago. This leaves my three brothers, George,
Donald and John, with one sister, Janet, living on their old
homestead, where they reside yet. Lot 10, in the 9th Cone. On
my farm. Lot 12, I lived from the period I quit peddling until I
moved to Gait, seven years ago, my son, John F., living on it
now. When we settled in Beverly, the Clyde settlement waa
quite a Highland Colony, all different Clans being well repre-
sented by such families as the McColls, Mclnnes, McKenzies,.
Duncgn Gillis, Dune, and Arch. McKellar, and the McPhersons,
McBains, Camerons, McRaes, McLeans, and Simon Fraser, and
all ever ready to give a stranger a good Highland welcome, and
all have passed away with the exception of Mrs. McKellar, Mrs.
McBain and Mrs. Gillis. I must congratulate you on your
letters, they are well arranged and very interesting to ajl Jovera

of old Beverly.

Sincerely yours,

Alex. McDonald.

Old residents of the northern part of Beverly will recollect
that early in the '40s John Anderson was well known as an ex-
pert in the threshing line. One day in '43 Mr. James Wight,
having secured his services, sent the following invitation in
rhyme to Wm. Johnston, a neighbor, to come over and help : —

"Sir, if it your pleasure be,

Come, or send one unto me.

For Anderson will be this day.

And nought but sickness can him stay.

And then to-uiorrow in the sun.

His daily course begins to run ;

He will parade before your hall.

With men and horse just at your call ;

And I with him if it's expedient,

I— I am, sir, your most ooedient,

James Wight."

THE CLYDE LETTER.

Li • OB

'* the foilowioK impromptu •_ "^ """" "' ?«?«■• and
What is your '^f '""'^'■"a''d.

By th,sfa'r„"uX :;:: """ "^"'"-'^

Yo" are sublime abol'™' "'^■""'«-
Your ideas so^r te °?/'''"'P''<>»-

What you ^a/^lr/rS""'

One ont'°"""°' "'"--« P"'-."
less, conceive?""'*"' °' ■■hy„sters, who wiJI h k

«- oAhTdiiriersr ^"'.''" ^«-"o for:n';oTr-

'* Ye muse sublime senH f« *u
Assist me to in^Ue '^ ^^"'^ ^^''^'

An arduous passion ii „.y breast
Now urges me to write '

To one that I in secret love

Love burns an endless flame"-
^•ven this ardent avowal H,H „ . •
consummation devoutly tTbetisTed " "'""'' "^'"^ ""out the
Perhaps a few of f h i^ '*"ea.

pointed description of XXtZZr'^'"''^^ ''"-tt.
aence. There .s quaintnesx and humor Ih V"" ""^ """ir resi.

As years anH o^^„ _.. . "''^ —

„ . ■ 'oiotJH W]

T™dir;rm"emrbrr''^"»«-
-■e-.oodahr:io^r:;"rptr

I" It there hveci a wondrous race.
Wi double joints.

THE PIONEERS OP BEVERLY.

It (vas an auld log an' shingled biggin',
The noon-day sun blinked thro' the riggin',
'Twas fitted best for swine to live in,

Or hatch in' fleas ;
Or garter snakes to dance a jig in,

In summer days."

Elliott's talent for versification was perhaps better shown
in several more aspirinc: pieces, which have appeared in print.
•'I was weel and wad be better" has the ring and pathos of
true poetry about it, and is of recognized merit. " As the
mantle of n'ght in the morning was gone ; " " Scotland I love
thee tho' far, far away, are also worthy of mention.

Sandy Morrison ! How the name awakens old time recol-
lections ! Many a reader of this paper will cause his men)ory
to fly back to his school days in the '40s, when this versatile,
well-informed, but erratic son of the muse, wielded the birch in
the " old log cabin," used as a school house. Morrison had un-
doubted talent and he formed one of the coterie who delighted
to wile away the evening hours by talking about their favorite
poets. Not inifrequently did they recite verses of their own
composition, and there ate those still living, who as boys, re-
member listening with something like awe to the conversations
of these men, who to them were beings of another world
almost. I will not attempt at present to give any of Morrison's
more pretentious pieces, but he too was considerable of a wag.
A brother school teacher had fallen desparately in love with a
fair damsel on the 9th Concession, and had made but little pro-
gress in his suit. Morrison recited his woes in a poem, which
commenced as fellows :-

'*'Tis the fall of the year and the trees are preparing
To throw off their verdure which once was so green ;
F am dull, I confess, but by no means despairing,
Tho' fickle and false is the heart of my Jean."

The name of Sandy Dalgliesh also comes in here to make
up the old-time party, whose names were household words in
the northern part of the Township, but I have no means of
placing any of his verses on record. Perhaps some one better
acquainted with him would be able to supply the blank.

Well, I take to the road again. I have had my dinner, feel
much better, always do after dinner, so I take leave of my

THE CLYDE LETTER. 67

friends, Anderson, McPhatter and McKellar, thank Mrs. Fer-
guson for her kindness, and accompanied by the Reeve, go
west on the 9th Concession, across the Clyde side-road on the
east side of Lot 6. This lot was first taken up by James Elliott,
and is occupied by his son at the present time. I believe his
wife is still living. I now go west on the 9th Concession, to
Lot 5, now occupied by William Riddle. This farm was settled
first in 18Ji4 by one McNabb, who lived upon it until 1888, when
he sold out to Wm. Riddle, sr., father of the present occupant.
His widow is still living upon the farm. Farther west to Lot
4, which was first settled by Janies Clouting, but after his
decease it fell into the hands of his son, Joseph Clouting, now
of Gait. Lot 3 was taken up by one Winters, who sold it to
the late James Clouting about the year 1840. Joseph Clouting
also owns this farm. Both of these places are now occupied by
D. McDermott. Farther west to Lot 2. This place was first
taken up by Nelson McC^arty, but is now owned by Charles
McKilligan, who settled on the farm in 1831, and as Mr. Mc-
Killigan is one of the very few early settlers whom we meet in
going through the Township, I feel like giving him more than
a passing notice. He is one of the oldest elders in Knox
Church, Gait, having been ordained to that office in the year
1845, when the late Dr. Bayne had charge of the congregation.
Mr. McKilligan thinks that he and James Cowan, Esq., of Gait,
are the two oldest elders in the church to which he belongs.
He gave me many incidents which took place in the early days
of Beverly, relating the great change that fifty years have
brought about ; also about two young men getting drowned in
a pond on the farm now occupied by George G. Nichol, son of
the late Martin Nichol. Our informant says that one Jamieson
lived on this place for several years. On the north end of the
8th Concession, nearly opposite Mr. McKilligan's on the 9th
Concession, Mr. Morris Shellard lives. He is a very old and
respected resident. Mr. Morris Shellard came in and settled
on the farm he now lives on ia the year 1838. He came from
England in the year 1830, and eight years aftei wards moved on
to his present farm. His son, Morris, is on the old homestead,
with his father. His son, Thomas, on a farm near by. Mr.
Shellard purchased both of these farms from the McColl family.
When he took up the farm it was all bush, and for some tinje
he had to carry all his provisions upon his bacR from Gait to

68 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

his little woody home in Beverly, and the old gentleman tells
us that many a time he would be chased by the wolves that
were so numerous in those early days of our now happy and
quiet homes. Mr. Shellard was married in 18135, fifty-three
years ago, and they are the only couple living for many miles
around among the old settlers, for the few old settlers whom
we find living, we find them finishing their journey alone. Mr.
and Mrs. Shellard are exceptions to this rule. They started
together in the freshness of their youth to make a home for
themselves in the forest over fifr,y years ago, and to-day, side
by side, they are approaching the banks of the river. In 1837
Mr. Shellard had some business which brought him to Gait.
That was during the time of the Rebellion. He says that nearly
every man who lived in Gait at that time was on Main street
bridge, and they would not let him go across as they took him
for a spy. They told him that the Rebels had taken Paris and
that Paris was all burned to the ground, which turned out to
be only a rumor. The south half of Lot 1, in the 0th Conces-
sion, was first taken up by one Hobson, who sold out to one
James Henderson after making a little clearing in 181^7 or 1838,
and a few years ago Henderson sold out to John Caldwell, of
the Gait Nursery.

I turn my horse which has so faithfully carried me over all
the ground to hunt up the early history of this, my native
Township. I almost think I should leave her name to poster-
ity. She has been ray principal companion. But, oh ! what a
difference between us ! She, to her eighteen or twenty years,
and then oblivion ; I, to my three score years and ten, and then
eternity. Yes, every man has got a history, and what is the
last act or where is the last chapter, or where will it end, or is
it like sound never ceasing to exist ? but once when it starts
out keeps going on and on, vibrating through the air. Will
some one take it up fifty years hence where I have left off, and
give the next generation the history of our Township, during
the next half century ? But I arouse from my reverie, I am
tired. I pull up again on the 8th (Concession, at the house of
Mr. Alfred Main. The Reeve is still with me. I wondered if
he did not think that he had got into a cash job ; but I came
out ahead, for I never asked him for his charges, that being
the only way to get something for nothing that I knew of.
The farm which Alfred Main now owns and occupies was

THE CLYDE LETTER. 09

taken up by his father, Adam Main. I did not get the date of
his settlement, but it was early, in fact among the first in the
neighborhood. He had two other sons besides Alfred, John
and David, besides a number of uaughters. John lives some-
where north of Guelph, and .John near Sheflfield. I think that
David Main, son of Adam Main, was the ftrst settler on the
farm at Clj'de, the lot where the store is on, and now occupied
by Mr. Brice. I now go a little farther south to the next farm
now owned and occupied by John Scott. This lot was taken
up and settled about the same time as Adam Main's by George
Weaver, brother of the late Peter Weaver, whom I mentioned
in a former letter. Weaver sold to the late Samuel Congo,
and he in turn sold to Archibald Scott, father of the present
owner. The farm now owned and occupied by Nelson Culham
was taken up in 1824 by the late Samuel Markle, who lived for
the firsi year in the house along with David Mulholland, son
of Hugh, of Troy, whom I also mentioned in some foimer let-
ters, until Markle could get a place cleared for a house. And
here we can see the acts of kindness which those early settlers
showed to each other, without which it would have been al-
most impossible for then, to have got along. The farm after-
wards fell into the hands of Alexander Markle, son of Samuel
Markle, from whom Nelson Culham purchased. There was
another son and a daughter — the late Adam Markle, of the
Township of Waterloo, and Mrs. Henry Sipes of Beverly.
Alexander and Mrs. Sipes are still living. It was upon this
farm that the first school house was built in that section It
was built upon the north-east corner of the farm, and the late
James Hill, who owned the farm on the Markle farm, was the
first teacher that I can learn of. A new stone school house
was afterwards built a little farther north on Alfred Main's
place. The present teacher is a lady, Miss Beemish, of near
London, Ont.

I now turn to the east along the old Gait Road which 1
described in my Kirkwall letter and pass the farm now owned
by Samuel Sipes. Many years -ago it was occupied by Mr.
Hume, father of Gavin Hume, of Gait. I do not know whether
he was the first settler or not, but if not he was early. Farther
on, where Robert Cleland now resides, a man by the name of
Burbanks lived and was an early settler. The road here takes
a turn to the south, when yon pass on the west side of the road

THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

the old homestead where Enoch Cornell settled. It now be-
longs to the family of the late Hugh Harvie. On the left hand
side of the road is the old Harvie homestead, occupied by
Andrew Harvie, and it would be only just to this gentleman,
Andrew Harvie, to say that he has done more than any other
man we know of to improve the breed of horses in this section
of country. He has imported no less than five Clydesdale
horses from Scotland, besides one he lost upon the ocean, and
among horsemen his is a honsehold name, and will be re-
membered after he is dead. On a little farther south to t le
place which George Smie occupies, a man by the name of Ship-
man was one of the early settlers. J. Shipman, of Sheffield, is
one of his sons. A little farther south, on the east side of the
road, I come to the end of my journey in the Clyde Settlement
to the farm now occupied by Samuel Grummet. The place
was settled about forty years ago by his father, John Grummet,
whom I spoke of in my Sheffield letter. I now pass the Shef-
field Cemetery, take a glance at the last resting-place of many
of our forefathers, and go home to get some rest.

THE COPETOWN LETTER.

and ,„ drivin over this secHo,^ • " '"' '""'"'"■ent by itaelf

h,s ataost lost scbject r«n™ h\Ttt"' "' '""-"-«--" "p'n

the other parts of the Townshir, f , ^^ ""' ""» e-tception to

s I.ke hunting „p the dy C.o h'et" h"""'' ^^^^e^b^t \°

-on. "".3tgoi„'trob,iWor:'l! '^'"^''- 'f »<" oblain^d very
■« nearly loaded ; and the ml ^ "' '" °"'«'' P'»™« the Ihio
■•ope to give the last call ; 'h"v !» ' *"'. ""'^ '"'nd "» the bel,
hanner and pennant is fl;ing ^and ,t'""^'"« ■"■■■ ^«"« ' ever"
nmnd of the Captain tocut h^awav^ "! """'""« '"eU
nave not been narf i*,! f« "^^away from her moorino-s tu

emblems are thrThistll" t^ RoT"""; "'"""■«" """'^n-ncfp:^
a Royal yacht, her pa^senge!. " !' h "" ""^ ^hamrock.'^ She fs
almost fancy that I ,„o would l?ke t T™' ^"'^ '""■"'ne^ and T
»"th her the fathomless deep n , " ^' "" "erdeck totrave se
her passengers , r wish to get'the^r ' ^ f " """""^ ' '^"'"t to see
them ,nto the big album, t1,e n^,hH'^'""°«™P''^' Iwanttopm
who shall live in Beverly ,,1'^^''" T"' » 'hat the peonte
not only know by what sh n h "'"'^ '"•"'•^ ^om no.v shalt

-hat they did befLeth^trXr'rhi;';- ''"'^'«"' ■'"o"

"pon that long and unknown

72 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

journey ; and although as the time rolls on for fifty or a hun-
dred years, each decade loaded with its mighty changes, that
although within its borders may be many towns and cities, I
wish the people who shall then inhabit those future towns and
cities not only to know that in the distant past the place was a
howling wilderness, but that it held the labors of those old
pioneers in just estimation, and was proud to have it known
that we were their descendants. Another thing that we are fre-
quently reminded of in going through the township is the great
ditference between the people of those former times and the
people of to-day ; their habits ; their mode of living ; their
mode of transportation ; the advantages the people of to-day
have over those of their forefathers. "When you study the his-
tory of our township back for fifty or eighty years, can we
wonder at these old men with their knowing looks, saying : —
*' Young man, do not drive so fast ! " And while we admit that
for the people of to-day the old way of living is too tedious and
irksome, and people live faster, move faster, think faster than
in former times, that our old men were willing to work for the
bread they ate and the cup of milk which they drank when
weary, that the young men have made servants of iron and fire
and water and have converted them into curious combinations
to do the work that was done in those early days by human
hands ; yet these old mea have set us a grand example and by
that taught us that improvement was the order of life, progress
the law of society, and the old men and the young men of our
township should work shoulder to shoulder, and while the
young men are dragging the car the old men can guide and
control it. Acting in this way, Baverly will one day become a
grand spoke in that mighty wheel which will make this be-
loved Canada of ours a great and flourishing country.

But I arrive at Lynden, and start in search of parties who
could give me information by calling at the house of my old
friend Robert Thompson, who has long been a resident of that
part of the township, for the purpose of getting other names
besides his own to whom I might apply for information re-
garding the early history of that part of the township. When
Mr. Thom pson gave me the names of the very few who were
still living, who could be of any benefit to me, some verses
which I committed to memory when a bov came to my mind.
They are these, and were taken from Moore's poems :

ROBERT THOMPSON
'^™ '" »'"-'>■• Ma. 3rd, ,823.

THE COPETOWN LETTER. 78

" When I remember all

The friends so link'd together,

I've seen around me fall,

Like leaves in wint'ry weather ;

I feel like one

Who treads alone,
Some banquet hall deserted ;

Whose lights are fled,

Whose garland's dead,
And all but me departed.

Thus in the stilly night

Ere slumber';, chain had bound me.

Sad memory brings the light

( :f other days around nie."

The village of Lynden is something like the town of Paris,
a couple of stations ab vo it. Both are on what is known as
the Crovernor's Road, and when the old Great Western Railway
was built, it did not go to either of these places, so they went
to the railroad, but by 1 r the largest business portion of the
village is that part near the railway.

In the year 1705 Wm. Cope, his wife, five sons and aged
mother settled in Beverly on Lots 31, 32 and 33, Cone. 1. Ten
years previous to this (1785) they left their home in New York
State, near the Catskill Mountains. They were U. E. Loyalists,
and after the war undertook the then perilous journey from
New York State to Western Canada. Carrying their house-
hold goods with them, they travelled many weary miles. The
first ten years were spent at Fort Niagara. Then they moved
inland and purposed taking up land where the city of Hamilton
now stands, but were driven farther inland by the mosquitoes
and rattle-snakes, and finally settled in Beverly in the spring
of 1795. They were among the first settlers in this part of the
country, which was then a dense wildei uess, and there com-
menced the long and hard struggles of pioneer life. Their first
occupation was to build themselves a cabin, their only imple-
ments being an augur and an axe ; for roofing they used bass
wood bark. Then they cleared a small space and planted corn.
The nearest store was Niagara, so they could not get even a

74 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

yard of cotton or a handkerchief without going fifty miles for
it. On one occasion a member of the family brought home a
magnificent calico dress for his eldest daughter, whici cost a
dollar a yard, and which was the envy of neighboring belles
and was loaned far and iiear for such occasions as camp-meet-
ings and weddings. The old gentleman and his youngest son,
Jacob, settled on the north half of Lot 31, the farm now
owned by Mrs. Robert Echlin. The eldest son, William, went
to Long Point ; the second son, Henry, settled on Lot 132, a part
of which is still owned by a descendant of his, Mr. N ^ Cope ;
Thomas settled on the south fifties of Lots 31 and 'SL .e of his
sons, Mr. David Cope, of St. George, is still living at the age of
80. Mr. Boughner is the present owner of the farm. Conradt
took up Lot 33 ; he sold the south fifty to Mr. Herly and the
north fifty to Mr. Allen. It is now owned by Mr. F. W.
Cornell. Conradt Cope outlived all his sons ; two of his daugh-
ters survived him, one is still living in Michigan. There are
none living bearing the name, but the family is still represented
in Beverly by his two granddaughters, Mrs. Robert luksetter,
who was horn and still lives on the old homestead, her husband
having bought it from the heirs. He has since added to it the
south fifty acres and enough more to make a farm of over three
hundred acres. Mrs. Sol. Field, the other granddaughter, lives
in Copetown. Much could be written of their early struggles,
of their fight to protect their stock from wolves and bears.
One of their worst difficulties was in getting their corn ground
into fiour. To overcome this, a mortar and pestle were made of
hard wood, and here of an evening the neighbors would gather
and pound their corn into fiour. Their clothing was made of
flax, spun and woven into coarse linen. They brought apple
seeds with them, and there are still standing venerable trees,
mementoes of the old settlers.

The Cope family were remarkably hardy, as will be seen
from the fact that each of the five sons lived to be over 80, and
one. Conradt, reached 97 years, and after his hard struggles
his latter years were spent in peace, surrounded by his grand"
children and great-grandchildren.

But as I intend to notice the village of Lynden at some
future time, I leave it for the present, go south to the Gover-
nor's Road or township line between Beverly and Ancaster,

THE COPETOWN LETTER. 75

and turn to ray left towards Copetown, another village some
five miles east ot Lynden. After I had turned on the Gover-
nor's road, I met an old man, and thinking that I might get
some information from him, he replied that he did not live in
Beverly.

Down the Governor's road towards the town of Dundas,
with Ancaster on the one side and Beverly upon the other, you
see as fine a section of country as any person could wish to
see. To contrast it with the north part ot Beverly, which I
have described in some of my former letters, would be almost
out of place. However, as I am not engaged as an assessor,
but to write up the early history of the township, I go on with
my work by calling upon James Bishop, John Bennett, Henry
Bugner, and Mr. and Mrs. Inksetter, as well as Mr. Henry
Howard, near Lynden, and while I have been unable to trace
up thus far the history of our township beyond 18()0 and 1810,
with the exception of one man to 1800, — the man, Peck, and
readers will recollect that I said that there was nothing known
of him, only by the small clearing which he made just south of
Sheffield, which bore his name. In the Copetown section we
are unable to go much further back, away in the 1790's,
and find the descendants of those very early pioneers still liv-
ing in the section, beside a few who came in early in 1800.

In five years more— yes, in 1894—1 will have lived one hun-
dred years in Beverly ; and what a panorama I have got on
exhibition ! Reader, sit down beside me ; watch the canvas as
it revolves ; look at the pictures ; mark the contrast !

In the year 1794 a very few families living in one cor-
ner—they would hardly be missed from where they came,—
in 1888 the people are numbered by the thousands ! In 1794 we
see that little band going all the way to Niagara to get to a
store — in 1888 surroutided by towns and cities, where millions
of dollars of wealth are spread over a very few acres of land.
That is the old stage coach stuck in the mud, — that is the
whistling engine and the rattling car as she goes flying along
and has made distance a thing of the past. That is the noble
horse carrying his rider through the bush, — we do not need
him any more, we send our news now with lightning speed.
See that man in the Halls of Legislation, he has conie to be
one of the Councillors of the Nation ; he is a Beverly boy. In
looking at that picture we sometimes think it a pity that his

76 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

poor old mother, who worked so hard to provide for and edu-
cate him, could not have lived to hear him make his first
speech. But my time is up, the curtain falls, and no matter
how hard I try to get ahead, I find myself still in the Cope-
town section. I forgot to say in my last letter that the greater
portion of the information given in my last letter, dating from
March 1st, ISIil, was obtained from Henry Bugner, and that he
is now about 80 years of age. I now go to John Bennett, Esq.,
another old resident of that section, to get the balance of my
Copetown sketch. Mr. Bennett has occupied many prominent
positions in the township tor many years. There was another
party I called upon in that section. I refer to Mr James
Bishop. After giving the balance of the Copetown letter, I
will append aletter from Mr. R. M.Cope. Mr. C. is a son of David
Cope, of St. George, and will be remembered by many of our
readers

The south part of the first Concession of the Township of
Beverly, from Lot 14 to Lot 29 : — Lot 14 was settled by Daniel

Blasdeil about the year 1827 or 1828, and is now owned by

Whittington. Lot 15 was settled by Thos. Smith in 1822 or 182:3,
and is now owned by Thomas Dvment. Lot 16 was settled by
Isaac Blasdeil. He must have settled there very early in the
present century, for in 1818 there was an orchard of bearing
apple trees on the place. It is now owned, a part by his son,
Isaac, a part by Samuel Draper, and a part by Peter Weaver.
(Since the above was written I was told by Jaaies Bishop,
grandson of Mr. Blasdeil, that his mother told him that Blas-
deil settled on Lot 16 in 1800 or 1801.) Lot 17, the west half
was settled by .Tames Bishop in 1838 and is still owned by him.
The east half was settled by James Lov^egrove in 1835 and is
now owned by W. Carter. Lot 18 was settled by Thomas
Taylor and James Long in 1835 and is now owned by Charles
Rung and George Howard. Lot 10 was settled by John Weaver
in 1825 and is now owned by John Boyle, except ten acr^s off the
south-east corner, owned by Henry Kitchen of Anca8ter,and one
acre off the south-west corner owned by Oliver Weaver, Lot 20
was settled by Robert Hanmiill in the year 1819 and isnowowned
by David Patterson, of Dundas. and occupied by Wanup. Lot
21 was settled by Joshua Cope in 1816, who cleared a few acres,
and while raising a house there came up a wind and rain-storm,
-and while he was running to some trees to get shelter from the

THE COPETOWN LETTER.

"T"""'"" "y John Benneu L,l°'' ""^"^ »'^"™- ""^ it fa

W,ll,am Dy,„e„t. Lot 23 mu.t hlvt ? "^ " """' ""-""l by
the century. In i»i jf ,, T ^^ "^^e been settled verv « ■,. •

^hink nu.f hav: i^eV f\\^rt"of ^^^ '^^^^^ tre^rh^eV?
was owned by Jacob and Jo enfa n! f '""" ^^^'•«' growth and
Mr. Dyment. Lot 24 was s^m ^? ^^' ^"^ '« »«w owned bv

1891 ^"T.'^'^^ '"^"'^d on it first ^ ,^>°^ent. Lot 25, I do
1821 and it had then the p^f ^^^P'^^" Nisbet Jived on it/n

k«own as the Able LZ TZttl?- '"'""' ■" '"e farm that is
B nnett in the year 1816, and :^,? „" ^ITf'" "^ *'»"^«-
,p Bennett was to remain t n .u '*'"' '" the year of

^old to the Miseners at «"sle H I"""*' "^ '«18- Wed °

f-t"i^:rarfrrhr ^""^ -""^-'-^ o^i'd^-th^

■ttle boys, a.ed /anTft The 'litr?' ""''■ '^""^^ -d two

hate„o,osed the house; whil thl, -' '""'•o ""'«"« the fleTd

looking up they saw on; of L I "''' '•^"''^ « "oise and

he bear, ,vith his paws on tl,e h °' ^^^ ''"' before she s"w
took up a dry limb that lay on thf ""« """ P^"- "-"^t Shi

re dr'tol'" "''■ '"'«- '"a WeX: Tad """" '"^"''-^
lTa;;dl/"'"™^"- *^ '"■'e there t^o of K™'""' "" ''e got

• mmm

78 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

that had been caught. While there a sturgeon came swim-
ming up the creek and stopped near the edge of the water,
where the water was so shallow that it seemed to rest upon the
rock. The girls being frightened at the monster, ran to the
house screaming, and said there was some big animal down in
the creek. Their brother, Thomas, a stout lad of 16, took his
spear and ran down to the creek and speared the monster aad
brought it to the house, and there it floundered about bravely
for a short time.

The following is Mr. Cope's letter :

AXTELL, Neb., Nov. 24th, 1888.

Dear Sir,— From the tenor of your note requesting my
early recollections of the township of Beverly, it would seem
you infer that I am a Beverlonian. Such is not the fact. My
father moved from Copetown to Dumfries and settled on a
farm near St. George, in what year I am unable to say. Never-
theless, it was there that on the 25th of November, 182i), I first
saw the light, but although not born in Beverly, I was reared
within sight of her towering pines and had more friends and
relatives within her borders than in Dumfries. I have always
been highly pleased with Mr. Cornell's letters to the papers
previous to the series he has recently contributed on the Town-
ship of Beverly, and if I can be of any assistance to him in his
laudable enterprise, 1 am happy. Although not personally
acquainted with him, I knew nis grandfather and have fre-
que'"*'" been in his church and heard him tell his hearers the
way they should go. So far as the Copes of Copetown go, I
probably know less about them than Mr. Cornell. I certainly
know more of their early history since reading his letters than
before.

I was much pleased at Mr. Holcomb's description of that
queer old pedagogue, Solomon P. Thayer. He was my first
teacher, and the house in which he taught was a log building,
perhaps fifteen feet square, with a fireplace that would hold at
least half a cord of wood, and was used not only as a school
room but as a kitchen, dining room and sleeping room also.
He was what now-a-days would be called a crank. Sonjetimes
he would get off his base altogether. At such times he would
adjourn the school, and meander about the country talking to
himself, as harmless as a goose and with just about as much
sense. On one of these occasions he came to our house and said

THE COPETOWN LETTER. 79

to mother, " The Lord commanded me to come and tell you to
fry me three esfgs." Ot course an order from such high author-
ity was promptly attended to. And yet withal he was in many
respects a good teacher, and numbers of young men who after-
ward became quite famous, came long distances to attend his
school ; among them were E. B. Wood, late chief justice of
Manitoba ; Donald McLean, late revenue collector of Guelph ;
Dr. Picton, Brown and others.

As I am now speaking of teachers, I cannot stop until I say
something about another. When Mr. Holcomb, sr., was pre-
paring to move to Canada, Mrs. Holcomb, accompanied by her
son, preceded him, stopping for a time with Ambrose Clemens,
a relative. I cannot tell what year it was, but Mr. Holcomb, jr.,
"Johnnie" he was then called, will know when I tell him that
whenever anybody inquired his age, the inevitable reply was
" free years old last auger." The school house was just across
the road and the distiict sadly in need of a teacher. Mrs. Hol-
comb was persuaded to teach the school, and let me say right
here that for all the education I have which has ever been of
any practical use to me, I am indebted to Mrs. Holcomb.
Cobb's Spelling Book, Dayboll's Arithmetic, and Kirkham's
Grammar, — ccme to think of it, perhaps I had better omit the
Grammar. She had the most executive ability of any person
[ ever saw, man or woman. If a boy six feet high transgressed
the rules, she would talk to him so that in five minutes he
would feel like sinking through a hole in the floor and pulling
the hole in after him. After they moved on to the farm called
the " Squire Murray place," the people again urged her to con-
tinue to teach the '* young idea how to shoot." A large room
which had been used as a sumnier kitchen was fitted up and
she taught there one or two terms. And this reminds me of an-
other man, and a Beverly man, too, that ought to revere the
memory of Mrs. Holcomb when she taught our school. A boy
named Albert Sn»ith, whose father lived on the farm now
owned by James Sager, attended. He was a cripple and walked
on crutches. After they moved to the farm the distance was
too great, and he could not go. Almost everybody in that section
knew that Mr. Holcomb always kept a good many horses and
many know that he sometimes traded horses also, and
Mrs. H. felt so much interested in the ciippled boy that she
prevailed upon her husband to loan him a pony, so he might

80 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

lide to school, which he did for the entire summer. He is still
living in Beverly, near Troy, if I am not mistaken. I sincerely
hope Mr. Cornell may succeed in getting out his book and reap
as rich a reward pecuniarily as I know he will from the grati-
tude of his fellow-townsmen.

Always yoxirs,

R. M. Cope.

I submitted a number of questions to David (;oj»e, Esq., of
St. George, and the following is the substance of his reply to
my questions :

Mr. Cope's grandfather and family moved from a place
called Fishkill or Catskill in New York State, near the Hudson
River. They were U. E. Loyalists, but did not come to Cana-
da till the time had expired for their claiming laud. His
grandfather and uncle both belonged to the British Array.
They settled just where Copetown is situated now, about 1794
or 1795, and trom this family the place took its name. His
grandfather's name was William, and he lived till he was 94
years of age. He was a German and had four sons. Henry
lived till he was 85, and Conrad till he was 97 ; Thomas, the
father of D. Cope, moved west and died in Caradock, aged 94 ;
Jacob moved to Beverly Gore and died in his 82nd year. The
other sons of Thomas, besides David, in St. George, are Wil-
liam who went to Michigan and died there ; Christopher is in
Chicago ; Henry is in IngersoU. Their mother's name was
Fanny Culp, who died at the age of 92 or 93 years. There was
also living in Michigan two sons and one daughter of Jacob.
The first Postmaster's name was Milne. Do not know what
the price of land was at that time. Through Copetown the
roads were very fair, the rest of Beverly had corduroy road.
The Governor's Road got its name from Governor Maitland,
who came through there and went from Dundas to London.
The name Copetown was misleading, as strangers used to ask
Mr. Cope when he was a boy where Copetown was and were
surprised to learn that they were " right in the city." They
evidently looked for a town. West of (/opetown there lived a
man named David Shannon, who used to say that he was one
of Butler's Rangers. He had four sons. To the east of where
his father lived, there resided a man named Gabriel Cornell,
who had nine sons. That family are all dead now. To the
east, and just on the edge of Ancaster, there was a grist mill.

THE COPETOWN LETTER. 81

built by Jacob Darby somewhere about 1816 or 1817. This was
afterwards purchased by a firm named Dressor & Munson, who
turned it into a carding mill, for carding wool. Immediately
below that there was a saw mill, owned by Jf)hn Aikn)an.
That was near what is called the Sulphur iSprings now, anil
which was supposed to be the most romantic spot in Canada.
To the north-west of the mill, about half a mile, there lived
fiJbenezer Goodhill and Reuben Drake. The lattei* went west
afterwards. Tliis was on the Ancaster side of the Governor's
Road. Close to the same place there lived a man named Mc-
Kay, who was great-grandfather to Jas. and Wm. Vanatter,
of St. Geoige. Further west there lived Petei" Templer, one of
the best farmers in that part. His son married a daughter of
Gabriel Cornell. Thos. Waugh lived next to Templer. He
had three sons, who were all f<\rming in the neighborhood.
Waugh was related to J. R. Waugh and Henry Howell, of St.
George. Peter Bawtinhimer lived a little to the south. .)os.
Kitchen's place was a little to the south of the station. Tyse
and Heniy Crysler also resided in that neighborhood, al?o
John Bawtinhimer. North of Copetown there lived Andrew
Jones and R. Vansickie. and a little to the east John Vansickle
father of R. Vansickie, with another son. On the township
road, where they cut through to go to Waterloo, there was an
old (German, a blacksmith. He was about the only settler on
that road at that time. Two miles to the north-west of Cope-
town was what is now called Thompson's Corners. Jepthey
Skinner, and two or three other families, of Griffiths, lived
there at that time. Enos Griffith was the first man
to go to get them to settle in Dumfries, and his brother
followed him a few years afterwards. Mr. Cope remembers,
when a boy, going with a number of others from Thompson's
Corner to Duujfries, just north of St. George, for huckleberries,
and on that road there was not a single settler. Wolves were
plentiful at that time and they used to disturb the settlers at
night by the noise they made.

There was no meeting place then and people used to gather
in the houses, and while one of those services was just begni
ning one evenmg, the preacher looked out of the window and
saw a wildcat coming near the house. A gun was procured and
the anintiU shot.

82 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Soon after the war three or four tribes of Indians settled
near Copetown, at what was called the '* Four Corners." Tliey
were not particular what they took or who it belonged to.

The first school house was. built about a mile south of An-
caster, but I can't give the date. George Neiil first taught
there. Theie was also a tannery in Copetown at that tiine,
kept by John (line.

When I settled in Copetown, March Ist, 1834, the village
was small. There was a tannery and a shoemaker shop, owned
by Jasper G> Dresser ; a blacksmith shop I bought from George
Drake, beginning business for myself ; a log tavern, kept by
Henry Clinton ; and a Methodist Church on the Ancaster side
of the Governor's Road. Robert Courson or Elder Ryan, as
near as I can ascertain, was the first preacher : and a hewed
log school house, on the Beverly side, taught by one Hume, I
think. In 1834 I bought a lot on the Beveily side and built a
wagon shop in connection with the blacksmith shop, where I
continued to do business until I sold to the Railroad Co. in
1853, moving my shop a few rods west ou to 50 acres of land 1
bought from John McKenzieand Oscar Howell "»n the Ancaster
side. Moving onto the farm I now live on, and selling out to
Ahram Horning, that closed my residence on the Ancaster
side. When the Railroad Co. commenced grading the road,
Juspef- G. Dresser built ^tore and started a grocery. Through
his influence and aiuj w succeeded in getting a postofflce, he
being the first postmaster, until he left. A few years after-
wards the office was moved a quarter of a mile further west,
on the Beverly side, and kept by other parties. Soon after-
wards it was moved on to the Ancaster side, and is now kept
by George W. Howell, who is doing a large business in a grocery
and dry goods store. The village now extends to the railroad
station, about a mile west of where it was when I came to
Copetown. There have been a great many changes since 1
came here, the older ones and those of my own age — now in my
80th year — are nearly all gone, most of them have died here,
tlu' rest moving away. There are but four living on the Beverly
side, George Jones and wife, Mrs. Jacob Cope, and Mr. John
Vansickle. When I came to Copetown this corner of Bev^erly
was settled by the Copes, Vansickles and Cornells ; now there
is but one family by the name of Cope left, Nelson, wife, and
three children, and his mother, and but one family of Van-

•

THE COPETOWN LETl'ER. 8B

sickles, Robert, his family, and his mother, Francis Cornell and
his family, the only Cornell family. There is a brick Methodist
chnrch built opposite the railroad station, on the Ancaster side
and a fine brick parsonaKe on the Beverly side. Mr. Forman,
the resident preacher, occupies the house now.

Commencing at Lot No. IM), 1st Cone , to Lot No. 25, the lot
was first owned by one Corwine, at that time living in the
Township of Stamford. He sold the south 50 acres to William
Clinton. Clinton sold centre 100 acres to Rinear Vansickle.
Corwine sold north 50 acres to Martin Wood ; Wood to Bruce ;
Bruce to Oatman, the present owner, south 50 acres Clinton to
James Fields ; Fields to Thomas Kennedy, sr. At his death he
willed it to his son, Thomas, the present owner. On this lot
O. & N. Phelps built a steam saw mill near the railroad station,
doing a large business for a few years, then moving the
machinery to Barrie and starting a mill there. At Rinear Van-
sickle's death his son, Jacob, came in posse sion of the lot. He
sold to Wra. Smith ; Smith to Richard Biggs ; Biggs to Chas.
Echiin, the present owner of Lot 29. Gilbert C. Fields, sr., was
the first settler from Niagara District. He sold the north 50
acres to Peter Wood. He l)uilt a steam saw mill on the lot,
doing a large business for a number of years. Timber getting
scarce, he pulled down the n)ill and rented the place to Thomas
Misener, the present occupant. The south 150 acres at his
death came in pos^^ession of his son, Solomon, who still owns it,
with the exception of the right-of-way to railroad company and
some in village lots. Lot 28 was first settled by on 3 Shannon.
At his death his soii, John, came in possession. He sold to
James Crooks ; Crooks to David Camp; also the south end to
John Elliot, sr., who built a water saw mill on the end of the lot.
He bought the centre 50 acres from Camp. The reet of the
north half was sold to Peter Wood. Wood sold to Sharp, the
present owner. Wood is now living in Brantford. The south
end was sold to Joseph Bowman, who re-modeled the mill into
steam mill, thinking it was rather too slow and old-looking for
him, where he did an extensive business for a number of
years and still runs the mill every spring, sawing custom logs
and what he can buy himself. There is a shingle machine in
connection with the mill. Lot 27, 1st Cone, was granted to
Joseph Darby. Darby sold to Japeth Skinner in 1822; Skin-

IMAGE EVA> UATION
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THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

ner the south half to James Kitchen in 1828 ; Kitchen to Henry
Head, who remained on it until his death in 1872— forty-four
years. At his death his son, Thomas, came in possession and
is the present occupant.

J^^ • * J

THE ORKNEY LETTER.

As the readers of the Pioneers of beverly will recollect
in introducing the Copetown letter, I told them that I
would divide the letter into three sections, Copetown
proper, Orkney and Lynden.

In taking up the Orkney letter I intend to extend my des-
criptive history eat,t of the township line between Beverly
and West Flamboro', and take in what is known as the "Chris-
tie Church," and in doing so I may have to trespass a little
across our boundary line in order to reach some parties who
took a prominent part along with our own citizens in erecting
that place of worship, and here, as in other places in the town-
ship, we see that although many of the people of that day had
left the scene'3 of their youtn and had gone many miles over
land and sea ; that although they had left the parental roof
and all the nistraining influences of home, to hunt a home in
the wild west, they never forgot that mother's prayer nor that
father's blessing, and at a very early day there were places
erected where these early settlers could go from their log
cabins through the bush and worship the God of their fathers,
and I am only sorry that in our noble Queen's reply to the
African Chief, when she showed him a copy of the Bible and
told him that was the secret of Britain's greatness, that she
did not add that one of the first acts of my subjects away in
the wild- woods of Beverly was to erect the standard by which
nations stand, for when we study the rise and fall of nations
we always find where a nation has fallen, their gods went
with them ; and I would like to leave this impression on the

86 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

minds of the people of to-day, to use these old people as an ex-
ample and try and leave the world better than we find it. But
I am always digressing and getting away from my subject and
seem to forget that it is the Historv of Beverly which [ am
writing.

" Orkney," or " Thompson's Corners," as it is better known,
is situated about three and a half miles a little north-east of
Lynden and about three miles north-west of Copetown, and it
might probably be called the " Garden of the Township," for in
my travels through it I have not, all things considered, seen a
finer section. The land is a little lighter than in many other
parts of the township, but it has got strength enough for pro-
duction and is more easily tilled. The place was settled about
the same time that Copetown was, 1795. The first settler that
I can get any knowledge of was Jepeth Skinner, and he settled
on lot 26, in 2nd Con. When he came in he had a yoke of oxen,
a very rare thing to be seen at the present time, still it is re-
freshmg to sit and listen to these old men go over the history
of those early days, when scarcely any other kind of a team was
ever seen, but like the old stage-coach, they have had their day,
and while these old men, in going over that period of their life
say that they were happy. Time, that great revealer of
what lies before each man and woman in a life-time, has
brought a change, and although it might have been so slow as
to be imperceptible, we finrl very who would like to go back
and live over those primitive days. Mr. Skinner had three or
four children at the time he came to this section. The names
of his sons were Benjamin, Enos, Jepeth and John. Jepeth
was alive a short time since and resided in Michigan, U. S.
John Darby married a granddaughter of the old man, Skinner,
and daughter of Enos Skmner, and Mr. Darby resides upon the
old SJkinner homestead at the present time.

Lot 27 John Thompson owns and occupies. Lot 2.5, 2nd
Concession, was first settled in 1795 or '96 by Eleazer Griffith.
I believe that he was related in some way to the Skinners.
Both families came from the Eastern States and were L^. E.
Loyalists. Griffith had five sons, Eleazer, Enos, Done, Isaac
and Lazarus„ Done sold a part of the old homestead in 1810 to
Isaac L. Howell and Howell in turn sold to Stephen Nesbitt in
1820. Nesbitt lived there for about ten years and then sold to
Adam Thomson in IK^) or thereabout. The whole Griffith

THE ORKNEY LETTER. 87

familj', with the exception of Isaac, sold out and moved just
north of St. George, in South Durafries. Isaac remained on
the north part of the old homestead a great many years, when
he sold out to one Wm. Shannon and moved just west of St.
George on the old Kitchen farm, where he died. The Camp
family settled in this neighborhood, but were already men-
tioned in the Lynden letter. The north part of Lot 21 was
settled in the year 1816 by Henry Weaver. He was of Dutch
extraction and came from the State of New Jersey. Weaver
remained upon the place until about the year 1870, when he sold
out to Thomas Thompson and moved to Windham and lived
with his son-in-law, Wm. Robinson, where he died a few years
ago. He had a large family, but they have all left this section,
however I believe that many of them are dead. Adam Thomp-
son, was the father of the Thompson family, who reside about
Orkney, and a family which is widely known not only in
Beverly but in neighboring townships, so that 1 feel like giving
them more than a passing notice. Mr. Thompson was born in
Northumberland, England, and emigrated from there in the
early part of 1817 to West Flamboro', where he remained about
nine months, and from thence he reuioved to Beverly on the
22nd of April 1818. He was the first Old Countryman that
settled in this part of the township. When he came to this
country his family consisted of his wife and four children.
Amoner the children was Mrs. Stephen Moffat, near Gak, and
Mrs. Stephen Nisbett, of Beverly. Both of these families are
well known throughout this section of country. Mr. Thomp-
son settled on Lot 24, in the 1st Cone. His sons all settled in
this section. William is on the Old Camp homestead. Lot 23 ;
Adiim is on Lot 25, the Griffith place ; Thomas is on Lot 24, in
the 2nd Con., and Robert owns Lot 24, in the 1st Con. He was
one of the members of Beverly (Council in its youth, being
among the first members elected. He rented his farm a few
years ago and removed to Lynden, where he carries on a large
business, but as he was noticed more particularly in ttte Lynden
letter, I will pass on at this time. John Thompson lives on
Lot 27, in the 2nd C'on. Amongst the daughters of Mr. Thomp-
son, not mentioned, is Mrs. Patterson, a widow, who lives near
Harley ; Mrs. Haines lives in Lynden ; and Mrs. Robinson, of
of Orkney, who died some years ago. Mr. Robert Thompson,
of Lynden, showed me a document which his father had re-
ceived from Earl Bathurst and dated at Downing street on the

88 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

23rd of May, 1817, directed to the Governor of Lower C^anada.
And to show the ditfereiioe in the position of those who canie
in those early days and the people who seek a home within our
horders at this time, I will quote a part of the document :

" I am directed by TCarl Bathurst to acquaint you that His
Lordship has granted permission to Mr. Adam Thompson to
proceed as a settler to Canada, and I am to desire that he may
receive a grant of land proportioned to the means he may
possess of bringing it into cultivation."

And I would like here to relate a story which 1 got in this
section of an Irish boy fresh from the Emerald Isle, who first
went to live with Mr. Shannon near where Orkney now stands,
which shows that the wit of an Ir-ishman is not of recent date.
Shortly after he came to this country Pat was sent to hunt Mr.
Shannon's oxen, which had strayed away. When he returned,
V)eing asked if he had found them, he replied that he had found
" Gee" but could not find " Haw."

The first school house that was built in Orkney section was
in 1822, and David Riiuoul, whom we have mentioned before,
was the first teacher. The next school house was built in 1840,
and, strange to sjiy, the same teacher first taught in that one.
Some years after a brick school was built, the one in use at the
present time. A few years ago a post office was opened, and
Charles Anderson was the first postmaster, and the present
postmaster is Adam P. Thompson.

Three miles farther east from Orkney, hut, all things con-
sidered, in the same neighborhood, was " Christie's Corners."
There was a settlement at this place at a very early day but I
could not get the exact date. Among the early settlers of che
place was Gabriel Cornell, and I believed that Mr. Samuel
Cornell, now living near the " Corners," is one of his descend-
ants. The Rev. Robert Christie came there in 1832 from Scot-
land and preached there for many years, where he died at the
age of 87 years.

The fiPst church that was built at the "Corners" was put

up in 18^^:5 and was built a little south of where the present

church now stands, and the parties who took an active part in

having a |)lace of worship erected were Adam Thomson, sr.,

Robert Camp, Stephen Nisbet, Adam Elliott, John Muirhead,

.lames Kirkpatrick and Walter Robertson. The first elders

were Adam Elliott, Stephen Nisbet. .John Frier, of Beverly,
and, T think, Walter Robertson, of Flamboro.'

THE ORKNEY LETTER. 80

Of the Rev. Mr. Christie's family there is Mrs. Robert
Thompson and the two Miss Christies, of Lynden ; David, of
Owen Sound ; Thonjas, Toronto ; and Robert, who at one time
owned the farm now owned and occupied by R. L. Biggs.
Robert was at one time an M. P. P, for North Nentworth.

The first frame barn in the south part of Bevei'ly, so far
as I can learn, was built in 18;i6, or '87 by Daniel Blasdell. Mr.
Colcleugh, of West Flamboro', is said to have got very much
of the trade of the people of Beveily for many years. There
was a foundry carried on in the village that did a good trade
for many years, and was run by one McKinley. Just below
the village was the flouring mill, carried on by Kirby, Crooks
h Atkins. The men will be recollected by many of the old
settlers as the parties to whom they used to go in those olden
times to get their wheat groimd into flour, to feed their famil-
ies with. In those early days of our township the Orkney and
Lynden sections were two of the finest lumber and timber dis-
tricts in Ontario I think. At the opening of the Gr'eat Western
railroad, and afterwards, there was more lumber shipped at
Lynden than at any other station on the whole line, and atone
time there was no less than sixteen saw-mills, running night
and day, within four miles of Lynden station. Buyers came
from New York, Albany and other large cities in the United
States and purchased their supplies and said that the best
lumber they could get in Canada was from this section. The
price paid at that time for good lumber was about ten dollar's
per thousand feet ; but when the great financial crisis of 18.57
and '58 came, older people say that they saw n any car loads of
lumber put down at the station tor four doUa.s per thousand
feet. One old man, in telhng the story, said to me, "Young
man, those were the days,
When the baker would cheat you in the bread that you eat.
And so would the butcher in the weight of his meat ;
They would tip up the scales and make them go down,
And swear it was good weight when it lacked half a pound.
There were also large quantities of spars and other timber
shipped besides the lumber.

-^-^^^iiJ&^tl^^^

— . " ftir^ •• ♦ — • — — I ^^^K r<fci — — • — — ♦ ■<8 s^j ? '. '

THE LYNDEN LETTER.

HAVING been requested by Mr. John A. Cornell (the
Beverly historian) to furnish some information respect-
ing the early settlers and present occupants of the south
west part of Beverly, that is the first concession and south half
of second concession from what is now Lynden, west to the
Dumfries line, I would just say that I will have to write
mostly from memory, as 1 have no statistics to show the exact
date of settlement, etc., of a good many of the lots.

Barnabus Howard, father of the writer, was the first buyer
of Lots 13 and 14, first concession. This was nearly sixty years
ago. He lived on Lot 13. He died on the 20th of August, 1835,
and was the first man buried here. There was not any public
burying ground here then. I remember well the first person
that was buried in the public grave yard here, was the first
wife of Samuel Wilson Cowden Smith. Lot 12 was first taken
up by Isaac Blasdall, long known as Deacon Blasdali. He
made some improvement. Then the late Benony Vansickle
bought the lot and Mr. Blasdell had to leave. He then bought
the north three quarters of Lot 14 from the late B. Howard.
14 is now owned by John Whitington, Hugh Taylor and John
Ritchie. 13 is now owned, the north half by B. Vansickle, jr.,
and part of the south half by Jeremiah Cornell, balance of lot
is now occupied by Lynden. Lot 12 is partly occupied by
Nathan Vansickle. Lot 11, south-west (juarter was owned and
occupied by Alexander Hanes ; south-east quarter was owned

THE LYNDEN LETTER. 01

and occupied by Daniel Blasdall. I might here say that Mrs.
Daniel Blasdall kept the first public school that was ever kept
here. It is about 60 years since she taught. I think the first
male teachi was Timothy O'Keefe. Also amongst the teachers
of over fifty years ago were Mr. Pardieu and Mrs. Pardieu.
James Brown, the Irishman, I will not soon forget. He had a
clump finger and he would bring it down in such a persuasive
way on the heads of the urchins. If he thought a boy was
bad he would make him stand on one foot a certain length of
time ; if he caught two boys whispering hewould take a short
stick and make them hold it with their teeth, one hold of
each end.

William H. Hanes is now owner of the south-west part of
Lot II, and Jeremiah Cornell, J. P., is owner of the south-east
part. South half of Lot 10, at the first of my remerabranct,
was known as the Levi Fonger farm ; the east part is now
owned by William H. Hanes, and the west part by Solomon
Wood. No. 9, fifty years ago, was known as the John Sutton
farm, the east quarter is now owned by Solomon Wood, the
centre half by Lewis Blows, and the west quarter by John W.
Rouse. The south-east quarter of Lot 8 was, seventy years ago,
owned by V\ illiam Buckborough and George Buckborough.
It is now owned by Alexander Witherspoon. Tht south-west
part of Lot 8 has very long been known as the David Willitts
farm. It is now owned by Mr. Geo. Buck. The south half of
Lot No. 7 was owned and occupied by James Kaler, at the first
of my remembrance ; the east part is now owned by George
Buck ; the south-west part by Isaac Pepper, and part of the
centre by George Star. The south half of Lot 6 was first settled
by Alexander Weir, it is now owned by David Weir. Mrs.
Alexander Weir is still living on this lot with her son. No. 5,
the whole two hundred acres, was first taken up by Gashem
Baker. One hundred and seventy -five acres of it is now owned
by Mr. Edward Mordue, and twenty-five acres by Frederick
Irwin. Lot 4, when I first knew it, was owned by Aaron Seyler
Depoistor Vrooman ; now the south-east corner is owned by An-
drew Baird, and the balance of the south himdred is owned by
Wm. Baird. No 3, I first knew as the John Mannen farm. It
is now owned by Daniel Mannen. No. 2, about fifty years ago,
was owned by John Naggs ; now the south-east part is owned
by Mr. Mannen ; the south-west part by Daniel Ramey, an

92 THE PI0NP:ERS OF BEVERLY.

the centre by James Vroonian. No. 1 was formerly owned by
Mr. Carey, who, about 80 years a^o, was accidentally killed by
driving ott' the bridge one dark night at what is known as
Hall's hollow : the south part is owned by the Widow Mannen ;
the centre part lies near the Harrisbuigh station, G. T. R., and
is owned by J(jhn Devan, John and Peter Sullivan and .John
Meany. Block A, Gore of Beyerly, is owned l)y James Milling-
ton, James Vrooman, Widow Shaver, Charles Nickson and
Mr. Durham. The north parts of Lots 1 and 2, first Concession,
are owned by Alfred Durham. The south part of Block B.,
Gore, is owned by Mr. Patton. The south hundred of Lot 1,
second Concession, is owned by Alfi'ed Durham. Lot 2, second
Concession, 40 years ago, was owned by William Robb ; it is
now owned by Norval Durham. Lot 'S, I think, was first owned
by the Rev. Barnabas Markle ; it is now o.vned by George M.
Wood. Lot 4 was taken up I think about seventy years ago
by Andi'ew Ammerman ; it is now owned by Isaac Flewelling.
North half of Lot 3, first CJoncession, was at the first of my
remembrance owned by David Mannen ; it is now owned by J.
C. Misener. Lot 4 was long since owned by Joseph Shuait ; it
is now owned by Samuel Wood. Lot 5, second Concession,
was taken up by Albert Amn)erman, in 1828 ; it is now owned
by George Carey.

James Shaver first came to Beverly 77 years ago. His
pai'ents moved into the north half of lot 16, 1st con., when he
was three years old. He is now about 80, healtiiy and smart,
only his sight is failing. He bought north half lot 6, first con.,
in 1831 ; himself and Joseph Taylor, his son-in-law, occupy the
farm now. Mi\ Shaver bought south half lot (5, 2nd con., in
1844; it is now owned by William Weir. Mr. Shaver also
bought the south-west part of lot 7, 2nd con., in 1849 ; it is now
owned by Varner Nisbet. Lot 7, Ist con., was bought in 1818
by James Kalar. James C^oleman bought the north-west quar-
ter of lot 7, 53 years ago ; Mrs. Coleman is still living on the
lot ; she is about 74 years old ; she was born on lot 16, 1st con.
Richard Blasdell lives with his sister, Mrs. Coleman ; he will
be 77 the 25th Dec. next ; he also was born on lot 16. Martin
Carey is now owner of the north-east part of lot 7. Mr. Laid-
law was the fii'st buyer of the south half of lot 8, 2nd con. ; it is
jiow owned by William Miller and occupied by A. H. Krom-
art. George Hall bought north half lot 8, 1st con., in 1826 ;

maom

THE LYNDEN LETTER. 93

Mrs. Mattha Hall, second wife of George Hall, is still living on
the farm with her son, Da rid, who is the present owner.
Robert Turnbiill was formerly the owner of the south-east part
of lot 7, 2nd con. ; John iMcLeod now owns part of said lot.
Robert Tmnbull was long the owner of the north half of lot, J),
1st con. ; it is now owned by .lohn Tqland. (iarret McCole
took up south half of lot \\ 2nd con., in IHIi;-? : Willian) .lamieson
bought this lot about 40 years ago ; John Elias Jamieson is
now the owner. South part of lot 10, 2nd con., was first taken
up by Mr. Mulholland ; he sold to Gari-et McCole over 50 years
ago; McCole was the first settler on it; John H. Shaver be-
came the ownei 44 years ago ; he and his wife are now living
on the lot. Lot 10, 1st con., was first deeded to Jauies Rvan in
1807; it was sold l)y James Ryan to Melicient Clubine in ISIO ;
it was bought by H. Howard, the present owner, on the 9th of
March, 1801, from William S. Wilkins. South part lot 11, 2nd
con., was first owned by David Chambers ; he died 20th August,
1854, with cholera, and was buried at night by one man, John
Howard : the lot is now owned by widow Cornell. Lot 11, 1st
con., north half, was first settled by Samuel Deneen, who built
uu the north part of the lot over sixty years ago ; and John
Cole, who built on the south part of the north 100 acres. About
50 years ago Mr, Cole had a son killed by a falling tiee. I re-
member the lad as the third person that was buried in the
public grave yard here. David Humphrey is the owner now.
South part lot 12, 2nd con., was first bought by Daniel Cornell,
but long since sold to Mr. Baird ; Mr. Baiid sold to R. Thomp-
son and A. Wing ; Wellington Cornell is the present owner.
North part of lot 12, 1st con., was part of the B. Vansickle
estate. It was bought by Mr. Vansickle nearly 60 years ago.
It is now owned by Richard Hull. (I might here state that a
few years ago .Tonah Hull, Richard's father, was killed at Van-
sickle's mill here by being wound up on the main shaft.)

Beverly was formerly called by some the township of shin-
gles, from the fact that more produce of that kind than of any
other kind went to market, from this part at least. In order
to show the change in value of pine timber since I was a small
boy, 1 remember a man, a shingle maker, coining to my
mother's house one morning. He had a two-quart basin of
honey comb with him, and he said to my mother, "There is a
pine back in your woods that I want. I will trade you honey

in THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

for it. I will give you this iioney tor the tree." She dealt with
him, hut he was a little cute. In felling the tree he managed
to lodge it against another of about equal value. Of course he
could not get the one down without felling the other, so he got
both trees for the honey. If such trees were standing now^
perhaps they would both be spar trees and worth fifty dollars
each. There once was an immense quantity of very choice
pine timber in Beveily, but to-day it is very scarce. I don't
think there is any more good pme timber now in Beverly, all
told, than once could be found on 200 acres. As I have been
ten years through the township as Assessor, I think I have a
pretty good chance to know what it contains. People used to
think there was no end to the cedar of Beverly, but the way it
is going it will soon be a thing of the past. People who have
it should use it with great care.

I have been told that while they were chopping out the ''

road just east of south Lynden, a man by the name of Mannen
was killed by a falling tree. Th e road to the Troy neighbor-
hood, when I was a boy, went down the lane through the
Howard farm ; thence through the camp ground ; then turned
east through Deacon Blasdall's lot out to Joseph Rodd's, where
Adam Nisbet now lives, and so on north-east out to Andrew
Camp's, where Norman Able now lives. People who wanted
stone or lumber, brought it through that way. There were
mills on the creek at Troy long before there were any near
Lynden. If I remember right, it is about 45 years since what
is now called the Lynden side-road was first opened. There
was what was then called a large giant ot money expended
there. Yes, sir, thei*e was twenty dollars, all in cash, laid out
on that road, and it was in two separate contracts. Fourteen
dollars were expended on the sand hill and six dollars for mak-
ing a log bridge ssouth of the hill. The contractor on the hill
made a bee and everybody turned out and helped to do the
work. At that time no person thought that that road would
some day be the most travelled on of any road in Beverly,
which is the case to-day.

In the first part of this letter I spoke of some of the first
teachers. The first p\iblic school was kept in a private house.
Nearly 60 years ago the school house was built. It stood on the
side-road between Lots 12 and 13, on the Ancacter side. It was
Jbuilt of logs, I think, 18 x 22 feet, with very low ceiling. This

THE LYNDEN LETTER. 86

house was used for school house, tneetiiig house, lecture room,
and once or twice as a court house. A Sabbath school was or-
ganized nere over 50 years ago. Isaac Blasdell went to Toron-
to on foot and brought a package of books on his back for the
use of the school The Episcopal Methodists built a parsonage
near the school house, it must be nearly 50 years ago. This
was a log house also. The first Methodist Minister that I re-
member was Elder Baley, and I might mention the names of
D. Gulp, B. Markle, B. Brown, McKibbee, Manson, Gilmore,
and Emerson' Bristol, as amongst the first ministers here.
There has been a resident Methodist minister here ever since
this log parsonage was built. They were all Episcopal Metho-
dists here until about 38 years ago. The Methodists New Con-
nection took up an appointment here. The log school house
had been abandoned and a frame one built on the Beverly side,
just where the new Methodist church now stands. In the
spring of 1851 there was a union revival meeting held in the
new school house by Lewis P. Smith and John Wood, of the
M. E. Church, and Charles Wilkinson and D. Bettes, of the
Methodist New Connection. As a result of this meeting the
Episcopal Methodists got a good increase to their membership,
and the Methodist New Connection formed a pretty good class.
The frame church was soon finished — the frame had been up
for some time— and the New Connection built what was known
as the red brick church. In this way things went on very well.
I forgot to mention that when I was a small boy, there was
plenty of game in this section. There were some deer, occasion-
ally a bear, and plenty of wolves. I remember one night there
was a pack of wolves howling just icross the road from our old
homestead, I think not forty rods fr*om the house. People who
are acquainted with their habits will remember that at the re-
port of a gun, or the sound of a horn, they will stop howling
and retreat. Well, about this time my brother, John, who was
older than myself, had just got a new gun, — a rifle. It was
very short. He went out to shoot it off. Not thinking about
the length of it he took it across his hand and shot his thumb

off.

About forty years ago there were a few small business

places here on the Governor's Road. Benony Vansickle had

built a saw mill on the corner where William Clement now

lives. This was the first mill here, and sad to say, the boiler

burst and killed Rinear, Mr. Vansickle's eldest son, and some

OfJ THE PIONEERS OF BEVERL\

ot em had very narrow escapes. John Howard kept a small
store ; William Weaver had a wajjon shop : Peter Hathaway
was blacksmith ; Robert L. Patterson kept a shoe shop. The
people wanted post office, so a meeting was called at the school
house one night to appoint a Post Master and name the place.
John Howard was appointed Post Master and the late Jeremiah
Bishop suggested that the place be called Lynden. The meet-
inj^ -^eemed well pleased with the name and adopted it. The
wi'iter was sworn in Assistant P. M. by J. B. Ewart, of Dundas.
At that time the mail was carried by stage between Hamilton
and London, On the down trip it was timed at Lynden for
11 p. m., it was sometimes 2 a. m. before it got here.

Wm. Weaver and Peter Hathaway are both long since
dead. John Howard lives at Grand Ledge, Mich. Robert L.
Patterson has retired from the boot and shoe trade and is
making bee keeping a special tj'. Wm. S. Wilkins bought the
mill in Soutli Lynden, ran it for a few years and died. The
Great Western Railroad was opened for business, 1 think, in
1855 ; the station here was for a short time called Vansickle's,
but that name was foimd to be unhandy, and was soon changed
to Lyfiden. Jeremiah Goruell, K^q., first kept a small grocery
store at South Lynden ; later he and his brother Daniel built a
large store just south of the new Methodist church, where they
long did an extensive business in the dry goods and giocery
lines. That store was long since burned. Robert Wood long
kept a harness shop here, but now lives in Hamilton. William
Clement built an extensive woolen factory here, and had the
misfortune to have it burned without insurance. Amongst
the first business places in North Lynden was Somers Atkin-
son's, who kept a store and dealt largely in lumber. He
moved to Toronto and died there. Wm. May kept a grocery
and dealt in lumber. He moved to Weston. Benony Van-
sickle built a grist mill and a saw mill ; they stood together
and were long since both binned. Wesley F. Orrand James E.
Orr built the store where the P. O. is now kept, and did a good
business ft)r a few years; after this W. F. Oi-r went to specu-
biting in the lumber business. He is now mayor of Calgary
in the Northwest. Jas. E. Orr & Co. built an oil refinery here
and ran it for a 8ht)rt time, when it was burnt. Rutus Dodge
kept the station for a short lime when the railroad was first
opened. He was in the lumber business also, and kept the
first licpior shanty here. Francis Hore built the first large

THE LYNDEN LETTER. 97

hotel here Just after the frame was up there was a Sabbath
school picnic here in the woods. An old minister, while ad-
dressing the children, shouted out at the top of his voice,
"Boys, beware, there is a snake in the grass !" pointing at the
time to the new hotel.

W. P. Dredge kept the first harness shop at North Lynden
He is now mayor of Chesaning, Mich. Edward Leddycoat
was one of the first blacksmiths here. He is now farming
near Waterdown. Wm. Barrett was one of the first wagon
makers here. He is long since dead. Wm. Wilson was the
first tailor here. He moved to Listowel. Joseph and Edward
Bradwin ran the Lynden pottery. Joseph went to Wingham
and Edward went to Mount Forest. In 1855 a man by the
name of McRae built a saw mill near the railroad here and ran it
for a while. Then Nat Dyment became the owner and ran it
for a few years. He was very Successful with the mill and
it is said that in the short time he kept it he cleared $25,000.
He I hen went north of Lake Huron, and went to dealing in
timber limits, and it seems that everything he has touched
since has prospered with him. A friend of his told me he had
over forty shingle mills. I see by a late Toronto Globe that he
has eight saw mills advertised for sale, all as good as new, and
a tract of pine timber with each. I have been told that he has
a cattle ranch down about Texas, and a horse ranch near the
Rockies. He also kept a bank at Barrie. When running the
mill here he also kept a store.

Long ago William McComb kept a store where the tin-shop
is now. After McComb left William Smith kept store in the
same shop and also kept the postoffice. About thirty-three
years ago Vincent Cornell kept a store in south Lynden. The
first resident doctor there wis Dr. Aikman, the second was Dr.
Pitcher, the third was Dr. Laing, the fourth was Dr. Bigger,
the fifth was Dr. Davidson, the sixth was Dr. Forster, who
also kept a drug store. William McRae once kept store here
neat the railway. He went to Bay City, Mich. Mr. Glass, I
believe, was the first baker here ; then Walter Borthwick. Mr.
Cox carried on the bakery here for several years ; then Mr.
Ladd was baker here for a while. Mr. Glass, it seems, got
someway wrong while at the business here and conmiitted
suicide by hanging himself. Barnabas Howard, jr., used to be
an artist here. He now lives near Petofska, in the north of

98 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Mich. The former station masters here were Rufus Dodge,
Charles Morrison, John Wade and John Berrington who served
a very long term. Nelson Cornell and John Burbank kept a
store here a number of years ago, and one Sunday night, when
the people were at church, there was an alarm of fire, and it
was found that the store was on fire inside. The result was
that the store and goods were burnt, and the bakery and James
Patterson's hotel and Geo. Vansickle's hotel and several other
buildings were levelled to the ground. The old log parsonage
that I referred to, served its time, and a frame one was erected
near the same place, which was used until last year. The frame
school house, also referred, gave place to a new brick building.
The frame church is a thing of the past. When the new brick
M. E. Church was built, there being no further use for the
frame one, it was sold and moved further west for a cheese
factory. When Methodist union was brought about, there
being no further use for the r^'d brick church, it was taken
down and a brick parsonge erected on its site. William H.
VanNorman once had a wagon shop in South Lynden. Later
on he built a hotel and kept that for a time, then sold the place
to the Methodist New Connection people for a parsonage. Van-
Norman is long since dead. B. Vansickle kept store here
for several years. Nathan Vansickle also tried the store
business for a while. They are both now engaged at farming.
Some thirty years ago there was a colored man, by the name
of Rue, and his wife, living in a shanty by the roadside at
North Lynden. They kept a boarder by the name of Thomp-
son (colored) who appeared to be a very quiet man, but there
was jealousy in the house. Rue, having been absent at this
time for a day or two, came home at night. Thompson was
taking tea. Rue opened the door, drew a pistol and shot
Thompson ; then ran out. The shot did not prove fatal, only
wounded him in the face. Mrs. Rue opened the door and
called to him to come and see what he had done. He came
near the door and shot his wife twice, both shots takmg ef'ect.
She died in a few minutes. He then retreated into the dark-
ness, but soon came again in the front of the house and shot
himself through the heart, causing instant death. They were
btnied in the woods near by.

At a pretty early day my grandmother and her two sons
and daughter moved into Canada from the State of Pennsyl-

THE LYNDEN LETTER. 99

vania and settled in the township of Ancaster, near where
Alberton now is. They bought a large farm there and built a
hotel. They worked the farm and kept the hotel. At the time
they moved in, there was but one house where the city of Ham-
ilton now stands. My father stayed a length of time on that
place with his mother, but later on bought a hotel at what was
known as the Upper Corners, West Flamboro', from Mr.
Gabriel Cornell, sr. I find, by referring to the deed which I
have in my possession, the date was the 20th day of June, 1827.
He remained there a few years and did a very extensive busi-
ness, as the travel on the Waterloo road at that time was im-
mense, as all the produce from the Waterloo district had to
come down that way at that time to get to the head of naviga-
tion. While doing business there he bought 400 acres of land
here on the first concession of Beverly, and when building his
house, there being no public house near, he built large, so that
he could entertain weary travellers with meals or lodging, and
there being no store for a long distance, he fitted up one room
as a store, in which he kept such goods as the neighbors re-
quired. In the spring of 1885 his health having failed, he
thought he would go across the woods once more to visit his
mother and the old farm. He did so, but wap soon taken very
much worse, and felt anxious about getting home. His kind
neighbors made a kind of bier, on which they arranged a bed
and carried him home, a distance of seven miles, and he died
on the 20th of August, 1835, and was the first man that was
buried here, at what is now Lynden.

I have learned that the south-east part of lot 8, first con-
cession, was settled by Mr. Buckborough, eighty years ago.
The south half of Let 6, first conce.«sion, was settled by John
Coleman, and sold to him by Mr. Weir. Andrew Ammerman
is tenant of the Martin Carey farm, north-east part Lot 7, first
concession. Thomas Kivel is owner of 5 acres of bhe south-
east corner of Lot 11, second concession.

In the fall of 1879 Peter Hathaway and Darius MulhoUand
put up a mill in north Lynden. It was intended for custom
work, having one run of stones for flour and one for chopping.
This mill was moved to here from Troy. They operated it
\mtil 1880, when it was bought by the present owner, Robert
Thompson. Wm. Wing, now of Detroit, rented it and operat-
ed it until Jan., 1881, since that time it has been run by R.

100 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Thompson. It was enlarpjed and remodeled to the full roller
system by E. P. Allis & Co., of Milwaukee, in 1885. It has now
a capacity of 75 barrels of flour and 400 bushels of chop in 24
hours and is running steadily. The business, on account of the
ill-health of the proprietor is under the management of his
son, R. A. Thompson. Alex, C. Smith is head miller, .1. S.
Hamilton and Horace Wright as second millers, and J. S.
Hathaway, engineer. Peter Hathaway has been dead some
years, and Darius Mulholland has removed to Michigan. R.
Thon)pson has also been extensively engaged in the cordwood
business for about twenty years he having had the contract for
a number of years of the (ireat Western railway to supply
them at Lynden and Copetown, with all the wood they wanted
there. Since the railway has commenced usmg coal, he has
been shipping wood to Hamilton, Brantford, Gait and other
places. His shipments the present year will amount to 100 car
loads. At the time the new brick block was built near the
station, .John Burbank was the first occupant as a merchant.
He kept quite an extensive general store for a number of years
He is now travelling for a life insurance company.

I now come to Lynden as I find it in 1888, the village per
haps containing a little less than 500 inhabitants, andasit is locat-
ed about central between Hamilton and Gait, and in the midst
of a first-class agricultural district, no doubt it will become a
very important grain market. The roller mills here are con
sidered first-class ; and get away with a large quantity of grain
ill a year. There have been large quantities of barley, peas,
and oats brought here for shipmant, but under the present
arrangement there can be no competition as there is a lack of
storehouses. The methodist people have a first-class brick
church here ; the resident minister here is the Rev. H. A. Cook
who is laboring very successfully. His local help is William
Clement. The society is pretty strong. In connection with
the society they have an excellent Sabbath school, kept open
all the year with an average attendance of over 80, I might
say here that in the early history of Methodism, this wa&
called '* Dumfries Circuit," and later on it was called " Beverly
Circuit," but now it is called " Lynden Circuit," and just in-
cludes Lynden and Bethel appintments. They have a very
nice r brick parsonage.

1 rresbyterian people have regular services here now irv

THE LYNDEN LETTER. 101

Thompson's Hall. They were first commenced in January,
1885, by the Rev. Mr. Fisher, of Flamboro', formerly of Elora.
A regular congregation in connection with the Flamboro' charge
was organized in May, 1888, and now active measures are being
taken to build a church. There is a Sabbath School in connec-
tion with this work.

We have a brick school house in the village, containing
two rooms. The head teacher is Mr. S. J. Atkins, the second
teacher is Miss Aggie Nimmock.

The railway accommodation, as far as passenger traffic is
concerned, is very good. Jas. McGregor is station master and
express agent, and a better man for the position could not be
found. Peter Manderson is section foreman, and he is a right
good fellow. The only thing the farming public have to find
fault with in railway matters here is the exorbitant charges
on local freight, and if the Southern Ontario Pacific should be
built where it has been surveyed, no doubt but that it will be
an excellent thing for the farming community in this vicinity.
The mail accommodation here is as good as could be asked, for
no less than five mails arrive at the Lynden post office every
week day ; the daily Globe arrives here also at 5 a, m. each day.
Rinear Hanes is Postmaster. There is a telephone line running
through the village ; no office here yet, but we expect one soon.
We have two very good stores, both being well filled with
goods of mostly all kinds. One is kept in Thompson's block by
the Hagey Brothers, the other is kept in the post office block
by Alex. Hanes. These merchants are all young and enter-
prising gentlemen, and no doubt but they will make their mark
in the world. The telep-raph office is kept by John Hagey, of
Hagey Brothers. Dr. A. E. Stutt is our local doctor. He has
only lately come to town, but he comes well recommended,
and no doubt but he is a very good man. Abel Wing is run-
ning the saw mill, and during the present year has done a very
extensive trade. He also manufactures shingles. John Marx
runs the pottery and manufactures brown earthern ware quite
extensively. Nicholas Johnson and Joseph Johnson carry on
the tin business in all its branches. William Lemon is the
photographer and silver plater. Geo. Chapman, Mr. Mont-
gomery and Charles Partridge are the village shoemakers.
Wesley Vansickle and George Vansickle follow the butchering
business. Daniel Grady runs a matrass factory. John Baker

102 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

keeps the Lynden House, and Nelson Pitton keeps the Domin-
ion Hotel. These hotels are both well fitted up and are said to
be both well kept. John W. Raus is rushing the pump busi-
ness, and also follows well digging. Henry W. Raus is con-
sidered a first-class harness maker. Samuel Doherty is carry-
ing on the blacksmithing business very extensively, and is
considered a first class workiran. The staff of masons and
boss builders are W. H. Hanes, Richard Hull and Thomas Hull
also Joseph Ross, though quite young, he is said to be a good
workman. The staff of carpenters are Simon Springstead and
Firman Jones.

Peter E. Thomas follows peddling, also deals in stoves and
tinware, etc. Charles Gibbons keeps a wood repair shop.
Joseph Gidney follows thrashing in season, and is general
teamster. Mr. Brady is at the coopering business, making
mostly flour and apple barrels. Robert L. Patterson, is apiar-
ist. Alfred Rous is engineer and machinist. Charles Ziller is
a good tailor. John Case is the only painter in the village and
does first-class work. John Baird is private banker. This in-
stitution is a great convenience to the public. James Hoose is
now engaged in selling fruit trees for Stone & Wellington.
Firman Clement and Thomas Kivel are agent for the sale
of farming implements of all kinds.

Lynden is noted for the number of benevolent institutions
it contains, there being no less than five lodges in tlie village.
There is a lodge of the Ancient Order of United Work-
men ; a lodge of Royal Templars of Temperance ; a lodge of
Independent Order of Oddfellows ; a lodge of Canadian Order
of Oddfellows, and a lodge of Select Knights, all in pretty
good working order. Now, if any village of the size of Lynden
has as many lodges as that, I would like to hear from it.

There is a very good bakery in the village ; it is owned by
R. A. Thompson. This Mr. Thompson has bought grain qufte
extensively for shipment the present year, some days from
ten to fourteen hundred bushels coming in, the greatest part
being barley, besides some peas and some oats.

I might here say that there were ten in our family, four
boys and six girls ; now there is but one left in Canada besides
myself, and that is Mrs. Thomas Knox, of Lynden. I forgot
to mention that Mrs. Eliza Bennett kept a variety store here.
She was rather an excitable lady. She died early in the

THE LYNDEN LETTER.

103

present year. Mrs. Howard's name was Camp, a daughter of
.Fohn Camp, one of the pioneers of Beverly. His father's name
was Robert. He lived in New .Jersey and was of Scotch descent.
His brothers were David. Rurgome, Matthew and John.

At the time of the revolutionary wftr Robert and his
brother, John, left their father's home in New Jersey and came
to Canada, taking up land near Niagara. They were U. E.
Loyalists. They lived down at Niagara for some years. Then
Robert sold his farm, for which he got eight hundred silver
dollars. Though Robert and .John were brothers, they differed
about how their name should be spelled. , John spelled his
name Kemp, and Robert spelled bis Camp. The date when
Robert sold out I cannot give, but however, he took his .$800
and came to Beverly with his family and bought eight
hundred Acres here in front of the township. The family
consisted of seven sons and two daughters. He settled
on the north fifty of Lot 28, first concession, and also owned
the south one hundred acres of Lot 28, second concession.
These two lots were considered the homestead. He gave each
of his sons 100 acres. David had the south 100 of Lot 20, second
concession. William C. Lemon is the present owner. Robert
had the south 100 of Lot 25 second concession. John Dyment,
jr., is the present owner. Andrew had the north 100 of Lrtt 15,
second concession. Norman Able is the present owner. John
had the south 100 of Lot 18, second concession. Ralph Dyment
is the present owner. Alexander had the north 100 of Lot 2.5,
second concession. Mrs. Bonham is the present owner. Peter
had land in Dumfries. He died of cholera in 1882. Matthew
was to have the homestead, but before the old man died he
made this change— John took the homestead and Matthew took
Lot 18, south half, second concession. Jane married Jas.
Thompson and moved to Nelson. Margaret married Edward
Robinson and moved to Trafalgar. Later on Mrs. Robinson
kept a small store at what has been long known as Thompson's
Corners, now Orkney, on the same spot where Robert Robin-
son, her son. has long kept an inn, and became an extensive
farmer. The old man died on the 0th of January, 1884.
Perhaps this family did as much, or more, than any other
family in the early days of Beverly in the way of clearing up
and improving the township.

Robert Camp had the first brick house that was built in

Hii

KM THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Beverly. His son Joseph owned the north 100 acres of Lot 2(J,
Ist concussion, about forty years ago. He built a saw mill and
ran it a fe.w years. Later on he moved to EjSfremont. Mrs.
Adam Thompson, sr., and Mrs. .S'jram are daughters of Robert
Camp. He had a peculiar way of dealing. One year when
hay was very scarce and dear, he had a good supply, and people
came from all directions to buy from him. The first question
he would ask was, " Have you money to pay for it?" If they
said they had, the answer was, " You cannot have it. If you
have money you can get hay anywhere." But if a person had
no money they were sure to get the hay. Three of Andrew
Camp's sons owneti 100 acres each on the 3rd concession. John
owned south half of Lot 12, on which he built a saw mill
Adam Laidlaw owns the lot now. Robert owned north 100 of
the same lot. Robert Clement owns it now. Richard owned
south half of Lot 18, on which he built a saw mill and did an
extensive business. Mr. Denholm owns the farm now.

There is but one of Matthew Camp's f.amily left in Beverly,
that is Sophia, the wife of William C. Lemon. He owns the
south 100 acres of Lot 20, second concession. He is the son of
the late Sauiuel Lemon, one of the old settlers. Benjamin
Danip still lives in Beverly. He is a son of Alexander. John
Camp, my father-in-law, was twice married. His first wife was
Elizar)eth .Jones, sister to Oeorge Jones, whom I will mention
later on. His second wife was the widow Chandler. His first
wife had thirteen children, his second wife had four. Of these
seventeen there is but one left in Beverly, that is Mrs. Howard.
The oldest son, Robert, was born on the farm where Ralph
Dyment now lives, nearly sixty-four years ago. Andrew also
was boin there sixty-two years ago. Robert went west to seek
his fortune. He first bought land in Dellona, Sank County,
WisccMisin, when that state was being settled, so that he
was able to get some of the very best land. A tew years
later Andrew went there. Andrew and Robert lived there near
together for several years. Then Andrew bought Robert's farm
and Rol)ert moved eighteen miles further west and got a noble
farm four miles from Mauston. The county town, Mauston,
is getting to be a very important town. Robert served as
sergeant in the arnjy during the last year of the American war.
Robert has retired fiom farming and his only son is running
the farm. He has but two children, a son and a daughter.
Andrew has also retired from farming and moved to the town

JOHN CAMP.
Born May 2nd, 1804. Died March 20th, 1881.
Lived most of his life in the south part of Beverly.

THE LYNDEN LETTER. 105

ot New Lisbon, and one of his sons is running the tarra.
Nathaniel was born in 18S1 on the farm where William Thomp-
son now lives, and James was born there in 18:i5. Over thirty
years ago Nathaniel and James both went to Wisconsin. They
bought farms at a place called Iionton and commenced to im-
prove them, but when the war broke out they felt so loyal to
their adopted country, they enlisted in the twelfth Regiment
of Wisconsin Volunteers for a term of three years. When
they had served two years and a half, the regiment volunteered
for another term and went home on a furlough of thirty days,
then returned to service, and before the first three years was
ended Nathaniel was killed and James was wounded. Nathan-
iel was killed at the battle of Kenisaw Mountain, Georgia, and
a few days later James was wounded by being shot through
the left arm, between the shoulder and elbow ; but finally it
got well, but there are four inches of his arm that has no bone
in it. He lives near the city of Baraboo. He is carrying on a
farm and has served as County Treasurer. He draws a pension
of thirty-yix dollars per month. Almira married William
Isaac. They live at Fraser River, British Columbia. Elizabeth
married James Davis and moved to Wisconsin a few years
since. They are farming.. They live six miles from Mauston.
Emerson went west, but died of typhoid fever. I have been
told that General Burgoyne, who figures so prominently in
history, should be called General Burgoyne Camp, and is one of
this old Camp family

Andrew Jones was born in what is now the state of New
York, then British Territory. About 1700 he came to Canada,
when 10 years old, and settled in the Niagara District, and lived
till about 1788 ; then came to Beverly and bought Lot 34, 2nd
Con., from his brother. Jonathan. He also bought the south
half of lot 33 from George Read, of Niagara District. The
Jones' were of Welsh descent. The family consisted of four
sons and five daughters. The three eldest were born at Niagara.
Margaret, James and Katharine. Martha married David Ellis,
father of Wm. Ellis, now of South Dumfries. James settled
on Lot 11, 3rd Con., where he lived to a good old age and died
there. Katharine married Wm. Coleman. They owned a farm
just north of what is now Troy. She lived to a pretty old age.
iVter was born on lot 34, 2nd Con., Beverly, in 1801, and first
settled on Lot 31, 3rd Con. Later he owned a farm west of

im THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Troy, which John Robb now owns. He sold that farm and"
went to Malahide, where he died. Phoebe was born in 1803.
She married John (Uilver, of Niagara. Elizabeth was born
in 18()5. She married John (Jamp. I have given particulars of
that family. George lives on the old homestead where he was
born, and never has been absent from the farm a week at a
time and will be 81 years old the fourth of June next. Mrs.
.Tones will be 74 years old the third of .July next. Both Mr. and
Mrs. Jones are in very good health. Mr. Jones served three
years in the Gore District Council, and one year as Deputy-
Reeve in the Beverly Council, and he served ten years as a J.
P. Mr. Jones' family consists of three sons and four daughters.
They are all extensively engaged in tanning and with one ex-
ception all live in sight of the old homestead. Mi lives at
Godrich.

Fifth-eight years ago one William Sheldon kept a small
store in Hamilton. It was the only store kept there. At that
time Mr. .lones bought a razor from Sheldon, for which he
paid 25 cents. That razor has been in constant use ever since;
and what seems more strange, Mr. Jones has a pair of boots
which Ml. B. Conley, of Dundas, made for him about thirty
years ago. These boots have been in use every year and are
still in good order, not a stitch being broken in them. Andrew
was born in 1810, and first settled on Lot 21, south half, 2nd
Con. After he sold that farm he followed the business of
pump making and now lives in Elora. Mary Jones died when
19 years old. The north half of Lot 81, 1st Con., was bought
by Samuel Wood from Jacob Cope about 1886. Mr. Wood
came here from the Eastern States. His son Peter was long in
the Beverly Council. He served as reeve perhaps 8 years, and
one year as Warden of the County. He was formerly in the
lumber business and had mills in different parts of Beverly.
When in the Council he served the Township well. He now
resides in the city of Brantford. Another son of Mr. Wood,
Edward Burk, when young, taught school. Later he was con-
sidered a very clever lawyer, and finally became the first
Chief Justice of Manitoba. Mrs. Echlin, one of the daughters
I think the youngest, with her family, who are the present
owners, are carrying on farming quite extensively. R. L.
Biggs, Esq., one of our Deputy-Reeves, is a grandson of Mr.
Wood. About 1790 Mr. Nicholas Sararas bought from old Mr,

THE LYNDEN LETTER.

107

Jones the north half of Lot HI, 2nd Con. Mr. Sararas was the
first blacksmith in this vicinity. He lonR since inoved to
Waterloo and died there. The Waterloo Macdamized Road
was tirst opened through Beverly I think in 1887. I was born
at what was called the Upper Corners, West Flaniboro', nearly
fifty years ago. Soon aftei* that my parents moved to what is
nowLynden.and I have lived in this section ever since. Wehave
a family of four, the oldest, Victoria Elizabeth, taught school
four years ; then she was married to Abraham Raraey a son of
Casper Ramey, one of the pioneers of the township of Brantford.
The second is George Allen, who lives on a small farm one and
a half miles east of Lynden. He is also an apiarist, and deals
in Italian Queens. His wife was Miss Effie Echlin, of Beverly.
The next is Miss A. Edith, at present teaching school at Am"
herstburg, and the youngest is Nirem H. and lives at home on
the farm with his parents. My father and grandfather were
born in Pennsylvania. My great-grandfather was born in
London, England. My mother's maiden name was Margaret
More, born in Pennyslvania, of Dutch descent.

I think there is not another man in this School Section now
who has lived in it as long as I have, and now, with good
wishes to every body, I bring tHis lengthy letter to a close.

December, 15th, 1888.

HENRY HOWARD, J. P.,

Lynden, Ont.

THE ROCKTON LETTER.

After traveling through the township in different directions
for nearly a year, hunting up the early history and
dates of the early settlement of the several sections, we
have arrived at last at the capital of the township, the village
of Rockton, the place where for nearly forty years the wisdom
of the municipality has assembled and from time to time have
passed enactments for the opening up of roads, and otherwise
opening up and bringing out the resources of the township?
and as we find our feet upon a solid foundation we take off our
hats and bow to the audience. The first house that was built
in the village was upon the site where Wallace McDonald's house
now stands, and such has been the changes that have taken
place since that time, that to the early settler the place would
hardly be recognized by them at the present time, and indeed
even to those that have stood by and seen each decade bring
about its changes, they can scarcely make themselves believe
that this is the Rockton of fifty years ago. But with that same
steady hand that made the forest give way in other parts of
the township, we can easily see that the people of this section
have not been behind in the march, and that the same puck
and energy that characterized the people in other parts of the
township was not not lacking by the early settlers of this place,
here too we can see the foot prints of industry, energy and
economy, and many of the people have gained that reward
that is always sure to follow in the wake of such a course.

THE ROCKTON LETTER. 109

In the early history of Rockton the land about where the
village now stands was owned by Lemuel Lamb. As we have
mentioned before in the early days of the township a large
quantity of land was held by the Lamb family, when the place
got a post office and had to receive a name, there was a strong
feeling in favor of calling it Lambsville, but on account of the
rocky nature of the soil others thought it should be called
Rockton, and it is needless to say that those who held the latter
opinion won the day, hence the name. We understand that
Mrs. Barlow, mother of W. W. Barlow, at one time Township
Clerk, got the credit of giving the place its name, and we might
say right here that Mr. Wm. W. Barlow was the first Township
Clerk, and that his father was for many years the Township
Treasurer. In 185(), the period when Municipal Councils for
townships came into existence, Rockton was chosen as the seat
of government on account of its central location. The first
few meetings were held in the hotel then kept by a man by the
name of Harrison. But early in that same year thoy began to
prepare for the building of a Township Hall, and the present
hall was built in that year, and the business of the township
has been transacted there ever since.

One of the early buildings that was put up in the place was
a stone blacksmith shop, and was built by Joseph Leeman and
run by him for many years, this would be some time in the 18
and forties. The shop has long since been torn down and other
buildings put up in its place. We think that the property is
at present owned by J. B. Plastow. Joseph Leeman also built
the stone hotel. It is fine and commodious, and is owned and
kept at the present time by B. Henning.

As we noticed in the beginning of our Rockton sketch, the
first house that was built was an hotel. We did not get the
name of the party who first started in that place, but the first
was one Harrison, who kept it for a number of years. It after-
wards fell into the hands of the McClusky family, and we
think it was from them that Mr. McDonald purchased the
place. Since then a number of enterprising men have been
doing business at different times. The store that was put up
was by Andrew McKnight, and was-- kept by his brother,
.Tames McKnight, who did a good general business. The first
school that we can learn any thing about was kept in a log
house just opposite the farm of Mr. Andrew Kernighan. Th

110 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

place is now occi^pied by a German and known throughout the
neighborhood by the name of "Dutch John." We think that
it was about the time of the Fenian raid that the drill shed
was built, but was not used for soldiering very long, and is
used at the present time by the Agricultural Society upon show
day to put the roots, grain, and othei articles in that require
to be kept inside. Among the first teachers in this section was
a man by the name of Nichol Kept. It is said that he was the
first teacher after the school was moved to its present site. A
number of other teachers have taught there since, among
whom are Alex. Bell, jr., and James McQueen the present
Postmaster of Dundas. Mr. .John G. Cochrane, of Sheffield, is
the present teacher. I will just here relate a bear story that I
got from some of the older heads in my rounds through this
section.

I will not mention names, but call the parties Davie and
.Jamie. They were chums, and both fond of hunting. They
had found a place where a bear frequented, so they placed some
bait at the spot and made an arrangement to meet there on a
certain night at dusk to await and watch the arrival of Mr.
Bruin. Davie was first on hand and took up his position be-
hind a tree, keeping a sharp lookout for the bear. Davie wore
a high crowned hat, and as he was peering around to see if any
thing was coming, Jamie arrived near the spot, creeping along
quietly and keeping a sharp lookout, and not knowing that
Davie was ahead of him he spied Davie's head past the tree,
and thinking that it was the bear's head he took aim and fired.
The ball passed through Davie's hat and grazed the top of
his head. Davie sprang out of his lair and was very indignant
at Jamie for spoiling his hat and scratching his head. The
scene that followed was not very complimentary, therefore we
will drop the curtain and say no more about them.

To the west of Rockton in the 4th and 5th concessions, a
number of families settled. Most of the older stock are dead,
while some have moved away. Among the first that we shall
mention is the Armstrong family, on the 4th concession. They
are a very old and respectable family. The first of whom we
can learn anything are the three brothers, John, Hugh and
Walter. John is dead, but one of his sons is on the old farm.
Hugh is still alive and is living on the farm where he settled
when a young man. Walter sold out to his brother Hugh and

THE ROCKTON LETTER. Ill

moved west of London, Ont., where he still resides. Thomas,
a son of Hugh's, is on his old farm.

The next family we shall mention is the Jackson family.
The old folks are both dead, but there are two sons still living
in the neighborhood, Thomas and Matthew . George was killed
a few years ago in an accident with a runaway team near the
village, on his way to church.

Then, further south on the 4th concession, a number of
families settled at an early day, although we cannot give the
exact date. We refer to John McManamy, the O'Connors, the
Bannens. The farm that James Collins now owns was, we
think, settled on by his father. Further west up the 4th con-
cession a man by the name of Fleming lives, who is also an
old settler.

Then going up the stone road west from Rockton we come
to the farm that Calvin More settled on. There are none of
this family here at present, but the farm is owned by W.
Stockwell and Andrew Smith. Farther west we come to the
farm that was settled on by James T. Smith, who has been
dead for some years. Robert Lowry is now upon the farm.
Leaving the farm that John McMullen settled on to our right,
on the north side of the stone road we strike the Beverly
Swamp, and as that has been mentioned in some of my former
letters, we pass it over by saying that the Swamp has nearly
all disappeared, and buildings are strewn all along the road
and the land used for farming purposes. The first farm that
you come to is Mr. Cairns'. Passing this you come to the
lands of the late Peter McClure. The place is now occupied by
his widow, a daughter and three sons, Peter, Andrew and
John. This family settled upon the old Mawhinney farm over
'SO years ago, and afterwards purchased 100 acres to the east of
the first farm. They also purchased the old Lamb and Doug-
las farms at Romules where another son, William, lives, thus
showing what a few years of industry and economy will do for
a man in this country. We now retrace our steps and go back
to the village, as we find it at the present time. Just before
entering the village proper, we come to the farm of Andrew
Kernighan, father of the Khan, who is leaving a name behind
him in the literary world. Mr. Kernighan is an old settler,
and a man that is much thought of in the community. Taking
Rockton as it is at the present time, there are two general stores

112 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

— one kept by Wm. Wood, and the other by James B. Plas-
tow ; David Bell is the present postmaster with his brother,
Alex. Bell, who is acting as an assistant ; B. Cornell is, and
has been for many years, treasurer of the township ; William
Burgess, butcher ; Jackson & Atkins carry on an extensive
carriage manufactory ; B. Henning, hotel keeper. They have
also got a grist mill in the place. It has passed through a
number of hands, and I am unable to say to whom it belongs
at the present time ; and last, but not least, is Wallace Mc-
Donald, who occupies the position of Clerk of the Township,
Division Court Clerk, Conveyancer, Issuer of Marriage Licenses,
and Justice of the Peace, so that it can easily be seen that he
has the whole thing in his own hands. He can give you a
marriage license, fine vou if you do not get married, sue you if
you refuse to support your wife, make out a bill of your taxes
and issue an execution if you refuse to pay them.

Going east from Rockton to Lot 30, owned by Robert Hen-
deison— he purchased it f:om Dr. Hamilton, of Dundas ; the
Wray family came in in June in the year 1838 ; Robert Patter-
son settled on Lot 24 in the 3rd Con. ; he came from Ireland in
the year 1837, and died in 1870. His family consisted of David,
of near Dundas ; Mrs. Geo. Wray, Beverly ; Robert, since
dead ; James, of Lynden ; and Samuel, of uear Brantford.
John Stewart settled on Lot 25 in May, 1844, but his father-in-
law had taken up the same lot in the year 1830. The Har-
bottle family settled on Lot 26, 4th Con., in 1841. William
Atkins settled on the corner of Lot 24 in the 3rd Con., started
a blacksmith shop, and has done a good business ever since.
The late Wm. Henderson came to Canada from Scotland some-
where about the year 1841 or '42, and settled on Lot 23 in the
5th Con. He occupied the position of Tax Collector for the
Township for a great number of years, and was a man that
was highly respected in the township. His son William owns
the old homestead, and his son Thomas owns a farm just south
of the old homestead, and is one of the Deputy-Reeves of the
Township at the present time. The Rutherford family came
in about the year 1841, from Scotland, and settled on Lot 22 in
the 3rd Con., his family all settling around him. Wm. Ireland
came in in 1842 and settled on Lot 23, in the 3rd Con. His son
John is living on the old homestead, and another son, Thomas,

WILLIAM HENDERSON.

Born at Twislo, Northumberland, England, in 1810. Came to Canada
in 1835, and settled at Ancaster. During Canadian rebellion car-
ried despatches between Ancaster and Hamilton. Removed for
a time to West Nissouri but settled in Beverly in 1845, on the farm
on which he lived till his death on Oct. 17th, 1887. Was tax-col-
lector of Beverly for 29 years; was one of the first directors of the
Township Agricultural Society, and President quite a number of
years ; was an elder in the West Flamboro' Presbyterian Church
over 50 years, and was always a staunch and active Liberal in
politics.

THE RCCKTON LETTER. 113

was drowned w Dundas a few years ago. At a date we
think in the year 1834, the Riddle family settled on Lot No.
24, in the 5th Concession; this was a large family and has tieen
identified with the affairs and the settlement about Rockton
from its early history. Lot 26, in the 3rd Concession, was taken
up by one Warld, but sold out to Edward Cook, the present
owner. The Lots 28 and 29 by the Cornell family, who in turn
sold out to the Hugill's, these lots were taken up first in 1816,
these lots were noted like many other parts of Beverly for the
fine pine, and Hugill built and run a saw mill for many years.
Lot 34, in the 3rd Concession, was taken up by one Harding,
afterwards it was purchased by Joseph Smith, but is owned at
the present time by one of the Jones family. Lot 25, in the 3rd
Concession, was taken up by John Dunn, and is owned by John
McCxinty at the present time, his son Owen lives on Lot 24, it
was taken up by Joseph Leeman. Lot 28 was taken up by a
man by the name of Hunter, but Alex. Nickle settled upon it
soon afterwards. The farm that Andiew Hunter now lives
upon. Lot 30, was taken up by his father at an early date. Lot
30, in the 3rd Concession, the farm that George Patterson owns,
was taken up at an early day by Adam Ainsley, at one time of
Gait, he sold to John Scott, of Gait, who ni turn sold to
Patterson.

We were informed by Mr. John Stewart, of near Rockton,
that although the Dundas and Waterloo Stone Road was begun
in 1837, that it was not completed any farther than Rockton in
1842, and that he helped to build the road west of Rockton in
the year 1845, and that a man by the name of Henslewood had
the contract for the first two miles above the village, and that
the contracts for the next two miles west were taken by
McManamy, father of John McManamy, Esq., of near Rockton,
and one Patrick Crian, the latter family we believe have all
moved away from these parts many years ago and went west
to Michigan.

We now take up another settlement just east of the Rock-
ton section, that has been known for many years as the Sodom
road. Mrs. Cornell and I took a drive through that section the
other day, and certainly we could not wish to see a finer section
of country. This road lies in the 3rd Concession and is some-
what winding in its direction, although bearing east until it
strikes the Brock Road north of the village of Greensville.

lU THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Lot 32, in the 3rd Concession, was settled upon m 1806 or 7 by
Richard Decker. The place at that time was nearly all bush,
there was only about five acres cleared upon Mr. Decker's place
at that time, he had traded 100 acres for it on Long Point land,
at that time being of little value. After Mr. Decker's death,
which took place some years ago, it fell into the hands of his
son, Peter, who at the age of 71 years still resides upon it. Lot
33, in the 3rd Concession, the place where Charles Patterson
now lives, was bought somewhere near 1800, by Wm. Mann,
graadfather of Peter Decker, from a soldier's wife, for the sura
of fifteen dollars. He neglected to get his deed from the
woman, and she traded the farm again, this time for a bottle
of brandy, so he lost the land and the fifteen dollars.

The first church that was built in this section was known
as the Brown Church, and was built by five different denomi-
nations. The next church built was put up at Patterson's Cor-
ners, and was used for ten or twelve years, when the present
brick church was built. Rev. Mr. Foreman is the pastor at
present. The first minister that we can learn of going into
that section to preach was the Rev. John A. Cornell, of Sheffield,
whom we mentioned in our first letter. He preached in Mr.
Decker's house, for at that time the nearest church was at
Copetown, and when the people went they generally walked,
most of the road being through the bush. The school that the
children of these first settlers attended was out at Christie's
Corners, a distance of 2J miles, through woods and over creeks
and marshes. The first school house was built in this section
in 1S42, on Lot 34, in the 3rd Concession, on the farm now
owned by William Brown, and the first teacher was one John
Shelton. Later on the school was moved on to Mr. Decker's
farm, and then after a few years a new school house was built
on George Patterson's farm. Among the teachers who taught
in this section was the late Alex. Bell, sr.

The north half of Lot 36 was settled on by a man named B.
Black. Afterwards a man by the name of John Young lived
upon it, but at present it is owned by George Weatherstone.
Lot 29 in the 3rd Con., was taken up by George Bessie, who
sold it to Andrew Jones, but afterwards bought part of it back
again. This he sold to Adam Ainsley, who built a saw mill
upon it, which he ran for a short time and then sold out to one
Hall. Hall sold the property to James Scott, who in turn sold

THE ROCKTON LETTER.

115

it to George Patterson, the present owner. The south half of
Lot 36, near the town line, was first taken up by B. Skinner,
who sold it to Rily, of Dundas, and who in turn sold to Abram
Haines. There were 30 acres of the same lot settled upon by
a man by the name of Tralow. This man dying, the land was
afterwards sold to James Cornell, but is now owned by the
widow of one Lawson.

Richard Decker was the first settler in that Sodom road
section, so that the Decker family can claim to be the first
pioneers of that section, although they had not been there very
long before others came in, among whom was John T. Smith
on Lot 39. Andrew Whitesell located first on Lot 33 ; he sold
out to James Crooks, who in turn sold out to James Deary,
afterwards going up to near Sheffield.

fk^..

THE WESTOVER LETTER.

THE Village of Westover is situated on the 6th (Conces-
sion in the Township of Beverly, and contains a popula-
tion of about seventy-five inhabitants. There is a very
good business done for the size of the place. There is a general
store well filled with a good stock to meet the requirements of
a country trade, the business being carried on by James Mills,
with the assistance of his eldest son William. Mr. Mills also
carries on farming to some extent. He came to Westover
about twenty-three years ago, and has always been looked up-
on as one of the live men of the place.

Westover also contains two blacksmith shops, one of which
is empty at present, but the other is run by James McDonald,
who does a good trade. There are two waggon shops, one be-
ing vacant, and ifl the other Lemuel Shaver does a good deal
of repairing.

Mr. James McDonough is another live man of the place.
He lives a little to the west of the village, and runs a saw mill
and makes lath and shingles, in addition to having a farm of
two hundred acres.

While at Westover we called to see old Mrs. Purdy, mother
of Thomas and Hugh Purdy. She is ninety-four years of age
and quite smart. The school house is situated about one-half
mile north of the village, and was built in the year 1840. A
man by the name of shaw was one of the first teachers, and
James Swinton is the present teacher. There are two churches
in the place, one a Baptist and the other a Methodist. The

THE WESTOVER LETTER.

117

Baptist Church has a membership of about eighty, and the
Methodist of about forty. The present Baptist minister is the
Rev. Mr. Bracken, and th^ Methodist incumbent is the Rev.
Mr. Truax. Among the early Methodist Ministers was the Rev.
John McLean. John Gow runs a tailoring establishment in the
place.

I have now come to the end of my history, and think that
I can do no better than say at the end what I said at the begin-
ning :— How these few scattered families, shut up in an almost
unbroken forest, succeeded in mastering the difficulties and
surmounting the many obstacles that lay in their way, I sup-
pose will never be told. They are dead, and the secret died
with the last one of them that crossed the chilly waters. If
they had faults, why remember them ; if they made'mistakes,
why repeat them ? No, let us rather extol their virtues, and
as we stand beside their graves and look at the great inheri-
tance they have left to their children and children's children
and to the stranger, let us say, " Peace to their ashes."

<l!iji4

'!|fcw?T--"V*v.jHrn

'*«WW»*<WH»M«IM»*«^,

JLfc.

-•-r^

(i • ■. ^jii;:'

THE MUNICIPAL HISTORY.

■ I 1

AFTER I had written a few of the letters relating to the
" Pioneers of Beverly," quite a number of the residents
and also former residents of the Township requested me
after finishing said letters to collect them and have them pub.
lished in book form as a history of the early settlement of the
Township of Beverly, that the children of those early settlers
might have a record of some of the struggles of their forefath-
ers in those early times. After assenting to that request, I
thought that such a book would be deficient if it did not con-
tain a Municipal History of the Township. For aid in that line
L applied to Wallace McDonald, Esq., who has been a resident
of the Township for over fifty years, and has been connected
with the municipal affairs of the Township for over thirty
years, to write me a short history of the municipal institutions
of Beverly. He kindly consented to comply with my request^
and the following is the fulfilment of his promise.

Mr. John A. Cornell,

Author of "The Pioneers of Beverly."

Sir, — In compliance with your request T will endeavor to
furnish you with a sort of Municipal History of the Township
of Beverly, but you must not look for too much from me. You
must bear in mind that our municipal affairs prior to 1850 were
conducted in a very simple or short form manner, and the
jecord of what was done was kept in a simple and imperfect

THE MUNICIPAL HISTORY. 119

style, so that the source from which I can draw information
outside of my own memory or knowledge in the matter is not
very great. Therefore, if my story should turn out to be not
as full as you looked for, you will please make a liberal allow-
ance.

The Township of Beverly is supposed to contain 70,200 acres,
and from east to west is fully nine miles and from north to
south about 12 miles. The population of the Township in the
year 182.5 was 725 ; in 1842, was 2,922 ; in 1852, was 5,620 ; in 1861
was 6,3.S9 ; in 1871, was 5,mi ; in 1881 was 5,21^. I gather this
information for the years 1825 and 1842 from documents in the
County Clerk's oflBce in Hamilton, and the parties who took
the census in 1825 were Barney Markle and James H. Markle,
and for 1842 James Henderson. The paper for l&t2from which
I got my information contains a great amount of other infor-
mation, such as t ^e number of persons belonging to different
denominations of religion, a full report of agricultural pro-
ducts, etc., and the sheet of paper containing the same is nine
feet long and five feet in width. The information for 1852,
1861, 1871 and 1881 I got from books and returns in my own
possession. By the above returns you will notice that since 1861
our nuHjbers have been getting less ; I cannot account for the
falling off. No doubt a large majority of the inhabitants are
agriculturists and the land is all taken up and settled on, there-
fore we cannot expect the population to increase like a newly
settled township or a flourishing village or town, and as I find
our assessment roll increasing year after year I think our num'
bers should not decrease. I am afraid that the census for 1861
or 1881 has not been taken accurately.

The assessment rolls of the township seem to have been
well cared for ; I can't say what year the first assessment was
made, but I have now in my possession the rolls from 1820
down to the present time, and in the county clerk's oflHce in
Hamilton can be seen the assessment rolls for 1816, 1818 and
1819. I notice in the municipal history of the Township* of
Waterloo that the oldest assessment roll that can be found is
for the year 1848— forty years ago. Beverly can furnish rolls
for 72 years back. I have made out a copy of the assessment
for Beverly for 1816, as I have no doubt many readers will
like to see it. It is on one sheet of paper, or one page. Size
about 17 inches by 25. The assessors, names are John Meriam

120 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

and Isaac Blasdell. Please notice that in 1816 it required two
assessors to make out an assessment roll of one page only and
6() names, whereas one assessor for 1888 made out a roll of
sixty-four pages of lOi inches by 31, and containing over 1500
names ; and the roll for 1889 will be still larger and contain
more names. I can't say what the salary was for 1816, but for
1888 it was $186.

Prior to 1850 the mode of electing township officers was as
follows : On the first Monday in January in each year the
electors met at some central place, generally at some hotel, or
in front of some hotel for the crowd was out in the open air.
i'hese meetings were mostly held at Rockton, sometimes at
Mr. Mc Venn's hotel, three miles east of Rockton, where Mr.
Robinson, the blacksmith, now liv^es, and sometimes at what
was in early times called the "Bush Tavern," situated in front
of lot 14, concession 3, where Mr. Emerson Clement now lives.
On the day these meetings were held, when it came about 11
o'clock some one was appointed to act as chairman. Then the
next act was to elect a township clerk. That done the clerk
took his place at a window inside of the hotel so to be comfor-
table to do the necessary writing. The lower sash of the win-
dow was raised and the chairman stood outside and called out
for nominations for certain officers, which was responded to by
the electors present with alacrity, and all voting at such elec-
tions was done by a show of hands or a division of the electors,
right and left, and the chairman reported to the clerk at the
window the result of each vote as disposed of by the electors.

At the close of the meeting a vote was always taken where
the next town meeting was to be held.

Rules and regulations were also made or passed relating to
fences, also horses, cattle, sheep and swine running at large, etc.

In order for you to form a more correct idea of the business
done at the town meetings I think I can't do better than fur-
nish you a copy of the minutes of one of such meetings. I will
copy from the year 183(5, which is as follows :

Beverly, January 4th, 1836.

John A. Cornell, Chairman of Town Meeting.
Samuel Congo, Town Clerk

John A. Cornell, 1

Adam Thompson, -Board of Commissioners.

George Hall, )

John Shaver, Assessor and Collector.

THE MUNICIPAL HISTORY. 121

Pathmasters.— William Oliver, Charles McKilligan, John
Main, William Anderson, James McQueen, John Fairgrove,
Thomas Young, Eli Whitesell, Abraham D, Rosenberger, Adam
Markle, Benjamin Beemer, Jonas Loveless, Lent Munson,
Aaron Cornell, William Coleman, Moses Cornell, Jonathan
Blasdell, Andrew Camp, Joseph Lehman, Robert Riddle,
Daniel Cornell, Benony Cornell, Gilbert C. Field, Benony Van-
sickle, John Westover, Aaron Cornell, the elder, Joseph
^hewett, Matthevv' Camp, Amos Dakin, John Fonger, John
Armstrong, Walter Robinson, Jephtha Skinner, Lewis Wood,
Patrick Heffron, Robert Valens,

Pound Keepers. — Daniel Cornell, George Jones, David
Mulholland, Nelson Burley, James Cook, Benonv Vansickle,
Jonathan Shaver.

The decision of the town meeting is in favor of having the
money granted by the government for roads expended by the
Board of Commissioners for the Township in eighteen thirty-
six.

The Law Respecting Fences.— Fences to be four feet
high exclusive of stake and riders, not to be more than four
inches between the three first rails.

No horses to be free commoners, horned cattle known to be
unruly not to run at large.

Hogs under six months old not free commoners ; over six
months old free unless they break through a lawful fence.

Boars not free commoners. No rams to run at large after
the first of September until the fifteenth of November. If any
should be found ruiming at large within that time the same to
be forfeited and the owuer liable to pay a fine of ten shillings.

The above is a copy of the minutes of the town meeting held
on the 4th day of January, 1836.

The book they are copied from is of foolscap size and con-
tains two quires of paper. The book contains the minutes of
town meetings from 18.S(i to 18,50. The latter part of the book
is taken up with entries made of stray cattle, horses, sheep,
«wine, etc. A small portion with records of private parties of
marks adopted by each one to be made on their stock, where-
by they would be know in case any dispute should arise as to
the ownership, and there is still quite a portion of the book in
blank, nothing written in it at all. By this it will be seen that
the records of those early times did not require much station"

122 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

ery, and although some may smile at the short hand or simple
way the business of those early times was conducted, yet I
suppose that it answered the purpose for that time as well as
the present system does for the present time. And although
we may think some of the movements of those times would
not suit us at the present day, there are others from which we
might take a lesson. I refer more particularly to the private
marks for cattle, etc. I don't know whether it was done in
compliance with a local or Township law, rule or regulation*
or whether in compliance with some statutory enactment, it
was nevertheless a good thing and if it were carried out now
generally it would save many a dispute about the ownership of
stock ; it would be most needed at the present time to inden-
tify sheep and swine more than cattle, although I iiave known
several cases come into the division court here, relating to dis-
putes as to the ownership of cattle, and they were fought
out very keenly. It these cattle had been marked there need
not have been any dispute.

The following is a copy of some of the registration of pri-
vate marks in those early times :

Mr. Thomas Harbottle's mark, a round hole through the
right ear.

Mr. Zachariah Odle's mark, a round hole through the left
ear.

Mr. Henry Tayer's mark, a slit in both ears.
Mr. Peter Lees' mark, a slit ii^ the under side of the right ear.

Mr. John Lees' mark, the rop of left ear.

Mr. Samuel Beemer's mark, a crop of the right ear and a
half penny from the under side of the left.

Mr. Matthew Bennett's mark, a hole through each ear.

Mr Wm. Ireland's mark, sheep, a back bit out of the
right ear.

In 1842 municipal councils were first introduced, but in a
different shape than they are at present. The province was
divided into districts (see heading of the old assessment roll of
1810), and each district had a municipal council to manage its
local affairs. Beverly formed a part of the District of Gore.
The whole district was composed of the following townships,
viz.: Ancaster, Barton, Beverly, Binbrook, Brantford, Dum-
freis, Esquesing, Flamboro' east, Flamboro' west, Glanford,

THE MUNICIPAL HISTORY. 123

Nassagaweya, Nelson, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Saltfleet,
Trafalgar. The Townships above named composed what was
then called the Gore District Council.

The Township of Dumfries then included what is now
known as North Dumfries, South Dumfries, the town ot Gait,
that portion t ' *;he town of Pans lying north of the Governor's
Road and th*- -age of Ayr.

The Township of Brantford then included what is now the
city of Brantford and that portion of the town of Paris lying
south of the Governor's Road.

The Township of West Flamboro' then included that por-
tion of what is now the town of Dundas, which lies on the
north side of the Governor's Road, and the Township of An-
caster including that portion of what is now Dundas which lies
on the south side of the Governor's Road.

Each Township sent two Councillors. Some of the smaller
townships only sent one.

At the first meeting of the district Councils when the law
came into force first, a ballot was made, the one-third of the
members first elected retired at the end ot the first year, one-
third at the end of the second year, and the remaining third
served three years. Others were elected to fill up the vacancies
and after the first election each Councillor served for three vears.

The mode of conducting the business at district Council
meetings, was similar to the County Council as at present, but
the business done was what is now done by both the Township
and County Councils. The district Council system continued
until 1850.

The representatives for Beverly during that term were as

follows :

For 1842, Walter Robertson and Stephen Nisbet.

At the ballot at the first meeting of the Council, it fell to

the lot of Mr. Robertson to retire at the end of the first year,

and for Mr. Nisbet to continue the full term of three years.

Mr. George Jones was elected in 1843 to take the place of Mr.

Robertson, so that the Councillors for 1843 were Stephen Nisbet

and George Jones ; for 1844, Stephen Nisbet and George Jones ;

for 1845, Stephen Nisbet and George Jones ; for 1846. Stephen

Nisbet and William Dickson ; for 1847, Stephen Nisbet and

William Dickson ; for 1848, William Dickson and Seth Hol-

comb ; for 1849, William Dickson and Seth Holcomb.

124 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

In 1850 the municipal law was changed, district Councils
were abolished, and Township Councils and County Councils
established in lieu thereof.

Under the new law the Township of Beverly, with many
others, was divided into five wards. The limits and boundaries
of each ward for Beverly being as follows :

Ward No. 1 comprised the three first Concessions from the
side road between Lots No. 18 and 19 east to the West Flam-
boro' line.

Ward No, 2 comprised the three first concessions from the
side road between Lots No. 18 and 19 west to the Dumfries line.

Ward No. 3 comprised the 4th, 5th, 8th, 7th, 8th, 9th and
10th Concessions from the side road between Lots No. 12 and
13 west to the Dumfries line.

Ward No. 4 comprised the 4th, oth, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and
10th Concessions from the side road between Lots No. 12 and
13 east to the side road between Lots No. 24 and 25.

Ward No. 5 comprised the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, Oth and
10th Concession from the side road between Lots No. 24 and 25
east to the West Flamboro' line.

The old town meeting on the first Monday in January was
done away with and instead of holding a general meeting of
the whole township a meeting was held in each of the five
wards on the first Monday in January in each year and each
ward elected a Councillor, and the five Councillors so elected
formed the Township Council.

The mode of election of Councillors was as follows : The
electors met at ten o'clock a. m., at some place in the ward ap-
pointed by by-law of the previous year. A chairman or return-
ing officer was also appointed by such by-law for each ward of
the Township. The returning officer so appointed, acting as
chairman of the meeting, called for nomination of a fit and
proper person to act as Councillor for the ward for the year.
If more than one candidate was nominated, and a poll de-
manded, then a poll was opened to record the votes polled for
the several candidates, and the mode of voting at such elections
was what is commonly known as open voting (the ballot law
did not come into force until 1876), and continued for two days,
unless during that time a full hour elapsed in which no vote
was polled. In such a case the returning officer could close the
poll at any time after the expiration of such hour, and declare

THE MUNICIPAL HISTORY. 125

the result of the election. It was quite a common practice
when circumstances required it, for the party who was behind
in the race to retain voters enough to keep the poll open and
allow one to vote every hour, and so continue the full two days.

The five Councillors so elected formed the Township Council.
They held their first meeting on the third Monday in January
each year. The first business done at such meeting was to elect
a chairman, who was called the Reeve, and if the municipality
contained over five hundred resident householders and free-
holders, to elect also a Deputy-Reeve, and for every additional
five hundred householders and freeholders, an extra Deputy-
Reeve. And in 1850 and since that date all municipal officers
such as Clerks, Treasurers, Assessors, Collectors, Poundkeepers,
Fenceviewers, Pathmasters, etc., etc., are or have been ap-
pointed by the Council instead of by the electors at the annual
town meetings as formerly.

The Reeves and Deputy-Reeves of the several Townships
or municipalities in the County formed the ('ounty Council,
and held its first meeting each year on the fourth Tuesday in
January at two o'clock in the afternoon. The Township of
Beverly sent one Reeve and one Deputy-Reeve to the County
Council from 1850 to 1866, and from 1807 to the present time
one Reeve and two Deputy-Reeves. The Deputy-Reeves for
and after 1874 were called first Deputy-Reeve and second
Deputy-Reeve.

In 1867 the law was changed again whereby the ward
system was abolished, and the Reeve, Deputy-Reeve and Coun-
cillors are elected by the general vote, or every elector had a
voice in the election of each member of the Council, and the old
system of the annual town meeting resusitated, but called the
nomination meeting ; the said meetings to be held on the last
Monday of the year (instead of the first Monday as formerly),
at 12 o'clock noon, the Township Clerk to act as chairman. If
more than the necessary number of candidates are nominated,
the proceedings to be postponed until the first Monday of the
year and a poll opened in each polling place in the Township,
and the result of the election declared the following Wednes-
day. One pleasing feature m these annual gatherings now is
that they are held in the Township Hall, where all is nice and
comfortrble, instead of in the open air as formerly.

126 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

I must now draw my epistle to a close, and as in the begin-
ning I gave you a copy of the assessment roll for 1816, I think
I should now furnish you with some information to show you
the progress the township has made from that date to the
present. To furnish you with a copy of the assessment roll for
1888, space will not permit, therefore I will give you an abstract
of the roll for 1888, which is as follows :

Total number of resident names on the roll, 1,512 ; total
number of non-resident name^ on the roll, 22 ; assessed value
of real property, $1,960,692 ; assessed value of personal property,
$122,900 ; income, $600 ; number of cattle, 5,088 ; number of
sheep, 2,993 ; number of hogs, 1,736 ; number of horses, 2,247 ;
number of acres of woodland, 11,930 ; number of acres of
swamp, marsh or waste land, 5,729 ; number of acres of orchard
and garden, 1,097 ; number of acres under fall wheat, 7,305.

I will also furnish you with an abstract of the collector's
roll for 1888 in school sections, which will give you a large
amount cf information in a small space. The abstract or state-
ment will explain itself.

I have also prepared a list showing the names of each mem-
ber of the Council. Clerk and Treasurer for each year from 1850
down to the present, 1889, showing also who was Reeve, Depu-
ty Reeve and Councillors for each of those years. I have also
prepared another list showing the name of each member of the
Council from 1850 to 1889, ail arranged in alphabetical order,
showing also the total number of years each one was in the
Council, the number of years each one held the position of
Reeve, Deputy Reeve or Councillor, during the aforesaid term.
All of which you will find hereto annexed.

THE MUNICIPAL HISTORY.

127

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THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

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THE MUNICIPAL HISTORY.

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132

THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

The following table or list contains the name of ench uien.-
ber of the Municipal Council of the Township of Beverly from
1851 to 1889, showing albo the total number of years each one
was in the council ; the number of years Keeve, Deputy-Reeve,
or Councillor ; with their present place of residence, and P. O.
address, all arranged in alphabetical order.

Armstrong, Benjamin
Bennett, John
Bowman, Joseph
Biggs, Richard L.
Bannen, Richard
Clement, John
Cornell, Jerimiah
Cornell, Thadeus S.
Cornell, Brewin
Cumming, John
Cumraing, Chas.
Dickson, Wm.
Fergusson, Archibald
Fergusson, Robert
Gray, Edwin
Gray, Henry
Holcomb, Seth
Haines, Alex.
Herbert, John
Henderson, Thos. S.
Jones, George
Lundy, Dr. J. B.
Lapsley, Claud
Menzies, William
Mulholland, Geo. H.
Malcom, John
Merriara, Wm. 0.
McQueen, James
McDonald Wallace
McMullen, John
McQueen, Thos.
McKenzie, Duncan
Neff, John R.

NUMBER

OF
YEARS.

Present Residence.

4 St. George,
10 Beverly
2 "

Ont

Michigan, U.
Beverly.

P. 0- Address.

1 cJtratford, Ont.

71 Beverly.

21 Died in 1867.

l|Galt, Ont.

5 Died in 1863.

7 Beverly.

1
14

5
10

Michigan, U. S.
Died in 1869.
Dead.
Beverly.

Preston, Ont.
Died in 1886.
Beverly.

Died in 1882.

Westminster.

Beverly.

Malton, Ont.
Beverly.
Dead.
Moosomin.N.WT

St. George

Copetown

Dundos.

Christie

Twangs ton

Troy

Lynden

Stratford

Sheffield

Gait

Clyde

Valens
Freelton

Qrand Rapids

Rockton

West FlamDoro'

Preston

Kirkwall
Troy

Byron

Kirkwall

Rockton

Malton

Sheffield

Moosomin

THE MUNICIPAL HISTORY.

188

•

RUHBEB

•

HAME.

Present Residence-

P.O. Address.

TEARS.

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pa

Nisbet, Wm. 1

Michigan, U. S.

Tawas.

35 Peregrine, David

5 Died in 1866.

36 Patterson, David

4 [Dun das.

Dun das.

37jPentland, Robert

2 Gait.

Gait.

38|Sager, Malacbi, sr.

5 Beverly.

Troy.

39 Smith, James

13 13 Died in 1884.

40Tl3omp8on, Robert

Beverly.

Lynden.
Valens.

41 Valens, John

421 Wood, Peter

Brantford.

43 Westover, John

Died in 1862.

44 Wood, John P.

Beverly.

Troy.

By the above list you will see that 44 persons have ruled mun-
icipal affairs of Beverly for the last 40 years, 10 of whom were
in council but 1 year, seven 2 years, four 3 years, five 4 years,
seven 5 years, two 6 years, two 7 years, one 9 years, two 10
years, and one 12, one for 13, one for 14 and one for 15 years,
respectively.

Ten of the said 44 are dead, thirteen have left the township
and twenty-one are still residents. If we go back to 1842 (the
commencement of our municipal system), we have only to add
two names to the above list, viz. : Walter Robertson and
Stephen Nisbet. The others have been in the council since
1850, and are included in the above list. Messrs Robertson and
Nisbet are both dead some years ago. And from the com-
mencement in 1842, down to the present time, but one bye-
election has been required to fill a vacancy caused by death,
viz., in 1863 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Wm.
Dickson.

Your humble servant,

WALLACE McDonald.

Rockton, February, 1889.

■ ^ ..^-^. ..-■., ■■..:^;/-i....^L.._i:jM.a-i^

134 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Many Beverly residents will be surprised to know there is
extant a complete assessment roll of that Township as far back
as the year 1816. The roll is too voluminous to republish, but
a short summary of it is given. In the early times the country
was not divided into counties but into districts, of which there
were the Eastern district, district of Johnstown, Midland dis-
trict, district of Newcastle, Home district, Niagara district,
district of London, and Western district. The names on the
Home district, in which Beverly was, are Jas. Wedge, Enoch
Cornell, Jas. Middough, Henry Babcock, John Cornell, Augus-
tus Babcock, Robt. Emes, Henry Moore, Jacob Sipes, sr., Jonas
Sipes, John McCarter, Jacob Sipes, jr., Jas. McCarter, Eleanor
Main, Adam Main, Jonas Smith, John Main, Joseph Cornell,
Philip Maiii, Samuel Muma, John Colman, John Larison, Wm.
Wedge, Philip Will, Elizabeth Manning, George Buckberry,
Arent Vivoman, .John Hamel, John Buckberry, jr., John
Buckberry, sr., Isaac Shaver, Enos Griffith, Wm. Rosebrook,
Eleaznor Griffith, Samuel Fasset, Hannah Griffith, Josiah Mc-
Keane, Zechariah Warner, Jepthu Skinner, Jacob Cope,
Joshua Cope, Henry Cope, Thos. Cope, Conrad Cope, Rinear
Vansickle, Moses Cornell, Andrew Jones, John Vansickle, sr.,
John Vansickle, jr., Benj. Cornell, Elias Baker, Burjep Baker,
John L. Smith, Andrew Whitsell, Richard Decker, Nicholas
Surerus, Samuel C'ornell, David Shannon, John Merriam and
Isaac Blasdell.

The foregoing settlers owned amongst them in the Home
district 50,779 acres of uncultivated land, and 1,371 acres of
arable pasture or meadow, while Robert Emes owned 100 acres
of uncultivated land in the district of London. Elizabeth Man-
ning and Arent Vivoman owned in Niagara district, respec-
tively, 150 acres of uncultivated, and 30 acres of meadow, and
100 acres of uncultivated and 10 of arable land.

The number of houses, square or hewed timber on two
sides, one storey, was 12 ; houses with additional fireplaces, 1 ;
houses of trimmed timber, one storey, 4 ; saw mills, 1 ; horses
at 3 years old and upwards, 46 ; oxen at 4 years old and up-
wards, 64 ; milch cows, 124 ; cattle from 2 vears to 4 years, 45.

The total assessment was £4,237, and the taxes were £17,
8s., 2id.

EARLY EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.

Mr. John A. Cornfll,,

Sir, — In seeking to comply with your request for a short
letter from me, dealing with the early histoi-y of Education in
this Township, I shall endeavor to be brief, and at the same
time general in my statements.

The notices of the earliest schools, in the various localities^
referred to in the letters that have already appeared, relieve
me of the greater part of what would otherwise have been my
lot to deal with, and which are more of local than of general
interest. If I rightly understood you, the ground to be covered
by this letter was to extend from my earliest recollections of
school matters, down tto the passing of the Act of 1871, leading
features of which were the abolition of the office of Township
Superintendent and making free school compulsory — the Coun-
ty Inspector taking the place of the Township Superintendent.

In order to make intelligible what I may hereafter refer to
it will be necessary for me to give a brief sketch of the school
legislation of this Province from the time when it began to
assume the form of a systematic attempt to provide for the
education of the youth of the country. From an early period
in the present century grants of public money were made for
the purposes of education and the establishment of schools.

In 1816 a sum of fifteen hundrert pounds or $€000 was ^et
apart for that object. These grants repeated from time to
time to time, failed to secure proper returns owing to the fact
that they were expended without reference to any general

136 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

plan or any well defined basis of appropriation, the Education
Bill of 1837, was the first attempt at a systeiiiatic organization
of the educational institutions of this country. So far as the
Common Schools wore concerned, that act provided for the
annual appropriation of £15,000 for the use of the Common
Schools of the Province, and that whenever the permanently
available School Fund of this Province should amount to the
sum of £10,000 per annum, the Governor should appoint a
Provincial Superintendent of Common Schools, who should
annually report to the Legislatures ot the Province, respecting
the condition of the schools, estimates and accounts of expen-
ditures of school money, plans for the improvement, manage-
ment and better organization of the schools, and all matters
cognate thereto. The local machinery pre-existing or created by
that Act, consists first, of what were called district oflScers,
the term "District" being the equivalent of our terra "Section."
These oflftcials were, a Clerk, three Trustees and a Collector.
These Trustees were elected annually : the duties of the Clerk
were to call meetings,keep a record of proceedings.and of all re-
ports made by the Trustees of his district, to the commissioners
of the township. The powers and duties of the Trustees was to
call special meetings of the ratepayers. Make out a tax list
to attach their warrant to such list, empowering the collector
for the district to collect the same. To lease or purchase sites
for school houses, to build lease, repair and furnish such school
houses, out of funds paid to them by Government or collected
by them, to have the custody and safe keeping of all school
property, to contract with teachers, to pay teachers from the
moneys received from Government through the commissioners
and to collect the balance, if any, from all parties in their
district liable therefor. They had the power to pay teachers
quarterly, collect moneys quarterly, exempt indigent persons
at their discretion, to supervise the school list kept by the
teachers, to form rate bills and to authorize the collector
under their warrant to collect the same, and prior to the first
day of March in each year to report in writing to the com-
missioners tor the township.

The other officials and three commissioners and three in
spectors, eilected by the annual township meeting, and holding
oflflce for one year. These commissioners, on their acceptance
of office, were required to give bonds for dottble the amount of

THOMAS H HENDERSON.

Born in VVo3t Niasouri, Oxf.ir.l Coiintj'. in 1843.

C'umn to liovcrly with his father in 1844 and has lived there ever since.

Townshij) rounfillorin 1884, '8,i, '87, '88

Was elected Second Deputy Reeve tor 1889.

-L

THE EDUCATIONAL HISTORY. 137

money passing through their hands. Their powers and duties
were : — To divide their townships into school districts, describe
and number the same, and report such divisions and such dis-
criptions to the Township Clerk, apply to, and receive from
(he District Treasurer and Township collector all sums appor-
tioned or raised for school purposes, and to apportion the
same on the first day of April in each year, or within ten days
of their receiving the full amount of such moneys, and to
report in writing to the Clerk of the Peace for the district
between the first day of July and the first day of October in
«ach year. The Clerk of the Township by virtue of his office
was Clerk of the Commissioners, they being endowed with cor-
porate powers enabling them to acquire, hold or sell property
for school purposes. The three Inspectors together with these
Commissioners, or any three of them, were Township School
Inspectors, their powers and duties were : Ist, the examination
of candidates for teacher's certificates ; 2nd, the licensing such
candidates to teach ; 3rd, the annulling or cancelling such certi-
ficates ; 4th, calling for a re-examination of those holding
certificates ; 5th, to visit the schools under their charge once a
year, or as frequently as they might see fit ; or to summarize,
4ibese Inspectors were required to hold a valid meeting, for ex-
amining and licensing a teacher, the signatures of three of them
were required to make a certificate valid, the Commissioners by
virtue of the office were Inspectors under the terms of the
Act, the teachers were to be examined and have their certi-
ficates renewed annually, the Inspectors were bound to visit
and inspect each school at least once a year, these Inspectors
were to be allowed such remuneration as the annual meeting of
the Township might decide. Such is a brief description of the
local machinery of our school system, its powers and duties, at
the time of my earliest recollection. Before proceeding to de-
tails, let me trace briefly the succeeding changes in the system
down to 1850, when it may be said to have been placed on its
resting basis. Many defects were discovered in practical work-
ing of the Act, to which I have referred and the results were
far from satisfactory.

In 1841 the Secretary of the Province, S. B. Harrison, in-
troduced and succeeded in passing a measure providing for the
granting of money to each County, upon the condition of such
County raising an equal amount by Local Assessment. That

138 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

was strong opposition to the principle of that Act, and the
working of its details required moditlcation, and in 1843 the
Hon. F. Hincks brought in a bill which became law, and very
much simplified and popularized that measure. By that Act
the Secretary of the Province became Chief Superintendent of
Education, in the discharge of his duties he was assisted by
two subordinates. In 1&14 the office of Chief Superintendent
was ottered to Egerton Rycrson, and accepted by him in the
autumn of the same year, on condition (1) that it should in
its administration constitute a separatedistrictandnon-political
department, (2) that he should be allowed one year's absence in
order that he might visit and examine into the European and
American School Systems. The request was granted, and 1845
was spent in investigating the constitution and working of
these systems, and in 1846 the results were embodied in a repor
on a system of Elementary Instruction for Upper Canada^
and a Draft Bill which was introduced into the Legislative
Assembly by the Hon. W. Draper, then Attorney-General, and
which became law in 1846. This was followed in a few months
by a Draft Bill for establishing a system of schools in cities and
incorporated towns, introduced by the Hon. J. H. Cameron
and became law in 1847. These two Acts with the modifica-
tioions and changes which experience suggested, were incor-
j)orated in one Act, which was introduced by the Hon. F.
Hincks, Inspector-General, and became law in 1850, and which
introduced the option of free schools, which feature of the
system existed until the passage of the Act of 1871, made free
schools compulsory.

Having thus briefly sketched the history of our school
legislation from 1837 to 1850, and noted a few of the changes in
the school law of our Province, I shall now refer to some of
my earliest recollections of the working of our schools under
the Acts previously referred to. 1st, as to the adminis-
trators of the law and those having jurisdiction over the Town-
ship, and as I write largely from memorj^ I am liable to cor-
rection, the Commissioners and Inspectors whose names are
familiar, were George Jones, W. Hall, Robert Thompson, James
Henderson, James McQueen and John Frier. And as these
officials were elected annually by the Township meeting, I am
not prepared to say who of them were Inspectors, or who were
Commissioners, or how long they held office, the only docu-

'fl

THE EDUCATIONAL HISTORY. 130

mentary evidence that I have seen is very short, and has

reference to the purchase by the Trustees of this section, of the

log church, to be used as a school and the application to the

payment of the same, of the $60 which this district had received |

from Government, for the purpose of putting up a school house, |

which house has been put up, bat remained unfinished, and |

which after the purchase of the church was sold to a private |

party, and is still in existence and is used as a horse stable.

The document referred to bears date July 1st, 1843, grants the

consent of the Commissioners to the appropriation of the $60

to the purchase of the building referred to, and is signed by

James Henderson as Chairman of Commissioners.

I have a recollecton of the visits of these officials to the
school in this district, more especially the three last named.
The late John ArmstrouRr, as Clerk of the Township, was by
virtue of his office Clerk of the Commissioners. So long as
these officials have a place in our school system, the only other
officials of whose .presence in the school in these early days
I have any recollection of were Patrick Thornton, of Dundas,
Gore District Inspector up to 1849 ; and Dr. Mullen, Township
Inspector. In which years these visits were made I am not
prepared to say. Mr. Thornton's last report, which is very
brief, at least the extracts from it are, is found in the Chief
Superintendent's report for 1849. The extract consists of a
complaint of the unworkableness of the existing law, and ex-
presses the hope that due attention will be given to its amend-
ment during legislature. I have a distinct recollection of the
venerable appearance of the District Superintendent and of
his efforts to show how the limited appliances for canying on
the work of the school could be turned to the best account.
The name of Dr. Mullen I have not found in any document to
which I have access. I remember at least two occasions on
which he visited this school, once in company with Mr.
Thornton and once alone. I have still in my possession the
first work on Geography which I ever saw, and which was pre-
sented to me by the Dr. on the occasion of his second visit. I
remember him as a kindly man anxious to gain the confidence
and conciliate the good will of the children ; perhaps that book
has something to do with my recollections of him personally.
Of the teachers of those days a good deal might be said, not to
their advantage as regards mental ability, capacity to teach.

■MM

140 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

previous training or moral habits. I prefer only to say that
they serve their day, they filled a place for which there were
no other available applicants, and considering their circum-
stances and surroundings, the primitive state of society, the
paucity of educational appliances, the poverty of school ac-
commodation, some of them did well, and held the fort till
brighter days dawned on the profession, and the worthless
were weeded out by death or dismissal. There were .among
them men who, considering all things, were successful teach-
ers ; men who kept pace with the times, who overcame the
diflftculties of early days, kept themselves abreast with the
changes of the school law, and honorablv ended their days in
the active work of the profession. My recollections of them as
a class are of men in or past the middle of life ; few of them, or
hardly any of them were men trained for the profession.
Many of them were men who failed in everything else, and
there did exist to a greater or less extent in many minds th®
idea that almost any one was good enough to teach.

Of the school houses themselves, as a rule they were very
primitive in the manner and material of their construction,
and very diminutive in their dimensions. All or nearly all
Were log buildings so far as I was acquainted with them-
Some of them were hewn log buildings, and were better lighted
'than those of an earlier date. The one in this district, to
which I have already referred, and two other adjoining ones
were hewn log houses. Some of these buildings were furnished
with shutters for which there was very little room and far less
•need. These buildings were typical of the township school
houses of that period ; of external accommodation, in most
cases there was none except what the fence sides or the
neighboring woods afforded ; of internal furniture and appli-
ances there was but a meagre supply of a most heterogeneous
character ; the heating was generally by means of stoves, and
the full nearly all green wood, the only exception being when
there happened to be a quantity remainding over from the
^preceding year, the supply was very uncertain, at least as far
as its delivery was concerned. The act of 1837 provided that
When no tax was levied for that purpose it should be furnished
•by the parents or guardians of the district at a certain quanti"
ty for each pupil sent from each home, and sometimes the
spirit moved the man Who had it, to bring dry pine, and while

THE EDUCATIONAL HISTORY. Ul

it lasted we could always get heat in a hurry, but it was poor
at staying.

Sometimes another brought green maple or beech, and un-
loaded it amid the snow. Woodsheds ! they were never
thought off in these days or if thought of at all, they were con-
sidered superfluities, at least in connection with school houses.
It taxed the patience and tried the temper to get the fire agoing
on some of these mornings when the only available fuel
happened to be a foot or two beneath the snow. Sometimes
there was a failure in the connection between the deliveries of
various parents or guardians. And then, the rails that had
got off the fence in search of a warm place for winter, got a
warmer place than they bargained for. And sometimes too,
the supply was drawn in in logs which the man who brought
them intended to cut in time but failed to do so, and then the
teacher himself or the boy who thought himself the most com-
petent, mounted the log with a borrowed axe and chopped the
required supply, while the rest romped outside or shivered in-
side as the weather permitted or necessitated, while it was
'just as well for the man who drew the logs, that he was out of
sight and not within hearing ; but we outlived it all. Then
there were the seats and desks. Well .they were unlike any-
thing that ever existed before then, thev were without any
contemporary resemblance and nothing like them has appeared
since. They were unique — sometimes you faced the wall some-
times your back was to the wall, if room was scarce and it was
often scarce in those days. They were long slanting desks
against the wall, and a long backless form on which we were
seated. A back to this form would have been at once a comfort
and an inconvenience, as every time we got up or sat down we
had to get out over and in over the same form and while seated
were wedged in between two others and if one were weaker
than the others we took just what space they were willing to
allow us. Sometimes the desks were double and we sat facing
each other over the intervening ridge. Another teacher who
could keep the pupils under his or her eye had to look more
than one way at the same time, while at the same time it pre-
cluded the pupil from ascertaining the whereabouts of the
teacher, until he was visited with a startling evidence of his
proximity. Then there were the Text Books. Well it is difficult
to speak of what had no existence in the sense in which we

142 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

use the term. The writer had no ground of complaint on that
score, the entire absence of all such books compelled the use of
the only available book, viz. the Bible. And the acquisition of
Bible knowledge in those early years has been of life long bene-
fit to the writer and to others who shared the advantage with
him. Blackboards I Their day was then in then in the dis-
tance, its dawn was not even discernable in the distant horizon,
their advent was contemporary with the introduction of the
Irish National series of readers. The one came to stay, the
other served its day, 'good readers they were.

The " Boarding Round" of the teacher was another feature
of these early days. It at least compelled the personal ac-
quaintance of the teacher with every parent in the section.
The length of his sojourn in each home was a certain given
period for each member of that family attending school, and
when he got to the end of the list he just commenced again and
was generally there as soon as he was welcome. Sometimes
the teacher did a little collecting of salary on the Rate Bill part
of it. An incident in that connection waff related to the writer
a short time ago. The individual relating it belonged in his
young dayji to an adjoining section, but owing to the school be-
ing closed he had gone to attend the school in the next section.
When he had been there two weeks a riot occured in the school
followed by the dismissal of the teacher, and the closing of the
school; sometime after a rather "seedy" looking individual
made his appearance at the home of the individual referred to.
He came in without knocking and sat down without invitation
and after a short pause began by saying that he believed that
there was a " Yark sheeling about this house belonging to him.
His demand was explained by his claim for the two weeks that
the member of the family had attended his school.

The only authentic information I have regarding the num-
ber of schools in this township goes back to 1847 ; the number
in that year was eighteen. The average salary of that
year was £32, 18s., 6d., or $131 The highest salary in the
province in that year was £100, and the lowest £11. The
average time of keeping the schools open was 8^ months.

The next authentic information I have is from the report
of 1850, in which I find the following references (1) to school
houses, noting the fact that one good stone house (the house in
Section No. 13) had been built during that year, while the year

MMMM|rtlMitaNi|Mk>M«Ma

THE EDUCATIONAL HISTORY. 143

described generally "as destitute of conveniences," many of
them uninhabitable, the wind enterine; from all quarters. (2)
Respectint? teachers, the report while noting improvement in
the matter of teachers, yet laments the number of " tippling
teachers," who by offering to teach for small salaries succeeded
in securing employment, noting also the fact that the best
teachers were very often those addicted to that habit, and that
one had perished through exposure in the snow of the preced-
ing winter. The same report speaks of the newly awakened
interest in school matters owing to the operation of the free
school clause of the Act of that year, the vigorous opposition
to the same, and closes with the expressed conviction of the
ultimate triumph of the free school system. As an illustration
of the vigor with which the free schools were opposed, let
me recite the following incident : At the annual meeting in an
adjoining section the subject had been vigorously discussed
and the vote was about to be taken, when one of the ratepayers
whose land adjoined the school house saw through tbe window
a dog worrying one of his sheep, he sprang to his feet to go to the
rescue of the sheep, when his progress was at once interrupted
by his portly neighbor rising and blocking his way by his com-
manding presence and the emphatic words, " Not one length of
your foot Sammy till this vote is taken." Sammy had to sit
down, the vote was taken, the free school was defeated, and
that dog had his own way with the sheep.

I do not intend to follow subsequent reports in this letter,
the assimilation of our municipal institutions and our school
system, the local control conferred on the people, in these
matters by the Municipal Act and the School Acts up to 1850
awakened an amount of popular enthusiasm which was new to
the history of the country. And the people in the flush and
fervor of that enthusiasm set themselves to the working out of
both these institutions with an energy which was an augury of
the success that followed.

The marked improvement in school matters was soon ap-
parent, in the improvement of school houses, school furniture,
conveniences of every kind, text books, the standing and quali-
fication of the teachers, the increase in the remuneration of
teachers, the entry of a large number of young men and women
into the ranks of the profession, taking the place of those who
belonged to a previous state of affairs. The progress made

mmggm

144 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

during the twenty years subsequent to 1850 and prior to the
Act of 1871, will be best ascertained by a comparison of the
state of affairs at the passing of the Act of 1850, with the state
of matters at, and subsequent to the passage of the Act of 1871,
which it will fall to another hand to deal with.

Before closing let me refer to another individual connected
with the administration of school affairs in this Township from
1850 to 1871, namely, the Rev. Jno. Porteous, who occupied the
position of Township Superintendent during the interval above
referred to. His unobtrusive, impartial and efficient discharge
of the duties of that office during these years, has very much
to do with the success of the system, and the improvement of
the schools in this Township.

ROBERT McQUEEN.
Kirkwall, Ont.

LATER EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.

IN 1871, the Ontario Legislature passed an Act making cer-
tain changes in the school laws of the Province which in
the opinion of the more thoughtful and progressive part of
the community were rendered necessary for the proper devel-
opement of our system of popular education. These consisted
mainly in making ample provision for a uniform and more
thorough examination of teachers and for the more careful and
efficient supervision of the work done. For this purpose uni-
form examination papers were prepared by a committee of
competent persons, and examinations held in various educa-
tional centres under the care of presiding examiners specially
selected for that purpose. A new office was created, that of
County Public School Inspector, to which 1 was appointed, and
entered upon my duties on the first day of July, 1871. Since
then my work has been exclusively connected with the Public
Schools of this County, and I have sought by every legitimate
means to advance their interests and make them worthy of the
confidence of the people.

Mr. John A. Cornell, in preparing his work on the " Pion-
eers of Beverly," invited me to assist by giving a brief histori-
ical review of the growth and developement of the Public
Schools of that Township during the time that I have filled the
office of Public School fVispector. In complying with his re-
quest, which I do with pleasure, I shall avail myself of the
valuable information contained in the Annual Reports of the
various Boards of Trustees. Statistics will necessarily have to
be introduced, but I hope to be able to present them in such a
manner as to throw light upon, and add force to the statements

' ' ■ ' '■ •' ""'" "nil-""' iiiiii

14« THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

made. It will be almost, if not quite impossible to present
many of the facts in such a way as to be readily comprehended
unless statistics are introduced to a greater or less extent.
They serve a useful purpose, and I shall avail myself of their
services.

To form a correct estimate of the progress made since 1871,
it will be necessary to compare the accommodation then pro-
vided with what we now have ; to contrast somewhat carefully
the methods of instruction then in use, as well as the manner
in which the discipline of the school room was administered,
with these that now prevail ; and to test as accurately as pos-
sible the general state of scholarship prevalent in the schools
at both these periods of time. Fortunately the records of these
years are sufficiently full and accurate to enable us to arrive at
conclusions that are trustworthy and which present to us un-
doubted evidence of a steady and satisfactory developement of
all the elements that are essential to the growth and develope-
ment of a sound and practical system of elementary education.
A careful study of these records will show us not only wherein
the schools have prospered, but will point out clearly and dis-
tinctly wherein they have failed to meet our reasonable antici-
pations. Two of these causes of fnilure pointed out clearly and
unmistakably in these records are, irregularity of attendance, and
the too frequent employment of teache, s of limited experience
and education. In the school room if anywhere, we require
experience and a broad and liberal culture. To accomplish
this purpose, parents will have to exercise self-denial, and
Trustees, liberality.

Before entering upon the consideration of the topics already
suggested, it may not be out of place to look into the arrange-
ment of school sections. Prior to 1871 this Township was
divided into 19 sections, 15 of which lay wholly within the
limits of the Municipality and four were union sections. Of
the former the largest contained 7,437 acres, and the smallest
about 1,00() acres, or less. Of the union sections one was at-
tached to a portion of North Dumfrie8,«one to a portion of Aji-
caster. and two to portions of West Flamboro'. These latter
were found to be a necessity and were formed for the accom-
modation of those who happened to live so far from the school
housj in the section to which they wei*e joined, that it was
almost impossible to send their children to school with any de-

DH. A. K STUTT, Lynden.

Born in Toronto. August 7th. 1860. Educated at Toronto University.

Afterwards in the schools of London, Edinburgh and Paris.

Cirouinnavipatod the globe in 1888.

Medical lloallh OfHcer for Township of Bcverl.v.

MMM

THE EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.

147

gree of regularity. This class of school sections is looked upon
by many as by no means desir .ble, but necessary by reason of
convenience. The manner in which local affairs are managed
by the various Municipal Councils differ so much, that the
proper adjustment of all matters pertaining to union sections,
together with the preparation of the necessary reports, entail
no little labor and trouble on the officials of the Municipalities
interested. Involving as they do a certain amount of extra
labor, yet without any provision in our school laws for their
formation, many people would l>e put to very great incon-
venience in the education of their children without them. With
a little care on the part of the officials they can be managed
without much friction, and they then serve an excellent purpose.

Considerable dissatisfaction prevailed among the people
along the Governor's Road, concerning the arrangement of
sections, and the management of the schools. It therefore be-
came necessary to make some changes in the section boundaries
so as to strengthen the weak ones, and place a schoolhouse
within a convenient distance of such ratepayers. Accordingly
in 1873, after a full and free discussion of all matters bearing
upon the change? proposed, the sections were arranged as
they now stand. These changes have commended themselves
.to the good judgement of the people interested, and have given
genei'al satisfaction. There are now twelve sections lying
wholly within the limit of the Township, and seven union sec-
tions, one attached to a portion of North Dumfries, four to
portions of Ancaster, and two to portions of West Fiamboro'.
In 1871 the school sections varied in size from 1,(KK) acres to
7,4H7 ; in asseasrd value, from $21,250 to $75,000 ; and in rate of
taxation from I^) cents to 75 cents on the hundred dollars. In
1888 the variations in size were from ;^J84 acres to 74137 acres ;
in assessed value, from $118,200 to $180,J)20 ; and in rate ot tax-
ation, from 10 cents to 42 cents on the hundred dollars. These
comparisons are made between sections lying wholly within
the Municipality, and have no reference to union sections. It
will thus be seen that the changes thus far made have been in
the direction of equalizing the burden of taxation, so that all
shall contribute towards the education of the young in propor-
tion to their abilicy. The division of the Township into sections
should be looked upon as simply a grouping of families, who
are conveniently situated to attend the same school, and not a

148 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

setting apart of certain portions of it for the purposes of
special taxation. We need broader views on this matter,
for the proper education of the entire coraraunity is of
greater importance than simply having here and there a good
school, while the majority are inferior. As a rule people are
apt to look upon this matter from a sectional point of view,
and not on the broad basis of " the greatest good to the great-
est possible number." It would therefore be for the best inter-
ests of education if a uniform rate of taxation were levied over
the entire municipality for school purposes, similar to that now
in force for general Township purposes.

On my first official visit in the latter half of 1871, I found the
accommodation to consist of one log, eight frame, five stone,
and two brick schoolhouses. Of the play grounds attached
three contained one acre each, five half an acre, while the re-
maining eight practically had none at all, the sites containing
an eighth of an acre or less. Inside the schoolroom the seats
and desks were far from being satisfactory, only one having
those of an improved pattern, the others being clumsy in form
and not well adapted for the comfort of those who weie com-
pelled to occupy them. The supply of maps, blackboards and
apparatus was very meagre. In tour sections there were school
libraries, the one in S. S. No. 15, consisting of large and well
selected assortment of books neatly covered and well cared for.
Hat and cloak rooms with suitable books and shelves were [»io-
vided in four sections, while in the remaining twelve, little or
no acconmiodation in this respect was furnished.

The changes that have taken place since that first visit are,
that three new brick schoolhouses and five additional rooms
have been built. All the remaining schoolhouses have been
thoroughlv repaired, with one exception, and that one. the
trustees expect soon to replace with one better adapted to the
wants of the section. Inside the schoolr-oom, conveniences for
hats and cloaks, together with seats and desks of an improved
pattern and more elegant design, have been furnished. There
are however three rooms in w >ich the trustees persist in retam-
ing some relics of a former age, out we hope to see these quickly
removed, and more modern furniture substituted. Ifi some of
the schools, I am happy to say, the wails are adoi ned with pic-
tures, and the teachers are etideavoring to give the rooms a
homolike appearance. This is much to be commended, and the

THE EDUCATIONAL HISTORY. 149

example thus set in the good work may very profitably be
followed by others. The schools are now fairly well supplied
with maps, blackboards and apparatus necessary for teaching
the subjects in the curriculum. There is however room for im-
provement in this respect, and it is to be hoped that trustees
will take greater pride in having a first-class school in every
respect than in saving expenses without being economical.
Two of the sections that had school houses in Beverly in 1871,
have since built brick schoolhouses in Ancaster, the sites hav-
ing been selected on the south side of the Governor's Road.

The accommodation now provided consists of five brick, five
stone, and four frame buildings, with eight play grounds of
an acre each, two, three-fourths of an acre, and four with half
an acre, the smallest quantity allowed by law. In the Union
Sections there are four brick schoolhouses, and one stone, the
grounds attached being each one acre in extent. The grounds,
since Arbor Day has been established, have been planted with
suitable shade trees, are well fenced, and provided with the
necessary outside conveniences. Great improvements have
been made in adding to the comforts provided for both pupils
and teachers, and in ornamenting the school grounds, hut
none too great. Every schoolhouse with its surroundings
should be made as attractive as possible, for it is a centre
of fiight and knowledge to the young people of the sec-
tion. The silent influence of the daily surroundings of
children wields no inconsiderable influence in moulding and
developing their characters, and in forming their tastes. It
therefore seems not only wise and prudent on the part of
parents to provide the best accommodation possible, but it be-
comes a duty they owe the state to see that the best education
available is given to the young. This can only be done well,
when the school and its surroundings keep step with the spirit
of the age, and present as attractive an appearance as the
homes from whence these children come. No more judicious
expenditure of public money can be made by Trustees than in
setting apart a small sum of money annually, for the purpose
of beautifying the school property, tor it is the place where a
great majority of the children spend a considerable portion of
their childhood life, and where the habits are formed, that go
far to make or mar their future prospects in life. It therefore
seems to be the plain and reasonable duty of all parents to give
this matter the most serious consideration.

150 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Another feature of our educational work that demands
more than a passing notice, is the providing of suitable teach-
ers' residences. There is only one of these in Beverly. This
has proved to be both a great convenience and a financial ad-
vantage. Teachers, like other people, look forward to the time
when when they can settle down into a home of their own, but
so long as the present custom obtains so long will we have the
constantly recurring evil of the too frequent cnanges of teach-
ers. There can be no reasonable doubt that this is detrimental
to the best interests of education, and the want of such resi-
dences too frequently drives many of our best teachers out of
the profession. The various religious denominations have
found it not only necessary but of decided advantage to have
suitable homes provided for those who minister to them in holy
things, and we see as a natural result that almost every church
has its attendant parsonage. By a parity of reasoning it would
appear that if similar hom^s were provided for teachers, the
number and ^reciuency of changes would be greatly reduced,
while many able and accomplished teachers would remain true
to their life calling and devote their energies to teaching.
When we rightly value the important interests and the grave
responsibilities that are confided to their care, greater diligence
will be used in searching out and employing the right class of
men and women to place in charge of our schools. It is there-
fore very much to be desired that suitable residences shall be
provided. Looking at this matter from another point of view
it will very readily be seen that with teachers settled in homes
of their own adjacent to the school house, they would naturally
take greater interest in keeping the grounds and fences in good
order, and would look after many little things that now de-
tract from the appearance of the premises. Nor is this all.
The bill of expenses for repairs, the relieving of the trustees
from many petty annoyances about the care of school property,
as well as the prevention of the premises from falling into that
dilapidated state we see too frequently, and which causes con-
siderable irritation, would be materially lessened. There seems
to be so much to be gained and at so small an expense that the
wonder is, that so few teachers' residences are provided. It is
very earnestly to be hoped that special efforts will be put forth
in the near future to improve our system in this respect.

The improvements that have been made in methods of

THE EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.

151

teaching indicate much more clearly the advancement in edu-
cational matters than is shewn by the work done in providing
school accommodation. This will be more evident when we
compare the state of the schools, and take into consideration
the number of trained teachers employed in 1871 and at the
present time. That special training for the work of teaching
is necessary few will be disposed to dispute, and it is therefore
a fair test of progress. Eighteen years ago there were only
four trained teachers in Beverly, the others having simply
their personal experience to guide them, while at the present
time all, with the exception of two, have either attended the
Normal School, or have been trained at one or other of our
County Model Schools. The two referred to have had some
twenty years experience in the schoolroom, in addition to the
professional knowledge obtained at Teachers' Institutes, so that
it can fairly be said that the education of the young is placed
in the hands of those specially trained for their work.

The organization of the school, and the classification ot
pupils, prior to 1871, was left largely, if not entirely to the
judgement and discretion of the teacher. Reading was made
almost exclusively the test of promotion, and the success of the
teacher depended largely upon the rapidity with which he
could pass his pupils from one reading book to another. The
other subjects on the program were taken up very much as the
parents and children desired. When therefore the new
curriculum was introduced, and pupils were required to have
some knowledge of the otlier subjects before they could be pro-
moted, no little dissatisfaction was caused by what was then
called, the arbitrary use of power on the part of school ofHcials.
Since that time the wisdom of this change has been clearly
demonstrated, and ver few if any would now favor a return to
the old plan. It is true that the course ot study has been
changed from time to time, but each change has been a pro-
gressive one, and new the course is considerably more diflflcult
than when first introduced. New life was infused into the
teaching, and old methods rapidly gave way to better ones.
Reading was to a very great extent simply pronouncing the
words in a sentence, with but little regard to proper expression.
Emphasis, inflexion and pause, received little or no attention,
and the reading was neither intelligent nor intelligible. Liter-
ature, or the study of the thought contained in the lesson was

162 THfi PiON^EItS OF BEVEULV.

quietly ignored, save here and there some attempt was made in
this direction, chiefly by having the meanings of words as
gi^en in a dictionary, or in an appendix of the reading books
committed to memory. The more difficult words were usually
selected as tests in spelling, and when spelled the pupils were
required to rhyme off the meanings without any reference to
their connexion with the other words in the sentence. Arith-
metic was taught in a thoroughly mechanical manner. When
the answers were obtained, that was all that was necessary.
Reasons for the various operations were neither given or re-
quired and only those pupils with clear heads and keen intel-
lectsever surmised that arithmetical operations were based upon
principles that might readily be grasped if once presented in a
proper light, and with some simple explanations. Grammar
was taught as a system of meaningless rules and definitions
for such they appeared to be in the minds of the unhappy boys
and girls who were compelled to commit them to memory.
The belief was that these rules would enable them to write and
speak tne English language with fluency and accuracy. But
they proved a failure, and instead of cultivating a taste for the
study of their nativj tongues, it only created and fastened a
stong dislike for that study. Geography was another subject
against which the ire of many a pupil was kindled, for the
study of it consisted largely of committing to memory lists
of names of places, without the aid of map, blackboard
or any interesting^ detail of the habits and customs of the
people, the nature of the climate, or the productions of the
soil. Its sister subject History received scarcely any attention,
and what little it did usuallv whet the appetite against it.
Music and Drawing received no attention, while Writing was
taught on the pothook principle. The schools appeared
generally to the schools in form and not in reality, for no in-
telligent effort was put forth to tram and discipline the mental
faculties. The acquisition of knowledge seemed to be the
great end aimed at, when there was definite aim of any kind,
and not the development of intellectual strength or mental
vigor.

The standard of scholarship in the pupils'may be learned
from the fact that the highest class, according to the new pro-
gramme of studies introduced in 1871, in nine of the schools
was the third, and in the other seven, the fourth. Itimust be

Tafi EDltCAtlONAL ttlStORV. 153

borne in mind however that in this classiflcation the new pro-
programme was not rigidly enforced, but due allowance was
made for the transition from the old to the new. Had the
regulations been strictly followed, the number of fourth classes
would have been reduced. In the spring of 1872, on my second
visit I made a somewhat careful classification of the standing
of the schools, with this result that two were classed as good,
five as fair, and nine as poor. Uniform examinations for
admission into high schools or collegiate institutes were estab-
lished throughout the province in 1873, and from that time
forward teachers became ambitious to prepare pupils for these
examinations or tor those for teachers' third class certificates.
A number of schools in Beverly soon became noted for this
work, prominent among which may be mentioned, numbers 6,
12 and 15, and the teachers of these schools won well merited
honors. During the last few years it has become an annual

custom to send up pupils from each and every school, and the |^

result to have been satisfactory to the people, and flattering
to the skill and ability of the various teachers. This examin-
ation is a fair and equitable test of the work done in the schools.
The questions used at these examinations are prepared by cer-
tain members of the central committee who are somewhat
intimately connected with public school work, and the answers
are read by a committee usually consisting of the Public
School Inspector, and the headmaster of the high school or
collegiate institute. The work ot this local examining board
consists in the careful reading of the answers of the candidates,
in determining who shall pass, and in recommending any of
those who present themselves for examination, should they »

fail in any one subject, or those who from age and general
acquirements would do better m the high school than to re-
main longer in the fourth class of the public schools.

Messrs. Robt. McQueen, David Bell and John G. Cochrane
are the only teachers now employed that have taught in the
Beverly schools since 1871. Mr. Robt. McQueen has had charge
of the school in which he now teaches for upwards of twenty-
one years without any interruption, and has the distinguished
honor of being the first public school teacher from a rural sec-
tion that has been elected to fill the president's chair in tbe '
Teachers' Provincial Association, an honor that reflects credit
not only upon himself but upon the people of Beverly. This
honor was conferred upon him in his absence, and by such a

JiiimMJLi i iii iii .UJiL i ij wiiMiMMMiiiiii iMi. i ■— w^^n^i— — — — ^— — ^

164 THE PIONEERS OE BEVERLY.

large majority as to show that his reputation and standinfif
among his professional brethren throughout the Province is
quite as high as it is among the people of Beverly. Similar
honors were conferred upon him by the Wentworth teachers
when they elected him president of the County Association,
and selected him on several occasions as their delegate to the
Provincial Association. Mr. David Bell has been employed by
the Trustees of S. S. No. 6 for seventeen years, he having to
givo up teaching for one year on account of failing health.
He, too, has been honored by being elected president and secre-
tary of the County Association, and by being an active mem-
ber of the executive committee for a number of years. Mr.
John 6. Cochrane has had charge of three schools during his
residence in Beverly, viz.: Troy, Sheflfield and Rocktou, in all of
which he has done excellent work. Mr. A. M. Falconer, for many
years teacher in the Vaien's neighborhood, is now teaching in
the adjoining County of Waterloo. He is kindly remembered
for the excellent workdone in that school, and many of his former
pupils will remember him gratefully for the assistance rend-
ered them in preparing for the Teachers' Examinations. The
following teachers now employed in the Beverly schools, have
received the greater part of their non-professional training in
the Public Schools of that Township, viz.: Messrs. Wm. Bick-
ell, John Hay, James W. Hay, Cecil H. Thompson, and James
Swinton, and Misses Minnie Mills and Olive Misener. A larjsce
number of young people have been prepared for the teaching
profession in the Township, who are now doing good work in
other parts of the Province. The teachers of Beverly have al-
ways identified themselves with any progressive movement
in educational matters and have cordially supported all steps
that have been taken to build up the Public Schools, and make
them more efficient. For their efficient work and the faith-
fulness they have shown in the prosecution of their daily
labors, I most heartily commend them to the favorable con-
sideration of a generous public.

The following table, prepared from the official reports of
the various Boards of Trustees, presents a condensed history cf
^. the schools in figures, from which much interesting informa-

tion can be obtained. It shows the attendance of pupils, salar-
ies of teachers, the nitmber employed, the amount spent in
providing suitable accommodation, and the amount spent for

THK EDU(5ATFONAL HISTORY. 166

incidental expenses, in which is inchtded fuel, caretaking, re-
pairs and all other expenses outside of building school houses,
and salaries of teachers, for each year from 1871 to 1888 in-
clusive.

J. H. SMITH.
Ancaster, Ont.

166

THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

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THE HISTORY

Beverly Agricultural Show

Now Known as the " World's Fair."

By David Bell.

THE morning of the 16th of March, 1853, broke cold
and dreary. Leaden clouds with rifts here and there
through which could be seen the blue sky, swept over
the western horizon, while glintings of the sun could
once in a while be seen. Showers partly rain and partly snow
had fallen during the night and had rendered the roads almost
impassable. It was neither good sleighing or wheeling. One
would think that on such a day any new undertaking would
most likely prove a failure. But when strength of purpose,
intellectual vigor and physical energy are wedded to calm,
resolute natures, difficulties vanish, obstacles are surmounted
and victories achieved. Such were the dominant characteris-
tics of the Pioneers of Beverly. During the forenoon of that
day, the quiet village of Kockton became the scene of unusual
excitement and activity. The jingling of bells and the rumb-
ling of lunjber waggons were heard. Each vehicle contained
its (juota of persons. Some buggies were seen, but not many
as they were very scarce in those days. In a short time Har-
rison's tavern was filled, and to have witnessed the hearty hand
shaking would have done one good— not the puny half-hearted

158 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

shake of the present day— but the hearty, whole souled grip
characteristic of the agriculturalists of that day. After the
greetings were over and a social chat over the flowing bowl,
for that was the custom at that time, the company repaired to
the Township Hall.

Let us take a hasty glance and see who composed the com-
pany. They were Beveily's greatest men, those who took the
deepest interest in all her concerns. Seth Holcomb, William
Dickson, .John Armstrong, William Parks, Trie Vanmeter,
Robert Thompson, Thomas Nichol, William Henderson, James
McQueen, Samuel Congo, Andrew McKnight, Andrew Kerni-
gban, Matthew Bennett, William Pettinger, John Harbottle,
John Harrison, John Anderson, Hemen G. Bat low, William
Thompson, John Nichol, William Johnston, William Ireland,
George Main, George Gray, John Covve, George Cook, Peter
Dickson, John Johnston, John McMullen, James Gray, Walter
Armstrong, George Jones, John Carruthers, John Menzies,
John Frier, Robert Purvis, James Blake, George Carter, Wil-
liam Mulholland, William Drone, John Malcolm, David Rin-
toul, John El: ; s, Chj'istopher Ricker, were the leadirg ones

present.

Seth Holcomb, Reeve of Beverly, in a few choice words

stated that the meeting had been called in order to take steps

to organize an agricultural society in the Township of Beverly.

William Dickson was t'ected chairman of the meeting and

John Armstrong secretary. In order that all may know who

were the leading spirits in the meeting the following motions

are given as per minute book.

Moved by Seth Holcomb, seconded by George CJook, and
carried. That a subscription list be drawn up agreeable to
Schedule A of the amended Agricultural Act. Forty-five (4;"))
names were subscribed at once.

Moved by James McQueen, seconded by John .lohnston,
and carried, That William Dickson be president of this
society for the present year.

Moved by .Tames McPueen, seconded by Robert Thompson,
and carried, That George Jones be vice president.

Moved by George .lones, seconded by Seth Holcomb, and
carried, That John Armstrong be secrt'ary treasurer.

Moved by Seth Holcomb, seconded by George Main, and

carried. That William Coleman and preserved Gooley, l)e tWQ
directors.

TriE a:g^1cultural history. m

Moved by James McQueen, seconded by John Johnston,
and carried, That John Cowe be a director.

Moved by John Ennis, seconded by James McQueen, and
carried, That John (^arruthers be a director.

Moved by William Parks, seconded by Seth Holcomb, and
carried. That Trie Vanmeter be a director.

Moved by James McQueen, seconded by Seth Hploomb, and
carried. That William Henderson be a director.

Moved by George .Jones, seconded bv James McQueen, and
carried, That Robert Thompson be a director.

Moved by William Coleman, seconded by George Main, and
carried. That Seth Holcomb be a director,,

Moved by Andrew McKnight, seconded by Samuel Kerni-
ghan, and carried. That .Tames Gray be a director.

Moved by Seth Holcomb, seconded by Trie Vanmeter, and
carried. That each of the directors be furnished by the secre-
tary with a subscription list and get all the signatures they
can.

Moved by .lames McQueen, seconded by William Hender-
son, and carried. That the first meeting of this society be held
the third Monday of April for the purpose of receiving sub-
scriptions and making out the report to the County Agricultur-
al Treasurer.

Out of 181 members who joined the first year there are dnly
40 living or supposed to be living, viz., Seth Holcomb, Robert
Thompson, Andrew Kernighan, William Thompson, George
Main, John Cowe, Peter Dickson, John McMullen, Walter
Armstrong, George Jones, James Blake, William Mulholland,
William P. Wedge, John Ennis, Griffith Loyd, Christopher
Ricker, William W. Barlow, John Embury, Andrew J. Jones,
Robert Turnbul!, Cyrvjs Huntly, James Sager, Thomas Thomp-
son, Jt.hn Bennett, Adam Sm.ith, Archibald .Stewart, John H.
Shaver, Hugh Armstrong, Preserved Cooley, William C.
Merriam, Adam Thompson, Robert In v setter, Robert Christie,
Daniel Cornell, Malachi Sager, sr., John Porteous, James
Murray, John Valens, Thomas Wilson, Thon)as Watson, Lewis
Wood, Andrew McKnight, sr., Robert Robinson, Samuel
Cornell, Walter Lawrason, Dr. J. B. Lunndy, John Kirk-
Patrick, Willian; Dickson, Kirkwall; John Blasdell.

The officers and directors had three meetings previous to
holding the show, viz., April ISth, June 2()th, and September

mHO THfi PlONEEftS OF BEVERLY.

5th. At the request of the directors the secretary obtained at
the Warder printing office, Dundas, fifty hand bills which con-
tained the list of prizes The classes were as follows :

Four classes of cattle designated Durhams, Ayrshires,
Grades, and Natives, and three prizes for each. Sheep, one
class, three prizes for carcass and three for wool. Hogs, one
class, thi*ee prizes. Horses, one class, three prizes. Fall wheat,
three prizes. Barley, two prizes. Oats, two prizes. Indian
corn, two prizes. Peas, two prizes. Potatoes, two prizes for
Pinkeyed, and two for other kinds. Turnips, two classes,
Swedish and Globe, two prizes for each. Beets, two prizes.
Carrots, two prizes. Mangold Wurtzel, two prizes. Onions,
two prizes. Pumpkins, two prizes. Squashes, two prizes.
Cabbage, two prizes. Apples, two prizes. Pears, two prizes.
Butter in firkin, two prizes. Fresh butter, two prizes. Cheese,
two prizes. Fulled cloth, two prizes. Flannel, two prizes.
Quilts, two prizes. Coverlid, two prizes.

By the united efforts and hard work of the directors, the
show which was held on 20th October, was quite successful.
The number of members for that year was 181, a: d the amount
paid in prizes £48 12s 6d, equivalent to $194.50. The names of
the judges wore John Rutherford, Martin Nichol and William
Oljver, on cattle and sheep ; Lawrence Roulfson, John Kirk-
patrick and Daniel Coleman on horses. The lady judges were
no doubt selected on day of show.

To the courtesy of the Hon. James Young, who gave the
writer access to the well-preserved files of a paper he once
edited, viz. : "Dumfries Reformer and Western Counties' Mer-
cantile and Agricultural Advertiser," we are indebted for the
following sketch of the first show in 1853 :

" The first agricultural show ever held in and for the Town-
ship of Beverly took place on the 20th October, at Rockton, and
was most successful. The attendance of visitors both male
and female was immense, and as the day was fine beyond
description, li being the last perhaps of the glorious Indian
summer pec il.ar to this latitude, everything passed off with
great eclat. V.'e understand that although this was the first
show, of the ki." d ever held in this Township, yet it quite equaled
the shows hpla in far older Townships. Spectators who at-
tended the Waterloo Countjr Show at Galt,»stated that in some
features the Beverly exhibition far outstripped it. This speaks
well for the farmers of Beverly and their rising Township."

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DAVID BELL

Was born on 27th of AuKiist, 1851, at Germans' Corners, three miles west of
St. Goorj<e. He r»'ceivod his early education at the Public School in
Shettield. In 18(55 he moved to Gait where he worked in Attwood's
shin«le mill, Blain'a stove factory and CraiK's grocery store. For a short
time he attended the Gait I*ubMc School. He moved to Uockton the 1st
of July, 18(57, and attended the Public School there for U years. In Sep-
tember, 18(19, he received a teacher's certificate. In January, 1871, he
commenced to teach the Public School in S. S. No. 6, Beverly, generally
called Woodhill school, and, with the exception of 1874 when heattendea
Rock wood Academy, he has been teaching there ever since, this being
his 18th year. He discharged the duties of Secretary of the Wentworth
TeachfTx' .\ssociatinn for 1877, 1878 and 1879. He was elected President
of the Wentworth Teachers' Association for the year 1887. For lo years
he has been Secretary-Treasurer of the Beverly Agricultural Society
being elected to that Dosition in January, 1877.

THE) AGHlClTLtORAL HISTORY. 161

The show was first held where the Methodist church now
stands, on a lot about one acre in size and owned by one John
Harrison. The entrance to the ground was at or near Plastow
street. The horse ring was very small and the ground rough,
but notwithstanding, it was the chief point of interest, Beverly
being always noted for good horses. The store now owned by
J. B. Plastow, then a wagon shop, was utilized by t e Society
the first year, as a place in which were exhibited grain, roots
and vegetables, fruit, butter and cheese. The ladies' work was
exhibited in the Township Hall. If there is one thing the
people of Beverly can boast of it is the great crowd that always
attends her annual fair, and the first one was no exception to
the rule, but, of course, the crowd was not nearly so large as in
late years. Betwixt Harrison's hotel and the show ground
there was a perfect jam. The gangway and platform attached
to the wagon shop mentioned above and even the roof itself
were crowded with sightseers, and from this platform the band
dispersed its dulcet sounds to the eager listeners. Prize tickets
were not then used, but the one receiving Ist got a short piece
of red ribbon, the 2nd winner a blue one and the 3rd a white.
At that time it was the custom, near the close of the show, to
have some one stand in the centre of the horse ring and in a
stentorian voice read out the names of the prize winners. This
duty was performed satisfactorily for many years by James
Somerville, the present member of Parliament for North Brant.
In 1854, the ground on which the show was held was rented by
the Society tor four years, at five shillings pei year, and a com-
mittee composed of William Henderson, John Armstrong and
Robert Christie, superintended the erection of a building at the
north-west corner of the show ground. The root house as it
was commonly called was 18 feet wide and 48 feet long, and
the Society paid £20, or $8(), to Moses Hunt for building it.

The show was so successful and the directors became so
filled with enthusiasm and ambition, that in 1856 and in 1857,
petitions were sent to the County Council, praying that the
County Show be held in the village of Rockton. In 1856, 1857
and in 1858, an admission fee of 7id., or 12ic., was charged
at the door of the root house. In 1856, 1857 and 1863, the
Society opened the show and permitted adjoining Townships
the privilege of competing.

Ife THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

The following is what the Gait " Reporter" said about the

6how of 1857 :-"

•• The Beverly Agricultural Show took place on Tuesday— a
shivering dav which almost froze the blood— yet it did not de-
tain from tne exhibition an immense crowd who flocked to
Rockton through the day from all quarters of the country, and
gratified themselves with the admirable spectacle there pro-
vided for them. F^ven the ladies partook of the 2xcitement,
and it is probably impossible to gather into one crowd in any
other portion of Canada, half as many handsome women as
graced the Beverly Show.

Th'e bitter coldness of the day induced a rather frequent
application at the bar-rooms, and consequently some ' scrim-
ages ' resulted, as much probably fron) a desire for wholesome
exercise as with the intention of ' knocking the conceit ' out
of each other, but if the 'conceit' did not depart from the
active warriors, their supply of it must be enormous, for such
bloody spectacles have not been seen since the days of Sebasto-
pol. All things, however, terminated peaceably, the wounded
were taken home exulting in their scars and victories, and the
rest departed in peace at an early hour, rejoicing m tb j place
their Township nad that day taken in the front of the agri-
cultural districts of Canada."

In 1858 owing to the want of funds, the ladies' department
was dropped from the lists, and in all classes excepting cattle,
two prizes were given insbead of three. In 1859 a grant of $20
was received from the Beverly Municipal Council, and that
corporate body has granted amounts to the Society regularly
since 1869.

This is what the Dundas "True Banner" said about the show
of 1859 : " Ilka laddie had his lassie, and a' the auld wives had
on their braws, to make them look weel alang side Johnny and
Willie and Sandy's nanesel."

The following is what the Duodas "True Banner" said about
the show of 1860 : " In fact Beverly takes the lead of all the
township shows in the way of attendance. Rockton presented
a city-like appearance. There were 230 entries in dairy
products. Quilts and coverlids were abunr^ant, showing clearly
that the dames of Beverly have a disposition to keep the lords
of the soil comfortable."

William Dickson, the first president ot the society, was an
enthusiastic worker. He held the position of prenident from
1853 to 1860 inclusive. At the annual meeting, Jan. 10th, 1861,
the following resolution was unanimously passed, viz. : " That
this meeting desires to express regret that William Dickson is

THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY. 103

obliged to retire from being an active member of the Beverly
Agricultural Society and further that a hearty vote of thanks
be tendered to Mr Dickson for the very valuable services he has
rendered to the society."

Mr. Dickson responded to the resolution in a very feeling
and touching speech.

The show had steadily increased and with the increase came
the cry for a large horse ring and more space in which to ex-
hibit produce, etc.

In 1868 a committee composed of WilUiam Henderson,
Robert Henderson and John Armstrong waited upon the
council to make arrangements for the purchase of the present
grounds which John Clement, then Reeve of Beverly, had
bought with his own money and which he sold to the council
lor the same sum. The council also built the Drill Shed, which
is 80 feet long and 40 feet wide. The society made a bee to level
the grounds and before October of 1808 everythmg was in good
condition, lu that year the fair was held on the new grounds,
and the grain, roots and vegetables, butter, cheese, ladies
work, etc., were exhibited in the con)inodious Drill Shed. The
show day of 18(J8 was wot, but that did not deter the crowd
from being present.

No auditors had been elected by the society up to the be-
ginning ot 1869, but in January of that year, John Clement
and Wallace McDonald were elected to fill that office. The
present auditors are James Bilton Plastow and William Wood,
the former being elected to that position thirteen years and the
latter nine years aga

William Henderson, sr., held the |)osition of , .esideift
eight years, the position of vice-pi'esident four years, and that
of auditor eight years. In retiring from the president's chair,
in .Tanviary 1870, he was tendered a hearty vote of thanks for
his long and valuable servi(!es to the society.

Experience and observation have clearly shown that the
success or failure of any enterprise, depends mainly on the
secretary-treasurer. If he bo inattentive to details, careless in
the discharge of his duties and reckless in the expenditure of
the funds, the undertaking will come to naught. On the other
hand, if he be watchful of small matters, careful in the per-
formance of his w<)rk,econornical in management, the enterprise
\s nearly sure to succeed.

164 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Now for eighteen years the society had the latter kind of
man for secretary-treasurer, in the person of John Armstrong.
He grappled with many difficulties, overcame the prejudices of
many and notwithstanding the limited membership, small
government grants and meagre municipal assistance, he stuck
to the ship, and although at times it apparently was sinking,
yethe persevered in his efforts, brought itout of danger, unfurled
its sails and made it ride triumphant. In 1871, Mr. Armstrong
was compelled, through illness and infirmity of years, to resign
the position or' secretary-treasurer. At the annual meeting of
the society held January 14th, 1871, the following resolution
was unanimously passed : "Moved by William Henderson, sr.,
seconded by Christopher Ricker, That the thanks of this meet-
ing be tendered to Mr. John Armstrong, secretary-treasurer,
for the very efficient manner in which he has discharged the
duties of said office during the long time he has occupied the
same, that this meeting sympathizes with him in his sickness,
and further that the sura of twenty dollars be presented to him
from the funds of the society, and that a copy of this resolution
be inserted in the minutes of the society.

At the same meeting Walace McDonald was elected to suc-
ceed Mr. Armstrong. Mr. McDonald was not very long in
office when he began to introduce into the affairs of the shew
the same methodical arrangement he exhibits in all his other
matters. He abolished the ribbon prizes, substituting the
modern prize tickets instead. He mapped out the Township
into districts and apportioned to each director his territory.
Recognizing that nine directors, the number required by law,
Mere too few for so large a township, additional ones were
elected in 1873. The result was an increased membership and
more directors to assist in managing the show. The show
made marvellous strides during Mr. McDonald's management,
as shown by the following:— The entries in 1871 were 577 and
in 1876 they were 1277, making an increase of 700 in six years-
The amount paid in prizes in 1871 was $232.25 and in 1876 the
amount was $385.70, an increase of $153.45, Another important
feature intrcduced by Mr. McDonald, in 1874, was the special
prize department. It had a very small beginning, as tl (3 fol-
lowing special prize list will show, (the first ever published by
the society in the prize list and on small dodgers):—

THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY.

165

List of Special Prizes for 1871.

By J. B. Plastow, merchant, Rnckton.— For beat Ave yards
checked or striped flannel for ladies' dresses, cash $1. For best
ten vards rag carpet, cash $1.

By Robert Evans, seed merchant, Hanjilton.— For the three
largest Swede turnips, cash 75c.; second best, 50c. For three
largest and best shaped Swede turnips, 75c.; second best, 50c.
For twelve largest turnips, any variety, $1 ; second best, 50c.
For best six largest white carrots, 75c.; second best, 50c. For
two pounds fresh butter, $1; sect)nd best, 75c.

Total amount, $0.00.

Wallace McDonald, Secretary.

Rockton, September 21st, 1874.

As many would like to know who were the successful com-
petitors in the above classes, their names are given in the
order as per above list.

Flastow's specials — 1st prize, Mrs. Robert Young. 1st prize,
Fred Edwards.

Evans' specials — 1st prize, William Thompson ; second,
Thos. Gray. 1st prize, David Patterson ; second, Robert Tel-
ford. 1st prize, William Dickson (7th concession) ; second,
.Tas. W. Thompson. 1st prize, John Cleland ; second, John
Malcolm, jr. 1st prize, Mrs. Thomas Thompson ; second, Mrs.
William Thompson.

The special prizes after the first year were principally in
articles which were collected and placed on exhibMon on day
of show. They added very much to the appeaiance of the
drill shed. From year to year they kept on inci easing and in
1876, the last year of Mr. McDonald's management as secretary,
the special prizes amounted to $134.70.

At the annual meeting of the society held in the township
hall, on Friday, 12th day of January, 1877, Wallace McDonald
resigned the secretaryship. The following motion is recorded
in the minutes of that meeting : — Moved by l)avid Patterson,
seconded by Robert Young, That whereas Wallace McDonald,
Esq., who has discharged his duties as secretary-treasurer of
this society so efficiently, is now leaving the active duties of
that office, be it resolved that a hearty and cordial vote of
thanks be tendered Mr. McDonald for the able manner in which
he has performed for six years the onerous duties of that office.
Carried unanimously by a standing vote.

At the same meeting, in January 1877, the directors elected
David Bell, the present secretary-treasurer, as Mr. McDonald's

Ifl8 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

successor. Mr. Bell, workiim; in much the same lines as his
predecessor, has advanced the interests of the show very
materially. By his active canvassing for special prizes he has
made the nau)e a familiar one to all the leading- merchants in
Hamilton, Dundas, Gait, St. George, Preston and other places.
During his management the prizes offered each year have
exceeded $1,20(), of which about $500 were in special prizes.

The Origin of the " World's Fair."

After the show of 1878, Mr. Andiew Kernighan invited
several editors to partake of his hospitality. Let us take a
glance at the group as they sit around the festive board. There
were Herbert Gardner and J. G. Buchanan of the Hamilton
*' Times," T. J. Bell of the " Spectator," James Somerville of
the Dundas "True Banner," R. K. Kernighan (The Khan ) of
the Toronto " World," Miss Kernighan and the host and host-
ess. Of course their talk was all about the show, its fine fea-
tures, the big crowd, etc. They all chimed in that there was
no township sho\< in the Province that could compare with it.
♦' Yes," said Mrs. Kernighan, "it should be called the World's
Fair since all the world comes to it." The editors smiled and
nodded assent, and all agreed, with much laughter and more
tea, that it should henceforth be called the " World's Fair."
Soon the te% was over, good-byes said, and the guests were off.
But what was the astonishment of Mrs. Kernighan when each
of the papers the next day had its article about the show head-
ed with the magnificent title '"The World's Fair' at Rockton."
Since that time it has been called the " World's Fair," and
people that are capable of judging of the attractions and crowds
at township shows say that it is an appropriate name. The
name " World's Fair " first appeared on the posters in 1879,
since which time it has occupied a prominent place on the prize
lists and posters.

To show with what rapid strides the fair has advanced
since 1877, it is only necessary to compare the following figures.
The members for 1877 were 200; in 1888, they numbered 280.
The entries in 1877 were 1218 ; in 1888 they numbered 2396. In
1S77 the amout paid in prizes amounted to $511.10; in 1888 the
amount was $076.75, an increase of $465.65. The amount offered
in special prizes, in 1877 was $236.60 ; in 1888, the amount
offf !ed was $407. In 1877 an admission fee of 10 cei.ts was

THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY. 107

charged at the door of Drill Shed and by that means quite a
«uni was added each year to the funds. In 188F the Drill Shed
charge was abolished and a charge of 10 cents was made at thi?
gate leading to the show grounds.

The prize list was at flrst published on small hand bills.
As the prize list became larger ^ sheet, h sheet and full sheet
posters were used. The latter kind of posters were used for
many years. But the prize list and the special prize list had be-
come so large, that the present secretary in 1885, got out a prize
list in pamphlet form. The pamphlets are recognized by every-
one as being more convenient and suitable than the posters. y

The prize list pamphlet for 1889 is truly a magnificent
one indeed, and contains the history of tne Beverly Township
Show. The cover is a fine specimen of the lithographic art
and the beautifully toned paper and admirable letter-press
work, add grace and beauty to the book. No finer prize list
was ever got out by any Township or County Agricultural
Society in the Dominion. The officers for the year 1889, are
President, John A. Cornell : Vice President, Morris Shellard ;
Secretary-Treasurer. David Bell.

The following extracts are taken from the leading news-
papers of the Province about the World's Fair of 1888 :— ' [:

From the T'rronto Daily Mail of October Uth, 1888 : " The
great Beverl Township Show, famous in the surrounding
counties as tht " World's Fair," was held yesterday and was a
complete success, nearly 9,(X)0 persons being present. Fmni
early morning the rigs of every description came streaming
into the little village of Rockton, and the vicinity was soon
crowded. The exhibits were numerous, the total number ,

being nearly 2,4(X). Everything passed off without accident,
though the crowd indulged in all the antics that have made
this show so well known and so popular."

Fron) the Hamilton Daily Spectator of October 11th, 1888 •
^'The World's Fair was as usual a lively and interesting
agricultural show that managed to get along without patent
medicines, cowboys, fiery untamed balloon ascensions, trotting
races and similar features which lately have beer looked upon
as indispensable adjuncts of well regulated expositions of big
pumpkins. The weather yesterday was delightful, and dn im-
mense crowd gathered at Rockton from all parts of the coun-
try. By 3 o'clock the fair was in full blast, and fully 8,000
persons crowded the ground and Drill Shed where most of the
exhibits were placed. The space in which the show was held
was black with people. The show itself was the largest ever
held, nearly 2,400 exhibits being on the grounds."

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168 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

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From the Hamilton Evening Times of October 11th, 1888 i
" The World's Fair at Rockton took place yesterday and was
more successful than any of its predecessors. The attendance
was larger, the number of entries three hundred in excess of
last year, and the quality of exhibits, ahead, if possible, of any-
thing before seen at this illustrious show. It was estimated that
when the fair was at its height in the afternoon fully 8,000
people were present. One of the curiosities at the fair was a
pair of socks, the wool and yarn for which were carded, spun
and knit by Mrs. John Puray, sr., a lady 95 years of age."

From the Dundas " True Banner " of October 18th, 1888 :—
'• There is no show like the Word's Fair in the borders of any
five counties in Ontario for magniticent cattle, horses, sheep
and swine. There are no finer exhibits of grain and seeds, no
more abnormally large roots and vegetables and no finer fruit.
The housewives of Beverly cannot be excelled for their butter,
bread, pickles and preserves, neither can they nor their daugh-
ters for one moment feel ashamed of their products of their
busy lingers in higher employments. Painting, fancy work,
fine sewing, all come easy to these busy and capable daughters
ot Beverly. And as on each farm and in each nousehold there
is keen interest from grandfather to grandchild, from the boss
to the hired boy, in the World's Fair, the result is seen in a
competition in every class that is as keen at; it is creditable.
This year there was more order and system than ever before.
The Drill Shed was sooner thrown open and the immensecrowds
were thus enabled to see the fine display therein in sections and
comparative comfort, there were more attractive features about
the fair than ever before, and all in all it was better managed,
better patronized and a better fair than in any previous year.
The entries footed up to the grand total of 2386."

From the Dundas Standard of October 18th, 1888 :— " The
attendance at the World's Fair was larger than at any pre-
vious exhibition. In all departments, with the exception of
poultry and heavy draught horses, the exhibits were more
numet'ous than in former years, while the quality showed that

: substantial progress towards perfection had been made during
the year. Everything passed off smoothly and satisfactorily,
owing to the indefatigable and well-directed efforts of Mr.
David Bell, the efficient and able secretary. The society
possesses in Mr. Bell an officer of whom any management

. ought to feel proud. In every respect is Beverly to be con-
gratulated on the success which attended their exhibition for
the year 1888,"

From the Gait Reformer : — " Whatever it may be that has
given the World's Fair such a reputation, most certainly it has
such and this year surpassed all previous ones. From east and
west, from north and south, scores of conveyances made their
way into the village of Rockton on the morning of the show
ana the crowd has been variously estimated at from 7000 ta

THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY. 160

to 10000 persons. Nor was the muHitude disappointed. The
exhibition in every line was capital, the total entries uumber-
ing nearly 2400.

From the "Gait Reporter": "The World's Fair, the onlv
yard wide and all wool purely agricultural exhibition, took
place at the hub of Beverly, on Wednesday. Attracted by the
beautiful fall day the Beverlcnian's and others turned out in
their thousands. The attendance was much larger than at any
previous exhibition. The entries numbered about 2,350, which
is .300 in excess of last year, and by far the largest in the history
of the show. In the booth there was a good display of dairj^
products, extra fine show of roots and fruits, and seme beauti-
ful specimens of ladies' work."

THE PLOUGHING MATCH.

The annual ploughing match held under the auspices of the
Beverly Agricultural Society, was an event that roused the
ambition and fired the enthusiasm rf many a young lad and
sturdy sire of the Township of Beverly. The following com-
mittee, viz. : John Carruthers, Preserved Cooley and Trie
Vanmeter, appointed by the directors at their June meeting in

1853, made full arrangements and carried out the first plough-
ing match. It was held on a farm then owned by William
Shannon, now owned and occupied by David Main, near Shef-
field. The names of the successful competitors in the mens'
class were, John McMullen, first prize ; James Swinton, second
prize; Chailes Swinton, third prize, In the boys' class the
following came off victorious : Thomas Watson, first prize ;
William Menzies, second prize. The second one took place
again near Sheffield, on Mr. Crawford's farm, on 21st October,

1854. The committee that had charge of the same was Samuel
Congo, John Menzies and Preserved Cooley. The first three
names in each class as given in the Prize Winners' Lists below,
tell who the successful competitors were in 1854. The following
acted at different times on committees and assisted in making
the ploughing matches successful, viz. : David Peregrine,
Joseph Boyle, Archibald Stewart, John P. Lawrason, John Mc-
Mullen, William Henderson, William Watt, Andrew Mc-
Knight, William Drone, John Malcolm, William Riddle, John
Johnston, William Thompson, William Nisbet, John Arm-
strong, .Tames T. Smith, Peter McColl, James Cowe, Thomas
Thompson, John Robinson, Robert Henderson, Robert Hunter,
Christopher Ricker, James Blake, John Robson, Henry
Chambers, John Frier. The ploughing match was shifted

170 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

about from year to year, to places that were deemed most suit-
able. It existed twenty-three years, being held eighteen times
in the tall of the year and five times in the spring. It was
fairly well attended, but the entries in the different classes were
not as large as they should have been. In general there were
three classes, yiz, : Mens' class, youths' class from fifteen to
eighteen years of age, boys' class under fifteen years of age.
Generally three prizes were awarded to each class. In 1861 and
in 1867, members were admitted from other Townships and
allowed to compete. As a good many would like to know the
names of the prize winners the following lists are given :

Prize winners in bovs' class : — William Menzies, Thomas

Watson, John Frier, William Chambers, Lawrason^

Robert Dickie, John Weir, John Boyle, James McDonald,
Thomas Armstrong, John Stewart, James Wilson, Walter
Armstrong, James Smith, James Thompson, James Barber,
Reuben Wedge, Thomas Little, Silvester Cole, Robert Patter-
son, William Renwick, John Armstrong jr., Robert Turnbull^
James Mai tin, William Ballantyne, George Whetham, John
Thompson, Robert Barlow, Thomas Shearing, James Patter-
son, James Malcolm, Robert Drone, Charles Stewart, James
Clark.

Prize winners in men's class : — James Swinton, David
Peregrine, Thomas Swinton, James Richie, John McMullen,
Charles Swinton, Stephen Gordon, John Thompson, William
Menzies, John Frier, James Harper, Robert Wait, Hector
McCoag, Edwin Gray, Thomas Gordon, David Magill, Robert
Simms, John Martin, John Boyle, .lames Rian, John Stewart,
B. Vansickle, William McQueen, Thomas Barlow, William
Thompson, Dundas Kinnaird, Reuben Wedge, Dennis Mc-
Carthy, Albert Deary, William TurnbuU, George Whetham^
William Cowie, James Martin, William Renwick.

THE ANNUAL DINNER.

As the ripplings move onward and outward long after the
spot that gave them birth is motionless and still, so there are
times in the lives of persons, societies and nations, when the
heart is moved, the affections swayed, the mind controlled, the
life changed and impressions made, long after the events that
gave them existence have passed away. Such might be said
of the annual dinner that for many years was held in connec-

THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY. 171

tion with the Beverly Agricultural Society. It is many years
since it ceased to exist, but still the gay laughter, the stirring
songs, the wise counsels, the ini^piring thoughti^, the patriotic
speeches, the words of warning and encouragement, the spark-
ling wit and the strong friendships are permeating society to-
day. It sprang into existence about the time the show began
and was patronized by the noblest and best in the county. Its
fame spread far and wide and just previous to its decline it
was considered one of the great events of the year. Generally
speaking the annual dinner commenced at about 5 o'clock on
show day and broke up about 12 o'clock.

On visiting the place where it was held, we find the house
has been moved away and forms a dwelling house now otvned
by David Bell. The very foundation has been taken away and
"the very spot where many a time they triumphed is forgot."
The owner of the land, Wallace McDonald, perhaps, in honor of
the glorious past, has made it a spot of beauty with beautiful
flowers whose redolent odors perfume the passing breeze. The
building was at the north-west corner of Farmer's hotel, and
was known then and for many years afterwards as " the old
ball room." Sometimes those that sat down to dinner num-
bered eighty. The average number, however, was about lifty.
Up to 1858 the dinner was prepared by John Harrison, familarly
known as Black Jack. That year Thos. McCusker became the
proprietor of the hotel. For eleven years it was held at Mc-
Cusker's hotel. On the table were found all the delicacies that
the country could provide and the stock of liquors included
everything from the foaming ale to the brilliant, sparkling
champagne. Among the prominent men who frequented the
dinner the following is as correct a list as cculd be obtained : —

William Notman, Esq., M. P. P. ; Dr. McMahon, now M.
P. P. for North Wentworth ; James Young, now Honorable
James Young, Gait ; James Somerville, now M. P. for North
Brant ; James Cowan, afterwards M. P., now Dominion Arbi-
trator ; Hugh McMahon, now Superior Court Judge, Toronto ;
Dr. J. B. Lundy, of Sheffield, now of Pieston ; Thomas Stock,
now Collector of Customs, Dundas ; Robert Christie, after-
wards M. P. P. for North Wentworth, now Inspector of
Pridons, etc. ; Peter Wood, afterwards Reeve of Beverly, now
living in Brantford ; .Tames McQueen, sr.. Reeve of Beverly
for many years ; W. D. Donaldson, school teacher, afterwards

••-!1«,

172 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Reeve of West Flainboro' ; Thomas Bain, now M. P. for North
Wentworth ; John Spence, of the Warder office, Dundas ; R.
T, Wilson, Dundas ; Robert McQueen, now President of On-
tario Teachers' Association; E. Mitchell, of the "Hamilton
Times " ; James McMonies, then M. P. for North Wentworth ;
John Harkness, teacher, Kirkwall ; James McQueen, jr., now
Postmaster at Dundas ; Thos. Hatt, Dundas ; William Tunis,
Greensville ; Charles Durrant, West Flamboro' ; William
Drone, Beverly ; John Tunis, West Flamboro' ; David Spence,
Troy ; S, P. Stipe, Barton ; John Menzies, Beverly ; George
Bruce, of Waterloo ; William Wilkins, Ancaster ; Joseph
Boyle, Beverly, now living in Dundas ; Stephen Nisbet, Beverly;
Joseph Webster, of Ashbourne Mills ; William Dickson, Reeve
of Beverly for 1851 ; Walter Colcleugh, West Flamboro' ; Wil-
liam Henderson, sr., Rockton ; John Malcolm, Deputy-Reeve
of Beverly for 1866 ; Adam Moffat, Beverly ; Mr. Meredith,
hardware merchant, Dundas ; James Burnett, of Dumfries ;
James Carrie, Paris ; Kenneth Wishart, West Flamboro' ;
Captain McKnight, of Rockton ; David Patterson, afterwards
Deputy-Reeve of Beverly, now living in Dundas ; William
Crawford, of Sheffield ; Isaac H. Anderson, Dundas ; Wm.
Davidson, Jas. Hetherington, James Davidson.

After ample justice had been done to the spread and the
cloth removed, the following is a sample of the programme
usually presented, "the feast of reason and flow of soul" being
kept up till 12 o'clock. The President presided at head of table
and Vice-President at foot :

* TOASTS.

Our Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria.

Speech by William Notman, M. P. P.

Song by William Drone.

Prince of Wales and Members of the Royal Family.
Speech by Thomas Stock.

Army and Navy.

Speeches by William Henderson, sr., and Captain Tunis.

Song, "Britannia Rules the Wave," led by

William Drone.

Our ^educational Interests. •

Speeches by John Harkness, W. D. Donaldson, Prof. Hare,

James McQueen, jr.

THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY. 178

Our Provincial Exhibition.

Speeches bj William Davidson and John Menzies.

Song by Kenneth Wishart.

Success to our Little Giant, the Beverly Show.

Speeches by Peter Wood and Robert Christie.

Song by William Davidson.

The Legal Profession.
Speech by Hugh McMahon.

The Medical Profession.
Speech by Dr. J. B. Lundy.

Our President

Followed by a chorus.

Speech by the President.

Vice-President and Directors of the Show.

Speeches by William Henderson, sr., and Joseph Boyle.

Songs by Wm. Drone and James Davidson.

The Judges of Our Show.

Speeches by Walter Colcleugh, James Cowan, Thomas Hatt,

David Spence, Thos. Stock and George

Bruce of Waterloo.

The Agricultural Interests.
Speeches by John Malcolm and James Burnett.

The Mer(jantile Interests.

Speeches by William Crawford and William Wilkins.
Song by Kenneth Wishart.

Success to Our Railways and Shipping Interests.
Speeches by Jas. Cowan, M. P., and Joseph Webster.

The Pioneers of Beverly.
Speeches by James McQueen, sr., and Wm. Dickson.

The Successful Competitors.

Speeches by Joseph Boyle, Adam Moffat and John Menzies.

The Press.

Speeches by James Sonierville of Dundas True Banner, Ed.

Mitchell of the Hamilton Times, James Young

of Dumfries Reformer.

The Ladies.
Speeches by W. D. Donaldson and S. P. Stipe.

" Mine Host and Hostess."
Reply by Thomas McCusker, proprietor of the hotel.

174 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

The singing of "Auld Lang Syne" by the company and the
playing of "God Save the Queen" by the St. George brasfr
band, closed the festive occasion.

On one of the occasions the following lines were recited by
W. D. Donaldson :

'* Oh ! for a home in the country wide,

And a seat by the farmer's wood fire-side,

Wheie the fire bums bright

On a frosty night,

"W hen the jest and the song and the laugh are free.

Oh ! the farmer's home is the home for me."

" Oh ! for a home in the country wide,

In the golden days of the farmer's pride.

When hia barns are filled

From the fields he tilled,

When he finds that his yearly task is done.

And, smiling at winter, he beckons it on."

TOAST.

" To THE Memory of our Deceased Friend, William

Dickson."
As given by W. D. Donaldson, Reeve of West Flamboro' for

1857, 1858, 1859, at the Annual Dinner, under the auspices
of Beverly Agricultural Society, held at Rock-
ton, on the 20th October, 1863.

W. D. Donaldson, on being called to respond to the toast
of " Our Sister Societies," arose and said : Mr. Chairman and
gentlemen, before attempting to respond to the toast last given,
I desire to crave your indulgence for a few moments while I
propose a toast, which may at first sight seem to some of you
as ill-timed and inappropriate, but 1 think, that on reflection
you will all agree with me, that it is an opportune time, to
honor the memory of one who for many years sat with us
around the festive board. Very many will remember his kind
look, his pleasant smile and brotherly counsels. It is proper
that we should pause for a moment or two in the midst of our
mirth and jollity, to speak of the noble qualities of our deceased
friend, to bring back to our minds his heroic work in the insti-
tution of Beverly Agricultural Society, and the eagerness with
which he always delighted to do his work in building it up.
The deceased also took a prominent and active part in Town-
ship business.

THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY. 175-

Death, my friends, we know is the common lot of all. The
poet says

" Just a little sunshine,
Just a little cloud,
Just a little glimpse of joy.
Then a heart that's bound ,
Just a little tranquil hour ;
Just a little strife ;
This is all the story
Of every mortal life."

It is not mete that we should mourn and be sad, for does not
the poet say

" By the cot of the peasant where poverty weeps.
And the palace where royalty dines,
Down over the cradle where infancy sleeps.

And up where the strong statesman shines.
There closely impinges a ' garden of loves,"

Where never a tear-drop is shed.
And the flowers ever bloom, 'mid the cooinp^ of doves,
'Tis the beautiful land of the dead.

" Our brethren who dwell in that land of delight,

'Mid its music and sunshine and mirth,
Are those who were true unto God and the right

In this wearisome, sorrowful earth;
And each as they come, by his favor restored.

To fountains of gladness are led.
And live in the light of the smile of the Lord,

In the beautiful land of the dead."

My friends, I give vou the toast: "To the loving memory of
our deceased friend William Dickson."

The toast was drunk in solemn silen(;e.

In 1868 the annual dinner was held at the Rockton House.
In 1869 it was prepared by Walter .Barron, of Romulus, and
held in the Drill Shed. In 1870 it was taken back to the Rock-
ton House, where John Anderson served it up in good style for
six years. The annual dinner was given given in 1876 at the
Rockton House, since which time it lapsed into desuetude.
The reason for its discontinuance was that the show had
assumed greater proportions and consequently greater labor
was required of the judges and directors on show day ; also
that a "Judges' and Directors'" dinner was substituted in its
place and which is held at 10 o'clock on the morning of the fair.
The first dinner at 10 o'clock a. m., was prepared by John
Anderson, in 1877. For the past eleven years, it has been pre-
pared by Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Bell in such magnificent
style that it is known far and near as the sumptuous " World's-
Fair" dinner.

176 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

LIST OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS.

The following is a complete list of the officers and directors
for each yeai since the organization of the Society :

1853.

Wm. Dickson, President. Geo. .Tones, Vice-President.
John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors: — William
Coleman, Preserved Oooley, John Co we, John Carruthers, Trie
Venmeter, Wm. Henderson, Robert Thompson, Seth Holcomb,
James Gray.

1854.

Wm, Dickson, President. Wm. Henderson, Vice-Presi-
dent. John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors : —
Samuel Congo, John Warnock, Wm. Robinson, John West-
over, Wm. Coleman, John Menzies, Robert Thompson, Robert
Christie, Preserved Cooley.

1855.

Wm. Dickson, President. Robert Christie, Vice-Presi-
dent. John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors : —
John Carruthers, Samuel Congo, John Warnock, Preserved
Cooley, Wm. Coleman, Robert Thompson, John Westover,
Malachi Sager, sr., Wm. Ro inson.

1856.

Wm. Dickson, President. David Peregrine, Vice-Presi-
dent. .John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors : —
John Carruthers, Archibald Stewart, John Warnock, Pre-
served Cooley, John P. Lawrason, Joseph Boyle, Jas. Nichol,
John E. Harris, Wm. Robinson.

1857.

Wra. Dickson, President. Wm. Henderson, Vice-Presi-
dent. John Armstrong, Secret ary -Treasurer. Directors : —
John Carruthers, Archibald Stewart, John McMullen, John
Warnock, John P. Lawrason, Joseph Boyle, James Nichol,
John E. Harris, Wm. Robinson.

1858.

Wm. Dickson, President. Wm. Henderson, Vice-Presi-
dent. .»ohn Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors : —
■John (>arruthers, Archibald Stewart, John McMullen, Wm.
Hammil, John P. Lawrason, Joseph Boyle, .Tames Nichol,
Henry Bugner, David Martin.

1&59.

Wm. Dickson, President. John McMullen, Vice-President.
John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors : — John
•Carruthers, Andrew McKnight, Preserved Cooley, John War-
nock, .Tohn P. Lawrason, Wn*. Nisbet, Wm. Watt, Henry
Bugner, David Martin.

THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY. 177

1860.

Win. Dickson, President. Wm. Henderson, Vice-Presi-
dent. John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors : —
Henry Gilbert, Wm. Nisbet, James Smith, John P. Lawrason,
Wm. Riddle, Wm. Drone, David Martin, Andrew McKnight,
Wm. Watt.

1861.

W^m. Henderson, President. Wm. Drone, Vice-President.
John Armstrong, Secretaiv-Treasurer. Directors : — Wm.
Riddle, Jas. T. Smith, John P. Lawrason, John Malcora, Wm.
Watt, Wn». Nisbet, Wm. Thompson, Andrew McKnight,
Thos. Fletcher.

1862.

Wm. Henderson, President. Wm. Nisbet, Vice-President.
John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors: — Wm. Rid-
dle, Jas. T. Smith, John P. Lawrason, Wm. Watt, Jas. Bishop
Andrew McKnight, Wm. Thompson, John Malcolm, Thomas
Fletcher.

1863.

Wm. Henderson, President. Wm. Nisbet, Vice President.
John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors: — John Mal-
com, William Watt, Claude Lapsley, James T. Smith, James
Bishop, John Kirkpatrick, John P. Lawrason, Wm. Thompson,
Edmund Cartwright.

1864.

Wm. Henderson, President. Wm. Drone, Vice-President.
John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors: — John Men-
zies, Wm. Watt, Claude Lapsley, James T. Smith, Peter Mc-
Coll, James Bishop, John P. Lawrason, Thomas Thompson,
William Cowe.

1865.

W ra. Henderson, President. Wm. Drone, Vice-President.
John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors:— James T.
Smith, John P. Lawrason, John Menzies, Robert Henderson,^
Wm. Watt, Thomas Thompson, Claude Lapsley, Wm. Cowe,
James Bishop.

1866.

William Henderson, President. John P. Lawrason, Vice-
President. John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors:
James T. Smith, Robt. M. Beemer, John Menzies, Robt. Hen-
derson, Wm. Watt, John Robinson, John Va'-^ns, Robt. Hun-
ter, James Bishop.

1867.

John P. Lawrason, President. Robert Henderson, Vice-
President. John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors^
— Robert Hunter, Robert M. Beemer, John Johnston, Chris.
Ricker, Wm. Watt, John Robinson, Edmund Cartwright, R
R. Hunter, James Bishop.

178 THE PIONKERS OF BEVERLY.

1808.
William Henderson, President. Robert Henderson, Vi(
President. John Arrastronjr, Secretary -Treasurer. Directo
—Robert Hunter, Robert M. Beemer, James Blake, (.'ht
Ricker, Wm. Watt, John Robinson, Edmund Cartwrijfht,
R. Hunter, James Bishop.

1809.

William Henderson, President. Robert Henderson, Vi
President. John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directo
—Robert Henderson, Henry (.'hambers, James Blake, Chi
Ricker, Wm. Watt, John Robinson, Edmund Cartwrig
Hugh McKnight, .Tames Bishop. Auditors :— John Cleme]
Wallace McDonald.

1870.

Robert Henderson, President. Robert Hunter, Vice-Prt
dent. John Armstrong, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors
Thomas McKnight, John Frier, Edmund Cartwright, Willii
Watt, Chris. Ricker, Henry Chambers, James Bishop, Jo
Robinson, James T. Smith. Auditors:— John Clement, W
lace McDonald.

1871.

Robert Henderson, President. Chris. Ricker, Vice-Pn
dent. Wallace McDonald, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors
Andrew McKnight, jr., Edmund Cartwright, Joseph Bowm;
James Bishop, James T. Smith, John Menzies, sr., Willi;
Watt, Henry Chambers, James Patterson. Auditors : — \^
Ham Henderson, .John Clement.

1872.

Chris. Ricker, President. Joseph Bowman, Vice-Preside
Wallace McDonald, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors :— J(
Patterson, Thomas Cook, Robert Fergusson, James T. Sm
David Patterson, John Menzies, sr., Henry Chambers, Willi
Watt, James Patterson. Auditors :— John Clement, Willi
Henderson.

1873.

Chris. Ricker, President. Joseph Bowman, Vice-Presid<
Wallace McDonald, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors :— J(
Pakerson, Thomas Cook, Robert Henderson, James T. Sm
David Patterson, Henry Blake, Henry Chambers, Will
Watt, James Patterson, Henry Howard, Edwin Gray, Bre
•Cornell, John Clement, James B. Keachie, Walter Turnh
Charles Patterson, Robert Fergusson, William Thompson,
Auditors, Wm. Henderson, Robert Hunter.

1874.

Chris. Ricker, President. David Patterson, Vice-Presid
Wallace McDonald, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors:— Ja
T. Smith, Henry Chambers, Robt. Young, Edwin Gray, He
Blake, John Paterson, Robert Fergusson, James B. Keac
William Watt, Brewin Cornell, Thomas Cock, Henry How

THE AGRICULTURA

Vice-
ctors:
Chris,
tit, R.

Vice-
ectors:
Chris.
I'right,
jment.

?-Presi-
tors :—
VilUam
>, John
t, Wal-

;e-Presi-
ctors : —
owman,
William
, :-Wil-

resident.

J -.—John

\ Smith,

William

'resident.
•s -.—John
r. Smith,
William
^, Brewin
TurnbuP,
ripson, s: .

President.
i»8:— James
ay, Henry
i, Keachie,
y Howard,

.'Henry Buener, Emerson Clement,
Hunter, Auram Betzner, Joseph Arc|
Henderson, John Menzies, sr.

1875.

David Patterson, President. Rol
ident. Wallace McDonald, Secretari
Henry Burner, Henry Howard, Heil
kins, John A. Cornell, James T. Smi|
Purdy, Robt. Young, Firman Clemei
Hunter, Thos. S. Henderson, Brewi^
Thomas Cook, Chris. Ricker, Wm.
Aiiditors:— Wm. Henderson, sr., Da>

1876.

Robert Fergusson, President.
Prfli^ident. Wallace McDonald. Sec
tors : — Henry Bugner. David Pattel
Henry Howard, Emerson Clement,
Hunter, (ieorge Atkins, Thos. S. Hen
Brewin Cornell, David Bell, John Pi
Angus McKellar, Robert Telford, Chi
Wm. Menzies, Robert Henderson,
son, sr., Alexander Bell, jr.

1877.

Richard Bannen, President. , Ro
dent. David Bell, Secretary-Treasi
Bugner, Nathan Vansickle, Emerson
Thos. S. Henderson, Brewin Coi*nell,
ford, Thomas McDonald, Robert Hen(
Henry Howard, Henry Chambers,
Cornell, Wm. Wood, Angus McKellai
Menzies, James Collins, John Paterso:
tors : — Wm. Henderson, sr., James B.

1878.

Robert Young, President. Henr>
David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer. D
son, Chris. Ricker, Brewin Cornell, ^
Boyle, Richard Bannen, Jeren;iah C
Henry Chambers, John A. Cornell,
Howard, Thos. S. Henderson, Sami
Donald, William Archer, James Cc
John Patterson, (ieorge Atkins, Edw
Wallace McDonald, Charles Patter
Auditors :—Wm. Henderson, sr., Jas.

1870.

Henry Bugner, President. Brewii
David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer. Dir
Robert Young, William Menzies, Da"
terson, Richard Bannen, Charles PatI
John A. Cornell, Edwin Gray, Chris.
Emerson Clement, Samuel C. Cornell

180 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

Wood, Thomas McDonald, Wallace McDonald, Wrn. Baird,
Robert Henderson, Thos. Purdy, Jos. Boyle, Georf^e Atkins^
James Collins, William Thompson, sr. i\uditors: — James B.
Plastow, John (r. Cochrane.

1880.

Brewin Cornell, Ptesident. Edwin Gray, Vice-President.
David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors: — Henry Bujjfner,
Richard Bannen, Joseph Boyle, E. Clement, Robert Young,
John Paterson, Chris. Kicker, Thomas McQueen, David Patter-
son, Henry Chambers, Wm. Menzies, Thomas Purdy, William
Tait, Thomas McDonald, Jeremiah Cornell, Samuel C. Cornell,
John A. Cornell, Angus McKellar, Robert Henderson, John F.
Thompson, James Collins, Henry Howard, George Atkins,
Wm. Baird, Charles Patterson, *G. H. MulhoUand, Wallace
McDonald. Auditors :— J. B. Plastow, W m. Wood.

1881.

Edwin Gray, President. Henry Howard, Vice-President.
David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors : — Henry Bugner,
Thomas McQueen, Wm. Tait, John F. Thompson, Richard
Bannen, Charles Patterson, Thos. McDonald, James Collins,
Joseph Boyle, David Patterson, Jeremiah Cornell, Bi-ewin
Cornell, Emer-son Clement, Henry Chambers, John Lindsay.
George Atkins, Robert Young, Wm. Menzies, John A Cornell,
John Paterson, Angus McKellar, Chris. Ricker, Robt. Hender-
son, Wm. Baird, Wallace McDonald, G. H. MulhoUand, T. S»
Henderson. Auditors : — James B. Plastow, William Wood.

1882.
Henry Howard, President. Wm. Menzies, Vice-President.
David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer Directors: — Henry Bugner,
Thos. McQueen, Wm. Tait, John F. Thompson, Richard Ban-
nen, Chas. Patterson, Thos. McDonald, James Collins, Joseph
Boyle, sr., David Patterson, Jeremiah Cornell, Brewin Cornell,
Emerson Clement, Henry Chambers, Thos. S. Henderson, Geo.
Atkins, Robert Young, Henry Gray, John A. Cornell, John
Patterson, John Lindsay, Angus McKellar, Chris. Ricker,
Archibald Fcrgusson, Wallace McDonald, Wrn. Baird, G. H.
MulhoUand, Edward Johnston. Auditors: — James B. Plastow,
Wm. Wood.

1883.

Wm. Menzies, President. William Baird, Vice-President»
David Bell, Secretary Treasurer. Directors : — Richard Ban-
nen, Henry Bugner, Chris. Ricker, T. S. Henderson, Thomas
McQueen, David Patterson, Henry Howard, G. H. MulhoUand,
Emerson Clement, Chas. Patterson, Jeremiah Cornell, Brewin
Cornell, .fohn Lindsay, D. A. McDonald, Henry Chambers,
John F. Thompson, John Boyle, Wm. Tait, Edwin Gray, Ed-
ward Johnstone, W. R. Boyle, John O'C^onnor, Angus McKel-
lar, John Malcom, John A. Cornell, Robt. Young, John Pater-
son, J. T. Smith, Wallace McDonald, Geo. Atkins, Joseph Big-
gar, Archibald Fergusson. Auditors:— J. B. Plastow, William
Wood.

THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY. 181

1884.

Win. Baird, President. Angus McKellar, Vice-President.
David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors :— Henry Bugner,
Chris. Ricker, T. S. Henderson, Thos. McQueen, David Patter-
son, Henry Howard, G. H. MulhoIIand, Emerson Clement,
Richard Bannen, Chas. ^atterson, Brewin Cornell, Jeremiah
Cornell, John Lindsay. D. A. McDonald, Henry Chambers,
John F. Thompson, John Boyle, Edwin Gray, Edward John-
stone, W. R. Boyle, John C'Connor, John A, Cornell, Robert
Young, John Paterson, J. T. Smith, Wallace McDonald, Geo.
Atkins, Archibald Fergusson, Reuben Wedge, Walter Misener,
Andrew Johnstone, William Menzies. Auditors :— .Tames B.
Plastow, Wm. Wood.

1885.

Angus McKellar, President. Henry Chambers, Vice-Presi-
dent, David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors :— Richard
Bannen, Chris. Ricker, Wm. Menzies, Thos. McQueen, Tbos.
S. Henderson, David Patterson, Walter Misener, G. H. Mul-
hoIIand, Arch. Fergusson, .Tohn Boyle, John F. Thompson, W.
R. Boyle, Edward Johnstone, Reuben Wedge, John O'Connor,
John A. Cornell, Robert Young, Emerson Clement, Jeremiah
Cornell, Brewin Cornell, Wm. Archer, F. W. Cornell, Henrv
Howard, Samuel C. Cornell, Dennis Dwyer, George Atkins,
Samuel Hunter, J. T. Smith, Matthew Jackson, Jan.es A. Sipes,
Andrew Johnstone, Joshua Nunn, D. A. McDonald, Morris
Shellard, Geo. L. Wise, William Cook, John Linds y, Charles
Patterson, Edwin Gray, William Baird. Auditors :— James B.
Plastow, William Wood.

1886.

Henry Chambers, President. Thos. McQueen, Vice-Presi-
dent. David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors: — Richard
Bannen, Chris. Ricker, Wm. Menzies, T. S. Henderson, David
Patterson, Walter Misener, G. H. MulhuUand, Arch. Fergus-
son, John Boyle, John F. Thompson, W. R. Boyle, Edward
Johnstone, Reuben Wedge, John O'Connor, John A. Cornell,
Robert Young, Emerson Clement, Jeremiah Cornell, Brewin
Cornell, Wm. Archer, .Tohn Lindsay, Edwin Gray, Wm. Baird,
F. W. Cornell, Henry Howard, Sam. C. Cornell, Dennis
Dwyer, Geo. Atkins, Samuel Hunter, Robert Lowry, Matthew
.Tackson, And. .Tohnstone, D. A. McDonald, Morris Shellard,
Henry Gray, William Cook, .Tames George, Angus McKellar,
Stephen Nishet, W. J. Thompson, Daniel Wray, George M.
Wood, Jas. Dwyer. Auditors: — Jas. B. Plastow, Wm. Wood.

1887.

Thomas McQueen, President. Emerson Clement, Vice-
President. David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors :—
Chris. Ricker, Wm. Menzies, Angus McKellar, T. S. Hender-
son, Walter Misener, G. H. MulhoIIand, Afv h. Fergusson, John
Boyle, John F. Thompson, Henry Chambers, Patrick Mc-
Manaray, W. R. Boyle, Edward Johnstone, Reuben Wedge,

182 THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

John O'Connor, John A. Cornell, Robert Young, Jeremiah
Cornell, Brewin Cornell, Wm. Archer, Robt. Riddle, sr., James
McDonough, Brock Shaver, Edwin Gray, Wm. Baird, P. W.
Cornell, Henry Howard, R. L. Biggs, Dennis Dwyer, Ueorge
Atkins, Samuel Hunter, Robert Lowry, Matthew Jackson,
Henry Gray, And. Johnstone, James George, D. A. McDonald,
M. Shellard, Stephen Nisbet, Wm. Cook, W. J. Thompson,
Daniel Wray, Geo. M. Wood, James Dwyer, Malachi Sager, jr.,
John Lindsay. Auditors :— J. B. Plastow, Wm. Wood.

1888.

Emerson Clement, President. John A. Cornell, Vice-
President. David Bell, Secretary-Treasurer. Directors : —
Chris. Ricker, Thomas McQueen, G. H. Mulholland, Robert
Lowry, John O'Connor, Dennis Dwyer, T. S. Henderson,
Reuben Wedge, Andrew Johnson, William Menzies, Angus
McKellar, Walter, Miseuer, Arch. Fergusson, John Boyle,
Henry Chambers, Patrick McManamy, W. R. Boyle, Edw»»'d
Johnston, Robert Young, Jeremiah Cornell, Brewin Cornell,
Robert Riddle, sr., James McDonough, Brock Shaver, Edwin
Gray, William Baird, F. W. Cornell, Henry Howard, R. L.
Biggs, George Atkins, Samuel Hunter, Mathew Jackson, Henry
Gray, James George, Morris Shellard, Stephen Nisbet, William
Cook, W. J. Thompson, David, Wray, George M. Wood,
Malachi Sager, jr., Richard Patterson, Joshua Nunn, William
McClure, William Thompson, jr. Auditors :- -James B. Plas-
tow, William Wood.

1880.

John A. Cornell, President. Morris Shellard, Vice-Presi-
dent. David Bell, Secretary -Treasurer. Directors :— Chris.
Ricker, Arch. Fergusson, R. L. Biggs, Thos. McQueen, John
Boyle, George Atkins, Robert Lowry, Henry Chambers,
Samuel Hunter, G. H. Mulholland, Patrick McManamy,
Matthew Jackson, John O'Connor, William R. Boyle, Henry
Gray, Dennis Dwyer, Edward Johnston, James George, T. S.
Henderson, Robert Young, Stephen Nisbet, Daniel Wray,
Brewin Cornell, William Cook, William Menzies, Robert
Riddle, sr., W. J. Thompson, Emerson Clement, James Mc-
Donough, George M. Wood, Jeremiah Cornell, Brock Shaver,
Malachi Sager, Reuben Wedge, Edwin Gray, John Patterson,
Andrew Johnston, William Baird, William McClure, Angus
McKellar, F. W. Cornell, William Thompson, jr., Walter
Misener, Henry Howard. Auditors :— James B. Plastow,
William Wood.

THE AGRICULTURAL' HISTORY.

183

Bfverly Agricultural Society— Statistical Table.

1853
1854
1855
1856
1857

Amount paid
prizes for
Exhibition.

£ s. d.

48 12 6

51 11 3

55 10

68 11 3

1858

1859

1860

1861

1862

1863

1864

1865

1866

1867

1868

1869

1870

1871

1872

1873

1874

1875

1876

1877

1878

1879

1880

1881

1882

1883

1884

1885

1886

1887

1888

JU c.
150 00
142 62i
159 00
145 00
185 50
191 25
171 25
174 25
190 25
197 00
114 25
209 50
212 75
232 25
265 00
294 25
304 25
317 04
262 25
326 00
442 00

449 'J)
469 90
409 75
497 42

450 53
488 20
562 60
641 85
694 50
694 75

$ c.
:194 50
a97 25
=222 00
=236 00
=274 25

u
*^

Amount

Tmmrw

paid
prizes for
ploughing'match

55 a5
123 45
185 10
109 55
i:m 00

93 60
218 75
284 75
211 50
280 25
290 90
344 25
385 50
282 00

£
4
4
5
5
3

$
15
13
19
12
14
11
20
12
13
20
20
16
19
19
16
26
17
29

s. d.

5 :
5 :

10 7i:

10
15

37i

50"

bc.S
•- <-^

J3 O
3.2

Jj5 c.
17 OOJ

:17 00

22:i2i

:22 00

= 15 00

Col. showing balance

on hand or amount

of debt of Society

at close of year.

1
16

5
13 -

7
$ c

d. $ c.

10 =24 37Bal.onliaiia
n =19 38 ifldelit.

5 =17 08 "

~6i = 10 71 "

3J= 9 46 "

8 55

In debt.

87A

6al. on Mnd.

2 07

1 64

In debt.

11 38

Bal. on Hand.

21 65

((

14 36

«i

18 a5

964

7 12

23 .39

25 42

50 51

«c

42 56

49 71

26 :^

4 76

57 23

84 33

93 26

86 40

123 40

i«

177 54

257 09

276 65

312 88

200 (U

130 20

««

26 95

17 11

184

THE PIONEERS OF BEVERLY.

BEVERLY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY— STATISTICAL TABLE.

•

Number

of
Members.

Number

of
Entries.

^Gu^™^ Kind of weather on day

1863

181

«.

Glorious Indian Summer
day.

1854

197

■.-4

Verv fine day indeed.
Cold day, flurries of snow
Finest day of the season.

1855

183

1856

129

1857

205

Very cold indeed— almost

froze the blood.

1858

114

Nice fall day.

1859
1860

117
123

■4J

20
10

Cold, squally all day.
Delightful day.

1861

113

Nice mild, bright day.

1862

132

Beautiful day.

1863

118

456

Delightful day, one of the
best for a month.

1864

129

578

Bright day.

1865

108

529

Good sunshiny day.

1866

133

518

Most delightful day,
bright and mild.

1867

i:s8

Very fair day, a little

cold.
Wet day, shdwers off and

1868

159

670

on all day.

1860

154

663

Very cold and disagree-
able, flurries of snow.

1870

144

566

Fine warm day.

1871

164

577

Quite cold.

1872

157

621

A beautiful day indeed, a
pet day for a show.

1873

172

588

Good fall dav,

Nice warm, bright day.

1874

170

738

1875

185

845

Very bright and warm.

1876

213

1277

Very fine— one of the
finest during the last
month.

1877

200

1218

A lovely day.

1878

237

1391

A dull morning, but a

fine day.
A beautiiul bright day.

1879

234

1466

1880

281

1668

Delightful day — very
warm and brignt.

Damp morning, but

1881

271

1281

afternoon turned out
good.

1882

249

1636

Fine day indeed.

185 the agricultural history.

Beverly Agricultural Society-Statistical Table-

fc Number
2 of

>* Members.

1883

1884

1885

1886
1887
1888

Number

, of
Entries.

256

252
271

292
299
286

1570

1606
1636

2082
2074
2396

Date of

Show

October

15
14

13
12
10

Kind of weather on day
of Show.

A pretty fair day, threat-
ened rain, but held off
until after dark.

A frosty monnng, but
fine day.

Very bad morning— very
heavy rain up to 10
o'clock, but cleared up
bright and cool.

Dull misty morning, but
turned out fine day.

A very cold day indeed—
but dry.

A sharp white frost in
morning— a lovely day
—one of the best for a
month.