Issue 1 - Kent Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society

KENT BRANCH OF THE ONTARIO GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
2012
ISSN 0831-5930
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
elcome to 2012! Last year saw many new changes in the Kent Branch and we appreciate
your continued patience and enthusiasm as we move forward. 2012 will bring even more
exciting projects to our branch. In particular, our branch will be hosting the 2012 Region 1 Meeting on October 20, 2012. This is a big undertaking and we will be looking to the members to help
with various tasks. Please contact a member of the executive if you can help out.... “Many hands
make light work.” We are also in the process of learning how to use “Webinars” and “Live Meetings,” updating our web page, looking at “Pay Pal” and several other new innovations to make the
work load lighter and make us more accessible to members and the public.
As for the newsletter, I continue to ask for members’ submissions of family stories, research and
pictures. I especially appreciate the feedback and comments some members send in after each issue. Even if you do not feel comfortable submitting an article but rather have an idea or would like
to see a particular area or topic covered, please let me know as I am always in need of inspiration!
~ Cindy, Editor
Inside this issue:
Branch Info
2
Region 1 Meetings
3
Conference 2012
4
Something New
5
Woodmen of the World
6
Buxton Historical Conference Info
8
Grandfather Mowbray
9
Botany’s Beginning
11
Queries
13
Members’ Surnames
14
Our regular monthly meetings are held on
the second Friday of each month (except
July, August and December) at 7 P.M. at
the W.I.S.H. Centre, 177 King St. East,
Chatham, Ontario. Everyone is welcome!
Our research room is located on the second
floor of the Main Public Library, located in
downtown Chatham at the corner of Queen
St. and Cross St. Staffed by our volunteers,
Tuesday - Saturday, 1 P.M. - 5 P.M.
Our mailing address is ~
Kent County Branch,
Ontario Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 964,
Chatham, Ontario CANADA
N7M 5L3
Or email us at [email protected]
Kn-02-2012
2011 Kent Branch Executive
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
Chair
Judi Bouchard
519-352-4642
Vice-Chair
Vacant
519-627-2728
Past Chair
Marg Eberle
519-648-3289
Treasurer
Valerie Butterfield
519-352-7859
Recording Secretary
Marg Eberle
519-648-3289
Membership Secretary
Bea Foster
519-351-4874
Program Coordinator
Cindy Robichaud
519-351-9163
Publication Coordinator
Vacant
Library & Correspondence
Diane French
519-354-4314
Telephone Committee
Donna Reinhardus
519-354-2254
Newsletter Team
F.P. Vink, Cindy Robichaud,
Carol Marcelle, Tom Mountain
Regional Director
Debra Honor
[email protected]
Financial Statement for the Kent Branch Year Ending December 2011
Kn-03-2012
REGION 1 MEETINGS
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
KENT BRANCH
April 13, 2012
THE WORK & VISIONS OF A CEMETERY VOLUNTEER - Trish Nigh and Peggy O'Rourke will share their experiences and interesting finds while working with the Kent Cemetery Restoration Project.
May 11, 2012
RESEARCHING THE ARCHIVES OF ONTARIO FROM A DISTANCE - Mr. Stewart Bowen from the Archives of Ontario will be our guest speaker.
June 8, 2012
THE UNITED WAY - Karen Kirkwood-Whyte from the United Way of Chatham-Kent will share the history and
contributions of the United Way organization in Chatham-Kent.
All meetings are held at the WISH Centre, 177 King St. E., Chatham at 7:00 P.M.
ESSEX BRANCH
April 10, 2012 (TUESDAY - due to Easter Monday Holiday)
RESEARCHING YOUR WAR OF 1812 ANCESTORS - Debra Honor will share techniques and resources.
May 14 and June 11, 2012
WAR OF 1812 IN ESSEX - Dr. Dan Loncke, local teacher and history enthusiast, will present a 2 night presentation; part 1 at our May meeting and part 2 at our June meeting.
All meetings are held at the Windsor Public Library, 850 Ouellette Drive, Windsor, lower level, at 7:00 P.M.
After our April meeting, our May and June meeting locations will be announced at a later date due to the
closing of part of the Windsor Public Library.
“Ask the Genealogist” (will continue for the time being) on May 12 and June 9 (Saturdays) from 10:00 A.M. 12:00 P.M. at the Windsor Public Library, second floor. Experienced members of our branch will be available
to assist you with your research and questions.
LAMBTON BRANCH
April 10, 2012
MY RESEARCH IN NORWAY - our guest speaker this evening will be Eleanor Conant.
May 8, 2012
SARNIA’S FIRST FAMILY - Bob McCarthy will discuss the CAZELET /CAUSLEY family.
June 12, 2012
HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS & MAPS OF SARNIA - presented by Betty Lou Snetselaar.
All meetings are held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1400 Murphy Rd., Sarnia at 7:30 P.M.
Kn-04-2012
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
Kn-05-2012
In an effort to better relate to a younger generation, a
U.S. based headstone manufacturer has created new
burial markers so visitors can learn more about the deceased and leave messages for them. All it takes is a
smartphone or mobile device and a free app.
The Seattle-based company, Quiring Monuments, lasers on Quick Read (QR) black plastic and copper
stickers. The code looks like a square barcode. They
are then stuck on the monument. After scanning the
code on a smartphone or an app on a mobile device,
like an iPad, visitors are redirected to a website built by
the person’s family.
Each site can be personalized with memories, comments from friends, pictures, videos, family history and
a map to the grave’s exact location. “It’s a way to tie
together the old way of memorializing with granite
headstones and the new trend of social net-working,
which is how a lot of people are grieving now,” Jon
Reece, general manager of Quiring Monuments, told
the Star.
He points to Facebook, where young people create me-
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
morial pages for dead loved ones, which often include
photos and shared memories. “The younger generation
is so technologically savvy that trying to find something that relates to them and get their attention is really what we’re looking at.” he said.
The company plans to include codes in every headstone
purchase, but they are optional to use, Reece said. Sold
separately, the code sticker costs $65 to $150 and can
be mailed anywhere in the world. By using QR stickers, the company can easily replace the codes as technology changes.
Quiring Monuments has used stained glass, granite,
ceramic and colour photos in its designs, but it has been
trying to integrate technology for the past five years,
Reece said. It has used Vidstone, a solar-powered video
screen that can be mounted on a monument and plays a
pre-recorded message. But Reece said he thinks QR
codes will catch on and stick around much longer. He
said he hopes one day every cemetery will have the
stickers. “The consumer trends are changing so much.
If it does evolve, we can change with it,” he said.
“We’ll see what’s next but for now this should keep us
busy for a while.”
In a video capture from a Quiring Monuments ad, a person uses a smartphone to scan a QR code on a
headstone. Article and permission provided by Jenni Dunning, Reporter, and the Toronto Star.
Kn-06-2012
Woodmen of the World
Branch member Mr. Ed Parr provided this interesting
bit of information that he came across while doing his
PARR family research. Ed Parr came across an ancestor, Harriett TOLES, with a very unique tombstone. This lead to his investigation of the Woodmen
of the World.
In 1890, when Joseph Cullen ROOT founded Woodmen of the World, more than 100 years ago, one of
his objectives was to provide a decent burial for all
members. ROOT, who was a member of several fraternal organizations including the Freemasons, had
founded Modern Woodmen of America in Iowa, in
1883, after hearing a sermon about "pioneer woodsmen clearing away the forest to provide for their families." Taking his own surname to heart, he wanted to
start a Society that "would clear away problems of
financial security for its members.”
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
common symbol used on gravestone designs. Many
stand approximately four to five feet high.
Over the years, the once popular gravestones have
become a rarity. Woodmen gravestones are still scattered in cemeteries throughout North America. Regardless of its shape or size, Woodmen gravestones
serve as a lasting tribute to its members and the ideals
of Woodcraft. They also serve the Society's long
standing motto that "no Woodmen shall rest in an unmarked grave."
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
~langolier/woodmen.html
Early Woodmen certificates provided for a death and
a monument benefit. Gravestones were originally furnished to members free of charge and later were offered only to those who purchased a $100.00 rider to
their certificates. During the 1920s, the Society
stopped providing stone markers to members when
the cost of gravestones increased and cemeteries began prohibiting above-ground markers for maintenance reasons.
Woodmen gravestones vary greatly in size and shape.
Some resemble a tree stump, others a stack of cut
wood. There are elaborate hand-carved monuments,
simple stone markers and stake-type markers driven
into the ground.
Woodmen gravestones were originally intended to be
a uniform design sent by the Home Office to local
stonecutters, but not all the cutters followed the design. Some used their own interpretation of the
Woodmen design which they felt was more appropriate.
The result was a wide range of designs that reflected
members' personal tastes and included elements that
were symbolic of Woodmen ceremonies or rituals. A
tree stump, part of the Society's logo, is the most
Harriett, daughter of Robert PARR and Hannah CHARITY, was born 7 August 1832 in Cambridgeshire, England.
Harriett’s parents bought the family to North America,
arriving in the port of New York in 1834. The family went
on to settle near Wardsville, Ontario. Harriett married
Jerome, son of Solomon TOLES and Hannah McDONALD, on November 21, 1854. When Jerome died in 1903,
Harriett moved to her daughter’s in Beaver County, Oklahoma. She died there and is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery just south of Beaver, Oklahoma.
The second photo is an example of a Woodmen monument.
Kn-07-2012
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
Hello Everyone,
I just want to let you know that there are now over 20 Essex County newspapers up on the OurOntario website. Access is completely free to everyone. Some of the larger newspapers include the Essex Free Press (1895
-1968), the Kingsville Reporter (1893-2001), the Leamington Post (1907-1995), and the Windsor Evening Record (1893-1918). For the smaller papers, there are often only a few years, sometimes even just a few issues,
that are available. Nevertheless, many of them have real historical significance, e.g. Voice of the Fugitive, the
Western Herald, and the Canadian Emigrant.
This collection is very much a work in progress. Over the next few months, we shall be loading quite a lot
more content, including the Amherstburg Echo, the Border Cities Star, the rest of the Essex Free Press, and
some additional French language papers. We also have a batch of Chatham-Kent papers in process and we
will still be adding other small Essex County papers.
How to Access The Newspapers: The direct url is: http://ink.ourontario.ca. You can also access them through
SWODA (http://swoda.uwindsor.ca/swoda) - under Quick Links on Leddy's home page, with the additional
benefit of being able to browse/search historical photographs and postcards of the area. From the Leddy
home page, there is a link under the Journal Articles & Research Tools A-Z list, and a link under by subject:
Newspapers.
Katharine Ball
Librarian, Leddy Library, University of Windsor.
Tel.: (519) 253-3000 ext. 3852
I am interested in forming a Scottish Special Interest Group through the O.G.S. In order for the Scottish SIG to
commence, we will need 25 members minimum. This SIG will be a supportive group in terms of those researching Scottish ancestors, and I am also hoping that we will be able to provide some training opportunities. At this time, I would think that the membership fees will be the same as for the British Home Child SIG,
which is $5.00 over and above your O.G.S. annual membership. Please contact me for further information.
Thank you,
Christine Woodcock
[email protected]
COUNCIL OF IRISH GENEALOGICAL ORGANIZATIONS
Links on CIGO Website
We have added lots more new links to the CIGO website. Of keen interest to the Irish family historian will be
links to the Chief Secretary Office's Registered Papers (1818-1822) from the National Archives of Ireland;
Irish Military Archives; lists of newspapers held at the National Library of Ireland; Street Directories; gravestone inscriptions; Religious Census returns of 1740 and1766; Dissenters Petition of 1775; Coroners Reports
held at PRONI to 1920 and lots more.
Visit the links page here at www.cigo.ie
Kn-08-2012
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
Kn-09-2012
My grandfather William MOWBRAY III was born in
Dunfermline, Scotland in the year 1797, the son of
William MOWBRAY II and Isabel MITCHELSON.
The senior William died at an early age, leaving William III to help his mother provide for the family as
he was the eldest: William; James; Robert; and a sister in poor health. William III became the man of the
house.
Weaving linen was the chief industry of the town and
at the age of eleven he was before a hand loom making articles that his short arms could manage, such as
towels, etc. He became an expert weaver and before
long he was weaving linen serviettes for nobility with
coat of arms or crest woven in the design.
William III had a thirst for knowledge and made use
of his opportunities or at least made them for himself
as he often had an open book on the loom before him
diligently memorizing poetry and other knowledge.
Brothers, James and Robert, were sent off to school
to seek higher education. James and Robert both became teachers. My grandfather was the wage earner
of the family and his efforts were worthy of a man
who had greater training for his life’s work.
After their sister's death and probably their mother's,
the three brothers came to Upper Canada. James and
Robert brothers both taught school. James taught in
the first grammar school in the city of St. Thomas,
Ontario. It means a great deal to me that my great uncle laid the foundation for higher education in that
city.
James died unmarried but Robert married and lived in
Eagle, Ontario. There he taught school and farmed
until, at an early age, he left a widow and four children to pioneer in a new country.
Grandfather earned his living weaving in this new
land. Not beautiful linen like he made in Scotland but
“hodden grey” woolen material, blankets, flannel for
women's dresses and full cloth for men. Each house
had a loom and he, like the tailor and shoemaker,
went from house to house doing his work.
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
William III married a young widow Helen POOLE
SHANKLIN/SHANLAND about 1838. It was a true
love match which furnished him beautiful thoughts of
his dear wife till the sun set for him at almost 80
years. Soon after the marriage, a baby boy was born
whom they baptized William IV, my father. When his
son was 13 months old, a great sorrow was bestowed
upon William III. His beautiful bride was taken from
him and he was left to face life alone, with a small
child, in the bush country. William III had bought
property in Howard Township near Botany, Ontario
before his wife died but she was unable to move after
her son was born. After her death, he did move there
and raised his son William IV.
William IV married a very young Christena
MacFARLANE, daughter of John MacFARLANE
and Isabella HENDERSON, originally from Scotland, on February 14, 1867. After William IV and
Christena were married they lived in Botany and that
is where I, Helen Poole MOWBRAY, was born. Several more children were born to William IV and
Christena: John (Jack), William V, Isabella, Fredrick,
James, Glen, Carrie and Christena. There were four
other children who died as infants.
I remember my grandfather as a small man with the
whitest skin, silver white hair and beard, shaggy eyebrows but the kindest face and sweetest voice. He
taught me many things that have left wonderful memories of my dearest grandfather.
The house where I was born had one large room and
two bedrooms on the ground floor with an attic
above. It was in this large room, with an oldfashioned cook stove set against the wall under the
slant of the staircase, that he used to take me and my
brother Jack on his knee. It was there, before that big
stove, that he sang us scotch songs and psalms. He
taught me the 23 psalm and many other jewels. One
night he gave me a different lesson to distinguish my
right hand from my left. For years I could not be sure
which was which, till I imagined myself before the
old cook stove where the hand next the staircase was
my right.
Kn-10-2012
We went for many walks to the post office and
cheese factory and his leisurely pace was about right
for a child. On these jaunts, he drew out my sympathy for the weak and the sick, pointed out the beautiful and laid the foundation of a little girl's life. Who
can tell the influence he exerted in a thousand of my
life choices.
I was eight years old when, one early morning in
April 1876, I was hurriedly waked and dressed. My
father took me in to the side of Grandpa's bed where
he had been ill for a time. The dear old saint put one
hand on Jack's head and one on mine and blessed us.
The words were thick and I did not understand all he
said except to hear Jehovah-God-Jesus. Before the
day was over he had gone home to be forever with
his God.
For many years after, the older men and women of
our community told me beautiful things about my
grandfather. “The kindest man, so good to visit the
sick, always at church, friend to all but a strong
voice against evil, a man fifty years ahead of his
times, a cultured gentleman.” Even in his poverty,
he laid aside a weekly something for his Lord. He
was highly regarded for being a real father to his
son's wife, my mother, who came to them as a girl
bride. He was a man with a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man. I was always
proud to be the grandchild of such a good man.
Sometimes Grandpa would go to spend a few days
with friends in the neighbourhood of Ridgetown,
Ontario. He was on his way to visit one Mr.
McGREGOR, known as Captain, a hotheaded
Scotchman with a canny level headed wife, when a
mile or more from the McGREGOR’s home he met
the “Captain” coming in great haste. Grandpa saw
he was upset and asked, “Where are you going?”
McGregor said, “I am leaving that woman!” and in a
rage told his troubles. They parted and Grandpa
went on as he intended. He found Mrs. McGREGOR in tears. Grandpa said, “Dry your tears woman!
He will be back for he gave me strict orders to see
that the cows were put in every night.” A few days
helping and cheering the sad wife was his place of
service and his joy was to see McGREGOR return
home to his family in the best of humor. One of the
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
McGREGOR girls, Mrs. HEPBURN, told me this
story when she was an elderly lady.
Another time, Grandpa went to spend the weekend
with them when the girls were quite grown up. The
girls had scoured the broad white boards in the living room in preparation for the Sabbath. There was
a very large fireplace in the room. When the family
retired Saturday evening, Mr. McGREGOR and
Grandpa were talking about the Bible and were having some difficulty making dates, generations and
events tally up. When the family arose on Sunday
morn, what should shock and provoke them but to
see the beautiful white floor around the fireplace
covered with sums in addition made with black coals
from the fire. The men had spent hours with their
Bibles delving into its truths. Mrs. HEPBURN said,
“We girls were vexed that Sunday morning. Now I
look back with the greatest pleasure to the time
when my father and his friend enjoyed sacred
things.”
This record was written by Helen Poole Mowbray
(May 22, 1868-October 30, 1931) and graciously
submitted by her granddaughter, Helen Christena
Macdonald.
William MOWBRAY III with grandchildren Helen Poole MOWBRAY & John (Jack) MOWBRAY
Kn-11-2012
The first settlers to cast their lot in the western portion
of the Township of Howard, Ontario to make homes
for themselves were the SIMINGTON family. In the
year 1820, John SIMINGTON with his wife and family
of two daughters, Anne and Eliza, and five sons, William,
Hugh, John, Henry and James, came from Ireland and
settled first on Government land near London, Ontario.
About 1830, they secured land from Colonel TALBOT in
Howard Township along what is now known as
"Botany Road." Mr. SIMINGTON located on Lot 3,
3rd Concession, this being the first homestead in this
district.
In the year 1831, the next settlers made their way to
Botany. John McDOWELL, John McKINLAY, William ATKINSON, Archibald McBRAYNE and Edward
MILLER arrived followed by William McKERRACHER and Samuel BOWER in 1833.
A few years later, between 1835-1845, Peter WALKER, William MOWBRAY, Daniel WINTER, William
MARTIN, Peter CAMERON, John BALMER and
John GILLESPIE arrived thus completing the settlement.
These pioneers were blessed with fairly large families.
John McKINLAY came from Scotland and his family
consisted of two sons, James and Findlay and two
daughters, Mary and Jane. William ATKINSON, from
England, had five sons and three daughters: Robert,
John, William, Christopher, Thomas, Mary, Isabelle
and Jane. Archibald McBRAYNE, from Scotland, had
three sons and three daughters: Peter, who was born in
Scotland, Cornelius, Archibald, Mary Jane, Katy Ann
and Isabelle. William McKERRACHER, from Scotland,
had a family of three sons: Daniel, John and James, and
five daughters: Eliza, Maizie, Mary, Agnes and Isabelle. Samuel BOWER, from England, had four sons
and four daughters: Ezra, John, Henry, William, Eliza,
Mary Ann, Betsy and Charlotte. John McDOWELL,
from Ireland, had a family of three sons and one
daughter: John, William, Christopher and Annie. Peter
WALKER had no family. William MOWBRAY, from
Scotland, had one son named William. Daniel WINTER, from Ireland, had a family of ten, six being born
in Ireland and four on the homestead in Botany. They
were: James, Robert, Daniel, Jane, Margaret, Sarah,
Betsy, Mary, Hannah and Annie. William MARTIN,
from Ireland, had four sons: Robert, Henry, Thomas and
John, and one daughter, Sarah Jane. Peter CAMERON
had a family of four sons and two daughters: Thomas
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
and John (twins), George, Daniel, Susan and Margaret.
John BALMER, from Scotland, was married twice. His
first wife, Maggie CAMERON, was the mother of Ellen, John and James. His second wife, Mary CAMPBELL, was the mother of Emily, George and Archibald.
As time passed, settlers began to take up lots north and south
of the Botany settlement. Some of those settling on the
2nd Concession were: Peter McBRAYNE, William ANDERSON, Henry MINSHALL, James THOMPSON,
Martin LYDORE, William MEIKLEJOHN, Daniel
McKERRACHER, Michael MILLER, and to the south
on the 3rd Concession: James LEITCH, John SPENCER
Sr., James ROBERTSON, John ROBERTSON, Robert
ATKINSON, James WINTER, William BALMER,
Alexander DICK Sr., John and Neil McMILLAN, and
William SERSON, several of these being sons of the
original settlers.
The tiny settlement of Botany was growing and prospering.
In the early 1840s, the settlers became anxious about their
children’s education. Many could neither read nor write but
they realized the advantages of an education. A meeting
was held in May 1845, at the home of John McDOWELL,
regarding this issue. Trustees Peter WALKER, William
ATKINSON and John ROBERTSON were elected and a
half log, half frame school house opened in 1846. James
MOWBRAY was hired to teach the twenty five or so children. Eventually, a brick school house was erected in the
year of 1868. Enrollment continued to grow and again in
1883 a larger school was erected. Bricks from the old
school house were used to build the new school. Imagine
the stories those bricks could tell!
Botany School No. 12 (after 1967)
Kn-12-2012
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
A List Of Names Of Those Who Attended The Old Log School In 1851
William Atkinson
Thomas Atkinson
Jane Atkinson
Frony Maine
Harriette Spence
Louisa Spence
Sarah Spence
Mary Spence
William Mowbray
Mary McKerracher
Angus McKerracher
Catherine McBrayne
Mary Winter
Elizabeth Winter
Charlotte Bower
William Bower
Ralph Robertson
Elizabeth Robertson
Sam McAlister
Christina McAlister
Cyrus Stover
Matilda Stover
Daniel Dezeile
Catharine Simington
Rich Knight
Jane Thomson
Jennet Thomson
Mary McFarlane
Mary A. Thomson
Mary McKinley
Cornelius McBrayne
David Hutchison
James Hutchison
Elizabeth Hutchison
Colin Campbell
Mary McMillan
Harriette Spence
Eming Leatherdale
Eliza Elliott
Mary McKinley
Isabel Robertson
Sarah Sicklesteel
Hanna Winter
Sarah Latimer
William J. Martin
Francis Dunwoodly
A List Of Those Who Attended Botany School In 1882 (1 year prior to the opening of the new
Mary McBrayne
M. J. Johnson
W. Mowbray
Bel Atkinson
D. Simington
J. Winter
Mart. Lyden
Al. McKerracher
W. J. McKerracher
S. Robertson
William Spencer
M. Atkinson
Jen. McBrayne
George McKay
Ed Graham
Katie
McBrayne
Ann Weekes
Robert Flay
A.
Lyden
John Little
Fred Weekes
James
Leitch
James Kelby
Robert McKay
P. Bolmer
James McMillan
A. Booth
S. McKerracher
J. Steen
William Moore
E. Mowbray
Bel Balmer
A. McKerracher
William Graham
N. Steen
J. Murdock
W. Robertson
A. McTavish
William McKerracher
S. Winter
J. Mowbray
William Wright
James Edwards
Mary Julen
J. Atkinson
Ida Serson
Mic Lyden
James McKay
James Moore
Mary Lyden
M. Robertson
Dan Winter
Ed Millar
Con. Miller
1888 Teacher – Sam ARTHUR
Kn-13-2012
There was also a cheese factory in Botany although
at the present time all traces of it have vanished. In
1872, a few farmers, namely William McKERRACHER, William MOWBRAY, C. McBRAYNE,
Archibald McTAVISH, John McKERRACHER and
Daniel McKERRACHER, organized what was known
as the "Botany Cheese Company."
In January1873, the contract for building the cheese
factory was given to Peter McBRAYNE. The factory
was built on Lot 6, 3rd Concession, known as the
MOWBRAY farm. Mr. N. P. WEEKES, from near London, Ontario, was hired as the cheese maker. Mr.
WEEKES proved to be a first-class cheese maker and
soon the cheese of the Botany factory was classed as
No. 1 and eagerly sought after by the principle buyers of
the English market. There was an average of about
100,000 pounds of cheese made annually in this factory.
In connection with the factory there was a whey tank at
the rear of the factory. The whey was carried from the
cheese factory to this tank by wooden troughs. When
cans of milk had been unloaded, weighed at the weigh
scales and emptied into the large vats at the factory,
the cans were reloaded and the driver drove back to
the whey tank. The cans were filled with whey according to the amount of milk which had been delivered. All the pumping was done by hand, each man
pumping for his own load. The grease that formed on the
top of the whey was carefully skimmed off and used
for greasing the cheese.
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
A few of the shareholders sold their interests to William
McKERRACHER and later he eventually gained full
control of the business, which proved to be a very profitable for him. However, in the fall of 1878, he sold the
factory to Mr. Weekes.
About 1880, Mr. WEEKES bought a farm and decided to try his hand at farming. Duncan M.
LEITCH was engaged to take charge of the cheese
business, under Mr. WEEKES' supervision. After a
few more years, the business was sold to D. A.
GRAVES, he being the last cheese maker. After a
time the buildings were sold and moved away and everything cleared up.
There was also a blacksmith shop in Botany. It was
situated on the south corner of Lot 6 on the corner of
the Scane Side Road and Botany Road, also on the
MOWBRAY farm. It started operations in the year
1874 with Thomas E. BENNETT as blacksmith, doing
a general line of blacksmithing. After a few years, he
was succeeded by Albert PETERS, then by John
GRAHAM and lastly by William HALL. The shop
stood empty for a number of years and was finally torn
down. Both these businesses and many others are long
gone and all too often forgotten.
Information found in the books “A History Of the Community
Of Botany (1992)” and “Botany Says Farwell to the Little Red
School House (1967).” Both resources can be found in the
Kent Branch OGS Collections at the Chatham Public Library.
Fred LINDSAY ([email protected])
I have an interest in the naming history of “Lindsay Road” that runs from the Base Line, west of Dresden,
Ontario to Longwood Road, near the Maple City Country Club in Chatham, Ontario.
Judy MACKINNON ([email protected])
I am looking for a picture of the old Daymond Building that was on Lacroix Street, Chatham next to the
CNR line across the road from the Chrysler Plant on Spencer Ave. The building ran the full length of the
street from Lacroix St. to Raleigh St. on the south side of Spencer Ave. I was fortunate to receive a copy of
"A Community on the Thames". by John Rhodes, published in 1987. The Daymond Building is on page 79
and my father’s foundry, Kent Foundry, is also in the same book on page 117. Genealogy is most interesting
and it goes with the history of the area of where one comes from. P.S.: My Uncle Harold WALTERS used to
operate "Bucko Equipment."
Kn-14-2012
VOLUME 35, ISSUE 1
Wilbur Hanson KALB ([email protected])
APEL (Chatham between 1867 and 1879) and STINSON (Dresden, in Camden Township)
Karl KINCADE ([email protected]) 838 Wisconsin Ave., St Joseph, MI 49085
KENNA, KINCADE and McDOUGALL
Fred LINDSAY ([email protected])
ALLISON, CANN, CONLIFFE, LINDSAY, PENGELLY, PLUMMER, RIKLEY and STEEN
Pauline LINDSAY ([email protected])
FLINT, GAYNOR, HEWSON, LALONDE and NEWCOMBE
Janette Burnham LOZON ([email protected])
BURNHAM, LUCIO, TYLER, VERLEYE and WOOFENDEN
Carol LUSK ([email protected])
BAIRD, BARKS, CRAWFORD, ELLIS, GODDARD, JACKSON, LEWIS, LUSK, McBRAYNE McFAUL/
McFALL, PEPPER, RANKIN, ROBINSON, TEDFORD, WALKINGHOOD/WAKENHUT, WALLACE and
WELLWOOD
Ken W. MACDONALD ([email protected]) 518 East 15th Street, North Vancouver, B.C. V7L 2S1
BALDWIN, MACDONALD, THOMPSON and ULCH
Judy Walters MACKINNON ([email protected])
WALTERS
Donna MAINE ([email protected])
CAMERON, GIBB, LOWRIE, MAINE and McPHERSON
Ruth McMAHON ([email protected])
AGAR, BUTCHER, HANLEY, JULIEN, McFARLANE, TALBOT and WINTER
Mike and Marilyn McMILLAN ([email protected])
CONGDON, McMILLAN and PENGELLY
Marg MILLS ([email protected])
BOOTH (Wallaceburg) COWAN, HORNICK and PATRICK ( Tilbury East) MILLS (Romney) BARTLETT
and HUSON (Chatham)
Peggy O'ROURKE ([email protected])
ALEXANDRE, CAMPBELL, DONOVAN, DOYLE, DUCEDRE, EBEAR/HEBERT, O'ROURKE and
Please Note Corrections: In the previous issue - William HIGGINS ( [email protected])
- Joan GRIFFIN ([email protected])