Have you ever wondered where you came from? Were your ancesters somebodies---like kings and queens?
The other day I came across the old 2 pound Smiles'n Chuckles assorted chocolates box that I got from his wife when my oldest brother died. It contains the only paper proof that my grand-parents even existed! The same box contains all that remains in legal writing concerning my parents and they died only about fifty years ago. Tombstones are the only concrete (pardon the pun) evidence left.
I am sure that you and I will leave a much greater impression on the world's memories---yeah,right---don't bet on it.
In the 1970s I got the urge to try to find out something about my ancestors. Returning to the area of the farm and scouring all the surrounding cemeteries, I did come up with the names, dates of birth and death of many relatives. Fortunately, at that time there were still some old aunts and uncles alive. They,with the help of manual entries made in old bibles, were able to help me piece together the immediate families (and they were large families in most cases) going back to my grand parents on my father's side, and my great grand parents on my mother's side. Prior to that, it was said my father's ancestors came from Ireland and my mother's from England although I was not able to trace them over the pond.
My paternal grandfather James was born Nov18 1850 and married Isabella. They are said to have immigrated from County Down(near Belfast)Ireland. (when I wrote to the Irish Government, they replied that registration of births,deaths and marriages only came into operation 1st Jan,1864 and they could not help me. I think IF they went to church and IF you knew the particular denomination and parish etc., the church may have records. IF is the key word "IF the dog hadn't stopped to s--t it would have caught the rabbit" In any event I did not make any further attempt to trace).
When they arrived in Canada in 1882, my grandparents moved to the general area of the farm where he worked in the sawmills that were clear-cutting the huge old-growth pine trees. Aunt Lizzy and a son William were born. When work started to become scarce as the forest disappeared, they moved to the Pittsburg Penn.area where he worked as a coal miner. William died and Lizzy became ill from some childhood disease so they moved back to Canada where my father William was born. (It seemed to be common practise to use the same name again when another son was born. This confuses the tracing of ancestors.)
In Dec of 1891 they purchased 200 acres of the now bare land (except for the hundreds of huge pine stumps from the logging operations and thousands of stones of varying sizes left from the last ice-age). This became their farm and was located directly across the concession road from what would eventually become our farm. Because the valuable forest was gone, the sawmill operator just wan't to unload the propety and the price for the land was very cheap. However the tree stumps and stones guaranteed a lifetime of work attempting to remove them.
So what is in the old chocolat box?
1)Abstract of Title to home farm property-from 22 Aug 1866
2)Marriage Certificate of my mother and father Oct10 1917
3)Statement of Estate of my paternal grandfather May 1 1933
4)Numerous deeds to properties purchased over the years by my father
5)Lease of farm property between my uncle and my father Feb 10 1944
6)Receipts related to my mother's funeral July 27 1954
7)Receipts related to my father's funeral Nov 19 1954
8)Letters of administration of my father's estate 15 Feb 1955
9)my father's Orange Lodge Medal and Ribbon from lodge #672
1)The oldest paper is an Abstract of Title covering the home farm property. It starts on Aug.22 1866 when the property was Given ($00)by a patent to a Toronto lawyer.
My dictionary says a patent is the method by which the government grants Crown land to citizens, (you have to wonder what kind of pork-barrel scheme was involved in this transaction as I feel pretty sure no Toronto lawyer ever intended to move to and settle on that land. I guess politics will never change). You wouldn't think there would be any real estate action in 1866 on a bush lot over 100 miles from the big city. Amazingly, there was plenty, some of which was foreign. After being sold twice to other Torontonians in the $1500 range, it was sold to a Mr Schepeler of Riga Russia (now Latvia)! He in turn resold to a Mr Lader of London England (another Lawyer) who sold to William Tanner of Thorold Ont.(the sawmill owner). The attraction was of course the virgin pine forest on the property.Like to-days developers, the buyers were speculators hoping to make a killing from the logging,however many could not hold out until the forest cutting reach that far and had to sell out. You can be assured they were dealing in thousands of acres,not just the 200 shown on this title search. I understand Mr Lader of England represented an English syndicate and they were partners with Mr Tanner. I am told the lumber sawn from these huge pines was actually shipped to England. After the property had been logged and sold several more times to people intending to settle it and farm, my grandfather, on Feb 5 1918 bought 100 acres of it including the house and barn that had been constructed there (this was in addition to his 200 acres across the road.) He then GAVE 50 acres including the house and barn to the newlyweds (mom and dad) where they lived until they died.
Aside---The vendor to my grandfather of the above mentioned 200 acres, a Mr. Brokenshire ,was later hung for the murder of a Toronto policeman. As the story goes, he was stopped by the police for a traffic offence and when the officer approached the car Brokenshire shot him in the face because he thought he had been caught for the stolen tires that filled the back seat and trunk of his car.
2)Marriage Certificate Oct 10 1917 -Mom and Dad were married when she was 17 and he was 28 years old. Mom was born and raised on a farm about a mile away. They raised five kids and lived all their lives on the abovementioned farm.
3)Statement of Estate of paternal grandfather-May1 1933-
My grandmother pre-deceased grandfather when she died in her 70th year in 1926. Her interest in their assets went to grandfather who died at age 82 on Jan 31 1932. The executor of his estate was my maternal grandfather. The statement shows he left the 200 acre farm and house, barn etc. that is located directly across the road from our farm to his youngest son Thomas. Tom also received a building lot in town and the cash residue after all bills were settled of $224.27 Uncle Sam, (who grandpa had already set up with a house and a harness&shoe repair business in town) received $200 The three girls,my aunts Lizzy, Mary and Sarah each received $100 (except Lizzy had already died so her share was divided among her 5 children). They actually held each child's $20 share until they attained the age of majority of 21.
You will remember my father had already received 50 acres with a house and barn when he got married. He also had been given the USE of the other adjoining 50 acres which made up our home farm. In grampa's will, my father received title to those 50 acres,CONDITIONAL upon paying the $500 to his siblings as outlined above! Pretty tricky eh.
4)Old Deeds
As time went on my father bought up adjoining 50 acre parcels of land when the owners gave up the struggle of trying to farm their marginal land. He ended up with a total of 450 acres.
5)Lease of farm property between my uncle and my father Feb 10 1944
"Witnesseth, that in consideration of the rents---blah---blah---etc.,the lessor doth demise and lease unto the lessee all of lot 4 (200 acres)---etc.--etc. Yeilding and paying thereof yearly the sum of One dollar of lawful money of Canada and Ten (10) bags of potatoes, to be payable on such times as shall be convenient to the lessor, after the usual harvest time for potato crop. The lesee covenants with the said lessor to pay the said rent and provide the said potatoes, and to pay the taxes on the said property, and perform STATUTE LABOUR where provided for the said property, and to keep up fences, and not cut down timber.
(This three page legal document between two brothers was signed under seal and witnessed by a conveyancer. I guess there wasn't too much left to trust amongst siblings. After seeing this document I was surprised that the old man died intestate.
You will notice the reference to statute labour. In those days, you were required to provide manual labour to the township for certain public improvements i.e digging ditches or installing culverts on the public road. I don't know the amount, or number of hours required, but if you also used your team of horses, you naturally received credit for more time. The size of the potatoe bag was not specified, but the normal bag of potatoes then was 75 pounds,(not 7lb.like to-day).
6)Receipts related to my mother's funeral
George W Hall M.D. $45.00
Robinson funeral Service 375.00
Flowers 10.00
Cemetery plot 50.00
Opening grave 00.00
(performed by family)
TOTAL$480.00
Note- Mom died from her third heart attack at age 54 on July 27 1954
The above invoices were all marked paid on Aug3 1954
7)Receipts related to my father's funeral
George w Hall M.D. $ 25.00
Soldiers Memorial Hosp.
2 days @$6.00 per day 12.00
Emergency 5.00
laboratory 3.00
drugs and dressings 2.30
vacoliters 3.60
plastic set 1.00
Plasma (5)
"it is necessary that we
have 1 bottle of blood
replaced for each bottle
of plasma used" 45.00
Robinson Funeral service 365.00
Total $461.90
Note- Dad died from burns suffered during the delivery of TRACTOR gas Nov 19 1954
There is an unanswered letter to the hospital asking if the $45.00 had to be paid if the blood was replaced.
8)Letters of administration of my father's estate 15 Feb 1955
On Nov 20 1954, one day after my father's death, all of the children held a meeting and signed an Agreement renouncing their claims against the estate in consideration of the sum of($1.00) and for the natural love and affection between Brothers and Sisters in favour of my oldest brother. This enabled him to continue operations of the farm as if it were his own. An additional condition was as follows;upon the youngest (Me) attaining age 21, each sister would receive $200.00, other brother nil
and I was to get $2000.00 (Since I was under 21 at the time it was possible to make a claim under The Fatal Accidents Act.) This is where the cash came from from to make the above payments. Note my other brother refused any money. In due course, Letters of Administration were granted and my oldest brother who had spent his life working on the farm was granted title and he continued farming.
9)My father's Orange Lodge Medal and Ribbon from lodge #672
The "Orangemen" always marched on the 12th of July to celebrate the Battle of Orange in Ireland when in 1688 and 1690 the Protestants defeated the Catholics. The Orange Lodge was well organized in Ontario because of the large Irish immigrant population.
While my old man was a member of the Orange Lodge,(like he was a member of the political party) this was purely for networking. While my father drank very little, he used the 12th as an excuse for his annual drunk-up. I remember one 12th when the Provincial Police brought him home in their cruiser (because they knew him). He was so drunk he wanted to fist- fight them for taking him away from the party. He was never charged for this episode and my brother had a hard time finding his car the next day because he could not remember where he left it.
That dear reader covers the contents of the old choclate box!
Next- Neighbors
"Politicians,like diapers,
should be changed often
and for the same reason"
Unknown
