Lochaber Bay: My Well Loved Country Home - page Lochaber Bay: My Well Loved Country Home

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LOCHABER BAY

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LOCI-MEIER BAY

Angus Campbell FacLachlan
1909 - 1990

This book is dedicated in loving memory of "our Dad”
who worked for a long time researching and writing
it almost to completion

James, Ann, Frances, Margie, and Pat, wife of the late Reg.

Regi stration Number 405367

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7L0 CHABER BAY

Loohaber Bay,
E‘y well loved country home
"’y heart is still with thee,
Though far my steps may roam

Where Childhood's days were spent,
Land of my birth,

To thee my spirit turns
In joy or mirth.

Land where my father lived,
Lend where he died,

Land where I hope to rest,
Close by his side

Though from the well—loved place
I exiled roam,

My thoughts are oft with thee,
My country home.

see the dear old Bay
Clear neath the moon,
see the clover fields
Fragrant with bloom.

I see the broad green fields,
The golden grain
Gone but remembered yet,

Though it gives pain.

I see far through the trees
Ottawa's tide,

Fringed with the maples
That grow by its side.

I see the little church
At set of sun,

Where I was wont to go
When work was done.

hear familiar tones,
Faces I see,

Though they are far away,
Still dear to me.

Sister and brother,
Cousin and friend,
Father and mother
In one happy blend.

Faces of each
Uft in fancy T see
When my heart turns,
Dear Locha‘oer, to thee.

. . . Nellie Campbell Cowles

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AUTUMN FOREST

Yonder upon the hillside
The Autumn forests stand,
A flush of crimson glory
Decked by the !»Iaster's hand.

And every day as I scan them
I‘y grateful eyes behold

Some fresh new tint of beauty,
Some touch of red or gold.

Ev'y eyes they wander slowly

From the trees of evergreen

To the poplars clothed in yellow,
The cedar trees between.

And the gorgeous tinted maples,
vinth their golden brown and red,
They more than compensate us
For the summer days now fled.

O‘er all the hill and hollow,
The sun shines down so bright
In a glorious blaze of color,
Like a wave of golden light.

And they shade from the autumn breezes
And the leaves dance in their glee,

As clothed in garments of beauty,

They hang on the mother tree.

But some morning as I look for them,
Each tree will stand brown and bare,
Done with gay fall clothing,

And drest for winter air.

Jack Frost with the autumn breezes,
EJill lay their beauty low,

And soon the great king winter,
will wrap them close in show.

From "Verses by the Wayside", published by The Vusson Book
Company, Toronto. Copyright 1910.

l‘ritten by Hallie Campbell Cowles, born Lochaber Bay 1878
daughter of Rev. Archibald Campbell and his wife Margaret
Angus, survived by daughter Margaret (tl’rs. E’atthew Klamer).

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LOCHAEER

Before the year l800 there had been no settlement land granted on the
Lower Canada side of the l'ttawa River above the foot of the Long Sault Rapids
in the Seignory of Argenteuil. The river above this point had been the
Country of the native Indian, fur trader, explorer, and the missionary. Tn
the time of the French :ie/gime no one was allowed to proceed above the rapids
without permission.

There were only two seignouries granted above the long Sault. One at
L'Hrignal, the only one granted in what was to become Upper Canada; the other
"The Petite Nation", named after a small Indian nation which lived there.
This was granted to Bishop Laval in 1674, area 100 miles. It passed into the
possession of the Seminary of Quebec; and was bought of them by N. J. H.
Papineau, a wealthy Montreal notary, in March 1803. In 1817 it passed to his
son Louis JOSeph Papineau.

James Fox, a native of Dublin, Ireland, emigrated to New York in 1770.
When the American Revolution broke out he was drafted into the Revolutionary
Army, and was in the force sent to capture Montreal, where he deserted.

He married a French-Canadian girl named Mary Desang in 1780. Having
been told of the Ottawa Valley by friends, he decided to settle there. He
came up with his wife, their young son, two or three servants, trade goods,
etc., in a single canoe and settled on a point of land opposite the now town
of Thurso. This point was soon called Foxes Point, later renamed Clarence
Point.

He began by trading in furs with the Tndians and worked into pioneer
farming.

His wife Mary died in 1816 aged 60. James died seven years later aged
77. Their joint graves are the first in the Clarence cemetery.

John Edwards settled in Clarence in 1822.

There are many reasons given why settlement was slow in starting above
the Long Sault, but the answer may be the Long Sault itself. It was a
formidable barrier, a series of three rapids twelve miles in length from foot
to head, difficult and dangerous. Canoes and boats had to be lined up along
the rocky shore and going down it was one of the few rapids in which the fur
trader would not risk a fully loaded canoe.

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Not many settlers wished to establish their family isolated so far
from a market while other land was available.

But the wars with Napoleon and the subSequent demand for timber
was soon to change all of that.

Mr. Philemon wright was born in Waburn, Massachusetts, in 1760
where he was raised a farmer as were his forefathers beforehim. In 1796
he decided to move to Canada and, after several exploratory visits,
decided to settle in what is now the Township of Hull; having made a care-
ful examination of the soil and timber in the fall of 1799. Some of this
survey was done by falling a large tree against another and climbing up it
to judge the soil by the type of trees growing on it.

He returned to Waburn and immediately hired 25 men and brought them
with his mill irons, axes, scythes, hoes and all other tools he thought
most useful and necessary, including fourteen horses and eight oxen, seven
sleighs and five families together with a number of barrels of boned pork
of his own raising, and other food and seed all of which left Waburn on the
2nd of February 1800 and arrived at Montreal on the 10th. where they stayed
a few days.

Leaving Montreal they travelled fifteen miles a day for three days,
staying with the inhabitants at night, till they reached the foot of the
Long Sault and the end of the road. It was then 80 miles further through
unsettled country to their destination. There they halted and some of the
party altered the teams so they would proceed single file and the balance
began to make a road around the rapids. When the preparations were complete
they proceeded forward, making road and, when eVening came, camping. The
women and children slept in the covered sleighs and the men around the fire.
In three or four days they were at the head of the Long Sault and were able
to travel on the ice.

Now another difficulty arose. None of the party had travelled on this
ice before, so they went very slowly, sounding the ice through the snow to
make sure it was safe especially for the horses and the heavy sleighs.

’ln their first day they met an Indian and his wife pulling their
child on a little bark sleigh. These natives were quite astonished

especially at their horses and cattle, and walked all around them and the

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sleighs. Though neither party could understand the other, the man realized
they needed a guide. His wife and child continued on and he placed himself
at the head of the party sounding the ice without any promise of fee or
reward. And so they continued on up travelling by day and camping at night
as before. They arrived at their destination early in March and their
guide, seeing them safely camped, indicated to them that he must return to
his family. They gave him some presents and every one thanked him as best
they could for he had done them a very great service.

The township of Buckingham erected 27 Nov. 1799 was surveyed in
1802. It was bounded on the east by Lochaber on the south by the Ottawa
River and on the west by Templeton.

It was 28 lots on each range, each lot being of 200 acres, and 12
ranges or concessions high.

The first A; ranges were surveyed in 1802 with the exception of
the late Captain Robertson's 2,000 acres which were laid out on each side
of the Liev’re River two years antecedent.

Lots 9, 10, ll, 13, ll. Range 1 )

" 9, ll, 12, l3, 15 Range 2 ) 2000 acres

l6,940 acres granted with letters patent in 1799 and 1803 to Captain John
Robertson, Elias Howley, 'xln. Dunning and others.
David Brook Jan. 2, 1.803 Lot 2 Range 1
Lots 1 and 2 Range 2 l — 3 Range 3 Lot 2 Range 1.
Justin Smith Lots 9, 10, 11 Range 5 600 acres 21. Got. 1831
Onesimus Larwill Lot 17 Range 2 Dec. 23 1833
Michael Ivfahoney Lot 13 Range 8 Dec. 23 1833
Adam Devine Lot 16 Range 8 "ct. 2‘1 1881.
In 1827 Mr. Biglow had 400 acres cleared 300 of which were under
crop in 1826.

TEMPLETON

8 ranges of Templeton were laid out in 1805 with warrants to

Philemon Wright and associates.

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In the south eastern part warrants to Alex Hacifillan and others
13,650 acres.
ln 1824 156 acres cultivated.

LOCHABER AH"? GORE

Alexander Tr‘a illan, for many years a prominent and influential man
in Grenville, was a native of Lochaber, lnverness—shire, Scotland. His
father and an uncle had fought under the banner of Prince Charles. When
quite young he began his career as a clerk in the East India House in
London.

in 1802 he determined to come to Canada. He was very popular with
his clansmen and when they learned of his plans, many wished to accompany
him. He, therefore, chartered three ships to conVey himself, family, and
emigrants to frfontreal, where they landed in the fall of the above year. He
immediately applied for grants of land for himself and associates but the
patents were not issued till 1807.

Before that time, however, the immigrants had found homes in
Glengarry county and Lochiel in among the company of Highlanders already
settled there. The lands acquired by Mr. Hacl‘~'illan and associates were
located in the townships of Grenville, Templeton, and Lochaber. Hr.
MacNillan gave the latter its name, as the settlers came from Lochaber in
Scotland. In 1810 Ifr. Ifacf’illan took up residence in Grenville, having
remained until then in Montreal. He was responsible for the cost of
survey, fees of office, and other expenses amounting to something over
$35.00 for each grant of 200 acres. To relieve themselVes from expense,
the settlers made over their lots to him, and he contracted to hold them
until patents were issued, or they were liable to be escheated to the
Crown for not meeting their settlement agreements. This forfiture the
Government threatened to enforce, so that he was obliged to make consider-
able improvements on some of the lots actually settled; yet, notwithstanding
a number of them returned to the Crown.

When i-‘r. F-‘acfiillan came to Grenville in 1810 the only road between
Grenville and Hull was a foot-path along the river side, which in winter,

could be travelled by sleds; on the other side of the river there was not

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even a foot-path.

The Township of Lochaber was erected 28 I-farch 1807 28 lots of 200
acres each on each range and 12 ranges or concessions high.

The Gore of Lochaber was erected on 18th April 1835 though a grant of
land had been given in 1832 to Samuel Dawson to the amount of 1212 acres.

In 1807 13,261 acres were granted to A. liacﬁillan and other immigrants
from Scotland. Some of the names were Cameron, Sorbet, Fletcher, Kennedy,
E'cCormick, (2) b'cCrimmon, l‘cGillis, McLennan, I‘lcéiillan (8) and others. bfalcolm
E‘cCuaig l, 2, and 3. :r'alcolm 31d settled on Lot 27 Range 3 later bought by
Peter Nacl‘achlan and later to his son A. F. HacLachlan. John McDonell 1st,
2nd to 5th.

In all 18 l-icDonnell's. This is the spelling of the name by the
EIcDonnell's of Glengarry and the IEcDonnell‘s of Trieppoch, both branches
descending from The Lord of the Isles.

It should be noted that Ratchel HoGillivery and Catherine McLaughlin
were each granted 200 acres in 1807 and in subsequent years other land
grants were made to women. Jane McMillan 1000 acres.

Philemon Wright received a grant of 1,945 acres in l823.

Donald and William MacLean a grant of 700 acres in 1836.

Lt. Col. John Maxwell a grant of 1,200 acres in 1839 and other grants
ranging up to 1200 acres or more.

‘10 doubt the intent was to take out the best of the timber available.
This was not all that bad as a settler clearing land would have no alternat—
ive but to cut and burn it with the rest, till he had enough land to live on
and cultivate.

We will come back to Lochaber later; but just some accounts of the
ocean crossing of our ancestors in the days of sail. Not too many details
have been handed down through the generations so the information is taken
from accounts written down by others of the same era.

The very earliest settlers usually arrived at Nontreal in the ships
they crossed in. Later they transferred to others at Quebec City. I~‘ontreal
was difficult to approach in sail, a strong wind was needed to go up against
the strong current. There were a few private wharfs at Montreal but it was

really an anchorage. At some places the water was deep near shore and gang

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planks could be placed on the land. At other places it was shallow but. ships
could anchor close and carts and horses go out to them. Uthers had to

anchor in the stream and unload and load their cargo in ships, boats, and

rafts. 71; was a very dirty shore lined with garbage and filth of the city
being dumped there. In 1830 a Harbour Commission was set up. Engineering advice
was sought from the British garrison in Montreal under Captain Piper of the
Royal Engineers. By 1839 the waterfront was transformed by fine stone quays
and the area around cleaned up.

Some notes from a book of lOO pages published in London in 1823 titled
"A Few Plain Directions for Persons Intending to Proceed as Settlers in H. M.
Province of U.C. in North America” by an English farmer settled in U.C.

Sailed from Liverpool June 27th, l8l9 paying 5, 10. steerage passage
and laying out 12, l, 5% for provisions during the voyage, not omitting 2
gallons of rum, 2% dozen of porter and 12 bottles liquor, total 17, ll, 5%.
Passage to Quebec 63 days, and few ships arrive from Liverpool in less than 8,
9, or 10 weeks. From Quebec to fvlontreal steam Packet 15 shillings furnishing
your own victuals.

Some settlers may have fared as well on the above and some better, but
most were of more modest means and plain fare carried them on the voyage.
Usually they brought their own provisions and a galley was at the disposal of
all for cooking. Some had very little food to bring at all; and manys the
goodhearted Captain, seeing their condition brought on board additional oat
meal, etc., to see them across. "n some of the ships carrying square timber

from Quebec conditions were Very bad.

"Diary of a Voyage from Scotland to

Canada 18 3 3
Halter Riddell

Sailed from Annan, Scotland (which is on the Solway Firth) on April
16th 1833 on the sailing ship "\ancaster", and on April 22nd were out of
sight of land. Shortly a storm came from the north west and blew for three
days, the waves washing over the deck. On April 25th saw a grampus killer
whale and on f-‘ay the lSth porpoises, the first of many and three whales which
went away to the north west. {in “ay léth in the ice fields and in danger, but

a wind came up and cleared the ice away.

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0n the voyage saw many vessels especially near the British coast and
Canadian coast and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, one loaded with squared timber
from the i‘iramichi. nn 23 ijay saw island of St. Paul and when the fog lifted
saw Cape Race, the first land~1'all. ﬁn May 26th saw Island of Anticosti. (in
the 27th the "I‘argaret Balfour” of Dundee loaded with potash. ('n the 28th saw
29 sail and on the 29th saw "Derewent of '.Ihitohaven" from Derry, three holes
stove in bow by ice. The “Hero of E‘Jorkington” lost in the ice but crew saved
by the "Derewent of U".

{‘n 1'“an 30th pilot came on board. The wind failed and we had to anchor,
and so sailing and anchoring we arrived at Grosse isle quarantine station on
June 1st. 011 June 31d around 5 pm. the inspector came aboard and told us the
"Harvey of Limerick" anchored next to us had 35 passengers dead of cholera.
Our Captain went on shore; and on returning told of the loss of nine vessels in
the ice. One of them called "The Lady of the Lake” from Belfast with 235
passengers of whom only 35 were saved. 42 sail at anchor. One ship dragged
its anchor and did much damage to us with its bowsprit. On June 4th got
ashore and washed clothes, met a passenger from the "Argo" who said they had
picked up the crew of the”COhIéElCE OF POOLE“ wrecked in the ice. Also a friend
from Scotland working there as a carpenter. The fortitude and concern of the
Doctors and those taking care of the sick, landed at Grosse Isle during the
cholera epidemic, is a story in itself of selfless endeavour and compassion.

Un June 6th at Quebec City a medical Doctor came aboard and cleared us.
Impressed with the setting of the city. On the 7th on board the steamship
St. Lawrence and started for Montreal at 6 p.m. Very cold. On the 8th stopped
at 3 Rivers at 9 am. to take on wood. In Lake St. Pierre saw a large raft of
timber with ten men on it. Arrived at Montreal on the 9th of June and found
lodging in a Scots lady's boarding house. Found Montreal a thriving place as
the trade of both Canadas pass through it.

{"n the 10th saw the John Bull in the river 365 horse power; also visited
the Cathedral which is the finest building I have ever seen, being built of
stone and highly finished inside and out.

On the llth saw steamer British American come up with five vessels in
tow.

Pn the 12th took luggage to warehouse of Wm. Link and Co. to have it
weighed and put onboard the Durham boat "EMMA". Started for Lachine and spent

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the night in the 3rd lock. Reached Lachine on the l3th where the canal enters
Lake St. Francis. There being taken in tow with 1'] others by a steamer.
Destination U. C.

'{eminiscenees of a Canadian E‘ionee:

7n 1832, the first dread year of Asiatic Cholera, Samuel Thompson and
his two brothers made up their minds to emigrate to Canada. They at length
engaged passage in the bark "Asia", 500 tons, rated A, No. l formerly an East
Indiaman, and now bound for Quebec, to see: cargo of white pine lumber for the

hondon. The ship's Master

London market. Sailed from Saint Catherine‘s doc?
was Captain Ward, there were first and second mates, the former a tall Scot,
the latter a short thick set Englishman, and both good sailors. The boatswain,
cook, and crew of about a dozen men and boys, made up the ship's company.

All things went reasonably well for some time. Heavy head—winds
detained us in the channel for a fortnight. Then came a fair wind, which
lasted till we get near the banks of Newfoundland. Headewinds beset us again,
and this time so seriously that our vessel, which was timber—sheathed sprang

a plank, and immediately began to leak dangerously. The passengers had taken
to their berths for the night, and were of course ignorant of what had
happened, but feared something wrong from the hurry of tramping feet overhead,
and the vehement shouts of the mates giving orders for lowering sail, and the
other usual accompaniments of a heavy squall on board ship. It was not long,
however, before we learned the alarming truth. "All hands on deck to pump ship",
came thundering down both hatchways, in the coarse tones of the second mate. 1~Ie
hurried on deck half—dressed to face a scene of confusion affrighting in the
eyes of landsmen —- the ship stripped to her stormsails, almost on her beam ends
in a tremendous sea, the wind blowing "great guns", the deck at an angle of at
least fifteen degrees, flooded with rain pouring in torrents, and encumbered
with ropes which there had not been time to clear away, the four ship's pumps
manned by twice as many landsmen, the sailors all engaged in desperate efforts
to stop the leak by thrumming sails together and drawing them under the ship’s
bows.

Captain Ward told us very calmly that he had been in gales off the Cape
of Good Hope, and thought nothing of a "little puff" like this; he also told us
that he should keep on his course in the hope that the wind would abate, and
that we could manage the leak; but if not, he had no doubt of carrying us

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safely baeK to the west coast of Ireland, where he might comfortably refit.

Certainly courage is infectious. ‘w'e were twelve hundred miles at sea,
with a great leak in our ship’s side, and very little hoje of escape, but the
master's coolness and bravery delighted us, and even the weakest man on board
took his spell at the pumps, and worked away for dear life. My brother Thomas
was a martyr to sea sickness, and could hardly stand without help; but lsaao
had been bred a farmer, accustomed to hard work and field sports, and speedily
took command of the pumps, worked two spells for another man's one, and by his
example encouraged the grumbling steerage passengers to persevere, if only for
shame. Some of their wives even took turns with great spirit and effect. I
did my best, but it was not much that I could accomplish.

In all my after life T never experienced such supreme comfort and peace
of mind, as during that night while lying under wet sails on the sloping deck,
talking with my brother of the certainty of our being at the bottom of the sea
before morning, of our mother and friends at home, and our hope of meeting
them in the great Hereafter. Tired out at last, we fell asleep where we lay,
and woke only at the cry, "Spell Ho" which summoned us again to the pumps.

The report of "fiVe feet of water in the hold — the ballast shifted"
determined matters for us towards morning. Capt. Hard decided that we must
put about and run for Galway, and so he did. The sea had by daylight gone
down so much, that the Captain's cutter could be lowered and the leak examined
from the outside. This was done by the first mate, Hr. Cattanagh, who brought
back the cheering news that so long as we were running before the wind the leak
was four feet out of water, and that we were saved for the present. The bark
still remained at the same unsightly angle her ballast, which was chiefly coals,
having shifted bodily over to leeward; the pumps had to be kept going, and in
this deplorable state, in constant dread of squalls, and wearied with incessant
hard work, we sailed for eight days and nights, never sighting a ship until
nearly off the mouth of the Shannon, where we hailed a brig whose name I forget.
She passed on however refusing to answer our signal of distress.

Next day, to our immense relief, the "Asia" entered Galway Bay, and here
we lay for six weeks for repairs, enjoying ourselves not a little, and forgett-
ing past danger, except as a memorable episode in the battle of life.

In the month of July they were ready for sea again with additional pass—
engers. ‘Je reached the St. Lawrence without trouble and at the Tsland of

Anticosti saw at least 300 spouting whales at one view.

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10

"At Lachine we were favoured with one of those accidental historical
"bits" — as a painter would say — which occur so rarely in a lifetime. The

then despot of the North ‘lest, Sir George Simpson, was just starting for the

seat of his government via the Uttawa Iliver. th him were some half—dozen
officers, civil and military, and the party was escorted by six or eight
.‘Iorth West canoes - each thirty or forty feet long, and manned by some twenty—
fcur Indians, in the full glory of war—paint, feathers, and most dazzling
costumes. To see these stately boats, and their no less stately crews,
gliding with measured stroke, in gallant prOCession, on their way to the

vast wilderness of the Hudson's Bay territory, with the British flag
displayed on each prow, was a sight never to be forgotten, and as they
paddled the woods echoed far and wide to the strange weird sounds of their

favourite boat song : A la Claire Fontaine".

Recollections of the early days of the Rev. John King of Dalesville,
Quebec.

The Reverend John King's grandfather, Peter King, was a native of
Deon on the west coast of Scotland. He returned with his Regiment from the
American Revolutionary war a broken man, and died a few years later, leaving
a widow and four sons. They lived at Seller Hills, then two miles outside
the City of Edinburgh. Three of the sons became shoe makers, and the fourth,
James, was apprenticed to a Lapidary of the name of Dewar, who had a shop in
the High Street near the Cross. After serving his time with Dewar, which was
six years, and having become a journeyman lapidary, he enlisted in a company
of volunteer artillery.

At that time Bonaparte was carrying on his wars and Britain was at
war with France. Recruiting parties were very active, enlisting men into the
army and the navy. Press gangs were active too, and James and some of his
companions were caught and put on board a ship at Leith. They were sent to
England and transferred to other ships. ﬁle was in the crews that would board
enemy ships in the harbour, cut down the watch on deck, cut the cables, and
if possible bring the vessol out. if they were successful it was sold and
each man received a share of the prize money. He was with the fleet watching
Tulon from which Bonaparte sailed with 40,000 men for the invasion of Egypt;
and was defeated by Nelson at the Battle of the TIile. After serving eleven

years peace came and he received his discharge.

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ll

After a time he returned to his trade and worked for a man in Perth,
and afterwards for a man in “Edinburgh. He married and with his prize money,
his savings, and with his wife's help opened a shop in Princess Street;
jewelery, geological specimens, shells, and objects of natural history.

To this shop, John King, the eldest son of his youngest brother,
when ten years of age, was sent to learn the trade, and was bound an app-
rentice for seven years.

The work in the shop was interesting; and so were some of the
customers and the frequent visitors. Among them Dr. Brewster
the inventor of the lﬁhleidascope who led young King into the college
museums and the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons; Sir Thomas
Livingstone, admiral, formerly captain of one of the Frigates on which James
King served; Mr. Thorburn, the uncle of James King's wife, who started out
as a peddler of tea, to become very wealthy in the tea trade with warehouses
and ships; Alpin McAlpin from the head of Loch Tay, a man nearly 90 who came
to sell pebbles, cairngorm, and pearls he had collected. He wore kilt and
hose, red coat, and bonnet. Alpin was very fond of the resquebough, and
was a hard bargainer. An excellent performer on the Violin.

The shop opened at ’7 a.m. in the summer and at 8 sum. in the winter,
and never closed winter or summer till 9 at night.

In his first year at the shop there was great excitement in the city,
and indeed all over the kingdom. This was caused by the discovery of a
human slaughter house kept by Burke and Hare for the purpose of supplying
the doctors with subjects for the dissecting room.

On Sundays young King would take walks about the city, out to
Arthur's Seat, Portobello, etc.

One of his companions John Forbell introduced him to the Baptist
Church, held in the Freemasons Hall in Hiddery Street. Later he applied for

baptism, was examined and baptised.

His apprentice time being up, John I

ng decided not to continue in the
lapidary trade as he had found it an unhealthy business. The abrasives used
were imbedded in a lead wheel. The tradesmen all washed in a water bucket.
A dog was in the habit of drinking from this bucket and one day fell down dead
beside it. This decided him to seek other employment and found it with a Mr.

Mackenzie who dealt in wool shawls and other articles of clothing made in the

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12

Ahetland lsles. He continued in the Baptist Church.

To the Baptist Church in 'Tdinburgh came missionaries from various
parts of the world seeking support for their missions. Que was Mr. John
jldwards of Clarence in Upper Canada. John ‘(ing agreed to accompany him to
Canada in the spring and spent the winter as a lay preacher in the small
villages on the east coast north of Edinburgh. Hr. I‘Idwards meanwhile
continued his work for the Baptist Y-‘issionary Society, for the purpose of
procuring men and money — men to preach and money to sustain them in the
new world.

They met in Edinburgh at the appointed time and left for the Clyde;
boarded the l-iohawk, a large new vessel at Greenoch Captain Miller in command,
on the lst of April 181,1. Their party was Mr. Edwards, John King, Rev.

Girwood and his wife, and his wife's mother Mrs. “rilgour.

A point of interest about the Hohawk: In the early winter of 1840
the £40ka had brought back Robert Burns' Bibles to Scotland. These had
been sent by the St. Andrews Society of ‘Jontreal to the ffuseum that had been
opened to preserve relics of Robert Burns and was located near Alloway Kirk
in Ayrshire.

when we got on board everything seemed to be in confusion, chests,
casks, boxes and baggage, piles of ropes and chains with sundry other articles
encumbered the deck. In a corner were a number of fowl, cooped up for future
use, a few young grunters promenaded the dock, unconscious of the fate that
awaited them, in the long boat a cow with the hay to feed her, until she will
be able to feed herself in the pastures of the new world.

Below are passengers, some arranging their berths, some drinking and
crying and taking farewell with friends they never expect to see again.
Everything appeared so strange and the collection of goods and living creatures
that for a while the ship had the appearance of ‘loah's Ark.

But towards evening things began to assume a more orderly appearance,
the ample hold had engulfed chests, boxes, and barrels, friends had taken
their last farewell and gone ashore, the decks were cleared and a steam tug had
taken her station ahead, a rope was fastened and after the firing of a small
cannon, the only one on board, the good ship Mohawk sailed from the tail of the
bank on the evening of the lst of April 1841.

We were not long at sea till the movement of the ship began to tell

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13

upon the stomachs of the passengers, seasickness that terror of landsmen,
laid hold on its victims without respect for age or sex.

On board were some Highland Scotch who had been small farmers or
farm labourers going to Canada to take up land. They gathered around "r.
Edwards who described to them the Kind of farming to be found in the back—
woods or" Canada and gave them much good advice on how to act when they
arrived.

'Jhen the weather was fine on a Sabbath iir. Girwood preached to the
passengers and sailors assembled on the deck. And, as some of the highlanders
seemed to be religious men, they kept a prayer meeting among themselves

reading the Scriptures and praying in the Gaelic language.

He were very much hindered in our progress by contrary winds, the wind was
chiefly from the north west which caused a good deal of tacking. When the
wind fell we would have a calm, then the ship would lie like a log on the
bosom of the deep, on such occasions the ocean would look like a great
mirror reflecting the rays of the rising and setting sun. 11; was a glorious
sight to see the sun rise in the east in all his glory as out of the deep
and in the evening in the west sinking into it like a great ball of fire;
and then at night how grand the fimament of Heaven studded with innumerable
stars and the planets as they moved on their course reflected by the surface
of the glassy sea. How much calculated such a sight to inspire the mind of
its beholder with reverence for the Being who formed all thGSe.

12‘s had only one storm of any consequence, but such a storm gave us
no inclination to desire another: every stitch of sail was taken in and for
three days and nights the ship lay at the mercy of the wind and waves, the
hatches were shut down and everone had to do the best he could to procure
food as it was impossible to keep up a fire for cooking.

The waves broke over the deck and some of then found their way below,
people had to hold on to anything within reach, as walking was out of the
question, chests or anything that was not made fast felt a disposition to
leave their place and chase each other along the deck, to the great annoyance
of the dwellers there whose legs were in danger from coming into collision
with them. The rocking of the vessel and the groaning of her timbers as she
was struck by the waves, was truly alarming, and made the most thoughtless

think, and the foolish serious. The spectacle without, though awful, was at

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14

the same time truly sublime. Before us and behind us rose huge waves like
giant mountains while the ship lay between them as far down in a valley like
something about to be swallowed up, and indeed this we several times expected,
but in a little she would rise to the top of a wave, as if on the top of a high
mountain, and like some living thing shake herself from the spray. These waves
as they rose and fell made a noise like thunder. The crests of them presented
a beautiful appearance; they were tinged with a variety of colours, red, blue,
green and yellow.

After the storm subsided and the seas had calmed dom and people were
able to keep their feet on the deck, many stories were related of pent up fears
and narrow escapes, by the groups gathered around the fire in the cooking booth.

About this time one of the sailors fell sick of that loathsome disease,
smallpox. Everything that coald be done was done for him by his mates, there
was a medicine chest on board but no doctor, the young man died. Hr. Girwood
at great risk to himself went into the forecastle and read and prayed with him.

A little while after his departure into the spirit world the body was
wrapped in a blanket, lashed to a board, iron and stones were attached to his
feet to sink it. In this way the body was brought to the gangway, and after a
prayer by Mr. Girwood committed to the deep there to remain till God shall call
upon the sea to give up her dead. It was a cause of thankfulness to God that
this disease did not spread, the only one who took it was another sailor who,
along with a young man who fell from the yardarm and broke his leg, was left in
the hospital at Grosse lie when the ship arrived there.

Up to this time the weather was very warm but as we drew to the banks
of “Newfoundland it became all at once Very cold, this was owing to the
proximity of so many icebergs which came from Davis Strait and Greenland. These
float to the south and are gradually dissolved. Some of these mountains of ice
we saw at a distance, the sight was truly grand; their green and glistening
splendour exhibited a pleasing variety. They are very dangerous when near, and
many ships have been lost by coming in contact with them. Some of these moving
mountains of ice are very large, some have been seen two miles long and two
thirds of a mile broad rising more than lOO feet above the surface and extending
1.50 yards beneath it, the spectator imagines that he can see in their rugged
projections the appearance of lofty spires and the ruins of ancient castles.

The banks of Newfoundland are formed by the accumulation of sand and every kind

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15

of debris brought along by the currents and the floating masses of ice.

In crossing the hams we were very much annoyed by the mists and fogs
which abound there. The vessel's speed had to slackened, one man was on the
look—out while another kept casting the lead. This was necessary in case the
Ship should run foul of some other vessel or some of those icebergs that
float about in the region.

After leaving the banks we entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the
Gulf we were much amused by the blowing of the whales, we could see several
at a time, there were also many porpoises sporting themselves and rolling and
tumbling about in the water.

As we advanced up the river several boats put off from the southern
shore with French Canadians on board they had seVeral things to sell such as
bread, butter, eggs, and maple sugar but the maple sugar was a puzzle to us.
This called forth I-ir. Edwards to explain how it was made.

At length we came to Grosse Tsle on which is established the quarantine
station, it seems a very desolate looking place. There were some wooden build-
ings upon it and among them a hospital for the reception of the sick, here our
ship cast anchor and the Doctor came on board. All the passengers were ranked
up before him for examination but there was no sickness except one who had the
smallpox and one with a broken leg. These were removed to the hospital and
left there. 'Je were detained atthis place nearly two days. During that time
the ship had to be cleaned and fumigated and the passengers had to take and
wash their bedding at the river and empty all their mattresses.

After getting rid of the quarantine station we passed the beautiful
Tsle of Orleans, five miles below rEuebec, with its white cottages, fields,
orchards, meadows and here and there a village church. At length, having
sailed up the St. Tvawrence from its mouth 360 miles we came in sight of Quebec.
All on board were glad as the sail up the river had been very tedious, When the
wind was against us we had to anchor and wait for a favourable breeze; besides
we had been long at sea nearly six weeks, so we were glad when the watch cried
out, "Quebec".

Next day I and a few others went on shore and took another ramble
through the town. While we were standing near the landing place in ﬂower Town
about 2 o'clock pun. we heard a noise like distant thunder. Home said it was

the 2 o'clock gun, but as we looked behind us we saw the people running to the

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16

eastward and we followed. When entering a narrow street where the houses were
built close under the rock, a sad scene presented itself to view. A large
portion of the rock had fallen, crushing in the fall some of the wooden
tenements below. Ilhen we arrived at the spot,men were engaged removing the
dead and wounded from the rubbish. Thus in a moment without warning, some
souls were removed into Eternity while others were disabled for life. The
fall of the rock was supposed to be caused by the frost which was getting
thawed out by the heat of the sun. It appears to me to be very foolish to
build houses so very near the rock for considering its great height if any of
it should fall it was impossible they should escape.

That evening when a steam boat took us in tow we started up the river.
The scenery on both sides of the river is very interesting and the prospect
extremely pleasing, but we did not see much of it as our sail was in the night.
The next day we came to Montreal. 'L-Jhen we landed in Montreal it was about the
middle of f'ay so that we had been six weeks from the time we left Grennoch
until we arrived in fiontreal, a long passage compared with what is now made by
ocean steamers. Jn those days no steamer had ventured to cross the ocean.

I left :‘ontreal on the Friday morning and took the stage coach to
Lachine, a village above the rapids. There was at that time no railroad
between liontreal and Lachine. At Lachine the waters of the Ottawa and the
St. Lawrence mingle together. The distinction between the two can be seen for
a considerable distance, the waters of the St. Lawrence being green while that
of the flttawa is dark. Tn a little while we came to the rapidsoi‘ Ste. Anne,
where was a small village with a church and, owing to the rapids, a small canal
with one lock through which the steam boat has to pass. Leaving this place and
ascending the river, where the seenery is very beautiful, we came to the Lake
of Two Fountains. Here was pointed out to us an Indian village inhabited by
the descendents of the Iroquois, Algonquin and llipissing, once powerful nations.
At length the boat stopped at Carillon. It was at that time a small village, it
had a few taverns, a few houses and a stone barracks for soldiers.

Carillon Will has a few good houses upon it with a fine view up and
down the river. "pposite Carillon on the other side of the river is Pointe
Fortune where it was said that the house of Judge i‘acDonald was built on the

line between the provinces of Quebec and Tintario.

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17

It was dark when the boat reached Carillon and the other boat lay at
Grenville Head. :x’e had to travel the road between by stage. Tt was very
disagreeable riding, the road at that time was rough and stoney. It lay along
side the canal in the front of the township of Chatham. As the stage bumped
along in the darkness I recollect hearing a strange noise. (in making inquiries
T, found the authors of it to be frog", first one would lift his voice, then
would be joined by a great many others. These frogs kept up their song all thc
night long.

As the stars began to dim and daylight to streak the eastern sky, we
came rumbling into the Head.

Then the king of day arose in all his majesty and revealed the
beauties of the scene which burnt upon the View. The bay of Grenville is in
the rear of the rapids of the Long Sault. The noise of waters which, as they
passed along and dashed against the rocks, could be distinctly heard. Here
the river is very wide. T‘n the opposite side of the river is the lumbering
site of the Hamilton's with the village around the mills. It is called the shy
or slab town. There were two places of worship in the Head, one for the
English Church and one for the Scotch, but there seemed to me to be too many
taverns in it to form a high opinion of the morality of the people, or of the

prosperity of the place. it is a great resort for the raftsmen employed in
bringing rafts of timber down the f‘ttawa.

As we passed up the Fttawa we had the township of Caledonia and
Plantagenet on the south side and Grenville and Fapineau seignory on the north.
In what is now called the village of iapineauville was a small Baptist Church,
though the larger portion of the inhabitants were French Canadians and Roman
Catholics. At last we stopped at ".‘hitcomb's Hharf and here we landed, I and
two other young men who came out with me on the Mohawk.

in the opposite shore was Clarence where one of the young men, of the
name of Anderson had an uncle residing. ‘n’hitcomb's wharf was not far from
where the handsome village of Thurso now stands, in which there is a flourishing
Baptist Church presided over by John Ross whose labours have been much blessed
to the conversion of many souls. Besides the Baptist Church there is a Roman
Catholic, a Free Church, and a Preaching place for the .‘ltethodists. There are
several stores, a town hall, and back of the village are saw mills owned by
the Camerons, where a number of men are employed and where are slides for convey—

boards and planks to the “ttawa. But when T landed there the spot where the

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18

village now stands was bush and between that and the river Blanche there was
only one house and that a tavern kept by a French Canadian of the name of Gali—
peau.

Tt was Jaturday afternoon when we landed from the steamboat. After
waiting for a little while at the wharf, l’r. Anderson, the uncle of the
young man, came in a canoe from Clarence to take us over. The canoe was a
small one and what with three persons and some luggage when seated in it
seemed to me to be very unsafe, but our canoe man assured us there was no
danger if we would only sit still. This was the first time that I had sailed
in a boat of that kind and felt greatly reliOVed when we touched the other
shore. When we landed our friend now informed us we were in Upper Canada. Mr.
Anderson conducted us to his house where we were kindly entertained by his
sister and himself (he being unmarried), after which I went to Ivfr. Edward's
house. He lived in a stone house, the only one of its kind in the place. The
old gentleman was not at home having remained to spend the Sabbath with his
son John who was pastor of a Baptist Church in St. Andrews Village, Province of
Quebec. But I was kindly received by his son William and the old lady and for
the time being was made welcome to make their house my home.

The next day being the Sabbath l preached to a large congregation, in
the house of Nicolas Egar, from John 3.3. The church met at that time in a
house on Foxes Point facing the river. To this house in the summer time, on
the Sabbath morning, came people from different parts of the neighbourhood to
hear the gospel. As the roads at that time were bad, and some places no roads
at all, the greatest number of the people came in canoes on the river. Tt was a
beautiful sight to see a fleet of primitive boats landed with people from up and
down the river, approaching Foxes Point on a Sabbath morning; and when returning
home it was delightful to hear sounding from a distance on the water the sound
of some hymn sung by them in concert as they paddled along.

Then there was reter ficDougall in whose house I often preached, he was
a warm heartedVChristian, and often used to preach at T-ochaber Bay. He preached
in Gaelic, his native language. He was a native of Fortingall, Scotland and came
to Canada with those who first settledin Breadalbane and was in the early days
of the church there ec—elder along with Allen I'cUairmid. Peter was a strong
Calvinist, he was acquainted with the Haldanes and Vr'acf eans in “‘dinburgh and

for a short time attended the classes of young men kept by the Haldanes.

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19

There was one thing T enjoyed very much at the meetings at Foxcs Point
and that was thc singing. For this the young people were indebted to Andrew
Sherriffs or as they called Daddy f‘aherriffo. '[e was a weaver by trade and
nod been a member of the Baptist Church in Aberdeen Scotland when .‘l'r. Gilmour
was pastor. He was a short stout man with a fine voice full of music. ln fact
music seemed to be the element in which he delighted to live. We took great
trouble with the young people and succeeded in making them excellent singers;
such a man in a church is a great acquisition.

when I came to Clarence they had no school and there were a number of
children in the settlement; the parents requested me to open a school and
teach the children while I remained in the place. To this I consented but, as
they had no schoolhouse, it was arranged that the school should meet in an old
shanty that belonged to Daddy Sherriffs. This shanty was near Foxes Point.
Behold me then a Dominie in that humble shanty on the banks of the ﬂttawa,
having around me many of those who are now heads of families in the settlement
to whom I had the honor of first teaching them their letters.

While I was engaged in teaching school some of the friends in Lochaber
invited me to go over there and preach. Among those who invited me was Neil
Campbell, he had been baptised by Dougal Sinclair in the Island of Skye and
was, 1 think, a native of the Island of “ull, he and several others, after
coming to Canada settled in the township of Lochaber. As 1 had by this time
learned to steer a canoe I used to cross the river after the school was closed
and sail up the Blanche, land at Donald "actcan‘s and preach in the school house
in the evening and, after passing the night at either Campbells or T‘acleans,
return in my canoe in the morning. At other times I would cross in Zleil's
canoe after the meeting at Foxes Point on Sabbath morning and preach in the
afternoon and evening at T‘ochabcr. EIeil was a wonderful man and seemed to take
the lead in his own settlement in religious matters, and though like many others
he had his faults, yet he was forward in every good work, warm hearted, given to
hospitality and a lover of good men, and though like many others he bore the
burden and heat of the day his efforts were not appreciated and men were more
ready to notice his bad than his good qmulities. He was, however, a good man
and useful in his day. Poor :leil, after being tumbled about on the sea of life
till he became an old man, met with an accident which hurried him off the
stage of time in great bodily pain, yet in the full possession of the hope of
eternal life.

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20

The fruit of my labor in ‘iochaber was the conversion of a woman of the
name of Campbell whom T baptised in the “ttawa before a number of spectators.
This was the first performed by me in Canada.

The settlers around Lochaber day were chiefly Highland Scotch from the
Island of Hull. There were the Campbells of which EIeil and his wife and some
0f their children were Baptists. Their son Archibald became a Baptist minister.
Donald l'clean and his wife and some of their children were Baptists. Their sons
Allen and Hector afterwards became ministers. Then there were the licCaliums and
Lambs and others. Tndeed a kinder people than the Campbells and IrIcLeans I
could not wish to be among.

After acting as Dominie for about three months a proposal was made to
me that ‘ should, until Christmas, spend my time between Lochaber Bay and
and Petite Nation in preaching — as that was more congenial to my mind than
teaching school, 1 consented. As the distance between the two places was a
about 15 miles, with the North Nation to cross, it was agreed that l should
spend a week in each place. In reti‘te Nation or Papineauville there was a
small Baptist Church, instead of the handsome chapel in which we now meet.

They then met in the school house which was occupied by them and the

E‘ethodists Sunday about. In what was called the village at that time there
were few houses and only one store. N'ow there are several houses, a town hall,
a large Catholic Church, a Church of England, a grist mill, several stores, a
blacksmith shop and too many taverns for the good of the place. The inhabit;-
ants are chiefly French Canadians and Roman Catholics. The few English speaking
are of Irish and American descent with a few Scotch and English. The first
Baptists in Papineauville wore Stephen Tucker and his wife, they were from
Brandon, Vermont. fir. Tucker opened a small store on the roadside, two miles
west of the present Village. There one and of the house was the store and the
other their dwelling. So poor Were they that they could not afford themselves
tea but kept a little to entertain any travellers that might come that way.
Along with storekeeping he was in the lumber trade. He prospered in business
and, being of a. benevolent disposition and a lover of the souls of men, he did
much with his means to advance the cause of Christ. He built, mostly at his own
expense the chapel in the village. 110 has helped students and given away

thousands to spread the gospel.

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21

Tn travelling between yMochaber .Say and l’apineauville l found it a
rather laborious undertaking on account of the state of the roads. The
only part that was good was from the .lation to l‘apineauvillc; from the
lotion to Lochaber Bay in the fall, it was little better than a nuagmire.
Sometimes 1 would get a ride from the village to the .Iation and wall: the
remainder of the way, when I would be half up to the knees in mud. Sometimes
I would get a horse at the Bay, but to get a saddle was another thing,
horses were plentiful enough but saddles were few and far between and as for
buffalo robes that was out of the question. (liev. l’ing forgets there was no
transcontinental railway yet) the only robes they used were the quilts off
their beds.

when I had the honor to travel on horse back my usual saddles was a
bag of hay or straw fastened to the horse with a rope the end of which did
for stirrups. This didvery well as long as it remained in the right place,
but I recollect one day in going down a clay gully my horse slipped and my
saddle, instead of remaining on its back, turned under his belly and I found
myself pitched into a pile of brush that lay on the side of the road. The
only hurt T. received was a large tear in my coat, which took me back five
miles to get it mended, after which I resumed my journey.

when I travelled that road there was no Thurso, no mill on the Blanche.
it is not so now, great changes have taken place at Lochaber Bay, they have
good roads, good houses, saddles, and Vehicles both for summer and winter use.

The last time I visited the place, after a lapse of many years, the
old school house was still standing in which i preached once more to the people,
but many with whom I was acquainted were gone. Good old James Lamb and his wife,
Donald Lamont, and the woman I had baptised had all crossed the Jordan. Those
w‘io had been strong and active were getting old and feeble, and the young
children had become men and women; such are the changes constantly taking place
in every part of the world and such they will continue to be until time shall
be no more.

At length the summer and fall passed away, the trees became stripped of
their foliage the Canadian winter with its biting frosts and drifting snow had
set in. The rivers and lakes were frozen and people began to turn out in their
sleighs and the sound of the bells attached to their horses produced a fine

effect as they drove along.

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22

As the time for entering Baptist College had arrived and as fir.
Vuclzer had occasion to visit "ontreal 1 got along; with him in his sleigh.
We arrived in Eontrcal on the evening of the second day and l was Kindly
received by Hector ‘Javis and the students of the Jollege.

Fellow students who enrolled at the same time were Allen and Hector

"clean sons of "onald Iici can, and Archibald Cr .pbcll, son of 'u‘eil Campbell,
all of hochaber Bay. Rev. John Ting spent the Christmas holidays of 1842

with them at lochaber.

TRANSPORTATION

Until the year lBOO the Ottawa was the highway of the fur traders,
the explorers and missionaries, ever extending their business and knowledge
further year by year both north and west until both the Artie Ocean and the
Pacific had been reached. The Arctic in 1789. The Pacific in l793.

With the arrival of Philemon wright there were soon changes and
rapid expansion in the use of the river. The great fur traders canoes and
the explorers and the native people continued in its use as before; but
with the coming of the settlers and the beginning of farms the need of tools,
farm implements, goods and chattels moved a good deal of the transportation
into public hands.

The most immediate change was made by the timber and lumber industry
opening up. Tn 1807 Philemon Wright of Hull assembled rafts of square timber
at the mouth of the Gatineau iner. This was the first timber from the
"ttawa. There were none in the settlement who knew the channels to take and
they sometimes ran aground and got off again with much labour. They Went by
the north channel around the Island of "ontreal and arrived at Quebec City
after much labour in 35 days.

By the year 1823 300 common cargoes were being taken to Quebec.
These rafts of timber increased in number and slides were made around many of
the falls on the Chaudiere, Chats, etc., when the trade gradually faded away
by the latter part of the century. in 1908, tocommemorate the tricentennary
of Quebec, JJ. Booth assembled a raft of square timber and brought it down
the Ottawa to Quebec City, the point of embarxation of so much timber during

the previous century .

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23

Taking a raft of square timber to Quebec was no easy matter. There
was much hard work and hazards on the way, in rapids and by wind storms
lowing the rafts on shore and breaking them up. The worst place for this
was Helm Gt. rotor where winds from all quarters had full play. But as
11. n. 'Jrummond wrote "you never get drowned in Lac St. Pierre so long as
you stay on shore“.

James Campbell, a brother of Archie Campbell, lost his life going
down on one of these rafts. He was swept off the raft at the beginning of
the rapids, but swam nearly four miles after the raft. Some of the men on
the raft threw a long heavy oar for him to cling to when it struck his
head causing him to sink.

dafts had to be rowed where there was little current or when it
was necessary to steer them.

The first rafts towed on the Lake of Two ‘r'ountains was in 1841
owned by Hamilton and how.

The crews taking down the rafts lived on them during the voyage.
The cooking being done on the raft in a large box of sand or in the
camboose. when some small operators had not the money to pay off the men
who had made the timber all the crew went with the rafts to QUebec City to
collect what was owed them when the timber was sold. Sometimes when the
market was down for one reason or another selling was a slow process and
not much was gained by anyone.

There was a good deal of rivalry on the river nearly every raft
feeling it had the right of way; and usually the earliest at Quebec had
the best chance at the market.

There was much "Flagrant Action" by the timber cutters. A report by
Andrew Wilson, a retired loyal Navy Captain and a magistrate, said on March
1825 that 18,500 large white pine timbers had been taken without authority
from Crown Lands and Clergy reserves.

fmoe acting as f‘agistrate, he had seized by force a large raft
belonging to Philemon Wright for non payment of rIrown duties. There were 50
men in the raft crew, (and two small cannon) "The action was not without
bloodshed. ‘l'iberious wright captained the raft.

Before 1823 much freight was carried by Durham boats.

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Thomas ‘v'oars completed the first steam boat, The Union of "ttawa,

at Hawkesbury. Tt was put into service between Grenville and dull in 1823.

Another account says it was built in l819 and was commanded by Captain Grant.
The "\"TTA‘IA" was in service in 1838 or before.

Captain C. Thomas became captain of the “ST. DAWD” in 181.1. This

steamer was built in Brockville.

Every small Canadian community has its own stories and its own interesting
characters and Lochaber is no exception.

Before the Babcock milk tester was used at the cheese factory the patrons
were paid by the weight of the milk they brought and not by the butterfat.
Everyone was honour bound not to skim off cream and send "blue milk" to the
factory. However an old lady, a staunch Baptist, had a soft spot in her
heart for the "cloth" and nothing was too good for the preacher. She
justified it in this way, "I don't think it's a sin to take the cream off
the top of the can to make biscuits for the preacher".

George A. Maccallum was a bit eccentric and lived in a house on the McNeil
place formerly owned by Louis Sallery. I say "lived in" but he really used
it as a place to store some of his things. Over the years the place, not
too well built to begin with, began to fall into disrepair. Someone asked
George if the roof leaked. He replied, “only when it rains”.

The boys in the community had George conduct a service in an old vacant house.
It was sacrilegious, but one would have to forgive them for seeking amusement
where they could find it. One evening at the service George was very irate as
someone had taken his chewing tobacco. He announced as his text, "Let him
that stealeth steal no more but rather let him work with his hands"- He went
on to say, "Now I’m not meaning any one of you, but more especially you,
Patsy Ross".

if
Neil EviacEachern and John HcDermid, two elderly gentlemen, were walking along
the road one autumn day. Here is their conversation as reported by a couple of
small boys tagging behind.
Looking upward Neil said “The leaves are turning, John". John replied, "I see
no squirrel up there”. T.
When Peter HacLachlan was almost a hundred years old he lived with his daughter,
Mary Angus. Every week night when he was in bed he sang verse after verse of
hymns and Annie Laurie on Sunday. It was spooky sitting on the stairs in the
dark listening to the quavering old voice and the young folks used to enjoy it.

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25

Joseph Bouchette Esq” His I-‘ajesty's Surveyor General of North America,
in his official report of his tour through the new settlement of the Province
of Lower Canada, begun in the summer of 1824 said of Lochaber
Bounded on the east by the Seignory of the Petite Nation. 0n the south by the
llttawa River, on the west by the Township of Buckingham, and on the north by
unsurveyed land, soil equal if not superior to that of Hull, Templeton, or
Buckingham, well timbered with oak and pine fit for naval use. 13,261 acres
granted to A. MacMillan and others in 1807, immigrants from Scotland.
Ungranted in Lochaber 17,600 acres’ ungranted in the Gore 3,388 acres.

AS this report was printed in London, “England in 1831 a good guess
would be he visited Lochaber in 1828 or 29. His survey went as far up the
Ottawa as Eardly.

He gives the population as 148 in Lochaber, saw mills l, Potasheries 2,
Pearlasheries l, shopkeepers l, taverns 3. (Pearl ash was potash further
refined by dry heat)

Annual Agricultural Products:

Wheat [.96 Bushels Horses 1‘)
Oats 300 " oxen 37
Potatoes 1,890 " Cows 43
Rye 250 " Swine ’79
Indian Corn 930 "
Hay 125 tonns

In 1825 Thomas Brigham compiled a Population Return of the Township of
Buckingham, Lochaber, and Templeton. Population of Buckingham 158, Households
2.. Templeton 55, Households 9. Lochaber 23, HouSeholds A. The first
named householder in Lochaber unreadable a family of 5, second the same a
family of 3, the third Charles Howard a family of 12, and the fourth Isaac
Knoaks, a family of 3.

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26

After the War of l8l2 ~ 14 an interior Canadian route to join Montreal
and the Great Lakes was thought advisable. This was to be up the Ottawa River

to the Rideau diver and then by a series of locks, canals, rivers, and lakes
to Kingston on lake Ontario.

The locks and canal on the Long Sault was begun about l820 and completed
in 1833. First boat up April 24, 1834. The boat was a tug, the St. Andrew‘s,
piloted by Captain Lighthall. The work being done by the British Army. They
were surprised by the number and size of the huge boulders they encountered.
The stone building at Carillon was the army headquarters. It now houses the

Museum of the Argenteuil Historical Society and is well worth a visit.
k’r‘éﬂ-

Our French neighbours helped make life interesting. Pete Dupuis used to frame
barns and always kept the gang working and in good spirits.

On one occasion the lady of the house served an especially good noon dinner.
Plates were piled high with meat, potatoes, vegetables. The host urged the men
to have more veal. It was delicious, and he was kept busy carving the roasts.

After dinner Pete told the men to rest until he called them while he and the
owner went to check the framework. Suddenly Pete leaped lightly over a log,
then back again. The owner said, "What is wrong, Mr. Dupuis"? Pete replied
"I really don't know but I always feel this way when I eat venison". The
farmer immediately hushed him up so that the other men would not catch on that
he had been hunting out of season.
Cur Irish neighbours also gave the community some laughs. One old gentleman
was being pressured by his wife to build a new house. He was telling one of
his neighbours his tale of woe. "Before we were married she said she'd live
with me between two stumps and now she wants a bloody palace".

»
Two brothers John and Robert McKay brought by Dr. Barnado's Children organi—
zation from the Lowlands of Scotland lived with foster families in Lochaber
around 1910. John McNay was asked by R. J. Y-IacLachlan "when did you
leave Scotland"? His reply was "At four o'clock in the morning".

The next question was “What do you think of the Highland Scots"? John
replied "A bunch of sheep thieves". I imagine there were no more questions
from the Highlander!

-------------- ---------------
27

At the construction of the Carillon canal, as an illustration of the
conditions of the times and as he was a great uncle of the late I-frs. George
Angus of Loohaber, I include a brief period in the life of Lieutenant George
Hopper.

He was a professional soldier who came to Canada an adjutant of the
89th Regiment of Foot in 1811. He was present at the Battles of Chrysler's
Farm and I‘Ilndy’s Lane, where he was slightly wounded. He transferred to the
Nova Scotia Regiment in 1815 and a year later, at the conclusion of War of
1812, he was retired on half—pay. Tn 181'] he moved to Prescott, U.C.

On September 1823 from St. Andrew's near Cornwall, U.C.,his wife,
Jane Hopper, submitted a memorial giving details of her husband’s military
service and disabilities, requesting that he might be appointed to a position
to supplement his income. She explained that she was doing this without his
knowledge, because a Memorial he had submitted several years earlier had not
been successful and he did not wish to petition for an appointment a second
time.

Jane Hopper's Memorial was a moving document "I haVe a conviction on
my mind that if your Lordship knew how much he suffered in the service and
the disabled state it has left him in, your Lordship would not neglect him."
Her husband had had a leg broken while serving with the Irish Militia. In
the war in Spain in 1810, when he was commanding the Light Company of the
89th Regiment in action, he was hit in the left hip by a musket ball. Later
in the same action, his right leg was shattered by a bursting shell. He
lost consciousness and was left for dead on the field of battle. “Yet tho‘
the world forsake the afflicted will never Almighty God for he still
preserved his life." Hopper was taken prisoner and placed in hospital.

Spanish surgeons were preparing to amputate his leg when, "unfortun—
ately for him, a French surgeon came in and said he could save it but never
to be strong. "I say unfortunately my Lord, for if it had then been
amputated the splinters of the bone could not be occasionally working their
way out of it." ... He has not been able to obtain the Pension, it not being
the regulation to grant such to any foicer who has not actually lost an eye
or a limb and, though he is more disabled than if he had lost either, he is
not entitled to receive it. He has no great man of interest or power to

recommend him to your Lordship's notice, he has but simple merit to plead his

-------------- ---------------
28

Cause“. Jane Hopper's Memorial on behalf of her husband was successful. By
the spring of 1825 Lieut. Hopper was installed as Storekeeper and clerk of
works at Grenville.

When he died in 1833 at the early age of 48 years, burial beneath the
walls of the new church, (St. ‘rfatthews) with a marble tablet on its wallsy
was all that Jane Hopper could do to render homage to the husband she described
on the tablet as "The Hardy Soldier, The Humble Christian".

THE TABLET

Sacred to the memory of
GEORGE HOPPER, Lieut. & Adj.
of H. M. 89th Regiment
A Native of
Baltinglass, 00., Nicklow, Ireland
He departed this life 8th. Sept. 1833
Aged 48 years

The Hardy Soldier, The Humble Christian
His Mortal Remains Lie Beneath This Church

The opening of the Carilon Canal in April 1834 was a great advance in
the development of the Ottawa valley. The first boat up was the tug St.Andrew.
Heavy freight need not be loaded and unloaded any more to pass the Long Sault.
Passengers, mail etc., in the interest of speed, still went around by land and
Were met by steamers at either end. Steam navigation was playing an increas—
ingly important part as settlement and industry expanded.

The steamer "Union of Ottawa" was built in 1819 and ran between Hull
and Grenville.

0n the Saint Lawrence also steam boats were coming into service. In 1809
the Nelson steamer "Accommodation" made its maiden voyage to Quebec to bring
passengers to and from Montreal. In 1812 they launched the "Swiftsure" a
400 ton vessel with engines from James Matt's Soho Engineering Norks in
Birmingham, England. During the war of 1812-14 it carried military stores and
troops from Quebec to Montreal, on one such up river passage with 400 officers
and men on board.

In 1814 a more powerful "Vfolsham” was launched by Molson's. In l826
Torrance and Co. bought a passenger boat the "Hercules" with an especially

-------------- ---------------

powerful engine and with it hauled an ocean ship up St. !-’ary‘s current to
Montreal. This ended the supremacy of Nuebec as the main port on the St.
'awrence. 'Jith the aid of tugs ocean vessels could bypass ’IUebec if they
Wished and continue on to Montreal.

The John Bull, 260 horse power, towed six barges containing l,8OL)
passengers and 2,600 tons of freight. 1n the early hours of June llth,

1838 near Sorel the John Bull was found to be on fire. It was immediately
run on shore in eight feet of water. Yts boats and those of the vessel it
had in tow were put in the water and all but fourteen of the passengers and
crew were saved. The “John Hull“ burned to the water line. This was the
fate of many wooden boats which were fired with wood.

[in the Uttawa steam boats continued to multiply as need arose. Tn
1812 one was put on the Lake of Two “ountains to tow rafts of square timber
down it. There were steam boats and tugs owned by the lumber companies below
fttawa hauling booms of logs, and barges loading the products of the mills to
haul them to distant markets. Passengers and freight steamers ran on
schedule between Hull-"ttawa and Grenville servicing the wharves of the
villages between. The boats were improved over the years changing from wood
burning side and stern wheelers, to iron hulls, more modern engines, and
propeller driven craft. As mills closed rail and road transport took over most
of the hauling and passenger service, about the only activity on the river was
the imperial “il tankers plying between I‘ontreal and Victoria Island, Ottawa.
While they were needed the boats on the Ottawa provided an essential service
to the settlement and development of the LOWer “ttawa Valley.

Lately it is pleasure craft that ply the Ottawa making tours up river
and through the Rideau Canal to Lake Ontario. But the work horses are not
through yet. “Ihen the Civic Centre was built the structural steel was taken
by barges from Dominion Bridge at ‘fontreal and unloaded at the site,

Lansdowne Park in (\ttawa, and in 1984 when the Hunt Club Road bridge was put in
over the Rideau River the steel girders, 81 ft., long were brought in by barge

and unloaded by cranes and put in place. Cnce again the Ottawa River proved

its usefulness.
In order to understand the settlement of the Province of (Quebec the
appendix, at the back of the bOOK, should be read now. It is List of Lands

Granted By The Crown in the I’rovinoe of Quebec, from 1763 to Blst December 1890.

Tt reveals many surprising things. Before we say HOnly in QHebec" some other

provinces had their inequalities and schemers also.

-------------- ---------------
30

It is impossible to know who lived where and when in Lochaber in the
early days of settlement. The census of 1825 lists only four names (heads
of households) only three of which are legible — Dawson, Charles Howard, and
Isaac Kncks but does not give their Lot and Range. For a total of 23 persons.
Joseph Bouchette gives the population of Lochaber as 11.8 a few years later

The next census is in 1842 by Wm. HacQueen and is more comprehensive.
It still gives just the name of the head of household but gives the range
and lot number of where they live in some cases, whether they are the prop—
rietor or a tenant, their trade or profession, and number of inmates in each
family and the number temporarily absent, which country they are native of.
It divides the family into age groups, male and female, married and single,
the number of idiots and the number of lunatics. There were none. The
inhabitants were listed under fifteen religious denominations and a heading
for those not falling under any of them. (Isaac Nokes family of ten, is
under the latter listing. So much for finding them in church records. They
lived on Lot 23 Range 7 land granted to him.) Also number of acres occupied
by each family and number of acres improved land, and many other questions of
personal nature. Field crops produced in Winchester bushels in the past year.
Pounds of maple sugar produced, number of bee hives, live stock owned neat
cattle, horses, sheep, and hogs, number of yards of various cloth made by each
family. Some were listed by Grant, or Deed, Band for Deed, Purchase, no
title, or squatter. Also the number of years each person has been in the
province, if not a native thereof.

As an example David Howard mentioned in 1825 census was a proprietor
Farmer four in family. British origin number of years in province 12;, number
of male children 5 years of age and under 2. f‘arried Male 1, married female 1,
Family of a denomination not listed farm 150 acres, 12 improved Lot 12 Range
4. He grew 50 bushels of oats, 3 of Indian corn, A0 of potatoes, owned 3
neat cattle, 2 horses, and 3 hogs. lie held his land by Deed.

Sam Dawson is still in the Core. Farmer 1200 acres 30 acres improved
3 in family native of Ireland. 1 married male 21 and not 30 1 single male 60
and upward l married female ll, and not 45 2 Church of England 1 Church of
Scotland. Grew 15 bushels wheat, L of barley, A of cats, 80 of potatoes. Had
25 neat cattle and l hog. Held land by Deed.

-------------- ---------------
31

The census had not been totaled but there were between 550 and 560

persons living in Loohaber and Gore.

The census of 1851 is missing.

The next one being in 1861.

The

Registry Office in Hull burned down in 1900 along with all the deeds, etc.

Many people moved into and out of the Township without present knowledge.

It did not stop progress but does not make it easy to trace relatives

or when great grandpa farmed

Lower Canada Census 1842 Loohaber

Lot

Range

44
25
2’7
28
26
26

\O\C\O \Doxoxoxoooomooooooooddqadooo‘mm
N
o

Name

Peter Iviullowney
John MELean
James Smith
Walter I‘crvarlin
Laurence Burns
Thos Rap

John Peasley
William Benin
Simon Pealst
Isaac Nokes
Donald {rloliullin
John Cains
James Casey
Patrick Burk
Edward Burk
Thos Lavelle
John Lavelle
Thos. McCoy
Halter IEcCoy
Henry Casey

‘ ‘ichael Daugherty

Henry 7pr
I'ioh EﬁacAndrew
Rich l'laoAndreu

n
u
n
n
u
u
u
n
n
u
n

-------------- ---------------
10
10
10

I iartin Daugherty Farmer
Thos ivicAndrow ”

“rpm, n
Denis YIcGinlay "

Patric

Henry l-Jillings "
William Carson ”
Pat HcFee "
John HcGilveI‘ey "
Angus Ichilverey "
Dan "cGilverey "
Angus McGilvery ”
Elephalet Hardy "
Victoire Gauthier ”
Antwine Legie ”
Des Parizau "

Joseph Lavilett "
Joseph Lavilett "
Exaire Le Roi “
Blacksmith

James Ichinzey Labourer

Donald .‘IcKinzey

Western Division of Lochaber
Malcolm VeCollum Farmer
Duncan .HcCollum "
Donald Campbell "
Duncan HeEachez-n ”
Robert McLaughlin "
John ’vchollum "
Duncan Lamont “
Donald McLean "
William Stout Shoemaker
Neil Campbell Farmer
James Lamb "

Donald Cameron "

-------------- ---------------
Lot

\Jwbbmm

11
12
14
15
12
11
11
10

Gore

bvw®

Range

bbbbbwwwww w mwwwwwmw

bbbb

Donald Beaten
Hrs Colin Sinclair

Jame s Campbell

Eastern Divi sion

James L. Gray
Joseph Ubear
Thos Ranger

John Wilson

Mary Blay

Isaac Taylor
John Dent
Elizabeth French
Samuel E. Whitcomb
George N. Cameron
Thomas Jones
William Grenleefe
William Kiernan
Joseph Naterhouse
Andrew Gallipot
Wm. McQueen

John McLean
David Howard
Easter Howard
Normand H. Lough
John Dole

Rick Jones

John St Lewis
Peter Yoe

Austin Smith

Sam Dawson

Leo Londrio

Angus Lavilett
Francis Conyour
Battees Eye

Farmer
Inn Keeper

Shoe Maker

Tavern Keeper
Tin Smith
Tin Smith

Farmer

u
u
u
n

Merchant
Farmer
Boot Maker
Farmer
n
Inn Keeper
Justice of the Peace
Labourer

-------------- ---------------
4 Austin Arceno Labourer
A Joseph De St Germaine "
4 Peter Yeo ”

- — Joseph Arnold

It is interesting how Hm. McQueen spelled some of the French
names BAPTISTE BATTEESE. The 1871 census taker was French and named
my Great Uncle Andrew Angus (Andre).

The census of Lochaber of 1842 was made by Hr. McQueen J.F. whose wife
was Sarah MacLaehlan a daughter of John :‘lacLachlan and a sister of Robert
l-facLachlan who lived on Lot 25 Range 3. His father John NaeLachlan had
settled on Lot 27 Range 2 and either returned to Scotland or emigrated to
North Carolina. Elisabeth HacLachlan married Alexander Ferguson 11 July
1847, Inn Keeper but it is not knounif she was a daughter of John MacLachlan
or not. Both of Lochaber,

Robert MacLachlan, Duncan ¥-IacEachern, and John NacCallum had married
three HacDonald sisters in Mull, Scotland some years before coming to Canada.
Robert I-faeLachlan and Duncan MacEachern had spent a year or so in Bredalbane,
Glengarry before moving to Lochaber. On a visit to Lochaber on coming into
Lochaber Bay from the Ottawa they saw a gathering of people on the bay hill,
and on lending found it was the burial of their sister Mrs. John MacCallum,
r/éargaret MacDonald.

H. R. Cummings in his book "A Tale of Two Families” says John
HacCallun and 2nd wife Elizabeth King were married in 1836. "Indeed Elizabeth
King deserves attention for she was remarkable for intelligence and character
and exerted a profound influence on her nine children.

Duncan and Catherine King and their three sons John, Robert, and Peter
and daughtersmizabeth and Margaret left Scotland in the year 1830 and spent
nine weeks in a sailing vessel crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Canada. They
first settled as farmers at Lochaber Bay on the Ottawa River, but as they lost
their crops three years in succession to hard early frosts, they decided to
move inland and to higher ground.

The three brothers, father, and mother settled at Lake Dore (near
Rganvﬂle). The girls married young Seotsmen and remained in Lochaber Bay.

Elizabeth's mother Catherine returned to Lochaber Bay in 1854, after her

-------------- ---------------
husband Duncan had died, as she became very lonely and only spoke Gaelic and
wished to spend her remainingdays with her eldest daughter. So her son Robert
bundled her up in warm wraps and travelling by horse and cutter drove the 100
or more miles on snow covered trails to Lochabcr Bay.

Robert King married Catherine Campbell, daughter of Neil Campbell and
Catherine Ann IvfacCallum Campbell of Lochaber Bay in 1839. They returned to

Lake Dore to live.

Some of the settlers may have been absent when the 1842 census was
taken. While clearing their land there was not much they could market to
sustain themselves, and some would have to find work for wages from time to
time, others had their patent on their lot owned it outright and lived else—
where.

A case in point. In 1852 in the superior Court of Lower Canada
Malcolm I‘acQuaig formerly of the Township of Lochaber in the District of
Ottawa and now in the Township of Locheil in the county of Glengarry in
Upper Canada Plaintiff.

H. be of the Township of Lochaber in the Ottawa District
Defendant

The court having heard the Plaintiff by his Counsel, the Defendent not

having filed a plea to this action — — — — — — — - — — - doth declare the
Plaintiff the true and lawful owner and proprietor of the lots of land
mentioned and described by the plaintiff ~ — — - - — — — - — The Defendant

paying the costs of the Court.
Speaking of Lot 27 Range 3. Peter MacLachlan later bought this farm and was
in possession sometime after 1861.

Mrs. Jean Legge, Cote St—Luc wrote fiarion Oct. 1985.

lnformation I have for my Campbell ancestry in Canada begins in 1823
with Major James Campbell whose son, my great grandfather Alexander, went to
Michigan 1861—64.

James Campbell of Scotland married 7th Jan. 1823 at St. Columba Church,

rk Hill Flora Cameron (both of Lochiel). Flora is the daughter of John

Cameron a native of Argyleshire, Scotland (Lochaber) and Susan Cameron of John

and Mary Cameron U.E.T‘. L 6 Con. A Cornwall. John and Susannah are buried at

-------------- ---------------
36

Thurso in a small cemetery on Calipeau Street Thurso. There is a stone
there for Flora (Cameron) Campbell also, but none for James.

James and Flora were living on Lot 25 Con. 2 in Lochaber in ‘lov.
1825 when their son John was born. Their son Archibald was born at Lochaber
in 1828. Alexander was born in 1832 at Thurso. In l857 he married Iiina
Ann IIcKey of E. Missouri, Canada West. She was born in Scourie, Scotland in
1836. They are both buried in Alpena, Michigan.

Flora's brothers John Archibald 1820-99 and George William 1814—75.
Camerons were in the lumber business with Edwards in ThLLI‘so.

(7n renovating the Protestant cemetery at Thurso (not the one on
Galipeau street) a stone was found marked "adjutant John Cameron, Native of
Lochaber, Argyleshire, Scotland who was drowned at Lochaber LC. April 12th
1827 Age [.7 and his wife Susannah Cameron of Cornwall U.C. died 1846 Aged 60".

other names olive Abott, wife of David Town, John Dole, Capt. Hm.

Iv‘cDole, Sutherland, McLean, Howat, Keyes, Ross, Thomson, Dent and Banning

From the McLean Family History
written by Mrs. H.J. E-Ietcalf 1931
Mother's Bed Time Stories

fiery Wilson f'cLean. )irs. Donald {viaclean Jr.

Every night Mother told us a story. We dearly loved these stories and
in this way became quite familiar with Bible heroes, Abraham, Elijah and
Elisha, Joseph, Daniel and David were very real to us. Mother never told us
a Bible story without making us wish to be better and truer and we knew too
that our Mother was the best and dearest woman in the world.

One of our favorite stories was about the coming of herself from
Glasgow Scotland to Canada about 182.0 or earlier. her father had died in
Scotland and she and her brother Robert came with my Grandmother 'I-Jilson to
this country when f-fother was only six years old. They were ship—um cked in
the Gulf of St. Lawrence. All the small children, including our mother were
put in blankets that were slid along ropes by sailors and landed on an Island
near the vessel. The ship sank, but not before all the passengers were safely
landed and food enough gotten off to last several days. The island was
inhabited by Indians, who proved to be friendly and they brought the ship
wrecked passengers and crew fish and game of all kinds. After a time a

vessel came to the rescue and all were taken safely to Quebec City.

-------------- ---------------
37

Now let us take a look and see what our neighbours are doing Joseph
Bouchette visited our neighbours on the west, Buckingham Township in 1827.
He found the 2,000 acres granted the late Captain Robertson still in a state
of nature. Tn 1802 four ranges and a part of the fifth had been surveyed and
in 1799 and 1803 16,900 acres had been granted to the late Captain Robertson,
rElias Howley, Woods, Dunning and others.

Levi Bigelow beginning in 1824 had in 1827 [.00 acres of land cleared
300 acres of which were in crop in 1826. He had erected several houses, barns,
stores, etc., and had commenced to erect a saw mill on the Lievre RiVer.

Population 266

Corn mills 1, Saw mills 2, Potteries l, Potasheries l

Taverns l, Artisans 5

wheat 1,550 bushels
ﬂats 500 " Horses 16
Rye 9O " Oxen 20
Potatoes 3 ,725 " Cows 26
Indian Corn 2,428 " Swine 31.
Hay 142 ton
Maple Sugar 25 out

His last remark was “The roads are bad"

Joseph Bouchette Esq. also visited Hull in 1827 or 28. The population
in 1820 was 703, in 1828 1,060. There he discussed with Ruggles wright, the
Post Master, on the state of the road from Hull to Grenville. In 1821 a road
had been cut by the government commissioners on the north shore of the Ottawa
16 feet wide from the head of the Long Sault. 71 bridges had been built. There
were four places where either ferries should be established or large bridges
built over broad rivers and several deep ravines filled; it was impractical
for horses and long abandoned.

There was great inconvenience in the early fall and late spring for want
of a land road. Not a year has passed in the last 25 years but that accidents
have not occurred either in loss of property or mail or of men's lives; as
there are about four weeks at these seasons of the year when the river is not
passable.

The Wrights had built a very good road system in their township with the
help of the settlers there.

-------------- ---------------
38

Joseph Bouchette at this time also visited the Seignory of La Petite
lIation; originally granted on the 16th of May 1674 to Fiessire Francois de
Taval Bishop of Pitree, the first Bishop of Quebec and now in possession of
Louis Joseph Papineau, Speaker of the House of Assembly.

It was five leagues wide fronting on the Ottawa River and five leagues
in depth. Bounded on the west by Lochaber and Gore and on the east by
Grenville.

They too hoped for better roads but did some maintenance on the road
passing through their community.

About one tenth of the seignory had been conceded, each grant fiVe
arpents by forty, large for French grants, each of which pay four bushels
of wheat and two French crowns annually.

A small river runs through the front where there is a corn mill and a
saw mill with four saws sufficient for the wants of the seignory.

At the falls on La Petite Nation there is a saw mill which cuts for
export annually 45 to 50,000 thick planks and deal besides which a great
quantity of shingles are made. The sawn timber as soon as out is put into
a canal made of wood extending 2,400 feet from the mill to the bottom of the
falls; where it is immediately rafted for the Quebec market.

The seigneur had built a stone school house and a church 90 feet long.

The population was 800. 140 families, over 80 of which were Catholic.

Joseph Bouchette notes that in 1831, 50,000 immigrants landed at the
port of Quebec and that among our imports were 5,682 puncheons of rum, 456 of
gin, and 204 of brandy. 605 hogheads of refined sugar; muscarada sugar 1669
Hogheads, 3237 barrels 456 tierces, 267 puncheons of molasses; 190 casks and
34 bags of coffee, 16 bags EJ. sugar; 55 hogsheads of tobacco, and 447 tons
pig iron.

Among our exports

Flour mostly to Britain, some to the Nest Indies

Beef 1,713 hogsheads pork 7,445 hogsheads

wheat 1,887,003 minots

The minot is a French measure about 9’: larger than a ‘Jestminister
bushel. The wheat was measured by hand in a half minot measure and done so

rapidly the grain had barely time to settle in the measure. Hence the cargo

-------------- ---------------
39

usually arrived short. (Hugh Gray Letters from Canada 1806 1807 1808)

Louis Joseph Papineau commenced to build his Manor douse in 1847
when he was 65 years of age and moved into it with his wife and children
in 1850. He died in 1871.

The irianor House had 28 rooms and was a show place of great beauty to
visitors of all countries in its day. It had a library of 6,000 books and
was open to historians, the American historian Francis Parkman among them.

In 1888 firs. L.J. Papineau of the Elanor Wouse of Hontebello had an
apartment in the first apartment building in Montreal, the Sherbrooke, just
opened, five stories. Her son Tolbert Papineau was to be one of the heroic
figures of the Princess Patricias in the First World War.

The descendents of L.J. Papineau sold the property in 1928 to the
Seignory Club who erected a log Chateau, a golf course, etc., for the club
members.

It is now owned by Canadian Pacific Hotels

The Manor House is now being restored.

In the winter of 1829 the Quebec Government gave a grant of 1% 5,000
to open a road from Grenville to Hull. This road did not follow the river
bank but took higher ground. It entered Lochaber on a ridge beside a creek
running into the Lochaber Bay. Then along the top of the bay hill till it
crossed the Blanche RiVer. Then through level land till past what is now the
Village of Thurso where it again took high ground overlooking Black Bay and
so passed into La retite Nation. It follows the same route now with
remarkably few changes. llhen the railway came through it took a jog at the
side road near the station, ran parallel to the railway a mile or so and
took another jog at the I-IacT‘ean house to the original road. This enabled
several farms to have a larger field instead of two smaller ones.

R. J. f-fachachlan told me it was called the King's Road as it was made

by the Army and so we leave it for a century or so.

-------------- ---------------
40

ln the late 1820's and early 1830's when the first settlers came who
had the intention to clear land and farm, most of those who had received
letters patent on their lots in 1807 had moved on. But not all of them so
there were some lots for sale and more which were still to be granted.

Tt would seem reasonable that there would be a guide to show the new
settler the location of his or her grant, and if a sale the owner or his
agent would do the same.

It would be no light matter to arrive at their new home, a hundred
acres or more of virgin forest; all the family together. Provisions for many
months, tools and implements, bedding and clothing all. to be protected from
the elements; choose a place to erect a shelter and build a home that would
be equal to our Canadian winter. All of this with new skills to learn,
unexpected problems to overcome, and countless mosquitoes and flies to make
life miserable. But they did it!

Those who came later, in many cases relatives and friends, had the

benefit of the experience of the first comers. They could also have shelter
till their new home was built.

(«lhen all this was done it would be too late for a crop, so a piece
would be cleared, the trees made ready for the winter wood, and a patch
among the stumps broken up for spring planting. In the winter more felling
and burning was done to make more land. The latest crop that could be planted
would be turnips, the seed broadcast, and the new land yielded in abundance.
Clearing a farm was a slow and laborious procedure and at first all done by
hand. ln some places especially the northern part of Lots 24 to 28 Range 2
ditches had to be dug to drain the land first, some of them passing under
stumps. Weedless to say this was not the first land cleared.

Stumps were removed by digging around them and cutting the roots well
below the surface. Then with an assortment of blocks for a fulcrum and a
series of long poles to pry with by digging, cutting, and prying the stump
was up. Some were used for the first fences as cattle, sheep, and hogs were
let run loose in summer and crops had to be protected. Taking out a big
stump was a good morning's work.

Speaking of cattle ctc., loose on land which was not in crop, they

were, to an extent, able to fend for themselves especially pigs. They would

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Al

feed on roots and many other odds and ends known only to pigs. [\5 the land
was not as level as we sec it new, there were many shallow depressions filled
with water, a delight to any pig to wallow in. Sometimes there would be wild
squaals and out would come a porker with a snapping turtle hanging to its
tail. Such was life in a land full of surprises.

i’ossibly the children of the settlers did the most clearing of all.
when they grew old enough, land would be gotten near at hand, and through time
clearing, etc., could be begun or extended. .Eot all were so ambitious. At my
grandfather‘s they were washing up for dinner outside as was usual in the summer,
when a neighbour from the east coming from the west dashed by with a pot of coals.
Their fire had gone out and, instead of getting some at my great grandfather's,
continued on to a neighbour who would chat the morning away. Paths from place to
place were the usual way of getting about and were time saving and conVenient.
Crossing f'cilaughton’s Creek, usually called the Big Creek, was done on a log,
There being only one permanent bridge on the side road between Lots 21 and 22.
This creek flowed through a deep bed of clay and at the creek itself was steep
and slippery. A large tree would be found near the bank and felled across to the
other side. There was your foot-bridge (no railings) ten or more feet above the
water.

After the school at Creich closed by World War I children attending the
Lochaber Bay School regularly crossed this way except in winter. A neighbour
north of the Big Creek borrowed a fanning mill and carried it home on his back
with a twnp line and crossed on such a log bridge. This was told to me by R. J.
'JacLachian. I asked him if it was as heavy as the ones we used now. He said,
"Heavier". A fanning mill was used to clean seed to be planted, blowing out the

chaff, etc., and by appropriate screens and shakers have unmixed seed from cats
to hay seed.

Different parts of Lochaber had their local names. in the days of the
foot path and the horse this was more in use than now. South of the Big Creek
to the Blanche diver was cal led Rochaber Bay or The Bay. Just north of the
creek Bertha S'cDermid Smith says was named Creich. ,Eorth of that was silver
Creek, and east of Silver Creek was a section called Grassy Point. North of them
was "aye. This was west of the Blanche “iver. Last of that was Thurso. East of

that starting at the 'tttawa '{iver was Black Bay. The Gore, North Nation Fills,

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42

"al d‘Or, Burke's Corners, and ‘ltc. Sixte were north of what is now Highway
lAB.

To supplement the supplies they had brought and to add variety even
after crops began to be harvested, full use had to be made of what their
surroundings had to offer. This was in the main fish. There were in the bay
barbotte, perch, pike, etc., and in the "ttawa River trout. Sturgeon were
sometimes caught. All the smaller creeks and the Slanche also yielded trout.
There were partridge, ducKs, geese, and passenger pigeons. As not many
settlers had brought firearms there was only an occasional duck dimer. The
passenger pigeons true, to their name, as a rule passed through. Heavier
game maybe? Perhaps they bartered with the natives till a musket could be
bought.

There would be strawberries, raspberries, later apples, wild plums,
wild grapes, cherries, gooseberries, hawes, nanny berries, and in places
blueberries. Hops were grown to leaven the bread. 1n the l920's the wild
plums began to die. The fruit would form full sized, become spongy, and fall
off. Cherries made good jelly and the black cherry and its bark had medical
value.

There were also nuts, the butternut being the most useful. Hazel nuts
and beech nuts also grew in the area. The beech nuts clung late to the trees,
so sometimes sheets were spread under the branches and the nuts beaten off, or
in winter when an icy crust formed the nuts would slide into depressions and be
easily gathered.

A source of income while clearing land was the making of potash from
the ashes of the trees burned. Some people sold the ashes, while others made
the potash themselves. The ashes had to be kept in a barrel, water over them,
catching the liquid in a vessel, then boiling the liquid off in a large kettle.
The powder was then put in barrels. The barrels were very heavy and two or
three on a sleigh was a load. The barrels were taken to ’viontreal in winter on
a sleigh with a single set of runners. There were inns or stopping places on
the way as this would be a trip of several days. The winter road would run by
the river but in the bush where possible as the road there would be easier
than on the river where it drifted. That is where sleigh bells were necessary.
The drivers sometimes would hear each other and would pull off the road at the

next turn out. In {'ontreal one went to the Tnspector of Potash who graded the

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1.3

barrels and you sold it at the price of that grade. How you had some cash
and a list of things to purchase. The purchase: might be a plough, an axe
head or two, a kettle, some iron pots, knives, forks, and spoons, salt,
sugar, cloth, needles, thread, a saw, scythe blades, :1 grain cradle. You
name it and, if your money ran out and you were from Lochaber, your name was
good and you could pay the balance next winter. lf your sugar was from
‘iedpath i’ill it would be in the shape of a cone, very hard, and if it was
struck it would glow in the dark.

There were no settlers in Locnaber when Samuel de Champlain made his
voyage of discovery or when Alexander MacIécnzie went down the river named
after him to the Arctic Ocean in 1789 or to the Pacific in 1793. But
Lechaber settlers could have seen others pass — Simon Fraser, William
fchillivray, Simon ‘u’cGillivray, 'v’iles ‘chonald. Captain George Black RU}
passed up the Uttawa on his way to the Arctic in 1833 and returned in 1835.
Captain John Franklin, after spending two full years in the Arctic came
down the Ottawa River by canoe from the west in August 1827. And the greatest
of them all David Thompson — fur trader, surveyor, and map maker — came down
the ﬂttawa. He had mapped the trade routes from Hudson's Bay and from Fort
William through the prairies. His last work was on the Columbia River in
1811. He retired from the Hudson Say Go. in 1812 and came down the Ottawa for
the first time. He later settled in 'Jilliamstown 11.0. where he continued
surveying as a living till his death in 1859. Thcy could also have seen George
Simpson, Governor of the Hudson Bay (70., and John G. F'IcTaVish, chief factor, as
they were frequent travellers.

George Simpson had married in London in the winter of 1830 and John
YicTavish had married an Fdinburgh lass the same winter. In the summer they
started west on a tour of inspection with their new brides in two canoes,
fifteen hands in each; One night they camped at the mouth of the T‘ievre. The
next morning they paddled sixteen miles to Tgytown and called on Colonel 3y's
family where they were invited for breakfast.

As time went on the rafts of timber were more numerous and larger up to
100 cribs. A crib was made by placing two side logs about 25 feet apart,
several crown pieces connected them by pegs driven into holes in the crown
pieces and the side logs. Timbers were placed undcr the crown pieces where

they stayed by friction. Cribs were made into a raft by joining them by cap

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44

pieces, a glam; with holes drilled in each end that fitted into pegs on the
crib. Tiberious ‘Jright had made the first slide in l829. Smart thinking!
Thus made, before a timber slide, the raft could be snubbed to shore, the
cribs taken out one by one, passed down the slide, and assembled as before.

A raft would have 2000 to 2400 timber. There would be oar locks, long heavy
oars, a cook fire in a sand box covered by a rude roof, a shelter for the men
to sleep, and sails. (‘n the crown pieces would be secured pine timber in the
round fit for masts and spars and oak fit for ship building. These were
secured with withes which were willow saplings about inch in diameter
twisted till they became as flexible as a rope. They carried spare withes,
pike poles, and on anchor of sorts. The ears were 25 to 30 feet long, two
men to an oar. Oars were used for steering and for getting the raft through
slack water as the Lake of Two Fountains.

Hugh Gray in Letters from Canada (1806, 1807, 1808) writes of white
pine masts brought down to Quebec on these rafts 120 feet in length and about
4 feet in diameter. The oak was good and came squared or in plank. There
was also split ash in short lengths for barrel making. He observed that there
was no crooked oak in Canada to make knees for ship building.

Tn addition to the canoes carrying furs for the Hudson Bay Co. and the
individual fur traders were trappers who brought their own catch down to the
trading posts.

one such iludson Bay post was at the Lakeof Two Eiountains now 'Tka where
John "ac‘uean began his apprenticeship. He came from Dervaig on the Tsland of
Tull and arrived at the post in early "ay. There he found the village in two
parts, one Iroquois, the other Algonquin, one LC. and the other Protestant.
There was not much Come and go except on rare occasions.

Beginning in "ay for a period of six weeks or so Indian trappers
returned with their furs. Watch was kept night and day to welcome them ahead
of the rival traders, but sometimes despite welcome and presents the rivals
won out. .acheen worked twelve years in the Ottawa Valley and then was sent

to New Caledonia (now British Columbia) in 1833. There was much competition

between the il .5. and the free traders. They kept watch on each other and
followed each other about. The Indians were very fickle in trading. In
1858 “admin was sent to Fort Chime on Ungava say to work up trade between

there and Hamilton Tnlet. *Jn his second trip in 1839 he discovered the mighty

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45

falls now named Churchill Falls.

A very good view of all this activity would be had by the Colin
binclair family. They Kept an inn on the bamc of the "ttawa on about Lot
23. (There is no exact record but an inn had been there at one time.) It
would be a place where travellers passed winter and summer. The Sinclair's
were not native of Quebec but had lived in Quebec 30 years - a family of
eight. They grow 120 bushels of potatoes, owned 13 cattle, 3 horses, and
3 hogs. They rented their land. f4 Colin Sinclair had Letters fatent for
Lot 12 Range 8 in 1840. The same family? It may be that they decided to

run an inn as a better deal. (There is o. Z'arion Sinclair in the 1861 census.)

‘EARLY LO CHABER BAY

Written by Kiss Dorothy lamb and given by her at a meeting of the
Women's Institute.

"Ulhat a contrast! Lochabcr of 1937 with its good roads, highway and
railway, schools, good homes and barns, to the Lochabcr of 1828, when the
first settlers arrived. The unbroken forests of cedar, pine and hardwoods.
A favourite hunting and fishing ground for the 1ndians, of whom many of
their once implements have been recently unearthed."

THE CAMPBELst

The Campbells, Hail, James, and Donald Campbell and their families
arrived in Lochaber from Argyleshire, Scotland in 1828, after a voyage of 13
weeks in a sailing vessel. "'eil Campbell settled on Lot 22, on the form now
occupied by Mr. A. H. Cresswell, leaving one son, Archie, in Scotland, who
came out four years later with the i'ac'lallums, at the age of 12 years, and oi
course, could only speak the Gaelic.

James Campbell settled on Lot 2L, flange 2. His son, John Campbell was
the first white child bornin Eoc'naber. Donald also settled on Lot 21 Range 2.

THE McLEAN FAMILY l-IIST‘OR¥

Donald can, born in Scotland in 1786

Janet cCallum born in Scotland in l79l

Iiarried at Buncssen, Scotland in 1807

For twenty—two years Donald and Janet I'cLean lived at i’ull, S otland,
opposite the Island of Iona. ilerc nine of their children were born, lleil (born
before his mother was seventeen). John, Allan. Hector, Janet called Jessie,
f‘arion known as Sally, Flora, Alexander and Vary.

In 1829 they left Greenock and emigrated to Canada with seven of their
children, Hector, aged nine, and Flora, three, being left behind. After a
three month voyage in a sailing boat they finally located at hochaber, Province
of Quebec, Canada. vDwo more children, Hugh and Donald, were born to them after
they settled in Canada.

The family was the second to settle at Lochaber, the first being

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46

‘11‘. jicil Campbell, a brother-in—law, who had brought his family to Canada
5 .nc yearsbeforc. The two farms were about a mile apart.

Three years later, in 1832, the [‘cCullums came to Canada and
brought Hector and Flora with them.

The I‘cGallum family consisted of ‘v'r. and T'I‘s. 'challwn, father and
mother of Janet IleCallun ‘Icf can, three sons, John, Duncan and T'alcolm. The
oldest daughter, Janet, had married Donald 21c? ean and another daughter,
Catharine, had married ffeil Campbell. Two other daughters, ‘l’ary and Flora,
had been drowned at sea several years before and the youngest daughter,
Betsy, remained in Scotland having married "r.I-chrthur of Iona.

GRANDMOTHER MCLEAN'S STORY AS SHE TOLD IT

I was the eldest of a large family of children and was married when
i was sixteen. Though my new home was only two miles from the old one, I was
often lonely and longed for the children left in the old home. Whenever
"Himself" went fishing for the day, as he often did, fish being one of our
main articles of food, I put away my role of a dignified married woman and
ran to my old home to play with the children and to be one of the family
again, always getting back before "Himself" came home.

One day he returned earlier than usual and I had not yet come home.
On my return he said that he could see I was not happy with him and he would
just go over to my old home and make arrangements for them to take me back
home, and he would take part of the fish he had caught that day as a sort of
peace offering. To be sent back home was an awful disgrace in those days
and I did love him so dearly but to tell him so or to plead in any way was
an unheard of thing so I kept silent and when he went out taking the fish
with him, I just watched to see whether he took the long or short road. He
took the short road of course, and then I took to my heels and ran all the
way over the long road, got there first and got into the lean—to, a sort of
addition to every home, climbed up where there was a little opening where I
could see and hear all that went on where the family was. Soon the knock
came that announced “Himself”.

He came in and they talked over everything. Said he had been out
fishing and had brought some of the catch with him. I waited breathlessly
for the awful words, but they never came. Tn course of time he said he would
be getting home. They urged him to remain saying the evening was young yet,
but he replied, '150. I must be going for the one who is at home alone will
be finding the time long.I Oh, how happy I was and how my heart beat as I
ran all the way home, this time taking the short road! When “Himself” got
back I was sitting there quietly knitting a sock like a dignified married
woman.

STORY AS TOLD BY AUNT MARY MCLEAN CURRIE

'.!hen Allan and I'ector were students at Ifontreal Baptist College the
students always preached somewhere on Sunday. Father had managed to get one
beautiful black broadcloth suit. Whichever boy preached on Sunday wore the
suit (both of the boys were about the same size so the suit fit both). There
were no roads in those days, only bridle paths through the woods, so they
made the trips between fiontreal and Lochaber by walking a distance of about
one hundred miles. They brought the cherished suit home with them. Janet (or
Jessie), who had already been mentioned as being pretty and an expert needle—
woman, carefully cut patterns off it then put it together again in such a

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47

beautiful way, stitch by stitch as it had been, that it never showed in any way
that it had been ripped.

From the patterns cut Jessie made many suits for ministers and poor
ambitious young men. She, of course, never received any remuneration
whatever. Such a thing was never thought of. It was all a service of love
on Jessie's part and fitted in well with many kindnesses that were
continually coming from the F‘cileans.

All this, of course,was long before the days of sewing machines.

THE LAMBS
M

James Lamb and his wife, Elizabeth I'cFarlane and their seven children
arrived in Tochaber June 1831, from Thorngill (near Stirling) Scotland after
a passage of 9 weeks, which was considered a fast voyage in sailing vessels.

Landing at Montreal, James Tramb loaded his family on Saturday in
canoes or boats and sent them on ahead up the St. Lawrence, intending to
settle in Upper Canada. He remained in Iviontreal over Sunday to attend service
in one of the churches. After service he asked the minister, Rev. Mr.Gilmor,
his advice as to a good location to Settle. He advised him to settle in
Clarence. On Monday he started on foot along the shores of the 1;. 'awrence
and caught up to his family at Prescott, where they turned the canoes back
down the river to Lachine in order to come up the "ttawa. He and his eldest
son, John, procured Indians who guided them to what was afterwards called
Bytown. Then down the river to Rookland where he met f-fr. §!eil Campbell who
sold him the farm we are still living on. This was 106 years ago.

HUGH McDERMlDS - WILLIAM STOUT

William Stout and family came to Canada in 1831 from InVerness,
Scotland. They had land leased from the Duke of Argyll, and they had to leave
him all their belongings to get 10 Pounds in money. They were allowed to take
at the rate of one pound per day of luggage which amounted to 365 pounds.
Among these was a small grinder for oats and for every 10 bushels of fine
screenings thrashed, they got one. The second year they managed to get white
flour for Christmas. They belonged to the Clan of Crawford and were the third
settlers here, and were the first known as squatters. They paid at the rate
of 60 cents per acre. This payment being made at the county seat of Aylmer,
Que. The f‘cDermid property is the old original Stout property on which they
first settled.

Hugh Il‘cDermid and family came to Canada later from the Isle of Lymne,
Scotland. Their language strictly Gaelic. They got work at ffcliay's flour mill,
New Edinborough, and worked for ten pounds per year. The Nclfays sent them to
Quebec with a raft of square timber and they were not to receive any money
until properly delivered at its destination. (10 Pounds yearly - 1148.75)

"Iith their money they decided to get a potash outfit, as it seemed to
be the only work to bring ready cash. It took two of the boys' wages to get
one kettle and the other got the leeches, which were hewn out of pine timber.
l’lm was the wood they used and it took about 600 bushels of ashes to make a
barrel of potash which they hauled to Quebec. line of the boys, Duncan Ichermid,
was educated in English and taught school for 35.00 per month, and boarded a
week with each family. Hugh r'eDermid was appointed elder in the Buckingham
church in 1835.

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48

MacLACHL ANS

The i'aclachlans came from Greenock (formerly Ross Full) Scotland.

Mr. John I/ZacLachlan, Sr. father of Robert I‘acl achlan, settled on the
“Evan's farm. "lobert, his son a ship blacksmith, and his wife Mary "cjonald
settled on the form now owned by Dr. ersbitt, two of their family being born
in Scotland, John and Sarah ~ {"I‘s. Graham).

The “ac‘yachlans and ‘Iac‘lacherns spent 4 years in Bredalbane before
coming to Tochaber to live.

Duncan Ev'acEachern and his wife :‘arion I‘cDonald (sister of .‘L‘r‘s.
'{obert YrIacLachlan) settled on the farm where they still live.

The I'cQueens settled on the farm which is now owned by Mrs. A. F.
‘-'acTachla.n. firs. ficQueen was Sarah I-‘acLachlan. Mary YviacLachlan married
James ‘icArthur, and was the first interred in the present Scotch Cemetery in
Lochaber Bay.

McINNlS AND MCMILLAN FAMILIES

The r'clnnis and I Siillan families came from Scotland together in
1842 and landed in Quebec after a six week voyage. Here they were advised
by the Indians regarding the canoes, portages, etc.

They arrived in Lochaber and the f-‘clnnis family settled on the farm
where their granddaughter, E‘I'S. W. J. Smith, now resides. James Ilcfiillan
settled on the farm that John T. Angus and family now live, and Findlay
I‘cfiillan settled on the farm where his daughter the late I-‘rs. Hugh 3 ‘leil,
whom we all knew and loved so well — lived until the time when she passed on
in January, 1928.

THE CAMERONS

The Cameron family arrived in Lochaber on the 24th day of May 1849,
from Glasgow, Scotland. Two children came with them, Dougal and Flora. They
lived two years at Lochaber on the iiacLachlan homestead.

Grandfather Cameron was a piper and at the time of King ward Vll's
visit to Canada while he was yet Prince of Wales, he played the pipes at the
Prince's arrival at Fiontreal.

Little by little small clearings appeared in the forests usually on
the higher land because of better drainage, the oxen drawing the home made
barrows, made with wood or iron pins inserted in the wood. Among the stumps,
small patches of grain were sowed and very carefully garnered by sickle, and
later by cradle, and bound by hand. Potash, the only means of procuring cash,
was made by the laborious method of cutting and piling hardwood logs, then
dry burning them, and gathering up the ashes, and putting them in covered bins
till they were ready to leach them. The leaches were made out of hollowed logs
placed in horizontal positions one higher and the other a little lower so that
when the water was poured on the ashes the lye could escape dripping down into
the troughs. The lye then was placed in large potash kettles to be boiled
down to a powder which was placed in strong barrels to the amount of 500 lbs.
Tn the winter the settlers loaded two barrels on their single one horse jumper
and started to f’ontreal, a distance of nearly 100 miles to disposeof their
product for which they received 140 to 50 per barrel. During the winter
hundreds of one horse jumpers would be employed hauling supplies to Bytown,
Perth, and up the Rideau to ‘iingston which was then a military post. The
settlers situated along the river were more fortunate in keeping stopping
places and more readily disposed of their farm produce for cash.

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A9

The cutting of square timber and going to Quebec with the rafts was
a break in the monotony of their lives. "t was while going down with one of
the rafts that James Sampbell, brother of Archie Campbell, lost his life. He
was swept off the raft at the beginning of the rapids, but swam nearly 4 miles
after the raft. Some of the men on the raft threw a long heavy oar for to
cling to when it struck his head, causing to sink. During the winter of
1829 ... Hamiltcns of Haw'cesbury cut timber along the edge of the Bay and a
portion of an oak log they out can still be seen between Lot 223 and 23A. The
first cemetery was on the hill near the 3ay between Lot 22A and 227}.

The first church services were held at Clarence Point by iiev. John
Edwards, and on Sunday morning the river would be dotted with the canoes of
settlers going there to worship and at Clarence the first church which still
stands was built. T’Ost of the first settlers in Clarence were English and Irish
and when an invitation came to Lochaber, asking for help to erect a church, a
meeting was called and the request considered. Neil "clean, son of Donald
f‘cT‘ean, Sr” said: "Us wass no going whateffer (meaning himself) twas nothing
but Heeland this and Heeland that us hears when us goes there whateffer".

The first school house built in Lochaber was on the Bay hill about
300 feet east of Iv'r. El. H. Creswell’s home. The first schoolmaster was Duncan
I'eDermid, a very fine old gentleman who was a very strict disciplinarian and
did not believe in sparing the rod when it was justly needed. Fne day the
school children all went in a body to see where the wolves had driven one of
Campbell's cows into the deep mud and killed her. Betsy Campbell got caught
in a bear trap. The children were not strong enough to release her so hurried
off for help to Campbell's who went with bars and released her. Betsy carried
the soars as long as she lived. T'r."cDermid and James lamb Sr. often walked
as far as Papineauville and Silver Creek where they had a Sunday School and
held services every Sunday.

Some of the settlers decided that they needed a large canoe to go to
the grist mill and church, so they felled a very large pine tree south of John
i'cEachern's knoll of which they hollowed out a canoe 30 feet long. Then the
question was, how were they going to get it to the bay. However, a road was
cut through the dense forest to the bay, and a number of oxen were hitched to
it and it finally reached the water's edge.

A number of the settlers decided to go down to the Snye to the grist
mill, so they loaded their wheat and off they went, arriving at the mill at
Ilawkesbury conscious of a few more muscles than they knew existed. The idea of
paddling the canoe upstream did not appeal to them, so they interviewed the
captain of the first boat on the river. (The Phoenix) The captain stated his
price to tow the canoe to whitcombe‘s wharf, a short distance east of Thurso.
3e wished then to have their canoe tied to the rear of the boat very early as
he would sail at daybreak, but in the morning when the captain spied the canoe,
he stated, "T bargained to tow a canoe, not a barge".

The Presbyterian church was erected in Lochaber in 1871.

The cloth for clothing was spun and woven in the homes, also the flax
was beaten and spun for sheets and various uses. The women had spinning and
carding bees, also teasing wool, all speaking the Gaelic. Shoemakers went from
house to house making shoes for the families, and very often, were long in coming.
'c'Iinnon and Campbell were the two first shoemakers. John Campbell, son of James
Caspbell, was the first mail carrier from Grenville to Ottawa. Other pioneers were
the :.cArthurs, also the ’.amonts and Beatons.

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50

Int Angus told me that his grandfather, Thomas Angus, having sold
his farm at ‘iog's Ecol: in ‘Icpean, bought jot 25 ‘Zange 2 in Vochaber some time
in the late 1850's. is there was a barn on the place they made the hay. It was
his father John Angus’ job to haul the hay to "ttawa the next winter. This he
did by crossing the “ttawa at Cumberland, missing the mouths of the Lievre and

Gatineau rivers. lie was then about eighteen years old.

Some figures from the 1861 Census shows
Thomas Mme, 140 wild _ Cash Value ::2000
James Currie Lot 26 Range 2 — no land cleared Cash Value 800
John ichillivray Lot 1 Range 6 ~ 45 acres cleared, 155 wild

' Hot 3 Range 6 — 15 acres cleared, 85 wild

Don “ .35 Lot 3 Range 6 - & acres cleared, 76 wild

" " not 7 Range 7 — 12 acres cleared, 88 wild
Robert

MacLachlan Lot 25 Range 3 - 80 acres cleared, 20 wild
Malcolm

MacLachlan Lot 27 Range 2 — 20 acres cleared, 120 wild
Peter

Pachachlan Lot 27 Range 3 — 20 acres cleared, 180 wild
John

Y»’acEachlan Hot 25 Range 3 — 70 acres cleared, 30 wild
James Carson Lot 2 Range A - 60 wild

Creswell Lot 3 Range 6 — 7 acres cleared, 43 wild

‘1. "cInnes 7.01: 21 Range 3 - 50 acres cleared, 50 wild

Not 22 Range 3 — 20 acres cleared, 30 wild

Lot 23 Range A - 20 acres cleared, 80 wild

Alex
2'ciachern Lot 22 Range 4, - 20 acres cleared, 80 wild
James
“c'viillan not 23 lange A - 30 acres cleared, 70 wild
‘lory V'ac'achlan told me the following story.
Finlay "c" .1511 and his wife, a 2' ,nnes, lived on the north 2" of Hot 22 12.3

in a log house. A log house in winter had to have a constant good fire as the
heat went right out through the roof. The fire was banked at bed time and in

the morning the coals were uncovered and a fire built up. This was a chilly job

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51

as it was almost as cold as outside. Finley and his wife Were both young and
husky and would try to push each other out of bed — the loser had to build up
the fire. Irs. I'cf'illan lost more than she won. The morning she dressed and,
instead of firing up, she went over to her parents' house and visited till
smoke came out of the chimney, then she returned home. '10 doubt some other

arrangement was made about starting the fire.

John Stout Sr. % Lot 20 Range 4 50 cleared 50 wild
John Stout JI‘. % " 20 " 4 l0 " 9O "
Wm Gavan % " 12 " 4 25 " 25 "
D. KcEacheI-n % " 24 " 3 40 ” 60 "
John McEachern % H 24 " 3 20 " 80 "
Duncan NCCallum é " 23 " 3 55 " 45 "
John McCallum % " 21 " 3 3o " 70 "
Malcolm I-(ccallum % " 23 " 3 40 " 60 "
James Lamb " 22 " 2 8: 3 65 " 135 “
Wm. Summers " 25 " l 30 " 70 "
Neil Campbell " 22 " 2 65 " 35 "
Jas. King " 27 " l 30 " 170 "
John Dmmigan sé " 28 " 7 12 " 88 "
Hugh HcDermid % " 26 " 5 40 " 60 "
John McDermid é“ " 25 " 5 30 " '70 "
Peter McDermid g- " 26 " 5 30 " 7o "
Pat .‘faloney " 22 " 6 A5 " 155 "
Tliartin Iavell é‘ " 21 " 7 20 " 80 "
James Moi-“hail % " 2'7 " 10 20 " 80 "
Thomas McCoy % " 28 ". 10 4O " 60 "
Thomas Burk " 23 " 8 55 " 145 "
Michel Docherty % " 26 " 9 30 " 7O "
John Dent " 7 " 10 25 " 175 "
Michel Melindin " 25 " 9 30 ” 170 "

This is a sample of the progress made by some of the settlers to 1861.
Some cleared more than others, in most cases because they had arrived earlier.
Nearly all were similar to the Highland Veteran of the 431d interviewed by

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52

Patrick Campbell some years before. He had cleared about ten acres on his
lot and had harvested bushelsof wheat, cats, potatoes, turnips, and numerous
other items. Campbell asked him, "What assistance did you have in the gaining
of all this?" His answer, "An axe, a hoe, and the help my wife could give me."

The settlers could sell logs cut on their land to the saw mills, also
have logs sewn into lumber for building frame houses and farm buildings for
their own use. Most farmers had land not under cultivation in bush for the
sale of logs, for their own lumber and for wood for heating. This they
conserved wisely, counting it as money in the bank.

When Fletcher ‘r‘acEachern's barn and stable were burned down in 1926,
he had such a bush. Neighbours gathered, logs were cut,some taken to the saw
mill, others for the frame were hauled to the site where Peter Dupuis squared
them with a broad axe and made the frame. All buildings, including a horse
stable, were closed in before the snow fell. As the feed for his cattle and
horses had been consumed in the fire his essential stock was wintered by his
neighbours. Such action taken in farming areas turned disaster into survival.

On a summer day about this time Indian Ben Campbell and another
Lochaber man were walking up from Thurso. The road lay along the brow of the

bay hill. At the foot of the hill they spied a mother bear and two cubs.
Indian Ben, so called because he had lived many years among the Indians, said

to his companion, "Let us go and take the cubs away from the she bear". The
honour being refused, Ben went down alone and brought back one cub for his
companion to hold while he went back for the second one. when he came back
the first one had gotten away. he kept the mother hear at bay by shouting at
her. It would seem to be another lost art.

On the farm a good source of cashincome was the sale of timothy hay
and cats to the lumber camps to feed the horses. Also pork and beef was sold
to the cookery but no chicken.

There was also work to be had in the lumber camps in square timber
and logging. Before a farm yielded enough to sustain the family, young men
married or single welcomed a chance to gain some cash. They were housed in
cambuse shanties made of log walls, the roof made of hollowed half logs
fitted over each other, topped off by a log smoke stack for the open fire in
a sand box on the floor below.

Malcolm MacLachlan and his neighbour Patrick McNamara worked in such

-------------- ---------------
53

shanties. Malcolm HacLachlan scored the log and Patrick McNamara was the
broad axe man, a very precise trade.

A scorer cut notches in the log to the required depth and split off
the slabs between. I have been told by a disinterested party that when
I-‘alcolm VacLachlan had finished scoring a log there were no marks left
after it was squared and also that he could sink a heavy scoring axe up to
the eye in a log.

The broad axe men came next. Theirs was a heavy axe and every stroke
had to be "hewn to the line". when the timber was finished it was square,
straight, and smooth.

The only remark about the board in camp was, "If you wanted tea you
brought your own tea leaves with you".

To reach the camp the men walked in or went up the rivers and lakes
by canoe or boat.

CENSUS 1861

Core of Lochaber
Saw mill and grist mill Who?
3000 logs
3500 square timber, white pine

Hired men Lochaber, The Gore, Lochiel, Grenville,
Ripon, St. Andrews, etc.

Lochaber Cameron and Edwards
John A. Cameron Lumberman Age 40 Born U.C.
will water power
6,500,000 inch pine valued at $45,000.00

Lochaber Samuel Steven Miller 3 sets stones
Milled 8000 bushels wheat valued $10,000.00
7000 !' oats " 3,000.00
2000 " other grains " 2,000.00

Employed 2 men Average Cost per month 350.00

In 1865 H. 0. Edwards moved his saw mill and lumber yard to Rockland.
This gave him access to limits up stream and a holding pond at Lafontaine Bay.

Until a church or churches were built in Rockland he took people by boat to
Thurso.

-------------- ---------------
54

He built the under water part of his wharves of logs he obtained
from John HacLachlan on his land on the Ridge. This was called white wood. It
was of no use for lumber as it would split and crack, but it would not rot
under water. In payment several loads of pine buttings, etc., were piled
around a pine tree to dry. This was done every year for as long as John
HacLachlan would live.

There was a so called dry dock on the Ridge where boats and tugs
could be hauled on land to be repaired, etc.

We now return briefly to the River Ottawa.

In early 1858 Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital of what was
later to become the capital of all Canada from sea to sea. Designs for the
departmental buildings were chosen and the digging of foundations began late
in the fall of 1859.

In September 1865 the buildings, though not finished, were fit to be
occupied and Parliament then at Quebec City was so notified. The Parliament
came to an end the 18th of September. Craig and Valliere of Quebec City won
the contract for moving the furniture, etc. of the government. The amount of
the contract was “15,800.

The contractors used steamers and barges, the first away September
29th. Others followed and all was up the Ottawa before the end of November.

The packing finished, the government employees began to pack up their
furniture and effects for their own moves. For the married it was an era of
large families, so this was not a light task. Not all moved, as a few stayed
in Quebec City. About 350 public servants made Ottawa their new home. with
dependents about 1500 new citizens gave quite a boost to Ottawa's population of
15,000. Some came by way of the Ottawa River; others by railway by way of
Point Levis, Montreal, Prescott, and to the Depot near Sussex Street, Ottawa.

Tt was indeed a rare thing to see the furniture and fixtures of your
government passing by your very door, including also the books of the
Parliamentary Library in a thousand or more cases. All this was accomplished
in a little under two months.

Up to the time of the opening of the railway through Lochaber the
river or the winter road carried all the people going from place to place and
all the freight in and out.

My great grandfather, Robert .‘-’acLachlan, who was a blacksmith as well

-------------- ---------------
55

as a farmer, would from time to time go to .‘-’ontreal for the supplies of his
trade. One summer day while walking down a wharf he was hailed from one of the
ships. Tt was his brother Sandy, a ship's carpenter just in port. It was just
a chance meeting, very rare in those days, and it warmed their hearts to have
news of family and friends.

Bertha vacDermid Smith said that her father Thomas told her that they
would go to Ottawa for their staples on the full moon in October. They would
leave Ottawa at 6 p.m., never lift a paddle, and be at the Thurso wharf at
9 in the morning.

Not so fortunate was the Lochaber man who came down one fall night
with a barrel of flour. The water in the bay had fallen so much that it would
not float his boat. what to do? If he left the flour and went to get a cart
a. bear might come along and smash the barrel. So he beached his boat and
carried the flour home on his back around the end of the bay.

At the time of the Fenian Raids (about 1866), Hugh MacCallum as a
young man volunteered and played his part in defeating the raiders. He told me
that they trained all winter and were armed with muzzle loaders. In his old age
he was still able to go through the many movements of loading the musket. In
the spring they were issued more modern arms and moved to the border opposite
where the Fenians were concentrating.

His description of the engagement was, "They crossed the Line. We
made one charge. They crossed back across the Line". Very brief and covered
all the essentials. As important a battle, none the less, as many another.
Hugh Haccallum had a broken leg out of it. This was the first call to arms
since the settlement of Lochaber. Unfortunately not the last.

has:

“he very interesting character was Julie Ross who lived in a small log house
on Lot 28A Range 3. She planted an orchard there — hislops, transcendent
crabs, etc. Some of her neighbours laughed at her for washing the trunks of
her young trees with strong home made soap, but she was ahead of her time in
preventing fungus disease and blights.

Julie was a great talker and once told of a man from Lochaber who had died
suddenly in the city. "At the autopsy”, she stated, "they found out what
was wrong with him. He had no conscience."

Julie, a French Canadian, had "The Sight", a phenomen sometimes found among
Scottish people. On her death bed in late 1800's she saw silver vehicles
with people in them flying in the sky.

-------------- ---------------
L‘he census of
shows the

,nogulation of ‘anaber as 2D”

1871
payulation of chaber as 1776
including '1 niachie 513
2289

1881
Lochaber East 815
‘ochaber lest 1036
Lochaber Gore 451
St. f'alaohie 1.63
2765

Returns of the Forest 1871

These returns are taken A Division,

consolidated

Square Timber

id hite fine
‘ ‘ak
Tamarac

“ther square or sided timber

Saw 7
t'vau "ill —
BOX Will —-

Grist, flour,

naming 1111 —

There are also makers of boots and shoes, a 'binsmith, a

trade smen.

'ill

Standard Pine logs
Spruce and others
Spars and Vasts

Fire 'rood cords

James Taylor

water power Cameron and Fdwards
Steam n u u
and oat mill —

water power ” ” “
water power ” " ”

last Division and St.

290 families
7‘) families
371 fami1ies

1 25 familie s
192
71
.73
460

112,920 cu. ft.
50
800
11,000
28,621
1,370
124

2,354 cords

tanner, and other

"alachie and

-------------- ---------------
l87l {eturns of the Farms

{arses 3 years and over 466
Colts and fillies 15/;
110 lug oxen 44
‘ ‘ cows 926
other horned cattle 736
llheep 2,567
‘Jwino 656
Bee lives 89
Cattle sold for slaughter 261
Lhecp “ u n 965
Swine u u u 494
Butter made 56,436 lbs.
Cheese (home made) 2,901 ”
Honey 959 "
Wool 6,388 "
Home made cloth and flannel 7,148 yds.
“uskrats '79
“ink 18
:Jtter 1
Acres occupied 29,62].
Acres improved 10,678
Acres pasture 2,808
Acres gardens and orchards 62%
Wheat 2,508 bushels
Fall wheat 61 ”
Barley 44 "
oats 32,481 "
eye 3 n
Peas 2, 386 ”
Buckwheat 1,500 ”
Beans 191 "
Corn 682 “
Potatoes 29,980 ”
Turnips 3 , 669 "
Other roab crops 96 “
Hay 2,978 tons
Clover seed 9‘1 bushels
Flax and hem: 22 lbs.
‘iops 29 "
Tobacco A7l "
Grapes 28 bushels
Apples 11 3 "
Cther 62 "
I’aple sugar [95 lbs.

Hops were used in making bread.

-------------- ---------------
CENSUS 1871 L0 CHABER

Ii 95 5‘ Ottawa Co.

Return of the Forest

Square timber white pine 102,120 cu.ft.
" ” red " nil
" " “21k 50 " “
all other square or sided timber 11,000 " "
Standard Pine Logs 26,406 " "
Spruce and other 1,300 " "
Spars and masts 54
Tinsmith James Gray
Boots and Shoes John [chougall
Saw mill James Taylor
Tannery "fattheu I-‘cPhail
Saw mill water power Cameron and Edwards
Box mill steam " " " "

Grist, Flour & Oatmeal
water power " " "

carding mill " u u u n

F A R M

Horses 3 years and over 272
Colts & Fillies 81
Working Oxen 30
fiilk Cows 1.84
ﬂther harmed cattle 384

Sheep 1153

Swine 31.1
Bee Hives 54
Cattle sold for slaughter 144
Sheep sold for slaughter 1.17

Swine sold for slaughter 259

-------------- ---------------
Butter made

Ghee se (Home made)

Honey

Zlool

Home Ifade Cloth and Flannel

26,273 lbs.
2,557 lbs.
707 lbs.
3,211 lbs.
3,553 yards

ﬂtter l

16, 303%
5,451
1,306

19%-

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60

1.871 Return of the Living

As in 187]. the population of ‘ochaber was 2,289 in over 370 families
no attomot will be made to list as much as all family names.

The older se btlers in part and some others were:—

Jonald I'achean now 83 and his wife Jane '70

John 1‘21chle 70 and his wife '

Duncan ‘acUallum 68 " " "

Alexander F-‘achachern 50 ” " " Ann 51.

John Campbell 94 lives with Alexander Campbell
Samuel Gralwm A6 and his wife Sarah 45

Donald Campbell 72 a widower Range 3 Lot 21

Jacob Ross 46 and his wife Julia 31 '73 L28
James Lamb 40 " " " Sarah 33

Andrew Angus 38 widower on ‘viast 112 L25
:Ieil Campbell died in 1862 aged 67

Robert Watcrston and his wife Uhristena are on U L25 1?,2

There is some confusion here as Y'argaret Summers, now a widow, is shown on
Not 2C Range 1. There being no such lot she must still be on Lot 28.

and Antoine Eddard and his wife on Part 1127 R
David Be’dard and his wife on Part L27 11
Joseph Bedard and his wife on Part L27 9.1
i‘iehael "cl'lamara on ' ‘ T128 12
z’atrick l'olamara and his wife 1 1.28 32
Frances ?"c1amara age 54 on Lot 20 Range 6 185 acres
Grace "cDermid age 54 widow Lot 24 «iange 5 100 acres

Her son ‘iugh is 21
Hugh f’cDermid age A0 224 '15 100 acres
John ermid age 61 ‘ 5 35 100 acres
Thomas aloney age 40 F123 :16 150 acres
'Eobert i'acLachlan age ’71 and his wife Mary ’73 are on the

homestead with their youngest daughter Jessie who later married James :‘facCallum.
Their youngest son Robert is the farmer. With the exception of their daughter
‘Zary ‘chrthur who died in 1859 and their daughter Annie (:‘rs. Andrew Angus) who
died in 1868 all their children live on farms in Lochaber.

Caleb fierce, now 16 who was with Neil rzpbell's family in 1861 and said
born in . now is shown born in 11.8. and listed as a negro, is with Archibald
Campbell's family. In 1881 he is listed as a farmer.

There were several f'cGillvray families also Carson, Coven, E‘oTnnes,
I'c’-‘illan, Stout, Dent, Cameron, Thompson, l‘cCoy, licélale, Beaten, Creswell, and
more.

John H. Campbell Born Lu). age [.5 Ian Contractor

Directly after the ietui‘n of the Living comes Schedule 2 Return of the Dead.
in the past 12 months an astonishing number died, 20 in all. Some entries hard to
read.

-------------- ---------------
61

Vialcolm “cCallum 60 cause unknown
John ."C'.E€LU 85 -
L'illiam Thompson 34 brain hacmorrhage
1 adult fever
1 adult fractured ll
10 children l month to 1. years old whooping cough or fever
1 child cause unknown on day of birth
2 children consumption
l child burned to death

(could not read one entry)

A doctor has arrived Cooke, S. ‘3. Age 23 Li). Born in lreland
a welcome addition to Lochaber.

In Lochaber, as in all parts of Canada, in the early days before the
introduction of the sickle bar, mowing machine, horse rake, etc., the work of
Clearing land, making hay, sewing, and harvesting was done by hand labour. So
all persons, men and women, not otherwise occupied, could readily find work
especially in the busy seasons. In some parts of the country women and girls
were employed as axe—men felling trees to clear land. Ilany of these were as
good axe-men as their brothers. Samuel Thompson in “Lieruiniscences of :1
an vioneer" writes of one such girl chopper who was killed by a “barber's
chair" in the early 1830‘s.

daying and harvest were the busie t times on account of the time factor.
One summer in the late l8’iu's gy tner, 'alcolm .aoiachlan, was
fortunate to have two such persons wol ng in his fields. Both were nearly
60 years of age. They were “01115 5t. 1.01115 and Anna Z'cArthur, a spinster who
was the mainstay of her family at that time. They ware mowing away in the
hot July sun. iit. Louis was wearing a homespun shirt with tails almost to his
knees and homespun Witt}. This combination he found uncomfortably hot, so
forgetting the presence of a lady, removed the pants andhung them on the fence.
he resumed mowing, much refreshed. The lady, stopping to whet her scythe,
glanced ham: and promptly began to mow again at a quicker pace to distance
herself from him. St. Louis, seeing her pulling ahead, vowed that no one was
going to 011 w him so stepped up his pace. They were going round and round
the field at a furious pace when my grandfather came along and got things
settled down, and the pants back on I'r. St. Louis, before he would have two
heat stroke victims on his hands.

St. Mouis was an immigrant from some European country and his correct name,
when D. .. i'ac‘iachlan madc a survey and print of ’ochaber Bay Cemetery in 1913,
was entered as Louis ilellaray. 1e settled in ,cchaber on a part of a
'.c 'illan farm. 30 built a small house; a bachelor or a widower he supported
himself by day labour. He taught himself to road dnglish and on a swnmcr
evening could be soon sitting outside his door reading his Bible. !e was one
of many such people in all parts of the country who did their part in making
the country what it is.

As to making hay in those days. The nay did not fall flat where it stood,
as with a sickle bar, but was carried by the heel of the scythe and left in a
swath. Depending on the thickness of the hay and the moisture in it, sometimes

-------------- ---------------
62

it had to be turned to dry. It was then rmed into windrows across the field.
this was done with a light wooden rake. The rake was 30 inches wide, set with
wooden teeth about inches long; rounded at the tips and about inches
apart. The handle was 6 feet or more long with a slight how so the hay could
be rolled under it. Two or more stiff wires ran from the back of the rage on
one side through the handle to the other side. ‘l‘his braced it all and kept the
hay under the rake.

'Jhen the hay was cured the next step was to put it into coils. This was
done with a hay for}: with 3 steel tines. A coil of hay may be said to be built.
A neat forkful was placed on the ground a little smaller in diameter than those
that followed. l’ore forkfulls were added upward and so placed that the rain
would run off rather than into the coil. The top was tapered to shed water. The
coils were made in a straight line and far enough apart in the windrow that a
Waggon could be driven between them.

The hay was put into barns, log barns usually. There was a passageway on
the centre through the narrower sides and the hay was forked off the waggon
into a mow on either side. The early barns were not so high or large that this
could not be done by hand. It was a two man job - one to throw the hay unto
the waggon and one to build the load — one to throw it off and one to place it
in the mow. Sometimes the passageways had to be filled too and sometimes stacks
were made outside.

Any surplus hay (timothy) could be sold to the lumber companies for their
horses and other kinds to town people who kept a cow or two for their own use.

How that the hay crop has been safely put away for the winter we must turn
our attention to the grain crops which will soon be ripe and ready to harvest.
This was out by an implement called a cradle somewhat like a scythe with a
short handle and an upright open basket arrangement to catch the Igrain. At the
end of each sweep it was dropped more or loss as a bundle. The next step was
to tie the bundles into a sheaf. A handful of stalks were taken, divided into
two, one in each hand. The heads were than meshed tightly, the strand was
passed around the bundle, the ends crossed over each other and tucked under and
there was the sheaf. Two sheaves were then stood upright leaning slightly
against each other and, so with 8 or 10 or more pairs side by side, a stock was
made and left to cure and dry in the sun.

My grandfather, George Angus, until he retired in the l920's would cradle
all around a grain field and, if it was to be cut in blocks (as was usual),
outline these blocks also. ‘1" 5 saved a lot of grain as the bull wheel of the
mechanical binder would flatten everything where it passed. This bull wheel
took nearly all the weight of the binder to give it traction to drive the sickle
bar, the reel, table canvas, elevator canvasses, the pushers which compacted the
sheaf, the knotter which put the twine around the sheaf and tied it, and
finally the bars which made their circuit and ejected it. But keep a sharp eye
behind once in a while for, if the kno’tter fails or you run out of twine and
throw out loose sheaves, the stooker is back on square one for a while.

The grain crops were stored in the barns for threshing in the winter months.
The largest plantings were oats for the horses of the lwnbcrmen and wheat for
bread.

-------------- ---------------
63

Peas and beans were piled around stakes to dry and then stored under
cover. Corn cobs were dried and stored, the stalks were used for fodder.
When the cobs were dry, a corn sheller cane into play, or rather work. 11;
was a portable device which could be clamped to the edge of bench or other
solid place. The moving part was a round cast iron plate, so cast that
there were dull knobs on its face. It was turned by a handle on the back.
Cast iron sleeves held the cob to the face. When the handle was turned the
knobs knocked the kernels off.

Potatoes and root crops were stored in cellars, or in some cases, root
houses. These were dug into a bank or hill with a thick wall in front and a
double door. The roof was usually sodded and a ventilator was made. These
crops were put in the root house after thc wcather was cool enough for storage.

in the early years the threshing oi‘ cereal crops was done with a flail.
This instrument consisted of a longer straight stick for the handle (a small
hardwood sapling would do) and a shorter one for the beater. A hole was
drilled in one end of each stick and they were joined by rawhide thongs with
a couple of inches of play.

An ideal place to thrash would be a hard level barn floor with open doors
for wind blowing through to aid the winnowing. The bands on several sheaves
would be loosed and a pile made. By bringing the beater down flat on the pile,
but not too hard, and stopping now and then to turn the pile, soon the grains
were separated fro:.. the straw. She CbT‘C.‘I was put to one side and the process
started again.

To winnow, which had to be done from time to time as the grain accumulated,
it would be lightly tossed into the air and the chaff and straw would blow away.
Then the grain wcuh. .Je put aside for further cleaning.

Que netth of threshing with a flail was used for peas and beans, but more
gently so as not to damage them.

A slow job, but be of good cheer for soon a threshing mill wouLd appear in
ioohaber.

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64

THE COMING OF THE RAILROAD
H.—

Tn 1852 a charter was granted to the "entreal and Bytow'n Railroad
and a survey was made. Nothing further was done.

Tn l868 a survey was made and a report given to the .“ontreal Northern
Colonization Railway, Montreal to the city of "ttawa. The report was given to
them January 19, l872.

As to the feasibility some of the estimates were:—

The grade out of Nontreal was acceptable and from Grenville on
practically flat.

The population of the County of Ottawa from the census of

1860 — 61 was 27,757
1870 - 71 was 38,629

An estimate of the lumber cut:—

North Nation Wills J. A. Cameron and Co. 13,000,000 B.F.
Thurso Cameron and Edwards 6,000,000 B.F.
Buckingham Le‘-’oyne and Gibbs 15,000,000 B.F.
Buckingham James HacLaren & Co. 16,000,000 E.F.
Buckingham Buckingham Manufacturing Co. 4,000,000 BJ‘.
Blanche 2,000,000 B.F.
IZcLaurin Bay McLaurin and Blackburn 4,000,000 B.F.

Counting in the lumber mills in Hull and Ottawa there was potential
freight of lumber between Aylmer and Grenville of over 300,000,000 Board Feet

Length of line from I‘fontreal to Ottawa 120 miles
Total cost 33,600,000
FINANCING

The Province of Quebec would give a grant of 15,000 acres of land per
mile of road from Grenville to Ottawa. This land could be developed later and
was estimated conservatively to be worth 231,200,000.

As the city of Hontreal would benefit from the commerce the road would
bring expected grant 431,000,000.

Grants expected Ottawa County and municipalities ‘500,000.

Total grants expected 22,700,000

Leaving to be raised by bonds 5 900,000

-------------- ---------------
65

The cost of making the grade was estimated at 312,000 per mile.
$600,000 would be paid to the inhabitants in wages in making the grade. The
land to be furnished free to the contractor.

The Ir'ontreal Northern Colonization Railway Co. was incorporated in
1869 to build from Montreal to St. Jerome. Its charter was subsequently
enlarged to enable it to construct a line along the Quebec side of the Cttawa
River as far as Aylmer across from Ottawa.

Due to the depression of 1873, in 1875 the Quebec provincial govern—
ment took over this line as well as the North Shore Railway, completed them
and operated them as public works. The North Shore Railway under control of
Sir Hugh Allen, the shipowner, was under construction between Montreal and
Quebec. The two lines were assimilated and renamed the Quebec, Montreal,
Ottawa, and Occidental. By 1882 the government wanted to divest itself of
the Q. N. 0. & 0. while the Canadian Pacific was seeking an entry into
Vontreal. The western division of the Q. M. C Kc 0. (Montreal to Aylmer and
the St. Jerome branch) was purchased by the C. P. m, giving them a Montreal
terminal at Hochelaga.

The first train Montreal to ﬂttawa by the Quebec shore arrived in
Gttawa in 1880. It crossed on the Prince of Wales Bridge up river from the
Chaudiere Falls to the Broad Street Station.

The eastern division from St. l’artin Junction to Quebec City was
reorganized as the North Shore St. Lawrence Railway.

Later the North Shore Cttawa was extended to Place Viger Station in
1898 and to stations in the centre of Ulontreal.

While the Canadian Pacific was in the passenger and freight business
it added greatly to the development of Lochaber and to the convenience of
travellers on business and pleasure.

The western part of Lochaber was served by a station on Lot 22 Range 2,
while the eastern part was convenient to Thurso or Plaisance. A way freight
would pick up and deliver heavier items and store them in a section of the
station. Light parcels, crates, and perishable goods were handled by a
baggage car that was made up with the passenger train. The crates of eggs,
cans of cream, etc., were soon at their destination. Many crates of elderly
hens went to market, sometimes supplying an egg or so on the way.

At certain seasons drovers would travel to the farms buying cattle,

etc., for the city markets. When they had the number they needed, the animals

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66

would be driven at a certain time to a corral at the station. A box car
would be located on the siding at the loading ramp of the corral. In would
go the cattle, not always willingly. It all seemed so strange to them.

When cheese was shipped to Montreal it was delivered to the station
by the patrons of their factory on a certain day. John McNamara who was a
farmer and salesman would follow and sell for the several factories he
represented.

Freight cars would at certain times be spotted on the siding for the
loading and unloading of items which took longer to handle such as grain, etc.

The passenger service was very good — two trains to Ottawa a day and
two to Montreal. One could go to either place and return the same day in comfort.
When one bought one's ticket the telegraph as usually rattling away at some
mysterious message and, on returning, an equally mysterious message regarding
trains was being called by a human voice. But we all knew when our train left.

The Canadian Pacific had a contract to carry Rockland mail to Lochaber
Station. From Lochaber to Rockland it was carried by a ferry man when navig—
ation was open and by a sleigh and team of horses in winter. The light
sleigh had several seats for passengers. It was covered and had side curtains
and, of course, robes to cover the knees. Cn getting out of the warm train all
this was needed as the distance was two miles mostly over the bay and the river.
They knew about the wind chill factor in those days too.

In summer the ferry was a row boat, though when Mr. Constantineau had
the contract he had a motor launch. There was a surprising number of passengers
to and from llockland. The difficult times were in the fall before the ice was
strong on the river and in the spring when the ice was breaking up. Passengers
were few or none then, but not many mails were missed. In the spring when the
ice broke up near the shore but was still in the bay, the ferry man took the
bow of the boat and hauled it up on the ice. If there was a passenger, he
pushed. In open water the bow man jumped into the boat and the man at the rear
pushed as far as he could and then climbed in. If the opening was wide they
rowed a bit and continued on.

The mail coming by train was a faster service for Lochaber. The post
office was in the care of the Lamb family for many years and was only a few
hundred yards from the station. The mail was sorted in the baggage car so a

daily paper was a daily paper.

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67

Not much information has been handed down about the building of the
railway. "ne story tells of one of the track laying gang, a short powerful
man who could pick up a steel rail, balance it on his knees and slowly turn
around and lay it down again, changing it end for end.

The engines were wood burners and caused the occasional fire in dry
weather. Even when they converted to coal sometimes a hay field would catch
fire, maybe from a clinker thrown out by a fireman.

The C P R would buy wood from the farmers. They had convenient places
where it could be hauled and piled in winter. Each man had his own separate
pile. In the summer a special gang would come and repile the wood. The measure
would be correct, but not as much as it appeared to be in winter. One
farmer, noting this attention to details, invested such money as he could
spare in C P R stock and never regretted it.

The railway carried on a brisk business for many years, but gradually
after the firstworld war things began to change. Automobiles and truck transport
called for better roads. Farmers began to sell fluid milk which was shipped in
cans by truck. Scarcity of milk meant that cheese factories began to close. More
and more produce and manufactured goods travelled by road transport which could
be delivered from source to destination with one loading. Bus travel began to be
more convenient, not to mention private automobiles. Shortly after World War 11
passenger service was discontinued. The road bed was improved and now heavy

freight is the mainstay.

EDI-IABER STATION AGENTS

One of the outstanding station agents at Lochaber was Mr. Stephen Belinge.
Just to the west of the station and south of the tracks Mr. & Mrs. Belinge planted
a garden and, over the years, created a flower garden which was the show place of
the C 1’ R Siorth Shore Line. This they maintained and improved till their retire-
ment when they moved to a small house on the Lamb farm on the south east corner
(Range Three) in sight of the station. This house had been built by a weaver many
years before for his home and work shop.

Hrs. Belinge (Marie Anne L‘Hoist) died there about the year 1913 at the
age of 58 and was buried in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal.

Ivlr. Belinge stayed on in failing health until he decided to move to a

convaleSCent home at Longue Pointe where he died in 192.4 at the age of 79.

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IMMIGRATION WAS A MAIN MONTREAL INDUSTRY 68

At this time when immigration is in the news every day, it is inter—
esting to look back on immigrants who were arriving in Vontreal about a
century and a half ago. All through the summer they could be seen on the
waterfront, coming off the ships and making their way on foot along the
road to Lachine, to set out on the next stage of their long journey inland.

when the novelist, Charles Dickens, was in Montreal in May 181,2,he
often went to the dock to see the immigrants. He was staying at Hasco's
Hotel on St. Paul St., a massiVe stone building still standing. flasco's
was only a short walk from the waterfront.

Dickens said that he took a "morning stroll to see the immigrants
grouped in hundreds on the public wharfs about their chests and boxes."

He saw in them something close to the main theme of many of his novels;
the plain, cheerful, long—suffering of ordinary people, with all the disad—
vantages of this world and most of its virtues.

HOW PATIENT THEY WERE

Looking around upon these people who were far from home, houseless,
indigent, weary with travel and hard living, he noticed "how patiently
they nursed and tended their children; how they consulted over their wants
first, then half supplied their own."

The immigrants seen by Dickens were English, from Gloucestershire.

Immigrants of other races were also seen on the liontreal waterfront about
this time.

Each race was easily distinguished by its national costume, German
women were short-frocked, long—waisted, bodice-laced. They wore heavy boots.
On their heads were red or brown handkerchiefs, tied under their chins. The
husbands wore round—crowned caps, glazed with use.

other immigrants were Scots-women with tartan shawls tied around sturdy
shoulders, the end knotted at the back.

The Scotsmen wore Kilmarnock bonnets, their plaids lying carelessly over
their left arms. Often they had brought their collie dogs with them.

Sometimes a Highland piper was in the group but there was too much to
look after to give time to piping or dancing.

These Scots appeared confident, though they had little. They looked out
beneath heavy eyebrows, giving an impression of thrift and seriousness.
Things might be hard today, but they seemed to have no doubt that they would
make good in the end and do well.

Prominent among immigrants coming to (Iontreal were the Irish. The men
had a tight little bundle on a stick, a clay pipe stuck under the ribbon on
their hats, corduroy breaches and moleskin jackets. The Irish girls were
notably pretty.

These Irish immigrants on the T-‘ontreal waterfront found themselves close
to Griffintown, where many earlier Irish had settled. Happy reunions took
place between relations or old friends wh) had not seen one another since
leaving Ireland.

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69

The boxes and parcels belonging to those immigrants who were moving
beyond Montreal were taken by barge through the canal to Lachine. The
immigrants also had boxes or parcels containing possessions too precious to
be let out of their sight. They carried these belongings with them on the
nine-mile walk to Lachine.

Along that road tired immigrants might be seen sitting among their
possessions, resting themselves for a little while, and looking about at the
strange land they had chosen for their new life.

There is a vivid description of the immigrants setting out from Lachine
in 1820 on the weary journey to Upper Canada. At that time, before canals or
steamships, they went by bateaux.

The bateaux, often called Durham boats, were about 30 feet long heavily
built to stand the strains and knocks of the river. They were rowed or poled
upstream, sometimes aided by sails, if the wind happened to be blowing in the
right direction. There was no protection from the weather, except perhaps a
small awning.

The description of 1820 is less sentimental than that of Charles Dickens.
The writer describes the pushing and shoving, the screaming of unruly children,
the general noise and confusion.

The captain of the boat,a man about 50, tried his best to be patient and
helpful. One woman discovered that they did not have the box with the
children's "duds". She asked the captain to hold the beat until her husband
went ashore to look for it. "He must be quick," said the captain, "I'll be
oin ten minutes."

The husband, after searching on the shore, realized the box must have been
left behind in rrlontreal. I-Iis wife sat down and wept. The husband stood over—
whelmed and speechless, until hustled on board by the surge of the crowd.

Tn the confusion, a little boy's hat fell overboard. A boatman fished it
out and put it dripping on the boy‘s curly head. No threat of punishment could
make the boy say thanks.

A shoe fell from the foot of another child. It sank out of sight. The
parents had to face their journey with a one—shoed child.

The bateau was ready to leave. The captain stood waiting. His watch was
in his hand. He kept looking at it.

Out of the inn at Lachine came "a genteel—looking middle—aged gentleman
onwith a female of elegant figure leaning on his arm. Two men followed,
carrying between them a large trunk, a travelling bag, and a cage with two
canaries.

The gentleman was an army officer, put on half—pay when the army was
reduced in size after the Battle of Waterloo. He was now an immigrant, come to
make his way in a worldquite unsuited to his tastes or habits.

-------------- ---------------
LOOKED LIKE A HAYSTACK

‘ulhen these last two passengers were aboard, the bateau was pushed off.
Stacked with a mound of immigrants' baggage, it looked like a haystack. The
boatmen got to their oars only by "pushing, poking, shifting and squeezing”
their way through the jumble of packages, bundles and passengers.

An uproar came from children shouting, screaming, crying, fighting. At
times it was so loud a passenger could not be heard even when he spoke to
the person beside him.

It was the early evening of a serene summer day. The peace of the sun

Setting over the lake gradually had its effect on the crowd in the bateau.
The children were hushed.

The boatmen seesawed at their oars. The bateau moved slowly up Lake
St. Louis toward Pointe Claire, on its way into the future.

From ALL F‘UR YESTERDAYS in the GAZETTE

With kind permission of Edgar Andrew Collard

John N. ivfaccallum was one of seven sons, though not the seventh with
magical healing powers. on their way home from school or to the post
office children would ask him to cure their warts. The cures varied,
but usually he rubbed a bone on the wart and told them to bury the
bone and not to tell where it was buried. One girl made the mistake
of asking for the cure in the winter. Since no bones were available,
he spat a tobacco juice spit on the wart. I am not sure if it was
magic tobacco juice, or the washing she gave her hand every time she
thought of it, but the wart disappeared!

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71
>VET§2ARANS OF THE WARS

FENI AN RAIDS

Hugh Vaccallum when asked about the battle he said, "vie made our

Charge and they went back across the line”.

NILE EXPEDITION i‘ne Rochaber man. [lame not available.

WORLD WAR I 1914 — 1918

Robert Angus

YVes Deleseleuc ( Badly wounded) Havelock Devenny

Donald G. NacLachlan (Badly wounded) Alfred Ithermid (Killed)
John G. I‘acl‘achlan John t‘cDermid (Wounded)
Dr. Peter VacLachlan (Killed) Herold Scott

I‘iss Annie EfacLachlan Robert Waterston

Robert Ifch‘ay

Wham "(AR 11 1939 - 1945

Harvey Berndt I-‘urray "cDermid
Russell Berndt Stuart r'cDermid
Albert Burke Reginald F'cDermid
Herman Burke (Killed) Angus C. Y'acLachlan
Gerald Cochrane Bruce I'aclyaohlan
Bernard Deleseleuc (Villed) Donald G. IfacLachlan Jr.
Lawrence Johnson John K. IfacLachlan
Kenneth Leathem Donald C. I'ollachlan
Arthur £~1c13amara (U.S.forces in Harold "CLachlan
{aymond I'cilamara Pacific W. I‘larren f~‘c?.achlan
William Smith (Killed) Ray walker

Elillis Walker

my) WAR

r’resbyterian Church at Thurso was the scene of a very impressive
ceremony on Sunday July 27 when a tablet was erected to the memory of {riVLLe
Alfred ?»chermid of the Cameron Highlanders who fell at the Second Battle of
Ypres. The tablet was unveiled by a cousin, Private John "cDermid.

Alfred was the son of .’r. and "rs. Thomas D’cDermid of Lochaber and

brother of Percy, Bertha, and reter. He was Very much interested in working with

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'/ 2

groups in his church and the Y " «7 A in V.«Jinnipeg where he worked for the C.N.R.

Donald G. 'r’acl‘achlan was badly wounded and all but one other of his
section wiped out. Annie "acr achlan was gravely ill with menengitis and had
almost given up hope when her brother Donald got leave to visit her.

John "cDermid also was severely wounded and spent a long time in
hospital. He said that many the time he yearned for the cool clear water of
Silver Creek.

Yves Deleseleuc was wounded in France and spent over a year in hospital
there. He returned to Canada and was killed in a traffic accident in ﬁttawa.

A tablet was placed in frochaber Presbyterian Church in memory of Captain
Peter :1. HacLachlan r'.D., MC. who fell at Achiet La Grande in the Somme. The
tablet is now in the Buckingham Legion Hall.

The Late Peter F'aclachlan {~’.C.

flews has been received by the parents of Captain Peter H. HacLachlan from
the British Nar Office, Royal Army I‘edioal Corps, that their son had died of
multiple gunshot wounds on :‘VaI‘Ch 26, 1918 having been wounded on Ifaroh 25 while
attending the wounded on the field of action in France.

Captain YacIachlan was the youngest son of Mr. and Vrs. Peter Hacﬂachlan and
was born at Lochaber Bay on April 14,1889. He attended Rockland High School for
a time and later Albert College, Belleville from which he gradlmted. He was a
graduate of Queen's University Faculty of I-‘edicine and the Norwegian Hospital,
Brooklyn, If. . Returning to Kingston in the spring of 1915 he received his
Canadian councils and enlisted immediately with the Queen's i‘edical Unit for
overseas service. After reaching England he was transferred to the Imperial
Army with the rank of lieutenant and was raised to captain on account of distin—
guished service at the Battle of Courcellette.

310 doubt Captain I‘Zac'Jachlah saw more than most of our soldiers do, having
been over a large range of battle fronts and been in a great number of engage—
ments. I-[e saw service in France, 2~‘esopotamia, Egypt, Italy, and India and
suffered many hardships including typhoid and diptheria, was gassed once, and
wounded three times. "11 Sept. 17, 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross for
conspicuous bravery on the field of battle.

Captain t'aol‘achlan felt that he was fighting a battle for liberty and

righteousness and gave all the energy he possessed to his work. He was

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73

intensely loyal to his country and could not understand how any young man
free to go could remain in Canada while such :1 fight for humanity was taking
place. Captain "acLachlan was a lover of field sports from his youth up and
while at Bellevllle he won a marathon race and was awarded a gold medal. He
also qualified for Bisley. while at Kingston he played on the college football
and hockey teams.

He leaves to mourn his loss his aged mother and father, four brothers
namely Donald G. "acLachlan serving overseas, Adelbert P. Yachachlan of
Lochaber Bay, Quebec, John A. I'acLachlan of Regina, Robert Bruce HacLachlan

of Dawson City and three sisters

ss Annie ‘vfacLachlan of the American Medical
Corps Overseas, :v‘rs. James Angus of Buckingham, Que., and F'rs. Victor Purvis of

Ifallorytown, Ont.

As told to me by R. J. “acLachlan

When on school holidays one year Peter ffacLachlan decided to take part in
a saddle horse race at the first of July picnic in Buckingham. He took his
father‘s driving horse out to the pasture for a few practice sessions.

At that time there were quite a few riders in Buckingham, so when he
arrivad for the race there were a few amused glances at his outfit. The race
was to ride to a line, dismount, plant a potato, and ride back to the starting
line. Peter won the race. His secret —- while he was planting the potato

the horse was turning itself around.

WORLD bung;
Quarter Faster Sergeant Bernard Deleseleuc, second member of his family
to fight for his ancesteral homeland in 25 years, has given his life in Normandy.
Bernard was killed in action while with the Canadian troops in Normandy not far
from the battlefields of '2‘!.N.I where his father had served as a soldier of France.
At the age of 32 Bernard enlisted in the Royal Canadian Dragoons at
St. Jean Quebec. 'rle was on the Guard of Honour during the visit of King George VI
and Queen "lizabeth to Ottawa in l939.
He is survived by his wife and infant son and also his mother Madame

Berthe Deleseleuo, three brothers Jean, Guy, and Dedier and a sister Yvonette.

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74

William Smith died in Italy. He was the son of "r. and 241's. Nillia.

Smith of l‘ocha‘oer.

Herman hurke was killed in battle between Caen and Falaise. He was
survived by his wife "Tdna Binet, his parents "1‘. and "rs. Edward J. Burke
and brothers and sisters Vincent, "ary, Albert, ‘Tsobel, *Zichard, Eleanor and
"arcella. His sister E'ary .‘Etanyar recently visited his grave at a beautifully

maintained military cemetery in France.

LEE BLIND BROTHERS

Donald born in l857 and Robert born 1862 were the sons of John
liacT-aohlan and his wife Janet ifacCallwm. They were born blind.

Thanks to the wisdom and understanding of their parents, relatives,
and neighbours and to their own qualities, they lived long, full, and useful
lives and were independent all their days.

They were raised on the farm and, as other boys their age, took over
tasks which they were able to do. As they grew, so they learned and it was
remarkable the skills they acquired. They spoke Gaelic till they were five
years of age, then learned English. They were probably the last persons with
the Gaelic in Lochaber, speaking it often to each other. They were known as
Bobby John and Donald John, but as Dan and Bob to their peers. They took a
lively and constructive interest in all around them.

Bob was the bigger and the stronger. His father had arranged to
have a bag of seed wheat left for him at the end of the side road. Bob went
to fetch it home. He put it on his baokand carried it the length of the side
road (a mile) before resting it on a fence top, then on home another half mile.

Dan was smaller but hardy. He played the fiddle and played at many
dances around the country. Late one night or early one morning, going home
from a dance in unfamiliar territory he said, “Elold it. We are on the wrong
road. We didn't cross that culvert on the way up". And so they were! When he
thought it was time to close a dance he simply broke a violin string with his
thumb and that was that.

When the time came for them to start out on their own they did so in

partnership. Bob was in possession of the south east quarter of Lot 26 ‘iange 3

-------------- ---------------
next to their father's farm and Dan the south west quarter. They lived on
Dan‘s quarter which had a house and buildings. when the move took place is
not recorded, but in the census of 1881 they were still under their father's
roof.

.‘.ikely when they started on their own they boarded at. home for a
while, but later had to have a housekeeper and at times a hired man. Une
housekeeper they had was a widow with two growing sons. This was a good deal
all around. They had good meals, the house kept clean and warm, their clothes
clean, their mail and paper read to them. It was also a benefit to their
housekeeper. She had a good home in which to raise her sons, and a wage to
save against the future. ilhen eventually she moved on one of her sons visited
Bob and Dan regularly. He was a big help to them repairing clocks and doing
other fine work. When they got a radio he kept that in good order too.

They were among the first in the district to have a radio and before that a
gramaphone, a cylinder machine. (me recording was "Uncle Josh and Aunt
F'iranda Clean the Stove Pipes". All who heard it understood and had sympathy
for Uncle Josh - but not too much.

Perhaps the last housekeeper was the most surprising and unusual one.
She was I'iss Kate ‘iaude Willcox. While still in her teens she had been house—
keeper to the British Ambassador at The Hague. when she came to Canada she
was under the protection of the Bishop of the Church of England of Quebec.

After many years in charge of the home of a highly respected and
socially prominent family in Montreal her move to Lochaber could not be called
an advancement. P'aybe she just felt the need of a change.

Soon a dark cloud appeared on the horizon and came on apaoe. Both Dan
and Bob fell in love with her and both proposed marriage to her. When she
chose Bob, they had to move to a rented farm for a time. But Dan soon brought
them back again -— he wasn't a man to hold a grudge.

She was a knowledgeable woman, a good talker, and a pleasant hostess. I
remember being there as a child when she brought in a plum pudding flaming in
brandy. Would our brandy burn today?

‘thra heat in winter was supplied by a box stove made by their grand—
father, Tobert "acr achlan. There was a grand piano in the parlour and on it
an ostrich egg sent to her by her brother in Australia. Frequent holidays and

visits were made to the farm by the children from her former household and

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76

their friends in “ontreal for many years until '1 suppose their busy lives
claimed more of their time. T‘ne of the girls driving home became stuck on
the railway crossing and Dad had to take a horse and haul her car clear. She
said, “85 horse power undor the hood and yet it needed one horse to move it".

Their work year went more or less in this fashion. 1n winter they hired
a man to haul ice for the cooling of the milk in summer. Then they did not need
much help till planting in the spring. )v‘eanwhile Dan was cutting fire wood from
a pile laid up near the wood shed. This was done with a saw horse and a buck
saw. He was always glad when someone was able to sharpen it for him. Dan
smoked a pipe and would take a break in his chair by the kitchen stove, fill his
pipe, and light it from the firebox with a wood Splint.

In the spring when it was time to put in the crop they needed help again
and also for most of the summer and early fall. There were always many things
that needed fixing on a farm — fences and buildings, the wood to be split and
more to be gathered — a long and varied list of things to be done.

When haying time came the hired man out it and raked it. Bob and Dan
did a surprising amount of coiling it. ilhen hauling in the hired man built the
load, the hay coming from both sides. In the barn Bob “stuck the fork" that is
the system of a large fork and ropes and pulleys that would unload the wagon in
four or five fork fulls. Dan built the now and the hired man drove the horses,
an easy job but only he could do it.

The harvest was done the same way but, after the cutting the stocking
was also done by the hired help. liostly the grain was hauled to the barn, but
sometimes stock threshing could be done. In all of this, if an additional hand
could be hired, it moved things along much better. The last big job of the year
was ploughing for the crops the next spring. Then they could handle things for
most of the winter.

“n the farm they kept three horses, sheep, pOUltry, and a herd of cattle.
In the later years the herd was milking Shorthorns, improved by animals from the
IIeralcam herd of “r. Alexander "acllaren of Buckingham. Providence was kind to
the blind men and the huge animals were docile and easy to handle. Finally the

time came when they decided to go out of cattle. Bob invested his money in Bell

Canada saying, "That's the cow l mill: now".
It was :‘Trs. Ifactachlan‘s job to haul the milk to the cheese factory in

season. The milk was on the buckboard, old Bessie harnessed, and off she went.

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77

Tn inclement weather "rs. “acLaohlan wore a floppy felt hat and placed a
steamer rug over her knees. She had the patience of a saint with old Bessie.

Vany young fellows worked for them occasionally, Donald G.
l'ac' achlan and 7 among them. Lu'hile l was plowing in a rainy fall, .2. J.
would bring me out a dry hat from time to time. Yt was much appreciated.

Dan and I dug a ditch that fall. I would go ahead and take the first foot or
so off the top, then go back and clean up down to grade. Dan would work
between and moved a surprising amount of earth. lie was then 70 years of age.

The day Bob hailed us from the path from the barn to the house.

"Ho, Ho, Ho, Dan" "Yes, Bob“. Then they talked in Gaelic for a while. Dan
told me what it was about - an amusing incident of many years ago when some
Glengarry men were passing through on their way to the shanties.

0n winter evenings Mrs. f'aciachlan would read books to the two blind
men. They enjoyed the classics — The Tower of Condon, Les I‘iserables, The
I'ysteries of Paris. She read with great expression and her audience thoroughly
enjoyed those evenings.

Dan died quietly in his sleep in l930. ‘u’hen the Old Age Pension was
introduced Bob refused to apply for it stating that he had worked hard all his
life to avoid any government help. However when he finally agreed because the
prime minister was taking it, he admitted that he was glad to get it. He died
in 1955 at the age of 94. His wife passed away three years later aged 91.

Then there were Joe and Pete rZichard. They had lived on the east part
of hot 27 Range 1, the family home. Nhen they were grown up they worked in
Rockland for the u. C. Edwards Company.

One evening they were down at the wharf at the river. They recognized
a Lochaber row boat pulled up at the gap. Roekland was a handy place to shop
and they knew this shopper would stop at a bar for one or two before going
home. They decided to have a little fun. They drove a staple into the back
end of the boat, attached to it several lengths of hay wire and a rope. then
sat out of sight to wait.

Shortly after dark the victim appeared, put his parcels in the bow of
the boat, pushed off, took his oars, turned the boat, and rowed slowly out of
the gap. ’ynee in the clear his progress was not what he expected. He stopped,

took stock of the situation, then laid to the oars again. ﬁnce more he stopped,

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78

and this time noticed a backward drift which rapidly increased. When the boat

hit shore he went charging out, but Joe and rate were out of sight in the shadows.

maPEnANCE

The settlement of Lochaber, as was true of all other settlements in Canada,
had some who were intemperste in their use of alcohol. The excessive presence
01' taverns in the villages along the ﬂttawa liver was remarked on by Rev. John
Ting on his journeys.

In settlements like Iochaber it was no problem. The people came from
countries where people were, on the whole, sober and industrious. They came to
improve their lot and make a future for their children. They made the most of
their time and money.

There is no doubt that alcohol did a great deal of harm to some, so much

so that cures were established, mostly privately, to help those who wished to
break the habit.

Fiver 100 years ago a neighbour to a neighbour:—

"You don't drink now, Fr. T’c“?

"No, 1 took the Gold Cure".

"3h! ,7 didn't know you were away".

"1 wasn't away. I just ran out of gold".

A f'r. Cheslock of Foltimore was hired as foremen to drive an edit to a mine
near Centre Lake. Tt was in the days of hammers and hand steel. His gang were
boys, who these days would still be in school. Soon they were following the
example set by some of their elders, a flask of whiskey in their hip pockets.

Then something happened which Vr. Cheslock said was the salvation of these
boys. 'y'o work, no money, no whiskey.

Temperance came in l9l7 to all except Quebec, which made the border towns a
popular place to visit, and some were very well known, as was Buckingham for a
time, and on this hangs a tale-

At this time and for many years afterward, the passenger trains used the
Union Station, now the Congress Centre, in the heart of Ottawa. People up and
down the valley travelled to ’Jttawa by train. From its front entrance circling
east and south to the rear and the platforms were lunch counters, small shops,

news stands, and a small vaudeville theatre named The Casino. Anyone with time on

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79

on their hands, early for their train, could for a modest sum pass their tire
there.

A Buckingham resident was so occupied one day when the Faster of Ceremonies
advanced to the front of the stage, consulted a paper he had in his hand, and
asked, “’5 there anyone here from Buckingham, Quebec”.

He was about to answer when a few rows ahead he saw one of his neighbours
getting to his feet. The stage manager said, "Are you from Buckingham, sir"?
“Yes, I am,” was the reply. "i-Iill you lend me your corkscrew?" whereupon his
neighbour sat down, accompanied by much merriment in the audience.

As school children we were not in full knowledge of the situation but we
made some observations, especially when the town of Thurso became the popular
place to visit. “n our way to school we sometimes found partly empty bottles
and, on one occasion, along the railway a boot box carefully wrapped against
breakage.

nccasionally on a winter‘s evening we would hear a horse and cutter drive
up to the door and stop. Dead silence. No visitors came to the door. Dad
would put down his paper and get ready to go outside. Soon we would have
guests sleeping on the kitchen floor with cutter robes, theirs and ours, old
fur coats, etc., The horse was unhitched, put in the stable, unharnessed,
given water and food.

The men gave no trouble. ("nce one woke up, looked around the room, and
remarked, "Ue are down among the Indians", and went to sleep again. Another
time we were feeding the cattle before breakfast, one guest came out to the
stable and found they had the wrong horse.

Will we see temperance again? Not very likely. It is now big business -

government business and a great source of revenue and power.

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80
VIQCHABER airs gENTENNI/m OLD BOYS REUNION

..bor l3 , l9l2

Loohaber Bay, that part of God's country situated on the bay from which
it derives its name and surrounded by beautiful homes and well tilled farms,
was the scene of a remarkable gathering on September 13, l~jl2 when her many
sons and daughters from distant places, came home to celebrate with the
inhabitants there, their first reunion. The)! returned home ’00 that Place
which touches every fibre of the soul and strikes eVery cord of the human
heart. What tender associations are linked with home! What pleasing images
and deep emotions it awakens! It calls up the fondest memories of life and
Opens in our nature the purest, deepest, richest gush of consecrated thought
and feeling.

lntervening years have not dimmed the vivid coloring with which memory
has adorned those joyous hours of youthful innocence. They were again borne
on the wings of imagination to the place made sacred by the remembrance of a
father's care, a mother's love, and the cherished associations of brothers and
sisters. They came to see and to speak about the home of their childhood,
their minds delve upon the recollection of joyous days spent beneath the parental
roof when their young and happy hearts were light and free as the birds who made

the woods resound with the melody of their voices.

(The above is the introduction to a l2 page account of the reunion. It contains
the program for the day and the speeches given. I have chosen a brief excerpt

from each spee ch. )

The morning train from "ttawa bearing with it Ripe—Paer MacDonald, I‘iss
:‘ary .“ann, the Highland Dancer, and a contingent of old boys and girls was met
at the station by members of the committee with conveyances, and the people were
driven to the beautiful grove situated on the front part of the late John f‘acEach—
ern's farm, now the property of Fletcher ‘ac‘Iachern.

Chairman of the committee, A. r. “ao‘achlan, made a few introductory remarks
and then called on riev. J.J. floss of Toronto to engage in prayer.

)1. I]. "acfachlan, "ayor of Y,ocha'oer, gave the address of welcome. Some

remarks were, 'lhile we rejoice with you on the progress you have made we look
back with greater pride to the time, nearly a century ago, that marks the landing
of the first settlers of this place from their beloved Scotland. How little can

We tell, how little we know the hardships endured and difficulties overcome to

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81

:give their children a better chance in life than they themselves received!”

‘tcply to the address of welco‘e was given by “r. J.A. *‘ac‘ acnlan of

nl.‘!.. *Ioted in remarks were these words, ” In addressing you ‘
will do so to the boys of old ochaber, but in a larger, broader, and more
comprehensive sense as Canadians, for it is as Canadians we are known, it is
as Canadians we bring respect of this credit to the land of our birth. As

Canadians we leave the

int of our lives, be it for good or evil, upon the

people among whom we live and move and have our being. am proud of the fact
that Canada and Canadians command the highest respect the wide world over not
because they are the big noise, not because of the sounding of brass or the
tinkling of cymbals, but because of sterling worth and integrity."

iiev. J.J. loss of Toronto tool: the audience mentally on a Visit to the
different homes which constituted ‘ ochaber years ago, commencing at his own
old home. And as he Visited each home and related incidents in connection
with each, the history of former Yechaber passed before the gathering. In
graphic language he described the trials and troubles of the early settlers,
and told how their honesty and God-fearing lives had made an impression and
been a power for good upon all with whom they came in contact.

U. A. "aeTEachern, secretary—treasurer of the committee, read letters from
some who were not able to be present. Henry iess of Schnectady, ‘!.Y. wrote
Mid Lochaber,“ no as big as flcotland, is big enough to hold the affection of
the loyal sons and daughters." Yev. F. D. l‘uir of Windsor :“ills, Quebec,
mentioned a concert in the church in 1892 "the shining white church recently
renovated inside and outside with its cake grained pulpit, little organ, and
newly frosted windows.”

One old boy, [1,. Bruce .‘faclachlan, had to send his contribution seventy-
five miles by mule driver but it arrived on time.

Dr. D. C. ?-’ac‘ achlan of Greenland, J. H. remarked, "But while we feel
proud of those who have gone forth and made names for themselves, we feel just
as proud of those who in remaining at home, doing their duty, quietly made it
possible for the others to leave.”

The gathering closed as the people joined hands singing "Auld Lang Syne"
and disbursed to the strains of Iochaber‘s lament by l'ipe—E‘ajor ’lacDonald.

The "ontreal Standard of Slov. 30, l912 states "This reunion was a truly

Scottish gathering and was remarkable in many ways. Tn the first place it

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82

brought together a group of lO sturdy Scottish—Canadians whose combined
ages mode a total of 750 years. in the second place there were between 80
and 90 I‘acs present. Tn the third place it gave old settlers a chance to
tell the younger generation some stories of the hardships they had had to
undergo in the days when forests had to be hown down in order that farms
might be created, and when they were obliged to take their grain and wool

to Eytowh (f‘ttawa) by canoes to be ground and carded.

meal!

Hrs. Tharriet Beecher Stowe visited I»’.ontreal in 1869. In her diary she
wrote, "In the evening we went to a private hall to hear Lord Adelbert Percy
Cecil, son of the Varquis of Exeter, 21 Plymouth Brother, who threw up his
commission as officer in the British Army that he might devote himSelf to
the work of missionary in the wilds of Canada."

Hrs. Stowe observed that the principal characteristic of his preaching
was a fervent earnest simplicity and an undoubting faith. Faith — simple
literal faith in the words of Jesus seemed to be the whole of his message.

In company with a fellow officer James Dunlop who had also sold his
commission Lord Cecil brought his message to the Ottawa Area and to Lochaber.
Elizabeth King lCacCallum kept a bedroom for his use when he was in the
Lochaber area. Apparently money meant little to him and he would leave gold
and silver coins on his dresser. Laura '.-Iillard's father, J. C. bfacCallum,
aged about five, at the time was allowed to play with them. The Plymouth
Brethern had numerous converts in Dttawa and area and had a meeting place on
'IacLaren Street.

Their work took Lord Cecil and Er. and Iérs. Dunlop to Kingston. Lord Cecil
was drowned about l885 when caught in a sudden squall of wind as he was crossing
the Bay of Quinte.

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83
SOME LOCHABEH FAMI LI

ANGUS — Thomas Angus was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1900. A weaver by
trade he settled in Lanark for a number of years. He and his wife Jean Swan
sold their farm in Nepean at Hog‘s Back about 1855. He bought 200 acres in
Lochaber Lot 24 Range 2.

Kat Angus (son of John Angus) told me that “as there was a barn on the
place they made the hay that summer". In the winter his father hauled the
hay to ﬂttawa, crossing the Ottawa River at Cumberland. This way was likely
to avoid the mouths of the Lievre and the Gatineau rivers and was a better
approach to the then Bytown than from the ice of the river. John Angus was
then 18 years old, so it would put the date at about 1860 or earlier.

Thomas Angus later divided the farm giving the west half (100 acres) to
his daughter Jennie and her husband Andrew Waterston. Andrew Haterston was
a master carpenter with the E. B. Eddy Company. Their son Andrew married my
Aunt Christena I-factachlan. The east half (100 acres) went to his son Andrew
Angus. His first wife was my great Aunt Annie EviacLachlan. I do not know
when the land transaction took place.

The 1861 census shows Thomas Angus on Lot 25 Range 2.
60 acres cleared 140 acres wooded
3 acres in peas 1860 yield 60 bushels
12 acres in oats 1860 yield 250 bushels
Cash value of the farm (2000.00

Lot 26 Range 2 James Currie No acreage cleared Cash value $800.00

Jim Angus told me some years ago that he was watching a movie on TV - an
Indian uprising, the Dakotas in flames and chaos. He said he found it strange
that his father and mother never mentioned it. They were homesteading there
at the time. That was John Angus and his wife Christena Kennedy.

Also at that time Grandfather Angus (George) homesteaded there for a while.
There was no railway built then to the Canadian West, but there was one to the
U.S. West.

I do not think he stayed there long, the reason being that our grandmother,
Annie Hopper, would not marry and move to the States. When they did marry
they farmed at Verivale before moving to Lochaber with their family Eva (R. 1!.
IfacLachlan), Minnie, William (Ruby Smith), Thomas, John (Jessie Donaldson),
George (Nora Presley), and Arthur (Alma Church).

McNAMARA — John and "ary (nee Rowan) McNamara came to Canada by boat in 1827

from County E-‘ayo, Ireland. They settled north east of Buckingham (Pm . ,‘F’ 3).
They had five sons and two daughters. The eldest, Thomas, was born in Ireland
in 1826. John, Patrick, I'ichael, Andrew, Vary, and Ellen were born in Canada.

Patrick married Vary Burke. Three of their children Vary Ann, Thomas, and
Bridget died in the diptheria epidemic of 1881. Edward (Agnes Gleason), Peter
(I'ary Cavanaugh), Patrick (Sarah Lavell), P’argaret (Ovila Bedard) all lived in
the district. An infant Lizzie died at birth.

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84

Patrick Sr. farmed Lot 28 Range 2 100 acres

28 Range 1 40 acres
Thomas Jr. 29 Range 1 50 acres
:‘ichael 29 Range 2 100 acres

Patrick Sr’s farm was next owned by Patrick Jr. and his wife Sarah. In 1952 it
was passed on to Leonard and Philip (their sons), and after Leonard's death in
1981 to Philip -— — a family farm for well over 100 years.

)‘ichael (Patrick Sr‘s. brother) farmed Lot 29 Range 2. It then passed on
to his son Edward (ﬁled) and was sold to l-Ir. Dumoulin in 191.6. It is now owned
by John Baumann.

BEHN‘DT — Mr. and Firs. Henry Berndt (Edith Mielke) and their two year old
daughter Evelyn moved to Lochaber Range A in 1908. Mr. Berndt's grandparents
had come to Canada about 1853. Russell, Harvey, Muriel, Grace, Melba and
Lloyd (twins), were born at Lochaber. Lloyd married Pat McMullen. Their
family consisted of Nancy, Margaret, Danny and Debbie (twins), and Marion.
The farm is now owned by Dan.

CRESWmL - Mr. and Firs. Robert Creswell and daughter Effie (lvall) moved to
Loohaber in 1918 having purchased the former Campbell farm from Mr. Davidson.
The lovely old brick house was destroyed by fire in 1948. It is interesting
to note that the highway ran in front of the house until in 1920's. The
Creswells sold to Eddy Boucher in 1948 and moved to Thurso.

IVALL - Mr. and Firs. Robert Ivall with children Cecil, Norman, Lloyd, and
Grace lived at Lochaber in the 1930's.

DEVENNY - Mr. and Hrs. Saul Devenny (Mary HacLachlan) lived on what was known
as Jog Farm with their sons Havelock, Guy, and Archie. Jog Farm was so named
because the highway followed the track, made a 900 turn to avoid the house,
and another 900 turn to keep away from the Blanche RiVer. Later their son
Archie with his wife Mary (affectionately known as Little Mary) lived on the
farm with their children Jean and Kirk.

DUPUIS — Hr. and Firs. Peter Dupuis lived on Range 3 with their family Peter,
Lyman, Walter, Flora, Delia, Grace, and Alice. Peter was a handyman and often
framed barns for the local farmers. He was full of fun and kept the workers
amused, knowing that this was the way to keep everyone happy and busy.

SEQUIN — I’r. Seraphin Seguin and family, Conrad, “aria and Albert came to
Lochaber in the 1920's. T‘r. Seguin loved to argue about politics and enjoyed
lively discussions with his neighbours. The farm is presently occupied by
Conrad and Aline Seguin.

BEDARD — Tsaac Bédaid and "arie Girard were married in the Reformed Temple at
Larochelle, France in 161.4. Tn 1660 they emigrated to Canada and established
a family farm at Charlesbourgh.

The census of 1681 states that Isaac Bédard and his wife Marie owned
"1 fusil, 4 betas a cornea, 12 arpents en valeur; their son Louis 26 and his
wife Madeleine Huppe 1’7 and their son Louis owned "2 betas 5 comes et 5
arpents en valeur". Isaac is listed as farmer and carpenter.

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85

it is interesting to note that in 1663 Isaac was sentenced to give a
half measure of wheat and a. day's labour to Vincent Renault for damage done
by his animals to iienault's field.

Tt is believed that all the Bédards in Canada are descendants of lssac
and f'arie. A part of their property in Charlesbourgh still belongs to a
descendant and it was there that the family celebrated the three hundredth
anniversary of the marriage of Tsaac and ffarie and unveiled a granite
memorial in their honour.

In the census of 1871 for Rochaber these names are listed:

Antoine Bédard and his wife Part I. 27 Range 1
David Bedard ” " " " 27 "
Joseph Bédard " " ” " 27 "

Ovila Bédard (ninth generation), son of David Bédard and his wife Elisa
Buford was married in 1904 to Margaret McNamara, daughter of Patrick McNamara

and Mary Burke. Twila was a farmer and caretaker of White's private hunting
camp.

Their son Edmond (tenth generation) married Pauline Laluck and they farm
at Lochaber on Lots 27A, 27B, 27C Ranges l and 2. Their daughter Diane
married Larry Cameron and daughter Shirley married John McNamara. Daughter
Lucy and son Robert work the family farm.

This information was obtained from a family tree researched and compiled
by Rene Roger of Hull and kindly lent to me by Diane Bedard Cameron.

JOHNSON -- Russall Johnson, his mother, brother Lawrence, his children Audrey
and Bruce came to Lochaber in the 1930's. Later Russell married Alice
Hac‘eherson and Russell Jr. and Terry were added to the family. Russell was
caretaker of the Nelson duck hunting camp for a number of years and was a
popular school bus driver.

MACEACPHSRN - Duncan and his wife Marion McDonald came to Canada from
Argyleshire about 1835. They settled on Range 3 of Lochaber at the top of

a high ridge. Before he died the old gentleman counted 13 men cradling

grain on land that was virgin forest when he first came. Their son Alex went
to "ichigan where Canadians experienced in felling big trees could find
employment. In fact some I‘ochaber and district men, one of them a I'acCallum,
went to California to cut the giant redwoods. He married Elizabeth .‘vicKinley
and brought her back to Lochaber to live. In her interesting diary she mentions
going to church here for the first time. She felt that the local young ladies
were all staring at her and no doubt they were.

They had a family of two — Elizabeth and Robert who married Jemima
"facLachlan. Alex's second wife was Anne Jane HcDermid and their family were
Wesley, John, Peter, May (Nansen Jalsh), Georgina (Newton), and Grace.

Robert and Jemima's sons were ‘Ialcolm, Neil, John, Ralph, Keith and Donald
Ilewton. The daughters were Bertha (Archie Edwards), Evelyn (Cameron Smith),
Georgina, and Florence (Harry Hill).

In W W II Keith parachuted into Germany, was a P 0 w for four years,
and now lives in England.

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86

GAUTHIER — 3'1“. and f'rs. Nelson Gauthier and family moved to Lochaber in the
late 1920's. Later they went to .Iorthern Quebec. Two of their sons returned
to Lochaber and farmed here. Hector married Alice Bedard and bought what was
known as the DIcDermid farm. Their son Vernon, his wife Pierette, and sons
I’ichael and ic now own the farm. Yvain Gauthier and his wife bought the

'Jatorston farm. lt is now owned by their son Claude, his wife Alice, and son
Steve.

Angus had hoped to have information on a number of other families namely
McDonald, Kyle, Knox, Z‘cZIeil, Arthurs, Ross, Smith, Walker, Cameron, Hamelin,
Griffin and Currie but he passed away August 25, 1990 before this was done.

§%*Jk%

As told to Dr. T. B. “acCallum by John P. t’oi‘lamara

Settlers in Lochaber were concerned about lack of opportunity of
education for their children. A fund was started to build a school and
the money was kept in a strong box, there being no banks locally. A
young immigrant just arrived from Ireland, a smart young man and educated,
was appointed treasurer and given care of the funds. when several
hundred dollars was collected, the treasurer disappeared with the money
and could not be traced.

A meeting was called to make future plans. The chairman, Dr. VacCallum's
grandfather, referred several times to the absconding with cash as “A dirty
Irish trick". Though everyone knew it was just an expression and not
intended as a slur on the Irish, a Vv‘r. ’Zc‘iamara asked for the floor. He
said, "Tn a way we were fortunate it was an Irishman that did it, if it had
been a Scotsman he would have taken the strong box and all". Nhereupon .‘~’r.
“acCallum burst out laughing and everyone with him.

-------------- ---------------
Rev. Archibald Campbell was born February 6, 1821 in Carmichael, Glassary,
Argyleshirc, Scotland. He was the son of :eil Campbell and Catherine Anne
“ccallum. He died on February 26, 1900, at Lochaber Bay, Quebec.

His parents, the first white settlers in Lochaber, left him in Scotland
with his uncle, lr‘alcolm fchallum, in order that he might get proper "schooling"
as there would be no school available in Lochaber. He came to Canada several
years later when the McCallums emigrated. He was always fond of his Uncle
Malcolm. He attended university in Montreal and graduated in 1845. For some
time he taught in private schools, some of the time in Chatham where his
sisters Betsy and Janet also brother Dougald lived.

He was married in .‘Iepean on October lé, 1863 to Naggie Angus. They must
have stayed in Canada for a while after this because their first child, Flora,
was born July 22, l863 in Loohaber but their second, Harriet, was born in
Centreville, Michigan, where he was a Baptist minister.

His father died in 1862 and Archibald must have come back to take over the
homestead before l867 for their third child Neil Archibald was born in Lochaber
on August 5, 1867. When Archibald, his wife, and family moved to Lochaber his
mother, now a widow, had a small house built for herself and her unmarried
daughter Bella on the home farm not far from where Mrs. R. J. NacLachlan's
house was later. V

By 1875 Archibald and his wife had six children and on a cold night just
before Christmas the big log house built by his father caught fire and burned
to the ground. Mrs. Campbell and the children had to escape in their night
clothes and Archibald had to see his library of valuable books and all the
family records go up in flames. Their good neighbour, Mr. James Lamb, came
with his team of horses and sleigh, covered with blankets and quilts, to take
them to another shelter. It meant that they all had to move in with their
grandmother and Aunt Bella until the new brick house, ‘liverview, was built the
following summer.

The Rev. A. Campbell remained in Lochaber for the rest of his life. He
was postmaster up until the time of his death and station agent from the time
the railway was built through his farm and Lochaber station placed a short
distance from his house. He was also f‘ayor of the township of Lochaber for

twenty years. After he died in 1900 the farm was sold.

Contributed by his grandaughter Florence McDermid Skinner.

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[Eifﬁlﬁliﬁwﬂlﬂémﬂqyl 1909 — 1988
This week the town of Buckingham mourns the passing of one of its most
prominent and influential citizens, Dr. Peter J. Maciachlan.

[t's difficult knowing where to begin to describe the life of such a man.
‘sfhen he was being feted back in 1984 in St. Michael's Hospital for 50 years in
the "edical field, Dr. T'acl achlan called himself the last of the "horse and
buggy” doctors. That phrase says it all. He wasn't just a doctor, but a link
to a time and spirit that no longer exists.

This town owes Dr. HacLachlan a huge debt of gratitude for a variety of
reasons.

We should give thanks first of all that he decided to return in 1934 from
his studies to a small town like Buckingham when he undoubtedly could have
distinguished himself practising medicine in a big city. It is our great
fortune that the young man with dreams and ambitions chose to fulfill them here —
quietly and modestly.

We owe him for the seemingly endless supply of energy he possessed and
spent for the benefit of this town during a career which spanned over 50 years.

He must be given full credit for making St. Nichael's Hospital a facility
the whole town could and be proud of. Considering that most small towxshave no
hospital at all, Dr. MacLachlan could be proud that he was instrumental in
making important contributions to a fine institution. His ideas, intelligence,
and determination are a great legacy for this town.

Dr. Ev'acLachlan was able to combine an old fashioned "horse and buggy"
manner with modern techniques. He treated people with dignity and respect which
is not always easy where illness is concerned. Many doctors today can save lives
but know little about human dignity.

At the same time he made full use of new techniques assuring his patients
the finest in medical treatment. Even in later years when he acted as consult-
ing physician in the town's medical circles and moved aside for the younger
physicians to practise, it was a comfort just knowing he was still on the scene.

During such a long career in a small town, Dr. I-‘acLachlan must have had
contact with just about every family at one time or other. He was a striking
figure. His clothes seemed to hang on his tall frame and he was always
encircled by a cloud of cigarette smoke. His appearance made him look more like
a next door neighbour than a doctor. He didn't possess that clinical look many
doctors acquire, despite his being every bit the professional. His presence will
be missed.

A doctor to the end, one of his last patients was his wife winnifred, whom
he lost to cancer only a few short months ago. I‘auy believe he himself knew he
was dying at the time, but did not give in to his illness until after his wife
died.

Dr. Maciachlan died in the hospital in which he dedicated so much of his
life. He will join a small list of doctors in this town who have achieved a type
of legend status for their unselfish hard work. Unlike the others, however, he
will be remembered for a half century of devotion to health care and the advance—
ment of medicine in Buckingham

Deepest condolences go out to Ur. Hacﬂachlan‘s family and friends. The town
shares their loss.

Courtesy of the WEST QUEBEC POST February 9, 1988 — Written by Shawn Murphy

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LOCHABER wormwr'rsigsgrum “9
ﬁn October 9, 1931, a group of Lochaber ladies met to discuss the

organization of a community club and to enjoy a chicken supper. The name
Progress Club was to be taken and it was further decided that information be

Obtained with regard to forming a branch of the Quebec Women's Institute. On
October 30, 1931 Miss "cCain addressed the club and the Lochaber Branch of
the Q N V was formed with the following slate of officers:-

President Alberta T‘acLachlan
lst Vice President Muriel Berndt

2nd Vice President Bertha McDiarmid
Secretary Isobel Nesbitt
Treasurer Marion MacLachlan

hrs. Effie Ivall compiled an excellent history of the branch from 1931 —
1954. T‘ochaber branch was a busy one and its activities were many and varied.
Some of the highlights were :-

1934 Gifts sent to Rev. and Mrs. Carl Dean for distribution to the Indian
children of Christian Island.

1935 Maple sugar was sent to Nether Lochaber “.1. in Scotland. A box of
Shortbread and cat cakes were received from Nether Lochaber.

1937 Quilts were made and donated to the Montreal Red Cross Hospital and
a local needy family.

193‘) The 'n'.l. started Red Cross work.

1940 Boxes were filled for soldiers overseas. Any prizes given in the
future were to be War Saving Stamps.

1947 A reception for boys returning home after serving in the armed forces
was planned. The roll call for one month was Name a Canadian V. C. winner.

1954 Squares were knit to be made into afghans for Korea.

It would be impossible to list all the activities but a few more should
be mentioned: the annual Dominion Day Picnic, the annual February Chicken
Supper, gifts sent at Christmas each year to the Sick Children's Hospital in
Montreal, prizes to the local school, bridal showers, the adoption of a child
through Save the Children, the annual flower show, anniversary parties, etc.

The NJ. played an important role in the community in the years 1931 —
1954. Unfortunately the number of members decreased and the branch was
disbanded in the 1960's.

-------------- ---------------
THE DEPRESSION YEARS {/0

The depression affected all parts of Canada and we shall look at it from
a tochaber Viewpoint. In a way the depression was easier on country people
than on city folks. Unemployed sons and daughters, some accompanied by their
families, came home to the family farms. In the 20's and early 30's there
were few labour saving devices either in the homes or for outdoor work, so
extra Hhands" were welcomed.

Hired help was cheap and the workers were willing to accept [)1 a day plus
room and board. Many with empty wallets rowed across the Bay from Zlockland in
time for milking on Monday morning and returned on Saturday after supper with
‘36 in the wallet. They were glad to have jobs, enjoyed the plain but plentiful
food, and the fun of softball or football games in the evenings. In the more
prosperous years that followed many returned, not just to show how they had
prospered, but to recall how the farmers had given them hope in the bad times.

The C P R freight trains often had "passengers" on their cars. These were
men searching for work when none was available where they lived. The freights
were stopped at Lachute and the railway police made the men get off before they

reached Montreal. As the freights passed, it was not unuswl to count ten or
fifteen men on one train.

During the depression era the James MacLaren Power Company began a major
project on the Lievre River between Nasson and Buckingham. A concrete dam and
intake gatehouse for admitting water to a tunnel were constructed. Water was
brought from the dam to the power house through a 25 foot (inside diameter)
tunnel, 6060 feet long. Two large surge tanks were also made at the power house.

Word of this project soon spread and dozens of men came seeking jobs. Each
morning men would go to the employment office hoping for work. If unsuccessful
they would fan out into the countryside usually in pairs asking farmers for
jobs. Our parents always gave each man a meal and, as word of this got around,
more would come. One day a total of ten were fed. Needless to say we would
often run out of bread and Mother had to bake biscuits. These men were polite
and quiet, always asked to split wood or do some little chore to pay for their
meal, and only one asked for money.

Thurso organized the Good Time Club during the depression. Meetings were
held on Friday nights in Middleton Hall. At the close of one season a house
Party was held at our home. A vast quantity of food was left over and Dad
suggested that it be refrigerated and he would take it to l‘fasson in the morning.
Neil Campbell had a store near the employment office for the dam, etc., and he
took the food and distributed it to about fifty hungry men.

I asked some of my cousins if they had felt poor in the depression years
and the answer was a definite NO. Some of the reasons given were that everyone
was in the same boat, that there was no peer pressure, that expectations were
not high so that they were not disappointed at Christmas for example, and lastly
that they were too busy enjoying what they had to wish for more. Most said that,
all in all, it was a happy time.

James Gray in his book, The Winter Years, stated that the depression
brought out more of the best than it did the worst in people. It was indeed a
true viewpoint.

-------------- ---------------
CREDITS

Miss Catherine McGibbon of Laohute kindly lent Angus the Rev. John
King's Diary which told of his voyage to Canada.

I am unable to give credit to the various newspapers for the
clippings which he included. These had been gathered for years by
Angus and Mother, and, came from the Ottawa Citizen, "rttawa Journal,
Buckingham Post, and Montreal Star over a period of about eighty
years.

When he began this project Angus made a provisional outline of what

he intended to include. He followed it very well, but. was occasionally
sidetracked. When finding "roots" became popular, he was often asked
to do research for people in search of their ancestors. This was time-
consuming but enjoyable as was his search for and publication of a
booklet on the Canadians on the Nile Expedition. He often mentioned how
helpful Dan Somers of the National Archives was and was grateful to him
for his assistance, and to Isobel (Hrs. Campbell) Evans for the work she
has done.

The MacLachlan family hopes you will enjoy reading this account of the
olden days researched and compiled by Angus.

."arion rfacLachlan

-------------- ---------------

LOCHABER FOOTBALL TEAM 1901 OTTAWA COUNTY CHAMPIONS

R. Filiatrault R.N. MacLachlan (Sec.Treas.)
Gus Yank (President)

A.F. r-facLachlan
P.M. HacLachlan

Hugh HacLachlan E. Lapierre
J.P. HacLachlan

H. Durant D.N. HacLachlan LC. MacLaChJ-an

R. I'iacCallum D.Q.MacLachlan

-------------- ---------------
Front Row:

Havelock Devenny, Scott Devenny, Birdie MacMillan, Margaret MacCallum,
Wesley MacEachern, Laurie MacLachlan, Mae MacEachern, Eva Maccallum,
Mac MacCallum Esq., Archie Devenny

Harold Scott, Tom MacCallum, Willie MacNeil, Bert MacLachlan,

Georgie MacEachern, Mattie MacLachlan, Guy Devenny, George S. Angus,
Georgina Durant

Grace MacEachem, Cecil MacKillop, (Dr.) Peter MacLachlan,

Minnie MacCallum, Miss Simpson(Teacher), Eva MacLachlan, Alec MacCallum,
John Gordon MacLachlan, John MacEachern

Percy Campbell, Gordon Hughes, Johnnie Durant, John T. B. Angus

-------------- ---------------

OLD BOYS REUNION, LOCHABER BAY, QUEBEC, SEPTEMBER 13, 1912

Front Row: (kneeling) Peter MacLachlan, John McDemid, Dougald Cameron

Back Row: Neil MacEachern, James Currie, Donald McLean, Alex McCallum,
Neil McInnes, Archie McKecknie, James Lamb

Total Age: 750 years

-------------- ---------------

LOCHABER STATION

Mr. & Mrs. Belinge

(Station Agent)
About 1910

Lochaber Presbyterian Church
1911.

‘ ’ ' ' ' School No. 2 Lochaber and Gore
1' " r 1917

-------------- ---------------
RIVERVIEU

The Campbell Homestead at Lochaber
Built about 1875

The picture was taken about 1900.
Rev. Archibald Campbell, family, and
a neighbour. The house was later
owned by Mr. Robert Cresuell and was
burned about 1935-

ROBERT J. MSCLACHLAN
Taken about 1910
Animals lovsd Blind Bob

-------------- ---------------

Mr. Geor e Angus at Lochaber
about 1920)

-------------- ---------------
t

achmema SQ ommmso .mmguoq

-------------- ---------------

INDIAN ARROW-[ENDS — part of Malcolm MacLachlan’s collection
of artifacts found at Lochaber

A model of the steam and sailing vessel
THE CANADIAN made by Andrew Haterston.
He sailed to Canada on TEE CANADIAN and
settled at Lochaber. The model is now
in the home of the late Robert Haterston,
his grandson, in Camrose, Alberta

-------------- ---------------
LIST

LANDS GRANTED BY THE CROWN
W

IN TEE

PROVINCE OF QUEBEC

FROM 1763 to Blst DECEMBER 1890

Printed By Order 01‘ The Legislature

QUEBE C
CHARLE$FRANCDIS LANGLOI 5

Printer to Her Most Excellent Majesty The Queen
1 8 9 l

-------------- ---------------
INTRODUCTION.

.________.____,_

In order that this list may be easily understood, it is advisable to
explain summarily the different systems of granting public lands followed in
this Province since the country was ceded to England.

Instructions of 1763.

In taking possession of Canada, the Imperial Government took steps to
avoid the inconveniences caused by large concessions of land, which then gave
rise to much trouble in the other British colonies in North America. For that
purpose, the Lords commissioners of Trade and Plantations in 3.763 sent inst-
ructions to the Canadian government, limiting grants of public land to 100
acres for every head of a family and 50 acres for every other person, white
or colored, composing the family, with power to extend the total area to 1,000
acres in exceptional cases. The object of this liberelity was to induce
malish settlers from adjacent provinces to settle in Canada. According to
these instructions, all Crown lands were to be granted in free tenure and
Without any other condition than the reservation of the right of the Crown to
resume possession of the whole or part of the land granted in the event of
its being required for military purposes. These grants were made by means of
location tickets or occupation permits.

There is, in the archives of the Registrar's Department, no trace or
rather no registration of the grants which may have been made under these
instructions. The first registered concession bears the date of 1788.
Bouchette, in his TOPOGRAPEHCAL DESCRIPTION OF LOWER CANADA, says that the
saigniories of Nalbaie and Mount Hurray were granted on the 27th April 1762
to John Nairn and Malcolm Fraser, two officers of the 78th Regiment of foot;
but there is not the slightest trace of these concessions in the archives of
this Department. ‘

Instructions of 1775

The object of the act of 1774, the first regular constitution of Canada,
was to re—establish in the country all French laws affecting the tenure of real
estate. Consequently, the Imperial Government, in 1775, sent new instructions
to the Governor of the Colony ordering that, in future, the public lands were
to be granted according to the French system, that is in fiefs and seigniories,
the same as under the French rule, with the exception of the justices seignior-
idles. In 1786, the Colonial Department sent special instructions to Lord
Dorchester, The Governor of the Province, ordering him to give grants of land
01‘ a specified extent to the refugee loyalists from the United States and to
Officers and men of the 84th regiment, a colonial corps organized during the
revolutionary uar. These instructions, however, stated, in formal terms, that
the concession so made would depend from the Crown as seignior and be subject
to all the other conditions of seigniorial tenure.

-------------- ---------------
They also limited the extent of these concessions as follows:

To staff officers 5,000 acres
" captains 3,000 "
" subalterns 2,000 "
" non—commissioned officers 200 "
" privates 50 "

As the officers and soldiers declined to accept these favors because
they objected to the feudal tenure, the Government returned to the system of
grants by location tickets established by the instructions of 1763 and
abolished by those of 1775.

It was under this system of location tickets and of the instruction of
1786 that the lands were granted to the soldiers and American loyalists who
afterwards settled in Gaspe.

The following is one of these location tickets:

PROVINgﬁEgECQUEBEC ; Dated the twenty-first day of May, Anno Domini 1787

The bearer hereof, Charles Dugas, being entitled to .. ...acres of Land,
by His Majesty's Instructions to the Governor of this Province, has drawn a Lot
(No 43) consisting of one hundred acres, three acres in front by thirty three
acres and one third in depth, in part of the said proportion, in the Seigniory
of Carleton and having taken the Oaths, and made and signed the Declaration
required by the Instructions, he is hereby authorized to settle and improve
the said Lot, without delay; and being settled thereon,he shall receive a
patent, grant or deed of concession, at the expiration of twelve months from
the date hereof, to enable him to hold an inheritable or assignable estate in
the said lot. ‘

(Signed) JOHN mums.
n. s. G.

Not one of these grants or location tickts in the district of Gaspe
appears in the books of the Registrar's Department, which books were only
commenced in 1788 by the registration of grants to John Shoolbred, merchant, of
London, of the posts of Bonaventure and Percé, with stone houses and stores and
of the seigniory of Shoolbred at the mouth of the river Nouvelle.

Constitutional Act and Instructions of 1791

The Act of 1791, which divided Canada into two provinces and intro-
duced the representative system into the country, contains the following pro-
vision with reference to public lands.

"XLIII. All lands which shall be hereafter granted within the said
Province of Upper Canada, shall be granted in free and common soccage, in like
manner as lands are now holden in free and common soccage, in that part of
Great Britain called England; and in every case where lands shall be hereafter
granted within the said Province of Lower Canada, and where the grantee thereof
shall desire the same to ‘be granted in free and common soccage, the same shall
be granted; but subject, nevertheless, to such alterations with respect to the
nature and consequences of such tenure of free and common soccage, as may be

-------------- ---------------
established by any law or laws which may be made by His Majesty, His Heirs or
Successors, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and
Assembly of the Province."

After the passing of this Act, the Minister for the Colonies sent new
instructions to the Governor containing the same provisions as those of 1763
as to the quantity of land to be granted and also certain conditions of
settlement which are embodied as follows in the letters patent issued under
such instructions:

"And provided always and these Our Present Letters are upon this express
condition that if the said Garantees, their Heirs or Assigns or some or one of
them shall not within one year next after the date of these Our Present Letters
settle on the premises hereby to them granted so many families as shall amount
to one family for every twelve hundred acres thereof or if they, the said
grantees, their heirs or assigns or some or one of them shall not within three
years to be computed as aforesaid, plant and effectually cultivate at least two
acres for every hundred acres of such of the hereby granted premises as are
capable of cultivation and shall not also within seven years to be computed as
aforesaid, plant and effectually cultivate at least seven acres for every
hundred acres of such of the hereby granted premises as are capable of cultiv—
ation, that then and in my of these cases this Our Present Grant and every
thing therein contained shall Cease and be absolutely void, and the lands and
premises hereby granted shall revert and escheat to Us, Our Heirs and Success—
ors and shall thereupon become the absolute and entire property of Us or them,
in the same manner as if this Our Present Grant had never been made, any thing
therﬁin contained to the contrary in any way notwithstanding."

These conditions were embodied in all the letters patent issued between
1791 and 1806, but they remained a dead letter and were barely observed in a
few exceptional cases. Article 59 of the Royal Instructions of 1768 ordered the
Surveyor General or any other person appointed by the Governor to make, once a
year or oftener if required, an inspection of the lands granted by the Governor
and to make a written report of such inspection to the Governor, specifying
whether the conditions contained in the letters patent had or had not been
fulfilled and what progress had been made in the accomplishment of such conditions.
But these instructions were neVer followed, except under the administration of Lord
Dalhousie, 'who ordered Surveyor-General Bouchette to make such inspection. Mr.
Bouchette published the information collected in the course of his inspection in
his works, especially in the Topographical Description of Lower Canada.

In practically abolishing the system of land grants, according to the
seigniorial method, the act of 1791 introduced into the country all the evils and
troubles which the British Government sought to avoid by the instructions of 1663
and give rise to the plague of large land-holders which has so greatly hindered
the settlement and material advancement of the Province. Under the seignorial
regime an individual might, without any trouble, obtain large grants of land
inasmuch as he was obliged to concede land to any bona fidc settler who applied
for it. But under the system of free grants and free tenure, as established by
by the act and instructions of 1791, owing to the neglect or connivance of the
provincial authorities, a single individual could obtain a whole township and
close it to settlers; this has unfortunately happened in a considerable portion
of the Eastern Townships. It was under this regime that the system of township

-------------- ---------------
leaders and associates originated, which, in less than 15 years, from 1796
to 1809, gave 1.457.209 acres of the best Crown Lands into the possession
of about seventy persons, one of whom, Nicolas Austin, obtained in 1797 a
quantity of 62.621 acres of land in the township of Bolton.

The system was carried on as follows: A person wishing to thus take
possession of a portion of the public domain, first came to an understanding
with the members of the Executive Council and the officers occupying the
highest positions, to secure their concurrence and that or the Governor. He
afterwards came to an understanding with a number of individuals, picked up
at a hep-hazard, to get them to sign a petition to the Governor, praying for
the granting of the land he desired. To compensate them for this accommodating
act on their part he paid his associates a nominal sum, generally a guinea, in
consideration of which they at once retransferrad their share to him as soon
as the letters patent were issued. Sometimes one or two of the associates kept
a lot of 100 or 200 acres on a grant covering several thousands of acres, but
this was the exception, not the general rule. For that purpose stationers sold
blanks of such re—transfers, the form of which, as shewn in 1821 before a

committee of the Legislative Assembly, had been prepared and drafted by the
Attorney—General.

These frauds were committed with the knowledge of the Executive Council,
several of whose members even used this means to obtain large grants of public
lands. Prescott, one of the Governors of the time, wished to stop this waste of
the public domain, but he brought down upon himself the hatred of the Executive
Councillors who, headed by Judge Osgood, managed to obtain his recall. Sir
Robert Shore Milne, Prescott's successor, showed himself better disposed towards
the spoilers of the Crown domain and to give them a tangible proof of his good
intentions, he had a grant givon to him of 48,061 acres in the townships of
Compton, Stanstead and Barnston.

Every pretext was made use of to despoil the public domain in favor of
the friends of the administration. Thus, to reward John Black, a shipbuilder,
for having betrayed the American McLean in order to hand him over to justice
and have him executed, on the pretext that he was fomenting rebellion, the
Government gave him a free grant on the 30th December 1799 of the greater portion
of the township of Dorset or an area of 53,000 acres. The following list shows
the extent of the principal grants of public land so made from 1796 to 1809.

Townships Grantees Date of grant Extent of grants
Dunham Thomas Dunn 2 February 1797 40,325
Brome Asa Porter 18 August 1797 1.1.758
Bolton Nicholas Austin 18 " " 62,621
Potton Laughlan McLean 31 October " 6,000
Farnham Samuel Gale 22 " 1798 23,000
Dorset John Black 30 December 1799 53,000
Stoneham Kenelm Chandler 1/, May 1800 23,800
Tewkesbury' Denis Letourneau 14 " " 24,000
Broughton Henry Juncken and H. Hall 28 October " 23,100
Stanstead Isaac Ogden 27 September “ 27,720
Upton D. A. Grant 21 May " 25,200

Grantham N. Grant 14 May " 27,000

-------------- ---------------
Hunterstown
Stukeley
Eaton
Barnston
Shefford
Orford
Newport
Stanbridge
Brompton
Shipton
Stoke
Barford
Chester
Sutton
Halifax
Inverne s s
L-Iolfe stown
Leeds
Ireland
Durham
Compton
Hiokham
Arthabaska
Thetford
my
Roxton
Granby
Buckingham
Clifton
Ascott
Hurry
Hatley
Ditton
Clinton
Bul strode
Kingsey
Kildare
Clifton
Patton
Newport
Tingwick
Warwick
l-lestbury
Eaton
Somerset
Tring
Kingsey
Newton
Melbourne
Chester
Dudswell
Wendover

John Jones
Samuel Willard
Josiah Sawyer
Robert Lester
John Savage

Luke Knowlton
Edmond Heard
John Carling
William Barnard
Elmer Cushing
James Cowan

I. W. Clarke
Simon HeTavish

P. Conroy and Herman Best
Benjamin Jobert
Wm. NcGillivray
Nicolas Mantour
Isaac Todd

Joseph Frobisher
Thomas Scott
Jesse Pennoyer
William Lindsay
John Gregory

John Mervin Nooth
Amos Lay, junior
E. Ruiter

Thomas Ainslie
David Beach
Charles Blake
Gilbert Hyatt
Calvin May

Henry Cull

Ninard H. Yeomans
J. F. Holland
Patrick Langan
George Longmore
P. P. de la Valtrie
Daniel Cameron
Henry Ruiter
Nathaniel Taylor
5.31). Fernuson
Abraham Steel
Henry Caldwell
Isaac Ogden

C. de Lanaudiere
Hugh McKay

Ifajor Holland's family
LE. Lemoine de Longueuil
Henry Caldwell
Samuel Philippe
John Bishop
Thomas Cook

August
November
December
April
February
May
July
September
November
December
February
April
July
August

30 September
10 November
13 u

8 January
8 u

26 I)

5 March
5 n
15 n
25 "
13 May
n

2. August
23 January
23 u

13 March
14 u ,

21 April
20 July
1/. January
6 March
3 April
11 "

u
u
u
u
n
n
1802
n
u
u
n
u
n
u
u
u
u
u
u
n
u

1803
u

n
1804

II
1805

24,620
23,625
25,620
23,100
35,490
13,000
12,200
38,600
40,200
58.692
43,620
27,720
11,550
39,900
11,550
11,550
11,550
11,760
11,550
21,991
26,460
23,753
11,550
23,100
11,550
16,400

4:600
13,000
22,000
20,138
11,550
23,493
11,550
12,400
24,463
11,478
11,486

5,800
27,580
12,000
23,730
23,940
12,262

-------------- ---------------
Halifax v. F. Scott 25 June 1805 11,700
n

Farnham Jane Cuyler 9 September 4,800
[lull Philemon ‘Jright 3 January 1806 13,701
Acton James Caldwell 17 February " 17,500
Auckland Elizabeth Gould 3 April " 23,100
Frampton P.E. Desbarats 10 July " 15,569
Aeton Geo N. Allsopp 22 " " 24,004
Eardley E. Sanford 22 August " 5,000
Chathsm D. Robertson 31 December " 5,000
Lingwick w. Vondenvelden 7 March 1807 13,650
Lochaber A. r'cMillsn 26 " " 13,161
TEmpleton A. McMillan 26 " " 8,949
Stanfold Jenkin Williams 8 July " 26,810
Ham Nancy Allen 29 " " 9,200
Brampton R.A. do Boucherville 9 Septemb. 1808 4,100
Onslow Henry l-lalcot 12 November " 10,950
“Eddington G. W. Allsopp 1 December " 10,400
Farnham John Allsopp 11 February 1809 9,800
Sherrington F. Baby and Bishop Iriountain 29 May " 19,100
Hentworth Jane deﬂontmolin 3 June " 11,880
Sherrington Suzan and Margaret Finlay 29 May " 8,300
Stanstead ) 21,406)
Barnston ) Sir R. S. Milnes 2 March 1810 13,546) 48,062
Compton ) 13,110)

These figures show how the public domain was disposed of at that time.
These extravagant, not to say scandalous, concessions, continued for a long
while without the grantees taking the slightest trouble to fulfill the
conditions of settlement which were nevertheless in force.

These excessive grants virtually closed the public domain to coloni—
zation. As the large proprietors did not even wish to open roads through
their properties, it was impossible to pass through them to take up lands
situated in rear, and bona fide settlers were unable to obtain land without
passing through the Caudine Forks of the large proprietors. The Legislative
Assembly took up the matter and upon its representations, the Imperial Parlia-
ment, in 1825, passed the act 6, Geo.II, chap.59 ss. 10 and 11, establishing a.
court to ascertain whether the conditions of settlement attached to each grant
had been fulfilled and if they had not been to declare the grant forfeited in
favor of the Crown. As the majority of those who were likely to be dealt with
by this court were the most influential in the Province, they found means to
nullify this measure of reform; two or three cases submitted to this court of
escheats at Sherbrooke were dismissed for informalities in the proceedings and
every thing remained in statu quo. We may add that the statute establishing
this court has never been repealed and is still in force in the Province. The
system of township leaders and associates commenced to fall into desuetude
about 1806 and, from that date, almost all of the large grants were made in
each case in the name of one individual, or of a single family. Thus in 1810,
the Ellice family obtained a grant of 25,592 acres in Godmanchester and another
of 3,819 acres in Hinchinbrooke. In 1815, the Governor, Lord Drummond, granted
to Hon. John Richardson 29,800 acres in Grantham and 11,050 acres to Hon. Thos.
Dunn, in Stukeley.

-------------- ---------------
These violations of the instructions of the Imperial Government which
sequestrated the best part of the public domain. in favour of a few speculators,
were encouraged by the Imperial Government itself. Thus, of his own accord the
Duke of Portland gave 48,062 acres to the Governor Sir Robert Shore Milnes and
12,000 acres to each of the members of the Executive Council constituting the
Land Commission which had given all the extravagant and scandalous concessions
up to that date.

Location Tickets or Occupation Permits

This system was introduced in 1818 to counteract a little the abuses in
the alienation of the public domain. From that date, grants were made by means
of location tickets, permitting the grantee to occupy the land applied for by
him and containing certain conditions of settlement which had to be fulfilled
before the letters patent could be issued. At the onset these conditions
required, in addition to the building of a house, the clearing and cultivation
of four acres per lot, as well as permanent residence for three years on the
land so cleared. But this condition was soon abandoned and all that required of
the grantee to obtain his letters-patent was to build a hut and cut down four
acres of forest.

Instructions of 1826

Up to 1826, all the public lands had been granted free of charge. That
year the Treasury Board with the object of increasing the provincial revenue,
ordered that, in future, public lands should be sold by auction and be payable
in four instalments without interest. In virtue of these inspections the only
lands to be offered to purchasers were those selected for the purpose by the
Governor on the recommendation of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, an office
instituted that very year. Those instructions also allowed small lots of land
to be sold to bona fide settlers for what was called a constituted rent and
which was in reality only interest at 5 per cent on the estimated value of the
land. .

Instructions of 1831 and 1837

In 1831, Lord Goderich sent new instructions to the Govsrnor, ordering
that, in future, the price of public lands was to be paid by half-yearly
instalments with interest. But these instructions were not followed. On the
recommendation of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, the Governor gave orders
that the old system be followed and the price of Crown Lands be received by
annual instalments without interest.

In 1837, Lord Glenelg ordered the Provincial Government to receive the
full amount of the price of the land at the time of the sale. These instructions
remained in force until 1840 but the troubles which arose in the county
paralysed all business anan new sales were made during the three years.

Grants to Regulars and Militiamen

We have already seen that, in obedience to the orders of the Imperial
Government, free grants were given to militiamen who had served in the war of
1775 when the Province was invaded by the Americans. 232,281 acres were so
granted to militiamen. Those who served in the war of 1812 were also rewarded
in the same manner and received 217,840 acres for their services.

-------------- ---------------
All these grants were subject to the ordinary conditions of settlement
and to the stipulation that the lands granted would revert to the Crown if
the conditions were not fulfilled. But the colonial administration took no
trouble to have these conditions observed and to cancel the grants nearly all
of which passed into the hands of influential speculators. As soon as the
militiamen received their letters patent they sold their lands for a trifle,
in many instances for a bottle of rum.

Grants in the District of 0353’

We have already seen that shortly after the American revolution, the
Government sent into Gaspe district a certain number of loyalists to whom it
gave lands, without, at the same time, giving than regular title deeds. It
was the same with the Acadians who had no other title than tradition to the
lands they occupied. ‘zlhen the population began to increase a little, land
became comparatively scarcer and difficulties arose nearly everywhere in
connection with real estate, difficulties which were all the harder to settle
that there were no title deeds of the grants to establish the pretentious of
the various claimants. In order to put an end tothe troubles, the Legislature,
in 1819, passed the act 59 Geo. III, chap 3, authorizing the Government to
appoint commissioners to make inquiries on the spot and to decide the ownership
of the properties in dispute. Section 9 of the said set enacts as follows:

"The said Commissioners shall, from time to time, transmit to the Clerk
of the Executive Council of this Province a report of allsuch claims as they
shall have examined and decided and the person or persons in whose favour they
shall have reported shall be considered as entitled to have a grant or grants
under the Great Seal of the Province of the lands in respect of which such
report shall be made."

The Commissioners, Messrs. J. T. Taschereau and L. Juchereau Duchesnay
made a report (Appendix E of Journals of the Legislative Assembly for 1821-22)
which contains the enumeration of the lots adjudicated upon. As may be easily
seen by the text of the statute, these adjudications do not constitute regular
titles and are only location tickets which were to be completed by letters
patent under the Great Seal of the Province. Nevertheless, the parties have
never, except in very rare cases, taken the trouble to obtain letters patent
and have really no regular titles to their property. In fact, in the counties
of Gaspe and Bonaventure, especially along the Baie des Chaleurs, more than
half the people have no title, not even a location ticket for the property
they occupy, which makes it very expensive to have searches made in the
registry offices.

EXCEPTIONAL GRAN TS

All the above mentioned extravagant grants were made by the colonial
administration, but the Imperial Government displayed the same prodigality
whenever opportunity offered. Thus the Duke of Portland, undoubtedly as a
reward for their profusion, gave a quarter of a township, about 12,000 acres,
to each member of the Executive Council constituting the Land Board which had
granted the excessive concessions to township leaders from 1796 to 1806. He
also made a present of 48,062 acres to the Governor, Sir Robert Shore Milnes,
who, like his predecessors, had abused his position to enrich a handful of
favorites to the detriment of the public. Mr. Folton, an emigrant, who was
afterwards Commissioner of Crown Lands, brought with him a formal grant of

-------------- ---------------
5,000 acres another conditional grant of 5,000 acres, and others for those
who accompanied him.

In accordance with instructions from the English minister, the Duke
of Richmond gave free grants to officers and soldiers of the regular army,
and in 1832, Lord Goderich gave some to pensioners in commutation of their
pensions. Finally it was from the Imperial Government that the British
America Land Company obtained the lands it owns in the Eastern Townships;
the grant in its favour covered an extent of 800,000 acres.

Monopoly of the Public Domain

All this prodigality on the part of the Imperial and Provincial Govern—
ments had the effect of concentrating the possession of the public domain in
the hands of a few individuals and to give rise to the great evil of landlord—
ism and absenteeism which have so greatly hampered the spread of colonization.
This evil was still further increased by sales at low figures, by means of
which some speculators obtained possession of another portion of the public
lands. During the investigation by Commissioner Buller in 1838 under instruct-
ions from Lord Durham, it was ascertained that 105 individuals or families
owned at that time 1,404,500 acres outside of the seigniories, or an average
of over 13,376 acres per individual or family. The following is the list
produced by John Hastings Kerr, one of the witnesses examined:

1 Thomas Dunn Estate, about 52,000 acres
2 Frobisher Estate 57,000 "
3 Heirs J. Hurtcll,purchase 49,000 "
4 Colonel Penderleath 42,000 "
5 HcGill Estate 38,000 “
6 Estate Richardson, purchase 37,000 "
7 Hon. M. Bell, purchase 30,000 “
8 Philemon Wright 35,000 "
9 Estate of Judge Ogden 30,000 “
10 Sir John Caldwell, about 35,000 "
ll Charles Ogden, purchase 25,000 ”
12 Louis Massue, purchase 40,000 "
13 Hort families, purchase 40,000 "
ll. Forsyth & Hatt, purchase 40,000 "
15 William Vondelvelden, purchase 25,000 “
16 Estate of G. Glumeg 10,000 “
l7 Webb and others, purchase 28,000 "
18 F. and H. Defoy 14,000 "
l9 Bagnes Estate 2,000 "
20 Estate William Holmes, purchase 14,000 "'
21 Baby family 10,000 "
22 Lindsay family 10,000 "
23 Colonel Heriot 12,000 "
24 D. |. Stewart, purchase 14,000 "
25 R. Taylor, purchase 17,000 "
26 Estate Clarke 12,000 “
2'] Scott family 11,000 "
28 P. Patterson, purchase 22,000 "
29 J. H. I:err,purchase 21,000 "

30 T. A. Stayner, purchase 24,000 "

-------------- ---------------
31
32
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

42
1.3

45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59

Estate Blanchet, purchase
J. B. Forsyth, purchase
J. B. Forsyth, purchase
D. Burnet
Taylor Estate, purchase
Felton family
N. Gregory

Montizambert family
Wilson Estate
Judge Gale
Judge Bowen, purchase
George 1’. Rodington, purchase
William Henderson, purchase
Commissary General, purchase
Gray, Estate
Stewart family
Chief Justice Seuell, purchase
Allsopp family
Cuyler, Estate
William Somerville, purchase
James Stewart, purchase
Lester and Morrogh, Estates
Quebec Bank, purchase
William Philips, purchase
Mountain family
Estate of General McLean

" of Col. Robertson

Mr. de St—Ours
Dunford Estate
Blackuood Estate, purchase
William Hall
Sutherland estate
L. Knovlton, purchase
Stanley Eagg, purchase
Benjamin Tremain, purchase
Honourable J. Stewart
Walker Family
Madam Quiche, purchase
Green family
staunton family
Pozer family, purchase
Robinson, purchase
N. Coffin
Begelon
Henry Hale, purchase
Gilpin Gorst, purchase
Cull Estate
Longman family
Honorable E. Ellice
whyte family, purchase
Reverend Mr. Seuell, purchase
Fraser Estate
Mrs. Scott

15,000 acres

10,000
10,000
10,000
21,000
12,000
11,000
10,000
13,000
10,000
10,000
3,000
22,000
10,000
6,000
6,000
6,500
16,000
6,000
3,500
8,000
4,500
14,900
50,000
3,000
6,000
12,000
3,000
5,200
4,000
14,000
12,000
20,000
4,000
8,000
2,000
2,000
7,200
6,000
3,200
20,000
4,000
2,000
10,000
4,000
5,000
3,000
11,000
30,000
6,000
3,000
6,000
2,400

n
n
u
n
u
u
n
n
n
u
u
u
n
n
n
u
n
u
n
n
n
n
n
u
n
u
u
n
u
n
n
n
n
u
u
n
n
u
n
u

-------------- ---------------
83 Holland Estate 4,000 acres

84 Miss Finlay 5,000 "
85 Mrs. Elliot, part purchase 3,000 "
86 James Caldwell Estate 2,000 "
87 J. McLeod, purchase 2,000 "
88 H. Gowan, purchase 5,000 "
89 Dr. Skey, purchase 2,500 "
90 E. Bowman, purchase 4,000 "
91 William Torrance, purchase 6,000 "
92 Horatio Patton, purchase 2,000 "
93 William Patton, purchase 3,000 "
94 William Price 4,500 "
95 Henry Lemesurier, purchase 10,000 "
96 Jacques Voyer 2,000 “
97 J. McLean 3,000 "
98 George Hamilton, purchase 3,500 "
99 Pastonon family 3,000 "
100 Mallust Estate 3,000 "
101 Judge Pyke and Desbarats 24,000 "
102 Chime family 2,000 "
103 Armstrong family 3,000 "
104 'l‘rueman Kemton, purchase 16,000 "
105 J. \J. Wainwright, purchase 3,600 "
Total 1,404,500

or an average of 13,376.19 acres per owner

Defects in Surveys

The surveys were not managed better than the other branches of the
Crown Lands service. The Surveyor-General, who had the exclusive control of
this branch, generally did not occupy himself nearly so much in controlling
the surveys as in the selection of the best lands which he pointed out to
the favorites of the administration. That is what Lord Durham says in his
famous Report on the affairs of British North America:

"Ihave already pointed out the importance of accurate surveys of the
"Public Lands. Without these there can be no security of property in land, no
"certainty even as to the position or boundaries of estates marked out in maps
“or named in title deeds.

"The consequences of this have been confusion and uncertainty in the
"possessions of almost every man, and no small amount of ligitation. As to
"Lower Camlda, the evidence is still more complete and unsatisfactory. The
"Commissioner of Crown Lands says, in answer to question: I can instance tuo
"townships, Shefford and Orford (and how many more may prove inaccurate as
"question of boundary arise, it is impossible to say,) which are very inaccurate
"in their subdivision. 0n actual recent survey it has been found that no one
"lot agrees with the diagram on record. The lines dividing the lots, instead of
"running perpendicularly according to the diagram, actually run diagonally, the
"effect of which is necessarily to displace the whole of the lots, upwards of
"300 in number, from their true position. The lines dividing the ranges are so

-------------- ---------------
"irregular as to give to some lots two and a half times the extent of others,
"though they are all laid down in diagram as of equal extent; there are lakes
"also which occupy nearly the whole of some lots that are entirely omitted; I
“have heard complaints of a similar nature respecting the township of Grenville.
"I have no reason for believing that the surveys of other townships are more
"accurate than those of Shefford and ()rford, other than that in some parts of
“the country the same causes of error may not have existed."

ﬁr. Kerr says:- “It is generally understood the surveys in many of the
"various townships are very inaccurate; and many of the surveys have been
"found to be so. I had in my hands the other day a patent for four lots in the
"township of Inverness, three of which did not exist, granted to a Captain
"Skinner. Three of the lots were decided not to be in existence, and I
"received compensation for them in another township. A great error was discov—
"ered in the original survey of the township of Leeds. The inaccuracy of the
"surveys is quite a matter of certainty. I would cite a number of townships,
"Hilton, Upton, Orford, Shefford, etc., where the inaccuracy has been

"ascertained."

Commissioner Buller said very much the same in his report: "The survey
"of the township lands also were so imperfect and erroneous as to add very
"considerably to the practical difficulties in the way of settlement.
"Instances have occurred in which the lots professed to be granted had no
"existence except on the diagram in the Surveyor General's office, yet more
"numerous were the cases in which a person receiving a grant of 200 acres,
"found that the lot assigned to him contained from 40 to 90 acres more or
"less than its assumed dimension. In many instances the grant was without a
"boundary, or its figure and boundaries. were totally different from those
"which, by reference to the map, would be found to have been assigned to it."

"From the system pursued originally, the greater part of the surveys were
"made by persons‘ who were only nominally under the control of his department.
"The surveyor employed for the purpose was paid by the person to whom the land,
"when surveyed, was to be granted, and those surveyors were employed who would
"contract for the performance of the survey upon the cheapest terms. Many
"professed surveys, therefore, were made by persons who never had been on the
"ground. The outlines of the township were run; but theinterior plan was
"filled up entirely, either according to the fancy of the surveyor or from the
"report of the Indians or hunters who were acquainted with the general character
"of the land included within the limits of the township.“

It is not surprising after this that there should still be considerable
confusion and uncertainty as to the original title deeds under which real
estate is held in many parts of the townships concededfrom 1796 to 1840.

Since the later date, public lands have always been conceded under the
system now in force, titles are much more regular and searches for the original
titles are easily made.

Remarks

There is no need to dwell upon the importance andusefulness of this list
which will enable every one to obtain the information he requires. In many parts
of townships not yet erected into municipalities, there are lends whose owners
are difficult to find without applying to the Registrar's Office to find out
whether the patent has been issued; this will be avoided by means of this

-------------- ---------------
present list and all that will have to be done will be to apply to the
registrar of each county for the name of the actual owner, when there have
been changes in the ownership since the date of the original grant.

Finally, the information given in this list will greatly facilitate searches
in the registry offices and consequently dimish their cost. This is one of
the chief reasons for the present publication.

J. G. LANGELIER,
Deputy Registrar

-------------- ---------------
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