James Ballantyne MacEwan and the move to New Zealand

In 1911, J. A. Ruddick published an article entitled An Historical and Descriptive Account of the Dairying Industry in Canada. Here is a quote from that article:  "In 1894, Mr. J. B. MacEwan, who was then a member of the Dairy Commissioner's staff, received and accepted an offer to go to New Zealand, as Chief Dairy Expert. Mr. MacEwan was only two years in the dairying service of New Zealand, but to the writer's personal knowledge, he left a most excellent record behind him." (p. 56). Attached is the farewell testimonial dated October 1894 from James' colleagues in the Office of the Dairy Commissioner in Ottawa which was presented to James as he prepared to travel to New Zealand.   A small sidelight: I notice that he is addressed as "Mac" a nickname that many other McEwans have carried over the years.  The next piece of evidence related to James' career development is an article from the Otago Witness in New Zealand dated 8th October 1896.  The article  notes that James had passed through Auckland on his way to America.  The writer then goes on to explain: "The desirability of one of our experts visiting Europe about this time was mooted at the Dairy Conference held in Dunedin in June last, and Mr MacEwan made his plans for the trip under the impression that the Government would offer no objection to the tour of inspection, which he considered necessary in the interests of the colony.  But the Cabinet, after discussing his application decided that the department could not easily dispense with his services at this moment. Mr MacEwan accordingly resigned."

James Ballantyne MacEwan and the cheese industry

James Ballantyne MacEwan the seventh child of John and Agnes McEwan was 15 at the time of the 1881 census. He was living in the fieldstone house overlooking Black Creek along with his parents and six other siblings including his married 28 year old brother Alexander whose wife Mary was expecting their first child in the Fall.  John McEwan the originator of the clan was now 60 and his wife Agnes was 55. The census listed James and his younger brother Arthur as attending school.  I suspect that meant the local elementary school.  (The closest secondary school would have been in Stratford, and given the distance and the expense of boarding in town, I imagine that secondary school was not possible.)  There is evidence that the McEwan boys spent much time at the Black Creek cheese factory which was built on the corner of their property.  Some years later  James reminisced: "I started to learn the business of cheese making when a mere boy. I was in the Ingersoll district and was taught to cool the milk.  I remember that one season our maker never put water to the milk or cooled it in any way and the cheese had that beautiful nutty flavor so much desired and so seldom realized." (Attached is a picture of the cheese factory where James learned his skills.)

 By the spring of 1991 James was living in Stratford in a Hotel where he was one of close to 20 lodgers. The census lists his occupation as a Cheese B__ er.  ( I cannot decipher the word. See picture. Any ideas?)  By this time James' uncle Thomas Ballantyne was a member of the Ontario Legislature and a leader in the Dairymen's Association where he continued his strong advocacy for an apprenticeship system for cheese makers, the creation of dairy schools for training and an inspection and supervision system for cheese factories.  As part of his continued involvement in cheese making Thomas Ballantyne was the first to introduce the Babcock system for testing the butterfat content of milk. It may be that Thomas Ballantyne had a part to play in the job in Ottawa for which James (Mac) MacEwan was hired in 1891.  In a report to the federal Minister of Agriculture prepared by the Dairy Commissioner for the Dominion of Canada dated Ottawa, 30th January 1891. The Commissioner notes that the paper would also contain an report from J B MacEwan in which:

 "1. Mr MacEwan reports on the work of testing milk by the Babcock tester at the dairy on the Central Experimental Farm

2. He was released from his engagement as one of my assistants for five months of the summer in order to act as dairy instructor for the Dairymen's Association of Eastern Ontario, He visited 184 cheese factories met 244 cheese makers and held 20 meetings

 3. He reports on certain faults which he found prevalent in connection with cheese factories and cheese making, He states that he observed the effects of very much carelessness as to condition and appearance of the buildings and that he found a tendency on the part of cheese makers to over ripen the milk before adding the rennet

 4. He reports on the work at the butter making station at Wellman's Corners Ont of which he was put in charge after he returned from his leave of absence. The Dairy Station was used in some measure as a school of instruction during the winter. Twenty three cheese makers visited it during the winter to learn something of the art of making butter He attended 12 meetings. Reference to the work which they severally did in Ontario during part of the season will be found also in the reports of Messrs T J Dillon PEI C C Macdonald Quebec and E Cornett Manitoba".

 In the next blog I will include portions of James' report:  A report demonstrating his ability to write in a style reflective of his intelligence and the quality of his education. 

M(a)cEwans and cheese (pt. 4)

The Black Creek cheese factory was originally a cooperative with the local farmers providing the capital.  “in 1868 the price of cheese dropped suddenly and the industry briefly contracted.  As the number of Black Creek’s patrons tumbled from 120 to 30, Ballantyne sold his farm and with the help of a provincial grant, bought the factory outright” (Dictionary of Canadian Biography).  Of course, it would be interesting to know whether John McEwan and all the Ballantyne connections were patrons of the factory and whether they lost money in the contraction of 1868 but I have never heard any stories of disagreements over the factory.  During this period there was potential for a large export market to Britain but only if cheese of consistent quality and volume could be produced. The factory system was central to this vision and Ballantyne became a strong advocate for training skilled cheesemakers and demanding the highest standard of cleanliness and sanitation. Gordon’s father John drew milk from neighbouring farmers to the Black Creek Factory. Here is a story told by Gordon many years later.  It illustrates the challenges that Thomas Ballantyne faced in insuring the highest quality of professionalism in his factory.  “On John’s (i.e. John McEwan the grandson of the original John) route was a half-mad woman, who had won for herself acclaim by chasing the tax collector to the road at the end of a pitch-fork.  My fearful recollection of her was a slim, supple-looking woman with gray hair piled in a myriad of wisps about her face and tied in a knot at the back of her head.  Wild eyes indicated the dangers to be discovered in this strange and dangerous woman who appeared to wear the same apparel at all times – a woollen upper-garment, a pair of rubber boots and a piece of filthy sacking strapped to her waist by binder-twine. One morning, John picked up her milk as usual but when the cheesemaker was examining the first can, he discovered an errant cat had tumbled in to meet a milky death.  The cheesemaker holding the milk-drenched feline gingerly turned to John and said. “Well, Jack, you have the welcome job of taking her milk back to her.  We’ll bury the cat.” You can imagine that John quickly deposited the cans on her milk-stand that day and sped the horses on their way. However, the story is not done because the next morning as his team trotted westward, he noted her cans plus the mistress of the estate gathered by her milk-stand.  As the team was pulled to a halt, she went straight to the point: “McEwan, why did you bring my milk home yesterday?” John told the story attempting, if possible, to mollify her and let her see the reason of the happening.  When he had finished, she summarized her position clearly and finally: “McEwan, if you ever bring my milk home again, I’ll put the dung fork through you.” Then, having stated her case, she strode into the house.  John, however, found a way of placating her.  When her milk was considered unfit by the factory, John dumped it into the ditch and filled the cans with whey and because she could  neither read nor do mathematics she simply cashed her cheque"and life carried on.  The attached internet picture from an unknown factory is what it may have looked like as the driver's pulled up to unload their milk at the cheese factory.
Addendum: I now realize that Gordon's cat story above is from a later period when the factory had been transferred in ownership to Thomas' son William Wallace Ballantyne.  

The M(a)cEwan's and cheese in Perth County (pt.3)

By the 1860's the initial land-clearing/setting-up-home phase of pioneer settlement was largely complete in Downie Township in Upper Canada.  The Agriculture and Personal Census of 1861 creates a portrait of an establishing community with solid farms, a range of denominational churches, tuition-free public schools and a growing urban society able to pay for farm produce.  John McEwan who had married into the Ballantyne clan in 1847 as a 28 year old Scottish moulder, now owned 150  acres of land, at least a third of which was cleared and on which he grew a variety of crops. He was the father of growing family ranging in age from Robert who was 12, Alex (age 9 ), Janet (age 7), Mary (age 4), and Johnnie who was a baby. It is very likely that John owned several Ayshire cows, a breed which originated in Scotland and had been steadily developed in Canada West.  The milk from the cows would be churned by Agnes into butter for home consumption. On some farms the milk was also used to produce cheese. Of course, there was a ready market for any excess butter or cheese in the growing urban centre of Stratford. There are family stories of Fordyce Murray (Agnes McEwan's younger sister) regularly walking from Avonton to Stratford, a distance of about 12 kl. to sell her butter at the Stratford market.  Already, in Oxford county to the south there were examples of two farm women with herds of cows who were producing cheese on a relatively large scale for sell in the surrounding urban centres of London or Woodstock.  The huge British market was also a potential export market for cheese.

 In 1861 Thomas Ballantyne (Agnes McEwan's brother-in-law) had recently resigned his position as a school teacher and had bought a 50 acre farm in the eastern part of Downie Township. He was 31 years old and the father of two children.  He was active in municipal politics being first the auditor and later the clerk of the township. In July, 1867 he travelled south to Ingersoll in Oxford County to attend a gathering at which he was elected as a vice-president of the newly-formed Dairymen's Association. Among other things the association was dedicated to the improvement of the science of cheese making in Canada West.  The same year - 1867- Thomas established the Black Creek Cheese Factory on McEwan property in Downie Township.  During this period several members of the Ballantyne clan played significant role in the breeding and improvement of Ayrshire cows which, of course, was central to the development of the dairy industry in Canada West. I have attached a picture from a later era of several prize Ayrshire cows owned by Robert Ballantyne and sold at the Guelph market.

M(a)cEwans and cheese (pt.2)

Without doubt, any discussion of the McEwan connection to the cheese industry must lead directly to Thomas Ballantyne.  Thomas Ballantyne and Agnes Ballantyne McEwan were doubly related.  First, Agnes' father Robert was the younger brother of Thomas' father James, and second, Thomas married Agnes' younger sister Mary.  This means that Thomas was both first cousin and brother-in-law to Agnes McEwan. This double relationship may explain why John McEwan was willing to transfer to Thomas Ballantyne five acres of land on the north-west corner of  Lot 25 Concession 4 in Downie Township at the point where the Black Creek takes a lazy bend to the east as it skirts the high rise of land on which John McEwan built his stone house.
Here is what I know about Thomas Ballantyne. Several years after his Uncle Robert left Scotland in 1839 to settle in Canada, Thomas' two older brothers emigrated and took up land near Robert.  Then in 1852, Thomas, his parents and his sister

Agnes left Scotland to live in Canada. Shortly after he arrived in Canada Thomas was hired as a teacher in one of the newly established schools in the community. He was 24 years old. The year was 1853.  Almost immediately. Thomas became involved in municipal politics.  In 1855 Thomas became the township auditor and in the next year he was the township clerk.  In the same year he married his first cousin Mary Ballantyne, the daughter of his Uncle Robert, and Thomas and Mary went to live in a log house near the school where he taught.  Six years later, in 1861 Thomas quit teaching (there may have been a dispute about salary) and he returned to farming. However, it appears that farming was not totally satisfying to Thomas.  During this period, new business opportunities were opening up in the dairy industry for settlers in this fertile land of Upper Canada which I will write about next time. (In the meantime, I have attached a photo of Thomas and the only one I have of Mary.  Neither picture portrays them as they would have appeared in their younger years during the heady - but doubtlessly frightening -  years when Thomas developed the Black Creek Cheese Factory.)

M(a)cEwans and Cheese

The McEwans who lived in Perth County in the second half of the 19th century were deeply connected to the cheese making industry. In the next several blogs I will attempt to recount what I know about that connection. However, before I begin, it may be useful to provide some context.  In 1845 John McEwan, a 26 year old iron moulder from Scotland leased 100 acres of land to the south of the Stratford-to-Goderich road in Perth County. Fortunately, John's land had a good source of water.  Winding through the McEwan property is the Black Creek which originates in the huge Ellice swamp to the north. From the swamp the creek meanders through the flat lands of Perth County, moving in a slow westerly direction through Sebringville, past the school house, on to the Ballantyne and McEwan land and then westwardly toward Mitchell where it connects to the Thames river and ultimately Lake St. Clair.  By the 1840's when John arrived, the land to the east of his property had almost all been taken up.  His future in-laws the Ballantynes, for example, who lived nearby, had already been on the land for 12 years, and in the previous year Robert Ballantyne, John's future brother-in-law had leased the 100 acres adjoining John's property on the north.  I don't know if John had any prior connection to the Ballantynes or why he moved into Perth County but two years after he first leased the land  John married 21 year old Agnes Ballantyne  the daughter of the original Ballantyne settler.  John and Agnes built a classic Scottish style stone house of dressed field stone, and in 1850 John added another 50 acres of land to his property. [I have attached two pictures of John's property as it appears nowadays. First, the picture of the rich farm land that he cleared and second, the situation of the house back from the road and overlooking the Black Creek.  You need to look closely to see the house back among the trees and

if you would like to see a close-up view of the house with its immaculately proportioned dressed field stones I refer you to the 4/16/09 blog.]  It is evident from the 1861 agricultural census that John and Agnes became prosperous farmers.  On the 1861 census record sheet which contains the McEwan statistics there are 49 names. I have used the records on the census sheet to compare the McEwans to their neighbours.  The McEwans owned 150 acres of land (only 6 owned more), the McEwans had 80 acres under cultivation (only 5 had more), the McEwans had 54 acres under crops (only 7 had more) and the property was valued at $4 000 (only 7 properties on the list were worth more). John had 32 acres in wheat, 10 acres in oats and 3 acres in peas. He was also growing potatoes and turnips. To sum up: the evidence suggests that John and Agnes McEwan were doing as well in 1861 - if not better - than many of their neighbours.

The lost digit

Like all good story-tellers Gordon had an ability to create a verbal-movie with sufficient drama and tension to make the story truly memorable.  Here is one such story that has been repeated  several times over the years.  While, certainly, I  enjoyed the sense of horror the story creates, I sometimes questioned whether it was factually true.  The story involves two of my grandfather Jack's first cousins - the children of Alexander McEwan who lived on the original family farm next to Black Creek Cheese Factory.  The protagonists are Bessie and Robert the second and third youngest of Alex's nine children.  One day Bob and Bessie were in the woodpile presumably chopping wood for the family cook stove. As Gordon wrote it "Bob placed his fingers on a block and looking up at Bess who had the axe in her hand he uttered an unusual request: "Cut

them off, Bess!" he dared.  No sooner said than done -- and from then on Bob had a problem doing up his shirts with that hand."  As I have said already, I sometimes wondered whether the story was actually true or whether it was told to explain a bigger truth about the hardship of farm life in the late 1890's. Recently I came across a family photo of Alex McEwan and his family.  I have attached both the photo and a close-up of Bob's hands.  You can judge for yourself whether there is a digit missing on the pointing finger of his right hand and whether that is sufficient evidence to verify Gordon's story.

MacEwans: The New Zealand Cousins

After close to 50 years I have re-connected with our MacEwan cousins who live in New Zealand.  The first connection was made in England and occurred under one of those rarest of coincidences.  Here is how it happened. In the Fall of 1967 after I graduated from university I travelled to Montreal, toured the Expo site and then flew to London, England to have "some new experiences".  Since I didn't have much money I immediately began looking for work and within a week I had a job teaching in a Junior School on the huge Dagenham housing estate in Essex, east of London.  Shortly after I began working in the Matthew Arnold Junior School, the Head Master mentioned that he had had a recent contact with a family from New Zealand who had the same last name as mine.  Coincidentally, Ian MacEwan from New Zealand a distant cousin of my father was at that time staying with my parents while he attended a conference in nearby London, Ontario.  Ian was able to confirm that, indeed, the family in England was his son and daughter-in-law and their children. I visited the MacEwans and the first link was established. After that visit I went off travelling on the continent, the MacEwans returned to New Zealand and after three years I came back to Canada. In the meantime my parents heard that Ian had had a stroke and then everything went silent.  That was until recently when I noticed that Callum MacEwan was managing a genealogy web site on which he has created an extensive family tree which includes some of the Canadian ancestors. Callum has expressed an interest in hearing more about the Canadian McEwans particularly stories of why three young men chose to travel across the globe to begin new lives in New Zealand.  I know a little about that history and I will write down some of the stories which I have heard.  In the meantime and to begin the narrative, I am attaching a picture of the brothers - George (I believe), Arthur and James

who left Canada in the early 1890's and who emigrated to New Zealand.  The second picture taken in my parents' home is of my father Gordon McEwan and his New Zealand cousin  Ian MacEwan in about 1968.   

Lois McEwan 1914 -2014

After a very long and a very happy life, Lois McEwan died at her home on St. George in St. Marys on April 16, 2014. Born on the 29th of March, 1914 Lois was the daughter of Robert Hearn and Mae Rolston whose ancestors were among the earliest settlers in Perth County. Lois’ philosophical acceptance of life’s recurring rhythm of happiness and sadness may be rooted in events which she experienced as a teenager. In the summer of 1932 a chance encounter with Gordon McEwan as they exited a ball game at SS # 4 Downie led to an impulsive request for a date for an open air dance that evening. Lois fell in love with Gordon and that love led to a happiness that remained strong until their deaths. The tragic event which precipitated great sadness occurred several months later. Following a cold and wet ride home in an open democrat from a Farm Women’s meeting Lois’ mother Mae Hearn contracted a severe cold which turned into pneumonia. In the era before penicillin there was little that could be done and when Mae died shortly afterwards she left a family of seven children, two of whom were under the age of four. Lois took over as “mother” and remained in that role until her marriage to Gordon in December 1937. Lois leaves her four children and their spouses: Lou and John Cull, Loiey and (the late) Ken Moir, Bob and (the late Jean) McEwan, and Terry and Linda McEwan. She is also survived by her much loved nine grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. Lois’ brother Vic (Marie) Hearn, her sister Roberta (the late Nelson)  and her step-brother Doug (Sharon) Hearn also survive. In addition to her parents and her step-mother Jean, Lois was predeceased by her brothers Lyle, Kelly, Ivan, Don and her step-brother Jack. Her sister-in-law Kit Hearn survives. Lois McEwan’s overarching quality was her intense love and loyalty to her family – both immediate and extended. Her open-mindedness and her ability to reach out and connect with all types of people were legendary. As a lifelong homemaker, the wife of a rural school teacher, the mother of four children, and a daughter of the Great Depression Lois became an excellent seamstress, a prolific knitter, and she knew how to make the Sunday roast last until Thursday. She loved sports, music and dancing and she was always ready for a “good laugh”. Lois Isabel (Hearn) McEwan – 29 March 1914 to April 16, 2014 – lived a long, generous and contented life. She was able to rise above the hard parts and see the enduring good in the world. She will be missed by her family and friends. 

Tuberculosis: the Dreaded Disease

Throughout the 1800's tuberculosis was a leading cause of death across the industrialized world. As with any disease in which the cause is unknown a whole body of myths grew up around the causes and prevention of the illness.  One such myth was that the germs that caused TB could be transmitted through clothing. Attached is a cartoon from the August 8th 1900 edition of Punch Magazine. The cartoonist Samuel Erhart illustrates - in dramatic form - the common belief that the trailing material in woman's cloaks could pick up germs from the streets. Once in the house the germs could be transmitted to innocent family members.  Rural Ontario was not immune from either the scourge of TB or the myths that grew up around the disease. A distant relative of Gordon's who lived in Perth County died of consumption in the early 1900's. After her death, a fur coat which she owned was given to her nieces.  Ten years later when the nieces each contracted and died of TB in their early 20's the conviction in the community was that the inherited fur coat was the culprit.  And this rumour instigated a second tragedy that these families had to face.  Not only did they lose family members but the whole family became tainted with suspicion of being carriers of consumption. Furthermore, I am sure that there was guilt and blame among both the family who gave the coat and the family who received the coat. Gordon who was born in 1914 remembers as a child that his mother and other family members did not want to be kissed by the those distant relatives.  And, as a child Gordon remembers being nervous about visiting the relatives because of the  "dreaded consumption".  

The Night I was Born

Lois and Gordon were married on 27 December 1937. The story of that day has been told in a previous blog. Their first child Betty Lou was born 11 months later in October 1938 and Lois Ann was born almost exactly two years later, in September, 1940. Because the birth of Lois Ann had been very difficult, Lois had been advised not to have more children. However, in spite of the excellent advice (and nature being what it is) Lois became pregnant again in the spring of 1942 the year that she and Gordon moved to Dickson's Corners. In spite of the fact that the new baby was due at any time, and in spite of the fact that they drove an old car with bad tires and no heating system, the family travelled north for Christmas day with Gordon's parents who now lived in St. Pauls and two days later they made the return trip to Stratford for the traditional New Year's celebration with Gordon's aunt and uncle, Charlie and Alice Ballantyne. It was already dark by the time they left Stratford for the return trip to Dickson's Corners. The heavy snow which had fallen earlier, had turned to rain and the visibility was very poor. Once on the road they realized that it would be impossible to drive out to the farm to pick up Roberta, Lois' ten year old sister who had been invited for holidays. They pulled into Norman McCully's farm which overlooks the valley of Trout Creek heading to St. Marys and phoned Lois' father to say that they didn't dare leave the main road. The McCully's pressed them to stay at their farm for the night, but they decided to continue on, and after a white knuckled ride south on the 10th concession, through Uniondale, Medina, Kintore and on to Thamesford where they turned left onto Dundas Street and then right onto Highway 2 and so on to Dickson's Corners. As Gordon rounded the cedar hedge leading into the driveway at home the car slid off the road into a snow bank. There they left it. Gordon carried the two girls into the house and left them still in their winter clothes on the couch in the living room while he proceeded to relight the fire which had long-since gone out in the old pot bellied stove which sat on a slightly raised platform in the middle of the living room. It was then that Lois realized that the baby was ready to be born and that she would have to get to the hospital in London. There was a panic phone call to Jim and Mary Calder the neighbours from across the road. Mary said that she would take the girls home with her, while Jim and Gordon went out to dig out the car. After some furious digging and rocking, the car came out of the snowbank, and slid across the lane into the ditch on the other side. With that Jim Calder decided that Gordon and Lois should head to London in the Calder car.  Lois' contractions were coming more frequently, and as they drove into London, Gordon realized that he had no idea how to find Victoria Hospital. They stopped, got directions, and arrived at Victoria hospital to be met by Dr Shute, Lois' specialist who had been alerted by Mary Calder that Gordon and Lois were on their way. After a quick examination, Dr. Shute announced that the baby was coming and that there was no time for any preparation. One of the nurses asked Lois when she had had her last contraction and when Lois said "at Kellogg's" the nurse responded: "Oh you poor thing, you have worked right up until now."  (The attached picture is of what the Kellogg's plant would have looked like as they passed by in 1942 when Lois had her last contraction. They still had a 15 minute drive to Victoria Hospital.)  Lois remembers that the anaesthetic which she was given was strong enough enough to make her drift off but not strong enough to prevent her from saying time after time: "What have I got? What have I got?" Each time she asked the question, the patient nurses reassured her that it was a boy but the question would be asked again. This continued until everyone was laughing. When the baby was brought to her, Lois immediately took off his diaper to check to be sure that it was the boy she wanted after having two girls. Some time later when Gordon left the hospital he felt that the excitement was over for that day but, unfortunately, when he found Jim Calder's car Gordon realized that he had no idea of how to start it. Gordon found a doctor who was leaving the hospital and pleaded with him for help. Deeply sceptical, the doctor finally agreed to start the car and Gordon was able to get home without incidence.

Evening Prayers and the Picture at the Top of the Stairs

In our home - as in many other homes in rural Canada in the 1940's - saying our prayers was an essential part of getting ready for bed.  Like most children I rushed through our prayer without any thought to what it said or meant.  In my head the first line was " nowilayme (all one meaningless word),  I pray the lord my soul to keep ... and so on. The prayer ended with a "God bless" where we listed a series of names beginning with grandparents and relatives - God bless Grandma, God bless Aunt Allie - and ending with God bless Mommy and Daddy and the rest of our immediate family including Skippy the dog.  If someone in the community was ill  my mother would encourage us to add a line that go something like: "Please make Wayne better."  And then we would hop into bed. If the weather was cold the persons mentioned in the "God Bless" line got shorter.  However, if you wanted to irritate your sister who was waiting her turn to say her prayers you could always string out the "God Bless" line to include everyone you could think of.  Typically the prayers were said while kneeling beside the bed but in the midst of January in a cottage where there was no direct heat in any of the bedrooms we were allowed to say the prayers from under the covers.

I now realize that there were several versions of the prayer we were taught.  Other versions were more gentle and did not talk of dying children or souls heading to heaven.  The version we recited came from an 18th century American book called the New-England Primer.  The first stanza went like this:

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray to Lord my soul to keep,
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take

  On reflection I am glad that I never made any attempt to comprehend what I was saying.  It certainly had the potential to cause nightmares in a young child who awakened in the middle of a dark night.

Now for a word about the picture that accompanies this blog.  When we were children my father's elderly aunt and uncle lived in a large brick house on Elizabeth Street in Stratford. Because my Grandmother lived with them our family were frequent visitors in their home.  Unlike us, Uncle Charlie and Aunt Allie had indoor plumbing.  The toilet was located on the second floor in a room separate from the bathroom.  To get to the toilet you needed to climb the heavy oak staircase to the first landing, turn right and begin the climb to the second floor where at the top of the stairs hung the picture (shown above) of the angels floating over the little girl.  I never understood what those angels were doing but I figured that it must have something to do with death.  I also knew that even if I kept my head down and tried to look the other way I would "see" the picture as I passed under it.   And for an eight year old the choice was very clear: scurry past the picture or face even worst humiliations!

Avonton Softball Team 1932

Here is a picture of the Avonton Softball Team in 1932. Unlike the other men, Gordon is wearing braces and so his team shirt is neatly tucked into his trousers. Of the 15 people in the picture, Gordon is a blood relative of all but one of the others. Only Helen Struthers, the woman second from the right in the second row, appears to be an outsider in this close knit group. Although Will Smith, the man in the tie, is related to Gordon through the Hemsley's, Will is also an outsider to the group in that his ancestors came from the south of England. The other 13 people can all trace their ancestry directly back to Robert Ballantyne, a shepherd who lived near Peebles Scotland and whose grandson, also called Robert, first emigrated to Perth County and settled land in Downie Township.

The Rattle In The Fireplace

A couple of weeks ago Lois began to hear a disconcerting rattle in her fireplace. It sounded as if a piece of metal had become dislodged and was vibrating against another piece of metal. At first it occurred mostly in the morning but then it began to occur at other times in the day. The first theory was that a bird had somehow fallen down the chimney and was caught behind the fireplace. That theory was discounted when the weather turned cold, and the fireplace came on. If it was a bird, the poor thing would not have survived the heat from the fireplace. When Bob was home he hypothesized that possibly the flashing on the chimney was vibrating. But after a careful inspection, Bob announced that there was no sign of loose flashings. The noise persisted, increased in frequency, and was heard by several visitors. Finally, the plumbers were called in. The first plumber was confident that he knew the source of the problem. "I'm sure it's the fan, Lois." Two hours later, after taking the fireplace apart, after checking the water pipes, and the furnace itself, the young plumber left saying that he would have to pass the problem on to his boss. The next day the boss plumber came, inspected the fireplace and asked for a ladder to climb on to the roof. He took a screw driver with him. He tapped rhythmically on the chimney. "Was that the sound, Lois?" When the answer was affirmative, he came down from the roof saying that he had a theory but first, he would have to make a couple of phone calls. His source confirmed that his theory was correct. Here is a picture of the tiny culprit. Of course, it is a territorial thing, and now that we know the source of the noise, we can listen to the rhythmic tattoo with some equanimity and amusement. The sound reverberates not only in Lois' house but across a good portion of the valley surrounding Trout Creek. I am sure that in woodpecker land, there is no question that a claim has been staked for control of the territory around the swinging bridge in the Trout Creek hollow.

The Murderer At The Door

In a recent article in the London Free Press it was reported that human bones had been uncovered outside the wall of the jail in Stratford, Ontario. "The discovery didn't come as a complete surprise" noted the columnist who speculates that the bones belong to Almeda Chattelle the first man hanged in Perth County. Chattelle's execution, in the spring of 1895. The hanging attracted a large group of onlookers who stood on top of the collegiate to witness the event. Almeda Chattelle, the murderer, was once a dinner guest in the home of the widow Harriottte McEwan. According to Gordon's account, the famous incident occurred when John (i.e., Gordon's father and Harriotte's son), Harriotte (Gordon's grandmother) and sister Agnes (Gordon's aunt) "were on the farm at lot 19, concession 3 in the Township of Downie. One afternoon John had gone to town and the two women were busying themselves about the kitchen preparing supper when a loud, insistent knock was heard at the front door of the house. The woman's hearts must have skipped a beat when they looked out for there stood a huge, hulking, bestial type of individual and in a day before the invention of the telephone, the homesteads were isolated from their neighbours. I should think the people would have been more concerned at that particular time because an unusually brutal murder had taken place near Listowel. A young girl, Jessie Keith, had been picking strawberries along the railroad track and had disappeared. You can easily imagine the consternation of the neighbourhood, and the organization of a man hunt that began in the anxious community. Tracking dogs were brought in and the local constabulary was led to a pile of brush which they removed and there they found the dismembered body of Jessie Keith who had before death suffered the fearsome experience of rape.
Undoubtedly, the press at that period would dwell on the lurid details of the happening and Harriotte and Agnes had read the weekly paper.

Afraid to refuse their unwelcome guest's request for a meal, they hurriedly set the table and placed before him a sample of their fare. His roving eyes and surly speech increased their uneasiness. Agnes took the kettle and placed it on the back of the stove but the quick-thinking Harriotte used the action to their advantage.
"Don't put the kettle at the back of the stove, Aggie," she remonstrated, "the men will be in at any time from the hay field!"
At the mention of the word, "men" the visitor gulped down the last remnants of food and asked where work might be obtained. When the flax-mill at Sebringville was suggested, he trod off down the road and disappeared from the sight of the two anxious women who had been sufficiently upset to watch him disappear from their position at the front-gate.
When the weekly paper was placed by the McEwan house that week by the carrier in his sulky and horse, Agnes ran out to obtain it. As she raced back, her mother knew something of importance and interest was in the news.
Breathlessly, Agnes thrust the paper at her mother and pointed to a picture on the front page. It was a picture of their supper guest that week and below it sat the caption: "Chatelle. accused murderer of Jessie Keith, apprehended and lodged in Stratford jail."
No doubt both women experienced a surge of physical weakness because of the news!" This story of how the McEwan women entertained the murderer of Jessie Keith must have been told often enough in the McEwan kitchen that Gordon remembered it 80 years later. But, how close to the actual truth is Gordon's rendition of an incident that happened in 1894, at least 20 years before he was even born? A survey of the newspaper accounts such as that above in the Toronto Daily Mail confirms that the essence of the story is remarkably accurate. Amelda Chattelle did murder Jessie Keith. The evidence shows that Chattelle travelled from St. Marys to Gad's Hill on October 18 and then on to Milverton and toward Listowel where he happened upon Jessie Keith. After the murder Chattelle headed east where he was apprehended in Erin. This sequence of events means that he visited the McEwans before the murder rather than after. Furthermore, the event happened in the fall rather than earlier in the season during haying as suggested by Gordon's story. Gordon's description of Almelda as a big heavy man is confirmed by the newspaper accounts. In Gordon's story there is a dramatic scene where Aggie opens the newspaper to see their dinner guest identified as the murderer of Jessie Keith. Although I have been unable to locate that picture of Amelda, one newspaper claims that Chattelle's picture was sent to the police in England because the manner in which Jessie Keith was disfigured had similarities to the Whitechapel murders perpetrated by Jack the Ripper. Even though the newspapers went into great detail in retracing Chattelle's journey from Alsia Craig through St. Marys and on to Listowel there is no mention of his visit to the McEwan's kitchen. Nonetheless, it is very likely that Almeda Chattelle did knock on the McEwan's door, that he did come in and was offered food, and furthermore, it is equally probable that Gordon's grandmother did frighten off the tramp by telling her daughter Aggie to move the kettle to the front of the stove because the men would be coming in from the fields.

Perth County Fashions 1860's (pt. 1)

While women living in Perth county in the 1860's may have felt themselves to be isolated from the fashion influences of the bigger world, the evidence suggests that the style in which our ancestors dressed was a reflection of what was happening elsewhere: a somewhat muted and conservative reflection of high fashion, but a reflection nonetheless. The differences which existed in the dresses were more likely to be a result of wealth and social class rather than a lack of awareness. The coloured engraving at the top of this blog first appeared in Godfey's Lady's Book in 1861. This periodical, which was published in Philadelphia acted as a fashion guide for its many subscribers. The early 1860s, was a period in which the crinoline-supported dome-like skirt was at its widest, and in fashion plates during 1860 and 1861 the skirt seems to project as much in front as in back. The photo of an unknown young woman in a striped dress above, was taken in London Ontario in the years before Confederation when this area was still known as Canada West. The next photo is Lois' great grandmother Eliza Fulcher taken after 1867. While Eliza's dress may be made of less expensive materials, and the workmanship and the detail of the sewing may be less complex, the full skirt, the wide tightly cinched belt, the puffed sleeves and the high neckline show that the two women are following similar fashion lines. The next picture is of Robert Ballantyne the brother of Gordon's great grandmother Agnes McEwan, and his wife Helen Smith. This is likely their wedding picture taken in 1860 when he was 39 and she was 23. The dress of the new Mrs. Ballantyne has many of the features of the dresses above but with an added feature in the formal jacket. A hoop (or possibly many petticoats) create the dome shape of the skirt, and the white collar is used to create a dramatic contrast to the black satin dress.
Finally, in case we think that hooped skirts were worn only for formal occasions. here is a detail from a well know picture of the old frame town hall in St. Marys. The woman on the right appears to be a passerby who has stopped to watch the excitement of the ongoing photo session. Not only is a large hoop creating the desired silhouette, but the skirt is short enough to allow her to walk through the mucky streets without the danger of dirtying the hem of her dress. A very wise precaution in St. Marys in 1865!

Thanksgiving 1938

Today is Thanksgiving Sunday 2009. Jessica and Carlos and I went to St. Marys to have a Thanksgiving dinner with Lois and her sister Roberta. Yesterday, October 12 is the 71st birthday of Lois's oldest child, Betty Lou. Lois remembers that Thanksgiving Day 71 years ago was a bright cool, day. As a teacher Gordon had Thanksgiving day off. In the afternoon they went for a walk over to the "other 50 acres" which was north across the road from the McEwan main farm. Lois remembers that they walked a long distance through the 50 acres and across to the side road leading to Sebringville. On the following day after coming home from school Gordon changed his clothes and went to the barn to help his father Jack. When he got to the barn his father said: "Go back to the house. I think Lois needs you more that we do." By the time he had returned to the house Lois said that she thought she needed to go to the hospital. They arrived at Stratford Hospital at about 6 p.m. and the baby was born about 8 p.m. the much loved first child of Gordon and Lois, the first grandchild of Jack and Beanie McEwan and the second grandchild of Bob Hearn. Here is a picture of the baby likely taken in front of the farm house on a pleasant spring day in 1939.

A community play

In the years after the Second World War, entertainment in rural communities was often home grown. Dickson's Corners was no exception. In one memorable Christmas concert, Gordon directed a play in which the lead parts were taken by well-known adults from the community. Lois, the teacher's wife played the part of an invalid who spent most of her time in her bed. In reality, her bed was a camp cot which likely threatened to tip over ever time she attempted to get in - or out- of it. Lois' "husband" in the play was Bob Brown, a local farmer and school trustee, whose daughter Janette was in Grade 6 in the school. Zoe Henderson and Gladys Baigent, next door neighbours who lived up the road from the school, were also in the play.



A newly married couple from the community, Bob and Nonnie Kerr, played the part of the young lovers. A mystery woman, her face shrouded in black, was also in the play, but Lois can remember neither who she was, or what role she played. "Maybe she was the music teacher." The props were minimal and I am sure the acting was not terribly professional -- Lois remembers having only two or three rehearsals -- but that would count for little among the highly appreciative audience of neighbours and friends who thoroughly enjoyed watching Bob Brown nuzzle up to Lois McEwan at the front of the hall.

Robert McEwan, Gordon's Grandfather part 2

Sadly Robert McEwan, Gordon's grandfather died when a young man. Here is the story as Gordon has written it: "One night Robert was returning home and lulled by the silence of the land and the quiet rhythm of the democrat wheels, he fell asleep. The fast travelling horse startled by the reflection of the moon in a large puddle by the side of the road shied sharply to one side with the result the sleeping driver was catapulted over the wheel of the vehicle and landed on the gravelly surface of the road causing severe lacerations and bruises to his face.
Some time after that he began to have physical problems and when the doctor diagnosed his ailment as cancer of the jaw a terrible pall must have settled over the family. A portion of his jawbone was removed but one year later he passed away leaving his gritty widow, three children and fifty acres without his strength and guidance." That was in 1893 when Robert was 43 years old. This picture must have been taken shortly before his death when they all knew that he was dying.

Robert McEwan, Gordon's Grandfather

In a previous blog I told the story of John McEwan who was the first of the McEwans to settle in Perth County. He married Agnes Ballantyne who, like John, had been born in Scotland. Their first child who was born in 1849 and who was Gordon's grandfather, was named Robert. If John and Agnes had remained true to the traditional pattern of child-naming, then Robert would have been called after his paternal grandfather. However, since Agnes' father was also a Robert, it may have been that the baby was named after his maternal grandfather Robert Ballantyne. Few stories have been passed down about the character of Robert McEwan. What we do know is that in April 1872 he married Harriotte Hemsley. At first they lived on the Huron Road just west of Stratford and later moved further west to Kasterville. Finally they settled on Lot 19 Concession 3 in Downie on 50 acres of land just west of both the Ballantyne land and the Hemsley land. Here are pictures of Robert and Harriotte, likely on their wedding day, and of the house in which they lived with their three children, Harriotte, John, and Agnes.