George Holley & Jane Baird

Great Grandmother Holley
(believed to be written by Elaine DeYoung Pike about Jane Baird)

Great grandma sailed from Scotland one hundred years ago

Leaving her friends and loved one because love bade her so,

Her young architect husband had dreams of wealth so grand

where his talents would be needed building homes in the new land.

Of the hardships of that voyage, great grandma did not complain

But weeks upon the ocean with poor food, and sickness came.

Captain Holley noticed how she helped those who were sick

and admired her graceful figure as she walked about the deck.

At last they reached Toronto where great grandfather had bought land

Which he'd purchased from a land agent sight unseen in Scotland.

Barely had he found them lodging, when he set out with a friend

to cross over to the island where his land he hoped to find.

Evening came, but not her husband, and her anxious prayers by morn

turned to dread that became certain when they brought her a small horn

in which he'd kept tobacco, washed up on shore

The rowboat and his body or his freind were seen no more.

She was left with her small son Alan in a country strange and new,

but great grandma kepther courage and her faith in God too.

A young doctor in Toronto hearing of her plight

asked her to keep house for him, and she moved in that night

she helped him in his work and learned to nurse right well

and in his house for seven months she did in safety dwell

In seven months her babe was born, my grandma Mary Grey

and she, with her two children, with the doctor planned to stay

But Captain Holley somehow never could forget

The dark-eyed girl so staight and tall that on his ship he'd met

on his next trip to Canada he asked her whereabouts

and when he'd heard her story, he no longer had his doubts.

He left his ship and went ashore and with his savings bought

in the Township King a farmuncleared, and busily he wrought

with axe and saw a cabin built, and then her hand he sought.

Great Grandma with her little ones became a pioneer,

where wolves and Indians prowled about, with not a neighbor near.

One cold and stormy evening came an Indian to their door

"My squaw heap sick - white woman come."

She waited for no more

In spite of Holley's protests she packed a bag and went

with the strange Indian for miles to his skin tent;

There lay his squaw in childbirth and great grandma went to work,

All through the night she used her skill and with the morning sun

Squaw and papoose were both alive, and her night's work was done.

The brave stalked home ahead of her and left her at her door

without one word of gratitude, weary and footsore.

But he had not forgotten, for when next autumn came

a brace of wild ducks lay at her door, and fish and other game.

A Sea Captain in those days was both rough and tough

but those methods in a stepfather soon made trouble enough,

when young Alan was beaten with an ox-good at fifteen,

He said good-bye to great grandma and for years was never seen.

Mary too was badly treated and left home at an early age,

to work for other people to earn her board and wage.

A daughter and four sons were born of the second family,

But grandma Holley still seemed marked for tragedy.

Captain Holley and his daughter, one cold winter's day

were returning from the nearest town with the team and sleigh

a runaway team behind them sprang upon his sled

and an iron-shod hoof struck him a blow upon the head.

The team ran home, the girl unhurt, but with her father dead.

Once again she was a widow but her family wre now grown,

so that the boys could work the farm and manage on their own.

David, her youngest son was dearer than the others

but at fifteen he was found dead in bed beside his brothers.

From this great blow great grandma took a long time to recover.

The oldest son, George, left home and went to college

became a doctor in Illinois and then sent for his mother.

Proud of his success, she went, but soon learned to her sorrow

he didn't want her as much as her money he could borrow.

When it was gone he turned her out and to Ontario she came

Her daughter Mary now was wed, John Fleming was his name,

A man who lived as near to God as any man could claim.

They had a farm, one boy, four girls, my mother was the youngest.

Great Grandma was made welcome and found rest and peace at last,

She made the children tow the mark, even thoo she'd lost her hearing.

Their work and play she supervised, " wee Margaret found it wearing"

Great grandma lived to eighty-nine, a truly ripe old age,

Her stength and courage still live on, a noble heritage.