Almonte
Gazette
September 16, 1881
Death of An
Old Settler – We are called upon this week to chronicle the death of one of the pioneer
settlers of
Lanark
County
– of whom but few are now living – in the person of Mrs.
Wm. Paul, sr., (Jane Mathie) of the 7th line Ramsay.
The sad event took place on Friday last, and, although not unexpected, the news of
her death was received with sorrow by a large circle of friends.
The funeral took place on Monday, and the large number who followed her remains to
the grave showed the universal esteem and respect in which she was held by the community.
Deceased was one of the very earliest settlers in Ramsay, having, with her husband,
emigrated from Glasgow, Scotland – their native place – in the year 1821 – sixty
years ago – and settled in Ramsay the same year, and on the farm on which she resided
continuously until her death. She attained
the ripe old age of 84 years, and for the past 26 years had been an invalid, caused by a
severe attack of rheumatic fever – an affliction which was borne with exemplary patience
and resignation. Although physically disabled
she was strong intellectually, and it was always a pleasure to her to relate her
experiences in the early years of her life in Ramsay – a time when Almonte had no
existence, and when
Lanark
County
was almost a trackless forest.
Few can imagine the hardships endured or the obstacles which had to be overcome by
the settlers at that time, and the present generation should not forget that they have
these hardy pioneers to thank for paving the way to the fertile farms and prosperous
villages which are to be seen throughout the country.
Thus one by one they are passing away, until at present but very few remain; and
are leaving behind them examples of industry, energy and perseverance which will not soon
be forgotten.
(note: this
is Jane Paul?)
YES - Jane Mathie, born 1797 died 9 Sep 1881.
Almonte
Gazette
November 24 1881
Another
Ramsay Pioneer Gone to His Rest – On Monday last Mr.
John Drummond, of Clayton, passed away to his final rest, at the very advanced age of
87 years. He was born near Stirling, in
Scotland in the year 1794, and emigrated thence to the township of Ramsay in 1822, and was
thus one of that band of hardy pioneers of whom but few are now living, whose steady
perseverance, unceasing industry and strong common sense raised Ramsay to the position it
long held as premier township of the county. As
an illustration of the difficulties met with by those men, and the manner in which they
were overcome, it may not be amiss to relate the following anecdote of Mr. Drummond:
During the summer of 1822 he unfortunately broke his axe, and set out on foot to
Perth
– 20 miles distant – to buy another.
On arriving there he found that the merchants (or merchant) had none in stock, but
expected a supply within a week. This,
however, did not suit Mr. Drummond, who started for
Brockville
, bought his axe and returned home, walking the whole
distance! In 1864 he removed to Clayton
bought the Bellamy property and rebuilt the mills, but retired from active life, leaving
the management of the business to his son, D. Drummond, Esq. late Reeve of Ramsay.
Before the formation of county councils he took an active part in the management of
local affairs, but since that time he has always declined public office and manifested
little interest in politics beyond voting for and steadily supporting the Reform party at
every election for a member of either House. Mr.
Drummond was well known as an honest, industrious and straightforward man, and the esteem
in which he was held was fully exemplified by the large number who attended his funeral,
which took place on Wednesday to the Clayton cemetery.
Almonte
Gazette
Dec 16 1881
Page 3
Another
Landmark Gone. – The passing years are working great changes in the appearance of our
town. The extensions on every side, and the
alteration or removal of old buildings, is fast banishing the Almonte of twenty years ago.
The changes are not confined to the inanimate portion of the town, but extend to
the inhabitants, and we are constantly called on to record the removal by death of one and
another who has grown up with Almonte and helped to develop her resources.
The old familiar faces are passing away, and their numbers are getting “small by
degrees and beautifully less.” The last who
has gone over to join the majority is Mr. J.
Patterson, J.P., whose name has long been “as familiar in men’s mouths as
household words,” and who died somewhat unexpectedly to most on Friday morning last,
after an attack that confined him to the house about four weeks.
The deceased was born in
Bridgetown
, near
Glasgow
, in 1810, and came to
Canada
with his mother, three brothers and two sisters in 1827.
In 1828 he apprenticed himself to the Bros. Spence in
Brockville
, to learn the blacksmithing trade.
In 1835 he came to Ramsay, and resided with his mother and family for two years on
the 8th line near Greig’s school house.
In 1837 he moved into what was then called Ramsayville, now Almonte, and built the
house in which he lived up to the time of this death.
He pursued his calling for over ten years on the spot now occupied by Mr.
McCaffrey, corner of Bridge and Water streets, and his careful attention to business is
still remembered by many. In 1839 he married
Elizabeth Smith, by whom he had issue four sons and three daughters, of whom one son and
one daughter are dead. In 1851, when the gold
fever was at its height, he got badly infected with it and went to
California
and spent two years there, during which time he acquired a
considerable competency. Soon after his
return he was appointed a magistrate, and for many years has disposed of the great
majority of magisterial cases. His decisions,
being based upon a common sense view of the matter before him, generally commanded
approval. In 1862 he was appointed Clerk of
Division Court, an office he held up to the time of his death.
The deceased belonged to a healthy race, as is proved by the mother dying only a
few years ago at the advanced age of 94 years, and his brothers and sisters (one of whom
is Mrs. John Scott) are still living. With
the exception of one brother, who is in
California
, the other brothers are living in the
Niagara
peninsula, and are well known in that neighborhood.
Up to the time of his fatal sickness, the deceased had never been sick in his life,
and the ailment of which he died, cirrhotic disease of the kidneys, was doubtless brought
on by an imprudent exposure to the wet weather. A
very large assemblage gathered on Sunday last to follow the remains for one whose face and
person had been so familiar on our streets and known to all, as well as to the widow and
family he has left behind. Mr. Patterson was
of a kindly disposition, and is spoken of as a neighbor with great regard.
He had the courage of his convictions, and having once formed an opinion was not
given to change, whilst not unwilling to listen to argument.
His more than average intellect and good memory made him quite an authority as to
the past of the town he had watched grow up from a small hamlet to be the “
Manchester
” of
Canada
. Mr. Patterson
was a member of St. Andrew’s church and in politics was a staunch Reformer.
Few men will be more missed than the deceased, and we are confident that the widow
and family have the sympathy of the entire community in their bereavement.
Almonte
Gazette
April 7, 1882
The Late Mr.
James Snedden – The chronicler of local events has at no time a sadder duty to
perform than when called on to record the death of those well known to the generality of
our readers, and who have to a certain extent identified themselves with the history of
the locality. No face was more familiar on
our streets that that of the gentleman whose death it is our sad duty to record today.
Very few indeed of our readers in Almonte and the surrounding neighborhood but can
recall the good-humored countenance of the man who was so well and favorably known as
“Banker Snedden,” but whose smile will be seen no more.
The late Mr. James Snedden was born in the 11th line of Beckwith in
1821. About fifty-five years ago the father
of the deceased removed to Ramsay, settling at Rosebank, and building the grist mill
there, afterwards going into the lumbering business, and dying at
Quebec
of cholera about 1834.
At the time of his father’s death James, who was the eldest son, was about
fourteen years of age, and from that time he acted as a father to his brothers and
sisters. Three brothers, James, William and
John, continued to work harmoniously together until the youngest was about thirty years of
age, but although they were then working each for himself, the elder brother never lost
his fatherly interest in their well being. Like
his father, the deceased engaged in lumbering and speculation of other kinds, and was very
fortunate in his pursuits, but the hard times in the lumber trade and a heavy expenditure
he had been led into to improve the passage from his timber limits, caused him heavy
losses. It must not, however, be supposed that
he was straightened in his resources, as the widow and family are left well provided for.
The deceased attended church at Rosebank on Sunday, as usual, and on Monday morning
he harnessed his horse to come to Almonte. H
went into the house to wash his hands, and coming out of the wash-room he placed his hand
on his head and exclaiming “Oh! My head!” fell on the floor in an apoplectic fit, and
only rallied for a brief time in the evening, and died on Tuesday morning about six
o’clock, in the 61st year of his
age. The deceased was borne to the 8th
line cemetery on Thursday afternoon, the funeral being attended by a large concourse of
friends and neighbors, who were unanimous in the opinion that a good husband, a loving
father, a kind brother and worthy neighbor has been called away.
The family have the sympathy of the entire neighborhood in their bereavement.
Almonte
Gazette
April 14 1882
Death of
Mr. A. Stevenson – The many friends had scarcely returned from following the late Mr.
Snedden to the grave before they were called upon to wend their way thither again, to mark
their respect for the memory of Mr. A. Stevenson,
J.P., who has gone over to join the “majority.”
The deceased gentleman came to
Canada
from
Glasgow
, where he was born, with the other members of his
mother’s family, together with his step-father, the parent of the late Mr. Galbraith, of
whom the deceased was a half-brother, in the year 1821.
The family settled in Ramsay, and at that time our late townsman was about nine
years old. He resided with his family for
some six or seven years, and then went to
Montreal
, where he learned the trade of a cooper, remaining there
about seven years, when he removed to
Carleton Place
and commenced a cooperage for himself.
He followed the trade for two or three years, his shop being on the site now
occupied by Lavallee’s hotel. In 1833 he
married, and moved to his own farm on the 2nd
con. of Ramsay, where he remained until 1870, when he came to Almonte, and has
since resided here. Mr. Stevenson was a
member of the township council from 1852 to 1856, and was for many years a Justice of the
Peace. For over thirty years he was Pork
Inspector for this district. After forty-nine
years of married life, he has left a widow, who feels her loss keenly, and a family of two
sons and three daughters. The deceased was a
very quiet, unobtrusive man, and was consequently not as widely known as many less worthy.
, but in all the various positions he was called on to fill he brought a strong
conscientiousness, combined with a good share of common sense, to bear, and thus succeeded
in establishing a claim to the respect of those with whom he was brought into contact.
Owing to frequent attacks of asthma he was latterly confined much to the house, but
he was not long confined to his bed. He died
on Sunday morning last at the ripe age of 77 years, and was followed to the grave on
Tuesday by a very large number of the people of the town and country.
Those who knew the late Mr. Stevenson were conscious that he felt severely the
death of the late Mr. Galbraith, from the shock of which he never recovered.
Almonte
Gazette
September 15, 1882
Death of an
Old Resident – On Sunday last about
10 o’clock
Mr. John Fummerton,
of
Appleton
, in his 94th year, passed away and went to
“join the majority.” The deceased, was
the last but one of the first settlers, Mr. William Hamilton being now the only survivor.
Mr. Fummerton was born in
Paisley
, in
Scotland
, and was considerable of a traveler in his earlier years,
having visited among other countries,
Greenland
and the
West Indies
. It is nearly
70 years since he first settled on the farm on which he died and to which in the early
days of the settlement he carried flour and nails all the way from
Brockville
on his back. Subsequently he sawed the lumber by hand and
himself built a boat with which he went to
Montreal
for provisions. His
family consisted of eight children, who are all living but one.
Up to within a few days of his death he walked daily to the
village
of
Appleton
to get his mail matter, the distance being about one mile.
He took his last walk on Thursday the 31st of August, and on returning
fell in the lane leading to his house, and on being found was removed thither, where he
died on Sunday last. The funeral took place
on Tuesday and the length of the procession, over a mile, testified to the respect in
which the deceased was held. The remains were
taken first to
Appleton
Church
and thence to Cram’s Cemetery.
Comparing the present with the past, what a peaceful revolution was accomplished in
the neighborhood in his lifetime.
Almonte
Gazette
October 20, 1882
Death of a
Ramsay Veteran
From the
Central Canadian of this week we learn that on Thursday of last week Mr.
Wm. Hamilton, of Ramsay, one of the earliest settlers of that township, and the sole
surviving veteran of the Battle of Waterloo in this section, passed away to join the
majority, at the very advanced age of 88 years. In
1821 he settled in Ramsay, and married a Beckwith settler, who survives him and is in her
83rd year, by whom he had thirteen children, nine being still alive – four
girls and five boys. Throughout his active
life Mr. Hamilton was of a healthy and robust constitution, and was always a neighbor and
citizen of great merit. His death closes all
calls in this district for pensions for the 1812-14 services.
(note:
buried in St. Fillan’s Cemetery, native of
Paisley
,
Scotland
)
Almonte
Gazette
October 27, 1882
Removal of
Another Landmark
Among the
pleasing duties that fall to the lot of the chronicler of passing events there are mingled
many painful ones, not the least of which is the recording from time to time of the
passing away from earth of one and another of those who have been long and favorable
known. Some time ago, we recorded the death
of Mr. Michael Foley at the advanced age of 88 years, and now we have to add to the list
of death’s victims the name of his brother, Mr.
Jas. Foley, who died on Tuesday last, a the age of 89 years.
His face and force were familiar in the town, and he was an intelligent and
agreeable companion to spend an hour or two with, and to listen to his reminiscences of
the past. Mr. Foley was born in County
Carlow, in Ireland, and emigrated to Canada in 1822 and settled in Ramsay, and is one of
the men whose strong right arm cleared the forest and laid the foundation for that
progress which Ramsay has since made, and he was a walking history of all the leading
events that have taken place in the county of Lanark and the vicinity.
The deceased could remember well occurrences antecedent to even the founding of
Almonte, and could tell many a thrilling story of the time when, instead of having human
beings for neighbors, he was surrounded by the wild beasts of the forest.
Mr. Foley was one of the men who proved emphatically that tilling the soil and
cultivating the mind are not incompatible. Settling
here at the age of 29, he had already arrived at man’s estate, but was far from thinking
he had learnt all that was possible for him to acquire, hence he not only studied books
but men, and become quite efficient in his knowledge of human character.
He moved into Almonte nine years ago, but the infirmities of advancing age
precluded him from taking any prominent part in public matters.
Though a voluntary exile from the land of his birth, like all the true Irishmen he
had not lost his love of nor his interest in the old land, and he noticed with great
pleasure every effort made to advance the true interests of
Ireland
. Mr. Foley was
nearly the last of the early settlers of the township, with whom will pass away a
generation of men who have left their marks on the face of the earth, and proved
themselves to be of the right material out of which to make sturdy pioneers, men who had
the courage to face physical dangers of no mean character, who were undaunted by the
amount of labor before them, but who toiled on day by and year by year, witnessing every
year some material advantage gained over the uncultivated wilds, and some progress made in
the direction of transforming the forest into fruitful fields.
Mrs. P. Reilly is a niece, and Mr. P. Foley, of the Irish World, is a nephew of the
deceased gentleman. The Messrs. Foley, late
of Almonte were also his nephews.
Almonte Gazette
November 3, 1882
Yet Another
Old Settler Gone – We have this week the painful task of recording the death of Mr.
Richard Dulmage, father of Messrs. John Dulmage, of this town and R. Dulmage, reeve of
Arnprior, which took place at his residence on the 11th line of Ramsay on
Sunday morning last at 9 o’clock. The
deceased was born in the town of
Rathkeale
, Co. Limerick, Ireland, in the year 1809, and resided there
with his parents until the year 1823, when, in August of that year, they all removed to
Canada
and settled on the line on which he lived until his death.
Mr. Dulmage nearly 40 years ago married a daughter of the late John Morphy, Esq.,
of Morphy’s Falls, now
Carleton Place
, by whom he had a family of seven, all of whom except one
survive him. In the early part of his life
Mr. Dulmage turned his attention to lumbering and farming, and all who knew him need not
be told he thoroughly attended to whatever he took hold of.
He could relate some very interesting reminiscences of the early days of settlement
(when railways and highways were only things of the imagination) and how he had to
carry provisions, cooking utensils, and other necessaries on his back from
Prescott
, finding his way to and from his homestead by the aid of
blazed trees. Mr. Dulmage was possessed of a
very vigorous constitution, so much so that he never required the services of a doctor
until his last sickness, and enjoyed his usual rugged health until Thursday last, when he
contracted a severe cold, which resulted in congestion of the lungs, and which ran its
fatal course very rapidly. The funeral took
place on Tuesday afternoon, and the large number in attendance proved that the deceased
had secured the respect and esteem of a very wide circle of acquaintances, who took this
opportunity of testifying their regret, and made the funeral cortege one of the largest
ever seen in the township. It is needless to
say that the widow and family have the sympathy of the entire neighborhood
Almonte
Gazette
March 11 1887
Margaret
Thompson, relict of the late Robert Drysdale
(whose death was announced by our Lanark correspondent last week), was a native of
Dumfermline, in
Fifeshire
,
Scotland
, and emigrated to
Canada
with her husband in the year 1820.
When they sailed they had two children – a boy and a girl.
The girl died on board the ship. James,
the son who crossed the
Atlantic
with them, survives. Thirteen
children were born to them in
Canada
– making their family fifteen in all.
Posted:
18 September, 2003