The Perth Museum

This article was transcribed by Christine Spencer  - [email protected]

Perth Courier, October 24, 1930

Background of the museum:  “The idea (for the museum) originated about the time of the Perth Old Boys’ Reunion of 1925 when Archibald M. Campbell was requested to label and re-organize the collection of minerals of Dr. James Wilson…….Mr. Campbell was able to add considerably to the collection through donations from the Geological Survey, McGill University and a number of personal friends.” 

Archibald M. Campbell was appointed honorary curator of this museum and throughout the 1930’s he ran a series of columns in the Perth Courier, detailing the progress he was making with the museum which was apparently at that time housed in the Perth library.  This museum apparently branched out from minerals and geological specimens to include the history of Perth.  What I have done is go through these columns and pick out the donations of an historical nature that I thought would be of interest to genealogists.  I have presented these below.  Whether of not they are still at the museum I do not know.  I have put Mr. Campbell’s obituary first, which gives a better idea of what this gentleman did in getting this museum started.

Perth Courier, October 21, 1948

Once a prominent geologist and metallurgist, A.M. Campbell died in the Great War Memorial Hospital Thursday, October 14 after a brief illness.  Archibald McDiarmid Campbell was born in Perth, a son of Archibald Campbell and of a granddaughter of Rev. William Bell of Scotland, who came out to Canada in 1817 and founded the First Presbyterian Church in the then military settlement of Perth.

Mr. Campbell acquired his primary education and secondary education in the Perth schools and then went to McGill University in Montreal to study geology and mineralogy.  Later he was in the vanguard of those who found their hazardous way to what is now the Porcupine and he is included among the pioneer geologists and metallurgists in the Cobalt and Sudbury fields.  He staked his own claim, he formed syndicates, journeyed overseas and was the guest of royalty.

For twenty years he resided in Ottawa where he was associated with the Geological Survey.  He was the founder and honorary curator of the Perth Museum, located in the Perth Public Library building, the museum rating #5 in Canada for its collection of minerals.

In 1925 he was asked to re-classify and catalog a collection of minerals belonging to the late Dr. James Wilson, which had been stored in Perth for many years and his efforts resulted in the inauguration of the museum.

Contributions to the museum were received from various sources including the Geological Survey and McGill University and these, together with specimens from Mr. Campbell’s own collection constituted mostly the collection of minerals.

Prehistoric specimens from the Cliff Dwellers country in the U.S., given by the late Mrs. H.M. A—i of Ottawa, were next absorbed in the collection, followed by birds from the National Museum in Ottawa

The next subject which received his attention was that of collecting material relating to the history of Perth and surrounding district, a considerable quantity of which was obtained and assembled.  A start was made by a painting by F.M. Bell-Smith as a nucleus to establish a collection of Canadian paintings in the museum.

He as a life long Presbyterian, a member of St.Andrew’s Church to which a few years ago he donated a bell of the original Presbyterian church.  The bell had been imported from Scotland in 1819 and afterwards came into the possession of him and his sister Miss Mary A.B. Campbell.  He is survived by his sister.

Perth Courier, April 3, 1931

Donor:  Miss Victoria Lees of Ottawa (through Cyril Inderwick)

Item:  The original frames silhouette of John (afterwards Justice) Wilson, who killed a fellow law student Robert Lyon in the last duel fought in Upper Canada on the banks of the River Tay just outside Perth on June 13, 1833.

Donor:  James Reid of Perth

Item:  A hand made door latch made by a local blacksmith named Bell

Perth Courier, April 10, 1931

Donor:  Cyril C. Inderwick

Item:  A “Betty Lamp” from Dunbar, Scotland, one of the earliest lamps used by the pioneers of North America for burning tallow, grease and whale oil.

Donor:  Lillian Smith, Drummond Street East, Perth

Item:  Painting on wood brought from Scotland by Lt. William Blair of the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles Regiment, 1816…..also a triangular shaped brick, one of the first made in the Perth settlement by Lt. Blair…..also an old brass powder horn and shot pouch….also an old photo of T.A. Code and 26 guests on the lawn of his original home in Perth.

Perth Courier, May 29, 1931

Donor:  Mr. (or Mrs.??) J. Harry Adams, Perth

Item:  Handsome family Bible bearing the inscription “Presented to Arthur Couch by a number of the inhabitants of Perth as a token of their appreciation for his heroic and humane exertions to recover the body of the late lamented Joshua Moorehouse, drowned in the River Tay on 21 July, 1852.”

Donor:  James Robertson, East Ward, Perth

Item:  The original old time front door latch (with its brass knob and large iron key) of the West Gore Street house now owned by C.P.R. Conductor Park, but formerly the residence of the late F.A. Hall, Esq.

Donor:  W.F. Manion, Perth

Item:  A crude bootjack (fashioned with an axe), a surveyor’s chain and an adze, all used by Perth’s former well known soldier and late Capt. John Manion who for several decades had the privilege of firing the ancient cannon which today stands in front of the county building, Perth, over 80 years ago.

Donor:  Mrs. George A. McViety, Rideau Ferry

A silver watch brought from Ireland over 100 years ago by Mr. Ferguson, Lombardy, Leeds County, of whom the donor is a descendant

Donor:  Donald A.F. Moffatt, Perth

Item:  The military cap worn at Prescott by his father the late Capt. Thomas Moffatt, of the old 42^nd Lanark and Renfrew Infantry Regiment during the Fenian Raid of 1866.

Perth Courier, November 6, 1931

Donor:  George S. James, Esq., Perth

Item:  A unique smooth iron (or flat iron) stand, brought out from County Wexford, Ireland in 1820 by Sutton Frizelle, who settled on Lot 10, Concession 3, Drummond.  He was Capt. Frizelle and one of the earliest reeves of Drummond.

Perth Courier, January 1, 1932

Donor:  W. Kinloch(?), Perth

Item:  A section of antique wallpaper from the drawing room of the former Gore Street residence of the late Hon. Roderick Matheson.  This paper was made in China for the English market and unlike rolls of modern wallpaper was made in small sheets and had to be pieced together on the walls.  As the Matheson family moved into this fine stone home in November of 1840 this paper was probably on the walls longer than any other in Perth.  This house was continuously occupied by the Senator and his children for almost ninety years.

Perth Courier, Jan. 29, 1932

Donor:  Harry Warren, Perth

Item:  An old marriage certificate in the handwriting of Perth’s first Presbyterian divine and dated Perth, U.C., 4^th Oct., 1839 and reads:  “This may certify that on the 4^th day of October, 1839 by the special license from the Lt. Governor of this province I married here Henry Shillington to Charlotte Branyon—both of this place.  William Bell, Presbyterian Church”.  The witnesses in this case were Messrs. Anthony Leslie (retired army captain and then manager of Perth’s second bank) and Stephen Ferguson.  For several decades Mr. Shillington lived in a stone cottage (which still stands) on North Street between Wilson and Gore and many of our citizens will remember him.  He was a “Paisley weaver” and at one time was kept busy weaving carpets, etc.

Also donated by Mr. Warren were seven funeral notices dated between Nov. 30, 1844 and April 3, 1891.  These are really invitations to attend the funeral of the following Perthites, viz., Bernard McSherry (from the home of John Doran, Esq.); Jane (wife of John Rudd and grandmother of the late Anslow B. Rudd); John Miller Bell (grandson of Rev. William Bell and only brother of the late Mrs. Archibald Campbell); Isabella Margaret (first wife of Judge John Glass Malloch and only daughter of Rev. William Bell); Anna (daughter of William Brown and sister of the first Mrs. John Hart, Mrs. James Allan, Sr., and Miss N. Brown); Duncan Archibald (son of John Haggart, Sr., and brother of the late Hon. John G. Haggart); John Ferguson (first husband of the mother of the late John A. McLaren).

 Perth Courier, March 4, 1932

Donor:  Robert S. Meighen, Perth

Item:  The “Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites of the Church According  to the Use of the Church of England”.  An inscription in the back of the volume informs us that this 170 year old book was given by Caroline Roberts to George Mitchell and his wife to be kept in “perpetual remembrance.”

Perth Courier, March 11, 1932

Donor:  Miss Mary Davies, Perth

Item:  Bird’s Eye View of Perth, 1874—This picture is interesting as an illustration of the improvements and noteworthy developments of this historic town during the intervening 58 years.

Donor:  Albert E. (Bert) Lyon, Rockwood, Ontario, formerly of Perth

Item:  Old time woolen mitts—These gay colored mitts were made by Mrs. James Sparks of Hensail, Ont., 55 years ago.  Mrs. Sparks came to this country in 1852.

Donor:  Richard Doyle, Perth

Item:  Handcuffs of manacles and knuckle dusters used by Perth’s first constables or policemen……Pioneer saw set in a square frame…..sickle or reaping hook used by one of the first settlers…..first plough made in Perth.

Perth Courier, April 15, 1932

Donor:  Mrs. (Dr.) A.E. Hanna, Perth

Item:  135 year old volume “A History of Scotland From the Accession of the House of Stuart to that of Mary” by John Pinkerton, 1797…..small collection of coins.

Perth Courier, September 2, 1932

Donor:  Lloyd McLaren, Perth

Item:  Four old documents relating to NE ½ Lot 29 Concession 10, Elmsley

The first of these is the original deed to the grant of 100 acres.  It is dated April 13, 1824, to Alexander Simpson, Yeoman.  It bears the signature of Sir Peregrine Maitland, K.C.B., Lt. Governor of the Province of Upper Canada and Major General commanding our forces at York.

The second document of this series consists of an indenture or “Deed of Bargain and Sale” of the property in question from Alexander Simpson to James McLaren, Sr.  It is dated June 1, 1831.  Included with this covenant was a receipt for 110 pounds which Mr. McLaren paid Mr. Simpson for this farm.  In those days these indentures were issued in duplicate with one edge of each copy notched so as to correspond.  The printed portion of it was neatly executed by Dr. Gemmell at Lanark, U.C.

Next comes an indenture of lease from James McLaren, Sr. (great grandfather of the donor of these papers) to James McLaren, Jr., and Robert McLaren.  This document was executed in 1838(?) and is an excellent example of the careful and excellent penmanship of that day.  Under its terms, the lessees were to pay two pounds per year rent and undertook to support the lessor and his wife Euphemia—supplying them with food, clothing and accommodations.  It might be remarked that this particular document besides covering the lot dealt with in the other two documents includes the NE ½ Lot 23, Concession 10, Elmsley; the East ½ Lot 6, 9^th Concession Burgess; SW ½ Lot 2, Concession 8(?) and the East ½ Lot 7, Concession 9, Burgess.

The last of these four documents consists of a ten year lease from James McLaren Sr., to James McLaren, Jr.  This written indenture is dated March 30, 18?6, and provided for a yearly rental of ten pounds currency.  The lessor reserved one field of six acres and the dwelling house with the exception of two rooms allowed the lessee.

Perth Courier, September 16, 1932

Donor:  Henry Warren, Perth

Item:  Early Victorian Wreath commemorating the harvest, made by Mrs. Shillington of Perth.  Also a motto picture also made by Mrs. Shillington.  These are another form of wall decorations which were common half a century ago and were worked with wood or silk on perforated cardboard.  One of these depicts “The Old Arm Chair” and the other bears the letters:  “Faith, Hope and Charity”.

Perth Courier, August 26(?), 1933

Donor:  Dennis Fraser, Victoria, B.C.  These gifts were mailed by Mr. Fraser five days before his death which occurred on Feb. 11, 1933.  This was the last writing that he undertook.

Items:

Photo of Donald Fraser in his 92^nd year.

Photo of the “old red house”, Perth, birthplace of Mr. Fraser.  This was the first house built in Perth after the site of the town was surveyed in 1816.  It was constructed of oak logs and this picture shows it as it appeared after it received its first clapboarding.   Since then, it has been once more modernized and bids fair to at least complete its second century.  It is situated on the north side of Craig Street opposite to the residence of James Spalding and now owned and occupied by Fred G. Forrester.  Prior to its becoming the Fraser home this historic building served many purposes.  It was Perth’s first inn and here His Grace the Duke of Richmond, Governor General of Canada and Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty’s forces was a guest during his official visit along with Lt. Col. Sir Francis Cockburn, Deputy Quarter Master General to the new military settlement in August, 1819 and just a few days before His Excellency died at the village of Richmond.  From the time of William Bell’s arrival in Perth in June of 1817 until April 17, 1819, the weekly Presbyterian services were held in its upper story.  Being unfinished, and without partitions, it answered a temporary need although very cold in winter even with a stove.  It was also Perth’s first Masonic Hall.

Printed copy of a lease dated Feb. 3, 1816 from Lt. General Sir. A. Hope of the Royal Military College (England) to Field Marshall His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent regarding the impossibility of admitting the son of Lt. Fraser of the Royal Scots to that institution.

Two early election circulars—these were vindications of Mr. (Lt. William) Fraser who was a candidate for the Upper Canada Legislative Assembly.  One is dated Dec. 29, 1823.

Perth Courier, Sept. 8, 1933

Donor:  Miss Mary Davies, Perth

Item:  Capt. Alexander McMillan’s umbrella—Capt. McMillan was of the Glengarry Fencible Corps, and attained his captaincy on August 5, 181?, and retired on half pay November 21, 1816.  He was the first registrar of deeds. James Bell succeeded him in 1850.  Like most of Perth’s officer settlers, he belonged to the Bench of Magistrates, which presided over the Quarter Sessions in those early days.  And in the three decades of the last century, he, along with Hon. Roderick Matheson and William Morris and Dr. James Wilson, was a trustee of St. Andrew’s Church.  He first built and lived on the original stone part of what afterwards was successively the Drummond Street home of Rev. Michael Harris, Henry Taylor and F.W. Hall, M.P.P. and which is at present the home of Mr. A. Knox.  Then, being burned out, Capt. McMillen moved across Drummond Street and erected the fine old stone house which later on and after the death of the captain became the home of the late Hon. Peter McLaren and is still known as “Nevis Cottage”.  This favorite green umbrella is one of the few personal belongings now extant.

Marriage certificate of Capt. Alexander McMillan, township of Drummond, and Mary Davies, North Sherbrooke, were married by Rev. Thomas Clarke Wilson, Presbyterian minister in the presence of William Morris and Josiah Davies, on April 3, 1832.  The marriage was solemnized by a license.

Bracelet of Miss Maria McMillen, made by her father’s hair and with her name, “Maria” engraved on the golden clasp.

Donor:  Carl Boles, Perth

Item:  Grant to John King, late gunner in the Royal Artillery and Yeoman, 100 acres, NE ½ Lot 12, Concession 4, Drummond, May 25, 1820, recorded by D. Cameron, Reg., and marked Superintendent’s Office, Perth, October 1, 1820.  The deed is signed by “Samuel Smith” administrator of the government.

Perth Courier, Sept. 29, 1933

Donor:  G.P. Wollcombe, Ashbury House, Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa

Items:  Three mid Victorian tortoise shell back combs; two Victorian Ivory carved fans and a hand painted fan about fifty years old; lady’s embroidered lawn vest front; five bookmarks of fifty or sixty years ago worked on perforated cardboard and mounted on ribbon.  Also, the following article which belonged to Mrs. Woolcombe’s brother-in-law, the late Maj. J. Jones Bell,  part of a copy, or exercise book, inscribed “Miss S.E. Jones, Brockville, May 22, 1824”.  Note:  Miss Emmaline Sedate Jones later became the wife of Robert Bell of Carleton Place and mother of the late Major J. Jones Bell and of the late Lt. Col. Robert Bell, M.D. of Peterboro and Toronto.  Robert Bell, Sr., M.P. for North Lanark during the Mackenzie regime, before resigning his seat to afford a safe opening for Hon. William McDougall (whom Alexander Mackenzie wished to take into his cabinet), he was appointed inspector of Railways and Canals..  Also, a charcoal drawing in its original frame done by Miss Isabella Bell, of Lake Caljashkakian(?), C.W. dated 1857.  She was the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bell.

Donor:  George Burke, Perth

Item:  Pair of child’s shoes made by Joseph Cuddle, a well known Perth character and shoe maker of half a century ago.

Donor:  Mrs. Robert Girdwood, Perth

Item:  Ox shoe worn by an ox owned by the great-great-grandfather of the donor.  Her great-grandfather was Alonzo Cain of the Ferry Road and was 102 years old when he died.

Donor:  George S. James, Perth

Item:  Sample of English hand made wrought iron nails of the present time.

Perth Courier, December 30, 1933

Donor:  W.B. Hart, Perth

Item:  Oldest known plan of Perth.  This plan, or map, is over a century old and will be one of the museum’s most interesting possessions.  It shows the portion of the future town then surveyed into approximately four acre blocks and more or less sub-divided.  It extended northward from the Scotch Line (1^st Concession Drummond, or South Street) to the 2^nd Concession line (now North Street) and westward from the town line (or eastern boundary) to Wilson St.  The River Tay is shown intersecting the village from the northwest to the southeast with the direction of its flow indicated.  Cockburn Island, now the hub of our fine, modern town, was then a government reserve with three undetermined buildings shown west on Gore Street.  Bridges are shown on Gore Street across the Tay (main stream) and the “Little River” branch (as at present) and also over the west branch of the latter—leading to Dr. Thom’s mill on the site of the later and larger establishment of Mr. Haggart.  On the east half of the surveyed area embracing Sherbrooke, Chatwynd, Boyne, Provost and Irwin Streets, running north and south and the eastern portion of the intersection thoroughfare north of the Scotch Line, no buildings appear on the four acre blocks already mentioned.  Woods and brush are indicated outside the cleared village limits and also in north and south rows on the unoccupied block.  The locations of the existing public buildings and homes are shown, the stone and brick structures being colored red.  The frame buildings were simply outlined while the few surviving log ones were marked in black.  The “King’s Road” (marked in red) ran south from the Scotch Line (marked “Road to Brockville”), north along Drummond Street to Harvey Street, westward on the latter to Gore Street; across the bridge over the Little River on to “Fostern Street”; along it to Wilson Street and on to Lanark and Bathurst.  There was then no bridge over the Tay on Drummond Street and evidently the most traveled roads were the Scotch Line (which is here shown crossing the Tay by a bridge and continuing eastward); Brock Street eastward from Drummond Street to the Tay, over the bridge at the old cemetery (built in 1831) and beyond  Wilson Street to Harvey and on to Gore; the present Mill Street (then unmarked) to the before mentioned mill, bits of road criss crossing the west half of Cockburn Island and Herriott Street from Drummond to Wilson and around to Foster at each end.  As is generally known, the Perth settlement of the “Settlement forming on the Rideau” was, to begin with, a purely military settlement formed under the direction of the Commander of the Forces and with its expenses paid out of the military chest.  It was peopled mainly with half pay officers and discharged non commissioned officers and men who had served in the War of 1812, in the Peninsular War, and against the great Napoleon.  As a rule, the privates drew and lived upon the lands in the surrounding townships while most of the officers and some of the non commissioned officers made their home in Perth.  Owing to the origin and nature of its establishment, Perth’s original streets were named after governors, military officers, surveyors, and officials of the Land Settling Department.  They were as follows:

Gore Street:  Named in honor of Sir Francis Gore, twice lt. governor of Upper Canada, 1806-11 and 1816-17.

Drummond Street:  Named after Lt. Gov. General Sir Gordon Drummond, the hero’s of Lundy’s Lane

Beckwith Street—Named after Sir Sidney Beckwith, Col. And Quarter Master General

Sherbrooke Street—Named after Sir John C. Sherbrooke, Governor General, 1816-1818

Chetwynd Street—Named after Col. Chetwynd, who served under the Duke of Wellington.

Baynes Street—Named After Adj. General Baynes, of the Glengarry Fencibles.  Captain McMillen and Leslie and Lt. Matheson served under him.

Provost Street—Named after Sir George Provost, Governor General, 1811-15.

Robinson Street—Named after Sir Frederick Robinson, Lt. Governor in Gore’s absence

Halton Street—Named after Major William Halton, Sir Francis Gore’s secretary

Cockburn Street—Named after Col Francis Cockburn, Deputy Quarter Master General to the Forces and largely responsible for the success of the Perth settlement.

Brock Street—Named after Major General Sir Isaac Brock, the “Hero of Upper Canada” who was Lt. Governor of Upper Canada and Commander of the Forces when the War of 1813-14 broke out.  His strategy was mainly responsible for Upper Canada’s success but he was killed in the Battle of Queenston Hts.

Craig Street—Named after Sir James Craig, Governor General, 1807-11.

Harvey Street—Named after Sir John Harvey, Deputy Adjutant General, 1812, who fought at Stony Creek

DeWatteville Street—Named after Col. Louis deWatteville, commanding officer of the deWatteville Regiment, German Legion.  He attained the rank of Major General in 1813 and retired on half pay on October 24, 1816(?).

Herriott Street—Probably named after George Herriott, Clerk of the Survey

Wilson Street—Named for Wilson Congan, popular clerk of the survey

Foster Street and Irwin Street—Origin of these names not ascertained by the writer.

We will now note the public buildings and private residences whose then owners are indicated following the different streets northwest on the Scotch Line.

A Beckwith Street

1 On its east side at the corner of Craig Street, is found the house of Rev. John McDonald, Roman Catholic parish priest from 1823(?) to 1838(?).  The old Protestant burying ground was on the east side of the priest’s acre, occupying the space between Craig and Brock Streets and through to the river.

2 A Mr. Winslow lived opposite the priest while

3 R. Matheson owned the adjoining lot to the north

4 On the corner of Beckwith and deWatteville Streets Lt. deBersey had drawn an acre while

5 Major deBersey had the opposite lot on Beckwith.  This man was Captain Jacques Rod. deBersey who had attained the rank of major on June 4, 1813 and retired on half pay October 24, 1816.  Lt. Amedee Rodolphe deBersey went on half pay the same date as the major.  Both served in the deWatteville Corps (which had been taken prisoner by the British during the Napoleonic War and had offered to enlist to fight against the Americans in the War of 1812).  They appear to be the only officers of this disbanded regiment who were allotted building sites in Perth.  And it seems natural that their holdings should corner on deWatteville Street.  However, like many other officers and privates of both this and its sister corps, Meuron’s Regiment, they probably either never settled or they failed to remain on the lands drawn by them in the Perth area.

6 Across the river we find the lot at the southwest corner of Beckwith and Foster Streets and form many decades now the site of the Perth Public School, bearing the name Andrew Bell, eldest son of Rev. William Bell, and grandfather of Dr. J. Mackintosh Bell, or “Old Burnside”, Almonte.

7 F. Schmidt, butcher or pork packer then owned the east half of the block on the opposite side Foster Street.

B Wilson Street

1 Being then the west boundary of the original town, Wilson Street had houses only on its east side and none of the owners south of the Tay have been recorded.  However, at the southwest corner of Craig and Wilson Street, the stone house erected by Rev. Mr. Harris in 1823 is shown with its large garden behind.  This interesting and beautiful old residence was mentioned in recent “notes”.

2 The acre west of Naughte’s place was then owned by Capt. Lelievre and included the sites of the present knitting mill of the Code Knitting and Felt Co. and of the former John Riddell property now the home of Mrs. C.M. Dawes.

3. The adjoining lot to the north was in John Ferguson’s name and the first stone building in Perth stood where the Revere House now stands.  Here Alexander Ferguson kept a store but he had a distillery as well.

C  Outside the limits west of Wilson Street and on the road to Lanark and Bathurst are four un-named houses in the clearance at the end of Foster Street and what is now North Street—with Col Taylor’s and Col. Marshall’s holdings farther to the north.  Purchased by Capt. Anthony Leslie who retired from the Glengarry Fencibles on Aug. 25, 1816, the latter property was the scene of his banking operations.  He was an agent of the Commercial Bank of Canada the banking being done in the stone building still standing while his bungalow residence with its old fashioned garden stood a little north of it. Further subsequent owners of the “Leslie property” have been the late John A. McLaren, the late John A. Stewart and Mrs. J.A. Stewart.

Further mention should also be made of Dr. Alexander Thom, former surgeon in the 41^st Regiment who is recorded as having gone on “temporary” half pay on July 29, 1813 but who was appointed on August 13, 18?? To take medical charge of the establishment being formed on the Rideau.  As surgeon in the forces, he was granted 400(?) acres, consisting of lots in Bathurst, Drummond, Sherbrooke and Elmsley and what was later known as the Gamsby farm and Grenville (NE ½(?) Lot –illigible-1^st Concession Drummond).  His mill was on the opposite side of the river from his house and farm.  He was one of the justices comprising the first session of the Peace for the District of Bathurst and was chairman of the quarter sessions for many years.  In 18??, when William Morris was elevated to the Legislative Council of Upper Canada, Dr. Thom succeeded him as a member of the Provincial Assembly.  However, in the general election of the following June, he was defeated by Malcolm Cameron.  Dr. Thom’s property west on Wilson Street (including Caroline Village, named after his daughter Mrs. Gamsby) as well as lots (illegible) and 3^rd Concession(?) Drummond (which in 1817 had been divided into 25 acres lots) were taken into the town of Perth when it was incorporated in 18??.  By that time the aforesaid 25 acre lots had been more or less sub divided.  Even as early as May 10, 1817(?) patents of 25 acre “Park Lots” had issued to Messrs Pitts, Sgt. Adams, Taylor, Bell, Grimsby, Hughes, Willocks (Sgt. Major) and McMillen.    Continued next Week

Perth Courier, January 5, 1934

D Drummond Street

1 Going north on this street we note that a man named Thomas and John Oliver were located on the first block on the east side while Capt. John Freer who had served in the Canadian Fencibles along with Capt. J. Taylor and William Marshall, drew lot 20, Concession (illegible), Drummond and was later president of the Bank of British North America.

2 The 1^st Presbyterian Church opened in August of 1819 and was situated on the south east corner of Drummond and Halton Streets while the name of its founder and pastor Rev. William Bell, appears on the south west corner of the same intersection.  This had been granted for a manse but Rev. Bell always lived in houses built and owned by himself.

3 Messrs McCracken and Haup shared the lot south of the manse one.

4On the north east corner of Drummond and Halton St. Lt. Fitzmaurice, probably Lt. Ulysses Fitzmaurice, of the Canadian Fencibles who had received his commission in 1812 and retired on half pay October 11, 1816, and had drawn his usual acres with Augst. Cameron on the adjoining lot.

5 Here Euphemia Cameron who had secured one of the first four public house licenses early in 1823, operated a tavern.

6 Beyond on the opposite corner of Cockburn and Drummond Streets, was Henry Bradford’s allotment with Julius Lieure (possibly a son of Capt. Tito(?) Lievre of the Royal Newfoundland Fencibles, who was granted-illegible number, maybe 800???-acres) in its rear.

7 Next to it on the south east corner of Drummond and Brock Streets was the famous home of Major James Hamilton Powell (afterwards colonel).  He had been the commander of the 103^rd Regiment prior to its disbandment at Quebec.  Coming to Perth in 1818, he drew 1,000 acres in this section and in the following year succeeded the notorious Daniel Daverne to the superintendency of the Perth Military Settlement. This post he held until 1822 when the military control of the settlement was withdrawn and the village secured municipal government.  In 1823 Col. Powell became the first sheriff of the Bathurst District.  He died in Ireland in 1831.  A son, John A.H. Powell, succeeded him as sheriff in 1832.  A daughter married Mr. W.F.R. Berford and his son, William became Sheriff of Carleton County, dying in Ottawa in 1889.  He was the father of W.F. Powell, Esq.,  former Chief of Police of Ottawa.  Col. Powell’s acreage extended from Drummond Street To Beckwith Street.  His huge frame mansion was eventually torn down to make room for the home of the late Charles J. Foy, barrister, and others.  Col. Powell entertained the Duke of Richmond in Perth just before His Grace’s death near the village of Richmond in 1819.

8 Dr. Corbeya, regarding whom the writer has no information, a Mr. O’Brien, Capt. Henry Graham (who attained the rank of ensign in the 103^rd Regiment) who retired on half pay on (date illegible), 1818(?), and drew 600(?) acres in the Perth settlement and became a leading merchant and was appointed to the Canadian Senate at Confederation; and Captain Fowler (Assistant Quartermaster at Military Headquarters, Quebec) were all located on the west side of this street between Hanna and Brock Streets.  Capt. Fowler’s land was opposite the Powell house and extended through to Gore Street. 

9 The front half of the block on the east side of the street beyond Capt. Powell was divided between James Blair, hotel keeper and Capt. John Watson (who had become Quartermaster of the Glengarry Fencible Corps on Feb. 6, 1812(?) and retired on half pay March(?) 25, 1816).  The latter was the first treasurer of the Baptist District.  (transcriber’s note, I wonder if this is not a printing error and it was meant to say Bathurst District)  He acted in that capacity until 1832 when Capt. John McKay (then living on the Scotch Line) succeeded him.

10 Then as now, the court house and English Church were set on the east side of Drummond Street between Craig and Harvey Streets.  On the next corner across Harvey Street was the large brick residence of Perth’s first lawyer, James Bolton.  He lived there until 1833 when he moved to Toronto.

11 On the Sand Hill behind the Bolton house, was Perth’s first Roman Catholic Church.  It was begun in 1820 under Father LaMothe and this frame structure served until 1838 when on Christmas Day the fine new stone church was opened on its present site.  Five years alter the unoccupied building burned down.

12 A Mrs. Campbell who was probably the daughter of Lt. Col. Josin(?) Taylor (the great-great-grandfather of Miss Mary Walker of this town) owned the acre across Drummond Street from Mr. Bolton’s place.

13 The property opposite to the St. James Anglican Church is down to L. deLisle, who was probably a son of Capt. Benj. T. deLisle, formerly of the Canadian Fencible Infantry who went on half pay October 11, 1816 and drew lands in Beckwith, Drummond and Leeds.

14 In 1817 Dr. O’Heare, who had been an army surgeon, lived across from the court house with Col. Taylor on the next corner to the south.  When he went on half pay in 1816 he had obtained a captaincy in the Canadian Fencibles.  He was granted four lots in Drummond and was Perth’s first post  master and like so many other retired officers, engaged in mercantile pursuits.

15 On the southwest corner of Drummond and Brock Streets and across from the Blair’s public house, was located Dr. George Hume Reade, J.P. and Coroner for the district and who was appointed Clerk of the Peace in 1823.  He had retired from the medical department of the British Army in 1813 and his four sons afterwards distinguished themselves in the same army—two of them in the medical service.  Sir Herbert Taylor Reade won the Victoria Cross during the Indian mutiny, became Surgeon General in 1886 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1887.  His brother, Sir John By Cole Reade served in the Crimea, the Indian mutiny, and the Afghan War, became a Surgeon General in 1893(?) and received the Jubilee Medal in 1897.  The two brothers were appointed Honorary Surgeons to the household of Her Majesty Queen Victoria in 1895.  They brought home to their family honor.

16 Across the Tay, Lt. Roderick Matheson owned the broken lot along the river and the acre at the southeast corner of Drummond and Herriott Streets.

17 John Jackson, Inspector of Weights and Measures from 1827(?) to 1834(?) had the two acres through to Beckwith Street which later on were owned successively by Messrs. Richard Shaw and William Meighen and a subsidiary of the H.(?) K. Wampole Company.

18 The Bell homestead now owned by Mrs. G.G. Geddes was on the south east corner of Drummond and Foster Streets.  This site for a residence was granted to Rev. William Bell after his arrival from Scotland on June 24, 1817 to minister to the Scottish Presbyterians in the new settlement.  Until the summer of 1818 he had his family lived in a rented log house.  Then, they moved into the large frame house which he had erected on the Foster Street side of his property.  In December, 18??, they made a final move into the old stone house still standing and which bids fair to last another century at least.  Altogether, Rev. Bell received 300(?) acres as “Army Chaplain”.   For two decades of more until his death in 18?? The acre(?) opposite to Rev. Bell’s property and cornering on Foster Street belonged to William Bell, Jr., grandfather of the write of this piece, but this plan was evidently drawn prior to the erection of his red brick residence upon the site of which the Andrew McArthur brick house was eventually built and the log frame building on Foster Street, one of the landmarks in early Perth, and which was the locale of the extensive mercantile establishment of Messrs William and John Bell.  The residence of W. B.(?) Hart and Mrs. A.C. Shaw now occupy the site of the latter building and its large yard.

19 At Glen Tay, Capt. Joshua Adams, a veteran who had served through the recent American war, had the first saw and grist mill in the vicinity of Perth and also erected a tavern in the village which may possibly have been the building shown on the Foster Street side of what was then or afterwards the aforementioned Bell property, for the Captain’s name appears thereon.

E Gore Street

1 Going up Gore Street from the Scotch Line no names of a dozen or more frame buildings appear until we reach Craig Street where on the northeast corner, Sgt. Glen Adamson, formerly of the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles, erected in 18?? What is said to be the oldest hotel in Perth, the famous “red house” which served long as an inn and also at different times as a church, school house, court house, officer’s mess and Masonic Hall.

Following is a paragraph completely illegible and torn.

2 It will be seen that the office of the Superintendent of the settlement was located at the corner of Gore and Harvey Streets where Daniel McMartin, Perth’s third lawyer, later on, erected a large brick building (now St. James Memorial Hall) which is still one of the best examples of Colonial architecture in this province.

3The whole four acre block on the opposite side of Gore Street from the superintendent’s headquarters, belonging to Perth’s first merchant and parliamentary representative, William Morris.  After several terms in the legislature of Upper Canada, he was appointed to the Legislative Council of the same province.  The Honorary Alexander Morris and William Morris, Jr., were sons.  The original Morris store was on the northwest corner of Drummond and Harvey street.

4On the opposite corner (to the north of the Morris block) was the “King’s Store” from which rations and implements were distributed to the new settlers.  Later on this became the site of the Spalding and Stewart distillery.

5Superintendent Daverne lived on the corner across Harvey Street from his office and upon which the late James Allan afterwards built the fine large stone building which still occupies that site.

6North of Cockburn Island and skirting the Little River (afterwards Lt. Col.) Playfair of His Majesty’s 104^th Regiment of Foot and who went on half pay May(?) 27, 1817, was located.  This included the site of the present Booke-Conway block. 

7Lt. Henry Graham had secured the corresponding strip of land along the Little River between Gore and Wilson Streets and his store was in the original stone building on the site of the present handsome Code block. Fronting on Herriott Street, T.A. Code’s beautiful residence and grounds occupy the balance of this finely situated property.

8William Graham is the owner of the acre at the north east corner Gore and Herriott Streets, the Gore Street frontage of which has long been occupied with a continuous row of substantial stone commercial establishments including the quarters of the Perth Courier and the long established drug store on the corner.

9Lt. R. Matheson was the owner of the adjacent acre to the north—with his store and residence fronting on Gore Street and extensive gardens to the rear.  His great-great-grandson, Henry F. Shaw, still carries on the business.  Lt. Roderick Matheson who was also paymaster, had retired from the Glengarry Fencibles Corps on half pay December 4, 1816.  He drew 225 acres and was one of the twelve original Justices of the Peace for the Bathurst District, became a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada and at Confederation was appointed to the Canadian Senate.

10Col. Taylor owned half of the block bounded by Gore, Foster and Drummond Streets and the 2^nd Concession Line (now North Street).  His store was in the center of the Foster Street frontage and there was a small frame building about where is now the driveway to the Hotel Perth yard.

11In 1823 Sgt. William Matheson (“Bill of All Trades”), the local Pooh-bah of those early days operated one of the first four local hotels at the corner of Drummond and Foster where William McNarin Shaw, barrister, and M.P.P. erected several decades later the handsome freestone residence which was purchased some years ago by the late T.B. Caldwell.  Owning half the block bounded  by Gore, Foster and William Streets and the 2^nd Concession Line.  Matheson afterwards opened up a hotel on the corner where A. Meighen and A. Meighen & Bros. carried on business for so many decades.  This tavern he called the “Coffee House”. A later venture in the same line was a boarding house in the red brick building opposite St. James Church which afterwards was the home of the late Robert Stone.  However, when it is stated that the former Sgt. Matheson was the first High Constable of the District, that at different time he served as Collector of Taxes of Drummond Township, Street Surveyor for Perth, Gaoler, Pound Keepter, and in his spare time, auctioneer, it will be seen that the application “Bill Of All Trades” was not entirely inappropriate.

12William Naughten(?) who had been Conductor of Stores in the army, of field trains, opened up the first bakeshop on the acre which he had drawn opposite the William Graham lot and on the corner where the S - - rite Store now is.

13A Dan Buchanan and lawyer Rossiter(?) shared the adjoining lot to the north and later owning the site of the present extensive establishment of the James Brothers.

Perth Courier, January 17, 1936

Donor:  Robert B. Hazelton, Toronto

Item:  Copy of the First Census of Perth and Drummond Townships, dated 9 April, 1817 and is one of the earliest records of the Perth Military establishment now in existence.

(Several paragraphs of notes of a general nature regarding population size, not transcribed)

The following brief notes regarding whom the writer happens to possess information and who are numbered as shown on the list:

Number 31—Peter Campbell and his wife Margaret, grandparents of the writer, who came from Argylshire, Scotland, 1817, located on Lot 6, 7^th Concession Drummond, still known as “Beech Grove”, the birth place of the late Rev. Dr. Robert Campbell (of Montreal, Sr. Clerk and ex-Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada) and of the late Archibald Campbell, Sr., of Perth and now owned by the Carr-Thompson family.  The Campbell burial ground is in one corner of the homestead lot.

Number Forty Nine—Dr. Benj. P. deLisle, who was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Canadian Fencible Regiment in 1812, went on half pay in 1816 and drew Lot #2, 4^th Concession Drummond and was a lower Canadian.

Number Fifty Six—John Ferguson—He owned the town lot at the south east corner of Wilson and Foster Streets and erected the first stone building in Perth where the Revere House now stands.

#539(?)—William Fraser—He was a son of Captain Donald Fraser (formerly a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers and M.L.A. of U.C.) and father of the late Donald Fraser, who died at Victoria, B.C. in January of 1933 aged 93 years.  John McDowell of Toronto and formerly of Perth is also a grandson.

Number Sixty One—Alexander Fraser, Sr.—Evidently he was captain of the 49^th Regiment (Hertfordshire) and who in 1816 was granted the N.E. half of Lot 6, Concession 2 of Drummond.

Number Sixty Seven—Lt. Ulysses Fitzmaurice of the Canadian Fencible Corps and had received his commission in 1812 and retired on half pay in 1816 locating on the corner of Drummond and Halton Streets.

Number Eighty Four—David Hogg—He was an ex-gunman of the Royal Artillery and who was granted Lot 22, 2^nd Concession Drummond in 1816.

Number Ninety Six—John James and his wife Debra, probably a son of Edward James, founder of the little James settlement on the 2^nd Line Drummond, a forefather of His Worship Mayor James J. Hands of Perth. Edward James, Sr., and his family emigrated from County Wexford in the south of Ireland to Upper Canada in 1815 and Messrs. George S. and Lawrence H. James of Perth are great-great-grandsons of this pioneer as are Messrs. W. H. and Thomas Hicks.  Wesley James is another descendent.

Numbers Ninety Seven and Ninety Eight—William and Thomas James are probably brothers of the aforesaid John James. 

Number One Hundred Ten—Capt. Farncis Tito LeLievre, formerly of the Royal Newfoundland Fencibles who drew (illegible number) acres and owned the sites of the present Code’s Knitting Mill and Miss C.M. Dawes’ residence, the former John Riddell property.  Two of his five daughters became wives of Dr. Alexander Thom.  He obtained his commission in 1803 and went on half pay in 1816.

Number One Hundred Thirty Six—Sgt. William Matheson—“Bill of All Trades” who was born in the United States; had served in the British army for over nine years, and drew the south west quarter of Lot 6(?), Concession 1, Drummond as well as the east one half of the block bounded by Gore, Foster, Wilson and North Streets, Perth.

Number One Hundred Seventy Nine(?)—William Naughty (really Naughten-?-) who had been Collector of Stores in the Army Field Train and opened in Perth the first bakeshop on the acre lot he had drawn on the north west corner of Gore and Herriott Streets where the store of the Ontario Liquor Control Board is now.

Number Two Hundred Fifty Two—Sgt. John Adamson formerly of the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles—He erected in 1816 the first home on the new town site of sturdy oak logs which probably accounts for the fact that it is still standing, although twice clap boarded and modernized.  It is situated on the north side of Craig Street, opposite the residence of the late James Spalding.  Its present owner is Fred G. Forrester.  The famous “red house” served long as and also church, school house, officer’s mess, printing office and Masonic Temple.  Then it became the William Fraser homestead accommodating three generations of that family before passing into other hands.  The most outstanding event of those early days was the visit of His Grace the Duke of Richmond, Governor General of Canada, to Perth in August of 1819 when His Excellency was a guest of the “red house”.  This was just before his tragic death at the village of Richmond from hydrophobia from the bite of a pet fox.  It is the birth place of the late Donald Fraser of Victoria, B.C. who was a grandson of the enterprising Sgt. Adamson.  In 1817 the sergeant had been granted one of Perth’s 25 acre “Park Lots”.

Number Two Hundred Thirty Six—Lt. and Ensign William Blair of the Glengarry Fencibles who drew lot 23, Concession 3, Bathurst, and was the great grandfather of Dr. William G. Blair, the popular physician of this town.  The Perth Museum possesses a printing on wood which this officer brought out from Scotland and also a triangular shaped brick made by him, one of the first fabricated in the new settlement.

Number Two Hundred Fifty Seven—Capt. John Watson, former Quartermaster of the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles and one of the twelve Justices of the Peace in the Bathurst District and its first town treasurer.

Number Two Hundred Seven—Hugh Robinson (really Robertson) and his wife Christine (nee McDonald), who settled on what is now known as the Drummond Centre District in December of 1818.  Hugh Robertson was a graduate of Stirling Academy in Scotland and an expert in mathematics.  His eldest son John was the father of the late Hugh Robertson, for so many years the able and respected bookkeeper for the Meighen mercantile concern while another son, David, married Janet Shaw, living in Perth, and was the father of Messrs. Hugh S., William S., Dr. Donald, Fred A., James and Charles Robertson and Mrs. T.C. Smith and Misses Ann and Margaret A. Robertson.

Continued Next Week

Perth Courier, January 24, 1936

Number Three Hundred Four—Daniel Daverne, Esq., then superintendent and secretary of the Perth Military Settlement and he lived on the north east corner of Gore and Harvey Streets.  This notorious official, after systematically robbing both the military authorities and unfortunate settlers, skipped out during an investigation being held by Sir Francis Cockburn, Deputy Quartermaster General, and was never apprehended.  Brevet Col. James Hamilton Powell who succeeded Daniel Daverne, acted as superintendent until 1822 when the Perth Military District was disbanded and Perth granted municipal rights, and Col. Powell appointed the first Sheriff of the Bathurst District of which Perth was the political, judicial and social capital.

Among the other family names recorded in this “census” are Cameron, Deacon, Doyle, Griffith, Morris, McLaren, Rice, Rathwell, Sinclair, Scott, Tatlock and Thompson.

Number Sixteen—Richard Cullen—An Irish private of the Royal Artillery who after almost 17 years of service, located on the west half of Lot 16, Concession 1, Drummond in 1817.

Number Seventy—Evan Griffith—An Irish private of the 81^st Regiment who had 12 years of service to his credit and was granted the south half of Lot 22(?), Concession 3, Drummond, in 1818(?).

Number Eighty-Eight—Sgt. Jacob Hollinger—A German of the Foreign Corps who was given the west half of Lot 2, Concession 6, Drummond, after seven years service.

Perth Courier, Feb. 17, 1937

Donor:  Mrs. Norman Macpherson

Item:  An interesting accession to the Historical Department, Pioneer Section, Perth Museum is the Secretary-Bureau made in Perth over 100 years ago.  It was received from Mrs. Norman Macpherson of Toronto and Kincardine, Ontario.  This handsome example of early Provincial cabinet work was made by an expert craftsman whom Malcolm Macpherson, pioneer (illegible word) builder and later on surveyor of Perth, got out from Scotland to work in his shop.  It is an excellent specimen of the hand made craftsmanship of a period when workmen took pleasure in their handmade products—articles both beautiful and useful which were made to last.  The body of this particular piece is made of black walnet with large end panels of beautiful curly maple and door fronts of solid birds (illegible word) maple.  The latter two woods at one time were plentiful in local hardwood bushes.  There are nine small drawers, one large one and a drawer-like section, the front of which lets down for writing purposes.  This bureau-secretary has finely carved claw feet in front.  Originally a two shelved closed bookcase rested on top of it and this may even also come to the Perth Museum.  Malcolm Macpherson, the original owner, was born in Perthshire, Scotland in 1806 and came to Canada in 1815 and to Perth in 1816.  He married Elizabeth Macpherson of Ernestown of U.E. Loyalist descent in 1832 and was an elder in St. Andrew’s Church, Perth in 1831.  After being long a prominent resident of Perth, he moved to Kincardine, Bruce County, in 1854, taking along this furniture now donated.  The late Norman Macpherson was a son and R.M. Macpherson, manager of the Bank of Montreal in Mildmay, Bruce County, is a grandson and Miss Alma M. Macpherson (who lives with her mother) is a granddaughter.  The generous donor of this piece is a daughter of the late John G. Campbell—father of Messrs. John M. Campbell and Lorne A. Campbell and the late Bower Campbell; of Mesdames W. T. Walker and Alexander Macgillivray and of the late Mrs. James Burns.  The late Mrs. C. Inderwick, daughter of the late William Lees, M.P.P. is a cousin of Mrs. N. Macpherson, her mother having been a sister of John Ward.  The latter was a son of John Ward, pioneer, whom Rev. William Bell mentions (in his journal) as one of the original subscribers in the First Balderson Presbyterian Church, in which, later on, John Ward was an elder.  Although Mrs. Macpherson was young when she left Lanark County, she remembers sitting behind Mr. Macnee in the Balderson Church and enjoying his fine bass voice during the singing.

Perth Courier, May 28, 1937

Donor:  Mrs. W. M. deRay Williams

Item:  An interesting accession to the History and Arms Department of the Perth Museum is an officer’s sword used by the late Lt. Col. W. M. deRay Williams of London during the second (1885) Riel Rebellion in the Canadian Northwest, from Mrs. W.M. deRay Williams of Brockville, daughter of the late John M. Graham of Perth.  This weapon had previously belonged to a retired British army officer who gave it to Col. Williams of the R.C.M. Police. It is manufactured by W. & Co., E. Farra, Newgate Street, London, and is stamped “proved” , both the hilt and the blade bearing the initials “V.R.”

Donor:  Ada Graham, Perth

Item:  Ada Graham of Perth, daughter of the late John M. Graham, donated a wedding fan of June 28, 1859.  This particular fan consists of mother-of-pearl watered silk and 15 sticks folded one over the other affording an exquisite example of the remarkable work in this medium during the first half of the last century by expert Italians and others.  It belonged to the donor’s mother, the late Mrs. John M. Graham of Perth whose husband’s father, the Hon. Harry Graham was one of more than a score of British army officers who settled in Perth during the second decade of the last century.  His regiment had been the 103^rd.  He went on half pay on Feb. 25, 1813(?) and in 1867 was one of the original senators for Ontario.

Perth Courier, April 14, 1939

Donor:  Major J.A.B. Dulmage, B.A., Smith’s Falls

Item:  50-odd legal and historical documents

1 Declaration and Summons served on John Teskey on Nov. 17, 1821 by Anthony V. Wiseman, Sheriff’s Bailiff (who swore that he had traveled 27 miles to serve the same), filed with Col. C. H. Sache, Clerk of the District Court, with Thomas Radenhurst (Perth’s second lawyer) as plaintiff’s attorney, Messrs James Averall III and Alfed Hook, defendant’s and the document witnessed by John Jones, Esq., Judge of the District Court at Perth.  Fifteen pounds were asked for.

2 A similar document summoning Richard Edwards, defendant and issued May 14, 1828; John Bower Lewin was plaintiff.

3 A docket of sundry “Judges notes” , mortgages for February and March of 1831.  There are three cases dated Feb. 28, 1831.

A Edward Malloch versus Christopher Graham; motion by James Bolton (Perth’s first lawyer and the builder of the present St. James Church parish hall) to “amend the declaration granted, upon payment of cash.

B Simpson and McIntyre versus Nichol McNichol with Daniel McMartin (Perth’s third lawyer and the builder of what is now St. John’s Memorial Hall and the grandfather of the late Frederick Baker) as defendant’s attorney.

C Glass and Cameron versus Archibald—Motion by Thomas Radenhurst for a new trial on the grounds the verdict was contrary to the law and evidence.  Refused.

4 At Perth on March 15, 1831 in the case of Timothy Hart versus William Craig—six pence awarded to the plaintiff.  McMartin was his attorney.

5 In another case in which the redoubtable William Matheson was the defendant, fifty pork barrels at five shillings per barrel and four gallons of whiskey and two and sixpence figured.

6 In another case, Henry Graham, Esq., (later on, one of the original Senators for Ontario) and George Lyon (founder of the Richmond Military Settlement, long a member of the early parliaments and a fore-father of Bert Lyon, of today’s Perth) were plaintiffs while Thomas Brooke, veteran town clerk, etc., of Perth and father of Miss Mary Brooke of the Brooke’s block, Gore Street, was a witness.

7 In another case, the judge charged the jury to find for the plaintiff if they believed the witness (William Devlin).  If not, for the defendant.  Verdict for the plaintiff, two shillings, five pence.  McMartin was his lawyer.

8 In still another case, Boulton won for William Merrick (founder of Merrickville).  Aaron Merrick was a witness.  In one case, Boulton won for the firm of William and John Bell (also sons of Rev. William Bell).

9 In another case, tried on June 14, 1851(?), James Wylie, Almonte, pioneer, lost a case in which McMartin acted for the plaintiff and in which Malcolm Cameron appeared as a witness. 

10 In another case, the Rev. R. Short was forced to pay ten pounds for a “suit of super fine clothes” which had been made by Robert Bows.

11 In one instance, Lawyer Burritt won a case for the defense of Daniel McMartin.  In another, William Bell et al  lost over a debt, Boulton was their attorney.

12 In the case of Francis H. Consitt versus James Robinson, McMartin secured a verdict for damages of six pence.

13 In a case of Thomas Barrie versus George Lester, William Rutherford, Roderick Matheson (another original Senator of the Dominion), John Ritchie and J.H. Powell, Sheriff, were witnesses.

14 In a Bytown case, a George Patterson won payment of 45 shillings for as many loaves of bread sold in 1828.

15 In the case of William Morris and Company versus William Tully with Marney for the plaintiff, William Bell, Jr., (who had been an apprentice of the plaintiff in 1827) was a witness.  This suit was over five shillings a month rent for a house which one witness swore was not tenantable.  Verdict for defendant.

16 In another case, the names of John Ferrier, William Fraser and Alexander Fraser (all well known pioneers) appeared as witnesses.  Lt. Col. Fraser was the grandfather of the Misses Armstrong of Drummond Street. 

17 The case of John Hand versus Caleb S. Henderson is rather amusing.  The plaintiff sold a yoke of oxen and took a note for ten pounds.  The oxen broke out of a field surrounded by a fence eight rails high and when the plaintiff attempted to use one of them, the ox would lie down and they could not get him up until they burned hay under his nose.  Witnesses also asserted that one of the cattle was “breachy”.  William Morris was a witness as were Alexander McEathrin and Thomas Mansfield.  Verdict for plaintiff. 

18 In September, 1831 Daniel Naughty (Army pensioner and Perth’s first barber) secured a verdict for bread; and in the case of Malcolm Cameron versus Finlay McLaren over a note, the defendant won.

Perth Courier, May 6, 1832

Donor:  James M. Walker, Perth

Item:  Map of the Counties of Lanark and Renfrew from actual survey under the direction of H.F. Walling, 1863.  Survey was drawn by O.W. Gray, C.E. assisted by Albert Davis and S.S. Southworth.  This large wall map is particularly interesting and valuable for purposes of research as the location of houses in town and country are indicted in each case and the names of the owners or occupants printed along side.  Another desirable feature of this magnificent 69 year old map is the large number of plans of towns, villages and hamlets which are inset when space is available.  These include Perth, Smith’s Falls, Renfrew, Arnprior, Pembroke, Almonte, Franktown, Beachburg, Ferguson’s Falls, Eganville, Ashton, Douglas, Sand Point, Lanark, Innisville, Middleville, Harper’s Corners, Balderson, Pakenham, Adamsville (later called Glen Tay), Appleton, Port Elmsley, Prospect and Carleton Place.  Accompanying these diagrams of the larger places were directories or list of leading or professional men.  Among the residents of Perth:

James Allan, general merchandise

Rev. William Bain, St. Andrew’s Church of Scotland

James Bell, Agent for the Commercial Bank of Canada

Borrowman and Kennedy, surgeon dentists

George Barrie, hotel

W. O. Buell, barrister

Brown and Phillip, cabinet makers

Joshua Bothwell, cooper

William Butler, tin, copper, and sheet iron worker

Peter Campbell, woolen factory, Port Elmsley

John Coombs, chemist and druggist

George Corry, blacksmith

George Cox, carriage maker

J.M.O. Cromwell, land surveyor

Joseph Cockfield, locomotive foreman, B & O railway

Robert Croskery, boot and shoe manufacturer

Rev. James B. Duncan

John Doran, general merchandise

Alexander Dodds, saw & grist mill, Adamsville

Ralph Dodds, woolen manufacturer

William Fraser, County Treasurer

Donald Farmer, barrister

Samuel Farmer, boot and shoe manufacturer

W. H. Grant, Sheriff’s bailiff

Robert Gemmell, distiller

E. H. Horsey, M.D.

John Haggart, mayor and mill owner

James Hicks, general merchandise

William Hicks, hotel

Francis Hall, boot and shoe manufacturer

John Hart, Jr., book seller, stationer and land owner

William Kilpatrick, tanner and currier

Robert Kellock, gaoler of U.C. & L.&R.

Alexander Kippen, builder and sash, blind and door manufacturer

William Little, founder and machinist

James Laurie, baker

Hon. Roderick Matheson, Legislative Council

James Mair, Sr., general merchant

Judge John G. Malloch, Judge of Court

Arthur Meighen, general merchandise

Charles Maier(?), Perth foundry

(first name illegible) Morris, post master

Henry Moorehouse, lumberman and mill owner

Alexander Morris, M.P.P. for South Lanark

Very Rev. Vicar General McDonagh

Rev. William McKenzie, Presbyterian minister, Ramsay

John A. McLaren, clerk

William McLeod, tin plate worker

Daniel McMartin, barrister

Dr. Jas. S. Nichol

James McPherson, carpenter and joiner

C. Neilson, watch and jewelry store

George Northgraves, watch and jewelry store

William O’Brien, boot and shoe manufacturer

Pacy and Martindale, hardware merchants

Hugh Ryan, general merchandise

R. Richardson, agent for the Bank of Montreal

Charles Rice, clerk of the Crown and Pleas

John Rudd, merchant tailor

John Riddell, cabinet and chair maker

John Rutherford, blacksmith

James Robertson

E. Q. Sewell, M.D.

Henry D. Shaw, general merchandise

Rev. R.L. Stephenson, Rector, St. James Church

Richard Shaw, editor British Standard and founder

James Smith, brewer

John Stewart, Innkeeper

Robert Thompson, Sheriff of the United Counties of Lanark and Renfrew

Jas. Templeton, tannery

George L. Walker, Editor, Perth Courier

H. W. Wright, hat, cap, furrier and clothing

T. Weatherhead and Company, General Merchants

William Wordie, brewer

Perth Courier, May 31, 1940

Donor:  Mrs. George T. Kerr, Perth, in Memory of John A. Kerr, Esq.

Item:  Oil painting of Perth, Upper Canada as it appeared in 1852

This old picture of Perth-on-Tay was executed by a local artist named Field, who had quite a reputation as a portrait painter.  He did a portrait of Judge John Glass Malloch, of Sheriff and Mrs. Thompson and many other citizens of town and country.

Perth Courier, October 16, 1942

Donor:  Miss Margaret Thompson

Item:  A rifle bayonet taken to England by a Sergeant John Spence of London, England, who had served with the British forces in the South Africa or Boer War—before joining the army he had been a steeplejack of note having repaired many of the highest steeples in the British Isles and on the continent of Europe.  His son came to Canada and after his father’s death in England this bayonet and other things were sent out to the son.  He was employed for a time at “Beechgrove” the Carr-Thompson farm on the 7^th Concession Drummond and on going west left it behind.

Donor:  Major John R. Douglas, Perth

Item:  Shield of the Lanark and Renfrew Battalion (130^th Regiment) supplied by the military authorities at the request of the O.C. Lt Col. J.E. deHertel, Perth.

Donor:  Dr. W.A. Rupert Mitchell, Ottawa

Item:  Time bomb or shell from the Somme battlefield in the vicinity of Carnoy(?).

Donor:  Harry Warren, Perth, per Perth-Upon-Tay Chapter of the I.O.D.E.

Item:  Quartermaster Sgt. Harmon Warren’s World War One relics.  This compact case contains:  an interesting group of relics collected during the 1914-18 conflict by Quartermaster Sgt. Warren of the 8^th Field Ambulance, C.E.F. who sent them to his brother Harry Warren of Perth to keep for him until his would return home.  However, unfortunately,  he died overseas.  A nine foot long ensign folded so that only the Union Jack shows forms a suitable background for the assemblage.  It was in use throughout the Great War.  With the exception of a flashlight which had belonged to the colonel of the corps. Several rifle shells and 6 picture post cards showing the famous Cloth hall, St. Martin’s Cathedral, and the Neptun Gate of Ypres (both before and after the bombardment, the souvenirs had all been obtained from German prisoners.  They consist of the following:  a German gas mask, food container, felt covered water bottle, soldier’s cap, belt and face watch, arm band, brass knife (with a handle formed of a rifle shell) made by a prisoner and a soldier’s pipe.  The latter is, perhaps, the most unusual of all the items.  It somewhat resembles a big cigar with an amber mouth piece and without a bowl.  A cavity inside is filled with tobacco which was lighted and closed.  The smoke emerged through small holes in the center but no light was visible.

Perth Courier, November 27, 1942 

Donor:  Miss Robina Templeton, Belleville, Ont.

Item:  Telescope used by Dr. Gilchrist, R.N. (used also by Napoleon)

Perth Courier, October 14, 1942

A Museum Addition

Souvenir of the Red River Rebellion

Letter from Capt. Thomas Scott to Major John W. Douglas, Perth

Prince Arthur’s Landing, Thunder Bay Camp

June 27, 1870

Dear John:

I was glad to receive a letter from you last evening per Chicora and I must thank you for its length and general information about matters in Perth contained therein.  The most of the letters I receive from Perth are short and the writers seem to think a person a long distance from his native place has no wish to hear of trivial (in their eyes) matters.  This is a great mistake, anything, even a dog fight, is acceptable.  Since arriving in camp here I have found it necessary to cut my letters short owing to the want of facilities for writing.  You know it is no easy matter writing a long epistle on your knees while sitting on the ground.  But as you, however, have very kindly written me, I will endeavor to give you as much information as possible.

To begin, you are aware we left Toronto on the 31^st May and arrived here on the 3^rd June.  The sail from Collingwood to Ft. William is a most delightful one and all enjoyed it immensely.  Our camp ground is beautifully situated:  15 miles from us on our left front is Thunder Cape; on our front is Pie Island and on our right is McKay Mountain.  Then, there are two pretty islands in the bay called “Welcome Islands”.  I don’t believe there is a prettier harbor in America.  There is a small “village” at the landing composed of two small stores, a tavern called “Hotel de Flaherty”, two or three private residences, and a large number of government buildings, sheds, stables, etc.  The 60^th are encamped here.  Our camp is about 700 yards down on the bay shore to which a road was made by the 60^th before our arrival.  Midway between the village and our camp, “Fort Arthur” is being built and is now nearly completed.  It is earth work about the size of Fort Wellington.  One of the guns is to be mounted on it and a company of the 2^nd Battalion is to garrison it commanded by the senior captain of the 2^nd  (Captain de Bellefois).  Six companies of the 60^th have gone on, some up the road and others up the Kaministkwia.  The whole force would have been away from here before this but the government road built by Dawson is totally unfit for travel in many places, although he represented it as alright long ago.

He has a couple hundred men in his employ and about all they do is eat and draw their pay.  There has been a fearful amount of mismanagement in this whole affair.  Col. Bolton chartered two American propellers at $400 a day each and they have been laying more than half the time doing nothing. Just fancy the Algoma being chartered for thirty days at $300 per day and lying at the Sault for twenty days without ever getting up steam.  The Arctic has been laying here for five days at $400 per day and doing nothing but draw the pay.  But such things must be I suppose.  About two miles up the road, Dawson had a bridge built over a gully.  On the opposite side, is a very high and steep hill sufficient to kill the best of horses.  Wolseley had the course changed by 200 yards and struck upon the main road and it is now a level piece of road.  This Dawson is a humbug and appears to know devilishly little about road building. 

Fifteen men from our battalion and fifteen men from the 2^nd were sent up the river yesterday in charge of a lot of boats for the Shabondewan.  The boats are nearly all up now.  Since we came here our men have been employed in fatigues, very little drill.  Just think at 2:00 drill this afternoon, there was one sergeant and one man on parade, the most of the men are engaged at the fort.  Sailing and fishing are the principal amusements for the officers.  Fort William is  four and a half miles from our camp.  It lies two thirds of a mile up from the mouth of the Kaministkwia.  There is a strong stone block house dwelling, houses, in all about a dozen buildings painted white surrounded by the stockade.  Mr. McIntyre is the agent here.  His family is the most hospitable I ever met.  He has three daughters and a niece all very fine girls.  I had an introduction a few days after my arrival and have spent many pleasant evenings there since.  We go by boat in about fifty minutes.  Mr. McIntyre has the only piano in this part of the world.  The young ladies can sing and play very well.  At the store here, everything that you can get at a general store in Canada is kept and the prices are about the same.  The liquor is ahead of everything I ever tasted before.  Rum is the favorite with us; no headache the next morning.

A short distance from Fort William a man named McVicar lives, above that, a Mr. McKeller.  I have visited these families frequently.  Miss Mary McVicar is at Fort Garry all the time of the trouble there; interceded with Riel for poor Scott’s release and shortly afterwards left Fort Garry for her home here, coming by St. Paul’s and Toronto.  She says Riel can gather fully a thousand men in a few days and they are splendid marksmen and horsemen.  We have floating  barrel targets at different ranges in the bay and when the men are not on fatigue they are practicing firing.  The men of both battalions are generally good shots but we do not anticipate any fighting however Wolseley believes in being prepared for any emergency.

We had a visit from several Indian chiefs who came from Rainy Lake last week.  Mr. Monkman  arrived here on his way home last week, 45 pounds of tobacco presented to him by Prince Arthur to be given to the Indians was stolen from him by some of the hands on board the Arctic.  Setter, Schultz and Donald A. Smith arrived here by the Chicora last evening.

Last evening Miss McVicar showed me a photo of Charlie Mair and his wife. She is well acquainted with them.  She has promised me letters of introduction to a number of families at Ft. Garry and I hope I will be able to meet as friendly people as I have here.  Jim McLenaghan is checking in McIntyre’s store at present but he is to be sent up to Mutawin to take charge of the new post there.  I will be he will soon be sick of it for he will see none but Indians and he cannot talk Indian.

The force will leave here by detachments of one or two companies and the whole will rendezvous at Ft. Francis where fresh orders will be issued.  Each captain has been furnished with a copy of orders for our guidance.  There will be five boats per company and each boat is to carry out three tons of extra stores in addition to 13 men and arms, etc., and thirty days provisions.  A good load for three pair of oars.

Tuesday afternoon, June 28

We are expecting the Algoma this afternoon.  Capt. MacKlem(?) and thirty men of his company are to leave for the Shabondewan tomorrow morning to take up the boats.  Capt. Jarvis informed me that Nos. 6 and 7 Companies are to be the headquarters, consequently we will be the last company of our battalion to leave; the Quebec battalion will follow.  Our men and the 2^nd do not pull very well yet.

There is a creek thirty feet wide dividing the two camps and any of our men who go there are slapped into the 2^nd guard room.  Yesterday one of the boys went over a little drunk.  The adjutant of the 2^nd ordered several men to take him to the guard room.  They tried to do so but he pitched them about pretty lively.  A large force was called on and our fellow hands and feet were tied and he was then carried to the guard tent.  I was captain of the day for our regiment and I sent over part of our guard to bring him back.  He was untied after being brought over but he was bound to be back and give the French hell.  I ordered the handcuffs to be put on him.  He then quieted down.  Our guard tent is a short distance from the creek, the door facing it.  The prisoner on looking across the creek noticed some of the French washing their clothes.  With a yell he made a charge down the bank and into the creek but the current being very swift it took his feet from under him and he was carried down the stream.  Our guard chased him and recaptured him.  It was comical to see the Frenchmen bolt from the creek when they heard our fellow yelling for a knife and charging down on them.  This morning he got seven days confinement and fatigues.

It is rumored here today that General Lindsay is coming up by the Algoma on his way to Fort Garry with Riel’s pardon in his picket.  This matters little as far as Riel is concerned for there are dozens of our men who have taken a solemn oath to have his life.  His pardon if he stays in the country will be his certain death.  Col. Walseley and the 60^th intend to leave Fort Garry for Montreal this fall.  It is doubtful if the colonel will manage this as it will very likely be the end of August when we arrive at Winnipeg.  I will write again.  My respects to Ned Pink and others.

Yours, etc.

Thomas Scott.

Museum Note:  Written as it was by a former Perthite, the letter reproduced above is, perhaps, the most interesting and valuable recent accession to the ever growing collection of documents in the historical archives of the Perth Museum.  It is one of three gifts from R.W. Douglas of Holleybury through his brother Major John M. Douglas of Perth and “Tippermirir”(?), Rideau Ferry.  They are both sons of the addressee, the late Major John W. Douglas, at that time a leading Perth barrister. 

This contemporary account of the primitive conditions then existing at the lake head should prove intensely interesting to present day citizens of Port Arthur and Fort William as well as to easterners and other who, like the writer, are familiar with these progressive and important “twin cities”.  Captain Scott’s opinion of the beauty of Port Arthur’s incomparable situation and outlook over Thunder Bay is fully concurred with by the writer who has long considered that, with the exception of Quebec city, it has about the most picturesque setting of any city in eastern Canada.  One never tires of the panorama obtainable from the dining room windows of the modern and homelike Port Arthur Hotel.

It might be mentioned that in the fine Dr. Charles Mair Memorial Collection in the Perth Museum can be seen a portrait of Col. Garnet Wolseley (who later on became Field Marshall Viscount Wolseley, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, Donald A. Smith (Special Commissioner of the Dominion government who afterwards became Baron Strathcona), Dr. John Schultz (who as Sir John Schultz later became Lt. Governor of the new province of Manitoba), Dr. Charles Mair (native of Lanark Village, poet and prose writer, historian of the west, authority on the Indian races of the Plaines, and hero of the “Red River Rising”), his heroic wife, Mrs. Mair, and poor Tom Scott (whose brutal murder on the 4^th March, when, after a farcical court martial trial, he was taken out and shot like a dog in the snow under the walls of Fort Garry), hastening the dispatch of the Wolseley expedition, Louis Riel, his chief lieutenant Ambrose, Lepine, and others.  Also found here is a rare lithographed copy of lower Fort Garry of which only ten or so impressions are in existence as the original painting and the plate from which they had been struck were destroyed in the Mortimer Company’s fire after which the said copy had been delivered to Sir John Schultz for his approval.

Captain Scott’s predictions that there would be no fighting at Ft. Garry proved to be correct.  When the Wolseley Expedition (consisting of 500 regulars and 500 Canadian volunteers0, after a wearisome journey of three months by the old fur traders route, from Thunder Bay, reached its destination towards the end of August, they found that Riel had promptly fled from the scene of his transient glory and sought refuge in the United States.  So that, as Agnes C. Laut(?) put it, the first Riel Rebellion amounted to little more than a joy jaunt for Col. Wolseley’s troops.

As Lt. Col. Scott (illegible word) became in 1871, is only remembered by Perth old timers, the following brief outline of his career may be of interest to our Courier readers.  He was born in Lanark County in 1841(?), his parents having emigrated from County Antrim, Ireland in 1824.  He was educated at the Perth High School, and he studied journalism at an early age.  In 1861(?), he founded the Perth Expositor which he edited and published in the Conservative interests up to his removal to Manitoba in 1873.  At the time of the Trent affair in 1861, he enlisted in the Perth Infantry Company and was gazetted a captain in November, 1863 and major of the 42^nd Battalion (on the absorption of his company in the latter) in 1866.  He was on active service on the frontier for three months during the Fenian raids.  In 1870 he was appointed to a company in the 1^st Ontario Battalion of rifles (as indicated in his letter) and returned with his battalion to Ontario in the winter of 1871.  Later, in the last named year, he was selected to command the 2^nd military expedition sent to Manitoba in consequence of the threatened Fenian invasion of that province and he was highly complimented by the military authorities for the successful manner in which he discharged this duty.  He was gazetted a lt. col. In 1871 and for some years remained attached to the Provincial Battalion of Rifles garrisoned at Ft. Garry.  On the outbreak of the Northwest Rebellion in 1885, he organized the 95^th Battalion commanding throughout the campaign (medal).  He retired, retaining rank, in May of 1887.  He was mayor of Winnipeg 1877-78, and in the Manitoba assembly for Winnipeg from the general election of 1873 to September of 188?.  He retired then to contest Selkirk for the House of Commons and was elected (vote Thomas Scot 735 and Hon. D.A. Smith 577) at the general election of (date illegible, maybe 1882), he was retained for Winnipeg and continued to represent that city at Ottawa up to his appointment as Collector of Customs for Winnipeg on March 16, 1887(?).  For some years he was president of the Conservative Association of Manitoba.  In 1862(?) he married Margaret Kellock, the second daughter of Robert Kellock of Perth and sister of the late Dr. J.D. Kellock, Mr. J.E. Kellock of Hamilton and the late Mrs. Hugh Robertson of Perth.  The late Mrs. Lawrence Gemmell of Perth was Mrs. Scott’s niece.  Col. Scott died in Winnipeg about 1913.  Contributed by Archibald M. Campbell

Perth Courier, November 26, 1942

Donor:  R.W. Douglas, Halleybury(?), Ont.

Items:  Two interesting documents presented through his brother John M. Douglas of Perth and “Tippermuir”, Rideau Ferry.  One is a valuable letter written by Captain Thomas Scott of the 1^st Ontario Rifles at Thunder Bay camp of his regiment on June 27, 1870 and which was published in the Perth Courier October 15, 1942.  Also, a deed of property dated 16^th April, 1842(?) which relates to the purchase by Robert Douglas of Perth for 125 pounds of land in Drummond.  Also, a military commission of Robert Douglas, Esq., dated Dec. 19, 1850 to Quartermaster in the 1^st Battalion of the Lanark Militia.

Donor:  Miss Mary Kerr

Item:  Pay List of the #7 or Col. Scott’s Company of the 1^st Ontario Battalion of Riflemen for the month July, 1870.

Captain Scott’s Company had then reached and was stationed at Ft. Garry, Manitoba.  The pay list columns give the rank, regiment numbers, names, period (from the first tot eh 31^st of July), number of days paid (31), rate per month, total amount, stoppage (none), net amount due, receipts of the N.C. officers and men, witnesses to the names of those who could not sign (14 in all) and remarks (none).  The company consisted of fifty men including the Color Sergeant George Kerr (receiving $13 per month), Sergeants W.W. Russell, John and D. Hamilton (with pay of $15 per month), Corporals Ed O’Neil, W.H. Acton, John Osborne, and A. Pearcy (getting $13 per month) and Bugler John Mann ($13 per month) while the 41 privates received $12 each per month.  The only names the Honorary Curator is not sure of are those of George Kerr (the oldest brother of John A. Kerr, who became one of Toronto’s leading barristers and died there a few years ago); John Andrew Kerr (a veteran and historian of both the first and second Riel Rebellions, an authority on prairie life of the buffalo – bison – hunting days and town clerk for decades), Charles N. Bell (son of James Bell of Perth) and probably the youngest private of the Wolseley expedition who remained in the west for the rest of his life, becoming Secretary of the Winnipeg Board of Trade and a leading authority on the history of the native races, natural resources and development of Manitoba and the former Northwest Territories), and Thomas Nixon ( the oldest brother of our fellow townsman Joseph E. Nixon, who, like Charles N. Bell and other eastern Ontario volunteers, succumbed to the lure of the great open spaces of the west, which was destined among other things to become one of the world’s principal grain producing areas).  The writer would welcome the details of any others included in this list.  The document bears the signature of J.F.B. Morice, paymaster; Major G. Wainwright, officer commanding the battalion; and Capt. Thomas Scott, O.C. of the company. The accompanying voucher #15 headed “Northwest Services”, was signed by Capt. Scott at Fort Garry, 15^th Oct., 1870 and by the paymaster three days later.  The following are the names of Capt. Scott’s company in the order in which they appear on the document.

Color Sergeant George Kerr

Sergeant W.W. Russell

Sergeant John Nesbett

Sergeant D. Hamilton

Corporal Ed. O’Neil

Corporal W.H. Acton

Corporal John Osborne

Corporal A. Pearcy

Buglar John Mann

Privates:

John Stephenson

W. Acres

Charles N. Bell

B.Butler

Daniel Brown

G.H. Brownlee

W. Bulger

Charles Boggs

B. Case

Jos. Case

Jas. Curran

Samuel Chapman

M. Collins

Thomas Douglas

Jas. Easton

Jas. Evans

Samuel Forster

J.D. Fowler

Chares Goddard

D. Hamilton

G. Hamilton

Jas. Jones

John A. Kerr

L.Lalonde

John Lalonde

John Miranda

G. McIntyre

Thomas Nixon

M. Rourke

Silas A. Ramsay

R. Stewart

Charles Smith

D. Thompson

F.D. Webster

S.N. Webster

W.J. Winters

William Williams

W. Warren

W.S. Wood

Charles Simpson

William Yuill

VISITORS TO THE MUSEUM:

Perth Courier, July 24, 1941

Museum Visitors:

Tim Moore, Detroit; Arnold Austin, Port Byron, New York; Lorraine Austin-Newcomb, Geneva, New York; Stephen Douglas Austin Spencerport, New York; May O’Mallin, Niagara Falls, New York; Stanley McLaren, Syracuse, New York; Mrs. Arthur L. Cross and Lester Cross, Maplewood, New Jersey; Mrs. Walter B. Williams, Maplewood, New Jersey; Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Briggs, Miami; Frank Mullin, Dewsbury, England; Doreen Campbell, Glasgow, Scotland; Mrs. Ethel F. Newman, Douglaston, Long Island, New York; Veronica S. Young, Beechhurst, Long Island, New York; William Smith, Dornoch, Gray County; James M. Douglas, Toronto; Miss Joyce Cruise, Toronto; Margaret Cantwell, Peterborough; Lillian Tutt, Toronto; Miss E. Wall, Peterboro; Miss Olmstead, Quebec; Miss Alicia L. Langley, Peterborough; Gay C. Dunn, Quyon; Charles J. Tooley, Lombardy; Mr. and Mrs. Donald H. McLaren, Toronto; Florence Class, Lanark; Fred Graham; Toronto; James P. Kellock, Ottawa; F.A. Whitman, Margaret, Grace and Ruby M. Whitman, Ottawa; Miss Margaret A. Blackstock, Toronto; John J. Malloy, Toronto; Jack W. Walker, Ivy Lee, Thousand Islands; James Ross, Ottawa; Doreen Ferguson, Maberly; Mayor George E. Combs, Almonte; E. Hopworth, Almonte; Mrs. Bower Smith, Carleton Place; Joyce Mogg, Grimsby; Mary Peters, Toronto; Patsy Publow, Montreal; Ruth Kenyon, Montreal; L.M. Cordick, Woodstock; Leonard Corcoran, Smith’s Falls; Jack May, Ottawa; Mr. and Mrs. William E. Hempel, Pembroke, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Alfred Chubb, M.E.I.C., St. Anne de Bellevue; Raymond Chambers, Ferguson’s Falls; Mr. and Mrs. John W. James, Flower Station; Mrs. S. Clare, Kemptville; Mr. and Mrs. Leland C. Gregory, Toronto; Mr. and Mrs. D. Stack, Ottawa; James P. Kellock, Montreal; Fred Graham, Toronto; Miss Joyce Cruise, Toronto; Leonard Halpin, Smith’s Falls; Bill Corcoran and Leonard Corcoran, Smith’s Falls; Dr. Bennett, Smith’s Falls; Bob Robertson, Smith’s Falls; Ivan and Carl Closs, Flower Station; Ben James, Flower Station; Alden Garrett, Smith’s Falls; Edward Gerald Egan, Smith’s Falls; Mrs. Walter Caldwell and Elizabeth Caldwell, Toronto; Audrey Godfrey, Mt. Grove; Beatrice Murphy, Quyon; Dick Wills, Ottawa; Nelson A. Corbett, Ottawa; James T. McGuire, Kirkland Lake; Mrs. Amy Hudson and Grace Hudson, Kirkland Lake; Mrs. L. Hodgins, Creighton Mines; Mrs. S.E. Maynes, Toronto; Miss Ida White, Watson’s Corners; Barbara Nee, Kingston; Naomi Stencell, Innisville; Grace A. Hudson, Peterborough; Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Pollard, Amherstburg; Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Horrobin, Amherstburg; Eva Gordon, Toronto; Gordon Smith, Moose Jaw; Joe Rouble, Calumet Island.

Perth Courier, Sept. 11, 1941

More visitors:

Richard F.W. Young, and Mrs. Veronica S. Young, Beechhurst, Long Island, New York; Frank V. Cross, Royal Navy, London, England; Mr. and Mrs. John Gallagher, RR#5, Perth; Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Westwood, Toronto; H. Bogomolny, Niagara Falls, Ontario; John Bygrove, RR#1, Westport; Miss Louise Knox, Toronto; Jack Smith, Toronto; Raymond E. Hughes, RR#1, Balderson; Dorothy Hopkins, Smith’s Falls; Billy Duncan, McDonald’s Corners; Mr. and Mrs. S.G. Walroth, Galt; Joyce M. Johnson, K.G.H., Kingston (Smith’s Falls); Miss Alice K. Gould, Smith’s Falls; Mrs. A.B. Cooke, Lanark; A.F. & Joyce Leach, Smith’s Falls; Arthur and Jack Walroth, Fallbrook; Newton Wilson, RR#7, Perth; Donald Macphail, RR#7, Perth; Gordon Sergeant, Elphin

Perth Courier, Oct. 2, 1941

More Visitors:

J.F. Armstrong, Prince George, B.C.; Betty and Jean Stewart, Lanark; Norma Mather, Lanark; Maxiam Ramsbottom, Rideau Ferry; Ruth Moulton, Lanark; J.E. Birch, Woodroffe; Mr. and Mrs. N.A. Fauteaux, Woodroofe; Fern Prouix, Ottawa; Gladys Haggarty, Ottawa; R.E. Deebs, Winchester; Mrs. Herbert Chaplin, Mrs. Ronald Chaplin, and Marion & Doris Chaplin, RR#4, Perth; Hugh McIlraith, Balderson; Mrs. Isabella Moore, RR#3, Perth; Miss Eva Potter, Vancouver; Mrs. Willard Ramsbottom, Lanark; Mrs. Mary Morrison, Kingston; Vivian Perrin, RR#3, Perth, Scotch Line; Pte. Herald Redges, Smith’s Falls; Donald Kean, Smith’s Falls; Rita Byrne, Wayside; Mary Murphy, Balderson; Sergeant Gordon, Elphin; George M. Gibson, M.D., Balfour, B.C. and Mrs. Gibson; Marjorie Gibson, Ottawa; Mrs. T.J. Kane, Montreal; Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Hamilton, Montreal; Miss Mary Dorothy Hamilton, Montreal.  

Of this group, Hugh McIlraith (son of one of Bathurst’s original settlers) and his daughter Mrs. W. Ramsbottom, were especially interested in our local history and pioneer section regarding some of which he was able to furnish desired information.

Dr. George M. Gibson and Mrs. Gibson of Balfour, B.C. and their daughter Marjorie (now of Ottawa) spent a couple of hours on the 28^th  inspecting our varied collections.  Dr. Gibson is a descendent of one of the original settlers of the Upper Scotch Line so he and his family were naturally particularly interested in the number of historical documents and pioneer relics.  Dr. Gibson is the son of the late William Gibson and a nephew of Dr. Andrew Gibson of Portobello, Scotland who over a half century ago had an extensive practice in Edinburgh and its beautiful seaport.  After his death, the citizens of Portobello erected a large obelisk to the memory of their much beloved physician.

Miss Eve Polter (or Potter) of Vancouver left Perth thirty years ago.  Her father had been a well known Perth painter.  She came to the museum with Mrs. A.J. Polter (nee Alma Jamieson of Perth) until recently New York but at present with her sister Mrs. George Farmer of D’Arcy Street.

Perth Courier, November 12, 1942

Visitors from Aug. 10 to Sept. 30

Bob Cruise, Toronto; Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Morah, Ottawa; Phyllis French, Toronto; Doreen Imrie, Toronto; Harold Haskin, Watertown, N.Y; Dr. George Nelson, Dept. of History, Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S.; Mr. and Mrs. C.F. Campbell, Winnipeg; Rita Byrne, Wayside; Gladys Crawford, Wayside; Evelyn Adams, Lanark; Mrs. Andrew Campbell, Toronto; Mrs. Thomas Burrows, Belleville; Thomas Burrows, Trenton Air Station; Violette and Bruce Hefferman, Timmons; Earl Smith, Ottawa; Anna Barr, Lanark; L. Chambers, Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal; Edward Avery, Maberly; Mr. and Mrs. William Gallagher, RR#5, Perth; William Arthur Deacon, Literary Editor, Globe & Mail, Toronto, and Mrs. Deacon and Misses Deidre and Mary Deacon; Toronto;

Mr. Deacon and family motored from their summer home at Orillia on August 17 to visit Perth and its museum and on October 5 an appreciative article appeared from his pen in the Globe and Mail.  On their way home they visited kinsmen near Maberly and viewed the ruin of the stone mill erected by the pioneer John Deacon in S. Sherbrooke.  Two other descendents became senior and junior judges of Renfrew County.

Other visitors:  J.A. Cuthbertson, Ft. William, Ontario—Note, Mr. Cuthbertson is a former Perthite and was especially interested in our mineral and local history and pioneer collections; Alvin Warwick, Maberly, RR#2; Robert John Pollock, Glasgow, Scotland; Archibald Kelsey, Denver, West Vale, Neston, England; Eunice Richardson, Lavant Station; Ed Avery, Maberly (second visit); Bobby and Ronald Burns, Algonquin; George Leggatt; Harvey L. Polk, Lombardy; Joyce Cruise, Toronto (the first of three visits during her holidays); Mr. and Mrs. William Gallagher, Rideau Lake; Gordon Horne, Watson’s Corners; Mrs. Fred  Brook of Montreal and Fred and Jean Brook of Montreal; Ronnie Cullen, Smith’s Falls; J.K. Devlin, Smith’s Falls; Mrs. Daisy A. Elmore, New York; Helen Hales,Toronto; Anna Dowdall; Miss Daisy A. Elmore, New York; Helen Hales, Toronto; Anna Cowdall, Carleton Place; Sgt. Roberts, O.T.C., Brockville; Hilda Strong, Maberly, RR#3; M.W. and Mary Akers, Montreal; Denyse Leonard, Montreal; J.Gordon Rodgers, Y.M.C.A., Ottawa, Charles Miller, Toronto; Mr. and Mrs. O.D. Cronk and Vivian Cronk, Long Lake; A. Ross Pennington, Benton, Pennsylvania; D. Ferguson, Maberly; Amelia Lowe, Reg(?) N., Almonte; Helen A. McKim, Peg.(?) N., Pt. Arthur; Mrs. K.M. McKim, Toronto; Dr. W.A.R. Mitchell, Ottawa

Dr. Mitchell is a native of Perth and representative of the Ontario Department of Health in Ottawa and is a donor of sundry valuable museum articles, including a rock specimen from near the South Pole obtained by him while he was a medical officer of the Shackelton Expedition.

Dennis Pregini(?), North Adams, Mass.; Bob Trotter, N. Adams, Mass.; Patty Horne, Watson’s Corners; Eva Ferguson, Maberly; Jean Allan, Maberly; Evelyn Moore, R.R. 6, Perth; Luella Derushi, R.R.4, Perth; Doreen Dowdall, R.R.4, Perth; Jean Fleming, Maberly; George G. McFarlane, Montreal; David Forster, Hamilton; Julia Sergeant, R.R. 1, Maberly; T.J. Hefferman, Peterboro; Dr. Ray G. and Mrs. Dodds, Chesterville; L.A.C. McLeod and Mrs. McLeod, Montreal; Mrs. A.R. McPherson, Welland; Mr. and Mrs. J.S. Cunningham, Welland; Jeanne Kelly, Port Credit(?); Reba(?) Poppelwell, R.R.4, Perth; Sadie Bourns, Winnipeg; T.G. Woods, Toronto; Robert Patchell(?), Carleton Place; Albert Tapp(?), Ottawa; D.B. Nugent, Ottawa; W.A. Dier, Ottawa; J.Murray Walker, Ottawa; Mrs. Inez Thompson, New York, N.Y. (with Mrs. W.E. Danner); George Menzies, R.R.3, Perth; Lois Poppelwell, R.R.4, Perth; Mrs. J.R. Spalding, and Ruth and Marion Spalding, Harper; Mrs. K.G. Cunningham, Harper; C.R. Westland or Wentland, Ottawa; Allan Rogers, R.R.4, Perth; Clifford Ballantyne and Mrs. C. Ballantyne, Lanark; Charles Armour, Carleton Place; Capt. Gladys Agar, London; Lt. Dorothy Walbolt, Dartmouth, N.S.; Maj. M. Thurso Stretton, Scotland and Vancouver, B.C.; D.C. Watt(?), Toronto; R.A. Richardson, Bathurst; Mrs. C. Gunston and Margaret Gunston, Montague; Douglas Wrightly, Smith’s Falls; Gelnn Bresee(?), Westport; Lila Keays, Fallbrook; Doris Murphy, R.R. 1, Westport; Doris Murphy, R.R. 1, Westport; Marion Robertson, R.R.6, Perth; Lillian Hambleton, Smith’s Falls; Frances Caldwell, and Mrs. James Caldwell, R.R. 1, Clayton; Mrs. D.G. McPhail, Renfrew; H.C. Morris, Victoria, B.C.; Wilford R. Morris, F.C.A., Peterboro.

The Messrs H.C. and W.R. Morris are sons of the late William J. Morris of Perth and grandsons of the Hon. William Morris, M.L.C. Perth’s first merchant, the first parliamentary representative of the Bathurst District and one of the founders of Queen’s University, Kingston.  Mr. H.C. Morris is a retired banker while his brother is one of the Province’s leading chartered accountants.  The latter has at different times contributed valuable historical material to our museum while on his return home H.R. Morris forwarded a rare specimen of all time porcupine quill Indian decoration.

J.M. Powell, Toronto; Harold Edwards, R.A.F., Caerphilly, South Wales; Mrs. M. Edwards, Picton; Luella and Betty Derusha, R.R. 4, Perth; W. Griffin, Ottay Lake; Ethel Moore, R.R.3, Perth; Carl and Kenneth Green, R.R. 2, Maberly; W. Carey, Toronto; M. Schriever, Toronto; Cecil Nesbit, Elphin; Charles and Mabel Looby(?), Lombardy; Arthur Miller, Lombardy; Geoffrey Stenhouse, Lombardy; Shirley Mather and Mrs. Harry M. Mather, R.R.2, Lanark; Mrs. H. Munroe, R.R.2, Lanark; Mr. and Mrs. John Wesley Borrowman and Robert Borrowman of Middleville.

Mr. J.W. Borrowman has recently retired from the original Borrowman homestead granted in 1820 and now occupied by his son John Borrowman.  It has never been out of the family.  The museum has been enriched by a number of interesting and valuable pioneer relics from father and son.

Mrs. John E. Playfair and Mildred, Russell and Findlay Playfair, Fallbrook

Miss  Playfair and her two brothers are among the numerous descendents of Lt. col. Andrew William Playfair.

Evelyn Radford, Dewitt’s Corners; Lois Crozier, R.R.1, Westport; Marion Keays, R.R. 1, Perth; Mrs. Alexander Trombley, Snow Road; Wilhelmine Kirkham, Wemyss; Dr. F. Klein, Ottawa; Jean Robinson, Burlington, Ont., formerly of Perth; Carmel and Murray Code, R.R.6, Perth; Genevieve Morris, R.R. 6, Perth; Harry Ferguson, Lanark; Jean and Kaye Ferguson, McDonald’s Corners; Bernard Karr, Montreal; Helen Duncan, Lanark; Harold Strong, R.R. 2, Maberly; G. Ernest Myers, Toronto; D.W.. Thompson, Mt. Brydges; Arnold Robbins, Smith’s Falls; Kathleen M. Fenwick, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Posted: 8 September, 2005.