| Notes |
- See also in this file:
In Notes under the name "(Stormont Co Ontario Early History A) Finch"
the "EARLY HISTORY OF FINCH VILLAGE AND TOWNSHIP IS RECALLED" By MrsGladstone Maclean. From "Cornwall Freeholder" 1951
In Notes under the name "(Stormont Co Ontario Early History B) Finch"
THE EARLY HISTORY OF FINCH TOWNSHIP
Interesting Paper Read at District Annual of Women's Institute at MooseCreek. from the Cornwall Freeholder, July 1951(?)
In Notes under the name "Hector (of Donalda) Maclean" (1824 -1898)
LETTER IN THE MONTREAL WITNESS by HECTOR MAC LEAN
Under date of March 10, 1896. Describing the journey on the "Catherineof Belfast "and "THE JOHN ROBERTSON" of Belfast and their arrival inFinch.
Received from Margaret Cameron, Box 621, Long Sault, Ontario KOC 1PO, 2ndSeptember, 2002
THE EARLY HISTORY OF FINCH TOWNSHIP
Interesting Paper Read at District Annual of Women's Institute at MooseCreek.
Cornwall Freeholder, July 1951
The following interesting history of Finch township was read at theDistrict Annual of the Women's Institute held at Moose Creek, on Tuesday,June 16th. It was compiled by Miss Sarah C. Eamon, Convener ofHistorical Research:-
Before I begin my paper, I wish to reassure you that I have at lastrealised the dream of my heart in Historical Research work, namely,getting the people of Finch Township to relate their reminiscences ofearly days. Finch with its background of Scottish pioneers, seemed to mea veritable gold mine from which to dig and derive some precious nuggetsfrom the past, and I was not wrong in my conjectures. The writer of theHistorical Research is at a disadvantage when unable to meet theseinteresting older people and have a face to face talk with them, but Ihad an able deputy Mrs. Edna McLeod, to whom I wrote, and to whom I askednumerous questions, which Mrs. McLeod was to talk over with thedescendents of the early settlers. When you hear the story I am about totell you, you will realise how capably Mrs. McLeod fulfilled her mission.To all those people of Finch Township who gave Mrs. Macleod suchwholehearted support I wish to tender my gratitude: also to Mr Duncan AMcNaughton M.P.P. and Mr Lewis Hutt of Berwick, each of whom sent me thesame paper -- a copy of the paper which was placed in the corner-stone ofthe Community Hall, Berwick.
In the history of the world we must all concede that Scotsmen played aleading role. In the world of literature Scotland has her Scott, Burns,and Stevenson.
In the medical profession, she has her full quota of William McClures,who, in "A Doctor of the Old School" typifies hundreds of clever doctorswho passed their lives among the glens, and burns, and mountains of theirnative land,. ministering to the wants of the lowly shepherds, the humblecrofters and hardy fisher-folk with the most unselfish devotion.
In the engineering world she had her great lighthouse builders like theStevenson, father and son of the poet-her men who built the great ForthBridge and whose engineering skill was used in the New World. One ofthese was Sir Sandford Fleming who was born in the County of Fife 1827,and who was the chief engineer to build the Canadian Pacific Railway.
On the field of battle, Scottish soldiers from the days of Wallace andBruce, have ever shown conspicuous courage, never knowing when they weredefeated, and whose pipers piped them to victory at Bannockburn, Quebecand Waterloo.
It was a Scotsman, John MacAdam, who invented the road making systemknown as macadamised roads, and needless to say it was a Scotsman namedPatterson, who invented the Banking System in the reign of William II.
In the quiet schools of the Scottish glens the dominie taught them theirCreek and Latin, and fired them with religious seal, sending forth many a"Geordie Howe" to the university, and proud was that Scottish motherwhose son choose to study for the ministry.
Among the great missionaries of the world Scotland sent out her DavidLivingstone to darkest Africa, and as colonists, seeking homes in distantlands, Scotland sent many a handy son.
Reading the history of our own land, we are impressed by the fact thatScotsmen have held nearly all the most important positions. As example ofthis fact I mention that from the district north of the Tweed we havedrawn John A Macdonald, George Brown, Oliver Mowat, Alexander MacKenzie,Lord Strathcona, Sandford Fleming, Alexander Graham Bell and scores ofothers.
Colonists from Scotland settled to Nova Scotia, whose name means NewScotland. Scotsmen from Glengarry in Scotland, settled Glengarry County,Canada. Lowlanders from Lanark, Scotland settled Lanark County, Ontario.Other Scotsmen settled the district of Oro, in South Simcoe. Thisdistrict has been made famous in Canadian literature through the storiesof Marian Keith., whose "Treasure Valley," "Duncan Polite" and "InOrchard Glen," make very enjoyable reading. Scotsmen also settled aroundZorra, near Woodstock. The chief of at the Clan McNab settled hisclansmen along the banks of the Ottawa, while Thomas Douglas, Earl orSelkirk, brought Highlanders to Baldoon in Upper Canada and to PrinceEdward Island in the Maritimes. He also founded the present city ofWinnipeg, which he called Kildonan.
The Township of Finch, too, was settled he Scotsmen. The first one tocome was Alexander McMillan, who had settled on Lot 16, Con 2. As earlyas 1805, for in that year his daughter, Harriet, was born, the firstbirth in the township, and that there were few settlers is reasonablycertain because they all attended the christening ceremony of this newacquisition to the population. The minister who performed the rite ofbaptism was the Rev. M. Weagent of Williamsburg. Following the firstsettler came Hugh and John MacMillan, Lachlan MacLean, John, Donald andAllan Cameron, all of whom located along the southern border of thetownship about the year 1814, and in 1816 William Wiseman located on Lot22, Con 2. Mr. Wiseman lived to be more than 100 years old, having beenborn in 1789 on the ocean, while his parents were on their way to somemilitary post, as his father was a member of a Scottish Regiment.
As Alexander MacMillan seems to have been the first settler in Finch, Ishall tell you about that family firSt Alexander McMillan marriedMarjorie Cameron in Lochaber, Inverness, Scotland, in 1795-96. Twochildren, John and Nancy, were born in Scotland. They immigrated toGlengarry County near Maxville, about 1804, and settled on the homestead,Lot 16, second concession, on March 21st, 1806. During the spring Harrietwas born and lived until 1889, having been blind for fifteen years. Thepresent residence of D J MacMillan is only a few yards from where the logcabin stood.
We are told in the paper sent by Mr D. A, McNaughton and Mr Hutt, thatin the year 1802, Allan Glen Payne MacMillan, living in Scotland, saw asurvey of certain lands in Canada for settlers. He, with a number ofothers chartered a vessel to sail to Canada, which took them 13 weeks.They landed at Montreal, then came to Lancaster. They walked through theforest to Kirk Hill, where they spent the winter with friends. Allan GlenPayne Macmillan seems to have been a practical business man, for in 1803we are told he employed a surveyor by the nameR
(the next part is missing on the photocopy of this article so part of MrsGladstone Maclean's article has been inserted here, as her article seemsto be largely based on this one, and it seems to fill the gap.)
"a surveyor by the name of Bowels to survey the concession lines andplace posts at the corners of certain lots. Thus is traced the name ofthe Payne River to Allan Glen Payne MacMillan. It was a place where thefirst settlers cleared the land and built houses on the high land alongthe river."R
"John Cameron, age 21, came from Inverness with his mother and threebrothers, Hughie, Alex. and Dougal. These settled west of Finch and thiswas called Camerontown (now Goldfield). Hughie settled on the farm westof John and Dougal settled near Berwick. John Cameron was married at 28to Mary MacMillan. The farm was all forest and was bought for $400dollars. John Cameron had one son and four daughters, Alex. was thefather of the late Miss Minnie Cameron whose farm is next to that nowowned by Donald MacIntyre. This John Cameron had an uncle who was awealthy ship owner. He left a large fortune in a London Bank for hisnephew JohnR"
(Back to the original article.)
Rin Scotland. He left a large sum of money in a London Bank for hisnephew John. This was never claimed. Alex. planned to go to Scotland tosee about it but died before carrying out his plan. The papers tellingabout the legacy were sent to Finch before his death. It seems sad tothink that there are few descendents of this fine old family in thelocality of Finch, there being only one young girl in this presentgeneration.
The story of the Maclean family, told by A P. MacLean of Lot 8 (or 3?),Concession 3, is exceedingly interesting. The MacLeans came a number ofyears after the MacMillans, Camerons, as Peter MacLean settled on hisfarm in 1842. He came from the Isle of Mull and built his log cabin in1842 and in 1876 a new house was erected.
Peter Maclean landed at Montreal, ascended the Ottawa River to Bytown andfollowed the Rideau River to Perth where some of his people had settled,and where he too, expected to settle. Later, he came to Finch to visitrelatives, Lachlan MacLean, father of George L Maclean, and liking thispart better, he settled at Finch. Hector MacLean, a brother, and hissister, Anne, settled on the next farm. They walked all the way fromPerth and drove a cow. A cow in those days was a mark of distinction andlucky was the man who owned one. The MacLeans had an adventurous passageacross the Atlantic. They came over on the vessel "The Catherine ofBelfast." Just after they started, a terrible storm arose and the vesselsprang a leak. The sailors pumped for a number of days and then rebelled,saying the ship could go to the bottom, for they were not going to pumpanymore. All the able-bodied men of the passengers were numbered andeight at a time worked the pumps for an hour at a time. After some daysit was decided to turn back, and, although half way across they returnedto BelfaSt The vessel sank in short time after the passengers landed.When calling the pumping crew, the officer would say "Hurry up for yourturn in the pumps, or you will be in H - for breakfast". No doubt thisrather brimstoney remark enthused the pumpers. After about two weeks theyre-embarked, arriving at Montreal 16 weeks after they left their homeport. The Maclean's settled to the West of the Camerons, and were spokenof by the Camerons as being "behind the swamp." To-day there is no signof a swamp.
Peter MacLean was travelling to some point on the Nation River about 30miles from Casselman. It was impossible to obtain a canoe so he startedto walk. As he had to go out of his way to portage night overtook himlong before he reached his destination. He chose a high tree, andascending, prepared to spent the night there. The wolves howled andgathered in groups, but Peter was safe, although he confessed he wassomewhat afraid he might be discovered by a bear; also he was almosteaten up, by mosquitoes. When day dawned he came down from his perch andcontinued his journey.
Another family belonging to the early settlers was the Morrisons. CaptainMorrison had a boat running from Glasgow to Oban. His son, Lachlan, was acaptain on the Canadian lakes. Captain Morrison settled on Lot 6, Con. 2.His son, Lachlan, was a splendid piper. At a neighborhood gathering ofmany of the early settlers it was surprising to see the lightness of footof these old people, some of them over seventy-five years old. Some ofthese were Mr. and Mrs. Neil Gillies, as they danced the Scottish dancesto the music of the captain's pipe. Another piper was Lachlan McKinnon,whose skill was often exhibited at the fall fairs and Orange walks in theolden days. A special day was the Queen's birthday. Whether or not he hadany authority, a man called and ordered them to appear at thesecelebrations, threatening them with punishment for failure to do so.These usually took place at Berwick.
It was a strange life for these Scottish settlers, who were utterlyignorant of lumbering. But with true Scottish courage and determinationthey tackled the heavy task and, although obstacles were great andprogress slow, they succeeded in creating one of the most progressivetownships of Eastern Ontario.
A few of the early settlers each contributed a bushel of wheat per familyto an Indian to blaze a road to the German settlement of Osnabruck. Theroad went out some place near Newington, keeping to the high places.
The first beast of burden in Finch Township was an ox, which, as a calf,had been born in the same cabin as the McMillian family.
In coming to Finch the settlers followed the Payne River. Eveneighty-five years ago the road to Glengarry in the summer was a foot pathfollowing the higher ground.
For money making, shantying was carried out in the winter time. We get asplendid picture of shantying in those early days in "The Man fromGlengarry." Many settlers made as much square timber as they could anddrew it to the Nation, where it was made into rafts. In the spring it wasfloated down to Ottawa and from there to the St Lawrence to Quebec, whereit was put into ?ooms at Wolfe's Cove. Here it was sold to the lumbermerchants and sent to all parts of the world. The farmers also made theirown potash and took it to Montreal.
It must have been a great deprivation for these Scottish folk to be awayfrom their Kirk, but they never forgot to observe the Sabbath as taughtin the homeland. That beautiful poem by Brown, "The Cotter's SaturdayNight," gives one a picture of their observation. There was no dust onthe family Bible: thumb-marks proclaimed it their guide and comforter. OnCommunion Sunday the settlers traveled to the Indian Lands, probably toSt Eimo. Some went on horse back, some walked, and later some went inwagons.
The first school was a log building on the Fleming property, about half amile west of Finch Village. Some Balm of Gilead trees grow on the sitetoday, and the first of these was planted by a school boy named HectorGillies. The first teacher was Hector Maclean, who came from the Isle ofMull with his parents. Another teacher was an aunt of Mr. Dan McLeod,whose Christian name was Dollins.
The first Kirk was at old St Luke's --a frame building which stood on Lot10 Con 2. What fond memories must linger around that hollowed spot, wherethe early settlers met Sabbath after Sabbath for worship! I wander ifthey had a sermon-taster among them like Elepeth MacFadyen in "A Doctorof the Old School."
The first minister was the Rev Donald Munro, of Scotland, who came firstto Summerstown, and the to Finch on December 14th 1850. He preached inGaelic, his native tongue. He lived in the Manse near the church. Thepartitions of the Manse were made of wide butternut planks and it wasconsidered one of the best buildings of the day.
(The next few lines are missing in the photocopy this was typed from.)
R bear the names of those born in Scotland. It was a long way from theland of their birth, but these worthy sons and daughters of Scotlandsleep quietly under the skies of Canada as they would on their ownScottish hillsides.
There are some interesting relics among the descendants of the earlysettlers. In the McMillan family there is a reed basket which was broughtfrom Inverness, it was the size of a common sewing basket and was alwaysborrowed by the neighbours when having a tea(?) or a social gathering topass cake in. It has a scorch on the bottom where John McMillian, when achild, threw it in the fireplace.
In the home of Archie Gillies is a beautiful grandfather clock brought bythe pioneers.
The spinning wheel use by Mr. A. P. McLean's mother was in perfectcondition until recently, when some children destroyed it, not realizingits value as a relic of the earlier days.
The Township of Finch is said to be named after a schoolmaster, JosephFinch. The village was first called Grey's Corners and after a few yearsSouth Finch. When the C.P.R. went through it was called Finch. This nameis not a pretty one and should never have been accepted by the Scottishsettlers of Finch Township. There are so many beautiful Scottish names,names full of melody and meaning, from which a suitable name might havebeen chosen for a Scottish township. Names as interesting as Athol, GlenNevis, Glengarry, Glen Payne, St Eimo and such names proclaim to theworld the nationality of the people who settled there.
The following farms are still occupied by descendents of the earlysettlers: -- The Cameron farm, where Miss Minnie Cameron lives; the farmof Hugh Cameron, on Lot 21, 2nd Con. now owned by his grandson Kenneth;the farm of Alex McMillan, lot 16, Con.2, owned by his grandson; Mr. A PMcLean lives on his father's farm, Lot 8(?). Con 3.
A few days ago I had a short talk with our representative in theProvincial Parliament, Mr. Duncan A McNaughton, whose grandfather DuncanAlexander McNaughton, also came from Scotland and lived to be a hundredyears old. A brother of the first D A McNaughton was AlexanderMcNaughton, our late Inspector of Public Schools in Stormont County. Healso lived to be nearly one hundred years of age and his memory was veryclear until his death. Mr. McNaughton was familiar with the beautifulregion described in "The Lady of the Lake." and it was interesting tohear him describe this famous Scottish district. Since it seems to be thehabit of the McNaughton family to live to be a hundred, let us hope thatthe genial "Dune" may repeat the offence.
Thus we see that the Township of Finch has an ancestry to be proud of.Scotsmen from the old land, with part of the granite of their nativemountains in their nature, yet, blended with this, a softness, for theScottish writer, John Buchan, says "Your true Scot will quote the poetand weep over them, and the next moment will drive a hard bargain."
I shall conclude my paper with a little take-off on one of the chiefcharacteristics of the Scottish people, a dislike for speaking ill ofothers.
Old Archie and Elspeth were sitting before the fire. At last Archiesaid:-- Elespeth, I never seen a buddy like you, I believe ye'd hae agude word for the de'il himself.
"A weel," says Elespeth, "he's not sae gude as he might be, but he's averra industrious buddy."
SARAH C. EAMON
Convener of Historical Research
FINCH RELATED WEB SITES
Finch tourism and travel information - Ontario, Canada
http://www.realontario.ca/pages/city_detail.asp?PlaceID=75
Cornwall & Stormont District, Ontario Canada 1901 Census: Finch Township
http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/inddbs/6238.htm
Costs between $7.95 & $17.95 monthly (29th Sept 02)
Description:
Finch, Cornwall and Stormont, Ontario, 1901
Finch is a township in the united counties of Stormont, Dundas, andGlengarry. Finch was named in 1798. This database has over 3,700 entriesof residents in the census sub-district of Finch (C) in the censusdistrict of Cornwall and Stormont (#53) in 1901. This database containsthe full names, relationship to the head of the household, full date ofbirth, and birthplace as well as the year of immigration to Canada (ifnot Canadian by birth). The database also includes the National Archivesfilm number, division number, page and family number to aid researchersin obtaining a copy of the actual record, if desired.
Source Information:
Hewitt, Doneen, comp. Cornwall & Stormont District, Ontario Canada 1901Census: Finch Township. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2001.Original data: Government of Canada. 1901 Canada National Census. Canada:Canada National Archives, 1901.
1802 Passenger List of the "Friends", "Helen" and "Jane"
Taken from the original manuscript "List of Emigrants per ArchibaldMacMillan", and the listing in Somerled MacMillan's "Bygone Lochaber", bySusan Drinkwater. (April 2001)
http://comflex.mondenet.com/mcmillan/mac_hst1.htm
Mull Genealogy
http://mullgenealogy.co.uk/
"MACMILLANS" in STORMONT, DUNDAS and GLENGARRY
- from the 1972 Reprint Edition of the H. Belden Illustrated HistoricalAtlas of 1879.
http://comflex.mondenet.com/mcmillan/Belden1879.htm
Michael Patrick Manion
http://pages.infinit.net/freenort/michpmanion.htm
Children born in Finch.
GEORGE McELHERAN & MARGARET ANN MURDOCK
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sbresearch/georgemcelheran.html
(also The McELHERAN FAMILY in Canada athttp://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sbresearch/mcelheranfamilyinfo.html)
William Coulthart (1800-1880) of Cannamore, Ontario
http://www.coulthart.com/william2.html
By 1851 the family had moved north to Finch Township, Stormont Countywhere they settled on a farm in the northwestern corner of the township,Concession 12, Lot 2 near the town of Cannamore
"Genealogy in Stormont and Dundas Counties, Ontario, Canada. The Alguireand Myers families and associated names." (Compiled by Sue and BrianMyers)
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sbresearch/
This site has many links to genealogy sites related to these counties.
Strormont, Dundas, & Glengarry Genealogy Society
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/1213/
Stormont County GenWeb
"A collection of genealogical information and resources for StormontCounty, Ontario, and part of the Ontario GenWeb and Canada GenWebprojects"
http://www.rootsweb.com/~onstormo/index.htm
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1200 - Yes, date unknown