Mother Barnes Collection- Clippings and Letters — the Witch of Plum Hollow Series

The Ottawa Citizen

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Sat, May 11, 1935Page 2

Sirs: Re your article on Mother Barnes of Plum Hollow (Oct. 2). I often heard my mother speak of her. We lived in Perth. When my father and mother, were newly married they decided to go down to Plum Hollow to see her and have their fortunes told.

Mrs. Barnes told my mother she would have two sons, one fair and one dark with about 10 years between them. It turned “out ‘ there ” were” 12 years”;” I am the dark one. She said my father and mother would live to a good age and be well. Myfather lived to be 88 and. my mother 93 and both had indeed enjoyed good health.

Mother Barnes told them they. would see cutters going down the roads without horses and cutters in the skies, meaning cars and planes. She told them that they owned their own house and would lose money to a close relative; that came true. Someone lost some horses and Mrs. Barnes said they had been shipped west and sold but the thief would be caught. He was. He stole 23 horses and started off driving one with the rest following. He travelled by night.

BASIL J. SHERIDAN.

“House of Providence. Kingston, Ont.. 1918

Dan and I got to talking about the great part’ people played in the history of the human race who were credited with being able to foretell the future. I told him about Old Mother Barnes. This famous fortune teller lived at Plum Hollow northwest of Brockvllle.

Her fame carried the name of this tiny place to many parts of this continent. A book was written entitled the Witch of Plum Hollow. People came to consult her from as far south as Syracuse. They came from Toronto and Montreal. I never saw her because she died when I was still a small boy but hardly a night when we would gather in the village store that someone would not confide he had been in a party that had driven out of Plum Hollow to have Mother Barnes read their tea cups.

One of our neighbors had his wallet stolen containing $200. Greatly troubled with the loss he could Ill-afford he went to the fortune teller. She told him not to worry. He would get his money back. The conscience of the man who stole it was troubling him. A few days later an unusual visitor came into the store. He sat there for more than an hour. He seemed to be troubled about something. When he left our neighbor’s wallet was found slipped behind a case of beans with the $200 intact.

Scores of stories similar to the one of our neighbor’s wallet have been told. The Barnes’ house was a small wooden structure of two stories. The fortune teller operated on the upper floor. There were no stairs leading to It. To get your fortune told you had to climb a ladder.

Only a small coal oil lamp lighted the room up and a little stove was used to brew the tea. Going up that ladder into the semi-darkness caused many a shudder. While Barnes did not appreciate it that had been good staging, it gave a creepy feeling to the place, that impressed visitors. Later Barnes built a house with stairs but it was a mistake.

One night a young woman living near us had planned to go in a sleigh load to visit Mother Barnes. At the last moment she found herself too ill to go but she asked one of her chums to turn a cup for her. When the fortune teller looked into the cup she refused to read it. “I can see nothing good in it for her,” the fortune teller said.” “You just tell her you neglected to turn the cup.” Two months later that young woman, whose fortune Mother Barnes refused to tell, had died.

Dan Surely, councillor-

The Ottawa Citizen

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada · Wednesday, January 03, 1951

Sir: The article in “Ottawa Valley Days”, “The Lost Eden of Plum Hollow”, by Harry J. Walker, in Saturday’s” Journal, was most interesting to me because the location of Mother Barnes’ residence is almost as familiar to me as my own home. For, on January 1, 1902, I was so fortunate that I married a young lady who was born and raised within a few yards of Mother Barnes’ home on Sept. 10, 1874, and Mother Barnes acted as nurse, and put on the first clothes she ever wore.

In later years my wife visited the old lady and lunched with her. The said Mother Barnes seemed to have eyes that could penetrate the very inmost soul, she heard her read the character of people when really it, was a revelation to themselves. The old neighbors bitterly resented her being called the “Witch of Plum Hollow”. She was a fine Christian lady and never deserved to be called that. Mother Barnes residence still stands. She lies buried in the cemetery near Sheldon’s school house. There is a marker, but there is a move to provide a more suitable one in the future.

J. S. Moore

Bellamy’s,Ontario

Nov. 12, 1945

Elizabeth Jane “Mother” Martin Barnes

BIRTH15 Nov 1800

County Cork, IrelandDEATH4 Feb 1891 (aged 90)

Rear of Yonge and Escott, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, CanadaBURIAL

Sheldon CemeterySheldon’s Corners, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canad

For a small rural area, it has two cemeteries, the active Plum Hollow Cemetery and an inactive Sheldon’s Cemetery just a short km away.

Plum Hollow is located on County Rd 5 between Athens and County Road 8.  To get there take Cty Rd 42 at Athens or Cty Rd 8 at the 4 corners to Cty Rd 5 or from Hwy 15 to Cty Rd 5.  From Delta on King St, you can get there by way of the Daytown Rd, or take Cty Rd 42 to Lake St or Washburn Rd

The Plum Hollow Witch 101 – Mother Barnes

We Know About the Witch of Plum Hollow — But Have you Heard About Mother Lajeunesse?

Mother Barnes– The Colonel’s Daughter in Plum Hollow

An Interview with the Witch of Plum Hollow–Mother Barnes— The Ottawa Free Press 1891

The Witch of Plum Hollow and the Blacksmith

My Grandmother was Mother Barnes-The Witch of Plum Hollow

A Bewitched Bed in Odessa

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

Plum Hollow Witch and The Mountain Man of Pakenham

Different Seasons of Witches in Lanark County

Local Miracle Story– Woken From a Ten Week Coma

The White Witch of Lanark County–Having the Sight

The Witches of Rochester Street

Hocus Pocus –Necromancy at Fitch Bay

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

The Witch Hollow of Lanark County

When Mother Barnes Made a Mistake? Beckwith 6th Line

The Witch of Plum Hollow Files- An Evening in Smiths Falls

Mother Barnes and the Missing Money of South March

Mother Barnes- The Witch of Plum Hollow – Grain Thefts etc. — Mother Barnes series

Mother Barnes- The Witch of Plum Hollow – Grain Thefts etc. — Mother Barnes series

Story told in 1931–

In the year 1868, Mrs. Barnes added to her reputation by clearing up the mystery of a long series of grain thefts. To those who went to her Mrs. Barnes said to go to Lyndhurst where they would see a trail of oats on the ground.

They were to follow the trail of oats to wherever they went and where the trail ceased there the thief would be found. (The oats were to be from a bag with a hole in It.) The enquirers did as directed, found the trail of oats, followed it. and arrested the man at whose plate the trail ended. There was an Investigation and in due time the thief was tried and convicted. Mrs. Fraser says that after the death of old Mrs. Barnes, a sister- in-law, a Mrs. Clara Barnes, took up the “telling” business and carried it on for a time, but Mrs. Clara Barnes did not draw the crowd.

Mrs. Fraser says hundred of strange and weird stories could be written about things which Mrs. Barnes “told.” Mrs. Barnes as a “fortune-teller” was in a class all by herself. It Is alleged that people used to send Mrs. Barnes hairs out of their heads, and she would send thun startling fortunes.

But in her private life, the old lady was pleasant and of a happy disposition..

Mrs. Barnes told her fortunes in little room in the attic of her home. She said it was quieter there. The floor of this little room was so flimsy, and there were so many cracks in it, that people wno were in the waiting room (general living room) downstairs, could see mto the room above and could often hear the “fortunes” as they were told.

The steps up to Mrs. Barnes’ Studio were very steep and one had to be careful in going up and down them, or a serious fall all might ensue. Mrs. Fraser said inside the Barnes’ home in the 1860s and 1870s there was hardly a foot of the house, either inside or out on which people had not either written or carved their names. Even the ceiling of the living room was covered with names and addresses. The door, the window sills, and the logs of the house were deep cut with names and addresses. Even on the stove in the living room was a big double box stove that had people’s names scratched on it. Mrs. Barnes did not seem to mind. The names were good for the business. They were something for visitors to talk about when they went home.

Mrs. Fraser says that however Mrs. Barnes “did her stuff” and she certainly startled and mystified people by the things she told them. The “telling” which probably did most to give Mrs. Barnes a reputation, and the name of “witch, was her unravelling of the Harter-Dockstader mystery about the year 1863. What she did in that case was heralded all over the continent, and brought her thousands of visitors, from all parts. It appears that in 1882 or thereabout two Englishmen named Harter and Dockstader came to the shores of Lake Charleson and located there at the foot of Blue Mountain. In the spring of 1863, people noticed that Dockstader was not with Harter. When Dockstader’s absence became generally noticed Harton said be thought Dockstader had deserted him.After a time the neighbors began to get suspicious. Somebody suggested going to Mrs. Barnes. When the deputation went to Mrs. Barnes, she startled them by saying, “You have come to ssk about something you cannot find.”

This statement of course would be true. But after she had brewed the tea and examined the leaves, she startled them by saying: “Something has happened to a man. You will find his body under a fallen tree in Lake Charleson.”

She then described in detail the exact spot where the body would be found. And there it was found with little difficulty. Harter was arrested and in due time confessed to the murder and in further due time was hanged at Brockville..

Do not have page 12…:(

From the clippings of Des and Jean Moore from the Moore Gals

The Plum Hollow Witch 101 – Mother Barnes

We Know About the Witch of Plum Hollow — But Have you Heard About Mother Lajeunesse?

Mother Barnes– The Colonel’s Daughter in Plum Hollow

An Interview with the Witch of Plum Hollow–Mother Barnes— The Ottawa Free Press 1891

The Witch of Plum Hollow and the Blacksmith

My Grandmother was Mother Barnes-The Witch of Plum Hollow

A Bewitched Bed in Odessa

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

Plum Hollow Witch and The Mountain Man of Pakenham

Different Seasons of Witches in Lanark County

Local Miracle Story– Woken From a Ten Week Coma

The White Witch of Lanark County–Having the Sight

The Witches of Rochester Street

Hocus Pocus –Necromancy at Fitch Bay

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

The Witch Hollow of Lanark County

When Mother Barnes Made a Mistake? Beckwith 6th Line

The Witch of Plum Hollow Files- An Evening in Smiths Falls

Mother Barnes and the Missing Money of South March

The Witch of Plum Hollow — Complete Story File

actual photo of Mother Barnes shown to me by a family member

Love this photo of me SeanandMichael Rikley-Lancaster curator of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum and Elaine Farley at the North Lanark Museum. It was a dark day out there today in Appleton today and we were under a tent.. But the picture came out great LOLOL. It has spirit..The Witch of Plum Hollow IS Reenactor Elaine Farley who highlighted her research today about local legend Elizabeth Barnes the Witch of Plum Hollow and debunked some myths about her. It was great…Love her a lot.. Read-The Plum Hollow Witch 101 – Mother Barnes

The homestead property of Elizabeth “Mother” Barnes, “The Witch of Plum Hollow.” Photo: James Morgan
Rural Ontario has always had its mystics. In Ontario’s Leeds County, it was Elizabeth Barnes, better known as Mother Barnes, the Witch of Plum Hollow. Her date of birth is unclear. Some sources say 1794; others say 1800.
The seventh daughter of a seventh daughter
She was from Cork in Ireland. When she fell in love with a young sergeant named Harrison her father, a colonel in the British Army, disapproved. So the couple eloped and moved to what was then Upper Canada. When Harrison died a few years later, Elizabeth married David Barnes, a shoemaker who had moved up from Connecticut. The couple ended up having nine children; six sons and three daughters.
In 1843, the family relocated to Sheldon’s Corners in Kitley Township, north of Brockville, not far from Lake Eloida and the village of Plum Hollow in the amusingly-named Bastard Township.
Barnes eventually left his wife and Elizabeth needed money to support her large family, so she turned to fortune telling, reading tea leaves and charging her customers 25 cents each—a large sum in 19^th century Ontario. Her talents earned her the title “The Witch of Plum Hollow,” even though she did not live in Plum Hollow itself. She was the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter and was also alleged to be part Spanish gypsy, which was credited as the source of her “sixth sense.”
A sketch of an elderly Mother Barnes. From Leeds and Grenville: Their first two hundred years, 1967.
Mother Barnes tells a famous fortune
Mother Barnes was a diminutive woman, barely five feet tall. She did tell a few tall tales though when it came to fortunes. People traveled from all over Canada and the North Country of New York to consult with her. Her more local cases involved finding lost livestock and solving crimes. A man named Morgan Doxtater disappeared in Charleston Lake. Mother Barnes directed the searchers to the place where his murdered body was found.
Her most famous customer was a lawyer from Kingston and aspiring politician named John A. Macdonald. The Witch of Plum Hollow told him that he would become the leader of a new country and that its capital would be at what was then known as Bytown, in those days a gritty lumber town. In 1867, the Dominion of Canada was formed. Bytown is now Ottawa and the capital city, and Sir John A. Macdonald was the first Prime Minister of the new country. Mother Barnes had earned her quarter.
Elizabeth Barnes died in 1886 and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Sheldon’s Corners cemetery.
An historic homestead
In 1892, local writer Thaddeus William Henry Leavitt published his short novel, The Witch of Plum Hollow, featuring Mother Barnes and her “sixth sense.” Today, her little cabin still stands behind a rail fence along Mother Barnes Road, just west of County Road 29. It’s on private property, and is posted with “No Trespassing” signs. Visitors cannot go inside, but they can park beside the road and have a look at this piece of the past along the back roads of Leeds County.

The Plum Hollow Witch 101 – Mother Barnes

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

The Witch Hollow of Lanark County

When Mother Barnes Made a Mistake? Beckwith 6th Line

The Witch of Plum Hollow Files- An Evening in Smiths Falls

Mother Barnes and the Missing Money of South March

Mother Barnes– The Colonel’s Daughter in Plum Hollow

An Interview with the Witch of Plum Hollow–Mother Barnes— The Ottawa Free Press 1891

The Witch of Plum Hollow and the Blacksmith

My Grandmother was Mother Barnes-The Witch of Plum Hollow

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

Plum Hollow Witch and The Mountain Man of Pakenham

FOR THE SUNDAY DRIVER 1990 — Then and Now

This was written in 1990. Somethings have changed, some things have not. I thought because a nice weekend is predicted that I would publish this old 1990 tourist blog.

Today’s drive takes you to four small villages founded at the turn of the century: Plum Hollow, Athens, Delta and Forfar. About a 90-minute drive south of Ottawa, you can purchase locally-made cheeses and candy, discover the history of the area through the Delta Mill Museum and admire the murals of Athens.

1971-The old cheese maker of Plum Hollow; Claude Flood; 73; warns the end of small cheese factories will mean the end to first-quality Canadian cheddar. Ontario’s small cheese factories are being strangled into extinction by new regulations and dwindling milk supplies.

First stop is Plum Hollow, where Blackland’s Country Candy factory is situated in a century-old building that used to house the Plum Hollow Cheese Factory. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and while you can still purchase locally-made cheese there, you will also find a tempting assortment of fudge, hard candies, jams and jellies and elegant filled chocolates. Colored wicker baskets and flower-printed boxes can be made into a gift hamper, filled with items from the shop. Choose your favorite of 16 flavors of hard ice-cream.

The Witch of Plum Hollow’s home– if you click here there are about 15 stories about the witch of Plum Hollow

The Plum Hollow Witch 101 – Mother Barnes

To get to Plum Hollow, take Hwy. 7 southwest. At Carleton Place, join up with Hwy. 15 which heads south through Smiths Falls. Connect with Hwy. 29 as you leave Smiths Falls and drive 36 kilometres south to Toledo. Veer to the ET3 right down Road 8, and turn left down Road 5 after Bellamy’s Mills. Another eight km will take you to Plum Hollow.

Athens

Athens

The village of Athens, farther south, has become famous in recent years for its historical murals painted on the sides of shops. Scenes take you back to a summer band concert and a picnic at the turn of the century and the working life of the community. Look for the likeness of “Duke,” the resident German shepherd, at the bottom corner of the lumber mill scene on the H & R feed store.

To get to Athens from Plum Hollow, drive south down Road 5 for eight km. Park on the main street and wander the sidewalks to view the murals. Before you continue your trip, take a few minutes to walk along the side streets of Athens. There are many beautifully kept old buildings, some of which are represented in the murals. Head south to Church Street and wander through the cemetery. Many of the moss-encrusted stones date back to the early 1800s and provide a glimpse into the hardships and events that ruled the lives of the people of the area.

House of Industry Athens Farmersville

Monument erected to honour 400 buried in unmarked grave

Farmersville 1859 County Directory (Athens)

Head north from Main at the Pro Hardware store. Next stop is the village of Delta, one of the earliest settlements in the township. From Athens, take Hwy. 42 west for 15 km. Delta is home to the oldest mill in Ontario, a beautifully preserved grist mill that’s the subject of many Keirsted paintings.

delta ontario post card 1930_jpg

In the early 1800s this mill was thought to be the best building of its kind in Upper Canada and today the Delta Mill Society is working to restore the building to working order. You can visit the mill for free between 10 and 5; displays of equipment in the ground-floor museum depict the history and operations of the mill and its patrons. You can purchase note-card photographs of the building at the gift counter. Now continue on to Forfar, 10 km west along Hwy. 42.

No Drinking in Delta! Did You Know this About Delta?

FORFAR

Heather HeinsRideau Lakes Community Forum

Sunflower Bakery in Perth has moved to forfar . We bought some amazing multigrain bread and fresh buns , pies , brownies etc all made there . also a huge selection of variety of cheeses which we bought 4 varieties , and tons of other great items other stores do not carry . They also make fresh sandwiches , soup and have an ice cream counter . Open 7 days a week . Fresh baking is a huge plus for the area

Forfar Dairy

The Forfar Dairy (open today from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) is on the left as the highway veers west through the village. Here you can purchase Cheddar, which is aged up to four years, as well as whey, cream and various butters. The shop also sells flavored teas and mustards, cloth bags of dressing and muffin mixes as well as hard candy and honey. Next door, the Forfar Dairy gift shop is open from 10 until 5.

Town draws crowds for curds By Doug McCann Visitors can always tell when it is 1 p.m. in the tiny village of Forfar. A small crowd of cheese fanciers gathers in the entrance of the Forfar Cheese Factory, eager to buy those first bags of fresh curds. There are usually lots of curds left by 2 or 3 p.m., but somehow I p.m. is the magic hour for true curd connoisseurs. This hamlet of perhaps 40 people has been put on the map by its cheese factory. The factory’s motto is, “The Cheese that made Leeds County famous” in reference to its winning several prizes for Cheddar throughout the years. Dave Dean, the factory’s master cheesemaker in residence, has made Cheddar cheese for 40 years, 12 of them at Forfar. In recent years, the factory began producing flavored ‘pop’ cheeses like garlic and caraway seed, which are excellent. But, to get a better idea of what this little factory stands for, try its Cheddar: It’s some of the best in the world. For a special treat, buy a wedge of four-year-old rare Cheddar. It costs a bit more but is well worth the extra price. The factory does not provide tours of its facility, but you can peer through the viewing window and watch the various stages of cheese-making. You might meet one of the cheese-makers if they have time, but don’t count on it since the staff keeps busy producing about 1,000 pounds of cheese per day. The Forfar factory’s cheese prices are often less than those of the large food stores. The cheese curd, is $1.95 per pound while other cheeses range from about $2.00 to (5.00 per pound, depending on age. To get to Forfar, drive past Smiths Falls and Portland on Highway 15 until you reach Crosby, about GO miles from Ottawa. Then, make a sharp left onto Highway 42 and drive about three miles until you reach Forfar.

CLIPPED FROMThe Ottawa JournalOttawa, Ontario, Canada02 Aug 1980, Sat  •  Page 128

Faecbook page

Forfar Cheese Factory

NOw-1536 County Rd 42 Elgin, ON, Canada

Some time ago I posted the photo of my grandfather, Clayton Coon, coming back to the Young’s HIll farm. He had taken milk to the Forfar Cheese factory and was returning with the milk cans loaded with whey for the pigs. That’s the photo on the right, which I have re-posted. The photo on the left mother took (1928), probably to showcase the flowering trees but, more importantly, if you look to the lower left you can see those same milk cans stored ourside to dry. I am always curious about how they did things–Roger Irwin

Stagecoach Restaurant

Newboro

If you’re ready for a meal, continue about 10 km west along Hwy. 42 to the village of Newboro and the Stagecoach Restaurant. It serves brunch from 11 until 2 and is open for other meals until 9 p.m. You can return home through the scenic village of Westport, then up County Road 10 to Perth, or retrace Newboro Dennis Leung, Citizen your route back to Hwy. 15. Many readers have given us tips about this lovely area.

For a current up to date tourist information click below

The Backroads to Delta, Plum Hollow and Athens

1995 fire Plum Hollow Cheese

They actually hadn’t produced any cheese there since the early ’80s, probably strong armed out of business along with other small producers by the likes of Kraft or Parmalat, an interesting story in itself.

Since then it functioned as a candy shop, and an antique shop but that’s the limit of my memory. The loss is a historical one for the area, one less monument to a time when a small producer could thrive along with the surrounding farms, etc.

It was a very picturesque factory located on a hill. Approaching eastbound on the road it pops into view across a golden meadow, approaching westbound it springs into view at a sharp curve in the road, the golden meadow stretching out behind it.

Plum Hollow

Begin hereThe Plum Hollow Witch 101 – Mother Barnes

The Plum Hollow Witch 101 – Mother Barnes

The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
12 Dec 1925, Sat  •  Page 2

Love this photo of me SeanandMichael Rikley-Lancaster curator of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum and Elaine Farley at the North Lanark Museum. It was a dark day out there today in Appleton today and we were under a tent.. But the picture came out great LOLOL. It has spirit..The Witch of Plum Hollow IS Reenactor Elaine Farley who highlighted her research today about local legend Elizabeth Barnes the Witch of Plum Hollow and debunked some myths about her. It was great…Love her a lot..

The Witch of Plum Hollow’s home– if you click here there are about 15 stories about the witch of Plum Hollow
The Plum Hollow Witch 101 – Mother Barnes
To get to Plum Hollow, take Hwy. 7 southwest. At Carleton Place, join up with Hwy. 15 which heads south through Smiths Falls. Connect with Hwy. 29 as you leave Smiths Falls and drive 36 kilometres south to Toledo. Veer to the ET3 right down Road 8, and turn left down Road 5 after Bellamy’s Mills. Another eight km will take you to Plum Hollow.

Written in 1982

Few are aware that near the shore of nearby Lake Eloida the derelict abode of the Witch of Plum Hollow sits empty, ravaged by time and vandals. . However for three generations of Joynt women, descendants of Mother Barnes, a visit to the tiny cabin shortly before Halloween proved a sentimental journey of sorts.

Lera Joynt, daughter Carol, 11-year-old Susan Joynt and Lisa Joynt, 14, had varied reactions to the forlorn cottage. “I recall Grandpa Samuel Barnes telling of hitching up the horses for the long ride from Smiths Falls to Plum Hollow,” Lera reminisced. Sam, one of Barnes’ nine children, was a blacksmith and mayor of Smiths Falls in 1906.

Her daughter Carol felt a strong bond with her famous ancestor. Mother Barnes ‘gift’ to foresee the future appeared in every generation, she said. Lisa and Susan, daughters of Witch of Plum Hollow Painted by Henry Vyfinkel well-known farmer and auctioneer John Joynt, were fascinated. With visions of bats, broomsticks and black cats racing through their heads, they gingerly tip-toed through the debris. “There’s an old piece of wood in here that’s marked made in 1805,” Susan called out excitedly. Lisa reported with disappointment the rickety old stairs were gone. “I’ll come back in my old clothes and climb up there,” she told her grandmother. “I want to see the room where Mother Barnes read the tea leaves for all those people.” Lera Joynt’ disapproves of the dubious title of witch applied to her ancestor. “We don’t like it at all. Her kindly advice and honest predictions helped countless numbers of people.”

Over at Plum Hollow Cheese factory, Claude Flood explains why he and his late wife Ella erected a monument to Mother Barnes in nearby Sheldon Cemetery. “During the 50 years I made cheese here people were always coming in with stories about Mother Barnes.

Lera Joynt and other family members felt the same. Some years ago, they purchased the two acres with its original cabin, its apple trees, tumble-down barn and abandoned well. Lera and husband Percy re-shingled, the roof and cleaned up the grounds when they took over the property but it hasn’t weathered the years very well. Weeds have taken over, the roof sinks in and vandals have removed the original pine doors and smashed the windows.

The Witch of Plum Hollow has. served as title for a book by Thad Leavitt now out of print a musical show produced in Toronto and an oil painting by area artist Henry VyfinkeL The huge painting dominates his studio near Brockville.

“When I read that the last man hung in Brockville had been convicted of murder through her police assistance,” Vyfinkel recalled, “I believed there was something to what they were saying about her.” A seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, Mother Barnes was born Jane Elizabeth Martin in the County of Cork, Ireland, in November, 1800. She was the daughter of an Irish landowner of English descent who was a colonel in the British Army, and of an Irish woman of Spanish gypsy descent.

Although her father had arranged a marriage for her to a colonel friend of wealth and distinction, 20-year-old Elizabeth eloped on the night of her wedding with a ‘Canadian army sergeant, Robert Joseph Harrison. Disowned by her parents, the couple sailed to America where Elizabeth bore a son and became a widow at 27.

Several years later, she married shoemaker David Barnes, had six sons and three daughters and moved to Sheldon’s Corners near Plum Hollow in 1843. David left Elizabeth and several of the children to live in Smiths Falls with his son Sam, a blacksmith and Mother Barnes turned to fortune-telling to support the family. No explanation has ever been heard by the family as to why David walked out and his grave has never been located.

Mother Barnes success brought her fame and she moved to the small cabin near Lake Eloida. Countless stories are passed along of her predictions but the one referred to by artist Vyfinkel is perhaps the most famous. A local law enforcement officer consulted her regarding the mysterious disappearance of an English immigrant named Hunter. His friend reported the immigrant drowned, leading a search party to Charleston Lake without success. The story goes that Mother Barnes told the constable the man’s body was hidden under a fallen tree, partly submerged in water. The body was found and the friend charged with murder, found guilty and hanged in Brockville. Elizabeth Barnes was 91 when she died, leaving seven children and a legacy of love.

Plum Hollow was also famous for its Plum Hollow Cheese Factory from 1924 to 1982, which then became a chocolate factory, and was subsequently destroyed by fire in 2015. Known for the nine murals that made Athens famous by the late 1980s, the Township of Athens is rich in hist

An historic homestead

In 1892, local writer Thaddeus William Henry Leavitt published his short novel, The Witch of Plum Hollow, featuring Mother Barnes and her “sixth sense.” Today, her little cabin still stands behind a rail fence along Mother Barnes Road, just west of County Road 29. It’s on private property, and is posted with “No Trespassing” signs. Visitors cannot go inside, but they can park beside the road and have a look at this piece of the past along the back roads of Leeds County.

The Mural · December 7, 2016 ·  WHO WAS MOTHER BARNES?

By Sally Smid

Could it only have been a co-incidence that the Super Moon was in the sky the weekend of the Mother Barnes presentation in Athens? Re-enactor Elaine Farley began her talk at the Joshua Bates Center on Nov. 13th by refuting a myth about Mother Barnes with a quote from her grandchildren stating, “As far as we know she was an only daughter…but when she became famous, she told people she was a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter to add to her glamour.” It is also important to realize that Jane Elizabeth Barnes was “well read and had a full command of the English language” but there are no letters, diaries, or journals known to exist for public disclosure.

Census records show that she changed her religious affiliations and country of birth various times but it is believed that she was born in 1851 and had Irish origins. She was married several times, her last husband David Barnes left her with 7 children and moved to Smiths Falls with his son, Samuel, who later became the mayor.

In 1891 Mother Barnes was buried from the Methodist church in Farmersville, now Athens United Church. Elaine proposed that this changing information was perhaps “part of the mystery she was trying to create or was she moving from church to church to be accepted?”
She also spoke of the “fascination and fear about Mother Barnes’ abilities”, as the Brockville Recorder commented in April 20, 1876, “if she were to take it into her head to exercise her power for evil there is no knowing what mischief she might do.”
In 1865 the Herald newspaper of Carleton Place referred to her as “the old hag, who is said to live in Plumb Hollow” and talked of information “pointed out by the witch.” Thaddeus Leavitt, a former Brockville Recorder editor and historian, wrote a book in 1892, one year after she died, which he entitled The Witch of Plum Hollow. The 254 paged book makes only a brief reference to Mother Barnes on 8 pages and “was not at all about her”. Elaine speculated, “Was he counting on the mystery she had started to sell his book? Repeatedly, he was, and still is given credit for the term “Witch of Plum Hollow.”

It seems that she never tried to refute the “witchcraft” interpretation of much of her life’s work. It is interesting to consider how she may have received that label. The 19th century stereo type of witches, included that they were often widowed or deserted by their husbands and without male supervision, lived in rural areas, were of the lower class, cured illness, acted as mid-wives, and were independent. “Using this list, she was easily labeled a witch”, Elaine concluded.

When Upper Canada Village in 1969 and the Ontario Historical Society in 1988 said no to acquiring her property north of Athens because it did not “consider the site to be of historical significance”. Though the family struggled to hold on to it, the property was eventually sold. Her cabin has been restored and has been open to the public from time to time. The present owner has now decided to put it up for sale and, despite any rumors, it remains unsold.

Elaine’s abilities as a re-enactor and the detailed research that she has collected brought new insights and appreciation for this legendary woman. Though she has been called a “witch” it seems that she should be more suitably remembered as a kindly, compassionate and caring mother, neighbor and grandmother, who told fortunes and gave advice to help support her large family. The presence of her wooden table on the stage, where she used to tell her fortunes added further audience appeal and interest. It even has been said that John A. MacDonald came to inquire about where our nation’s new capital should be, adding real significance on the eve of Canada’s 150th birthday.

The event was well attended and proceeds went to the work of AAHS. It is the second in their speaker series for the season with famed Railway Bob coming to the JBC on March 26th to make a presentation on local railway history.

Re-enactor Elaine Farley stands behind Mother Barnes’ table as part of her recent presentation sponsored by the Athens and Area Heritage Society. Photo: Sally Smid — in Athens, Ontario…

We Know About the Witch of Plum Hollow — But Have you Heard About Mother Lajeunesse?

Mother Barnes– The Colonel’s Daughter in Plum Hollow

An Interview with the Witch of Plum Hollow–Mother Barnes— The Ottawa Free Press 1891

The Witch of Plum Hollow and the Blacksmith

My Grandmother was Mother Barnes-The Witch of Plum Hollow

A Bewitched Bed in Odessa

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

Plum Hollow Witch and The Mountain Man of Pakenham

Different Seasons of Witches in Lanark County

Local Miracle Story– Woken From a Ten Week Coma

The White Witch of Lanark County–Having the Sight

The Witches of Rochester Street

Hocus Pocus –Necromancy at Fitch Bay

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

The Witch Hollow of Lanark County

When Mother Barnes Made a Mistake? Beckwith 6th Line

The Witch of Plum Hollow Files- An Evening in Smiths Falls

Mother Barnes and the Missing Money of South March

Mother Barnes and the Missing Money of South March

 

Another story about “Mother Barnes, the so-called ‘witch Plum Hollow,” is related by John Murphy, 115 Spadina Avenue. Mr. Murphy tells that in 1870s a certain resident of South March had a considerable amount of money stolen from him. He had kept it in the house been kept in the house and they suspected a certain person.

One of his sons went to Plum Hollow to see Mrs. Barnes.  Mrs. Barnes refused to tell  the chap who had stolen the money, but said the owner would would find it in a hole in a log at a certain comer of the house. The son went home and told  his father what Mrs. Barnes had said. and sure enough, the money was there. The next day  the owner of the money took a trip to Ottawa put the money In a bank.  I don’t blame him– and all that it cost him was 25 cents paid to Mother Barnes for her fee.

On any day of the week a motley cavalcade of saints and sinners waited on this remarkable woman. Politicians and peddlers, rich and poor, the great, the near-great and the not-great, lovelorn maidens and dames in crinolines — all consulted the “Witch of Plum Hollow”.

 

where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun and theSherbrooke Record and and Screamin’ Mamas (USACome and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place. Tales of Almonte and Arnprior Then and Now.

 

We Know About the Witch of Plum Hollow — But Have you Heard About Mother Lajeunesse?

Mother Barnes– The Colonel’s Daughter in Plum Hollow

An Interview with the Witch of Plum Hollow–Mother Barnes— The Ottawa Free Press 1891

The Witch of Plum Hollow and the Blacksmith

My Grandmother was Mother Barnes-The Witch of Plum Hollow

A Bewitched Bed in Odessa

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

Plum Hollow Witch and The Mountain Man of Pakenham

Different Seasons of Witches in Lanark County

Local Miracle Story– Woken From a Ten Week Coma

The White Witch of Lanark County–Having the Sight

 

The Witches of Rochester Street

Hocus Pocus –Necromancy at Fitch Bay

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

The Witch Hollow of Lanark County

When Mother Barnes Made a Mistake? Beckwith 6th Line

Who was Mother Barnes? Find Out About the Witch of Plum Hollow April 7

 

Reenactor Elaine Farley

 

                         Who Was Mother Barnes??

 

 

Reenactor Elaine Farley presents—Who was Mother Barnes?? Beckwith Township Municipal Complex-Lanark County Genealogical Society–April 7 MONTHLY GATHERING- 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. ONLY 100 SEATS Available!!!

Elaine Farley will highlight research about local legend Elizabeth Barnes the Witch of Plum Hollow and debunk some myths about her.

 

Clipped from Vancouver Daily World, 18 Oct 1889, Fri, Page 1

 

Elaine Farley photo and text “Mother Barnes lived in this area and was known as a “seeer”. Her log cabin is privately owned in Sheldon’s Corners/Plum Hollow”

 

                              Where?

Beckwith Township Municipal Complex–ONLY 100 SEATS Available!!!

1702 9th Line Beckwith Carleton Place April 7 MONTHLY GATHERING

1:30-3:30

Appreciated to help cover the cost of refreshments at the meeting or  help cover the cost of this event.

 

All are welcome—a five dollar donation is appreciated

 

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun andScreamin’ Mamas (USA)

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.

 

An Interview with the Witch of Plum Hollow–Mother Barnes— The Ottawa Free Press 1891

My Grandmother was Mother Barnes-The Witch of Plum Hollow

A Bewitched Bed in Odessa

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

Different Seasons of Witches in Lanark County

 

The Witches of Rochester Street

Hocus Pocus –Necromancy at Fitch Bay

The Witch of Plum Hollow – Carleton Place Grandmother

The Witch Hollow of Lanark County

 

The Story of Caroline La Rose– Charleston Lake

Clipped from The Ottawa Journal,  19 Feb 1909, Fri,  Page 1

View southwest from Blue Mountain to Long Mountain and Charleston Lake

When you hike the Blue Mountain Trail it is intended for more experienced or at least more motivated hikers. This isolated trail can only be accessed by water via Huckleberry Hollow, and it is extremely rugged. It is no wonder that young 7 year-old Caroline La Rose got lost when her family was camping at Charleston Lake. She wasn’t alone, and was carrying a small infant that she was entrusted with his care as the family was berry picking. Baby Bertha was the daughter of Leona Brown, her mother’s oldest daughter.  She was brought into the home when she married Isaac La Rose. Confused? Have you checked out family history from way back then? Everyone is related to everyone. Let’s carry on…

With bare feet young Caroline walked into the woods and became lost and began to yell for help. When no one answered her call she walked over terrible terrain for miles until she found a shanty. Caroline found a tick mattress for bedding and mixed berries with water to feed young Bertha putting the baby first instead of herself. The children’s disappearance was quickly noticed and the search began with the first Reeve of Athens Watson G. Parrish set out in his steam yacht with his son Arthur hoping to find the two children quickly. Caroline had been missing for 4 days at that point Parrish got involved, but through some miracle she saw the steamer from the shore of Crawford’s Point.

Frantically trying to get the steamer’s attention Parrish saw her and quickly rescued her and the wee bairn and brought them to his cottage for food and warmth. There she met the daughter of Benedict Arnold, Jessie Arnold who was Parish’s niece. So enthralled with her new friend she named a new doll Jessie in honour of her. In a sad note, Bertha died at age 2 years. So what happened to young Caroline La Rose? Check out the wonderful story by Sally Smid.—THE HEROINE OF CHARLESTON LAKE

House of Industry Athens Farmersville

Farmersville 1859 County Directory (Athens)

More Lake Monsters–Moose or Monster?

The Killarney of Canada in Lanark County

Ontario’s Version of the Marks Bros-Tales of the Queen’s Hotel

CLIPPED FROM
The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada25 Oct 1927, Tue  •  Page 5

House of Industry Athens Farmersville

 

 

 

 

East of Athens along Highway 42 is a mass grave site associated with the House of Industry as it operated from 1895 until 1946 housing the sick, elderly or poor. The gravesite is currently marked by a large stone simply reading “Pioneers of Leeds & Grenville 1895 – 1946”. The original plans for the burial site included space for over 480 individuals in specific areas of the site however it is unclear if these plans were ever followed.

 

Photo–Created by: gravehunter

 

Over one hundred graves are located here, of those who lived at the House of Industry between the aforementioned years and whose bodies remained unclaimed after death. For many years it was unclear where the graves were precisely located, as absolutely no records were kept and no grave markers were placed at the time.

 

 

Photo–Created by: gravehunter

 

The mass grave became abandoned in 1946 when the House of Industry came under new management who deemed the burial practices being used as undignified. A plot was then reserved in Glen Elbe cemetery for the unclaimed dead. In recent years, the long-neglected cemetery has been cleaned up and a fence was built around the stone memorial. A cooperative effort between local genealogical societies has recently discovered the approximate boundaries of the burial plot by dowsing for grave site

 

Photo–Created by: gravehunter

 

 Click here—House of Industry Burial Grounds List

 

Jennifer Fenwick Irwin

On the way home we came across this “House of Industry” in Athens. https://www.recorder.ca/2013/01/15/project-marks-lost-cemetery/wcm/d11c585b-6a99-1eb5-8622-49c65d7d1e1d

Jennifer Fenwick Irwin

https://www.leedsgrenville.com/en/services/our-history.aspx

 

 

 

 

Mr. Willoughby was called by telephone to Athens on Wednesday last by the council of that town. Some months ago the fine high school there was burned—a school which made Athens famous. The ratepayers were torn apart by mass of dissension over the problem whether to use the old walls or start anew from the ground.

Mr. Willoughby built the school forty-eight years ago—before most of us were born—and, as his name still retains the savour of architectural excellence, it was decided to invite his opinion. On Thursday he made a thorough inspection, and was able to report at a public meeting in the town hall that evening that the walls were in perfect condition and were capable of infinite and enduring power. It is probable he will be asked to supervise the reconstruction.— April 7 1905

 

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun and Screamin’ Mamas (USA)

 

 

Did You Know About the House of Industry?

Monument erected to honour 400 buried in unmarked grave

Farmersville 1859 County Directory (Athens)

Farmersville 1859 County Directory (Athens)

Photo from-www.athenshardware.ca

FARMERSVILLE--which is now Athens Ontario. — County Leeds, Township Tonge,

There is a Daily stage to Westport and Brockville, and daily mail.

Church of England — Campbell, Rev. Thos. Episcopal Methodist : Wilson, Rev. D. Brown, Rev. W., Presiding Elder. Wesleyan — Rev. R. Clarke. Medical Directory : Addison, R. K., M. D. Chamberlain, A. A., M. D. Goodwin, W. W., M. D. Bailiffs : Martin, Wilson. Matthews, J. K, Cabinetmaker — Stephens, George. Carriagemaker — Gilroy, Eleazar. Cooper — Landers, John. Dressmakers : Cole, Mrs. McConnell, Miss. Division Court Clerk and Issuer of Marriage Licenses- King, W. Wallace. General Merchants : Blanchard & Wing. Dening, James. Green, Henry. Parish, Arza. Williams, A. C. Hotels : Bradfield, W. Cole, H. W. Mechanics Institute — Parish, Arza, President. Mason — Willoughby, William. Mills, Grist and Saw : Wing, William. Campbell, James. Music Teacher — Matthews, J. K. Painter — Matthews, J. K. Postmaster — Parish, Arza. Potashery — Parish, Arza. Saddler— Giles, W. H. Shoemakers : King, W. W. Murphy, James. Wight, W. H. Tailor — Sutherland, Angus. Tinsmith — Kincaird, Archibald. Tannery — Robinson, Horatio.

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in Hometown News and now in The Townships Sun