A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Luncheon & Bridal Fashion Show on Saturday June 25th at Brunton Hall in Blacks Corners. “Brides of St James & Friends”
Incredible gowns spanning the years 1909 to 2021 were presented, by the models who did a fantastic job of showcasing the gowns. From all accounts, everyone had a great time.
A huge THANK YOU to Beckwith Township who Hosted this event, celebrating the 200th Anniversary of St James, Franktown.– Cora Nolan
Author’s Note… so sad I missed this..:(
Photos by Sandra Powell who also did all the music for the show.
More then 34 vintage wedding gowns. Thanks again Sandra for the photos
Flashback to 1941 and the wedding photo of Evelyn Currie and Eddie Campbell, shown with her parents George and Annie Currie. They were married in St. James Franktown. (If anyone has photos that are related to St. James please let Janice Tennant Campbell know. Thanks!)
St James Franktown Flashback Friday – The Wedding of Mid Currie and Joe Conlon in 1952Flashback Friday – The Wedding of Mid Currie and Joe Conlon in 1952
I love finding a newspaper clipping and then trying to piece their life together. Here is what I found:
Samuel MacEachen Sr. who ran away from Beckwith
Samuel MacEachen, a native of Beckwith, Canada, who settled in North Scranton in the late 1870s, died in 1927 at the age of 82. The elder MacEachen had had wide experience as a gold prospector. He engaged in the drilling business there and before the turn of the century drilled hundreds of wells in Scranton. He was an associate of T. J. Foster, founder of the International Correspondence Schools, and was said to have been largely responsible for persuading Mr. Foster to transfer the headquarters of his mining publication. The Colliery Engineer, from the lower anthracite field to Scranton. The two men were at one time partners in the Standard Drilling Co. and son Sam MacEachen Jr. had been a salesman throughout most of his life.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Department of Health. Bureau of Vital Statistics. Certificate of Death #31930. Cemetery: Cathedral Cemetery. Date of Burial: March 28, 1927. Informant on death certificate: Samuel MacEachen, 817 Monroe Avenue.
PLEASE NOTE due to the storm this week, this display got totaled. Hopefully it will be up by Saturday
Perry, Steph and Sophia have something new this year. A Halloween extravaganza up this week. 267 Stonewood Drive, Carleton Place every night from 6-9pm (off the Beckwith 9th line)– It’s off Country Lane estates drive,,. there is no light so drive slowly and go right to the end of the road. You can’t miss it.Halloween Town comes to the area..PLEASE do not go on the GRASS.. it would be appreciated.
PM me Linda Seccaspina for anything else we should add.. Happy Halloween
october 27–If you went to 267 Stonewood Drive, Carleton Place last night to see the big Halloween display Steph said the storm yesterday and wind took its toll so according to Steph -” He’s got a lot of work out there to do!” so be patient
Downtown Carleton Place– The Downtown Carleton Place scarecrow stroll starts this sunday and goes till Halloween night !!!
The Carleton Place Recreation & Culture Department is pleased to present the 2nd annual Carleton Place Halloween Scavenger Hunt Grab a map, or online link, and travel through our Carleton Place neighbourhoods to participate in the scavenger hunt. The Carleton Place Neighbourhood Halloween Scavenger Hunt will be taking place on October 30th & 31st. Maps and links will be available starting October 29th, 2021. Interested participants can access Scavenger Hunt maps in the following ways: -Pick up a paper copy of the map outside of the Carleton Place Arena (75 Neelin St) starting Friday October 29th at 10:00am, -On the Recreation and Culture Department Facebook Page starting Friday October 29th at 10:00am, -On the Town of Carleton Place website: www.carletonplace.ca starting Friday October 29th at 10:00am Participants are reminded to remain on the sidewalk/street while participating in the Scavenger Hunt. For more information, please contact Jessica Hansen: jhansen@carletonplace.ca / 613-257-1690
Haunted House on George Street Carleton Place
A house of Zombies or Witches #TheHauntedHouseOnGeorgeSt
Take a picture with the Hocus Pocus Sanderson Sisters at Springside Hall on Lake Ave East.. Remember to #supportlocal Photo by John Rayner and Family:0
4th Annual Carleton Place Pumpkin Parade! Monday November 1st from 6:00-7:30 PM, Pumpkin Drop Off and Contest Entry 5-6 PM What are you doing the night after Halloween? Don’t throw out those pumpkins just yet! Bring your jack-o-lanterns for display to our FREE all ages event! Together we’ll light up the paths at Carleton Junction (beside Wool Growers & behind the Carleton Place Police and Fire Stations) Parking off of Lansdowne Ave. and side streets where permitted. Monday November 1st! Come out and enjoy the pumpkins of Carleton Place, in an event led by the Carleton Place & District Youth Centre staff and volunteers. ENTER YOUR PUMPKIN FOR A CHANCE TO WIN! Drop off your carved pumpkin with event organizers between 5-6pm to be judged in our Pumpkin Carving Contest! Local personalities will be judging designs at 6:30 pm with the winners being announced at 7:00 pm. LED Battery Tea Lights will be provided for your pumpkin(s). Hot chocolate and popcorn will be for sale to help raise funds for CP Youth Centre! Pumpkins will be composted after the event. Mask wearing and physical distancing encouraged. Please so kind as to wear a mask and to try to maintain distance when approaching staff and volunteers. cpyouthcentre.org https://www.facebook.com/events/1788768134657193/
PLEASE STAY SAFE!
This is from Jeff Maguire, from The Carleton Place Sister City Committee
Good Morning Everyone:
Jason Collins, president of the Franklin and Williamson County Sister City Board, arrived safely in Carleton Place this morning and Ralph Shaw loaded the 2021 Giant Pumpkin for Saturday’s Pumpkinfest in our American Sister City for the journey south. As you will see in the attached photos there has never been a better fit. It went onto the bed of Jason’s rental truck with about three inches to spare on each side. Ralph and I were amazed! We’ve never seen anything quite like it. A perfect fit!! This one isn’t orange/yellow in colour but more between brownish/green.
Ralph calls this “The COVID Pumpkin. It’s a little sick!” I love that! But in all honesty it is such a nice shape and size that the colour seems immaterial somehow. Thank you Jason for coming to Carleton Place and picking up the pumpkin. It wouldn’t have gone south without you and we appreciate you taking the time to carry out this important task. It was so nice to meet you! A bit of a “flying visit” Jason but I know you enjoyed visiting CP, briefly. Please bring your wife next time and stay longer! Safe travels tomorrow on your long drive back to Tennessee from the Thousand Islands.
Thanks Ralph for all your efforts in securing and managing another real beauty. Awesome Ralph! Thank you are well to our members Nancy Code-Miller (vice-chair) and Kathy Maguire for taking part today in the rain and cold. NOT a nice day here, to say the least! It was much warmer for all of us in the restaurant at lunch. Thank you as well to Amanda Charania, Joanne Henderson and the Town of Carleton Place for all of the nice souvenir items they were good enough to provide for our special guest Jason today.
Good to see you this afternoon at the Chamber office Jackie. Sorry we missed you at the Town Hall Doug. But Jason has left you a little something courtesy of Mayor Moore in Franklin. To Jackie and Kate Murray at the BIA, I’m sorry the pumpkin couldn’t be displayed downtown this year but getting it to Franklin was our first priority this time after the lost year in 2020 due to COVID. To our Franklin friends, we are now looking forward to hearing how Pumpkinfest goes on Saturday. Wish we could be there! Maybe next year? (Send photos please!)
BEST WISHES,Jeff Maguire,Chair,The Carleton Place Sister City Committee
Trespassing is not considered appropriate. It is understood that if we are alerted by a property owner about an area that is owned by them that we will remove your post.We must keep the integrity of the location intact for those that wish to view later.7. Absolutely no vandalism or theft from properties is condoned. Please keep these beautifully abandoned properties in their slowly decaying state.
Linda,
You don’t know me but I follow your posts in the various groups. I live in Beckwith Township and often take rides around the neighborhood. On one such ride I saw this on the side of the road on an old fence. It is located on the Brunton Side Rd. further along where the Beckwith /Montague border is. There is a farm opposite side with a large wooden gateway with a skull and some other stuff (also cool Lol)
Just wondering if you could shed some light on the significance of it relating to the area it is located. I took the photo of the Cross several yrs ago and a friend of mine recently jumped the fence and took the second photo. He did not want to venture any further inside the property as he was alone and probably trespassing. We know it’s religious significance just curious who owns the site etc etc. Any help solving this mystery would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Can anyone help?
The Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Sorrowful Way”, often translated “Way of Suffering”; Hebrew: ויה דולורוזה; Arabic: طريق الآلام) is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem. It represents the path that Jesus would have taken, forced by the Roman soldiers, on the way to his crucifixion. The winding route from the former Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — a distance of about 600 metres (2,000 feet)— is a celebrated place of Christian pilgrimage. The current route has been established since the 18th century, replacing various earlier versions. It is today marked by nine Stations of the Cross; there have been fourteen stations since the late 15th century, with the remaining five stations being inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Wikipedia click here
I assume this is a nature walk for the stations of the cross.. I hope someone knows something about it.But please respect it and keep it safe.
A little log school house traditionally has been the first school of many prominent persons in the professions, agriculture and business. Like others of the province and nation, Lanark county’s humble early schools, despite their disadvantages, and aided by the family backgrounds of their students and teachers, filled this role well. For a typical early list of eastern Ontario rural and village teachers, Beckwith township’s teachers of 1855 may be taken. In order of school sections they were:
1U (Gillies) Alex McKay; 2 (Franktown) John Sinclair; 3 (Coocoo’s Nest) Wm. Kidd; 4 (Prospect) Donald McDiarmid; 5U (Tennyson) Donald Cameron; 5 (7th Line E.) Alex Armstrong; 6 (The Derry) Duncan McDiarmid; 7 (9th Line W.) Elizabeth James; 8 (9th Line E.) Elizabeth Murdock; 9 (11th Line E.) Fleming May; 10 (Scotch Corners) Helen Johnston; 11 (Carleton Place) Margaret Bell; 12U (with S.S.11 Goulbourn) Wm. McEwen.
A glimpse of rural schools of about fifty years ago may be gained in extracts from Lanark school inspector F. L. Michell’s reports of 1905 on Beckwith township schools:
“No 2 (Franktown) – The school suffers greatly from that evil so prevalent in our schools, irregularity of attendance. School work is well done in the junior grades but unsatisfactory in senior grades. The grounds are rough and not fenced along the road.
No. 3 (Cuckoo’s Nest) – The school house is small and worn out. Doing excellent work under disadvantages.
No. 4 (Prospect) – An excellent school property. Attendance is very large. The old useless well should be filled in.
No. 5 (7th Line East) – Always kept in first class condition. The school work is excellent. The attendance is small, but few schools in the county have to their credit a larger number of graduates who have taken prominent positions in our land.
No. 5U (7th Line West) – This is also one of our banner schools.
No. 6 (The Derry) – This is also an excellent section, and like No. 5 it has sent out numerous young people to lives of usefulness. Attendance is very small. The school work is excellent.
No. 7 (9th Line West) – A good site and in fine condition. The school work was not up to average.
No. 8 (9th Line East) – An excellent new school house, and work well done.
No. 9 (11th Line East) – One of the richest sections of the county. There is no library. The school ranks excellent.
No. 14 (11th Line West) – Some small repairs are needed. The school work is generally good.”
School sections in Beckwith township which had their first teachers in the 1820’s about the same time as Carleton Place were those of the Derry and Franktown. Read –Beckwith One Room Schools– Leona Kidd
In the books that were donated I have come across some interesting information about a home that was once in Ashton that was called, “The Castle”. It was believed to be build by Mr. Archie Blair and was an imposing 3 storey, 14 room frame bulding painted white.
It had a high roof with four gables and the surrounding verandahs were supported by broad pillars. Over the large hospitable French doors was a very ornate fanlight. Mr. Blair operated a shoemaking business over at the Forester’s Hall and had two sons: Dr. Blair and Jack Blair.
The imposing home was destroyed by fire. Living there at the time of the fire was Mrs. Archie Blair, her sisters Tina and Jessie McEwen and a brother Sandy McEwen. Sandy was in bed with a broken hip when the fire broke out at noon hour. Hilton Fleming was at his home nearby for his midday meal, noticed the smoke and realized that Sandy was upstairs and helpless scaled two fences and enetered the burning building. He was able to snatch Sandy in his arms and head for safety. Sandy kept shouting for his pants, but Mr. Fleming just screamed back ” to hell with your pants’ as he carried him to the safety of the Forrester’s Hall. The hall later was a residence owned by Mr. Slade.
Polling Division No. 3 – Comprising the east half of the 8th concession from lot no. 1 to lot no. 14 inclusive; also the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th concessions from lot no. 1 to lot no. 15 inclusive except that portion belonging to the town of Almonte
It would be impossible to give an entire list of the names of the early immigrants of Beckwith, but some of the earliest as follows:Duncan McEwen, Donald Anderson, John McLaren John Cram, and John Carmichael in the 10th concession.Peter McDougall, Duncan . McLaren, AIex. and Donald Clark, John and Peter McGregor, in the ninth concessionAlex McGregor, Peter Anderson, John Stewart, and Donald Kennedy in the eighth concessionFindlay McEwen, Archie Dewar John and Peter McDiarmld in the seventh concessionRobert, John James, and Duncan Ferguson, and Duncan McDiarmid in the fifth concession.
From a glance at the names it is pretty obvious that the folks came from the “heathery hills of Scotland”, but it might be of interest to know that they came to form a miniature colony. Although a few returned to there original homeland most would never see their loved ones or homes again.After six weeks journeying across the Atlantic they arrived at Montreal, and proceeded in small open boat’s up the St. Lawrence to Bytown/ Ottawa. Then they began another weary journey to the solitude lands of Beckwith, where there travel was more impeded than ever. No railway lines, no roads, simply a narrow blazed trail through the leafy woodland. Read Beckwith 1820 Census Lanark County–Who Do You Know?
Here is a pic of my father-in-law Lorne McNeely he was 18 so would be 1929. Taken on the farm on 7th line BeckwithKnow your ancestors thanks to Donna Mcfarlane
This is the Rev. James Carmichael who preached one of the last sermons at the old church on the Beckwith Township 7th line….mentioned in one of your articles– Have you read The Spirit of the 7th Line?
Photo from Corry Turner-Perkins.. Beckwith School on 7th Line about 1960 Top Row- Keith McNeely, Miss Griff, Dennis(?), Dave Turner, Donnie McNeely, Ronnie MdNeely,Jim NcEwan,Raymond Stanzel, 2nd row from top- (?) Jorgenson, Jerry McNeely, Edward Stephens, Bert Jorgenson, Joyce Spoor, Nancy McNeely, (?) White, 3rd row-Arlene McEwan, Jennifer White, Barbara White, Sharon McGregor, Lorain McNeely, Dorothy Stanzel, 1st row- Wayne McNeely, Eddie(?), Hallie Flegg, Perry Stephens
Information about the D.W. Stewart Farm came from:
About WI Women’s Institute is a local, provincial, national and international organization that promotes women, families and communities. Our goal is to empower women to make a difference.
About FWIC
The idea to form a national group was first considered in 1912. In 1914, however, when the war began the idea was abandoned. At the war’s end, Miss Mary MacIsaac, Superintendent of Alberta Women’s Institute, revived the idea. She realized the importance of organizing the rural women of Canada so they might speak as one voice for needed reforms, and the value of co-ordinating provincial groups for a more consistent organization. In February 1919, representatives of the provinces met in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to form the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada.
The identity of the Women’s Institute still lies profoundly in its beginnings. The story of how this historic organization came to be is one that resonates with women all over the world, and is engrained in the mission and vision Ontario WI Members still live by today. CLICK here–
Hi Linda! I am going to start collecting info on my moms family (the Mann family of Blacks corners) for you!– Carly Drummond
This is just wonderful and thank you Carly!!!!!
Herbert (the father) passed away September 3, 1978
My dad was born Herbert John Vidamour in Guernsey. His family arrived in Alymer Ont in1922 when his mother took ill. A nurse by the name of Hazel O Mann was the attending nurse. His mother asked if she knew anyone who could adopt Herb as he wasn’t even 2 yet and she took him home to her sister Ellen Mann who adopted Herb and that’s where the name had changed from Vidamour to Mann.
He went back to England with Ellen and was raised there then joined the British army and then got transfer to the Canadian army and brought his wife and two daughters back with him. Searched and found all his birth brothers and sisters. ( of them all in the Windsor & London area
About my wonderful grandmother: She was born to the late John and Violet Hibberd of Southampton, England. Predeceased by her husbands Herbert John Mann, Charles Kritsch and William Empey and also by her brother Kenneth John Hibberd (Sheila-surviving). Dearly loved mother of Carolyn (Don Mann-Smith), Hazel (Robert Adey), Susan (Clemente Munoz), Lorraine (Brad Smith), Gary Mann, Gayle (Tony Higgins), Jayne Porteous (Tim McIntyre) and Patricia Morrice (Dave Richardson). Predeceased by her daughter Heather (Tim McGonegal) and son-in-law Ronnie Porteous. Fondly remembered by her 15 grandchildren Stephen King, Charlena Mann, Nicole Richards, Paul Adey, Angela Duff (John), Heather Lynn Stanzel (Duane Locke), Melissa McGonegal (Norm Davidson) and Mark McGonegal, Trevor and Haley Mann, Sarah Higgins (Vishal Trivedi), Victoria Saavedra (Rob), Kayla Somers (Scott), Carly Drummond (Dan) and Jack Morrice (Corrina). Adored by her 13 great-grandchildren Mackenzie, Mercedes, Brooklyn, Brandon, Ian, Trinity, Kylee, River, Paisley, Rhett, Silas, Harlyn and Raimey, Bryar & Liam.
The Mann Family England > Kingston (between 1955-57) > Barrie > Toronto > Barrie > New Brunswick > Carleton Place > Blacks Corners (1967) Their house in Blacks Corners was on Dakers Road. The only son, Gary, owns and lives in their homestead to this day. Carolyn & Hazel – born in England Susan, Lorraine, Heather, Gary – born in Barrie Gayle – born in Toronto Jayne – born in Barrie Patricia – born in New Brunswick As you can tell, Hebert Mann was in the military which is why they moved around quite a bit before settling in Blacks Corners.
In the family there are, in order: Herbert Irene Carolyn Hazel Susan & Lorraine (twins) Heather (passed away from cancer is 2010) Gary Gayle Jayne Patricia
This is a family picture from 2018. My grandmothers 90th birthday. The two men beside her are her nephews who surprised her with a visit all the way from England (where my grandma was born & raised) There is also all the siblings, children & most of the great grandchildren
Blacks Corners: Named after John Black an early settler. The Knox Presbyterian Church was built there in 1846. It shows in the Historical Atlas for Lanark County.
Lanark was a provincial riding in Ontario, Canada, that was created for the 1934 election. In 1987 there was a minor redistribution and the riding was renamed to Lanark-Renfrew. It was abolished prior to the 1999 election. It was merged into the riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke.
In 1933, in an austerity measure to mark the depression times, the province passed an update to the Representation Act that reduced the number of seats in the legislature from 112 to 90. The riding of Lanark was created from parts of Lanark North and Lanark South and consisted of the townships of Beckwith, Bathurst, Burgess North, Dalhousie, Darling, Drummond, Elmsley North, Lanark, Lavant, Montague, Pakenham, Ramsay, Sherbrooke North and Sherbrooke South. It also included the towns of Almonte, Carleton Place, Perth, and Smith’s Falls and the village of Lanark
1934-
W H A T ’S in a Name? Sometimes very little. Scores of townships in On- ” tario are called after old-time members of the Provincial Legislature big frogs in the little political puddles of their day—whose names mean nothing to this generation. Sir John Graves Simcoe, first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, gave his own name to one of our counties. Lady Simcoe claimed a share in the work; and to this day three of the townships in that county bear the names of her pet spaniel puppies, Tiny, Tay and Flos. •
But often in the place names of a community there are suggestions of its ” early history and the origin of its pioneers. The Highlanders who settled Glengarry county have left proof of their love for the old land in the names we find there—Lochiel, Dunvegan, Lochinvar, Dalkeith, Athol, Glen Roy and a dozen others. The Highland emigrant never forgot.
Lowlanders who came to our own country in 1811-1822 for- or fail to renew in Canada the names of shires and streams and towns which they had known a t home. Lanark, county, township and village,—the Tay, the Clyde, Kilmarnock, Clyde Forks, Glen Tay, the Scotch Line, all remind us of the districts in Scotland from which thousands of our first settlers came. But now our townships, for the most part, preserve the names of the great or near-great men then concerned, in their colonial government or their friends.
BECKWITH and MONTAGUE after Commander J. Beckwith and Admiral Sir George Montague who were friends and guests of Earl Dalhousie Quebec during his term as Governor; – Read-The Beckwith McGregors or readThe Barren Lands of Montague?
DARLING, after Col. H. C. Darling, Military Secretary to Lord Dalhousie for whom he made an inspection and report regarding the Perth and Rideau settlements in 1822. By the way, many years ago I was told by one of the ‘oldest inhabitants’ that this township was named in honour of Grace Darling, the heroic lighthouse girl who, alone in her frail skiff, rescued nine sailors from the wrecked schooner, “Forfarshire” in the storm swept North Sea. Every school reader fifty years ago contained the story of that braV’e deed. One would like to : believe that the township owed its name to her; but she was only eight years old when the survey and naming were completed, and the more commonplace explanation must be accepted. Read-People are Afraid to Work– Jennie Majaury- Darling Township
DRUMMOND—Sir Gordon Drummond was born a t Quebec .where his father was paymaster of the military forces. Sir Gordon entered the army and served with distinction in Holland, Minorca, Egypt and Gibraltar before coming back to Canada in 1813 to take a gallant part in the war against the United States Read-Drummond Centre United Church — and The Ireton Brothers 38 Year Reunion–Names Names Names
SHERBROOKE—Sir John Cope Sherbrooke followed Drummond as Governor. Perhaps in Quebec he might have worked out some peaceful solution of the troubles and conflicts, even then becoming acute, between the French Canadians, and the British minority there. But the shuffling policy of the British Colonies office convinced him that the task was hard, and his failing health hastened his resignation. Read-What’s Happening at Christie Lake June 23, 1899
LAVANT—Sherbrooke was succeeded as Governor by the Duke of Richmond. Richmond Village, the Goodwood river (commonly known as the “Jock”) and the townships of Fitzroy, March and Torbolton in Carleton county get their names from the Duke’s family or estates, and our township of Lavant recalls a village near the Goodwood racetrack on the Duke’s estate in Sussex, England. Read-The Lavant Station Fire 1939
Driving between Ottawa and Franktown one passes a cairn on the roadside in memory of the tragic death there of Charles Lennox, fourth Duke of Richmond.
The story has been often published with varying details. But the account written by his son, Lord William Pitt Lennox, has not, I think, been reproduced in recent years. It may be of interest to read his own words:
That a far cry from the glitter and glamour of his vice-regal courts at Dublin and Quebec, from his sumptuous entertainments at Goodwood, from the gorgeous ball at Brussels where the Richmonds entertained Wellington and his officers on the eve of Quatre Bras and Waterloo, to this poor crazed Charles Lennox, running madly through a Canadian swamp, and dying at last on a pallet of straw in a back-woods cow byre. “He was born in a barn, and he has died in a barn” said the gossips, when the news reached England. Which was true. Read-The Haunted Canoe from the Jock River
#TheHauntedHouseOnGeorgeSt
of them all in the Windsor & London area
lindaseccaspina 
