Photo from —Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

March 24, 1845.

Licenced Inns

Return of licences issued in the Bathurst District in the first half of the year, 1847:

Township of Beckwith Inn licences – Ann Burrows, Donald McFarlane, Archibald Gillis, Thomas Kidd, James Jackson. Carleotn Place, Robert Mclaren, Manny Nowlan, Napoleon Lavallee.

Beckwith Shop licences, John A. Gemmill, Carleton Place.

Township of Ramsay Inn licences, James Coulter, Edward Houston, James McAllister, John Wright.

Stills, Bathurst District, Peter McArthur, Beckwith; Thomas Findlay, Lanark; Robert McLaren, Perth. –

Anthony Leslie, Inspector of Licences, Bathurst District.

Photo from —Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

Blakeney Brewery

To Let. That building at Pine Isles, near Sneddon’s in Ramsay, known as being formerly occupied as a brewery. It is a good building and may be used for any purpose. Apply to Robert Gomersal, Bennie’s Corners, P.O., Oct. 4^th, 1864.

Perth Courier, Jan. 28, 1870

Drunk and Disorderly

William Gemmill, $4; Robert Smith and Thomas Tysick, fined $1 each.

Drunk on the Streets

Henry Byrne, fined $2

Drunk and Disorderly

William Brooke, fined $2

Patrick Carroll, fined $1

Drunk and Disorderly

Perth Courier, April 7, 1871

On Saturday night last, a lad named Thomas Morrison, aged 18, came to a sudden, and we might say, violent death by drinking a portion of some vile whiskey he had purchased uptown. He and a young man named James Lee went down the river fishing and took the liquor along with them—their trip not apparently being so much with an objective of fishing as having a good drink. Morrison drank some of the whiskey but Lee abstained after taking the first mouthful and therefore remained sober and free from Morrison’s terrible danger. When they landed, young Morrison complained of being chilly but walked along with one or two other parties until the liquor overcame him and he lay down near the Union Engine House, apparently drunk but really dying.

They then became aware that his state was no common drunkenness and one of them ran for Dr. Kellock but the unfortunate lad was dead on the doctor’s arrival. On Monday a coroner’s inquest was held and the verdict returned that his death was caused by congestion of the brain caused by the liquor he drank. Another warning to young tipplers.

Are You Sure that Isn’t Fusel Oil?

Did You Know Where Happy Valley was in Carleton Place?

Not Happy in Happy Valley? Head up to the French Line for some Sweet Marie

Is There a Secret Tunnel in Carleton Place?

Want to see more? 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

Photo of David Whitely with his “hand crafted decoration” he has made for the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum distillery display and also entertaining Carman Lalonde and me at the Carleton Place Hospital.

Well you have heard the stories about Carleton Place’s Happy Valley and the French Line — and now the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum needs your help.

Years ago they had distilleries on the 7th and 11th line of Beckwith– but, on the 11th line it was said that it was used for only private consumption, whereas the 7th line was licensed. They also had a 60 gallon operation going on in the town of Carleton Place owned by Orrin Pierce

Today I read comments from an old newspaper column that a well known Beckwith resident known only as William G. used to say he used to take an occasional nip of “Whusky” to sharpen his wits I began to wonder how much consumption was prvate.

Caleb S. Bellows in 1827 built a distillery at Carleton Place, operated for a few years by Francis Jessop and later by others. James McArthur (1767-1836) was also was a licensed distiller in 1827. His Beckwith township distillery was located on the 7^th concession at his farm near the Presbyterian church, where the same business was continued through the eighteen thirties and forties by Peter McArthur (1803-1884) who had a 33 gallon still.

So has anyone heard stories? We would LOVE to hear them!

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