Mrs. Blank wrote to her mother on Nov. 20. 1832. Her husband was a retired British Officer and they had immigrated to Ontario, Canada.
Mother,
Our log house is not yet finished, butis in a state of forwardness and we are indebted to the neighboursfor allowing us to live in their home. This is the first settlement on their land, and we all have difficulties in common. They have a fine piece of land well situated and they are about to move into a larger home and allowing us to use their smaller one until our new home is built.
We are beginning to get used to our Robinson Crusoe sort of life.Our inconviences are temporary, but one of our worst are the bad roads and the distances from the towns to be able to get our basic needs and provisions. Till we raise our own grain and fatten our own hogs, sheep and poultry, we must be dependent on the stores for food of every kind. These supplies have to be brought up at considerable expense and loss of time, through our makeshift bush roads.
You can send down for a list of groceries to be forwarded when a team comes up, and when we examine our stores, behold rice, sugar, currants, pepper and mustard all jumbled in one mess. And then woe and destruction to the brittle ware that may chance to travel through our roads. Lucky indeed are we if through the superior carefulness of the person who packed it if only half the goods are smashed that we ordered becauseof maybe an accident upon the teamster and the teamster upon the bad roads.
For such mishaps we have no redress. The storekeeper lays the mishaps on the teamsters and the teamsters blame the team and the bad roads. This is now the worst season this and just after the breaking up of the snow. One of our greatest inconveniences arises from the badness of our roads and the distances at which we are placed from any village or town where provisions are to be procured. There are times when the most necessary articles of provisions are not to be procured at any price. A settler in the bush requires to hold himself pretty independent, not only of the luxuries of the table, but not infrequently of the very necessaries.
One time no pork is to be procured, another time there is a scarcity of flour, or perhaps the condition of the roads prevents a team going up or down. Then you must ask for help from a neighbor. If you have the good fortune to be near one. or fare the best you can procure some potatoes. The potatoes are a great blessing here. New settlers would otherwise often be greatly distressed
Our own stock of tea was exhausted and we were unable to procure more. In this dilemma, milk would have been an excellent substitute, or coffee if we had possessed it. But we had neither the one nor the other, so we agreed to try the Yankee tea hemlock sprigs boiled. This proved to my taste a vile decoction and our neighbours laughed at our faces, declaring the potation was excellent,and he set us all an example by drinking six cups of this truly awful beverage.
One day I encountered a fall hurricane.A dense gloom overspread the heavens and I had been busily engaged with the cattle and had not noticed my being so near. My husband called to me to use speed to the house or the open clearing. As I left the pines the thunderous shock of trees falling in all directions was heard. The rush of the whirlwind sweeping down the lake made me sensible of the danger with which I had been threatened. Then came a blinding snow storm; but I could behold the progress of the tempest in safety, having gained the safety of our house. Not a leaf remained on the trees when the hurricane was over. They were bare and desolate. Thus ended the short reign of the Indian summer
The Meek Oxen “The driver of the oxen had thrown himself upon the ground, while the poor beasts held down their meek heads patiently abiding the pelting of the pitiless storm. Not a leaf remained on the trees when the hurricane was over. They were bare and desolate. Thus ended the short reign of the Indian summer.
Branching into the progress of work on their farm, the lady continues. My husband has lent out 10acres of land to some Irish choppers who have established themmselves in a shanty. The ground is to be perfectly cleared of everything except stumps. These will take from seven to nine or ten years to decay. The process of clearing away the stumps is too expensive for new beginners to venture upon.
We shall have about three acres ready for spring crops, provided we get a good burning of that which is already chopped near the site of the house. This will be sown with oats, pumpkins, Indian corn and potatoes. The other ten acres will be ready for putting in a crop of wheat. So you see it will be a long time before we reap a harvest. We could not even get in spring wheat early enough to come to perfection this year. We shall try to get two cows in the spring as they are little expense during the spring, summer and autumn and by the winter we shall have pumpkins and oat straw for them.
LIPPED FROMThe British Whig and General Advertiser for Canada WestKingston, Ontario, Canada17 May 1844, Fri • Page 3
Peter Robinson Settlers from Cork to Canada 1823 & 1825
National Archives of Canada: MG 24 B 74, 1-4 and 1-5, microfilm reel M-141 see also M-140
Letter of appreciation from some 1825 Settlers
| R’t. Honorable Earl Bathurst Sec’y. of State for the Colonies | 12th December 1826 |
| Please Your LordshipWe the undersigned Emigrants sent to Canada by Govt. in 1825 and settled by the Hon’ble. P. Robinson in the Township of Douro, beg leave to express to your Lordship our sincere thanks for the distinguished kindness we have experienced. We have been brought from a Country where we had many difficulties to contend with, and supported here to the time at the expense of the Government our every want has been anticipated and provided for. And independance not only brought wither our reach, but actually bestowed upon us. We have furnished our justly respected Superintendent with a particular account of what we have done since our arrival, by which your Lordship will perceive what we have accomplished and that we have not abused the goodness of the Gov’t. by idleness.We trust our orderly conduct as members of society and steady Loyalty as subjects of the British Crown will evince the gratitude we feel for the many favours we have received. That the blessings of a grateful people may surround the Throne of his Majesty is the sincere prayer of | |
| Your Lordships most respectful Humble Serv’ts. | |
| John Armstrong | Michail [sic] Brien |
| Samuel Adams | Corn. Sheehan |
| John Leahy | William Mahony |
| William Leahy | Daniel Sheehan Snr. |
| Thomas Leahy | John Allen |
| Denis McCarty | William Hogan |
| James Cotter | Michail [sic] Londergan [sic] |
| Maurice Cotter | Robert Ditch (?) |
| Patrick Cotter | Daniel Molony |
| Charles Crowley | Michael Leahy |
| John Maloney | Michael Sullivan |
| Michail [sic] Casey | Patrick Leahy |
| Maurice Brien | Thomas Thorpy |
| John Sheehan | Michail [sic] Thorpy |
| Denis O’Brien | Thomas Tobin |
| Michail [sic] Leahy Jnr. | John Tobin |
| Edmond Allen | Michail Conden |
| Daniel Sheehan | George Byrne |
| D. Conry | Morris Brien |
| Patrick Leahy Snr. | Timothy Sweney |
| John Cranly | Michail [sic] Mahony |
| James McCarty | John Fleming |
| John Quin | Michail [sic] Sullivan |
| Thomas Moloney | Susanna Couch |
| Michail [sic] Kean | Christopher Couch |
| Richard Meade | Michail [sic] Elligott |
The Original Thomas Alfred Code and Andrew Haydon Letters —Part 29— The Shepherd’s Bush Ghost
Letters from Bennett Rosamond — 1894- Adin Daigle Collection
Letter from Davis House to Scotts in Pakenham- Adin Daigle Collection– Where Was Davis House?
Local News and Farming–More Letters from Appleton 1921-Amy and George Buchanan-Doug B. McCarten
Mothell Parish familes that are in the 1816-1822 1816 – 1824 Beckwith Settlers Names
Dear Lanark Era –Lanark Society Settlers Letter
The Story of Jane Russell Gibson of Lanark County
Beckwith –Settlers — Sir Robert the Bruce— and Migrating Turtles
lindaseccaspina 