Life was not easy for women. I try to document these stories of the hardships they went through. Eliza was deaf and my heart just breaks for her. She died at age 36, four years after this happened.
Working name of US author Julius Warren Lewis (1833-1920), who called himself “the Dumas of America”, and who recorded himself on census returns as Leon Lewis; much of his early work was done in collaboration with his wife, the romance author Harriet Lewis (1841-1878).
In 1856 Leon Lewis had married 15 year old Harriet Newell O’Brien, born at Penn Yann, N. Y. in 1841. Harriet began writing serials for the New York Weekly in 1865. Between 1868 and 1878 the two authors wrote separately and in collaboration for the New York Ledger. The couple was so popular that they were paid enormous sums by the story papers and lived in “grand style” at Penn Yann. Harriet Lewis died 20 May, 1878 at Rochester, N.Y. She was 37 years old.
Harriet’s Husband Leon Lewis
Julius Warren Lewis, better known as “Leon” Lewis, was born in Southington, Connecticut, April 8, 1833, the second son but fourth child of James Dana Lewis and his wife Patty Bishop. His brothers and sisters were James B. (1825-1869), Sarah Ann (Mrs. Charles W. Risley, 1827-1921), Mary Ann (Mrs. George Bronson, 1830-1898), and John Woodruff (“Juan,” 1835-1919).
“Leon’s” schooling was limited to a few winter months while doing chores for his board and clothes on the farm of his uncle Gideon Dunham, the husband of James Dana Lewis’ sister Mary. He was, however, of a literary turn of mind, and began writing at the age of 18. He was also romantic, for about this time he read an article in a Sabbath School Journal, written and signed by “Harriet Newell” which impressed him and led to a correspondence with the writer, Harriet Newell O’Brien (1841-1878), of Penn Yan, New York.
Afterwards they met, were married in 1856 when she was 15 and he was 23, and thereafter lived in Penn Yan.Then began a literary collaboration which lasted during Harriet’s entire life. While each wrote independent stories, many were written in collaboration, and even some of those signed with Leon’s name were written by Harriet. In a letter to Robert Bonner, she wrote: No person, man or woman, has any hand in writing Mr. Lewis’ stories save myself. And no one assists me for I love to write better than to do anything else in the world. From Leon Lewis Click
In January 1879, Leon Lewis went ‘missing,’ from his home in Penn Yann, N.Y., leaving in scandalous circumstances. He sailed off to Europe in the company of his niece, “Miss Julia Wheelock, fifteen years of age.” At Brazil, Leon stepped off the steamer and married his young ward.
Leon Lewis was divorced from his second wife in 1913 and died at Winstead, Connecticut 28 Oct 1920.
This is the history of a Lanark County woman who was a pioneer in Women’s Rights.
My Great Aunt Janet Craig O’Brien (1864-1960) was the granddaughter of the first Darling township pioneer Hugh O’Brien (arrival from Ireland in 1821) and Laura Tooley (daughter of his American immigrant neighbour Lemuel Tooley). They homesteaded in Tatlock adjacent to the current OMYA mine site.
She was the daughter of Edward O’Brien and Martha Dunn (who had arrived in Canada with her widowed mother in 1848, at age 8).
In 1869, when Janet was 5 her father died. Unable to support the family, her mother sent six of her seven children to live with family members. Janet eventually ended up in Winnipeg probably to live with her older sister Letty Lampkin O’Brien Crawford.
In 1886 at age 21 she married William Andrew Kemp, a soldier who had been in the 90th Battalion Winnipeg Rifles during the Riel rebellion. By 1889 they were living in New Westminster, Vancouver- population 1000. Janet and William had three children during their marriage. He died in Vancouver in 1929.
In Vancouver Janet Kemp became a fierce supporter of women’s rights and a pioneer in many women’s groups. Her contribution to welfare started with the founding of the Presbyterian Mission church in Mount Pleasant district, when much of it was wilderness.
After attending a meeting of the Auxiliary to Alexandria Orphanage, she learned the need for a widower having insurance to help him rear his motherless children. She instituted the idea of women taking insurance as a protection to their husband and families, the idea permeating the Maccabees where she lined up many women in this project. (The Maccabees was originally a fraternal organization providing low-cost insurance to members)
For her work she was chosen delegate for Canada and representative of four western U.S.states to the International convention of Ladies of the Maccabees in Atlantic City in 1908.
She was active in the BC suffragette movement and in 1913 was elected President of the BC Political Equity League.She was active in Local Council of Women, and held life memberships in the National Council of Women, United Women’s Missionary Society. She collaborated with M.L.A.’s when Mothers’ Pensions and Family Testators’ acts were enacted.
Subversive elements were at work in the first world war, but Janet Kemp fought them by organizing women’s groups as farm laborers, 1800 women passing through her bureau in one season.
She served on 11 women’s club executives at one time.
She organized the Widows, Wives and Mothers of Great Britain’s Heroes Association with the main objective of raising the war pension from $35 to $60 a month.
At 83 she laid the foundation work for a home for loggers on the same lines as the Seamen’s Institute.
In 1960 at the age of 96 Aunt Janet Kemp died.
Janet Craig O’Brien Kemp was a woman who survived a challenging childhood growing up in Lanark County. She was brave, adventurous, strong willed and fully committed to women’s rights.
My father cheered for the losing Toronto Argonauts until he died and even when comedian John Candy took over as owner, he still could not resurrect their life-force.
There is a difference between the CFL and the NFL and it has something to do with the size of the field but don’t ask me about it.
Upon leaving a Canadian University, my best friend’s boyfriend got picked up to play for the Edmonton Eskimos and after a week of practising with men that were double his size he left. The town of Cowansville, Quebec talked about it for at least a year.
I once was a cheerleader for the *Cowansville, Quebec Colts, who only won one football game in two years. I had no idea what they were doing on that field but I can still remember the cheers word for word.
American lobbyist J. C. Watts once played for the Ottawa Rough Riders and was dating one of my staff at the same time. He came to dinner one night and absolutely hated my Italian soup. Watts played football the next day and blamed my soup for feeling ill. No one else was sick so I cursed his game.
When the clock says there is 5 minutes left in the game you know that it’s really somewhere in the neighbourhood of at least 22 minutes.
Superbowl Sunday February 5, 2102
I have always been on a stadium free diet and knew that “The East Coast Bowl” extravaganza would be on all day. The only thing I cared about on Superbowl XLVI was the commercials and seeing Madonna. My joys would be the halftime show and eyeing the linesmen bend over during the game. Between you and me there is nothing better than seeing a man in tight pants blocking other players.
If it were not for the commercials and Madge I would rather watch a faucet drip or knit a sweater for the Easter Parade. Tom Brady’s wife, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, did send me one of her mass emails begging me to send good vibes and prayers so her hubby could win the game. Stupid is as stupid does.
Of course I have already watched most of the commercials online but still enjoyed watching David Beckham once again for the same reason I like the linesmen. I still think some of the commercials should be more geared to women. Women are the ones who are busy dishing out stadium style snacks with the Slim Jims lined up in the dip like goal posts.
There is nothing worse than listening to hours and hours of male cheering for those on the field that are getting beaten up and tackled. I have also heard them say that the next best thing to being in the stands is sitting on the couch with friends. Their fragile egos are so geared to sports that if they can’t be out there playing then they like to watch. Note to all the women is that particular view on football seems to be the same way they feel about sex.
This year was the best lip synched show thus far, featuring Madonna and friends. The “Like a Virgin touched for the 3000th time” is nothing but an icon to me. People complained that Madonna could have been the mother of any of the players and everyone wanted to hand her a cane. May I remind you of former older entertainers who also did Super Bowl appearances, like Bono, Springsteen, Aerosmith and the list goes on. I scream double standards and age discrimination and was shocked Betty White was not joining her on stage to do squats and ride the male ponies.
If you were not into football there were the alternatives from the puppy bowl to marathons of AbFab and Downton Abbey. Personally I would take Patsy and Edina’s drunken insanity on AbFab over football any day. I did however vote for Maggie Smith from Downton Abbey for MVP.
Does the football game really say that there is less aggression in women or is it really a matter of a man’s dreams and personal glory? I understand men do not like to explain football to women and I have absolutely no interest in asking why the man in my life does the end zone shuffle screaming,
“We’re number 1!” We’re number 1!”
In the end I may not care for the sport, but I do cherish the few moments during a football game when you can watch a loved one “move like Jagger”. Got to love your personal linesman and worth every second of the irritating sporting event.
Notes from the Peanut Gallery:
What “self-respecting guy” would shell out $14.95 for a pair of Beckams briefs? I can get a 5-pack of boxer briefs at Wal-Mart or Target or Costco for about $12.- Walter B
*Yamaska August 8, 1962
Brome-Missisquoi Junior Football League Schedule
Aug 5 Cowansville Colts vs Farnham Frontenac
Aug 11 Farnham Frontenac vs Knowlton Larks
Aug 18 knowlton larks vs cowansville colts
Aug 25 Farnham Frontenac vs Cowansville Colts
Sept 1 Knowlton Larks vs Farnham Frontenac
Seven 8 cowansville colts vs knowlton larks
Sept 15 Playoffs
Sept 27 Playoffs
Oct 8 Playoff
Yamaska, August 29, 1962
Cowansville Junior Football Club, after a long stand, will host its first game in Cowansville on Saturday, September 1st against the Knowlton Larks. This game will be played at the Municipal Playground, located on Bernard Boulevard, and at 2 PM. There will be a parade if the weather is favorable. She will depart from City Hall at 1hr 15p.m. leading Cowansville Youth Harmony, followed by the league, executive club and players in convertibles. If sometimes it rains, there will be no parade but the parade will still take place at the usual time of 2 P.M. The parade will be rescheduled to next week when Cowansville hosts Farnham Frontenacs.
The Colts will try to hold on to the top spot in the league, having a slight lead over the teams.
Come support your local football league.
The Yamaska Sept 5, 1962
Cowansville Colts play their first game at home. Knowlton Larks win 21-18
The Cowansville Colts were hosted by the Knolwton Larks this past Saturday, September 1. The game took place at the Stadium on Bernard Street in C’ville. Spectators witness a football game being held for the first time in Cowansville. Even though the Larks defeated the Colts by a small three-point margin, these teams displayed a well-balanced game.
The ride was preceded by a parade that rocked City Hall formed by the Cowansville Junior Harmony. She was followed by convertibles carrying Brome-Missisquoi Junior Football League executive and Cowansville Colts Club executive, as well as Horseman M. Armand Beauregard reppin’ the city. Plus the Cowansville players in their blue and white uniforms followed.
The referee was under Mr. Hubert Dubois former Assistant Chief of SRFU and assisted by Dick Ferris of Farnham, Rupert Dobbin of Sweetsburg. A large crowd of supporters were present to support the local club, as well as supporters from Knowlton Larks and Farnham Frontenacs. The latter being the club that will meet Cowansville this week on September 8th at 2 p.m. in the Cowansville township.
Thank you to Cowansville Junior Harmony for showing out during the parade as well as at halftime convertible owners who provided their free help during the parade. Thanks also to Mr Hubert Dubois of the QRFU Montreal has provided his good competition in terms of professional arbitration and it is understood that he will come for future parties. Although the Cowansville Colts lost this game, they are still a great team in the league, and that will be proven at the next game in Cowansville Saturday, September 8th at 2 p.m. vs. Far Frontenacs. Lava.
Come along and support our local club.
The Yamaska 19 Sept 1962
Farnham Frontenacs defeat Cowansville Colts in the last minute it was a surprise 21-19 definite record
COWANSVILLE – In a surprise final, the Farnham Frontenacs lined up to make the winning touch over the Cowansville Colts who will play strongly into the end of the game or the Frontenacs made the final touch to do so win the game. It was apparent that near the final minutes Cowansville’s defensive line was considerably weakened and Farnham’s backfield used a bit of strategy to lock in all the winning points. Colts scored 6-0 in the 1st quarter, 7-6 in the 3rd 19-15 But in the end, the Colts just didn’t look like they were able to go ahead enough to stay near a touchdown margin.
While it was another disappointment for the Colts who just missed a loss to the Knowlton Larks last week, the Colts will play next week for a semi-final first leg, the first ever will be held in Knowlton next sat 15th sept. The second leg will be held at Cowansville, the semi-final will be the series total points between the two clubs. The semi-final winner will play first place with the Farnham Frontenacs in a 2 of 3. Today’s points were counted for Cowansville by: M. Liberty (13), D. Peacock (21), each having a touch, and P. Jordan scores a hit. Farnham was G. Harrison (31), one touchdown, R. Pie (25) two touch, D. Root (27) and H. Takeda got one and two points, respectively.
Colts cheerleaders supported their club perfectly like Farnham’s well organized. M. H. Dubois de Montreal QRFU referee was umpiring the game with the help of Dick Ferris from Farnham and Rupert Dobbin from Sweetsburg. M. A. Just from cowansville was taking minutes and M Ray Tetreault of Farnham was the corrector on these. Young football fans are invited to go to Knowlton for English school semi finals.
Come and support your local club.
Yamaska Oct 17, 1962
In the Brome-Missisquoi Junior League Farnham’s young representatives finished their season in style by winning the Grand Final at Knowlton Larks 24-19
from the Almonte Gazette…Ramsay # 5 1959-1960 school year
January 1920
The township of Ramsay’s first lady school trustee is Mrs. W . A. Gilmour. At the annual meeting of School Section No. 5, Ramsay, held on Wednesday, Mrs. Gilmour was elected to fill the position for the next three years.
Mrs. Gilmour has a high reputation as an educationist, and there is much satisfaction that she should be tendered this appointment and that she should accept it. She is a daughter of the late Robert Yuill at Ramsay, and was married to Mr. William A. Gilmour, one of the most prominent agriculturists in Ramsay. Both Yuills and Giimours were amongst the first settlers from Scotland in this part of the area.
S.S. No. 5 Ramsay – Galbraith School
Daniel Galbraith purchased land on the West half of Lot 11, Concession 5 in Ramsay township in 1855. He sold half an acre to the trustees in 1870 for $1.00. The first teacher was Nell Forest. Ratepayers became enraged when the Ramsay Township School Boarded voted to close the school, so in 1958, S.S. No. 5 became a separate school section. Ratepayers donated two cords of wood per family. A new piano was purchased and a music teacher was hired. In 1969, the rural pupils were bussed to Almonte or Carleton Place. .
S.S. No. 5 Ramsay – Galbraith School—Daniel Galbraith purchased land on the West half of Lot 11, Concession 5 in Ramsay township in 1855. He sold half an acre to the trustees in 1870 for $1.00. The first teacher was Nell Forest. Ratepayers became enraged when the Ramsay Township School Boarded voted to close the school, so in 1958, S.S. No. 5 became a separate school section. Ratepayers donated two cords of wood per family. A new piano was purchased and a music teacher was hired. In 1969, the rural pupils were bussed to Almonte or Carleton Place. The school was moved across the road to become Bert Hazelwood’s cabin in his bush. Read-Recollections of Bert Hazelwood 1973
August 21, 2021 · It’s almost back-to-school and we’re going through our school books collection! This copy of ‘Vitalized English’ was used in the S.S. No. 5 Ramsay school – called the Galbraith School. The land (Lot 11, Concession 5 in Ramsay Township) was purchased in 1855 by Daniel Galbraith, who sold half an acre of that land to school trustees in 1870 for $1.
The school operated until 1969 when the Government of Ontario mandated the consolidation of county school boards, and students were bussed to either Almonte or Carleton Place for their education.
My very first job when I was young and thin was working as an assistant fashion designer in a children’s wear firm. It was not glamorous work but I gained a lot of much needed experience. My job was to make patterns for their personal designer who was never going to leave unless she was sliced and diced.Even in those days they had an official Canadian children’s sizing chart that clothing companies had to adhere to. When you bought your kids clothing you knew that a size 2 was a size 2 no matter what company produced it. So what ever happened to the women’s clothing industry?
I can buy three pairs of jeans in the same size and when I get them home good luck getting two pairs of them on. Jean companies advertise how advanced their fits are and call them “Just Your Size”. Well, I tell you what jean companies- they are not “Just Your Size” but I assume they might fit someone else!When I opened my own clothing store years later I had to assure customers that some companies made their clothing way too small and if you needed a size 9 you might as well try on a 13. Sometimes I had to comfort many a customer because they thought they had gained weight.
More women have developed eating disorders over the size of clothing than anything else. Retail stores do not help either with their skinny mirrors. These mirrors are not a piece of fiction – they do exist and are a threat to our ‘fat bottomed nation’. When my store took over the main floor once occupied by a major Canadian fashion chain I warned everyone about the mirrors. They were all built on a slight angle and everyone looking at their reflection appeared 5-7 pounds thinner.
The fashion designers do not help either and even the aging ones seem to feel everyone over 40 should be a size 2 or a 6 at the most. Can these people not design anything that does not accentuate our prime ‘muffins tops’ and the ‘bicycle racks’ we proudly wear on our upper backsides? Let alone the horrible matronly prints they use; heck that would be another book in itself.What are you fashion people thinking and are you all blind?
A store I would personally like to shake my finger at is that huge pink lingerie chain, who feels they offer women the best in intimate apparel. Maybe they do but are they really thinking children’s sizes instead of someone who is packing some cleavage and the results of a family meal or two? If you order a bra from their mail order catalog you will notice a huge difference from a similar item that you purchase from one of their retail stores. Sizing seems to be different and the side boning is awful. A few wears and a wash and those under wires are going to be digging for gold in your armpits for hours.
When Subway advertises a foot long sandwich it is a true foot long. Why is it so hard for the fashion industry to get this through their thick skulls? Thanks to all of you (Subway excluded) I had eating disorders all my life trying to get into clothing that you made way too small. Now I am ancient and I just tell everyone I am a “4 dressed up as a 9″. Okay maybe NEVER a 9 but I wear something comfortable that is really just my size and not yours!
As over 700 people looked on, Sunday August 3 rd, 18-year-old Dianne Vaughan was crowned “Miss Almonte 1975” . Dianne, who is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Vaughan, was chosen from eleven other contestants in the pageant which kicked off the week-long celebrations of Almonte ’75 “Old Home Week “. Blonde haired and blue eyed, Dianne is working this summer as a playground supervisor in Almonte and will be returning to Almonte High School as a grade thirteen student in September. The competition, which was held in the arena, was emceed by Shelley Emmond of CFRA Radio who did an excellent job despite problems with the sound system .
Entertainment was provided by Linda Vaughan (Miss Almonte 1974) and Cynthia Gunn, who presented vocal selections. They were plagued by more trouble with the sound system . The highpoint of the evening came with Dianne being named “Miss Almonte ’75” ; first runner-up being Debbie Merrithew , a 17-year-old ADHS student, and second runner-up was 20-year-old Anna Beckman, a dental assistant in Almonte.
The other girls who competed for the title were Karen Maynard , Heather Cochrane , Andrea Gilmour, Mary Anne Dunn, Angela Gosset, Julie Carroll, Franny Scissons and Angela Scott. Over $1,000 cash and prizes were distributed among all the girls, with Dianne’s prizes including luggage, a gold watch, jewellery , a lamp , a record player, gift certificates and cash prizes. Judges for the very difficult task of choosing Miss A lmonte and her runners-up were Mr. and Mrs. Doug Wiseman; Miss Eastern Ontario, Karen Barclay; and Pat and Walter Trenholme, Civitan Governor of Canada District East. Dianne will represent Almonte in the Miss Eastern Ontario Pageant at Perth in March.
I am Woman — Hear Me Roar? Linda Knight Seccaspina
In 1911 Sir Wilfrid Laurier came to speak in the grand hall of the small hamlet of Carleton Place situated in Lanark County, Ontario. This was an important event for those voting in Carleton Place and the local women worked for days preparing the hall and the luncheon. Some women wondered if they could also hear the words of Sir Wilfrid Laurier and were soon told that they would be allowed to sit on the upper floor as long as they remained quiet.
For women today this notion seems incredible, but you have to remember that in 1911 artist Emily Carr abandoned her love of painting in British Columbia because Canadian critics and buyers were not ready for her work. A woman could not use the term ‘martial abuse’ in 1911 and would be condemned to life imprisonment for any harm done to her husband, even if she was not at fault.
In 1974 iconic Ottawa Valley writer Mary Cook wrote that there was one area in which Lanark County was completely backward and that was in electing or appointment of women to municipal or community office. Have times changed since 1974 when Mary wrote that article in the Ottawa Citizen? I was curious, and when the North Lanark Age Friendly group asked me to write an article about the subject I had an inkling of the answer I was going to get.
I asked a few female politicians if they felt they were treated less by men and all of them answered yes. Yet, no one really wanted to give me their names for exactly the same reason Mary Cook received in 1974. Anyone she queried asked her that they remain anonymous so it would not jeopardize their chances of ever becoming appointed to a committee or being elected to public office.
The documented fact is that women are still underrepresented in politics. When I ran for office as a councillor a few years ago; I was asked by some if I should not consider my age or my health. Honestly, I would rather drop dead representing my community than sit on a chair and watch reruns of The Crown. The fact that I am in my senior years doesn’t make me any less effective, nor am I too delicate to lead. Once baby boomers, we are now aging in a society that celebrates beauty and youthfulness and our opinions sometimes become invisible.
In the early 1960s I was passionate, not by politics, but by the incredible social change led by the youth movement. I told my father that anyone over the age of 30 should be sent out to farms. I really drank the Kool Aid blaming the older generation for the VietNam war and the condition the world was in. In 1981, I turned 30 and the first thing my father asked me was: “When are you leaving for the farm?”
By then I realized that being a woman in the current world was going to be more difficult. Trying to get a job and being discriminated against for wearing avant garde fashion and my strong opinions were my worries now. In my grandmother’s case in 1981, they were still being treated like 1911 and had to listen to a speech by the Bishop from the confines of the church kitchen after organizing complete events.
We as women, and as senior women, are still invisible to some and when we stand up for something we are not acting “like your mother” or having “a hot flash”. After speaking with these women in politics this week I realize we still have issues with female authority, and women are still the most underused resource. While it is no longer the mentality of 1911 I understood these women’s concerned comments of continuing gender bias despite their great performances.
In 1974 one civic minded female from Carleton Place summed up the situation this way to writer Mary Cook. “Women have a lot to offer, but for some reason men are terribly afraid they might lose some of their prestige if they open their doors to women in public office”. Why do women still have more to prove than men when it comes to politics and other issues?
It doesn’t matter where you live–women belong in all places where decisions are being made. As Shirley Chisolm once said: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring your own folding chair”.
lindaseccaspina 