WW1 in Almonte Clippings –Names Names Names– Who Do you Know?

 

Clipped from

1. The Ottawa Citizen,
2. 26 Feb 1916, Sat,
3. Page 11

   Clipped from

   1. The Ottawa Citizen,
   2. 26 Feb 1916, Sat,
   3. Page 11

 

 

Hal Kirkland is mentioned…

Clipped from

1. The Ottawa Citizen,
2. 26 Feb 1916, Sat,
3. Page 11

 

Photo of James Archibald Wylie – Photo of Lt JA Wylie from the Bank of Montreal Roll of Honour published after WWI. Submitted by BGen G Young 15th Battalion Mememorial Project. Dileas Gu Brath

 

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.

 

Did You Know About Fettercairn Island?

1. The Names of the Exempt of Lanark County- WW1

2. The Fighting Lads of Lanark County WW1–Who Do You Know?

3. Perth’s Soldier Terrible Ordeal in Prison Camp 1917 Clyde Scott

4. George Eccles Almonte Hero!

Did You Ever Notice This in Beckwith Park? Thanks to Gary Box

 

Gary Box wrote on my story about being a Tombstone Tourist yesterday.

“I sometimes find wandering through cemeteries and reading the stones can be quite an emotional experience. I found a cenotaph bearing the name of Nursing Sister Jessie M. McDiarmid who drowned June 27th, 1918 by a German Submarine. I was so taken by the words that I looked up the incident and found the Hospital ship carrying Jessie and over 300 Canadian Soldiers to safety when it was torpedoed”.

 

“There was no warning and those who were not killed instantly were machined-gunned right in their lifeboats. Only about 25 people survived to tell the story. I also went to ST. Fillans Cemetery to find ancestors when I came across a McDiarmid family Grave and there on the bottom was Jessie’s name. I was quite taken by such a tragic, sad and emotional experience”.

“The sinking of the ship and the finding of the gravestone were purely coincidental and happened within 2 years of each other. I made the connection only because some else thought that Jessie was on the Lusitania when she was torpedoed on May 7th 1915…….my maternal grandparents were survivors of the U20 attack which sank the ship in 18 minutes. At the time the Lusitania was the greatest cruise ship in the world and this was the first incident of indiscriminate Warfare by the Germans, illegal under wartime “Rules”. The loss was 1200 passengers and 700 survivors The Germans then stopped, after this tragedy but reinstituted indiscriminate warfare when the U.S. was dragged into the War…..at least that’s how I heard it.”

 

“Here is the Cenotaph Story. The cenotaph is located at the Beckwith Sports Complex at Blacks Corners” Thanks Gary, I had to search for the story myself.

Gary Box runs runs the The Ottawa Valley Box Family, Relatives and Researchers and you should check it out.. CLICK

 

Jessie Mabel McDiarmid was born in Ashton, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada in August 14, 1880. She was the daughter of John McDiarmid, Beckwith Township, Ontario and niece of Mr. J. McDiarmid of Ashton, Ontario.  She was 35 and single when she enlisted as a nurse with the Canadian Army Medical Corps and 37 when she died. Only twenty four of those on board, including the captain, survived the treacherous attack, which came without warning.

The submarine commander, who ordered the destruction of the Llandovery Castle declared that he had sunk the ship because she was carrying American aviation officers and others in the fighting service of the Allies. He added to this later by asserting that the vessel was carrying a lot of ammunition stores, because an explosion had occurred after.

The hospital ship that contained the 12 twelve nursing sisters capsized and the sisters were drowned. It is assumed that the fourteen nursing sisters reached a lifeboat, but so far as was known there was no trace of them after the ship sank in July of 1918.

 

Clipped from

1. Vancouver Daily World,
2. 03 Jul 1918, Wed,
3. Page 1

 

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 and The Tales of Almonte

1. Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun  Screamin’ Mamas (USA)  and The Sherbrooke Record
2. 

Being a Tombstone Tourist

Comments –What was it Like Being German in Lanark County 1915?

Did the Germans Start the Fire at the Portland School in 1915?

Was it the Germans Or UFO’s that Invaded the Ottawa Valley in 1915?

There were Spies Among us in Carleton Place

Ted Hurdis’s Treasures Uncle Don

The War Children that Tried to Come to Canada–SS City of Benares

The Children of Ross Dhu –Evacuation to Canada

Does Anyone Know What This is?

The Very Sad Tale of Horace Garner “Sparky” Stark of Carleton Place

Comments –What was it Like Being German in Lanark County 1915?

Yesterday I wrote about something I had no clue about. The early part of the war witnessed a substantial backlash against many elements of the German presence in Canada. Public schools removed German language instruction from their curricula. Some orchestras refused to play German music– and the hysteria continued in the media as seen below.

Here are some comments to the story —What was it Like Being German in Lanark County 1915?

 

Steven Robert Morrison Even in the 1950’s when Mom and Dad were dating. My grandmother Morrison would say things like, “Bill’s girlfriend Marie is a nice girl, but she is G-E-R-M-A-N”. She did not want to say the word GERMAN. 

But then on the other side of the coin, a great-grandmother on Mom’s side, very Prussian lady, died refusing to believe the Holocaust happened, because the German people would never have done anything like that.  Gran Morrison was from Cobden, G-Gram was in Eganville.

 

Noreen Tyers Hi Linda, just a short note to say, you do stimulate this old brain. I began to remember stories from my childhood good or bad. Your article on Germans in Lanark County, made me think of my Grandmother’s family who was born in Germany. As a child growing up in Eastview, now a part of Ottawa, the stories came back onto the scene. Her parents, sisters and brother were all under detection of the Government.

I had a school friend that her family name was on the list and near the top so they were under heavy scrutiny. My problem is I do not know the details, it was stories my Grandmother passed on to me. I was born in 1939 and grew up with the fear of the Second World War and do not know if my feelings were from fright or from the stories. You may use the comment. My Grandmother’s Family were hard working farm people and the area they lived in there was a few families of German descent and all were treated the same way. Noreen

 

Marilyn White My great grandparents came from Germany and settled in Pembroke. My grandfather and grandmother then moved to Smith Falls and during the Second World War he worked for the railroad. They never taught the kids German as they wanted to stay under the radar.

 

If you have any memories PM me on Facebook , send a message here or email sav_77@yahoo.com

 

Clipped from

1. Detroit Free Press,
2. 20 Sep 1915, Mon,
3. Page 6

 

Clipped from

1. The Salina Evening Journal,
2. 14 May 1915, Fri,
3. Page 1

 

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 and The Tales of Almonte

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

   

Did the Germans Start the Fire at the Portland School in 1915?

Was it the Germans Or UFO’s that Invaded the Ottawa Valley in 1915?

What was it Like Being German in Lanark County 1915?

What was it Like Being German in Lanark County 1915?

I come across stories that shock me all the time and this is one of them, but it’s history.

“I can tell you one thing,” said a Canadian farmer out of Lanark County to The Journal. “A Conservative won’t stand a ghost of a chance in this part of this riding at the next election, the majority of the Germans are so sore on the government for having sent Canadian troops to the front”.

I’m a Conservative myself,” he continued, “and I have been from end to end of the county quite recently, so I know what I’m talking about”. The Germans are quiet, so far as any demonstration goes, but deep down this antagonist feeling exists, and there are times when they don’t hesitate.

Conversation with an old country farmer in another portion of the area brought to light that fact that the British and French residents do believe that actual attempts have been made by certain Germans to accumulate stocks of arms and ammunition.

The case of a storekeep in a neighboring town was cited. A story was circulated that a “Frenchman” had accidentally discovered nineteen rifles in a case of hardware in the store. That story wound its way throughout the county, and The Journals Informant heard it from a dozen sources including from the original source. He questioned the German about it, and received a vigorous denial and said that if he could find the man who originated the yarn he would sue him. He was supplied with the name; but despite his threats of suit not a word has been heard of the matter, though some weeks have elapsed. “So you see.” remarked the farmer, “It looks as if there was something in the charge after all.”

An escort of Canadians went back to his farm with him, and ran up a Union Jack in front of the house. The flag still remains, though somewhat the worse for its winter’s wear

One of the larger farmers in Lanark County is one of the collectors for the Patriotic Fund in the district. He told The Journal that most of the German farmers had contributed small amounts, but that the collections were in cash this year, and the totals were not nearly so large as last, when grain was accepted. He expressed the opinion that such farmers had withdrawn money from the bank and had buried it until the end of the war in fear of confiscation.

Did You Know?

During the First World War, Germans in Canada were considered “enemy-aliens.” Over 8000 German Canadians were interned in camps. During this period, German language instruction was abolished and the German press was no longer allowed to publish in German.

German immigration to Canada resumed after the end of the War. Between 1915 and 1935, over 97 000 German speaking peoples arrived in Canada from Germany, the Soviet Union, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. It was not until 1950 that Canadian restrictions on German immigration were removed.

During this period Canada also took a more aggressive approach to recruit craftsmen from abroad. As a result of these changes, over 400 000 people migrated to Canada from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland between 1950 and 1970.

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 and The Tales of Almonte

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

   

Did the Germans Start the Fire at the Portland School in 1915?

Was it the Germans Or UFO’s that Invaded the Ottawa Valley in 1915?

Family Photos of Arthur Williard Toop & James Henry Martin

Photo from Amanda Armstrong-From the photo collection of Margaret Martin

Thanks to Leanne Templeton this was found online.. click

Root and Toop family  Erin Township, ca. 1890 – 1939.

John Henry Root was the son of Robert and Elizabeth Root. John attended S. S. #9 Erin Township beginning in 1859. On 11 July 1894, John married Martha Ellen Reed (3 April 1871 – 31 October 1922) who was the daughter of Nathaniel and Nancy Reed. John Henry had a brother named David Oscar Root (1872-1937) who was married to Gertrude Eloise Nicholasina Watson (1879-1945). David and Gertrude has five children together; Ernest Robert Watson Root (10 October 1902 – 26 October 1979), David Nicholas Root (05 November 1905 – 30 March 1989), John Henry Haines Root (17 October 1908 – 17 November 1991), Ebenezer Hames Haines Root (28 September 1910 – 07 June 2001), and Gertrude Martha Elizabeth Root (15 August 1921 – 1921). John Henry Haines Root attended Awrey School, S.S. #9 Erin Twp., and Hillsburgh Baptist Church. He was elected M.P.P. in 1951, representing Wellington-Dufferin; he retired in 1975; he served on the Ontario Water Resources Commission and Hearing Boards. He married Lillie Matilda Toop (30 July 1906 – 5 October 1997) in Almonte, Ontario on 20 July 1932. John and Lillie met while she was teaching in Wellington County.

Lillie was a schoolteacher from 1928-1932. She was born in Almonte, Lanark County to Walter Augustus (Gus) Toop and Margaret A. Lawford. She attended S. S. #6 Ramsay Township in Lanark County, beginning in 1913. She started her teaching career on Manitoulin Island in 1928 until 1931. She then moved to Wellington County where she was the principal of the two roomed Hillsburgh Public School, and also taught senior students from 1931-1932.

John and Lillie lived in Erin Township on concession 3, lot 20. They had six children; John Bennett Root (24 May 1933 – 19 February 2016), Ada Lillie Marie Root (27 June 1934 – 4 September 1936), Evelyn Margaret Eloise Root (18 July 1938 – 23 May 2017), George David Walter Root (15 August 1939 – ), Robert Orville Winston Root (11 November 1943 – ), and Alfred Clayton Henry Root (25 August 1948 – )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Margaret Martin with “Irene’s Kids”— The original Art’s Variety on Townline Road, then known as Wayside Inn when owned by my Great-Grandparent’s Arthur & Della Toop (owners from 1939-1948). Photo was taken in the early-mid 1940’s. My Grandmother Margaret Martin (nee Toop) standing with friends in the back row on the left.  From-When You Needed “Variety” You Went to Art’s or the Wayside Inn 1940s — Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Grand Old Ladies of Carleton Place

When You Needed “Variety” You Went to Art’s or the Wayside Inn 1940s — Photos

The Mystery Ruins of Carleton Place- Photos by Adam Dowdall

ph 50479: Black and white photo of the Toop family standing outside their family home in Almonte, Ontario, ca 1914. Gus Toop is in the centre of the photo; his wife, Margaret Toop, is beside him on the right, and his daughter Lillie Matilda Toop is on his left. The other five siblings in the photo are not identified–click