The Rideau Township Historical Society

Preserving and Promoting local history for the former Rideau Township

www.rideautownshiphistory.org

January 2018 Newsletter Newsletter Editor: Ron Wilson (rideauarchives@ottawa.ca)

Speakers Speakers at the January meeting will be RTHS members them-selves.

Yes it is time once again for our annual bring and brag night with RTHS members and/or their guests presenting their treasures.

So if you or someone you know has something you think would be of interest to the Society we will see you on the 17th. There will be a computer and screen available for power point or other kinds of presentations, so bring a memory stick if you so choose.

The Annual General Meeting The AGM will precede the Bring & Brag presentations. It is tradi-tionally short but it is important because we elect our executive for the coming year. The nominating committee will present a report listing a slate of candidates for the various positions as recruited by the present executive.

At this point there will be a request for nominations for any posi-tion from the floor. In particular there is an opportunity to join your 2018 Society executive as a Director with responsibilities to be determined at the first meeting of the new executive. If this appeals to you, please contact Tom Macdonald (tommacdonald1942@gmail.com), or at 613-215-0213 to put your name forward

The January Meeting

Date: Wednesday, January, 17 Time: 7:30 p.m. Place St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 6810 Rideau Valley Drive South Kars, ON

facebook.com/rideautownshiphistory . https://twitter.com/rideautphs

The Winter/Spring Programme

January - Annual Meeting and Bring & Brag

February - Irene Stanton on A.Y. Jackson

March - 3 short segments: Dennis Osmond, "Magic Lanterns"; Rod Brazier, "Railways in Mus-koka"; Gary Bagley, "Loyalists"

April - Valerie Knowles - either the history of Ca-nadian immigration or William Van Horne

May - 3 short segments: Karen Craig on the Craig family; Owen Cooke, update on Tommy Watter-son; Bill Tupper, "William Cowan"

June - Excursion to St. Clare's Church, Dwyer Hill; Pinhey's Point, Dunrobin; St. Mary's Church, Dunrobin.

A Volunteer Opportunity

The Friends of the Canadian War Museum Research Committee are searching for volunteers interested in researching the biographical details of the recipients of medals and decorations held in the War Museum’s vaults. The result would be a virtual exhibition on the internet. The War Museum can provide parking for volunteers.

For more information, please contact Jean Morin at morin.jh@sympatico.ca.

To all members and friends of the Society your exec-utive wishes you a happy and prosperous New Year.

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The Christmas Party Article by Sandy McNiece, Photos by, Sandy and Maureen McPhee

2017 RTHS Christmas Party

The RTHS Christmas Party was held on December 13th at the Knox Presbyterian Church in Manotick with approx. 25 members in attendance. Delicious appetizers followed by a splendid turkey buffet dinner were served by the

“Fine Line” catering group from North Gower. Owen Cooke had done his homework providing some unique gifts for door prizes and, later, Chris Rodgers took to the front of the hall and gave a wonderful medley of Gordon Lightfoot, folk-rock and “down east” Maritime songs. The evening concluded with a Christmas carol sing-a-long.

Chris Rogers provided excellent entertainment with “down east” songs, Christmas carols, and a lively sing along. Oh boy. The appetizers.

A good time was had by all.

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Remembering Catherine Carroll

May 10, 1922 - December 14, 2017

Cathy Carroll was born in Winnipeg, but as part of the Nelson, Henry and Mulvagh clans in City View always regarded that part of Ottawa as home. Her father, a veter-an of WW1 travelled west in search of employment during the Depression; while in California they survived several of the major earthquakes in 1925 & 27.

Cathy and family returned to Ottawa, and Cathy worked as a stenographer in the Federal Government during WW2. During the War, the family opened their home to provide sanctuary for several war children. Long after the War, Cathy kept in touch with these children. During the fifties she worked for External Affairs in London.

Cathy married Douglas Carroll in 1956. They built a beau-tiful contemporary home on the Rideau in Manotick, and had two children, Greg and Lisa. Unfortunately, Doug suf-fered ill health, and Cathy was left a widow after only thir-teen years of marriage.

Ever resilient, Cathy immersed herself in raising her fami-ly and in community affairs. She was involved in the UCW and was a founding member of the the Rideau Township

Historical Society in 1974, and served in many capacities on the executive including the position as president sever-al times. In 1998 , the Ontario Heritage Foundation recog-nized Cathy’s commitment to local history and the RTHS with a certificate of honour.

Cathy had a long association with the Rideau Valley Con-servation Authority. Among other things, she was a mem-ber, vice chair and chair, together with Barbara Hum-phreys of the Authority’s Standing Committee which rec-ommended the purchase of Watson’s Mill and Dickinson House, directed the restoration of the mill to a working grist mill, and opened it to the public. Later the Committee recommended the purchase and managed the restoration of the Ayers Building (now ROSSS) , the Henry building (now the Miller’s Oven). Cathy saw the Miller’s Oven as being a gathering place for all ages, especially seniors. The Committee was also responsible for furnishing of the Parlour in Dickinson House.

With these buildings restored and in public ownership, the Committee organized events to bring the public to the Square. Inspired by Moss Kent Dickinson’s Birthday on June 1, they, along with a Service Club spearheaded the organization of Dickinson Days which has become a much enjoyed annual event on the first week end in June in Manotick. They also organized summer teas on the lawns of Dickinson House which laid the foundation for Dickinson House evolving into a present day museum. Cathy Carroll’s vision, inspiration and leadership are deeply embedded in Dickinson’s Square.

During this period, Cathy was immersed in researching the life of Moss Kent Dickinson, and published an histori-cal novel about his life, King of the Rideau in 1974 to great acclaim.

Cathy didn’t stop at King of the Rideau; she wrote many short stories, published in a book, “Memories of All That” as well as in a couple of magazines. She also collaborat-ed with Barbara Humphreys to write ‘A History of Long Island.

During this period she worked as secretary at the Ma-notick United Church for the Reverend Stewart Hewlett, and then opened a small business, first in the Walk and then in the Mews,- “The Little Oak Barrel” which sold an-tiques and books.

As a lover of reading and the creation of literature, Cathy was a founding member on Manotick’s first book club, the “Reading Group”. The group has always had a mandate to stimulate debate, and enrich the minds of its members.!

Throughout her life, Cathy was devoted to her family and friends. Her home was always a warm and welcoming place; her hospitality was legendary in Manotick, from Sunday School picnics to wonderful New Year’s Eve par-ties. She will be missed.

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News from the Rideau Branch, Ottawa Archives

Hours: The Rideau Archives is open every Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and at other times by appoint-

ment. (613-489-2926).

Resources and Services of the Rideau Township Branch of the City of Ottawa Archives: a monthly feature in this newsletter, celebrating the services and holdings preserved in your community’s archives resource centre.

A Letter Home Remembering Friends in Manotick

On 13 June 1905, a man named Robert who had grown up in Manotick took up his pen and a very long piece of paper to write a nostalgic letter from far away to his child-hood friend Harry Lindsay, whose father Alex had died just two months earlier.

Robert remembered Alex Lindsay from the store he ran beneath the Dickinson home in Manotick. He then went on to ask Harry about a great number of their common friends from years past, many born in the later 1870s, giving us a sense of the social network of a young man in Manotick as the nineteenth century was drawing to a close: Patrick Dolan was probably the blacksmith of that name; Joe Towel likely was Joseph Tohill, the son of tan-ner Arthur Tohill; Peter & Thomas Doyle were step-sons of Bernard McCairney, who operated a passenger and mail service to Manotick Station; Robbie Clark was Rob-ert Irven Clark the younger; Bill Clark, whom Robert re-called was nicknamed “White-eye,” was probably William N. Clark, son of lockmaster George Clark;

“Aunt Synthy” was Cynthia Amelia Beaman, daughter of wheelwright William Chester Beaman, who had married blacksmith Alex Montgomery; also included were Rugles “Bud” Bradley, cousin of Cynthia Beaman, and his younger brother Byron, whom Robert said was called “little mannie” back in the day; Herman Morris was the son of blacksmith John Morris; Willie G. Williams was the son of general merchant George Williams; Ethel At-kinson was the daughter of shoemaker Francis Atkinson; there is no doubt as to the identity of Mr. Jim Waddell, the teacher; and a friend named only Kenneth might have been Kenneth A. Lindsay, brother of the letter’s recipient Harry. Like us, Robert was trying to reconnect and recre-ate his lost circle of friends, the home he had left years before, presumably having headed west during the trou-bled economy of the mid-1890s. And in seeking out news

about these people, Robert succeeded at the very least in linking them together in his letter (part of the MacFarlane family records held at Rideau Branch) so that we now can have a sense of something not always achieved by gene-alogists: a notion not only of genetic and family connec-tions but also important bonds of friendship.

Stuart Clarkson

Next time -- A Letter Home II: Insects and War with Russia

The RTHS gratefully acknowledges the financial support received from the City of Ottawa.

Letter by Robert [-] to Harry Lindsay, 13 June 1905 (MGR033-09-010, RV140.57)

The Annual General Meeting

The January 2018 meeting will be the Society AGM. The Board will be proposing a revision of the constitution and an update of the strategic plan.

The proposed revision and update have been published for member information in the September 2017 newsletter. Watch the website and newsletters for further items related to the AGM.