Over 60 history buffs gathered, in person and online, to listen to Doug Ferguson as he described his “Ancestral Odyssey” at the Glencoe and District Historical Society Archives on Wednesday evening, January 17, 2024. His Ferguson ancestors had left Craignish, Argyleshire for Aldborough Twp. in 1818 and then moved to northern Mosa Twp. in 1827. The McDonalds left Inverness for Quebec in 1830, before settling in Ekfrid Twp. in 1835.
Read moreGeneology
History of The Appin Cemetery
By Jim May
Presented to the Appin Memorial Day gathering August 1, 2000 by Jim May, whose family had a long association with Appin Cemetery. Jim’s first recollection of the cemetery was a phone call in the early 1950s: “Could my Dad come with his truck to help collect up stones for the cemetery gates?” This presentation tells the history of the Appin Cemetery, Appin, Ontario, Canada
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They Settled in Riverside – family history book
By Bob Gentleman and Kathy Evans. Review printed with kind permission from the Middlesex Banner.
In July of this year, family and friends gathered at Arrowwood Farm, a beautiful property in Riverside, just south of Melbourne, to celebrate the publishing of a book written by my uncle, Bob Gentleman. The farm that is now called Arrowwood Farm (6460 Riverside Drive) has sentimental value to our family, as it was once owned by the Gentlemans, purchased in 1870.
Bob’s book, titled “They Settled in Riverside,” is largely a family history, documenting the arrival of our ancestors in the Riverside area and describing their family branches. But Bob also captures an era now decades past as he shares stories of early Riverside neighbours and of growing up in Melbourne in the 1930s. He recalls his paper route, the school, town merchants and businesses, the railroad, and the neighbours and friends who were important in his life.
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The Appin Cemetery Commemoration
Appin Cemetery Commemoration July 28, 2024
As part of an annual commemoration of area cemeteries, Glencoe & District Historical Society (G&DHS) organized a presentation and community walk at the Appin Cemetery. Prayers, dedications, singing, and community conversation were key parts of the afternoon.
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Lorne Munro, Past President
Lorne Munro – I became interested in historical events in the 1970s. My interest grew after attending the 25th Anniversary banquet of the Glencoe & District Historical Society at the Glencoe Legion in 2003. We presently have eight family genealogy books in our home that I manage and update. Ancestry.ca has been a great help and I correspond with family members to gather information.
During my tenure as President in 2018, the Society’s collection moved from our rooms on Main Street to the old library at 178 McKellar Street, Glencoe. I have served as secretary, first vice president, president (a couple of times). I’m slowing down now, just working on Wednesday afternoons in The Archives and enjoying any other projects that come along.
Peacefully at Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital , Strathroy on Monday, March 18, 2024 William “Lorne” Munro passed away in his 91st year. Predeceased by his wife Phyllis (2023). Dear father to Janice and Tom McCallum, Susan Sinclair and Steve Schneider and Cheryl and Roy Neves. Cherished Grandpa to Matt and Becky, Kimberly and Paul, Adam and Kirissa, Andrew and Reilly, John and Stacey, Scott and Mandy, Jacob, Emily and Brandon. Great-Grandpa to Isabelle, Josephine and Elliott. Lorne will be missed by many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his parents Neil and Florence Munro, his sister Anna and his brother Keith. Link to Photos reel
Read moreThe History of Little Kin Park
We are looking for information and photos regarding the Kinsmen Club, Baseball, Fire Muster, Canada Day Events. Anything pertaining to Little Kin Park. If you have any further information regarding Little Kin Park please forward to denise.corneil@yourwardsville.ca
Read moreOakland Cemetery, Mosa Township
“Beyond the gates of the cemetery lives an historical account of our past, a rich heritage populated by friends and relatives. Loved ones who can no longer be with us, but whose memories live on.”
– Josh Kekosz
Each year the Historical Society honours those who came before us. On July 24, 2022, the Cemetery Memorial Service was held at Oakland Cemetery, which was opened May 1894 by a group of ten men who formed a Board of Directors.
Five acres was purchased from a local farmer in Mosa Township and surveyed into plots of 16 feet X 16 feet. These plots were purchased by families. One plot had room for 8 burials. The first burial was Thomas Hopkins in May 1894.
The area was previously served by small family plots and St. Andrew’s (Graham) Cemetery at 112 Main Street Glencoe (Concession 1, Lot 1). St. Andrew’s Cemetery eventually contained approximately 500 burials between 1841 – 1931. It still exists and is classified as ‘abandoned’.
After the new Oakland Cemetery opened and families started purchasing plots, new stones were installed and the names of beloved previously-deceased family members were commemorated. This could explain why there are 175 inscriptions whose dates of death are prior to May 1894.
Records are poor but we surmise that sometimes stones were moved to the new Oakland and sometimes the stones might have been buried or lost from their original family plot locations. And what of the bodies? We guess that bodies probably remain in their original resting places. It seems doubtful if they would have been disinterred and moved. May they continue to rest in peace.
Link to interactive G&DHS Cemetery Map.
Written by Harold Carruthers and Mary Simpson, 2022.
Arnold Warren Nethercott 1928 – 2020
Obituary
On December 21, 2020, Arnold Nethercott passed away at Country Terrace Nursing Home, Komoka, Ontario. Arnold was the beloved husband of 32 years of Barbara (Balch) Nethercott nee: Dadswell. He was a dear stepfather of Ruth Truesdale (Brian), Kathy Bedford (Larry), Greg Balch (Kim), Mark Balch (Linda), Bruce Balch (Kim) and Chris Balch (Yvonne). Loving grandfather of 14 and great-grandfather of 15.
Arnold is also survived by his brothers Marv Nethercott (Mary) and Bill Nethercott (Roxann) and by his sisters Lois McLean and Phyllis Munro (Lorne). He was the loving uncle of 13 nieces and nephews and many great-nieces and great-nephews. Predeceased by his parents James Percy Nethercott and Mary Louise (Warren) Nethercott, his sister Eleanor Wells and his brothers-in-law Vin Wells and Jack McLean.
Arnold achieved the rank of Captain as a Forward Air Controller in fixed-wing aircraft and as a helicopter pilot while in the Canadian Armed Forces. He served in peacekeeping duties in various locations around the world including Cyprus. He was also a respected Past President of the Ontario Genealogical Society (www.ogs.on.ca) and the United Empire Loyalists Society of Canada. (www.uelac.org)
Marion Dobie remembered
When COVID-19 struck, Antje Giles, community spark plug and entrepreneur, moved her back burner projects to the front burner and dove into the history of long-term local school teacher, Marion Dobie. Miss Dobie taught at Tait’s Corners school house 43 years.
Miss Dobie was “married” to her beloved school and worshipped by her students.
Giles took on the persona of Miss Dobie and presented three acts interspersed with a delicious ham and scalloped potatoes meal served up COVID-19 style with the help of one assistant.
Two performances on Saturday, September 19. Twenty people attended each sold out performance.
Photos by Mary Simpson. Many thanks to Hayter Publications Inc. and Marie Gagnon-Williams for publishing the story.
Glencoe historians pay homage to Gough Cemetery
by Marie Williams-Gagnon, Hayter Publications Inc.
Seated in the shade of an old pine tree, a group of over 40 gathered to honour those interred at the Gough Cemetery on Sunday afternoon, July 28, 2019. The community memorial service, an annual event held at a different cemetery each year, was hosted by the Glencoe & District Historical Society.
The Gough Cemetery is located at 5018 Scotchmere Dr. in Adelaide-Metcalfe.After Society president Ken Beecroft welcomed guests and area historian Ken Willis offered a dedication and prayer, historian Harold Carruthers provided some background on the Cemetery itself which is on the property settled by the John and Eliza (Kellestine) MacGoughr (later Gough) family in 1845.
The couple had a large family of 13 but their son Nelson died in 1849. His was likely to be the first burial at the site, followed by those of his sisters Hannah in 1855 and Elizabeth in 1865. Since that time, the predominant family names of those interred on the tiny property are Ash, Boyd, Gough, Hetherington, Moore, Olde, Towers, Williams and Yager. Society member Marilyn (Gough) McCallum provided a detailed history of the “MacGoughr” family that voyaged to Canada from Ireland in 1831.
The family was among the earliest settlers of township in the early 1830s with Metcalfe itself not existing prior to 1846 when Ekfrid and Adelaide were divided. “They endured all the hardships of pioneer life having cut out of the wilderness homes for themselves on land given to them by the Crown.” McCallum detailed the life of settlers John and Eliza MacGoughr who received title on the property.
Sometime in the 1850s, the “Mac” and the “r” were dropped from their name. She shared details about family members, including those buried at that particular cemetery. She recalled visiting the cemetery as a child. “We would tread softly, touch the stones, speak the names…of those who came before.”
Lorne Munro added some information about the Kellestine family before the service closed. The property was sold to Charles Towers in 1909. The Cemetery is personally maintained by Heather and Charlie Towers who were recognized for their efforts and the new fence they constructed at the front of the property. They took over the responsibility from Reta and Alex Johnson and Vern and Shirley Towers who had maintained it over the years.
McKellar Family Celebrates 180 Years
This story printed with permission from Marie Williams-Gagnon.
The descendants of Archibald and Nancy McKellar gathered together, Saturday, August 25, 2018 to celebrate the milestone anniversary of their arrival and settlement in Metcalfe Township. The reunion was held at A.W. Campbell Conservation Area at Alvinston. Although it was a rainy and inhospitable day, about 100 interested family attendees enjoyed food, games, contests, stories and photos, and exchanged genealogy information.
The McKellars, both natives of the parish of Kilmicheal-Glassary, Argyll, Scotland, migrated to Canada in 1831 and eventually made their way to Metcalfe Township in west Middlesex County. This was certainly a time of hardship and toil for the early pioneer family.
The original homestead farm located at Lot 24, Concession 6, was purchased and carved from the forest in 1838 and has been continuously in the family since then, handed down, inherited and purchased by direct descendants. The current owners are sixth generation, Hugh McKellar and his wife Andrea Boyd.