The Beginning of a New Year.

Transcription

1 The United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada Grand River Branch Volume 19, No 1 Newsletter Date: May 2007 Inside this issue: Annual Meeting 5-6, 8 Six Nations & GB 3-5 Meetings Out & About 4-5 Chiefswood Report 7 Four Kings Vimy & Letters Home Vol. II Loyalist Families All interested members of the pubic are welcome Meetings are normally held on the 3 rd Sunday of the month March through November. For information on the Grand River Branch of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada, please write to Education/Outreach chair, Doris Lemon at Father David Bauer Drive, Waterloo Ont.N2L 6L1 hlemon@jubilation.uwater loo.ca For meeting details and other information, be sure to visit our web site: ISSN Reunions 8 The Beginning of a New Year. By the time you receive this newsletter Mother Nature will hopefully have sorted herself out and we will all be enjoying the warmth and change that comes with spring. Our Annual Meeting and the first meeting of the 2007 season was held on March 18, 2007 at Smokey Hollow Estates, Brantford, where we enjoyed a larger than usual attendance. MacCrimmon I would like to take this time to thank our outgoing president, Claire Machan for four years of support and guidance, while she served as VP and President. I have very much enjoyed working with Claire and anticipate calling on her knowledge and wisdom in the next two years. I would also like to thank those who have agreed to serve on the executive. Many of our executive have been active with the branch for several years and this is for most not the first time they have agreed to serve. By comparison, I feel very much the newcomer and I look forward to the guidance that they will no doubt provide in the next two years. For those who are not active on the executive or committees I would certainly encourage you to become involved. I know that this has certainly allowed me to learn much more about the association at the local and dominion level. Should you have ideas, comments, suggestions, etc. I do hope that you will drop me a line or contact me via my . Sue Hines

2 Page 2 Grand River Branch of the U. E. L. Association was founded in 1973 and the Charter Meeting was held in Brantford Ontario, on September 29, 1974 President: Sue Hines No Millbank Drive London Ontario N6E 2H shinese751@rogers.com Past President: Claire Machan, 255 Keats Way # 705 Waterloo, Ontario Vice President: Secretary: Marilyn E. McMillan 91 Elmhurst Avenue Simcoe, ON N3Y 3G1(519) m.m.mcmillan@sympatico.ca Corresponding Secretary Donna Smith, Willow Street Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4S strat@golden.net Treasurer Ellen Tree 114 Delatre Street Woodstock, Ontario N4S 6B jtree7473@rogers.com Genealogist Catherine Thompson, 13 Backus Drive Box 174 Port Rowan, Ontario N0E 1M dandc@execulink.com 2007 Committees Education & Outreach: Doris Lemon Genealogist Cathy Thompson Membership William Terry Librarian James Sweet Loyalist Library Marilyn Haslinger Privacy officer Robert McCarey Norfolk Historical Society Marilyn Haslinger Standard Bearer Frederick Reeves Newsletter Sue Hines Chiefswood Liaison Doris Marsalis Project 2014 Cemeteries Marilyn Haslinger and Cathy Thompson Project 2014 sales Frederick Reeves Chaplain James Files Web Master David Morrison Congratulations How About That? David Morrison, our Web Master was searching the Internet recently and discovered a copy of the Loyalist Families of Grand River Vol. 1 listed for $ It was recently learned that Marian Lucas Jeffries was ordained in Fredericktown, New Brunswick on January 27, Marian is the daughter of Gwen and Dick Lucas who enjoyed the opportunity of seeing their daughter s ordination. Marian had been an RN for many years before making a decision to enter the ministry. All the very best to Marian and her family as she enters what is certain to be challenging as well as rewarding life path. Grand River member and long time contributor to the newsletter, Angela Files received a Provincial Heritage Award for Heritage and History in the Community. Angela has given 21 talks on Black History with a focus on the Grand River area. Doris Lemon was nominated by the Branch in 2006 for her 25 year Ontario Volunteer Award

3 Grand River Meetings for July to November 2007 Page 3 July 15, 2007 Elora United Church. Corner of Geddes and Church St. Elora Al Koops local historian will speak on the History of the Elora area. There is an historic walking tour of Elora at 1 pm for a cost of $5.00 pp or $10.00 for a family pass (cost based on information from website) if interested. Dinner at Gorge Country Kitchen after meeting August 19, 2007 Neal Memorial Church Pt. Rowan Dave Stone s Shipwrecks of Long Point followed by supper at the church for $12.00 per person for those who wish to stay. September 16, 2007 Spruce Row Museum Waterford. Early Farming & Implements Dinner to follow at a place to be announced. October 21, 2007 to be announced. November 18, 2007 Woodstock Baptist Church Robin Barker-James Vimy A Trip of Remembrance Please don t forget that this is also our annual sale of various items donated by Branch members. Do you have an idea for a meeting? Do you have a suggestion for a place to meet? Please let a member of the executive know, as we are always looking for new places and ideas. The Six Nations Members of the Iroquoian Family Upholders of the British Cause During the American Revolution 1775 to 1783 by Angela Files The Extent of Iroquois Influence The Iroquois were a powerful linguistic family of the Iroquoian-Caddean stock of North American natives of Canada and the eastern United States composed of 13 tribes, including those of the Six Nations the Five Nations Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Onondagas, the Cayugas and the Senecas and in 1710 the Tuscaroras joined to become the Sixth Nation. The Iroquois attempted to expand their territory many times, but were stopped by the Chippewa in the West, the Cherokee in the south, and the French in the north. The People of the Long House. The people of the five nations formerly lived in long houses of elm or cedar bark, capable of sheltering 15 to 20 families and they became known as the people of the long houses moving their villages from time to time to prevent soil erosion and exhaustion. Beans, maize and squash were the three sisters of the Iroquois and the game of hunting and the fish of the waters fed and clothed them. The Iroquoian Confederacy or League of Five Nations was formed in the late 16th century at which time the native population was about Degamawida and his disciple Hiwatho, aided by Chiefs Jikonasa and Totadaho were induced to form a league to preserve the integrity of each tribe, to eliminate tribal warfare and end to cannibalism. During the American Revolution, the league was neutral, but the tribes were allowed to vote on their choice of sides Patriots or the British side. The league was governed by a great Council in which the Mohawks, keepers of the eastern door; the Senecas, keepers of the western door formed the upper house and Onondagas, keepers of the fire and wampum records, the Oneidas and the Cayugas, formed the lower house. Delegates from each tribe attended the league meetings in the Onondaga Village or capital; their principal clans where the Deer, Turtle and Wolf. The league was the most powerful native military alliance in the eastern part of North America and probably the most successful alliance between so many important tribes and clans. Hostility between the French and the Five Nations In 1609, French explorer Champlain joined a war party of Algonquin s to fight the Iroquois near Lake Champlain, using firearms on them and in 1613, Champlain and his Huron allies invaded the country of the Seneca's, which led to bitter warfare between the French and the Iroquois for over a century, especially during France s colonial expansion into the valley of the Ohio River. Height of Five Nations Power In the Mid 17th Century. In 1649, fearful of losing their position as intermediaries in the rich fur trade, the Five Nations utterly destroyed the Huron nation around Georgian Bay, followed

4 Six Nations (cont d) by wiping out of the Neutrals in and the Eries in In 1722, the Oneidas adopted the remnants of the Tuscarora Confederacy, which had been expelled from North Carolina in 1711, which strengthened the League of Six Nations. The British Bid for Native Support Page 4 As early as in the month of July 1775, Lord Dartmouth, the Minister of Colonial Affairs, wrote a letter to General Thomas Gage, Supreme Commander of His Majesty s Forces in North America, asking that the faithful allies, the Six Nations aid and assist King George III, by taking up the hatchet against his Majesty s rebellious subjects in America. An assortment of presents would be rewarded for their services: 2500 worth of goods, including fine rifles, tomahawks, knives, brass kettles, gold laced hats, ruffled shirts, pipes, tobacco, great pots of war paint and scores of kegs of gunpowder and lead. It was the duty of Guy Johnson to recruit native for the British King. Upholding the British Cause The Confederacy refused to take part in the American Revolution, but allowed each tribe to decide for itself whether it wished to uphold the British or Patriot cause. All the tribes, except the Oneidas joined the British cause. Rev. Samuel Kirkland, a Congregational Oneida Missionary, secured a declaration of neutrality from the Six Nations. Mohawk Pine Tree Chief Joseph Brant ( ), Seneca Chief Cornplanter ( ) and Red Jacket ( ) led the Iroquois to remain loyal to the British side during the American Revolution. During the Revolution, members of the Six Nations fought under Captain Joseph Brant, Colonel John Butler and others. With the consent of Sir Guy Carleton, the Butler s Rangers, a loyalist regiment of eight companies (Sept 1777) were allied to serve with the natives against the revolting colonists. Cont d Out and About in Grand River Marilyn A. Smith McDonald, UE, DAR. My life has been very busy and I wanted to let you know about my latest adventure in promoting the Grand River Branch, UELAC. I have attended the Grand River Watershed Heritage Day Workshop and Celebration for the past five years. This is a very informative and promotional day which we all should attend. The speakers are all first class and leave you with much to think about. The Grand River Watershed 10th Annual Heritage Day Workshop and Celebration was held on Monday, February 19th, 2007 at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex, 101 Father David Bauer Drive, Waterloo, Ontario. The program this year was called "Yesterday, Today and Beyond", and ran from 8:30am to 4pm. This year was also a celebration of Waterloo's 150 years. The speakers in the morning session spoke on "Yesterday and Today", the topics ranged from A Natural History, Pre- European History and the Cultural History of the Waterloo Region. After a refreshment break and time to look at all the wonderful displays they had five more tours and concurrent sessions. These included a walking tour of uptown Waterloo and sessions on topics such as, best practices for environmental sustainability, milestone histories, what are we celebrating, intergenerational heritage projects and opportunities and challenges with heritage districts. After a delicious lunch and another Cont d

5 Page 5 Six Nations cont d Out & About Cont d look at the displays the afternoon session was called "Beyond". Again six more speakers told us about the 10 goals to the region of Waterloo's success and then a panel discussion on How Does Heritage Fit In? From 3:00-4:00 p.m. a reception was held at the lovely "Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery just up the street at 25 Caroline St., N., in Waterloo. The Six Nations, Ohsweken, Ontario will be hosting the 11th Annual Grand River Watershed Heritage Day Workshop to be held on the 18th of February, During the past five years that I have attended these workshops I have found this a great way to promote the Grand River Branch of the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada. Annual Meeting 2007 President s Claire s Message: Things I have enjoyed: Getting to meetings in a variety of locations and enjoying the beautiful countryside along the Grand River. Working with a group of dedicated hard working, pleasant people. Working with a vice president I could count on when I was unable to fulfill my duties. The delicious snacks prepared by volunteers for 2:00 pm prior to the meetings The comradeship over suppers after the meetings. Things I have not enjoyed: Getting lost while enjoying Most of the recruits were from the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys of New York and also from Pennsylvania. From their headquarters at Fort Niagara, the Rangers and natives embarked on forays and battles which spread terror throughout New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Many of the military incidents happened between the years 1777 to Some of them were the Battle of Oriskany, (Rome N.Y) Aug 6, 1777; the Battle of Saratoga (Schuylerville, N.Y) Sept 19, Oct. 7, 1777; Wyoming Valley (50 miles west of Albany N.Y) Nov 11, The Scattering of the Six Nations by the Battle of Newton or the Battle of Chemung (Elmira, New York) Aug 29, With the mighty patriot force of four brigades, Major General John Sullivan and General James Clinton were given the orders by the Continental Congress and General George Washington to conduct a retaliatory campaign against the Six Nations and Loyalists by destroying them. the beautiful countryside en route to the meetings. Never being confident there will not be some surprise when I arrive at the meeting place. Finding locations for the meetings at prices the branch can afford Finding speakers at prices the branch can afford Worrying about finding a vice president for I must admit most of the things I have not enjoyed have meant a shared effort by Their scorched earth policy was used by the military forces. Historians estimate 40 to 50 native villages were burned in Central New York. The Iroquois Long Houses, beautiful orchards, bountiful gardens, cornfields and cattle in the fields were all destroyed. Much of the Iroquois land was laid to waste in order to destroy the Iroquois family of Six Nations. Some of the terrified natives managed to flee to the headquarters of Butler s Rangers, Fort Niagara Falls, New York. Others starved to death or died in flight. They were compelled to live outside the crowded fort while waiting to transfer to British owned land in Upper Canada. The Settlement of Butler s Rangers and the Six Nations In the spring of 1784, the Rangers were disbanded. Colonel John Butler settled with some of his Rangers on crown land grants in the Niagara Peninsula. members of the very efficient executive and committees to overcome the very few problems encountered All in all, I have been very honoured to have been granted the chance to lead one of the best, no, the very best branch in Canada. Loyally, Claire Machan. Treasurer s Report If you would like to see a copy of our Annual Report please contact Elle Tree at the numbers and at the front of the Newsletter. Ellen Tree A few Rangers settled on the Detroit River in Amherstburg and Sandwich (Windsor) In the fall of 1777, some of Fort Hunter Mohawks living along the Mohawk River, N.Y. fled to Fort Niagara and some settled along the St. Lawrence Rive, in Lachine, Quebec. The natives who settled in the Montreal area had served under the military leadership of John Deserontyou Aaron and Isaac Hill. On May 22, 1784, these three men landed with their Mohawk followers near Deseronto, Ontario. During the winter of , about 1,600 Iroquois moved from their Niagara camps with leader, Captain Joseph Brant, and settled on village sites along the Lower Grand River. According to Governor Haldimand. Land grant permission was given to Six Nations people to settle on a six mile strip of land on either side of the Grand River from its source to its mouth (675,000 acres) for the loss of Iroquois land in the Finger Lakes Regions of New York and for their support of the British cause during the American Revolution. Secretary Report There were 9 regular meetings as follow: March present Held at St. Paul s Presbyterian Church, Simcoe Bill Terry read excerpts from The United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada Volume 8, entitled United Empire Loyalists of Norfolk County. April 9 41 present Held at Old Train Station Museum, Caledonia The speaker, Cheryl MacDonald s topic was Deadly Women of Ontario. Cont d

6 Page 6 Six Nations cont d Annual Meeting cont d May present Held at Eva Brook Donly Museum, Simcoe The speaker Cathy Thompson s topic was Eva Brook Donly Museum Archives Just What Is Behind Those Doors? June present Held at Oakland United Church The UEL Plaque was officially unveiled at the Pioneer Cemetery in Oakland and a Loyalist Flag was presented for use at the cemetery. The program included the members being divided into groups where they showed and discussed items that they had brought that evoked special memories July present Held at Bay Gardens Funeral Home, Burlington Pauline Grondin, a professional story teller, spoke on Burial Customs of the Past. August present Held at Family & Children s Services, St. Thomas Alstair Nealy s topic was Military Records as a Genealogical Resource September present Held at the Forestry Station, St. Williams John DeWitt spoke on the forests of Norfolk County from the time that the County was a wilderness to the time that it became a desert after too much logging to today when the soils have been stabilized because of reforestation. October present Held at Luther Village Pauline Grondin spoke on four Loyalist Women, one of whom was Laura Secord. November present Held at First Baptist Church, Woodstock Doug Symons showed slides of old Woodstock buildings and gave the history of each. Marilyn McMillan Branch Website hosted by David Morrison, is far reaching. David reported that there were 13, 349 visits to the site and 222, 845 hits during David Morrison Norfolk Heritage Centre, Eva Brook Donly Museum Liasion A memorial book plate has been placed for deceased members Gladys Young and Olive Woodard. Marilyn Haslinger

7 Page 7 Chiefswood Doris Marcellus The visitor guide for Brantford, Brant County and Six Nations/New Credit has come out and Chiefswood is prominently seen there, under National Treasure and Grand Dreams, an invitation to explore our rich arts, culture and heritage. Another At Husking Time Women s Conference at Chiefswood is slated for Sat. Sept 15, On the cover and on page 11 are pictures from the Mohawk Chapel s stained windows, specifically selected due to its use of imagery from both Iroquois and British cultures in depicting Joseph Brant, leader of the Six Nations community welcoming the Rev. John Stewart to the chapel. Stewart had ministered to Brant and his people when they resided in New York State and helped to raise Brant following the death of his father. He an canoed from Kingston to Brantford to perform the first service at the chapel. In that 2 day stay he baptized 65 people, married 3 couples and visited many elders in their homes to provide communion. The two row wampum belt is show in the window, above the village. It signified the agreement between the British and Six Nations to live side by side, but to never interfere into each others way of life or government. The visitor s guide also has given considerable space to the Woodland Cultural Centre and to the Jake Thomas Learning Centre and there is a section on Pow-Wow Etiquette, with some do s and don ts. Also included are some of Gary Farmer s memories of growing up, his favorite was hanging around on the Grand River with his great grandfather, John Green. Presently at the Woodland Centre is the Quilt of Belonging, a 120 foot long textile art project, the collaborative work of cultural groups from Victoria to Newfoundland to the Artic Circle. It embraces all of Canada s First People and those of every world nation now in Canada. It was initiated and coordinated by the artist, Esther Bryan. Sadly, we have learned that the new kitchen at Chiefswood was damaged during that bitter February cold spell, when winds from the east froze the water sprinkler lines causing them to burst, soaking insulation and clogging up the hot air vents, creating a shallow lake. The special custom made wainscoting, one inch pine flooring, with its eight layers of bees wax and special plaster coated drywall were all damaged. The damage was confined to the kitchen and it is hoped repairs can be made before the tourist season begins. Loyalist Families of Grand River Vol. 2 As most of you are aware, we have been looking into publishing a second Volume of The Loyalist Families of Grand the River. A Book Committee was struck in 2006 and they have met and made some recommendations to the Executive. Although we did attempt to obtain a grant from more than one source to complete this project, we were unsuccessful in our applications. A sincere thanks must go to Doris Lemon for all her work in writing the grant proposals and applications. Being committed to the project, the Executive has reviewed this and with the commitment of three of members of the Executive, we have agreed to go ahead with this project. Although we have funds in the bank to hire someone to publish the book, it is the recommendation of this group, who we will call the Publication Committee, that this project could be completed with considerably less cost, allowing us to perhaps take on other projects, including purchasing equipment that would enhance our education and outreach programs, as well as our monthly meetings. Not only could we complete the project for less cost, but we could offer the book in more than one format, including hard cover, soft cover and on CD/DVD. To date Irene MacCrimmon, who is chairing the Book Committee, has received a number of submissions from our members. Irene has taken on the task of reading through them and has subsequently passed them on to our Genealogist, Cathy Thompson. At the meeting of March 12, 2007 the Executive agreed that we would put in place certain guidelines to ensure a quality product, that was consistent with the wishes of those who have taken the time to submit articles, etc. 1) Submission will only be accepted from current members of Grand River Branch. 2) All submission must be proven. If the Loyalist ancestor was proven through another Branch it is necessary to have a copy of the proof submitted. 3) Although some of the ancestors have wonderful stories, we will be limiting the submissions to 5 pages for the written material about the Loyalist Ancestor, which may include pictures, maps, etc. in that 5 pages. The three generation chart and the direct line chart will be added over and above the five pages. 4) In the event that someone has submitted a lengthy article on their Loyalist Ancestor we will be returning it to them and asking that they resubmit in the shortened version. Prior to sending any information back to those who have already submitted their work, we will be asking members of the Book Committee to be in touch with them. 5) The Executive and the Publication Committee do not feel that it is appropriate for us to edit another persons work or to guess at what someone would or would not like included. We will make corrections that are obvious spelling errors. We will not change given names or surnames, nor will we correct dates, unless it is obvious that it was to be, as an example, an 8 and not a 9, as in 1893 rather than 1993 when the person was born in ) If your Loyalist Ancestor is already in Vol. 1 we will include only new information about this ancestor. Reference will be made to Volume 1 where people can find the earlier written details. We are currently looking into having the

8 Page 8 first book scanned and copied onto a CD for sale. Further details will be made available to the members at upcoming meetings. 7) For those whose Loyalist ancestor is already in Vol. 1, we would like to encourage you to submit the missing pieces in the Direct Line Chart from the Loyalist Ancestor to yourself and to submit the three generation chart (Loyalist Ancestor, children and grandchildren), where there are additions to any of the originally submitted material. 9) All submissions must include sources. This is a vital component of the project. 10) If at all possible you are asked to submit the work via disk or . If you are unable to do this, please write out your work and we will format it. If you are able to enter the data at a computer or typewriter, it would be most helpful if you used a 1.5 inch right and left margin. 11)Knowing how very busy everyone is, we would like to give you adequate time to ensure that you can compile the information for submission. Therefore, we have set a deadline of October 15, 2007 for all submissions. Loyalist Burial Sites: The year 2006 saw further cemetery plaques erected Pioneer, Oakland; St. John s Anglican, Woodhouse; Doan s Hollow; Johnson Cemetery in St. Williams; and Greenwood in Waterford. We were very pleased to receive a cheque at the March Annual meeting delivered by Fred Hayward from Dominion. The committee is currently preparing the signs and contacting the potential sites and further information will be available at the meetings and in the November Newsletter. Cathy Thompson and Marilyn Haslinger Education and Outreach Once again the Branch has had a busy and productive year with presentations being made throughout the region, including grade 4 and grade 7 classroom programs in Simcoe. We also attended Heritage fairs and genealogy days at Delhi, Simcoe, Dunville and Port Maitland. Doris Lemon Chiefswood Doris Marcellus has continued to attend meetings and bring the Branch reports on the activities and events at Chiefswood. Please see her report in the Newsletter. Doris Marcellus Genealogist Report During the year certificates were presented to members of Grand River Branch. Cathy Thompson Library The traveling branch library consists of 26 branch reference books, 6 non-branch owned reference books, assorted display brochures, props and a supply of Sarah s Diary. We were in receipt of several donated books this year, thanks to the generosity of members. One book, The Loyalists of New Brunswick was rebound this year. Jim Sweet Mowing by Robert Frost There was never a sound beside the wood but one, And that was my long scythe whispering to the ground. What was it it whispered? I knew not well myself.; Perhaps is was something about the heat of the sun, Something, perhaps about the lack of sound And that was why it whispered and did not speak. It was no dream of the gift of idle hours, Or easy gold at the hand of fay or elf; Anything more than the truth would have seemed too weak To the earnest love that laid the swale in rows, Not without feeble pointed spikes of flowers (Pale orchises) and scared a bright green snake. The fact is the sweetest dream that labor knows, My long scythe whispered and left the hay to make.

9 Page 9 Letters Home June 1915 To: Harold Hockin From: William R. Mitton From the Dutton Advance TEN DAYS WITHOUT SLEEP The following letter has been received by Harold B. Hockin from Pte. Will R. Mitton, written on May 9, at the front in France. Just a few lines to let you know that I received the tobacco all right and I m sure I thank you very much. I was rather unfortunate with the lot of tobacco I had at that time. I had my kit bag almost full, and one night the Germans made a sudden attack with that new gas they have on the French troops immediately in front of our billet. They gave way in rather a hurry, and consequently we had to pull out still more quickly. I had no time to get anything as the Allemands were right on top of us. To tell the truth it was as near a touch for the whole show as I ever want to see. For my part it looked like the finish of the last act for all of us, and the Kaiser well on his way to Calais. Too much credit cannot be given to the Canadian infantry who made two desperate charges and stemmed the tide. After that we were fairly sure we could hold them till more reserves came up, but you may be sure had to go some. For ten days we had practically no sleep at all and the shell fire they put on us was the limit. They sure have some fine artillery and they know how to use it. It was only our great good luck that kept us from very serious losses. Our gun park looked as if giant moles had been working day and night in it. Coal boxes had made holes all over it. One landed within two yards of our gun and the morning after we pulled out for a rest a Jack Johnson hit right where our gun had been. We had only seven men wounded through it all and thirteen horses killed. I guess it s the Lucky Seventh all right. We are now resting and having our guns repaired and about to-morrow I guess we will go into action again. The Canadian division as a whole have won great praise here and Gen. Alderson says the only thing he is proud of is his armlet saying 1st Canadian. Our bunch had won great praise from the general commanding a division which we had to support. He said there is no better artillery in the world. This big battle has been a good thing for us, both officers and men. We have found that the officers are all right and I guess they have found out that the men are not so bad after all. Well, I m sure I thank you and Art for the tobacco, even if I didn t have much of it. I hope it chokes the first German that tries it. Regards to everybody, etc. Yours Sincerely Bill. Canadian Letters and Images Project Copyright The copyright of all materials used in The Canadian Letters and Images Project is held by the author or their estates. Use of any material in an educational, noncommercial format is permissible. With the death recently of the last Canadian veteran of WWI an entire age has come to a close. It remains with each of us to ensure that this nation does not forget. On April 9, 2007, tens of thousands of people gathered in France and in Canada to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The newly restored Canadian National Vimy Memorial was re-dedicated that day, having undergone a restoration that had taken from December 2004 until shortly before the April 2007 date to complete. The Battle of Vimy Ridge touched the lives of most Canadian families. Beginning at dawn on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917 the 27,000-man Canadian Corps attacked. The first wave of about 15,000 Canadian troops attacked positions defended by roughly 5,000 Germans, followed by the second wave of 12,000 Canadians to meet 3,000 German reserves. Nearly 100,000 men in total were to take and hold the ridge. By April 12, 1917 the Canadians controlled the entire ridge, at a cost of 3,598 men killed and 7,104 wounded. Barris, Ted (2007). Victory at Vimy. Thomas Allen Publishers. ISBN-13:

10 Page 10 The Four Indian Kings One morning recently I was listening to CBC, which I do most days while preparing for work. An item caught my interest and after watching the brief segment I went to the computer to see what else I could discover. Here is what I found. The four Indian kings first travelled to London in 1710 to meet Queen Anne as delegates of the Iroquoian Confederacy in an effort to cement an alliance with the British. Queen Anne was so impressed by her visitors that she commissioned their portraits by court painter John Verelst. The portraits are believed to be some of the earliest surviving oil portraits of Aboriginal peoples taken from life. On October 16, 1977, a few months following the spectacular acquisition of these rare examples of Canadian history, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated the exhibition of the portraits at the National Archives of Canada (now Library and Archives Canada). The portraits were presented to the Canadian public alongside historical prints inspired by the works and other images of the four travellers, as well as the communion silver and Bible presented to the delegates by Queen Anne. In an interesting reversal of roles, the contemporary chiefs of the Mohawk people of the Bay of Quinte and those of the Six Nations Reserve, Ohsweken, Ontario, were present to greet Her Majesty in honour of her Silver Jubilee visit to Ottawa and the public presentation of the portraits to Canadians. Some three hundred years after their original voyage and three decades after being acquired, the portraits have returned to London. Library and Archives Canada is pleased to lend these works to the National Portrait Gallery, where they will be showcased as part of the exhibition Between Worlds: Voyagers to Britain , on view from March 8 to June 17, (From Library and Archives Canada) Having found a little on the Four Kings I went searching still further and found the following. XI. Remarks On The English By The Indian Kings. Spectator. No. 50, April 27, WHEN the four Indian kings were in this country about a twelvemonth ago, I often mixed with the rabble, and followed them a whole day together, being wonderfully struck with the sight of everything that is new or uncommon. I have, since their departure, employed a friend to make many inquiries of their landlord, the upholsterer, relating to their manners and conversation, as also concerning the remarks which they made in this country: for, next to the forming a right notion of such strangers, I should be desirous of learning what ideas they have conceived of us. The upholsterer, finding my friend very inquisitive about these his lodgers, brought him some time since a little bundle of papers, which he assured him were written by King Sa Ga Yean Qua Rash Tow, and, as he supposes, left behind by some mistake. These papers are now translated, and contain abundance of very odd observations, which I find this little fraternity of kings made during their stay in the Isle of Great Britain. I shall present my reader with a short specimen of them in this paper, and may perhaps communicate more to him hereafter. In the article of London are the following words, which, without doubt, are meant of the Church of St. Paul. "On the most rising part of the town there stands a huge house, big enough to contain the whole nation of which I am king. Our good brother E Tow O Koam, king of the rivers, is of opinion it was made by the hands of that great god to whom it is consecrated. The kings of Granajah, and of the six nations, believe that it was created with the earth, and produced on the same day with the sun and moon. But, for my own part, by the best information that I could get of this matter, I am apt to think, that this prodigious pile was fashioned into the shape it now bears by several tools and instruments, of which they have a wonderful variety in this country. It was probably at first an huge misshapen rock that grew upon the top of the hill, which the natives of the country (after having cut it into a kind of regular figure) bored and hollowed with incredible pains and industry, till they had wrought in it all those beautiful vaults and caverns into which it is divided at this day. As soon as this rock was thus curiously scooped to their liking, a prodigious number of hands must have been employed in chipping the outside of it, which is now as smooth as the surface of a pebble; and is in several places hewn out into pillars, that stand like the trunks of so many trees bound about the top with garlands of leaves. It is probable that when this great work was begun, which must have been many hundred years ago, there was some religion among this people, for they give it the name of a temple, and have a tradition that it was designed for men to pay their devotion in. And, indeed, there are several reasons which make us think, that the natives of this country have formerly among them some sort of worship for they set apart every seventh day as sacred: but upon my going into one of these holy houses on that day, I could not observe any circumstance of devotion in their behaviour: there was, indeed, a man in black who was mounted above the rest, and seemed to utter something with a great deal of vehemence; but as for those underneath him, instead of paying their worship to the deity of the place, they were most of them bowing and curtseying to one another, and a considerable number of them fast asleep. "The queen of the country appointed two men to attend us, that had enough of our language to make themselves understood in some few particulars. But we soon perceived these two were great enemies to one another, and did not always agree in the same story. We could make a shift to gather out of one of them, that this island was very much infested with a monstrous kind of animals, in the shape of men, called Whigs; and he often told us, that he hoped we should meet with none of them in our way, for that, if we did, they would be apt to knock us down for being kings.

11 Page 11 Remarks On The English By The Indian Kings cont d "Our other interpreter used to talk very much of a kind of animal called a Tory, that was as great a monster as the Whig, and would treat us as ill for being foreigners. These two creatures, it seems, are born with a secret antipathy to one another, and engage when they meet as naturally as the elephant and the rhinoceros. But as we saw none of either of these species, we are apt to think that our guides deceived us with misrepresentations and fictions, and amused us with an account of such monsters as are not really in their country. "These particulars we made a shift to pick out from the discourse of our interpreters; which we put together as well as we could, being able to understand but here and there a word of what they said, and afterwards making up the meaning of it among ourselves. The men of the country are very cunning and ingenious in handicraft works; but withal so very idle, that we often saw young, lusty, raw-boned fellows carried up and down the streets in little covered rooms by a couple of porters, who are hired for that service. Their dress is likewise very barbarous, for they almost strangle themselves about the neck, and bind their bodies with many ligatures, that we are apt to think are the occasion of several distempers among them, which our country is entirely free from. Instead of those beautiful feathers with which we adorn our heads, they often buy up a monstrous bush of hair, which covers their heads, and falls down in a large fleece below the middle of their backs; with which they walk up and down the streets, and are as proud of it as if it was of their own growth. "We were invited to one of their public diversions, where we hoped to have seen the great men of their country running down a stag, or pitching a bar that we might have discovered who were the persons of the greatest abilities among them; but instead of that, they conveyed us into an huge room lighted up with abundance of candles, where this lazy people sat still above three hours to see several feats of ingenuity performed by others, who it seems were paid for it. "As for the women of the country, not being able to talk with them, we could only make our remarks upon them at a distance. They let the hair of their heads grow to a great length; but as the men make a great show with heads of hair that are none of their own, the women, who they say have very fine heads of hair, tie it up in a knot, and cover it from being seen. The women look like angels, and would be more beautiful than the sun, were it not for little black spots that are apt to break out in their faces, and sometimes rise in very odd figures. I have observed that those little blemishes wear off very soon; but when they disappear in one part of the face, they are very apt to break out in another, insomuch that I have seen a spot upon the forehead in the afternoon, which was upon the chin in the morning." The author then proceeds to show the absurdity of breeches and petticoats, with many other curious observations, which I shall reserve for another occasion. I cannot, however, conclude this paper without taking notice, that amidst these wild remarks, there now and then appears something very reasonable. I cannot likewise forbear observing, that we are all guilty in some measure of the same narrow way of thinking, which we meet with in this abstract of the Indian Journal, when we fancy the customs, dresses, and manners of other countries are ridiculous and extravagant, if they do not resemble those of our own. It would be interesting to know if this was in fact from the writings of one of the visitors or actually the imagination of some British editor. Something Important to Think About Most of us have compiled a will and placed it with our lawyer or in some safe place How many of us have made mention in our will or anywhere else in our home, safety deposit box, etc., or have even spoken to our family about our genealogical research. For some, their children, grandchildren, spouse, or extended family is equally interested in the research done and would ensure that the years of work are given to those who can best continue the research. For many, however, family is not the least bit interested and may, if not directed otherwise, throw out all the years of work without even knowing how important it is. At a recent meeting of the Executive and in reading a recent copy of News Leaf from OGS, it was decided that we would address this with our members, in hopes that if you have not so yet you will consider creating a direction for your family. The Fashion House on Queens 100 Years of Original Fashions Presented by St. Paul s Cathedral London accompanied by live period music. 1-3 or 7-9 For tickets please call Sue at or shinese751@rogers.com All proceeds will go to the Wellness in Africa Project

12 Family Reunions The Annual Shaver Family of Ancaster Reunion will take place on Sunday, June 10 at the Ancaster Shaver Homestead, 1166 Garner Road West, Ancaster, ON (#53Highway). Guest speaker will be Michael Gemmell, Curator of the Erland Lee Homestead, in Stoney Creek, now a museum. Michael will be speaking about the museum and the Lee family, and its connection to the Shavers. Registration is at 10:00 a.m., and the family gathering is at 11:00 a.m. A 'bring-your-own' picnic at 12:00 noon, and the family group photograph at 1:00 p.m. Cold drinks and hot dogs will be available. For further information, call Marilyn Pout at Ryerse-Ryerson Reunion 2007 Sunday July 15, 2007 Vittoria, Ontario Contact Tom Ryerson at or check the reunion website at Moore Family Reunion & Dedication of Marker at the North Norwich Pioneer Cemetery Saturday July 21, 2007 Norwich and District Museum and Archives 89 Stover Street. (Rd # 59) north edge of town. For information please contact Donna Moore or d.moore3@sympatico.ca 2007 NELLES FAMILY REUNION Saturday, August 11, 2007 Battlefield House Museum & Park, 77 King Street West, Stoney Creek, Ontario. Registration begins at 11 a.m. Followed by the 12 noon buffet meal. Programme begins at 1 p.m.for more information contact: Mary V. Nelles, Unit 4, 1 Peebles Street, Caledonia N3W 1J6 Telephone th Misener/Misner/Mizener Family Reunion Saturday August 18, 2007 at Smokey Hollow Estates 114 Powerline Road Brantford, On. N3T 5LB Genealogical records for researching after 10:00 am. Supervised games and crafts for children. Copies and computers to share information. Following lunch there will be a short business meeting, door prizes, awards and entertainment. For more information contact Donn Kemp smokeyhollow@sympatico.ca 112th HAVILAND FAMILY REUNION Saturday, July 21, Brant Conservation Area (Brant Park, 119 Jennings Road, R.R.#4, Brantford, Ontario. Saturday's events will start at 11 a.m. with registration, followed by the 12 noon pot luck buffet meal at the large shelter. There will be afternoon games for all ages, renewing acquaintances, genealogy sharing, viewing group photographs, swimming at a huge supervised pool and face painting. Evening meal at 5p.m. For more information contact: Ken Haviland (President), 1201 Westlake Circle, Belleville, Michigan Tel < khvrod@hotmail.com> Elora United Church 75 Geddes St. Elora Neal Memorial Church 1055 Main St Pt Rowan Spruce Row Museum 159 Nichol St Waterford,

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