Outlook Volume 16 Issue 4 April 2011 www.hastingshistory.ca Issue Number 260

He probably wasn’t sure why but the 16th century Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus believed that “a little bit of beer is divine medicine.” As we know today, beer is full of good things like water, carbohy-drates, protein and polyphenols! Some studies claim that it reduces the risk of heart attack by lowering cholesterol, increasing antioxidants

The Hastings County Historical Society accepts a cheque for $5,000 from CIBC, Belleville. The money will go toward development of the new archive building on Church Street. From left to right are Bruce Bedell (Town Crier), John Fitzpatrick, Dick Hughes (Society Vice-President), Orland French (Society President), Joanne Hebden (CIBC Branch Manager), Chris Doucet, Mike Shaw (Society Treasurer) and Laurie Freeman.

CIBC $5,000 Archive Donation

The Divine Medicine of Beer “Softens the Temper, Cheers the Spirit”

and reducing levels of fibrinogen, a clot-producing agent. The four basic ingredients in beer making are water, yeast, barley and hops. The first historical record of hop growing in this area goes back to the year 1823 in Prince Edward County, a land of good hop growing soil. It was obviously a roaring suc-cess. By 1854 there were twenty commercial hop growers in PEC, two of the biggest being the opera-tions of Ira Coolidge and George Dunning. The hop pickers were mainly women. A lot of the produce sailed across the lake to New York State. It made the fortunes of many County families. A pillow filled with hops is a popular folk remedy for sleeplessness. A bottle or two before bedtime might help, too.

The Flowers and Grains of Grog -All about Hops and Barley in Brew-ing in Prince Edward County was the Society’s March presentation and a very popular one if the pro-longed question period afterward was any indication. The talk was

Cont’d. on page 2 Jennifer Lyons

Alex Nichols

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“Minester” Campbell

With regard to the estate of the Rev. Thomas Camp-bell, probated September 28, 1835, it was stipulated that should his wife remarry before his children reached the age of twenty-one their guardianship would go to George Neville Ridley and Francis McAnnany. His gravesite at St. Thomas Church, Belleville, identifies him as “Minester” Campbell.

Beer Cont’d. from page 1

given by Jennifer Lyons, Head Curator of the Museums of Prince Edward County (see page 3), and Alex Nichols, Brewmaster of the Barley Days Brewery in Picton. The hop plant is native to Asia, Europe and North Amer-ica. It is a climbing herbaceous perennial, usually trained to grow up poles or strings in a field to heights of three or more meters. The hops are the female flower clusters and are used primarily as a flavouring and stability agent in

beer which is where beer gets its tangy, bitter fla-vour. By planting both winter and spring varie-ties of hops a grower can reap a staggered crop over the summer. Hops used by the Barley Days Brewery come from Al-berta as well as other parts of the world. The Hallertau region of Ba-varia is reported to have more hop growing area than any other country on earth.

The good times, known as the Barley Days, rolled on un-til the early 1890s when hop prices dropped from one dollar to fifty cents a pound. By the 1920s commercial hop growing ended in the County to be replaced by can-ning and dairy farming. If you want to know more about beer just go online. You’ll find a lifetime of reading material! According to Thomas Jefferson, “Beer, drunk with moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health.” Prost!

-Bill Kennedy

PARACELSUS

History Lives Again in The

County

The third wonderful History Moments video series will be launched at the Regent Theatre in Picton on Monday, July 4 from 2-4 pm. Members of the Hast-ings County Historical Society are invited to attend. The History Moments are two-minute video vi-gnettes on local history themes in Prince Edward County. The series was originally launched in 2009 as part of the 225th anniversary of Loyalist settle-ment. A second series was launched in 2010. This year's series will feature segments on Letitia Youmans, the founder of the Women's Christian Temperance Movement in Canada, Quaker and Mohawk settlement of the area, The Lakeshore Lodge, The Picton Gazette, and The Danforth Highway as part of a series of 12 historical features. This novel series is produced by History Lives Here Inc., a Picton communications and multimedia company, in partnership with the Museums of Prince Edward County, The Glenwood Cemetery, and The Regent Theatre. It's part of a trilogy of communication initiatives including summer his-torical walking tours of Picton and a fall/winter lec-ture series on local history designed to awaken community interest in the rich heritage that sur-rounds us. History Lives Here is headed by County film-maker and historian Peter Lockyer. .

A wine and cheese reception featuring wines from one of the sponsors, the Black Prince Winery, will be held following the showing. For further information contact: History Lives Here Inc., 74 West Mary St., Picton, ON K0K 2T0 Tel: 613-476–3356 Email: historyliveshere@bell.net Website: www.historyliveshere.ca <http://www.historyliveshere.ca>

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Let your imagination run free – you are living in Belleville, a village of about 4000 people in 1851. Who are your neighbours? Do they speak with a strong accent? How do they earn their living and where do they spend their Sunday mornings? An approxi-mate picture of your neighbours can be developed by examining the 1851 census of Belleville.

Population

Looking first at the total population of the village it is revealing if we make a comparison with the 2010 situation. In 1851, the village and, indeed, the country were very young and this was clearly reflected in the population of Belleville, with over 50% of the resi-dents being under 20 years of age. Conversely, those over 60 accounted for less than 2%. By 2010, those 20 and under accounted for only 23% of the total population of Canada while those over 60 years reached 20%. It is clear from these figures that family planning was present both in 1851 and 2010; however, the goals had shifted completely. In 1851 the goal was a large family to share the many household and farm chores; whereas, in 2011 the objective, apparently, is to stay within the national average of just over one child per family.

Countries of Origin

It is highly likely that your neighbours in 1851 would still speak with a strong accent from their countries of origin as most adults and many of the children were born outside Canada. The largest grouping was the Irish, representing 48% of the total Belle-ville population. This group had mushroomed just a few years earlier with immigrants escaping the Great Famine. It is noteworthy that the Irish men constituted the largest pool of

labourers in the census while young Irish girls worked as servants or housekeepers for a large number of the more established families. Next came the English, at 30%, including many of the established families and business community. Third were arrivals from the United States at 15% and then the Scots at 6%. Arri-vals from all others sources amount to less than one percent of the popu-lation.

Occupations

Though the village is small, its citi-zens reported over 55 occupations to the census takers in 1851. Not sur-prisingly, in a village growing at a rapid rate, the building trades were well represented, including more than 50 carpenters and over 20 ma-sons. Another major grouping of workers were the 32 blacksmiths and 16 wagonmakers. The various facto-ries in the village occupied 13 cabi-net makers, 11 tinsmiths, 11 sawyers, 10 millers and 9 coopers, among oth-ers. Serving these tradesmen in the vari-ous stores were 16 merchants, 12 shoemakers, 8 tailors, 5 clothiers and no less than 13 milliners. Also pro-viding important services were 6 inn keepers, 6 teachers, 4 printers and 2 bailiffs, not to forget one brewer and one distiller.

Religion

And on Sunday, at a time when reli-gious affiliation and participation was at a much higher rate than today, the principal affiliations of the popu-lation were Roman Catholic 35%, followed by Wesleyan Methodists at 25% and the Church of England at 16%. Then followed the Free Church of Scotland at 10%, Episco-

pal Methodists at 9% and Presbyte-rians with 4%.

Business & Politics

Overseeing this dynamic commu-nity were a select group of political and business leaders including Mayor William Ponton, age 36, and the High Sheriff, Dunbar Moodie, age 55. The newspaper publisher was Mackenzie Bowell, age 37, while the business leaders included Henry Corby, age 46, Billa Flint, age 44, two lumber dealers Horace Youmans and Job Lingham as well as Edmund Murney, a 39 year old builder and Thomas Coleman, then 66 years old and described as being a gentleman. Therefore, as you look around your 1851 village of Belleville, you can look forward to a dynamic future, being built on a solid and varied early population in every term of measurement.

Your Belleville Neighbourhood In The Year 1851 By Dick Hughes

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The classical styling of the Philip Roblin house, built between 1851 and 1861, is a fine residence, likely with a cobblestone veneer.

HCHS and colleague Alex Herlovitch at an Architectural Conservancy of Ontario conference in 1992, Sidney and Thurlow townships have “one of the major concentrations of such struc-tures in Ontario”, a very significant fourteen remaining examples of the cobblestone builder’s art. Let’s spread the word and show our pride of our locally built heritage! The history of cobblestone building was a short one. Foster and Herlovitch report that the style lasted only about twenty years in this area. In northern New York state, examples are docu-mented from the 1820s to the time of the Civil War in 1860. The style origi-nated with builders in that state, from European roots, and spread with American settlers to some western states and to the Paris and Hastings county areas in Ontario, in the 1840s and 50s. Paris attributes the origin of

Hastings County’s Cobblestone Heritage

Story and Photos by Lindi Pierce

Wesleyan Methodist church, built between 1853-55. Fine stone voussoirs and lu-nette in gable with limestone quoins. A Mr. Wicket of Foxboro is said to have been the stone mason.

With a smooth round stone and a hum-ble sling, the boy David slew the giant Goliath, so the ancient story goes. En-dowed with a moraine of glacial till containing an ample supply of palm-sized round stones, Hastings County

settlers fashioned sturdy beautiful homes to replace their early log homes and complete their con-quest of the wilderness. These cobblestone homes stand today as testaments to the worthiness of the material and the skills of the builders. Paris, Ontario has long called it-self the Cobblestone Capital of Canada with its 12 homes and two churches built of cobblestone. Northern New York state proudly celebrates its cobblestone history, with 600 to 900 homes, churches and other structures, 90% of the total U.S. inventory within 70 miles of Rochester. But Hastings County can hold its own in the area of cobblestone building. According to a research paper delivered by Lois Foster of

In this photo we see a fading beauty built in 1851 in the same style as Tara Hall in Prince Edward County. Fine cut stone string course, window and door trim, quoins. Once upon a time it had a ve-randa.

its cobblestone building period to a stonemason from Albany, Levi Boughton, who arrived in the late 1830s. No doubt Hastings county’s story is similar. A Mr. Wickett of Foxboro is credited with the work on the Stone Church (1853-55) and a nearby house in Concession IV, Sid-ney. Cont’d. on page 5

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Cobblestone Heritage Cont’d. from page 4

Cobblestone building is a very labour-intensive method. Cobblestones - rounded by glaciers and smoothed by ancient seas - were available in the glacial moraine fields of Hastings county, or along creek-beds and the shores of Lake Ontario. Cobbles could be sandstone, limestone or granite. A cobblestone building project be-gan with the collection of the stones from fields and shore, often taking place over several years. Sorting for size and colour followed, frequently done by women and children at neighbourhood “bees”. The mason’s work was painstaking. Personal recipes for the critical lime mortar were carefully guarded secrets. This soft lime mortar dried over a number of years, so that settling of the stones could take place without crack-ing. Mortar work changed over time from flat joints to sophisticated v-joints and rounded joints between courses. Cobble building evolved from the initial use of elongated cobbles to “tie” to a rubble wall, through to a final stage when cobblestones were used simply as a veneer over other construction. Different designs have also been researched: from employing unsorted stones in irregular designs, to setting uniform rows of stones ver-tically or in herringbone and other patterns, to the use of a veneer of very small same-size single-colour stones. Building styles evolved from simple vernacular struc-tures to those with fine classical proportions and detail. As you drive the lovely country roads of Hastings County, give some thought to this unique and beautiful building method and its history and appreciate our cob-blestone heritage.

Regency styling, cut stone trim, fine doorway with sidelights and transom, sorted and graded cobblestones, a lovely set-ting. May have been built by 1850.

The James B. Collip Medal Award

Outlook has been the fortunate beneficiary of ongo-ing historical research by Dr. George Pearce on the subject of Belleville’s James B. Collip’s contribution to the discovery of insulin. A number of recent past issues of your newsletter have told Collip’s story. The Collip Medal Award was established in 1959 and is presented annually to the outstanding Ph.D. student graduating from one of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Graduate Programs of the University of Western Ontario. This award, in the form of a medal, commemorates the contributions of the University of Western Ontario, and to Canadian Biomedical Sciences, of one of the former Deans of Medicine, Dr. J.B. Collip.

This award is based on the overall performance of a student during her or his tenure at Western. The award is granted at Spring Convocation.

Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill With Historian Guide Peter Brotherhood

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Agnes Murphy ~ Reflections On My Life, Part 2

Excerpts from the life and times of Belleville resident and nurse Agnes Murphy, Part 2, as recorded in her autobiog-raphy which she wrote in 2010 at the age of 90.

I first saw the light of day on Wednesday, January 21, 1920 in Kingston Hotel Dieu Hospital. I was the second child to arrive. My sister Frances was four years older. Growing up we lived on the “Old Hannifan Farm” as it was called, near Shannonville. It was a large farm stretching from one concession to the other with the lovely Salmon River running through the middle of it. I have been told that it once teemed with beautiful salmon, hence its name. Daddy was a great spear fisher and used to spear all night, at times with neighbours. Spear fishing was considered quite an art.

The farm had three wells of lovely fresh water, a big barn and a shed where our buggies, cutters and a sleigh were kept. The house was large, a seven bedroom house, with the backyard contained by a lattice fence painted green, and a yard in front and to the side. Mother had several flower beds that were beautiful in summer and there was a gorgeous big maple tree at the corner of the house where we had a swing. There was also a big lilac tree at the west corner and it was my introduc-tion to the beautiful lilac flower. I have always loved them.

This farm belonged to Great Grandpa and Grandma Hannifan who were the parents of my Grandma Murphy and who left it to Daddy when he got married. So we grew up not knowing what it was like to be crowded or live in cramped conditions. We not only had lots of beautiful fresh country air, but a large house in which to live and mother was a meticulous housekeeper.

I remember my first day at school. I pleaded and coaxed to be permitted to go. At five years of age I was considered too young but the teacher, Loretta Doyle, kindly offered to take me on a trial basis. I kept on going and always loved school and my teachers very much.

We were fortunate to have kind, pleasant and “neighbourly” neighbours. Anita and Arnold Port and their two sons was one such family. Arnold used to plough and work his fields next to our farm. He used to swear at the horses all day long. He did not abuse them otherwise but one could hear him all day long shouting at them and his language left much to be desired! He was so kind and gentle toward us kids that I could never under-stand how he could sound so ferocious toward his horses.

Recreational activities when I was growing up in the 1920s and 30s were very simple. There was a steep hill near our place and in winter we spent hours going down that hill on a sled followed by our dog Toby whom we loved. In summer we played the usual children’s games, went for walks through the woods with mother and picked wild flowers and watched some of the little animals like squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits. In winter, neighbours banded together and helped each other cut wood and in the fall to thresh grain. So twice during each year Grandma and mother had two days when they had to prepare three huge meals for six or eight men. How I loved those times. It was a real “feast time” for a food lover like me! In the next issue of Outlook we’ll learn of the deci-sion and diagnosis Agnes made that saved a woman’s life.

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The Community Archives Celebrates “Archives Awareness Week” By Sharon White The Community Archives of Belleville & Hastings County is offering two special programs at the Belle-ville Public Library to help celebrate Archives Aware-ness Week in the first week of April. We often get questions from people wanting to know how to care for their “personal” archives, or how to find out about the history of their home. The Community Archivist and the volunteers of the Hastings County Historical Society will be giving workshops with tools and tips on these subjects.

Caring for Family Photographs and Papers Tuesday, April 5, 1:00 – 2:30 pm Community Archivist Sharon White will provide advice on how to store and care for some of your family “treasures” to make them last longer. The workshop will cover paper-based materials (documents, old letters and papers, etc.) as well as photographs – from da-guerreotypes to digital – but mostly the prints, negatives and slides that are common in family collections. Other Cont’d. on page 7

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Archives Awareness Cont’d. from page 6

media such as newspapers, film and CDs will also be mentioned. The session will include discussion and demonstration of some of the basic supplies and methods that archivists use. Bring your questions!

Researching Your Home in Belleville

Saturday, April 9, 2:00 – 3:30 pm Have you every wanted to discover how old your house is or who lived in it during the past? Community Archivist Sharon White and volunteers of the Hastings County His-torical Society will take you through the steps of researching the history of your home or any building. The general process is ap-plicable anywhere, but for this presentation the materials used will be about older homes in the City of Belleville. We will discuss the resources available in our archives and in the library or other community sites. The ses-sion will include slides demonstrating the research process and examples of the various sources and the type of information they can tell you. Both sessions will be held at the Belleville Public Library, 3rd floor Meeting Room. Admission is free, refreshments will be avail-able. For more information contact the Li-brary’s Information Services (613-968-6731 x2237 or www.bellevillelibrary.com) or Sharon White (613-9687-3200 x3265 or www.hastingshistory.ca).

Also in April, Hastings County Historical Society Monthly Meeting Tuesday, April 19, 7:30 pm Quinte Living Centre, 370 Front Street, Belleville (north door). The meeting will fea-ture presentations by the Archive Angel vol-unteers, Sharon White, and Orland French about archives and some specific items in our collections.

Heritage Centre Open House: On February 21st the Heritage Centre held an open house with archival displays and presentations. The photographs below depict some of the activities prepared by the Centre’s volunteers. Photos: Nick White

Hastings County Historical Society Directors President Orland French Vice-President Dick Hughes Treasurer Mike Shaw Secretary Diane Sule Membership & Outlook Vera Morton Distribution Photo Collections Manager & Mary Jane Throop Workshops Leader Information Technology John Lowry Program Director Anne Rector Publicity Bruce Bedell Outlook Editor Bill Kennedy HCHS Website www.hastingshistory.ca Heritage Centre Phone No. 613-962-1110

Hastings County Historical Society is based at the old town-ship office in Cannifton. Please address mail to General

Delivery, Cannifton, ON, K0K 2K0. Outlook is published in January, February, March, April, May, September, Octo-ber and November for the friends and members of the Hast-ings County Historical Society. The editor, Bill Kennedy,

can be reached at 613-962-5991, or e-mail <kennedypec@hotmail.com>

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HCHS MEMBER ADDRESS NoteNoteNoteNote: : : : Dr. Joan Rylett is guest speaker at the Alzheimer So-ciety AGM, Quinte Gardens Retirement Centre, 30 College Street West, Belleville, on June 8, 2011.

The Letter

The letter above belongs to Rob Barlow of Frankford. It is ad-dressed to Mr. George Barlow,

Belville, County of Hastings, Up-per Canada, N. America. George Barlow is Rob’s great great grandfather.

The stamp at the top reads FOR-WARDED. The stamp on the right reads PAID 20 FE 20 1839. The stamp on the left reads QUEBEC AP 16 1839. Other than what appears to be the upside-down word “letter” in the top left corner on the front the remaining writing is indecipher-able. What can be read of the stamp on the back (not shown) is NORWICH FEB 19 39. The letter has been in Rob’s possession for a very long time, but due to its frail condition he has never tried to open it. He has no idea what it contains. An at-tempt will be made to open it and, if suc-cessful, its message will be reported on in the next issue of Outlook.