Perth on the River Tay in 1828, Archives of Ontario Rev. Bell’s First Impressions Rev. William Bell’s diary helps us to visualize and understand the community our ancestors called home when they settled in Upper Canada. Writing about his arrival and first impressions of the military depot of Perth, he notes: “Perth is pleasantly situated on the banks of the Tay, formerly called Pike River. The length of the town is 7/8 of a...

In his letters to Scotland Rev. William Bell provides additional details about the 1815 settlers who arrived in Perth in the spring of 1816 as the village was emerging from the forest. To reach Perth in March 1816 the settlers had to cut a path for the wagons carrying their luggage The Sponsored Settlers of 1815 ” In the year 1814, the attention of His Majesty’s government having been called to the tide of emigration, at the time...

From Scotland to Upper Canada The following commentary was collected from 1815 settlers by the Rev. William Bell and recorded in his diaries. The original diary, comprised of fifteen volumes, is now held in the Douglas Library at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. At the age of sixty-six William Bell sat down and wrote a digest of his diaries, condensing them to two small volumes of about 180 pages each. Several sites provide a copy...

from Rev. William Bell Diary Rev. William Bell, First Presbyterian Minister in Perth Ontario The diary of Rev. William Bell provides a wealth of information that I feel has been neglected when researching the settlement period of Lanark County. So much of what has been referenced from his diaries has focused on his personal moral standards and his often-critical commentary about events in the new settlement of Perth. One topic of interest to me...

The Family of Robert Mason and Helen Gourlie Robert Mason (1781-1862), Helen Gourlie (1785-1844) , sons John and James and daughters Jane, Elizabeth, and Ellen sailed from Scotland on the George Canning on 13th April 1821, leaving all Robert’s siblings, and most of Helen’s birth family, behind. The family arrived in Quebec on the 2nd of June[1]. By 11th Jul 1821 Robert received his first immigrants’ payment installment in Perth, Upper Canada....

Before proceeding with more detailed information about family members it is important to pause and note circumstances that affected the Mason family in Canada and later, in the United States at that time. (much of the following is abridged from Wikiwand.com, Dictionary of Canadian Biography and other websites) In Canada The Politics of the Day John Beverley Robinson, Attorney-General of Upper Canada (bet. 1818-1828), wanted to convert colony...

Find this story and more in “Lanark County Legends”, edited by Lanark County Genealogical Society, 2020. Getting to Know my 3x Great-grandfather – Robert Mason Robert Mason’s Hat Robert Mason, my 3x Great Grandfather has been part of the family lore since I was a young child. Edith Miller (1st cousin twice removed) would include his name in her sharing at the annual ‘Miller Picnics’ each year and later my father became...

The following commentary recently came to my attention and got me thinking about the social context we need to consider when we add people to our family trees. Author unknown “For a little step back right now, imagine you were born in 1900. On your 14th birthday, World War I begins and ends on your 18th birthday. 22 million people are dying in this war. Later this year, a Spanish flu epidemic hits the planet and continues until your 20th...

I am not an expert! This is my choice for a surgical mask pattern and is the mask preferred by my husband. I am waiting for my son to tell me whether it works with a beard! My thoughts on types of materials that may be used can be found in previous postings. I do not recommend the use of hepa materials associated with vacuum cleaners and furnaces. It seems that the companies that produce these filters are now giving an emphatic NO to inquiries...

It appears that my research on fabric masks was not a waste of time! Masks have become a top news story yesterday and today. So here is a little commentary based on my research to date. Wearing a cloth mask does not give YOU a high level of protection from COVID-19 but, if everyone wore a mask, THEIR masks would. The following is a ‘brain dump’ of information gathered over a two week period and was intended for personal use. I share...