Research and Stories
This is a place where I can share some of my research pertaining to early settlement and family histories intertwined with the story of Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. I’ve been researching and writing for many years and want to make some of my work more widely available.
This blog was originally designed to share my artwork and creative activities during the years when I was exhibiting widely. My art has now taken second place to refining and publishing some of my research, but I have left the art posts available for perusal.
Whatever your interest might be, enjoy, and provide feedback if you can.
Diane
Posted by Diane Miller Duncan on December 19, 2021 in Blog Posts, Community & Family History, Featured Flag | 0 comments
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 of condensed version on-line. In the forward it is noted that the two volumes of the condensed diary...
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Posted by Diane Miller Duncan on December 18, 2021 in Blog Posts, Community & Family History, Featured Flag | 0 comments
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 was his weather report for the summer of 1825. The following excerpt made me think of recent...
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Posted by Diane Miller Duncan on October 29, 2020 in Community & Family History, Featured Flag | 0 comments
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. Robert records that James, aged one, died on 28th of June, while they were enroute to Perth. On the...
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Posted by Diane Miller Duncan on October 25, 2020 in Community & Family History, Featured Flag | 0 comments
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 reserves to cash so that a permanent sinking fund could be created to prevent the elected Legislative...
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Posted by Diane Miller Duncan on October 19, 2020 in Community & Family History, Featured Flag | 6 comments
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 custodian of Robert Mason’s top hat and diaries. After his passing they were donated to the...
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Posted by Diane Miller Duncan on May 4, 2020 in Community & Family History | 0 comments
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 birthday. 50 million people die in these two years. Yes, 50 million. On your 29th birthday, the Great...
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