Alice Whyte Ferrier (1888-1974) Alice Whyte Ferrier Miller 1968 on her 80th birthday I have just polished a silver-plated casserole stand and cover, preparing it for the next phase of its journey. It is time to pass it on. Granny, an accomplished needlewoman, often vied for the top exhibitor status at the local fairs and the casserole, won at the Perth Fair one year, was one of her prize possessions. As a child, I remember it frequently...

I have published a book – Tayside Memories: The Story of a Lanark County Lad Currently available at Tayside Memories: The Story of a Lanark County Lad  Living at a distance has its challenges for this project. The book is currently only available online. Last week I fulfilled a ‘bucket list’ wish. I was able to assemble and send for publication my father’s memories of his life at Tayside Farm, my childhood home. I began...

Timeline of History of Education in our part of Ontario 1807 Upper Canada Grammar School Act provided the first public funds for secondary schools for the establishment of a ‘Public’ school in each of the eight Districts of Upper Canada. These schools later  became known as ‘Grammar Schools’. 1815 Emigration assistance offered by Lord Bathurst permitted a school teacher to accompany each group of families desiring to...

The School Section The original Glen Tay (Manion) Public School, SS#3 Bathurst Township, Lanark County was located on concession 2 Lot 19. It was conveniently located along the third concession road that led from Perth to Christie Lake. It was located to the east of Dewitt’s Corners and west of the hamlet of Manion, later considered part of the village of Glen Tay. The School Section seems to have stretched along the third line of...

I’ve been focusing on some personal memories for a class assignment the past few weeks and I am now trying to put together some information on the Glen Tay public school otherwise known as SS#3 Bathurst Township, Lanark County, Ontario. Here is what I know at this time and I am asking for help to definitely name the people in the photos and for additional photos and stories of this school. The school was originally known as Manion School...

While taking a break from recording my personal story – I was documenting a difficult time in my life – I decided to tackle one of my long-time genealogy brick walls once again. Elizabeth Gilmour, my 4th great grandmother’s parents had been found but beyond that I knew nothing about her or her family line. I stumbled upon some fun stuff! I find some anomalies in the following document, it is still a work in progress. I am...

The Challenge Prior to our four years of travel we downsized and parted with many of the larger items in our house. There was enough trauma associated with that exercise that most of the smaller treasures associated with our lives to that point were packed and put in storage. In 2014 we emptied our eastern storage locker and again parted with many items. The problem is we still have too much stuff! The other day I made the mistake of choosing...

When I began this series of articles focused on newspaper clippings from the six months around the time of my birth, I didn’t appreciate how much insight I would gain into the challenges faced by my parents during this period and the environment that helped to shape the person I would become. I did not anticipate how much would be revealed in the pages of the Perth Courier, a local newspaper, and as a result, these posts are long. Dip...

March 1946 Movement of troops back to Canada was well underway. Along with the soldiers, wives and families were given assistance in traveling to Canada. War Brides Arrive This term gained popular currency during WWII to describe women who married Canadian servicemen overseas and then immigrated to Canada after the war to join their husbands. It is now also used to describe women who had similar experiences after WWI. By the end of 1946, there...

Rationing of Food Items Shortly after the commencement of World War II, rationing was introduced in Canada (on January 24, 1942), to limit the use of imported food and to free up supplies and shipping space for the military and their allies. The government introduced rationing because certain things were in short supply, and to ensure that everyone got their fair share. Each household filled out an application and initial ration books were...