TAKE A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
The stories you will read here are family stories. They will resonate with many readers who have heard the stories of their ancestors passed down from generation to generation. We hope you enjoy these remarkable testaments to the courage and resiliency of those who broke the trail.
Watt Homestead, Lammermoor
Stories
Memories by Mary Beth Wylie
The Story of Maggie Watt Paul
What you discover when you take the time to explore old documents:
I was lucky to obtain old attendance records from Hoods school dating from 1905 - 1915 (this was the pioneer school at the corner of concession 3 and Sugar Bush Way in Dalhousie). While reading through them I noticed that on March 7 1905, the teacher had documented students were “absent for Mrs. Robert Paul’s funeral”.
Mrs. Robert Paul was born Margaret “Maggie” Watt and she was my great great grandmother.
In 1837 Maggie was the third of eleven children born to homesteaders Alexander Watt and Euphemia Gibson. Her father had arrived in 1820 from Glasgow and settled on Lot 25 concession 3 in Dalhousie, Lanark County. Following the death of his first wife he married Euphemia Gibson and they remained in Lammermoor in a stone house built by Euphemia’s father, stone mason Robert Gibson.
In 1856, at the age of 19, Maggie married 25 year old Robert Paul (my gg grandfather) and she moved down concession 3 to the west half of lot 21. The lot was shared with Robert’s parents James Paul and Christina Scott.
Within the first year of marriage, she gave birth to my great grandfather James C Paul.
In 1859 her brother-in-law James H Paul married 19 year old Jane Gibson, Maggie’s cousin, and they settled down the road on lot 17.
Her second child Euphemia “Famie” was born in 1859.
Between 1856 and 1880 Robert and Maggie continued to purchase land around their farm and expand their family. Together with her husband and family they slowly turned the homestead log home into a functioning farm.
In the spring of 1881 at the age of 44, Maggie gave birth to her eighth child Margaret Elizabeth “Lizzie”. The 1881 census confirmed all 8 children survived and were living at home.
I am sure it eased the workload to have her brother and sister-in-law James H and Jane Paul living down the road raising their nine children born during that same period. Between the two families there were many cousins and siblings to help on the farms.
Twenty years later, the 1901 Census confirms she was still living on the homestead with her husband Robert and their sons David Montgomery Paul, his wife Sarah Anne (Paul), and John S Paul with his wife Jessie Ann (James).
In March 1905, at the age 68, after suffering for 3 years Grandma Maggie died of cancer of the tongue.
On the day of her funeral, the school noted the absence of the neighbourhood children…some were her grandchildren.
Margaret Watt Paul and Robert Paul are buried in Saint Andrews Cemetery in Watsons Corners.
Just remembering and being grateful for another one of our strong amazing pioneer grandmothers.
I was lucky to obtain old attendance records from Hoods school dating from 1905 - 1915 (this was the pioneer school at the corner of concession 3 and Sugar Bush Way in Dalhousie). While reading through them I noticed that on March 7 1905, the teacher had documented students were “absent for Mrs. Robert Paul’s funeral”.
Mrs. Robert Paul was born Margaret “Maggie” Watt and she was my great great grandmother.
In 1837 Maggie was the third of eleven children born to homesteaders Alexander Watt and Euphemia Gibson. Her father had arrived in 1820 from Glasgow and settled on Lot 25 concession 3 in Dalhousie, Lanark County. Following the death of his first wife he married Euphemia Gibson and they remained in Lammermoor in a stone house built by Euphemia’s father, stone mason Robert Gibson.
In 1856, at the age of 19, Maggie married 25 year old Robert Paul (my gg grandfather) and she moved down concession 3 to the west half of lot 21. The lot was shared with Robert’s parents James Paul and Christina Scott.
Within the first year of marriage, she gave birth to my great grandfather James C Paul.
In 1859 her brother-in-law James H Paul married 19 year old Jane Gibson, Maggie’s cousin, and they settled down the road on lot 17.
Her second child Euphemia “Famie” was born in 1859.
Between 1856 and 1880 Robert and Maggie continued to purchase land around their farm and expand their family. Together with her husband and family they slowly turned the homestead log home into a functioning farm.
In the spring of 1881 at the age of 44, Maggie gave birth to her eighth child Margaret Elizabeth “Lizzie”. The 1881 census confirmed all 8 children survived and were living at home.
I am sure it eased the workload to have her brother and sister-in-law James H and Jane Paul living down the road raising their nine children born during that same period. Between the two families there were many cousins and siblings to help on the farms.
Twenty years later, the 1901 Census confirms she was still living on the homestead with her husband Robert and their sons David Montgomery Paul, his wife Sarah Anne (Paul), and John S Paul with his wife Jessie Ann (James).
In March 1905, at the age 68, after suffering for 3 years Grandma Maggie died of cancer of the tongue.
On the day of her funeral, the school noted the absence of the neighbourhood children…some were her grandchildren.
Margaret Watt Paul and Robert Paul are buried in Saint Andrews Cemetery in Watsons Corners.
Just remembering and being grateful for another one of our strong amazing pioneer grandmothers.
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Margaret Watt Paul and Euphemia Paul Nairn
Margaret Maggie Watt Paul and Robert Paul
In 1902 Maggie's husband Robert suddenly died of heart failure
In March 1905, at the age 68, after suffering for 3 years Grandma Maggie died of cancer of the tongue.
James C Paul 1857-1921, Euphemia (Famie) Paul Nairn 1859-1946, John Scott Paul 1867-1949, Mary Naismith Paul Craig 1869-1936, David Montgomery Paul 1875-1927 and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Paul Craig -1881-1962. (Missing are Christena Paul Blakely 1861-1896 and Alexander Paul 1865-1894)
The Story of Martha Dunn
This story of my great, great, great Grandmother was told to me by my mother Eileen Paul Wylie when I was just a child. Little did she know that these people would be as real to me today as my immediate family. This is mom’s story:
Mary Dunn remained in Canada and in 1849 she married James Beith. They had one child together - Isabella.
Mary Cameron Dunn Beith 1810-1893
Her daughter (my great great grandmother) Martha Dunn O’Brien Percy 1835-1913
Her daughter Mary Dunn McDougall 1843-1904
Her son Robert Dunn 1840-1937
Her daughter Isabella Beith Paul 1850-1932
School Days
Hoods School, SS # 2 Dalhousie Township, September 1930
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SS # 2 Hoods School September 1930
Back Row (L-R): Frank Shelley, Archie McNicol, Colin McNicol, Viola Bartraw, Irene McNicol, Dorothy Bartraw, Evelyn Easton, Bernice Shelley, Doris McDougall
Teacher Kathleen Butterfield
Middle Row (L-R): Glen Roger, Gordon Molyneaux, Keith McNicol, Harvey Shelley, Maynard Easton, Verna Paul, Marion McNicol, Eileen Paul (age 8)
Front Row (L-R): Earl Brown, Earl Shelley, Ralph Roger, Carmen Molyneaux, Stanley White, Evan Horne.
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School Game Memories of Eileen Paul Wylie (1922-2007)
