Lansdowne Sketches
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<X->C><^><><><^C<><><>€s£<X><X: <XX-<Xxi^xixt<> :^< V LANSDOWNE Battery Hill Wilkins Grant Upper New Lairg SKETCHES *i><<><S<><£<*&Z<><i<><&i><><$^^ Grades on Nova Scotia railways, Sydney to Amherst, are as severe as grades in much more mountainous country. Hence, the Mountain-type Santa Fee 4000 series was introduced in the early 192 0's. Their low ten-driving wheels gave them good power but low speed. About 1929 the improved Santa Fee 4300 series came to the Mulgrave-Truro run. The wheels under the fire box could be energized at very low speeds. V •:. The improved Santa Fee was new to the area about 1929. It had a booster to give power to the wheels under the fire box. 4013 was scrapped in 1955. 4300 was scrapped in 1958. *7I . •• * *i The Mogul moved both the way freight and the Cannon-Ball in the teens and early twenties. LANSDOWNE SKETCHES — 2nd EDITION ERRORS in FIRST EDITION Page 4 - Some readers believe the cover title refers to four different areas; Lansdowne, Upper New Lairg and Battery Hill are the same area: Wilkins Grant is an area of 2500 acres generally within the Lansdowne area. See Mid page 40 and See Map p. 22. Page 6 — Mildred MacDonald should read Fraser for 1949 - 50. Shirley MacKenzie was omitted and apparently should read 1948 - 49 and Mrs. MacLellan would appear for one year 1950 - 51. Dan C. Fraser states these dates are correct, Annie Crockett 1905 - 06, Beatrice MacKay 1906 - 07; Bessie Ross 1907 - 08; Sadie Shultz 1908 - 09; Ethel Tully 1909 - 10. Page 11 — Colonel Dan Sutherland says he never heard of his family having the nick-name Cumberland. Page 11 — Tupper Matheson's father was Neil. Page 15 — My father was christened in St. Columba Church, also. He, his father and his grandfather are on the rolls of this church. Page 17— Ernest Matheson, Glengarry, assures that John Drydendied in 1930. Page 18 — It was Alex Ross' cream. John Roddie told the story well. Page 18 — The Baillie brothers live on the Duncan MacPherson place which shares a line fence with Uncle John Roddie MacPherson's farm. Pagel9—Rev. Dr. D. M. Sinclair says the Gaelic word, Sabha I is pronounced Saval; a barn. Page 19 — It was Neil MacKay who owned the gramaphone. Page 27 — It was Dr. Christies' relatives who lived in Bedford; hence, all names in the picture reading Mowatt should read Christie. Figure Mr. Mowatt is George Christie, cousin of Rev. George. On left is a younger George Christie and his sister, Dell, stands behind him. Dr. Christies' wife was Rae Mowatt. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Steam locomotive pictures. Credit Robert Tibbetts, Tibbetts Paints. Mrs. Preston MacQuarrie picture, credit Abbass Studios, Sydney, 1975. Pictures page 44, Credit Pridham Studio, Amherst. Information received indicates that the Montreal road leading from Gairloch to West River Station was so named because many along the road chewed tobacco - Montreal Twist. It is known that the farm marked Simon Fraser on the map of 1879, P. 22 and also known as"Saval " was originally granted to Alexander Gunn. It is said that the name Battery Hill originated from this family name. Dan Ross, Lansdowne, who died just after War I used the word, Casherie, frequently. It was not until I heard Rev. Dr. D. M. Sinclair offer the Lord's Prayer in Gaelic that I knew the word meant "forever " Dr. Sinclair gives these facts of the Gaelic language. gu siorruidh agus gu brath. Amen. ... for ever and ever, Amen. "Gu siorruidh" is quite a common exclamation. Both words siorruidh and brath mean "ever " 58597 ^ICTOU ANTIGOM1SH REGIONAL LIBRARY GAIRLOCH CHURCH and MINISTERS Some have expressed interest in Gairloch Church History; Lansdowne formed part of this congregation. Almost all of the following facts are taken from the Centenniel booklet of 1922. History by D. W. MacDonald. "The people of New Lairg, Gairloch and Millbrook all belonged to the Church of Scotland, while those of the lower settlements belonged to the General Associate or Anti-burgher church." The first church built in Gairloch was erected between 1816 - 1822. This church was replaced in 1857 by the structure that still serves today. In 1822 the United congregations of Gairloch and Saltsprings gave a call to the Rev. Hugh McLeod, a Gaelic speaking clergyman from Scotland - the first minister of Gairloch. Mr. MacLeod left after about four years and the next induction was for Rev. Donald Macintosh in 1833. At the time of the disruption, 1843, Mr. Macintosh and five others of the Kirk Presbytery of Pictou, returned to Scotland. Although the celebrated, Dr. Norman MacLeod preached some in Gairloch after 1843, it was 1853 before Rev. Alexander MacLean was inducted. In 1857 he transferred to Pugwash. Pictures of succeeding ministers are reproduced here so that the line of pastors who served Gairloch is fairly complete. The building is 4? feet by 76 feet. A trip up to the attic to see the timber and fastenings is worthwhile. See Pages 25 and 26. (1) Note the first Rev. Norman MacLeod preached along the Middle River in 1817. He left Pictou in 1820 and commenced a settlement in St. Anns, Cape Breton, and then in 1850 - 52 founded a settlement in Waipai, New Zealand. Many student ministers served in Gairloch especially during summers. The list is incomplete and includes Mr. MacAlily, Mr. Cox, Mr. Arthur Douglas, Mr. Langly MacLean, Mr. Thomas Salters, Rev. Edgar Dewar, Mr. Smith and Mr. Whiteway. Assisting Rev. John Posno was Mr. Cecil Burridge and assisting Rev. Donald MacLeod was Mr. Martin Thomas. NOTE: Rev. Posno and Rev. MacLeod were Hopewell pastors and had oversight of Gairloch. GAIRLOCH PRESENTATION On Friday, December 24, 1879, the church committee of Gairloch congregation Viz: Messrs W. Munro; R. G. MacLeod and D. Sutherland waited on Mr. Brodie at the Manse with one days' factory make of cheese for the use of the manse consisting of four large cheeses weighing 66 lbs, 65 lbs., etc., making in all over 200 lbs. Prime No. 1 cheese. Mr. Brodie was not at home as he had services in the house of Robert Munro, Elder, and was late in returning. On getting home and seeing so great a mountain of cheese he thanked them sincerely and the friends who contributed both of the congregation and others, and the owners of the cheese factory. ThankstoMarjorieMacKenzie Hawkins who supplied this item from The Monthly Record, The Church of Scotland in N.S., N. B., and adjoining provinces. Edited by the Rev. P. Melville, St. Columba Kirk, Hopewell, 1880. Mrs. Hawkins states that the cheese factory was located just east of the church by the brook and on the same side of the road. She recalls participating in a concert held on the upper floor of the cheese factory. She was of pre-school age and recited a poem, every word of which she now recalls, much to the delight of relatives and neighbours. [SEE BACK PAGES] ALICE LOUISE JOHNSON MRS. D. PRESTON MacQUARRIE DANIEL PRESTON MacQUARRIE 1888-1956 To Mother who came, and stayed and to Father who used the power and became an institution. of example well. PREFACE Pictou County has had a number of good historians. This is not history but a little is bound to shine through. Rather it is a short collection of stories and chronicles that will help readers to know the people that lived at the Head of the Middle River in Pictou County, Nova Scotia in earlier days. We remember the early settlers who wrested farms from the wilderness with their bare hands and made homes that housed these common and not so common people that are referred to here. We honour their memories and would like to name all of them but there are just too many. A child has said, "My memory is what I forget with." Lest forgetting occurs too soon, this is written. J. R. MacQUARRIE, NOVEMBER 1975 Henry Charles Keith Petty- Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquis of Lans downe and a member of the Irish nobility, was Canada's fifth Govern or General after Confederation and the fourth Irishman to be so honored. Lansdowne was born in 1845 and was educated at Eton and Oxford. He succeeded to the title at 21 and immediately became active in the House of Lords. At 26, he was appointed a Lord of the Treasury and served as Under-Secretary for War from 1872 to 1874. He was named Secretary for India in 1880, but resigned this post following a difference with Gladstone over Irish Home Rule. Appointed Governor General in 1883, his tenure was relatively uneventful, despite the tensions of the Riel Rebellion. An ardent MARQUIS OF LANSDOWNE fisherman and outdoorsman, he GOVERNOR GENERAL enjoyed fishing in New Brunswick OF CANADA and it is recorded that in four 1883-1888 seasons, he had taken 1,245 salmon. He travelled twice to the west coast. His first visit was largely by primitive means of travel and he visited many Indian tribes and witnessed their rituals. In contrast, his second trip was by way of the new Canadian Pacific Railway and he thus became the first Governor General to use the line all the way. Returning to England in 1888, Lansdowne was at once appointed Viceroy of India where he served till 1893. He turned down the ambassadorship to Russia and served in various cabinet posts. He was War Secretary when the South African war broke out and took some of the blame for the country's unpreparedness. Later, he served as Foreign Secretary for five years and Leader of the Unionist Opposition in the House of Lords.