Charles Millham Moved with His Wife Sarah Ann Gowler and Family, to the Hazelcliffe District

MILLHAM MEMOIRS Compiled and Printed by Jean Knourek Esterhazy, Sask. 1991 Millham Memoirs is dedicated to appreciation of the past, acquaintance with the present, and anticipation for the future generations of our family PREFACE (Original Preface by Jean Knourek) The year 1990 marked 100 years since Charles Millham moved with his wife Sarah Ann Gowler and family, to the Hazelcliffe district. In this book I have attempted to compile a history of the Millham family from the information I have received. I assume it is correct. If there are any errors or omissions, I am truly sorry. It is better to write or publish a book even if it is not complete or perfect, then to have no book at all. As John Henry Newman said, "Nothing would be done at all if man waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault with it." I trust that this book will be a memorable keepsake and an heirloom for the generations to come. Material has been presented in a consistent pattern, but in the words of the writer wherever possible. Some submissions were edited for length, and as many pictures as possible inserted. Unfortunately, some members of the family chose not to respond to my request for information. They have not been omitted completely; limited details, compiled by myself and others are included. Thank You --To each of you who submitted information and pictures to be included in this book. --To each of you, especially my husband, for your patience and tolerance, as I strived for accuracy and completeness. --To Sheila Bradley for proofreading and preparing pictures. --To Hudson's Bay Company Archives. --To Manitoba provincial Archives. --To Saskatchewan Provincial Archives. --To the Manitoba Lands Branch --To Diocese of Rupert's Land -- To Commercial Printers, Ltd. Regina who reproduced the copies of the manuscript. Special thanks to Albert Lamb and Les and Betty Gordon for their unsolicited financial assistance. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Please note: During the "Under Construction" phase of this document, page numbers and the index will not be displayed). Introduction Oliver and Mary Glowler Charles Millham Oliver Millham George Millham Mary (Millham) Gordon Jane (Millham) Lamb Alfred Millham Ruth (Millham) Hyde Albert Millham Alice (Millham) Gordon Florence (Millham) Nixon Elizabeth (Millham) Nixon * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MAPS Pioneer trails and early settlements England Red River Settlement Minnedosa area Hazelcliffe area INDEX at back of book INTRODUCTION To better understand the conditions (physical, social and economic) under which each generation had to live, I have included some pertinent general history. Also, since Sarah Ann Gowler’s parents were extensively written about, I have devoted a chapter to their activities and accomplishments. RED RIVER SETTLEMENT In the late 1700’s, The Right Honourable Earl of Selkirk, with the permission of the King of England, established a colony of settlers in the Canadian Northwest at the forks of the Red River and Assiniboine River where the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba now stands. Conflict between the two fur-trading companies of the day, the North-West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company, resulted in the massacre at Seven Oaks in 1816 and a disturbance to the settlers. As a result, Lord Selkirk intervened and soon concluded a treaty with the Indians “by which their title to that part of the land occupied by the colonists was extinguished.” In consideration of an annual present to each Indian chief, Selkirk was able to secure acreage on either side of the Red River from its mouth to Pembina, and on the Assiniboine from the forks west as far as the Muskrat River, and extending two miles back from the rivers on either side. The distance of two statute miles was conveyed to the Indians as “so much land back from the river as there would be at the farthest distance there from at which you could distinctly see a horse on the level prairie, or daylight under his belly between his legs.” Following the death of Lord Selkirk in 1820 and the exorbitant cost to his estate, that scheme of settlement proved disastrous. In 1835 or 1836, the Hudson’s Bay Company purchased from Selkirk’s estate the District of Assiniboia in Rupert’s Land, thus reverting to themselves their old title. (Rupert’s Land included that portion of the Canadian North West that drained into Hudson’s Bay.) Governor George Simpson, on a trip to England in the winter of 1835 – 36, discussed establishing “a farm on a large scale” at the Red River Settlement with the intention of exporting produce to England to gain revenue for the Settlement and to demonstrate to the settlers a good example of farming methods. Consequently, early in 1836, Hudson’s Bay Company agents signed five-year contracts with a number of men in Lincolnshire and Cambridge to accompany Mr. George Marcus Carey (“who understands both the theory and practices of those branches of agriculture”) to the Red River Settlement to become servants in the establishment of an Experimental Farm. In his report in 1839, Governor Simpson outlined the difficulties the farm was experiencing and the inability of Carey to manage the servants. By 1841, the Experimental Farm was abandoned since it failed its aims and only five of the farm servants retired in the Red River Settlement—one of them being Oliver Gowler. These five farm servants were granted free acreage by the Hudson’s Bay Company and began implementing the skills they had acquired on the Experimental Farm. A severe flood of the Red River in the spring of 1852 caused many settlers to lose everything. Many of them relocated to higher ground to re-establish farming operations, and became well-respected and successful colonists. RED RIVER REBELLION Late in 1867, swarms of locusts invaded the whole country, which the following spring devoured every green thing and left the settlers on the brink of starvation. However, generous donations from the Council of Assiniboia, Hudson’s Bay Company, Canada, and the USA allowed their survival. It must be remembered here that the Red River Settlement in Rupert’s Land was under the control of the Hudson’s Bay Company (based in England), and not under the control of the Government of Canada. In the fall of 1868, a party of Canadian Government employees was dispatched for the purpose of constructing a road between the Red River and the Lake of the Woods, with the idea of implementing a public work and also providing employment for a number of the settlers. Criticism and ridicule of the settlers by some of the government employees formed the foundation for difficulties which were soon to arise. It was felt that Canada had no authority to enter upon the territory, very few settlers were actually employed, and wages were very low. The project was “the cause of the first of the disturbances that broke out among the half-breeds in opposition to the transfer of the country to Canada.” In mid-1869, Colonel J.S. Dennis was dispatched to conduct a general survey of the country. He had only begun operations when “on the 11th of October, a party of men, headed by Louis Riel, interrupted the survey and threatened violence if it was not stopped.” As a result, the surveys and work on the Lake of the Woods road had to be abandoned. The people of the settlement were so worked up into a state of unrest and the Hudson’s Bay Company so misrepresented, that the settlers were in serious doubt about the intentions of the authorities. The French portion of the settlement, in particular, suspected that the Hudson’s Bay company planned to hand them over to Canada without any regard for their interests. The newly- appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories, Honourable William McDougall, was barred by the French from reaching the settlement when he was sent there to make preliminary arrangements for organization. Colonel Dennis was dispatched to enlist the aid of the Scotch and English settlers but they refused, saying they had been on good terms with the French and, in effect, that the Canadian Government should fight its own fight. Governor McTavish of the Hudson’s Bay Company convened a meeting of the Council of Assiniboia on October 24, 1869 which Louis Riel attended and promised to tell the Metis of the resolution to allow the Lieutenant-Governor to enter. Riel called a meeting on November 16 – 17 with the result that he announced that he was considering the establishment of a Provisional Government. The threat was carried out and Riel, as secretary of the Metis council, seized Governor McTavish along with money and supplies at Fort Garry. On December 7, the Provisional Government took forty-three prisoners and made a declaration which stated that a “provisional government was necessary as the people had been abandoned by the Great Company.” Public meetings continued into the new year and on February 5, 1870 a new “List of Rights” was drawn up. Riel spoke in favour of the colony entering Confederation, not as a Territory but as a Province. The Council of Rupert’s Land accepted the Provisional Government and confirmed Louis Riel as president before it adjourned on February 10. Two days later, Riel released many of his prisoners but the settlers at Portage la Prairie were unaware of the proceedings and sent an armed party under Major Boulton to rescue them. The result was that Riel seized forty-seven of the volunteers as they were disbanding and imprisoned them. A list of those forty-seven names—Chas. Millham being one of them—appears in “History of the North- West” by Alexander Begg.

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