Rehabilitation Dos and Don'ts

I recently came across a short but interesting article in an old booklet:

Rehabilitation: Dos and Don'ts by Edward Tooke. In Kleinburg Binder Twine Festival program dated Saturday, September 11th, 1982. This festival featured displays of rural life, concerts, and other entertainment in Kleinburg, Ontario. The vice-chair was none other than Pierre Berton, with his wife Janet supplying publicity and producing this guide. Tooke's article fit in well with the old-fashioned living theme. 

I don't expect anyone to read the small sepia-on-cream print in the photo above, so I've reproduced the article bit-by-bit below, along with my thoughts and updates. I'm not sure who Edward Tooke is (or was), and an online search hasn't helped. But his article is just as relevant today as it was in 1982. Perhaps more so. He begins:

"With current high mortgage and interest rates many homeowners are finding it necessary to retain and rehabilitate their old house, rather than selling out and moving into a new home. Often times people in this situation are living in houses which illustrate bygone architectural styles and techniques. If they are careless in their alterations, however, these people can destroy our valuable architectural heritage. Listed below are a few points to bear in mind when planning renovations to an older structure."

Jenny's Thoughts: Yes, fixing up an old house is a sensible choice, allowing you to improve your living space without the expense of buying new. You can upgrade your older plumbing or electrical systems, add insulation, update kitchens and baths, replace or repair roofs, and add value to your home without the stress of moving.

But what Mr. Tooke called carelessness has reached epidemic proportions. Nowadays, building owners are ruining properties with unsympathetic updates. This "carelessness" harms the traditional appearance of our local architecture.   

The Author's List of Dos:

"Sympathetic Alterations - Always be aware that changes to a building can be done in a manner respectful of its architectural style. If, for example, you wish to replace your old paned windows with modern, thermalpane, picture windows, be sure to retain the shape and dimensions of the original opening. Consider installing new muntin bars on the inside and outside of the picture window, so as to present the appearance of a paned window."

Jenny's Thoughts: I agree that changes to a building should respect its design. This is especially true of window replacements, which nearly everyone is doing nowadays because older windows are considered extremely energy-inefficient. New vinyl windows are believed to save energy. Just ask a window salesman.

Mr. Tooke wouldn't have liked this, and neither do I:

But old houses are dark, I hear you saying. The larger window brings in more light. Maybe. But I find it unreasonable to force older properties to adapt to contemporary aesthetics. If you buy an older home, you should expect to put up with a few inconveniences. Our ancestors did. If you insist upon replacing your windows, keeping the original size will save money, take less work and time, and look more appropriate.  

Muntins are those thin strips of wood that divide older windows into a grid of smaller glass panes. They had to be there in the old days because making large panes of glass was difficult. Real muntins looked like this:

Mr. Tooke suggests adding muntin bars to your replacement windows for a more traditional look. Yet, nowadays, fake muntins are everywhere. You can tell when someone is using an adhesive kit, especially when they can't even get the lines straight:

And some people are adding them to newer buildings, like this modern infill:  

You can usually tell when they're not real:

"Inconspicuous Mechanical Repairs - Nothing detracts from an attractive old home more than new exposed wiring, heating ducts or plumbing pipes. If your house requires such mechanical repairs, ensure they are hidden behind the walls or original trim."

Jenny's Mechanical Thoughts: I'm more concerned with the exteriors of buildings than the interiors. Nevertheless, the modern world indeed looks out of place in an old building. Bear in mind that wires can be run behind baseboards, that pipes can be routed through existing wall cavities, that metal pipes can be painted the same colour as your wall, and cords can be hidden in boxes. Just check your local codes and keep heating vents clear so air can flow.

"Background Reading - Many helpful books have recently been printed, including Remodelling Old Houses by George Stephens [sic], Restoring Old Houses by Nigel Hutchins and Tips on Home Maintenance in Canada by Heritage Canada."

Jenny's Book Reviews: The first of these books, by architect George Stephen, was reissued as New Life For Old Houses. I don't have a copy, but online reviews suggest it's interesting, if dated. It has sketches and drawings instead of photos and uses tools from the 1970s. Ditto for Hutchins' book, which I could have sworn I once had a copy of but now can't find.  Never mind, it won't reflect today's codes or technology either. And while it's great to have Canadian-specific guides, I'll bet the last one is equally obsolete. I'm not going to recommend one modern guide over another, but if you're a do-it-yourselfer, you'll want a new how-to book. And check for YouTube videos; there's an option Mr. Tooke didn't have!

"Consult Heritage Specialists - Government agencies including the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Citizenship and Heritage Canada employ specialists willing to advise on home restoration. Many Ontario communities have LACACs (Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committees) and the individuals serving on these committees are very interested in advising and assisting local homeowners with their rehabilitation projects. If interested, contact your municipal office."

Jenny's Updates: Did these organizations really supply free advice to private homeowners in 1982? Nowadays, the Ontario Heritage Act, administered by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, is primarily intended for municipal councils and planners, not individuals undertaking home renovations. I suspect the feds employ heritage experts, but their services are restricted to our national historic sites.  

If you need advice, consult your municipality's heritage planner. They're the ones who issue permits and provide guidelines on restoration projects. In London, contact heritage@london.ca.

There are also professional consultants such as private heritage architects and engineers who can provide condition assessments and advise you on restoration projects. They're obviously pricey and are typically hired by developers, cultural organizations, governments, museums, etc.

As for LACACs, they're gone. In London, LACAC was replaced by LACH (Local Advisory Committee on Heritage) in 1995. LACH has now been replaced by the Community Advisory Committee on Planning. They're happy to answer heritage-related questions; you can reach them at advisorycommittee@london.ca. 

The Author's List of Don'ts

"Sandblast - This technique ruins bricks, mortar and stone. Instead, have your building cleaned with a chemical or steam wash."

Jenny's Blast: Darn right! High-pressure sandblasting can destroy old masonry and erode hard surfaces, letting in moisture and leading to cracking and crumbling. Instead, try plain low-pressure water to rinse dirt off. Or steam cleaning, which also removes carbon, dirt, and old coatings. I understand that chemical strippers exist that provide a safe, eco-friendly clean that removes paint from masonry. What you use should be based on the material you're cleaning (brick or stone? what kind of stone?), what's on the surface (paint? pollution?), and the age of the building.

"Remove all previous additions - Consider that like a good bottle of wine, your house has matured over the years. The additions and changes which previous property owners have completed, providing they have been done in sympathy with the original building, serve to add character to many old houses."

Jenny: Right. Try respecting the work of previous homeowners. Additions show how the house grew over time and often match better than a new build. Also, keeping some old work saves you the high cost of tearing things down.   If the addition is in decent condition, try repairing old wood, windows, and walls instead of replacing them. If you absolutely must replace, find a sympathetic replacement that matches. Look for old photos or permits to see when and why past owners did what they did.

"Overcompensate - By replacing too many of your house's original features, you create a building which looks too new. Allow a little age to show through. For example, stair treads that have been worn by the feet of several generations should not be replaced, providing they are still structurally sound."

Jenny's Rant: Yep, everyone's overcompensating. As Shannon Kyles writes in The Story of Ontario Architecture, p. iv, we have "beautiful historic properties that are modified beyond belief or reason." Again, I'm more concerned with external appearances than worn stair treads inside. Building owners are renovating exteriors to death.

Why? I think there are four main reasons:

1. Modern safety regulations. New building codes insist upon fire safety, taller balcony railings, etc. Sure, the codes are intended to create safer structures, but they can alter historic appearances. Replacement railings should comply with the Ontario Building Code, which dictates heights based on the elevation. If in doubt, contact the city heritage planner for advice.

2. The high cost of specialized restoration provides owners with an economic incentive to simply gut a building or redevelop a site, rather than perform extensive repairs. When an older building is updated, renovators are using cheaper, more widely available modern materials.  Look, I get it. We don't have the vast quantities of cheap, high-quality wood we had in Victorian times. All the more reason why owners should try to preserve irreplaceable wood trim if they've got it. Repair it. Paint it. 

3. In an attempt to improve energy efficiency, older buildings are being refitted with modern materials like the previously-mentioned windows. Question: if homeowners can't afford high heating bills, how can they afford to replace all their windows? And is the outlay really worth the savings? Again, your window salesman will tell you yes. Call me cynical. BTW, see here for an interesting Parks Canada page about the heritage value and environmental sustainability of antique wooden windows. 

4. Changing aesthetics. While I understand numbers 1 to 3, this one drives me nuts. Why do people buy old homes and modernize them to the point that they no longer look old? To increase their "curb appeal" and "update" their look? What for? If you buy an older home, why not appreciate it for its age and appearance? Why erase its charm?

Why are so many brick buildings being painted white, black, or grey? Are these people attempting to protect aging masonry? If they had mismatched bricks or stains, are they hoping to create a more uniform appearance? Or are they just trying to make older homes look contemporary? I suspect the latter. They're hoping to "brighten up" or "refresh" their older home, to make it stand out on their street. They've just got to be different. 

"Be Deterred by Costs - There are restoration funds available from the Federal Government through CHIP, RRAP and CMHC grants, the Provincial Government through OHRP, BRIC and the Ontario Heritage Foundation and also from many local municipalities. Again, if you are interested, contact the appropriate government authority."

Jenny on Acronyms: Lots of alphabet soup here. Let's take a closer look:

CHIP is the Community Heritage Investment Program, in London managed by London Heritage Council. These grants mainly fund museums, heritage organizations, and those working in the heritage sector. See here for more information.

RRAP (Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program) has transitioned into the Ontario Renovates program and is available to seniors over 60, persons with disabilities, etc. to repair their homes or make them accessible. The City of London has info about it here.

I'm quite sure that the CMHC, or Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, doesn't offer grants for personal renovations. I think they provide loans for builders and developers for affordable housing, energy retrofits, etc.

The OHRP was a now-defunct Ontario government program that provided low- to moderate-income homeowners with loans for home repairs. It was shut down in '93 by Bob Rae's NDP, which seems a little ironic, don't ya think?

I'm puzzled by BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) because as far as I can make out, it's this American program operated by FEMA to help mitigate natural disasters. We may have an equivalent, but it still doesn't seem like the right place to go. Maybe it meant something else in 1982.

The HODG or Heritage Organization Development Grant still exists, but the money is generally for historical societies, museums, and other heritage organizations.

So where do Londoners go for grants? Try London Community Foundation, which manages more than one fund to which homeowners can apply. Applications are submitted through their website.

Then there's ACO London, which has given grants to qualified donees in the past. At the moment, however, this organization is reimagining itself. I hope they'll be bigger and better than before.  

"Finally, Don't Get Discouraged. - The recent revival of our interest in this country's cultural heritage will pay off in both the short and long terms. If, and when, you do sell your property, you can expect a high return on the hours of careful work which you have put into the restoration of your old house. And future generations will benefit greatly from an awareness of their architectural heritage. As a wise Canadian was once heard to have remarked, 'If you don't know where you came from, how can you ever hope to know where you're going.'"

Jenny is discouraged: Because in 2026 our heritage is under attack. The main culprit is provincial legislation like Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act) and policy updates aimed at accelerating real estate development. These changes prioritize fast-tracked housing and infrastructure over historical preservation by weakening municipal oversight and statutory protections. Not that our municipality was much interested to begin with. And I suspect many people nowadays are apathetic about heritage, being justifiably concerned with how their salaries aren't keeping up with inflation. 

As for future generations, I fear they won't have many well-preserved older buildings to look at. I doubt if most people realize what we're losing. How many children learn about our local architecture in school? Do they know what a London Door is? Do they know Queen Anne from Second Empire? 

Sometimes it seems like everyone's out to make heritage preservation as challenging as possible. Take the insurance companies. Often, insurance premiums are higher on a heritage property, for many reasons. It's difficult to replace specialized building materials. Knob and tube wiring may cause fires. You may be able to lower premiums by replacing old electrical and plumbing systems, maintaining your home, and shopping around for lower rates. Some brokers may think heritage rules always force exact, expensive replicas, but they often don't. 

As for the quotation, I did a search online and found it attributed to both Maya Angelou and James Baldwin, but as neither of them was Canadian, I guess it was someone else. Maybe it was Tooke himself. Doesn't matter. It's true enough. 

The past provides lessons. History in general tells us how things got to be the way they are now, provides us with core rules and beliefs by which to live, and helps us understand which failed policies shouldn't be repeated. Old buildings tell us how our ancestors lived and worked, what was good and not so good about their time, and why we're fortunate to live now.

"As a concerned owner of an older building, you must be proud of the manner in which you are contributing to the conservation of your community's heritage." 

Jenny sums up: I like Mr. Tooke's last sentence. It suggests a sense of duty. If you buy an older home, you "must" understand that it will need specialized repair work, that the heating and cooling systems may cost more to run, and that upgrades need to follow local heritage rules. You need to manage the upkeep and pay the energy bills. But there is indeed a reward. You are keeping history alive for future generations and maintaining your older neighbourhood's distinct look. 

An Outing to Die For: The "Graveyard Girls" do Chatham-Kent

 If I spend any more time in cemeteries, I'll become a haunt.

Still, if you're into pioneer graveyards, summer is the season to visit. The warm weather, absence of snow cover, and firm, dry ground make this the ideal time to wander and read the inscriptions. 

So when I was invited by Maggie to join her and friends Ruth and Rosemary to visit five graveyards in rural Chatham-Kent, I was happy to go along. While Ruth was visiting loved ones in two of the cemeteries, the rest of us went along for interest's sake. 

Our first stop was Duart Cemetery in the small village of Duart, Orford Township. This public cemetery was never associated with a particular church. 

Kudos to Rosemary for finding what might be the most interesting monument at Duart, this "white bronze" hollow grave marker erected by the Fleming family. White bronze is a misnomer, as these monuments are actually pure zinc with the grey colour achieved by adding a chemical oxidizing agent. Probably made by the White Bronze Monument Company of St. Thomas, these markers were practically indestructible, free from corrosion, discolouration, moss or lichen growth. Made to imitate stone markers, they were usually obelisks like the one below. The name plates could be removed for updates, if necessary, and because the removal revealed a hollow space behind, a rumour arose that bootleggers were using them to store liquor.*

So why aren't there more of them? I'm guessing that a) they were expensive, and b) people at the time didn't know how long-lasting they'd be and continued to use the traditional stone. 

The Fleming monument has one of its sections removed, probably to be updated and reinserted. The crown at the top probably does not represent earthly royalty. Instead, it likely refers to the crown of life or glory, promised in scripture for those who endure hardships and remain faithful to Christ.

On this side, a thistle and a corn cob. The thistle represents Scotland, while the corn suggests the deceased was a farmer or harvester. Alternatively, the numerous kernels may represent prosperity, fertility, or rebirth.

On a third side, Lily of the Valley, suggesting innocence, and a rose (for England?)

Finally, a wheatsheaf, a chain and anchor, and a plow. The first may represent a long, fruitful life, while the anchor may indicate steadfast religious hope, and a plow is another agricultural reference. 

As for the village of Duart itself, it was originally called Kilmarnock but was renamed after Duart Castle on the Island of Mull in Scotland. Scottish settlers presumably named the village after the castle, ancestral home of the Maclean clan. Duart post office opened in 1857 and operated well into the twentieth century. But like many rural communities, Duart has seen better days.  While Duart Hall is a going concern, there are few other businesses or public buildings.

This Covenanted Baptist Church, built in 1896, is closed. Not the first church on the site, just the solid brick replacement for an earlier flimsier building. This Baptist sect had Scottish roots, being founded by Dugald Campbell. A small group, they had only five churches in southwestern Ontario in the 1850s.

Duart Presbyterian Church is gone already, having been demolished in 2010. 

Duart Presbyterian is commemorated by this monument in a village parkette. After the church contents were auctioned in the fall of 2010, a stained-glass window was saved by an anonymous donor and restored. This spring, the window was installed at The Gathering Place Community Church in Ridgetown. See here for details. 

Former commercial or industrial building, now a home.

Palmyra Cemetery

Palmyra, once the site of the famous Guyitt House, can scarcely be recognized as a hamlet at this point. However, there was a post office by that name from 1874 until 1918. 

The cemetery at 14048 Talbot Trail (Hwy. 3) has a lot of older graves arranged into cement pads:

One of the older monuments shows what appears to be grapes. These might symbolize the blood of Christ, the eucharist, and the promise of eternal life ... but might also signify fertility and abundance. The chain around the clasped hands represents John and Maria Barker's unbreakable bond, which not even death could sever. 

Rev. Henry Coates, Methodist minister. A weeping willow symbolizes mourning.

Abram Eberle, Deacon of the regular Baptist Church of Orford. According to ancestry.ca he was born in the U.S.A. in 1798 and died at Palmyra in 1851.

A poignant memorial to "Charlie," a son of John Wesley Knight and his wife Elizabeth A. Eberle. The lamb signifies innocence, but it's worth remembering that Christ is the "lamb of God," a sacrifice for humanity. The child is now safe with the Good Shepherd. 

The unfortunate Lucy, daughter of John and Jane Scott, was born in 1838 and married Christopher Matthew Smith before dying at the young age of 27 in 1865. Note the name of the stonemason, David R. Riggs, Chatham. According to a Kent County directory, Riggs was still in business on Talbot Street in 1880.

Keyes Cemetery

Across the road from Palmyra is the tiny Keyes family cemetery. These four stones may once have stood farther back on a pioneer farm and have been moved closer to the road. Note the use of the name Lorenzo, an unusual given name more common among Italian and Spanish families. 

Louks Cemetery

Another small family cemetery perched on a hill (or what passes for a hill in flat Chatham-Kent) next to a cornfield at 19119 Kenesserie Road. Second from left we see the old fashioned Christian name "Charity."

After an overly-long lunch at nearby Erieau, the Graveyard Girls visited Botany in Howard Township. Yes, Botany, as in the study of plants. No, I don't know how this lonely part of the former Kent County received its moniker. Cornelius McBrayne operated a post office by this name from 1865 to 1900. Was he honouring a relative sent to Botany Bay in Australia? Or is the name a reference to the dense woods found in pioneer days? If you know, do share.

There are two cemeteries at Botany, Methodist and Presbyterian, across the road from one another. In other words, finding a relative involves knowing which church they attended. There were indeed churches of both denominations in the area. Today, St. John's Botany United Church still holds services at 12377 Botany Line near Kent Bridge. The former Botany Howard Road United Church was demolished in 1998.

Monument at Botany.

On the Presbyterian side of the road, a monument to Edwin & Edna, twin children of Charles and Elizabeth (Chalcroft) Keech, born September 12, 1888, died 25 days later on October 7 (family info from ancestry.ca).

On the Methodist side, an inscription to Rhoda and Bruce McKay, a set of twins born November 11, 1880, and dying July 14, 1881, the children of John C. and Maria McKay. The Graveyard Girls discussed whether this family name is pronounced "McKay" or "McEye" without reaching a conclusion. As for me, I'm wondering whether it was common for twins to die on the same day, as apparently both sets of twins here did. While life expectancy for twins in the nineteenth century was often low, I am wondering if birth complications or a shared infection led to the twins' demise at the same time?

After leaving Botany, the dead-tired Graveyard Girls headed for home. But there will be more cemeteries in my future. I can feel it in my bones.

Three Graveyard Girls - myself, Ruth, and Rosemary - at Duart. Spooky photo in glorious black and white courtesy of Maggie Brannen.

*For more information, see William G. Stewart, Nature Rambles, 2000, pp. 56-62. 

Of UELs, 1812 Vets, and Willeys

On July 26, I attended the Willey Cemetery memorial service. This quiet graveyard at 5267 Gentleman Drive, just off Thames Road in the former Ekfrid Township, was busier that day than it had been in years, as it was officially dedicated as a United Empire Loyalist (UEL) Burial Ground. A War of 1812 veteran buried here was honoured at the same time. The event, sponsored by UELAC Western Ontario Branch and Glencoe & District Historical Society, reminds "Old Stock" Canadians who we are and why we're here. 

Piper Rob Easton performs at Willey Cemetery.

Who were the United Empire Loyalists and why do they matter? Well, they were the foundational English-speaking settlers who fled the fledgling United States to remain loyal to Britain. Their presence shaped Canada's demographics and formed our politics and culture for generations. Contrary to American myths, those loyal to Britain were rarely wealthy or privileged. According to the United Empire Loyalist flyer handed out at the event, most Loyalists were farmers and craftsmen. Large numbers of them were Pennsylvania Germans, African Americans, or Indigenous.  This diverse group of people had only one thing in common: they believed the disputes between the Colonies and Britain's Parliament over taxation and trade did not justify a rebellion. Nor were they a small number. An estimated 80,000 people preferred to leave the mutinous colonies rather than stay in the new republic.

As for the War of 1812, it marked the successful defence of what was then British North America against American invasion. The struggle united British regular troops, local militias, and Indigenous warriors in a fight to remain un-American. By so doing, they laid the foundation for a distinct, continuing national identity. Many of us are still grateful.* 

After opening words from various politicians, Glencoe Historical Society member Harold Caruthers, UE,** gave attendees a history of the Willey family and the cemetery that bears their name. The Willey family originally hailed from Vermont, and, after a brief stint in Lower Canada, moved to the Elgin side of the Thames River in 1819. Bray Willey and his wife Christiana McNaughton had a family of nine children who owned farms on both the Elgin and Middlesex sides of the Thames. Various members of this family are buried here and were listed in the programme we received. 

The first burial was that of a Willey child in 1850, but pioneers of other names are buried here too. The programme says the cemetery was "cleaned up" in 1975. At that time, the Willey family installed their family gravestones in a cement cairn. In 1983, the township of Ekfrid gathered stones from several nearby abandoned cemeteries and placed them into an extension cairn. Some McRae stones were later moved back to the McRae site.***

Harold introduced Master of Ceremonies Retired Major Greg Childs, who gave us a brief background of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Major Greg was fair and balanced as he explained the origins of both wars.****

Then we proceeded to the main event, honouring Corporal John Phillips, UEL (1751-1844) and Sergeant Peter Phillips, UE (1786-1866). John, born in Trenton, NJ, fought in the 2nd Battalion New Jersey Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Isaac Allen. Discharged at Saint John, NB, in 1784, he and his wife, Isabella Phinney, and family settled on a New Brunswick land grant. He later moved to Norwich Township, Oxford County in 1812. By 1822, he and his family were in Southwold Township, Elgin County. The family last moved in 1828 over the river to Ekfrid, which explains why John and Isabella's tombstones are at Willey Cemetery. Their children settled throughout Elgin, Middlesex, Kent and - oh dear - back to the States in Michigan. 

Their third child, Peter, served in the 1st Regiment Oxford Militia during the War of 1812. In 1815, he was promoted to sergeant. After the war, in 1817, he married Elizabeth Neville in Fingal and had ten children with her. After 15 years in Elgin, they too moved to Ekfrid. They are also buried at Willey, as are two of their daughters, Isabel and Elizabeth,  who married David Willey and Thomas Kirkwood respectively. Peter's older brothers Archie and John also served in the Oxford Militia during the war but are buried in Southwold Township and Kent County. All three sons fought at the bloody battle of Lundy's Lane. 

Next, historical reenactors fired some very loud volleys:

Then came the laying of wreaths by organizations such as the Royal Canadian Regiment,  Royal Canadian Legion, UELAC, GDHS, the County of Middlesex, the Township of Southwest Middlesex (of which Ekfrid is now a part), and the Chippewas of the Thames, represented by Elder Maxine Hendrick.*****

Then we sang God Save the King. Oh, don't worry, O Canada was sung too, at the beginning of the event. Interestingly, I think a few people sang "in all thy sons command" instead of "in all of us command." Forgetfulness or continuing to honour our sons?

Finally, an opportunity to chat, look at displays, and soak up the atmosphere:

Like most rural cemeteries, Willey needs further restoration. This broken gravestone is nearly swallowed by the surrounding brush. 

* For the record, these are not my ancestors, nor do my people stretch back that far in Canada. My earliest relatives on this continent settled in Oxford County in the 1820s.

**Descendants of UELs may add the letters UE after their names, once their genealogical link is proven. This is Canada's only hereditary title. For more info, see the UELAC website, linked above.

*** I overheard a rumour that some members of the McRae family weren't pleased to have the stones moved in the first place. Some well-meaning attempts to honour our ancestors can backfire. 

**** Perhaps it's appropriate to present both sides of these conflicts, but I'd have been more pro-Britain myself. After all, this is Canada. And if I'd been living in the Thirteen Colonies in 1776, I'd have been a Loyalist myself. My reasons are as follows:

• I prefer stable ongoing traditions to the chaos of war and revolution. 
• Britain had the world's most powerful navy and a highly-trained professional army. Any war with such a superpower, even if won, would be protracted, costly, and bloody. 
• Siding with the global superpower seems more logical and safer than betting on a poorly-supplied, untrained amateur militia. 
• I'd be concerned that the "patriots" would allow "mob rule" and be nastier than the British.
• King George III wasn't a "tyrant." He was a conscientious constitutional monarch who admired the Magna Carta. He never vetoed acts of Parliament, respected common law, and functioned largely through his ministers. The "tyrant" label was American propaganda used to justify revolution. 
• As Samuel Johnson wrote in 1775: "How is it that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of the negroes?" Imagine complaining about British control and taxation while keeping one's fellow humans in chains! I'm aware that only a minority of Americans owned slaves, but the optics looked bad.
• I'd have been tarred and feathered and have no choice but to leave. 

As for the War of 1812, they didn't let women fight but I'd have defended my cabin with my pitchfork, if necessary.

***** My understanding is that, during the War of 1812, the Chippewas of the Thames allied with the British and Tecumseh's Confederacy to defend their lands. Their warriors fought in key frontier engagements, notably the 1813 Battle of the Thames, where Tecumseh was killed. Hence, an entirely appropriate Indigenous presence at this event. 

Mary Grant, London Township Trailblazer and Women's Advocate

An unpretentious grave in Hyde Park Cemetery bears the name of an energetic local trailblazer, Mary Samantha Grant (1875-1934), clerk and treasurer of the former London Township (now part of Middlesex Centre). Mary appears to have been the first woman in Canada to hold such a position.  

Mary is buried with her brother and sister-in-law, as well as a niece.

A daughter of James Grant (1841-1901) and Samantha Elson (1843-1919), Mary was born June 6, 1875, in London Township. She was educated at area public and high schools and attended Hellmuth Ladies' College just down the road in London. 

Her father, James, was a Justice of the Peace, president of the London Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and assistant manager of the Royal Standard Loan Company. He became London Township clerk in 1873 and treasurer in 1887,* continuing until 1900 when he became too ill to work. His daughter Mary took over his job and, after James died in 1901, Mary's position became official. 

James Grant and daughter Mary, in Alice Gibb, ed., London Township: A Rich Heritage 1796-1997 Volume 1. Arva, Ont.: The London Township History Book Committee, 2001, p. 30. James looks jovial, his daughter more serious. 

This may not at first seem remarkable. We can assume that an unmarried daughter assisted her father by filing, typing, and so on, while he collected his salary and took all the recognition. Mary no doubt knew a lot about her dad's work. But when a man resigned his position in those days, another man almost always replaced him. Perhaps the township council decided to hire Mary instead, knowing she was no ordinary girl. 

Mary had ambition. And energy. According to a 1922 news article:**

She also took over her father's work at London Mutual Fire Insurance until his death on October 26, 1901, after which the company chose a man to succeed him. 

She was president of the Middlesex Patriotic Association, a volunteer organization instrumental in rallying thousands of women to support local soldiers during World War I and veterans after it.

She was a member of the Middlesex Mothers' Allowances Board, a local administrative body responsible for overseeing the Mothers' Allowance Act, an early form of welfare. This board evaluated and monitored widows and single mothers receiving state financial assistance to ensure they maintained strict moral and financial standards.

She was a member of the War Memorial Sick Children's Hospital Committee. Not sure, but this might have been part of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (I.O.D.E.), the organization that raised the money to build the hospital. 

She was a member of the Canadian Tax Conference of the Citizens' Research Institute. The latter was founded to promote effective, efficient government. It held conferences to bring together municipal assessors, civil servants, and tax experts to discuss public finance in Canada. 

She represented the township at the "Chamber of Commerce." I assume this means the London Chamber of Commerce, founded as the London Board of Trade in 1857.

For her war work in the Red Cross Society, she was presented with a life membership. This might have been the London Red Cross, unless the county had its own organization. 

She was president of the Ontario Municipal Association, now the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, in 1922. You can see Mary's name on the list of presidents here.

One of her most interesting positions was that of Secretary of the London Township Hydro-Electric System. Here, "she emphasized the benefits to be derived from Hydro by farmers' wives" and "was eager to see labour saving devices installed in every rural home."*** No doubt she had watched her mother and other pioneer women struggle and hoped to make rural homemaking easier through electricity. 

Mary might have had other positions besides those above. But her most remarkable achievement was retaining the position of clerk-treasurer of London Township until she died in 1934, a record of 34 years.  And at a time when few women held municipal offices of any kind. 

Mary Grant died of colon cancer on March 5, 1934, at St. Joseph's Hospital, London. Newspapers carrying her obituary included The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star. As a trailblazer and advocate for women, she had become a celebrity.

Seems like she deserves an historic plaque, doesn't it?

* There seems to be some confusion as to whether these were two separate positions or only one, that of clerk-treasurer. I'm going with the version found under the Grant family history in Alice Gibb, ed., London Township: Families Past and Present. Arva, ON: The London Township History Book Committee, 2001, p. 155. Mary and her father are also covered in volume 1 of the above work, London Township: A Rich Heritage, p. 30. 

**Miss Mary Grant New President Ontario Association. The Victoria Sentinel, Victoria, BC, December 22, 1922, p. 6. Accessed through newspapers.com. Yes, Mary made the news all the way out in BC. 

***Mary Grant, London Township. Grand River Sachem, Caledonia, Ontario, April 25, 1934, p. 7. Accessed as above. 

In Praise of Small Town Museums

Those who find small-town museums boring - or all the same - are missing a lot. Arguably, small museums keep local history alive in ways no one else can, by preserving the unique heritage that larger big-city institutions overlook. The sites I visited yesterday do a deep dive into the specific industries, families, and history that shaped their parts of Oxford County. 

Ingersoll Cheese Museum

This cheesiest of all small town museums first opened in 1977 with a grant from the Canadian government, on a site donated by the Town of Ingersoll. It began as a recreation of a nineteenth-century Oxford County cheese factory, appropriate for this dairy capital of Ontario. In fact, it's just along the road from where cheesemaker James Harris' original factory was, the current site of Elm Hurst Inn. Harris and two other gents produced the 1866 Mammoth Cheese, as a display in the museum's gallery indicates:

Part of the historical signage featuring Oxford's Mammoth Cheese.

Over time, the museum has acquired other buildings, including a local history gallery, blacksmith shop, barns, and a schoolhouse portraying two different time periods of one-room schools.

Some railway history in the main gallery.

The Allen Dairy milk wagon.

Blacksmith shop.

The Museum Mouse, at large in the smithy. Every museum needs a Critter Curator.

Children might be freaked out by the schoolteacher's desk, complete with straps. Ouch!

The Reta L. Dickson classroom. How much could you learn, sitting on a bench, facing the wall, and writing on a slate, while the woodstove crackled behind you?

Beachville District Museum

Beachville is one of Oxford County's earliest European settlements, but it probably has only about 1,000 residents, so it might still be surprising that it has such an imposing museum. But it does:

The ground floor of the historic main building dates to 1851, which was when owner Philander King had the home built out of local fieldstone. The second storey, made of limestone, was added by the Downing family in 1902. The Downings were big figures in the local limestone industry, John Downing being one of the founders of the local quarries. The family sold the home in 1969, but Beachvilime Ltd. retained the house for decades before selling it to the Beachville District Historical Society in 1992.* The cost? $2.

The interior features a reproduction drawing room and a kitchen filled with antique equipment. Upstairs is a work in progress, but staff are completing a bedroom, antique children's toy collection, display on the lime industry, replica of a general store, and even an old-time bathroom.

What's unique, however, is the connection to baseball history. Beachville is the site of the earliest recorded baseball game in Canada:

In fact, we now know it was the earliest recorded baseball game in North America, predating Cooperstown by a year. Little did those pioneer players know they were literally making history. But it turns out that in 1886, Dr. Adam E. Ford, a Beachville doctor who moved to Denver, wrote a letter to Sporting Life magazine describing the match he witnessed as a child in Upper Canada. His letter is the first formally recorded account of a baseball game.* 

Note that the game wasn't played on the museum site, but farther into the village. But the museum is making the most of the ballgame connection, including Assistant Curator Sidney Williams' hands-on baseball-making workshops. 

Some Other Thoughts on Small-Town Museums

The guides in such museums are often local residents or historians, eager to share the origins of their displays. Enthusiasm makes the driest history come to life. 

The two museums above operate on a pay-what-you-can donation basis, which makes them accessible learning places for families and those without ample means. 

There's an informal, non-intimidating aura about such museums. The world's largest, supposedly greatest, museums are daunting as heck. Not Ingersoll and Beachville. Go out and enjoy.

* https://beachvilledistrictmuseum.com/baseball