The West Elgin Genealogical & Historical Committee is compiling a new book with photographs, documents and histories of all veterans from the Municipality of Dutton Dunwich who served during The Great War or World War Two. Please make an appointment to bring your photographs, diaries, telegrams, paperwork, medals and more to be photographed and scanned at Backus-Page House Museum. WW2 Contact Angela Foreman-Bobier info@backuspagehouse.ca A list of WW2 veterans from Dutton Dunwich (WW1 list will be in another post). Adlington, Allan K.  Adlington, David  Adlington, Raymond  A ..read more

Tyrconnell Heritage Society is seeking volunteers who would like to be considered to serve on the Board of Directors commencing March 6, 2024.  Interested individuals are required to be a minimum of 18 years of age; pay your annual Tyrconnell Heritage Society membership; complete and submit an Application Form to the nominating committee; and encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting of the Members on March 6, 2024, 7pm at Backus-Page House Museum. Documents are available by emailing info@backuspagehouse.ca , or by calling 519-762-3072.  The Board of Directors ..read more

*First, I would like to say that the information we cover in this episode is so small in comparison to the life of honeybees and their importance. Honeybees are very interesting creatures and are unfortunately in danger. We encourage you to learn more about these amazing insects and seek out additional information.  One of the oldest agricultural pursuits known to man is beekeeping. Finding a bee tree required time and effort, but it was worth it to many early settlers. Honey was one of the few sweeteners available during the early to mid 1800s. White sugar was expensive and had to be pur ..read more

In this episode, we discuss the characteristics of the early Anglican Church, and clergy reserves and their reception in Upper Canada. We will also talk about how Colonel Talbot viewed clergy reserves, and how he mitigated their affects in the Talbot Settlement. Lastly, we examine the Anglican Irish settlers of the early Talbot Settlement, the founding and building of St. Peter’s Church, and the early priests in Tyrconnell.   The Early Anglican Church in North America was slow to grow. Until 1784, every Anglican minister practicing in North America had to be ordained in England. Reve ..read more

Before we talk about how the Early Settlers washed their clothes, we must first discuss their clothes. Settlers would have worn a few layers underneath their clothing – these layers were things like chemise, drawers or underwear, pantaloons, and more. These were the clothing pieces that were washed most frequently. Then there was a base layer for example, dresses, pants, or vests, that would be washed less frequently. Lastly there were the outside layers – things like aprons. Now these would be washed very frequently, and there’s a reason for that. The inside layers of their clothing got the d ..read more

In the conscription debate of 1917, farmers asked the Canadian Government to exempt their sons from conscription into the First World War. They rallied for their efforts to be acknowledged and stressed the importance of wartime farming. The Borden government complied since farmer’s votes were crucial, though by April of 1918, the agreement was exempted as casualties overseas rose and recruitments faced shortages. This meant that all males aged 20-45 would be subject to military service if called upon. Because of this, farmers believed this to be a betrayal by Borden and started a protest. This ..read more

Calling all history lovers and theatre fanatics! A new play has come to the area, Written by Len Cuthburt and Directed by Adam Corrigan Holowitz! Friday, April 14, 2023 – 7:00 PM and Saturday, April 15, 2023 – 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM don’t miss the chance to watch Lawrence Station: The Crash of American Airlines Flagship Erie. When American Airlines Flight 1 crashed on Thompson and Viola Howe’s farm, October 30, 1941, the residents of Lawrence Station, Ontario and surrounding area attempted to rescue the 17 passengers and 3 flight crew. It was Canada’s worst aviation disaster.&nbs ..read more

Lawrence Station is a small hamlet located within Southwold Township. It sits about 14 miles southwest of the once bustling railway city, St. Thomas. The hamlet was founded in 1843 by William Lawrence, a carpenter by trade, and developer by heart. Once the Great Western Railway came through, William decided to donate 10 acres of his land for a depot. Since then, the town grew in population, along with it coming general stores, hotels, hardware stores, blacksmiths and much more. Over time, and disuse of train traffic, Lawrence Station dwindled in numbers and businesses.   In 1941, Law ..read more

The following people have been approved by Tyrconnell Heritage Society to stand for election to the Board of Directors on March 1, 2023 at the Annual Meeting of the Members. Wren Goldsworthy, Debra Webster, Marcus Frazer, Brian Elliott, Colin McGugan, Liz Elliott Two other director spaces are open. If you have an interest in serving in a volunteer role as Board Director, please contact the office info@backuspagehouse.ca Tyrconnell Heritage Society incorporated in 1994 and operates Backus-Page House Museum ..read more

In the 21st century, most people gather around New Year’s Eve to have a party, perhaps drink a little, and watch their region’s ball drop at midnight marking the start of the new year. But what other traditions are there? What would the settlers of Upper Canada have done to celebrate the coming year? Today I’ll be talking about the history of wassailing and mummering, both customs that originated in Europe that made their way over to Upper Canada.   Wassailing is an ancient tradition that stems from pagan times. The Anglo-Saxon tradition dictated that at the beginning of each year, t ..read more