Individual Notes
Note for: Elizabeth Winstone, ABT. 1777 - UNKNOWN
Index
Event: Type: Census 1841
Date: 7 JUN 1841
Place: Bisley, Glos
Individual Notes
Note for: Frances Sarah Bartley, 11 JUL 1859 - 1941
Index
Burial: Place: Birtle Cemetary
Individual Notes
Note for: Albert Edward Bartley, 1861 - 1943
Index
Individual Note: ALBERT E. BARTLEY- (by Violet Keel)
In 1881, Noah Bartley brought his wife and family from Braemar, Oxford County, near Woodstock, Ontario. The children were: Frances, Albert, Fred, and Mary. George, the eldest son and his wife had come with Noah earlier by river boat in 1879. The family came through the States by train to Winnipeg. Albert relates having his 21st birthday on the way.
On the Minnesota plains, he and Walter and Hector Porteous climbed up on one of the box cars while waiting in the siding to survey the country side, the train moved on and they had to remain on top until the next stop 20 or 30 miles later.
On their arrival in Winnipeg they bought horses, oxen equipment and drove across country to Birtle where they bought section 19-16-27, the Rossdale farm now presently owned by Ross Ward. The west part of the Ward house was built with logs from the ravine and later sided with lumber. E.J. Wilson was one of the men who helped rebuild it.
Frances married Neil McKay in 1882, they had been former aquaintences in Ontario. Albert married Martha Reeder in 1887, Walter married Maude Randall second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Randall in January of 1889.
Fred developed heart trouble and died in January 1889. Mary married Ben Reeder and they had four sons: Arthur, Charles, Stuart, and Lorne. Ben Reeder later sold his farm to his brother Jim Reeder and moved back to Brantford, Ontario.
Albert homesteaded S.E. quarter of 24-16-28, built his buildings on the south side of the ravine (NW of Wards), with logs from the ravine. The two or three McKay children were born in that house. In December 1887 he married Martha Reeder who came from Brantford, Ontario to keep house for her father and brothers Moses and Ben Reeder who had taken up homesteads on the west half of 32-15-27. At that time the C.P.R. came only as far as Solsgirth. Their daughter Ellen was born September 18, 1888 and two years later they traded farms with Ben Reeder as Mrs. Bartley wanted to be close to her aged father. The move was to NW quarter of 32-15-27, the buildings were on top of the hill opposite the present gate. House, stable, grainery and shed were all made of logs. The house had six rooms, three bedrooms upstairs.
In January 1901, their son Edward was born. Mrs. Bartley was a very hospitable woman and many a man from the old country found a home away from home. On dark and stormy nights she would put a light in her north window and on different occasions was told her light gave them their direction crossing Wattsview Plains. In the Early 1900's, they bought NE quarter 31-15-27, and built a large 12 room lumber house on the present farmstead site. The house was built by Will Mitchell, the plastering by Sammy
Henderson. It remained in good condition except for the kitchen. Jules Decorby said that the Bartley cheque paid to Mr. Henderson for the work was the first cheque he had cashed when he went into business.
In December 1905, they moved down to the new house from the hill and their daughter Violet was born the following year on Decmber 29th. Mr. Bartley used to relate happenings of the Riel Rebellion telling how they were stopped by the mounties near Fort Ellice while driving cattle to Moosomin, Saskatchewan. One of his greatest joys while working his land on top of the Assiniboine valley, was seeing smoke in the direction of the Birdtail bridge where a crew and steam engine were laying steel for the Grand Trunk Railway in 1907. Treat siding got it's name from the foreman of the gang, Mr. Treat. They were wondering what they would call the siding and he suggested they name it after him, and they did. In 1911 the barn was built. Those who helped were Jim Corr, Jim McKay, Wilfred and Gordon Wood and Ted Hustler. Mrs. Bartley died in 1937 and Mr. Bartley in 1943. Had Mrs. Bartley lived a few months longer they would have celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Ellen and Edward remained at home. Ellen died in 1954. When the family home burned to the ground on Good Friday morning, 1958, Edward's remains were found in the ruins.
Violet, the younger daughter, took up nursing and went to Texas. In 1928, while in the U.S. she married Edward G. Robbins of Tanglewood, Texas. After returning to Canada, they had one daughter, Angela. Mr. Robbins died in 1937. In 1947 Violet married James Keel. He died in 1950. Angela married Stanley Stoughton of Birtle in 1948, they have five children, Lexie, Gerrine, James, Cheryl, and Allan.
After Col. L. W. Herchimer ceased being instructor for thr Indians, section 30-15-27, the present Paul Madiuk farm, became a herd land. Albert Bartley looked after the cattle until the railway came through.
Cattle were brought in the spring and taken out in the fall. Herd boys were Joe, Alf, Jim Haines, George, Percy and Alf Taylor, and Earl and Elmer Wilson. Cattle buyers used to come and buy cattle in the fall. John Butcher related he was often asked to help drive them from Birtle.
Individual Notes
Note for: Neil Bailey MacKay, 9 JUN 1853 - 1941
Index
Burial: Place: Birtle Cemetary
Individual Note: NEIL BAILEY MCKAY
Neil B. McKay was born in Braemar, Oxford Country, Ontario,
son of Alex and Mary McKay who had emigrated from the Scottish
Highland.
He was one of a family of six -- 3 sons: William, Dan and
Neil and 3 daughters: Georgina, Katherine (Catherine?) and
Henrietta (Nettie). The McKay boys all claimed "B" as their
second initial and the family was known as the "Bailey McKays" --
so described because of the Bailey Creek which ran through their
farm. This creek no only lent them its name, but provided some
amusement for the younger family members. There have been tales
retold of boys skinny-dipping and girls stealing and hiding
clothes left on the bank of the creek, thus proving our ancestors
had their lighter moments too.
Neil McKay came to what has since been known as the
Wattsview District, from the Braemar and Woodstock District of
Ontario and took up land in 1881 on N. E. 19-16-27. He went back
to Ontario that fall, returning in the spring of 1882 with a team
of horses and farm effects. I believe he was the first owner of
a self-binder in the district, also the first owner of a
threshing machine, a horsepower rig which he later sold to Steve
Carr who farmed west of Foxwarren. The doors, windows and
finishing lumber he brought for the log house he was building,
along with the horses, were burned when the shed they were in was
struck by lightning in 1884. After that he used oxen for 10 or
12 years.
There are conflicting reports as to how Neil reached
Wattsview, but to the best of our knowledge he brought his stock
and effects from St. Paul, Minnesota by rail to Brandon and
teamed it over to Wattsview, a distance of 90 miles by prairie
trails. He later did teaming from Brandon to some of the
business places in Birtle.
Frances Sarah Bartley was born on a farm near Ingersol,
Ontario not far from Woodstock. She grew up just across the road
from the McKay farm near Braemar. The Bartley and McKay children
played together and at an early age Frances Bartley must have
decided she wanted to join the McKay clan, as at the age of 16,
she stitched a sampler for her future mother-in-law, Mary McKay.
This antique sampler is a prized possession of her granddaughter,
Ena Johnston.
Frances Bartley came West by covered wagon drawn by oxen
from Winnipeg. She described the Winnipeg of those days as a
mud-hole, her first introduction to the famous Red River mud
known as "gumbo" .
The Bartley's first home was a log one, which served as a
half-way house for people who came up the River by boat on their
journey to Birtle. Their home also served as a meeting place
where church services were held.
Neil McKay and Frances Bartley were engaged to be married
before leaving Ontario. They were married April 19, 1882, living
for the first two years in a house on Albert Bartley's homestead,
S. W., 24-16-28. They took an active part in starting the old
Oxford School. Frances named the school "Oxford" after Oxford
County in Ontario where so many of the early settlers came from.
Noah Bartley donated land for the school site. Trustees were W.
J. Bartley, Henry Randall and Neil B. McKay. Neil also served as
Secretary-Treasurer. Their seven children: Mary, Alex, Sarah,
Gertrude, Fred, Jim and Victor were all born at Wattsview and all
went to Oxford School, with the exception of Victor who was just
3 years old in 1898 when Neil sold the farm to Tom Sauder and
moved to a rented farm 12 miles north of Birtle where the family
all went to Boyle school. The old homestead had a cook-stove
with the oven doors on each side. In from was an ash box; a door
opened the full length of it with an inner grate hinged where
bread was often toasted. Three different size cast iron pots and
one copper pot, a 5 gallon pot used to cook feed for the stock
and poultry, some tin stew plans, 2 cast iron and 1 steel frying
pan were used for cooking. The baking was all done at home;
laundry was done on a washboard using home-made soap. They had
no washing machines or cream separators until after they had left
Wattsview.
Neil had done a lot of carpenter work and therefore had made
a table, writing desk, cupboards and shelves. The beds and
chairs were bought.
The milk was set in pans for the cream to rise. A dash
churn was used and what butter and eggs were not used were sold
to the stores in Birtle.
The farm the McKays moved to in 1898 was the old Tom Yeandle
homestead. It was while at this farm that Fred and Jim, 9 and 10
years old, got lost when fetching the cattle home at night. They
spent the night in a haystack, much more comfortable that their
father and elder brother Alex, who spent the night looking for
them. When daylight came, they knew where they were and started
the cattle home and soon met up with Alex. Around this area, the
grass was very long and nearly every spring there would be a
fearful prairie fire.
Late in 1898, Neil bought S. 1/2 24-17-27, 3 miles north of
Birtle, the homestead of brothers John and Steve Taylor and in
1904 decided to move onto his own farm. There was no school
closer that Birtle, so some of the neighbours got together,
appointed Neil Secretary-Treasurer and moved the Dunstan School,
which was about to be closed down, from the Jim Hay farm, down to
what was then the Dave Graham farm. They used their own horses,
sleighs and skids rather than hiring a contractor. Of course,
with present day school laws, it would never do to wait until
snow fell to move a school.
Fred and Victor took over the farm in 1922, but their
parents did not retire to Birtle until the fall of 1925 when
Victor married Myrtle Randall. Some of their retirement years
were spent at Solsgirth sharing the home of Neil's sister,
Georgina McLeod.
Like most old-timers, the McKays kept open house for anyone
who needed a meal or a bed, most of the trails went through farm
yards. Neighbours gathered before they left Wattsview and
presented them with an armchair. These chairs are still in daily
use at Phil McKay's home.
In 1932 Neil and Frances celebrated their Golden Wedding
anniversary. Had they lived one more year they would have
celebrated their 60th anniversary.
Frances, having lived in 3 districts at a time when there
were few trained nurses, nursed the sick and needy from the south
end of Wattsview Plains to Angusville. She was in great demand
as a midwife and several of the babies she helped into this world
carry her name. Even one gentleman admitted to having "Frances"
in his name.
Frances saw the bright side of life carrying cheer and
friendliness to her associates. In later life she spent many
hours in her rocking chair with her Bible on her knee. She knew
and loved her Bible and would sometimes challenge her Minister's
interpretation of certain passages of Scripture. Reverend
Stephens, who conducted her funeral services, commented on how
much he valued the discussions they used to have and what an
inspiration she had been to him in his ministry.
Always of a retiring nature, Neil avoided public office but
always took a keen interest in both world and local affairs and
was ever ready to give help, encouragement and advice when
needed. He was a staunch supporter of the Liberal Party and took
his politics seriously - often striving to be first at the
polling booth in the belief that as the first vote was cast, so
would the election go. He recalled that as a lad of 14, he and
his older sister, Georgina, had walked 5 miles to Woodstock to
celebrate the lst of July in 1867.
The way of life, which was characteristic of the early days,
is rapidly disappearing and we must act quickly to preserve some
of the rich and colourful stories which remain only in living
memories. I don't think we can emphasize too much the
contributions of the ordinary people to the growth and
development of Manitoba.
The McKay family have done their share and we are here at
this time to pay tribute.
Individual Notes
Note for: James Coward, 21 JUL 1797 - MAY 1867
Index
Baptism: Date: OCT 1819
Place: New Meeting House, Semley
Christening: Date: 25 APR 1797
Place: Semley, Wilts
Occupation: Date: 1841
Place: Shoemaker
Residence: Date: 1832
Place: Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight, Hants
Event: Type: Census 1851
Date: 30 MAR 1851
Place: Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight, Hants
Event: Type: Census 1861
Date: 7 APR 1861
Place: 79 Carisbrooke St, Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight, Hants
Event: Type: Census 1841
Date: 7 JUN 1841
Place: Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight, Hants
Burial: Date: 22 MAY 1867
Place: Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight, Hants
Individual Notes
Note for: Mary Frances MacKay, 10 AUG 1884 - 1962
Index
Alias: /Mame/
Burial: Date: 1962
Place: Birtle Cemetary
Individual Note: Notes about Mame's birthday photo
One is of Mame Walker and almost her entire family.
Back row:
l to r, Alice Walker Bardsley, Annabell Walker
middle row
l to r
Glenda Walker-Hobbs (with glasses), Beverley Bardsley, Lynn Bardsley
Redekopp,
Frances Walker Wilcox, Bill Walker, Dick Bardsley, Harold Wilcox
(glasses)
Mry Walker (Mame) is seated in front.
This was taken in August, 1957 probably to celebrate getting together
for Mame’s
birthday (August 10th). To my knowledge this is one of the few pictures
of Mame and
her entire family taken. My sister Marilyn was absent from the picture
and probably at
camp. A couple of months after this, Mame suffered a stroke.
Individual Notes
Note for: Sarah Georgina MacKay, 3 NOV 1887 - 1960
Index
Burial: Date: 1960
Place: Birtle
Individual Notes
Note for: Gertrude Chrissy MacKay, 27 AUG 1889 - 1976
Index
Burial: Date: 1976
Place: Birtle