Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout796"Article taken from _Kindred Spirits_ WHITBY/OSHAWA BRANCH OGS - P.O. BOX 174, WHITBY, ONTARIO L1N 5S1 Annie (Sadler) McDowell 1832-1910 From Yorkshire, England to Whitby, Ontario, and finally to Delmer, Dereham Twp., Annie Sadler McDowell was a typical pioneer woman of the mid to late 1800's. See page 6 for her story. Photo courtesy of: Kathy Miklovich Annie (Sadler) McDowell Born the 6th of May, 1832 in Yorkshire, England, Annie was the sixth child of John Sadler and his wife Jane Pierson of Conc. 5, Lot 5, Pickering Twp. Their large stone house is still standing on the property. Sometime between 1929 and 1937, an article appeared that tells some of the story of Annie Sadler's life. The following excerpts were taken from that article. Unfortunately, from which newspaper it came, is unknown. It was written by A.S. Paragus, which was the pen name of Louise Hatch. She wrote a daily column for the St. Thomas Times Journal, and so, this is probably the source of the original article. Page 6 pp.: Cover, p. 6, 7, 8" "Kindred Spirits Volume 15 Issue 4 Fall 1996 Some Reminiscenses of the M'Dowell Family at Delmer Somewhere near a century ago, a lumber wagon piled high with goods rumbled into Ingersoll on a frosty January day. The wagon contained three men and two young women. A day or so previously, Annie and William Sadler had been married [January 23, 1851] at a double wedding in a comfortable home near Whithy, east of Toronto. After the feast, Father Sadler had undertaken to take the bridal pairs [Annie Sadler and Joseph McDowell, and William Sadler and his bride] to their future homes, one hundred and thirty miles distant into the wilds of the west. It was looked upon as a dreadful expedition. ...All went well until the travellers reached Ingersoll when the wagon struck snow roads. So the young McDowell couple got out and hired a team and sleigh to take them on to their windowless log cabin at Delmer. Their driver earned his way prodding his poor team as they crept along; while Father Sadler snailed ahead to Dorchester with the wagon, and William and his bride.... Later in the winter, Joseph and Annie trailed up through the stumps and the blazed trees with a pair of oxen to visit the Dorchester couple. Annie Sadler was a sturdy pioneer girl of eighteen. The wilderness needed her type. Early in the bright March days, she would redd up her cabin, put the potatoes for dinner to roast in the ashes and hurry into the bush to help at the sap-boiling. In May, it was her own fair plump hands which sheared the sheep. During the remainder of the year, after the grain and fruit for their food had been wrested from the clearings, she carded, made into garments the wool she had sheared and washed... As the neighbors settled in around them, she acquired fame as a nurse. In fact she was regarded as much a doctor as a nurse. The certified physicians of the towns about got to sending her patients in rush times. For it was well known Mrs. McDowell's herbs and compounds often cured people the doctors gave up. In the New Whitby The Sadler family had come from near Whitby in Yorkshire, when Annie was a baby, six months old. In the new Canadian Whitby, they soon became prominent citizens. It is interesting to note how the fine old stock of pioneers laid it on their hearts to promote the spiritual life of the settlements. It was the pride of the Sadlers to see how much good they could do with their commodious stone house. Grandmother Sadler set apart a ""Pedlar's Room"". No wayfarer should be turned away from the door. A better room was sacred as a ""Preacher's Room"". There was even a special preacher's ""stall"" in the stables. For weeks at a time the itinerant gospel bearers enjoyed the bountiful hospitality of this good woman. In after days, Grandma McDowell (the daughter, Annie Sadler) delighted in telling anecdotes of her mother's guests. There was the purebred Indian missionary, John Sunday, who travelled the length and breadth of the Canada of his day preaching the gospel - ""a most interesting man to talk to. He had been to see many places, had seen so much...Knew all about nature and the birds"". Retained Old Customs The Yorkshire settlers at Whtiby brought out some of the old land customs. At two o'clock of a Christmas morning, the carol singers used to come serenading beneath the windows of the settlers' cabins. To the first singers were tossed out silver coins. Those arriving later had to be content with coppers. It was supposed to bring bad luck if a girl happened among the first singers. Early one Christmas morning, Annie Sadler, who spent most of her time helping in a nearby family, danced home, and in the joy of her heart, began singing carols. Alas, it turned out she was the first singer to arrive! Her mother, alarmed, reproved the girl roundly. Poor Annie's merry Christmas was suddenly and summarily dampened... Annie Sadler McDowell died July 25th, 1910 in Dereham Twp., Oxford, Ontario, and was buried two days later in the Old Delmer Cemetery in Dereham Township. The following obituary appeared in the Tillsonburg Liberal, July 28, 1910: Page 7" "Volume 15 Issue 4 Kindred Spirits Fall 1996 ""The death occurred Monday morning at the home of Fred Sypher, Delmer, of Annie Sadler, wife of the late Joseph McDowell, in her 79th year. Deceased had resided all her married life in Delmer, her home being the place where the new church now stands. She was a member of the Methodist Church, a noble woman, of self-sacrificing character. There was scarcely a house in the surrounding country which she had not been in, ministering unto the sick, being always ready to go, whether day or at night. Memories of Grandma McDowell will last as long as many of the young people of this community live. A little over two years ago deceased was seized with a paralytic stroke, from which she never recovered, only having partial control of herself, mentally or physically, a little over a year ago, she went to reside with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Fred Sypher, on the 11th concession, south of the village. Two weeks ago, she began to fail very rapidly, and despite all good care could do, passed away at 6:30 Monday morning. She leaves to mourn her loss, five daughters and two sons: Mrs. Baigent, Thamesford; Mrs. Scriven, Tilbury; Mrs. Hatch, St. Thomas; William in Saskatchewan; Mrs. (Dr.) Brush, Port Huron; John, on the old homestead; and Mrs. Fred Sypher. The funeral took place on Wednesday at 2 o'clock from the old home, interment in Delmer Cemetery. The service was conducted by Rev. G.C.Kaine and the pall-bearers were Messrs. James and Edmund Baxter, Henry Kimpton, Albert Livingston, Wm. Fewster, and E.S. Phelps."" Submitted by: Kathy Miklovich"