HomeMy WebLinkAboutX2023-028-006Writing boob on Goodwood
a ami istory
By Eleanor Todd
The following was
prompted by the report of
Dora (Mrs. John May)
and Dan Wagg's 90th
birthday celebration in
last week's Tribune.
When Dan Wagg left
in 1975, the hamlet of
Goodwood was without
Waggs for the first time
since 1869 when Dan's
Uncle Frank built the
McNeil house and
became a storekeeper
who also issued marriage
licences as a sideline.
Actually, it might
just as easily be said that
Goodwood is now without
Waggs for the first time
in its history, since the
Wagg settlement on the
20th Sideroad was always
considered a part of the
Goodwood settlement,
and Dan's great uncle,
John, who arrived in 1842
was among the first to
settle this section north of
the old Indian trail which
became Highway 47.
John Wagg, and
Dan's grandfather
Thomas Wagg, and a
cc Sin John had arrived
in Upper Canada from
Norfolk, England in 1836
and settled in Scar-
borough, but Tom
returned to England to
get married in the fall of
1837. His travelling
companions down the St.
Lawrence were the
soldiers Sir Francis Bond
Head was sending to quell
the disturbances in Lower
Canada, thus ignoring the
pleas of his advisors who
warned that there were
about to be a few
"disturbances" in Upper
Canada too and the
soldiers would be needed
at home.
It is doubtful that the
two Johns who remained
in Scarborough got in-
volved in our infamous
rebellion since the Waggs
were a peace -loving
family, having im-
migrated to England
from Germany a
generation earlier to
escape the violence there.
Certainly neither of the
Johns appear in the lists
of those arrested during
or following the rebellion.
Thomas returned to
Scarborough with his
young family in 1842 and
joined his brother John on
the 20th Sideroad in 1848,
and cousin John, along
with his brothers Tom
and George and their
families (all 3 had
recently married
Johnston girls who lived
on the farm next door)
left Scarborough and
joined them in 1850. With
two John Waggs in the
township, officials
distinguished between
them by calling one Big
John Wagg and the other
Little John Wagg.
By 1860 John and
Tom's parents, William
and Violet Wagg, and two
more brothers, Frank
and George, had joined
them, as well as cousin
William, brother to the
other John. Allan
McGillivray, who is a
Wagg descendent,
estimates that 99 per cent
of all the Waggs in
Canada have ancestors
who spent some time at
the Goodwood settlement.
He says he met a Wagg
from Newfoundland that
he hasn't been able to tie
in with the others yet.
Waggs became
members and consistent
workers in all three
Goodwood churches
beginning with the
Anglican congregation,
and later in both the
Baptist and Methodist
churches. They took an
interest in township af-
fairs. Both Frank and
Colman, sons of Thomas,
served as Township
Treasurer, cousin
Thomas H. Wagg was the
Goodwood Constable for a
number of years, and
cousin Torn Wagg Jr.,
John's grandson James
Wagg, Dan Wagg, and his
father Isaac Wagg served
terms on CUuncil. Isaac
also served two years as
Reeve.
Some of the Waggs
went into business but
most often in our area
they were known as
excellent farmers — the
first generation winning
prizes for their horses,
cattle and sheep at the
Uxbridge Township
Agricultural Fairs; and
in later years the John
Wagg farm was the first
in this area to use a self
rake reaper, a self bin-
der, and a combine. To
John's great grandson
Herb goes the distinction
of driving the first tractor
over the weigh scales at
the Goodwood elevator,
much to the consternation
of those in charge. The
scales survived the test.
Although many
Waggs moved on to areas
such as Scott, Pickering,
Whitchurr_h, Mount
Albert, Markham,
Manitoulin Is., Manitoba
and Michigan, in 1900
Waggs were still farming
1243 acres in Uxbridge
Township. They must
have been good farmers
for over half of those
acres on which they
developed prosperous
and progressive farms in
this section, are now
gravel pits.
Did you ever live
near Goodwood? I'm
working on a book about
this corner of Uxbridge
Township and I hope to
have it completed by 1980,
the 100th anniversary of
the year Goodwood didn't
incorporate. If you have
any family stories handed
down from the early
days, or any personal
reminiscences of a more
recent era, I'd be most
delighted to hear from
you. Do call me at 640-
1580 or write to Eleanor
Todd at Goodwood.