14. Robert JOHNSTONE
Although Robert was born in Kincardine, Bruce Co., in 1853, according to the
family Bible, David and family must have returned to the Beverly Co. area for
awhile as the Beverly Occupational Census of 1871, when Robert was 18, shows
David as a farmer and married, Robert as a blacksmith and widower, and Wiliam C.
Johnstone, which would be Wm.Charles, as a farmer and single. This means Robert
was married and a widower by the time he was 19 years of age. This marriage was
never recorded in the family Bible and has not been verified anywhere else as
yet. It appears that all three men mentioned were in the same family as they
were listed in the order given above with no other Johnstones listed and all
three were eligible for work in those days even if Charles would only be 14 or
15 years old.Approximately 7 years later Robert re-married to Mary Jane Tireman in June
1878. Just where the marriage took place is not certain and as their son
Thomas's birth place is listed in the family Bible as Carrick, I have not found
where this place is or was. Roy Johnstone has suggested that Mary Jane came
form Nova Scotia.May Jane died, possibly in childbirth, which was not uncommon in the early
days, thus leaving Robert with an infant, Thomas. Robert's parents, David and
Jane then took Thomas and raised him as one of their family, until he later
joined Robert and Sarah Ann in Manitoba.When Robert decided to move westward to Manitoba, it is unclear what it was
that caused him to make the move nor is it clear why he chose the area in
Manitoba that he did, north west of Brandon, at Bradwarden. Perhaps it was the
offer of a homestead that attracted him. He married a third time to a Sarah Ann
Seens. The first indication was that they were married at Roden, Man., but
Alfred, his son, stated emphatically that the marriage took place in Winnipeg,
Man in 1883. They apparently settled on a homestead property near
Bradwardine, living at first in a sod hut, even sharing it with another couple
the first winter as the second couple arrived too late in the year to prepare a
home for themselves. The bald pairie does not offer much in the way of trees,
certainly none large enough to make a log cabin so the early settlers made a
home out of sod and often lived in them for years.Robert and Mary Ann had 8 children, Robert Henry (Harry), 1884, one year after
their marriage, Elmer Edward, 1889, Amelia (millie) Henrietta, 1891, Sarah
Bertha, 1897, Levi Alexander, 1899, Alfred Wallace, 1902, and Eva Irene, 1909.In 1896, David, Robert's father, died, Thomas is listed as one of the
benificiaries, receiving his father's share of the inheritance. I suspect it
is possible that as Thomas was about 16 at this time, that he then joined his
father Robert and his step-mother in Manitoba.May Mitchell of Penticton said, "He (Thomas) and his father never agreed, which
was the case with the rest of the boys as well. Robert was never one for idle
talk, and was pretty cranky."Millie agreed with this saying he was a hard man
to live with, and that she felt sorry for her mother Mary Ann.Robert and Mary Ann's children were all born in Manitoba and followed him to
British Columbia when they moved to Summerland in 1910, the oldest being 26 and
the youngest was one. In Summerland Robert had a fruit farm, served on the
Municipal Council from 1914 to 1924 and became the Reeve (Mayor) of Summerland
from 1925-1928.In 1989 when I was gathering this information, I was privileged to visit Amelia
(Millie) in a nursing home in Vancouver. Later I was able to visit Alfred in
his home in Summerland. The seach for Robert's family had taken seemingly a
long time from an unsuccessful series of letters to Manitoba, all of which were
dead-ends. One problem was that Robert and his borthers who came west with him
all dreopped the 'e' from Johnstone. This problem also caused my search for
all the Johnstones from Kelowna to the border to come to nothing; there were
many good replies but nothing that was a family connection. I knew that Robert
had had something to do with water control in the early days in the Okanagan
Valley so I wrote the Water Commission of both the Provincial and the Federal
Governments in Penticton with a surprising result. One of the workers forwarded
a photocopied page from a small booklet which told of the naming of streets in
Penticton and in Sumerland. One told of Bob Johnstone who had been instrumental
in obtaining the water system that Summerland now has, plus his time on the
council and as Reeve. From this point I was able to contact Alfred and many
others. The results of this search will be evident as we go through each
person's story. Robert was obviously a hard man to live with but also a driving
force both within his family and in the communities in which he lives.Page 73 of the Account of street names for Summerland and Penticton:
"R.(Bob) Johnston came to summerland in 1910 and was as fruit farmer at Trout
Creek. He served on the municipal council almost continuously from 1914-1924
and was reeve of Summerland from 1925-28. He was active in helping to locate
the town's water supply, and in securing rights for it. The Johnstons' son,
Alfred, lives here still." (Received in 1988) (Appendix # 36 of my files)
Mary Jane was Robert Johnstone's first wife they were married at Hanover
Ontario , This marriage would take place about four or five years after David
and Jane returned from the Carolinas. We do not know for sure but suspect that
Robert did not go to the Carolinas with the rest of the family, He very likely
was working for some farmer in the area around Hanover, and stayed there while
they were away, as he married a girl who it is believed the children went to
school with in Grey county. Mary Jane Died it is said in child birth and when
the rest of the family heard this sad news, Jane and one of the younger boys
walked to Hanover and returned with the baby to Beverly Twsp. Thomas was raised
by his Grandmother until he went to live with his father, after his Father was
remarried.
35. Thomas JOHNSTONE
Thomas was the only son of Robert Johnstone and his first wife Mary Jane
Tireman. He lived for a time with his Grandparents, then went to live with his
father after he had married for the second time. It is said that Thomas never
got along very well with his father, so we suspect he went on his own as soon
as he was old enough to look after himself. Thomas never married and died in
Lethbridge Alberta. He was said to be a pauper and had to be buried by the town
although he was a kind of a hero in that place. We understand that her saved a
young girl from drowning in the bow river when it was in flood.
Bertha had no family from either of her marriages. She was a registered nurse
and was the one in the family that every one turned to when they had
troubles,She was of a very compationate nature and was adored by all who new
her. She died at Vernon B.C. of Alzheimer's disease.
William Charles, or Charles as he was called Married in Wentworth County, very
likely in Beverly twsp. or West Flamboro, as this was the area where he was
raised, after returning to Ontario from the southern states. Harry Gundry told
me that Charles and some other young men from that district, teamed grain from
the area around Freelton Ont. to the Elevators at Hamilton where it would be
loaded on ships for export. There is a story about one of the other teamsters
who while crossing over a stone arc bridge with a load of grain, went through
the bridge and being killed. Charles shortly after this went to work for the
Railroad and while working out in Manitoba and seeing all the cheap land
decided to Homestead out there. Charles and Margaret lived in Manitoba at their
homestead for some years raising a family until his mother sent for them to run
the family farm at Fishers Glen, Ont. All of their children were born in
Manitoba before they returned to Ontario. Charles lived on the family farm
until his death. This farm was just down the road from the Gundry farm, The
buildings have been torn down now this is in 1994 and they have been gone for
some time. There is now a large fancy home built on the old home site.
18. David JOHNSTONE
David was the fifth child born of a family of ten. They were the children of
David Johnstone and Jane Dunn. David was born in the Township of Brant in the
County of Bruce, Ontario which at that time 28 Aug. 1862 was known as Upper
Canada. His mother and father had moved to Bruce county shortly after they were
married in 1852. The first place his father lived was in Kincardine Township,
where the oldest son Robert was born, they then moved to Brant Township, just
north and west of Walkerton where the next five children were born.after the
birth of the sixth child Emma, they moved to Bentinck township in Grey County,
just a few miles to the East of Hanover Ontario, where the next two children
were born. Shortly after the birth of Sylistia, who was the eighth child born,
the family pulled up roots and moved to the Carolina's for three years. They
returned to Upper Canada somewhere around 1872 or 1873 as it was said that
George, who was born in the year 1860 was sent ahead to get a place to live,
was about thirteen years of age.
The family was on the 1881 census for Beverly Township, but were in the 1891
census for Norfolk County where they were living on a farm at Fishers Glen. We
do not know when David left the Beverly Township area and if he ever lived at
Fishers Glen, the next time we have any record of David is when I found him in
the North West Rebellion in Manitoba, although I believe I found him in West
Flamborough Township, living with an other family in 1881 where I suppose he
was working on a farm.
David was in Manitoba as I have indicated in the army. The next time I
found a record of him was near Fort McLeod Alberta, in the 1891 census where he
was listed with his family, Carrie McCammon and one child Pearl. I have found
in the MacLeod Gazette for Aug.20 1891 an item to the effect that Pearl died
suddenly on Aug.15 th 1891 at MacLeod Alberta. Ross was born in Alberta, Dec.30
1891 according to the information from his Obituary from Wabash, Indiana.
The other three children were born at Portage La Prairie Manitoba.
Lila, Winsor and
William were all born in Portage LaPrairie Manitoba. David's wife Carrie died I
would think in Child birth, as her death and William's birth seem to be on the
same day. When David's mother heard of the death of his wife, she went to
Manitoba and returned with him and his family, to the family farm at Fishers
Glen, where David bought a farm between Vittoria and what is now number 24
Highway, there he remarried to a lady by the name of Rosa Cratt who we
understand,
came to work for him as a house keeper and to look after the children.
David and his new wife had one son Linn, who was born in 1911. David's
health gave out in the late 1920's and he sold the farm and moved into
Vittoria, he lived there in retirement until his death on the fifteenth
of September 1933 in his 72nd year, I don't know the exact cause of death but
believe it to have been cancer of the Postrate. As of this date Jan. 4 1995 I
have been unable to find out anything about the birth of Carrie McCammon, her
family or the time and place of their marriage.
52. Pearl JOHNSTONE
Her name is shown on the 1891 census for McLeod Alberta. Little was known about
Pearl except Bernice had it in her bible that such a person lived at one time.
To gain some information about her I, Roy Johnstone ordered in the newspaper
from MacCleod Alberta and found the write up on Thursday Aug.20 1891, which
said. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. David Johnson Died suddenly on Saturday
night. The little Girl was nearly two years old. The Gazette joins with Mr. and
Mrs. Johnson's friends in expressing sincere Sympathy for them in their
affliction. The fumeral took place from the Methodist Church on Sunday
afternoon, The ODD FELLOWS, of which order Mr.Johnson is a member, turned out
in force. At this time I am unable to find a birth place or time for Pearl
except that, the Census for Alberta 1891 lists her as having been born in
Ontario.
Ephriam was a Blacksmith by trade and he worked in a carriage shop in Freelton, Ontario. before he went to live in the United Stares of America, at or near Rochester New York. Sometime after they settled in Rochester he went into a Diary business, and farm . The business was kept in the family until approximately 1985 when it was sold.
Through the years at all Johnstone family gatherings Burkholders supplied the ice-cream
which of course came from their dairy.