Buried in the Furrows: A Series - Tracing the Lives of Huron Tract Pioneers - Buried in the Furrows
- eternalcarestonese
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
Rarely are we aware that history is constantly being written. Seldom do we stop and take note of things as they are occurring to write down the exact feeling, emotion and relevance at the time. As we age, sometimes we start to notice the importance of these moments, we begin to look back on the times as they begin to fade hoping to hang on a little longer. We start digging through ancient photos and memories, curious about what it was like; to be there, live like that or to walk the path of the past. Sometimes researching endlessly with no results and other times we strike gold. And strike gold I did.
On my journey, of internet research, I happened across a book of statements from 1842. The book is titled “Statements from Settlers on the Canada Company land in the Huron District” Possibly something I would have overlooked, as Perth Couth is my focus, but curiosity pulled me in. As I began to read my heart sored, I was delighted with the words which instantly painted a picture clear than any could hope, or 11 pictures, if you included the documenter of these tales. It was then I decided this had to be shared. I would write a series with each one highlighting an industrious pioneer.
Thus, Buried in the Furrows was created. This series will begins with the tale of John J.E. Linton, an influential pioneer and the transcriber of the original documents I read. The following stories will focus on the details provided by the pioneers he interviewed. These pioneers include Andrew Riddell Jr., Timothy Wallace, James Hastings, Andrew Riddell (son), John Crerar, Robert Fraser, John Stewart Sr., George Wood, and William Dunn. Residents of North Easthope, South Easthope and Downie Township. I hope you enjoy.
Buried in the Furrows: A Series - Tracing the Lives of Huron Tract Pioneers
The 1st Furrow John J.E. Linton
History is rarely captured in the moment. Typically, edited, polished, adjusted and recorded by those not present. Times were certainly different in the summer of 1842, John J.E. Linton, at the request of the Canada Company, rolled up his sleeves and walked out into the heat and newly cleared fields, to get the firsthand opinions straight from the sources.
A leader in his industry and the community, never afraid to break new ground, even if it meant stepping into a field during harvest to get the story needed. John, at the request of the Canada Company was sent to collect the current impressions of the pioneers and deliver them to the shareholders.
John’s task was to compile statements from newly settled residents within North Easthope and South Easthope, on his own accord he added 2 residents from Downie. Mr. Linton wrote three emigration handbooks. Designed to relay the information of the progress being made in the newly expanded Huron Tract.
To collect the information settlers were expected to come to the cold offices of the city of Stratford. John knew this was not an easy request, it was September and the harvest had begun. It was his experience and wisdom of the pioneers’ responsibilities, that he knew he would have better success if he were to meet them where they were. Transcribing history, under the summer sun, between the rows, as the scythe swung, and the oxen trudged along. Collecting every raw, honest and exhausting word.
John James Edmondstoune Linton (1807 – 1869) was born in Scotland. Believed to have emigrated via the United States of America, with his wife and at least 2 children. They along with other many other Scottish adventurers, embarked for the new world in 1832-1833. Travelling to Canada and settled in the Stratford area, in 1834. John was one of the original settlers to the area.
At that time jobs were few and far between, we know that John Linton began as a farmer, then feeding off his previous career as a teacher, opening the first school in Stratford. Not long after, his wife Margaret, opened a school in North Easthope, nearby. Offering night classes in 1834 – 1835, to the new Canadians eager to make their way.
John had been originally directed to Canada by an agent with the Canada Company, and it was this connection that commissioned the statements of the settlers. Fortunately, John secured a position as a public notary and conveyancer and so began his business career in Canada. Honestly, this man was ambitious beyond the standard, read more on his achievements please utilize the links following the articles, there is just too much to list here.
At the time he and his family settled into the rustic and raw landscape that was slowly transforming into the Perth County we see today but was not named. John would be instrumental in this act, responsible for naming Perth County in 1849. As the story goes, it came down to 2 men each with a name they thought fitting for the newly sectioned county. John Daly, an equally ambitious, Irish settler had tabled the name “Monaghan”, whereas, John Linton, offered Perth. It was Irish against Scot, Monaghan vs. Perth, in the end Perth won out. Paying homage to the town of Perth in Perthshire, Scotland.
John’s work continued with the Canada company until the 1850s. In fact, John and his family of wife and 7 children are shown here on the 1851 census. It was at that time his focus shifted more to his community and the good he could do for Stratford. his relentless work ethic, lead him to become the 1st Clerk of the Peace of Perth County, 1853-1869.
As the clerk in a rapidly growing city, he learned to manage the bureaucracy of land settlements and grants. But perhaps the most poignant legacy was his activism. A strong supporter of the temperance movement and vocal abolitionist, acting as editor for “The Voice of the Bondsman”, see attached photo. Only publishing two issues but distributing 5000 copies.
The focus of his paper was to shine the light on the tough issues, reinforce the need to work together and eliminate the divisions between men and women, black and white. He had always believed in recording the truth and dignity for the individual, which certainly shines though as he dictated the words of the pioneers in 1842.
When John set out to document the settlers, statistics were not enough. He wanted to record the proof of progress, the emotion and conviction of the settlers. The struggles and victories they have faced or are facing.
It was at the end of the quill, he recorded the lives of the Riddles, Andrew Jr. and his son Andrew, showing the multigenerational commitment need to transition a forest into a farm. He writes the many tales of breaking the land and falling trees, by Timothy Wallace, James Hastings, and John Kelly. He offers a comparison of neighbouring townships as he ventures into Downie and speaks with George Wood and William Dunn. Then further expands our view by threading in stories from John Crerar. Robert Fraser and Jon Stewart.
At this point you might be asking yourself, why this matters? This document provides a rare look into the lives of the settlers, like a census of the soul. Not only does it provide the required details, how much wheat was harvested. But it suggests a life of isolation, the limits of physical endurance, and the community binds required for survival.
When it came to Perth County, John saw firsthand that the success was not measured in grain alone. That the Canada Company’s expectations were not to be gaged in acres sold, but in the people, they sold those acres too. The ones he stood next to in the fields on those hot summer days, when the sun hung long in the sky and the work was everything but easy.
The introduction is what hooked me, a letter to the Canada Company from John, himself.
“Stratford 23rd, September 1842,
I last night completed my taking notes from the settlers, as you requested me; I travelled through a part of North Easthope and in South Easthope and took notes from those who I considered would make a fair statement, such as to shew the general progress and success of an industrious emigrant.” See the full letter here.
According to the 1851 census, at that time he and his family reside in Downie Township. The included image shows John as the head of the household, along with his wife and 7 children. This lists John’s occupation as conveyance, which he maintained for a number of years.
By 1853, he was the acting clerk for Stratford, and would remain there until 1869, at his death. During the years, 1856 and 1857, his focus was with his publication, the Voice of the Bondsman, with growing protests in the United States against slavery John’s paper called for Canadians to not only condemn slavery but also to support liberated or escaped refuges seeking aid in Canada.
It is though the sheer grit and determination of individuals like John J.E. Linton that the stories of these pioneers and so many more were recorded. Forever solidifying their place in history and their effect of their community they were a part of. Sometimes I ask myself, was it plain dumb luck that brought this publication to my attention? Or was it something more, perhaps a whisper on the wind, an old soul looking to he heard.
John passed away in 1869, January 23rd and was originally interred at the Knox Cemetery. John was later re-interred in Avondale Cemetery in Stratford Ontario, 1875-06-10 and lies beneath a beautiful gray granite obelisk stone with his wife Margaret. We thank him for all that he contributed and the many lives he touched. He is remembered as the man responsible for naming Perth County, as well as so many other amazing accomplishments, including the namesake of Linton Avenue in Stratford.
Over the coming weeks, I look forward to providing the words he captured 184 years ago and introducing you to the pioneers of Perth County, digging up the stories Buried in the Furrows, unearthing the tales saved from the tracks of time. Look for Part 2, coming soon.
Angie Moore
Eternal Care Stone Services
The following links are addition resources you may find interesting
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