Outaouais Heritage WebMagazine

CEMETERIES IN WAKEFIELD

There are several small private cemeteries in the Wakefield area, possibly due to the fact that none of the churches within the community had property enough to provide for burial.

An area for a cemetery was donated by George Hall, on land adjoining his farm property on the outskirts of the village. This thus became the earliest community burial ground, holding the headstones of many of the original Protestant settlers (including William Fairbairn).

RALPH HORNER AND THE HORNERITE CHURCH IN WAKEFIELD

Ralph Horner, a native of Shawville, had been ordained as a Methodist minister in the 1880s, but could not accept the “restriction” of a Circuit Ministry. As an evangelist he embraced the doctrines of the Holiness Movement, a fundamentalist movement from the United States. Eventually his refusal to abide by the Montreal Conference rules, and to curb excessive behaviour and claims by his adherents, resulted in a break with authorities, and he was deposed from the Ministry in 1895.

OUTAOUAIS QUIZ #4: HULL

1) Since 2002, Hull has been a part of which Outaouais city?
a) Aylmer
b) Gatineau
c) Chelsea

2) What momentous step in the development of Hull took place in 1845?
a) The City of Hull was established.
b) The municipality of Hull Township was created.
c) The town of Hull established its fire department.

3) Who is considered the founder of Hull?
a) Sir William Hull, an officer in the British Army.
b) Philemon Wright, a timber merchant.
c) Ruggles Wright, who invented the timber slide.

HAMLETS OF CLARENDON

The following is based on information contained in Jo-Anne Brownlee’s excellent booklet, A Self-Guided Historical Tour of Clarendon, published by the Municipality of Clarendon in 2005, and Noms et lieux du Québec : dictionnaire illustré, published by the Commision de toponymie du Québec.

BUTTER AND CHEESE MAKING IN THE OUTAOUAIS

Churning butter by hand was tricky; milk was set out in pans, so that the cream could rise. Various types of churns -- dash or cradle churns -- were then used to churn cream. If the butter would not set, this was often blamed on hexing. Butter was stored in barrels in a cool place, and the surplus sold in town. It might take six days to take it there even in an express wagon: two for the trip each way, and two to sell the wooden tubs of butter at the Byward market [in Ottawa]. Eventually, however, butter and cheese were made in small, often cooperative factories.

THORNE

In 1861 Thorne was separated from Clarendon and joined with Leslie to form a new municipality, with James Martin as its first mayor. At that time its population of 465 was made up of people of mixed national origin.

Ten years later, when the municipality was separated from Leslie under the mayoralty of John Rennix, it had seen and influx of German settlers.

Thorne's main village, Ladysmith, was first called Upper Thorne Centre. Later, the name Danzig was proposed, but in 1902, at the end of the Boer War, the name Ladysmith was chosen to honor a village in South Africa.

CHICHESTER

Named after a county in Sussex, England, Chichester is primarily a farming and lumbering community. The municipality was incorporated in 1855 with John B. Poupore as its mayor.

The municipality is dominated by two small hamlets: Chichester and Nicabeau. Chichester, located just across the river from Chapeau, was once a thriving community with numerous sawmills, a grist mill, shingle mill, blacksmith shop and two hotels. Chichester now serves as more of a summer resort area, offering a grocery store and garage facilities.