"Durham's Oldest Resident Passes (Durham, Ontario, Canada) Died Thursday in 96th Year Has Lived Under Five Sovereigns" "Mrs. John Whitmore, Durham's oldest lady, passed on at her home on George Street East on Thursday forenoon in her 96th year. Her health had been failing this past year, but she lived alone until a few months ago when her son Thomas came from Fort Francis and until the past month continued to help with the housework. Her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Daniel McFadden, were natives of Ireland (County Tyrone) and resided some time in Toronto before coming to Glenelg. Mary Ann was their only daughter and she was born in Toronto on the 20th of September 1842. Mr. McFadden brought his family in a wagon from Toronto to Glenelg taking two days to make the journey coming via the Garafraxa road now No. 6 highway. Though Mrs. Whitmore visited Toronto since she left it, she never went over the road traversed by wagon when she was seven years of age, until ten years ago she went by motor to Guelph; naturally she recalled the corderoy roads through the woods of 1849. Though the family homestead was in No. 9 section the school was not opened until 1852. B(?) school opened in 1853 and it was in this little log building (near where the present stone school stands) with the desks along the sides of the walls and benches for seats that Mary Ann McFadden received her education. Archibald Black was her only teacher. He came when the school opened and taught for nine years. It was in July 1860 that Mary Ann McFadden and John Whitmore went to Rev. Alexander Stewart, the Baptist minister, to be made man and wife and they made their home in Egremont on the farm on which F(?) Lawrence now resides. They had a family of twelve, only six surviving, John and William in Saskatchewan, James in Egremont and Thomas of Fort Francis, who spent the winter with his mother. Mr. Whitmore died twenty years ago. Mrs. Whitmore has lived under six sovereigns on the British throne, Queen Victoria being only five years on the throne when she was born. Mrs. Whitmore came to Durham after Mr. Whitmore's death. The date of the funeral service has not been completed." _______________________________________________ CoTyroneList Mailing List Mailing List Email Address: [email protected] Change Your Preferences: http://cotyroneireland.com/mailman/listinfo/cotyronelist_cotyroneireland.com Mailing List Archive: https://goo.gl/mQCKrY
