Where to start with the Caswell history? I will later post information about Andrew and Mary Jane Caswell but I have not quite figured out how I am going to post this material as I have quite a bit. For now I will do one blog post per child - hopefully in birth order. Mary Jane was apparently not good with dates which would certainly explain the variation on birth years for a number of the children. I have sorted their order to the best of my knowledge.
JAMES DICKSON CASWELL 1835-1908
Notes provided by Dr. Lorne Paul & Annie Finley
Children of James Dickson Caswell and Mary Martin:
- Mary Ann Caswell, B: 27 Aug 1872 in Perth, Ontario D: 03 Jan 1956 in Victoria, British Columbia; Age: 83.
- Martha Caswell, B: 11 Apr 1874 in Palmerston, Ontario, D: 05 Apr 1952 in Edmonton, Alberta, M: David Wilson Paul, 04 Feb 1896.
- Jane Martin Caswell, B: 24 Sep 1876 in Palmerston, Ontario, D: 16 Sep 1935 in Perdue, Saskatchewan
- Andrew Allan Caswell, B: 1879 in Palmerston, Ontario, D: 04 Jun 1887 in Rosthern, Saskatchewan.
- John Macdonald Caswell, B: 11 Jun 1880 in Palmerston, Ontario, D: Aug 1947 in Detroit, Michigan, M: Ethel Tunnah, Rosthern, Saskatchewan.
- Mabel Caswell, B: 1886 in Palmerston, Ontario, D: 1926 in Detroit, Michigan, M: Wilbert C Hart, Rosthern, Saskatchewan.
- Jessie Caswell, B: 1889 in Rosthern, Saskatchewan, D: 12 Jan 1953 in Detroit, Michigan, M: Archibald Collinson, Rosthern, Saskatchewan.
According to JD’s death notice, “he came with his
parents to Canada in 1848, settling at Orono, near Toronto. From there he later
moved to Granton, near London, Ontario.
In the February 1852 census James was not in his
Father’s household near Orono, Ontario.
Neither was his sister Sarah, and the assumption is that they were “put
out” to labour for the neighbours to help support the family, as did the
younger brothers and sisters in their turn.
The 1861 census lists JD as a labourer living with his parents, his nine
brothers, his sister Margaret Styles, her husband Robert and their two
children, sixteen in a 1 ½ story log house.
By 1871 JD had married Mary Martin in Palmerston,
where he opened a general store. He
operated the store for eight years until he was burned out. Meanwhile, he had bought land and built a
house close by his store. A handsome two-story
Victorian it still stands on James Street, a few doors south of Main. Forced into bankruptcy by the fire, we find
him listed as the town constable.
J.D.’s home in Palmerston
Excerpt from the lawsuit against the estate of
Andrew Caswell for
money that Andrew had signed a promissory note for. "That the said deceased in
his lifetime and on or about the first of April 1877 made a Promissory Note for
one hundred and eleven dollars with interest at twelve percent payable ten
months after date thereof to his son the said James Dickson Caswell or heir and
the said James Dickson Caswell became the holder thereof. The said note was not
paid by the said deceased in his lifetime nor has the same been paid since his
decease and said note now remains unpaid. That the said James Dickson Caswell
while still holder of said note and on the eleventh day of June 1878 while
engaged in the business of General Merchant at Palmerston became dissolving.”
Choosing to move west and join his brothers was a
major decision, as J.D. had a wife and six children to consider. His
Saskatchewan brothers had persuaded him to pay them a visit and bring out some
purebred cattle. He arrived in 1886 and must have liked the area as he informed
his family that they would be moving west. No doubt his wife Mary held some reservations
about leaving a comfortable home but the six high spirited children, Maryanne,
Martha, Jen, Andrew, John and Mabel, were all in favour of the move and the
high adventure it afforded.
The family spent the winter making preparations
for the move and on April 11th, 1887, they boarded a train for the
west - it was Martha’s 13th birthday. From the newspaper in 1887: “J.D. Caswell,
late of Palmerston, Ontario, passed through town with wife and six children to
take a homestead at Clark’s Crossing.’’ (1)
They traveled in a colonist coach, a form of rail car
that had been especially constructed for the purpose of moving the large
numbers immigrants into the interior of the country. Mr. Caswell traveled with his settlers
effects on the freight train in order to care for the livestock.
They and their worldly goods got off the train at
Moose Jaw. The railway north to Prince
Albert had not as yet come into being and the Caswells were forced to travel by
oxcart to make the trek to Saskatoon, about 160 miles away. With a span of oxen
on a wagon, this required two weeks to travel northward to Elbow and Saskatoon. The wagon was heaped high with seed wheat and
oats, potatoes, rhubarb rots, lumber, mails, flour, crates of fowl, food and
bedding with the traditional pail and lantern hanging underneath the wagon
while Mrs. Caswell and the small children were perched on top.
It could hardly be called an uneventful
trip for Mr. Caswell was new to the ways of the west. Shortly after starting on his way, Mr. Caswell broke an axle on the wagon trying to extricate it from a slough he had attempted
to cross. It was necessary to unload and disassemble the wagon. Fortunately, another homesteader passing them in the opposite
direction took the axle
to Moose Jaw for repair. Snow and rain made the travellers miserable. Further north Mr. Caswell drove into an alkali flat and became mired.
Again, it was necessary to unload, but he was able to pull the wagon out. It was a Sunday and being a God fearing
man, he decided that he would henceforth
observe the Sabbath.
During this two week trip Mary Ann, 14 years old,
and Martha, 13, walked most of the way driving the sheep and cattle. They
encountered April snow, mosquitoes and mud holes. Saskatoon at that time had 14 houses. The
family proceeded northward to Clark’s Crossing and Osler where the brothers
were farming. The family arrived at
Clark’s Crossing, May 7th or 8th.
The first couple of years the family stayed with
the brothers on their farms near Clark’s Crossing and Warman, about 20 miles NE
of Saskatoon until a sod house was constructed in 1887, a picture of which was
printed in the 26 May 1952 issue of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.
Back of Picture: Our sod house build in fall of 1887 at home near Clark's Crossing N.W.T. Photo taken in autumn of 1893 while harvesting our last crop at the old homestead which we abandoned in 1892-93.
(l to r) Jessie Caswell (Robertson), Gay Irvine (Creasy), Lucy Donnan (Shipman) on near horse, Minnie Caswell (Colt) right rear Rube Allen, a comedian from the United States visiting here.
A sod barn had also been built and stalls
made for the cattle and sheep, pens made for the fowl. A
well had been dug using one of the oxen to haul up the clay.
A vivid description of the first period in this
part of the North West Territories is eloquently related by Mary Anne Caswell
in her book “Pioneer Girl”.
The family settled about 20 miles N.N.E. of
Saskatoon, north of where the Canadian National Railway Bridge crosses the
South Saskatchewan, east of the present town of Warman. There J.D. lived and
worked with his brothers who had come earlier. Correspondence and a map from
the Department of Municipal Affairs (2) show that Robert, Joseph, John J. and David
Caswell owned land, but there was no record of J.D. having homesteaded near
Clark’s Crossing. J.D. may have farmed David’s land as he is not mentioned in
Mary Ann’s diary, while the other brothers are. The following is the land records
for Clark’s Crossing:
1. Joseph Caswell NW 1-39-4 W.3 Fractions of NE 1 and SW section 1-39-4 W.3
2. Robert Caswell E ½ Sec. 2-39-4 W.3
3. David Caswell SW Sec. 2-39-4 W.3
4. John J. Caswell S ½ Sec. 12-39-4 w.3
2. Robert Caswell E ½ Sec. 2-39-4 W.3
3. David Caswell SW Sec. 2-39-4 W.3
4. John J. Caswell S ½ Sec. 12-39-4 w.3
The first record for James D. Caswell is Sec.
20-42-2 W.3. (3)
when at 56 years of age (1893) J.D. decided to strike out again as a
homesteader. He obtained better land and
farmed here until his death.
Mr. Caswell was at heart a stockman
and he brought in more purebred bulls shipping them right to Osler.
While there was a gradual
improvement in conditions, Caswell became aware that the land chosen for a homestead was by no means the best soil, worst of all it was stony. Then living close to his brothers, friction began to develop. J. D. was headstrong and stubborn making it hard to get along with him. In 1893 he decided to move and selected
a section of land 5 miles southeast
of Rosthern, sec. 20, twp. 42, rge. 2 w3. This land was well suited to his type of farming with ample water and grass.
Today the soil might be considered on the light side but around the turn of the century
frost was a hazard
and
grain usually ripened earlier on the sandy
land. Mr. Caswell, noting
the soil drifting
in dry years began a practice of planting windbreaks around the farm. Today many of
the maples which he planted are still
alive. This practice was adopted by many farmers in areas where wind erosion
became a problem
in the dirty thirties.
With his farm well established, Mr. Caswell was able to take a greater interest
in community affairs.
One of the f first
interests was the church and it will be noted
elsewhere that the first meetings
of the Presbyterian Community were held in the Caswell
farm home.
In 1899 The Rosthern-Hague Agriculture Society was formed and heading the membership list was the name of J. D. Caswell. They supported the Annual Fair taking home a great number of prizes. We note that Mr. Caswell
was quite capable
of standing up for what he considered
his right for on December
19th, 1899 he dispatched a letter to the Minister
of Agriculture complaining that some of the
prize money allotted to cattle
had been diverted
to grains. Nothing seems to come of this complaint, however, in the following
year - 1900; he
was elected as one of the directors and in a better position to prevent
recurrence of the practice.
J.D. was known as a “farmer of the experimental
type”. When he came from Ontario in 1887
he brought a pure bred collie dog. The
farm was a show place and source of pride for the area with its large garden,
raspberries, currants and strawberries as “proof that such fruit could be
successfully grown here.’’ He also conducted considerable experimenting in
grains, clovers and grasses, his efforts invariably resulting in success. James Caswell always took a hearty interest in
agricultural society work, being a director of the society for years.
As a child I (Lorne Paul) spent several holidays
enjoying grandfather Caswell’s farm located on a creek with the stately rows
of Russian poplars on the sides of the driveway, as well as the geese, turkeys,
sheep, cattle and Clydesdale horses. This farm was show place for the entire
area.
Annie Finley, granddaughter to JD described him
“as a very severe and religious man—a staunch Presbyterian, who could not see good
in any Catholic—he would disown me if he knew how many good friends of mine
were Catholic. Until I went to school I
spent a great deal of time at Grandma’s.
Every morning summer or winter, we sat down for breakfast at 7 am, had a
chapter of the bible read and had a long prayer, then the blessing said. Then we could start to eat. By that time the porridge and toast were
cold. At each meal Grandpa said the
longest grace I have ever heard. At 8 pm
the bible was read, followed by a long, long prayer and everyone was in bed by
9 pm.
On Sunday we drove 4 miles to the morning service
in Rosthern and then again for the evening one at 7 pm. I was a bit afraid of my grandfather and his
stern ways, but I loved my dear little grandmother.”
Lorne’s story is similar – J.D. was a religious
man, a staunch Presbyterian and Orangemen.
Each day started with scripture reading and prayer. Sunday was a day of rest and he firmly
adhered to it, except on one occasion after a long delay repairing equipment he
did travel on Sunday, the problems encountered confirmed his belief that Sunday
was truly a “day of rest”.
J.D. and Mary Caswell were buried in the SW corner
of the Rosthern Cemetery. A large granite stone marks the spot.
Passing
of a Rosthern Pioneer, James Dickson Caswell, One of the Best Known Rosthern
Agricultralist, is no more
J.D. Caswell passed away at the age of 72 years 6 months, 19
days. Mr. Caswell took sick six months
ago, suffering from rheumatism and sciatica, and his system gradually broke up
from his long illness, although his vitality was wonderful.
The late James Dickson Caswell was born at Castle Blayney, in
the North of Ireland in 1835. With his
parents he came to Canada in 1840,
(4) settling at Orono, near Toronto. From
there he later moved to Granton, near London, Ontario. As a young man he moved to Palmerston, where
he conducted the first general store, retaining the business for eight years,
when a fire wiped out his business. In
1886 he came to Saskatoon, near where he farmed for seven years, moving in 1893
to the fertile Rosthern District, where he has farmed ever since. Mr. Caswell was a farmer of the experimental
type. His efforts along these lines were
eminently successful. His attention was
some years ago directed to the planting of fruit trees such as apples, plums,
etc., and his orchard is a source of pride to the district, besides being abundant
proof that fruit may be successfully grown here. He also conducted considerable experimenting
in grains, clovers and grasses; his efforts invariable resulting in
success. Mr. Caswell always took a
hearty interest in agricultural society work, being a director of the society
for years. He was a Presbyterian, an
Orangeman, and in politic was a staunch conservative.
His widow survived. One son, John remained at home.
Daughters: Mrs.
George Hilliard, Vancouver, B.C.; Mrs. W.W. Paul, Macdowall; Mrs. A. E.
Robertson, Fielding; Misses
Mabel and Jessie, at home. Siblings : Samuel and David, of Asquith; Joseph and
Robert, of Saskatoon; Andrew of
Neepawa, Manitoba; William, Thomas, John
& Alexander, San Jose, CA (5) Mrs. H. Donnan
of Grand Forks, B.C.; Mrs. E. Case of
Saskatoon.
Services were held at the Presbyterian Church (Rosthern), Rev. W.W. Purvis, conducting.
Services were held at the Presbyterian Church (Rosthern), Rev. W.W. Purvis, conducting.
A Pioneer Girl
The “diary’’ was first printed in the Saskatoon
Star-Phoenix, Sept. 11, 1952, and then presented on the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation radio as a play on March 26, 1957 adapted by Mrs. Homer Lane. Mrs. Lane subsequently was primarily
responsible for this series of letters appearing as a hard back book in 1964.
In 1979 it was reproduced as a soft covered book.
This diary, a series of letters to Grandma Caswell
in Palmerston in 1887 by a fourteen year old pioneer girl, has been called a Canadian
classic; a rare and detailed statement of that era.
The editor of the Star-Phoenix, Eric Knowles, who
purchased the “original’’ could not recall in 1979 the nature of this material
but he was certain that it was in typed form, nor did he know what became of
this original.
The description Mary Ann Caswell gives of the
Caswell family, their trip west and experiences were supported by her sister
Martha who frequently mentioned various incidents. Martha never saw Mary Ann’s
printed diary as she died in 1952, before it was published, nor had she ever
mentioned it.
My older sisters, Mary (Elliott) and Annie
(Finley) knew Aunt Mary well as they were all teaching in or near Kinistino,
Sask. in the early 1920’s. They were not aware of such a series of letters.
Regardless whether this was written in 1887 or in the 1920’s, Pioneer Girl will
long remain as an authentic and fascinating chronicle of a pioneer family in this
region.
One indication of widespread recognition gained by
Aunt Mary Hilliard was that in 1966, Miss Muriel Clancy, head of the Children’s
department, Saskatoon Public Library, added to her historical doll collection a
replica of Mary Caswell (Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, Nov. 8, 1966).
Besides writing, Aunt Mary painted very credibly
in oils; a number of scenic views now grace the homes of relatives. She married
George Hilliard but she continued to teach school and George tended to go his
separate way of carpentry and construction. They had no children, but Aunt
Mary, a strong willed woman, had definite ideas on raising children to which we
frequently were subjected. She also had strong political convictions providing
they coincided with her conservative ideas.
For many years she taught at Indian schools and as
always, collected arrow heads, hammer heads, etc. [The spelling of her name
varies, i.e. Mary Ann, and Maryanne, but she was Aunt Mary to us. “Narratives
of Saskatoon’’ (5) refers to her as Mary (p.27). Her paintings were signed
M.A.C. Hilliard.]
As for the rest of the children of J.D. and Mary
Martin Caswell, Martha, after teaching school, married David Wilson Paul, and
lived on a farm 2E and 0.5N miles of MacDowall (near Prince Albert). Jennie
married Archie Robertson; Jessie married Archie Collinson; Mabel married Bert
Hart and John married Ethel Turrah.
The Robertsons lived at Perdue for many years
where Uncle Arch managed a lumber yard. After World War I when times were
difficult Uncle John was forced to sell the old farm which still had pure bred
livestock, and move his family to Detroit. At the same time the Collinsons and
Harts also decided to move there as well.
(1) Sept 11,
1952 issue of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix
under ``News of 1887’’
(2) Farm & Ranch Review, March 1955,
p. 18
(3)Saskatchewan Archives, University of
Saskatchewan
(4)Best date of arrival of Caswell
family is 1848
] (5)John was in San Jose, William was in
Sacramento, Thomas and Alexander were at Ceres/Modesto
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