THE PASSING OF MARY JANE, THE MATRIARCH OF THE FAMILY

     

Mary Jane Dickson Caswell

     Brother John and Patience, with baby Albert and Grandmother Caswell came to Clark’s Crossing in June 1884 and John began to build a house.  Meanwhile they—including Grandmother—lived in a tent.  When the house was finished, Joseph moved in with John and Grandmother Mary Jane lived with Rob and Frankie.  A house was built for her on her homestead -  she began her homestead duties in her 82nd year, hale and hearty in fine health.  (As mentioned in the Palmerston post, Mary Jane was 10 years younger in the census records than the 84 on her death certificate.  The death certificate information would have come from one of her sons, the census information from Mary Jane.  I think the sons were confused with the age their father would have been.)

     Joseph Caswell wrote a number of letters to the Dominion Land Office as his qualifications for his homestead grant was in question.  I have included the paragraphs that referred to the land that Mary Jane had claimed.  Unfortunately her land was obtained under the old survey.  With the new survey she lost what had been granted to her even though improvements had been made.

27 December 1886:

     I was speaking to you last winter re my own and my mother’s claims.  I then made out my claims and forwarded it to you and you returned a letter to me telling me I could not homestead but only buy W ½ 1.39.4.  I think there must be a mistake someplace as I had a letter from the Department two years ago telling me to make out my claim and it would be attended to.  I think where the mistake is that the Department did not know (or have forgotten) that I am a squatter.

     My mother has been away for some time and has been very sick; consequently hers could not be attended to before now.  As you are no doubt aware, my mother took her claim shortly after River Lot survey was made and had her improvements done before we were aware of the change of the survey.

16 November 1898:

      I came in 1883 and took this place before the survey.  It was first surveyed into river lots.  I took one and could not get a pre-emption.  My mother also took a river lot but had to leave the county on account of sickness after being here about two years.  She died shortly after going to Ontario.  Her homestead duties were not completed when the Government decided to change the survey back into 1/4 sections and her improvements were on Section 11.39.4W3rd.  The Government then refused to allow either her or her heirs to complete duties and get property.

     None of the accounts written by the son's regarding their mother's death mentioned cancer.  Mary Jane's death certificate clearly states cancer as her cause of death.  Rob & Albert's notes differ from the above information although it is possible that Mary Jane had an accident as a result of her weakened state from the cancer.  Joseph's letters to the Dominion Land Office were written at the time of homesteading whereas Rob and Albert's notes were written at a much later date.
     Rob's notes said "In 1886 she went east on a trip visiting sons Tom in Cherokee and Sam in Palmerston where she happened with an accident which caused her death in 1887.  Up to the time of the accident she was a bright active woman."
     Albert Caswell mentioned that "grandmother lived with my parents from 1882 to about 1886."  She died the following year as the result of an accident.  

     Mary Jane raised 13 productive pioneering children under harsh conditions, escaping the potato famine in Ireland, giving birth on board ship on the way to Ontario and once there building a number of homes in the wilderness.  Mary Jane took up a homestead in Saskatchewan when many would be putting up their feet and settling down for a well deserved rest.   Although her daughter-in-law referred to her as an old "Tartar" that grit saw her through many trials and hardships.