On This Day in History...May 14th

One hundred twenty-five years ago today (May 14^th) Pearl Viola Winfield[1] was born near the small town of Zephyr, Ontario.

She joined her parents, Percival and Sophia (nee McKelvey) and two older brothers, Edgar George (b.1882) and Wesley Wilton (b.1889), in a 2 storey (3 room) framed house. She was Percival and Sophia’s 6^th and last child. They had lost 3 children before Wesley and Pearl were born. A daughter, Ethel Lillian, to tubercular meningitis in 1877. She was only 8 months 14 days old. And a daughter, Edith Charlotte[2] (b.1878), and son, Oscar[3] (b.1879), in 1883 to Scarlet Fever.

Pearl is my great-grandmother. The only one of my great-grandparents I knew. She lived close by and my family would visit her often.

In 1981 my father had the foresight to interview her and record their conversation. Those tapes have proven to be helpful. I was not only able to use them to trace her journey across Canada, from Zephyr, Ontario to Langley, B.C., but they also helped me learn about her life.

Until recently the only format the recordings were in was cassette tapes. That changed when I bought a tape to MP3 converter and transferred them to a digital format. I am working on transcribing them to have a written copy of the information[4].

The tapes go from Pearl’s early childhood until her own children’s graduation in the late 1930s’, right before the 2^nd World War. A good 40 years of information. Which, as it turns out, is less then half of her life.

I’m going to try to share some of the information in those records and intersperse them with official documents and facts. I’ll have to split it up into multiple posts as there is a lot of information packed into each tape.

The house Pearl was born in was heated using a wood stove primarily from wood of the 100-acre property. The property was half bush, mostly flat with no creeks or streams. Selling firewood was one of the ways her father supported the family. They also tapped maple trees to make maple syrup. One of the memories Pearl had of that time is her mother making dozens of lemon pies for the sugaring off.

Another memory is riding on the handlebars of her parent’s bicycle going to church. About 4 miles.

I found the family in the 1901 Canadian Census living in the Township of Georgina, County of York North, Ontario, Canada.[5] The official date of the Census was March 31, 1901 but she was not enumerated until April 18^th-19^th according to the Census image.[6] She is listed as Pearl V, Female, White, Daughter, Single, May 14^th, 1895, Age 5, born in Ontario of English origin, Methodist, attending school for 3 months and could read, write, and speak English.

I have explored Ontario Land records but there is a steep learning curve.[7] I think I’ve determined that Percival purchased the east half of Lot 6 Concession I from David VanNorman, etux for $500 in December 1872. In February 1873 he sells the south-east quarter (50-acres) to a James Lake. In 1875 he sells the north half of north-east quarter (25 acres) to a George Winfield[8]. And then it gets confusing because it appears that in 1879, he sells the entire 50 acres of the north-east quarter to his mother-in-law, Charlotte Rawson.

The Canadian County Atlas Project[9] compiled my McGill University shows Percival[10] as owning 50 Acres on Concession I Lot 6 in 1878. Using the map provided on that site and the University of Toronto Ontario Historical County Map Project’s[11] interactive map I was able to pinpoint roughly where the property would be on a modern map. I believe it is the south-west corner of Park Rd and Old Shiloh Rd.[12]. You’ll notice that Google Maps shows that area as Cedarbrae. Farther evidence that I have the correct location is her brother, Wesley, lists Cedarbrae, York Co., Ontario as his place of birth on his Attestation Papers in 1916. 

When Pearl was 7 years old, she moved with her family to the slightly larger town of Mt Joy, Ontario. The railroad separated Mt. Joy from Markham, but the shopping and other social activities were mostly in Markham, while the school was in Mt. Joy. During that time, the Winfield’s boarded many children that attended the school in Mt. Joy whose families lived out of town.

It was a large brick house on Peter Street and according to Pearl was still standing when she last visited with her husband. I have not been able to obtain an address so don’t know if that still holds true.

Pearl remembers her father buying her a new suit and hat when she passed the entrance exam into high school when she was 14. However, she did not start her high school career right away. Sometime in the next year her father died[13]. And her mother decided to follow her sons to Manitoba.

The first tape stops right around this point and this post is getting rather long, so I think I’ll continue Pearl’s story at a later date. Stay tuned for her life in Cypress River, her teaching career and maybe even how she meets my great-grandfather.

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[1] "Ontario Births, 1869-1911," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMWP-SSZ), Pearl Viola Winfield, 14 May 1895; citing Birth, Georgina Township, York, Ontario, Canada, citing Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,846,558.

[2] Pearl speaks of having 2 sisters and 1 brother who died before she was born. I have found a birth record for an Edith Winfield but not for Charlotte. The 1881 Canadian Census shows a Charlotta Winfield but no Edith. I have not found a death record under either name but if she/they died during an epidemic it is possible a proper death record wasn’t created.

[3] No birth record for Oscar has been found. He is in the 1881 Canadian Census with his parents and Charlotta. His death record does not list a date of death only that his death was registered on September 8^th, 1883.

[4] If you are a family member and would like a copy of the digital files and transcript, please email me at jodi.familytree@gmail.com, and I’ll send you a copy when they are done.

[5] "Canada Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHP9-DS4 : accessed 15 May 2016), Pearl V Winfield in household of Percival Winfield, C, York (north/nord), Ontario, Canada; citing p. 10, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa.

[6] Image available at http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/1901/z/z003/jpg/z000118326.jpg

[7] Even the OnLand.ca website suggests contacting a legal professional, such as a solicitor or title searcher.

[8] Not sure if this is his father, brother, or cousin.

[9] http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/projectoverview.html

[10] http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/showrecord.php?PersonID=58679

[11] https://utoronto.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8cc6be34f6b54992b27da17467492d2f

[12] https://goo.gl/maps/zTUaRYo9pG2bSDjq5.  

[13] No records have been found to confirm this. There are various family stories of what happened to him. Ranging from getting caught in a snowstorm to running away to start a new life somewhere else.