Stephen + Janet Elizabeth Maclean. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Neil + Sheila Johnstone. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Received from Margaret Cameron, of Long Sault, Ontario, 2nd September,2002

From "Cornwall Freeholder" 1951
EARLY HISTORY OF FINCH VILLAGE AND TOWNSHIP IS RECALLED
By Mrs Gladstone Maclean.

FINCH, July 21 (Special) Descendents of many of the original settlers ofFinch district occupy the old homesteads and have volunteered someinteresting information about the first settlers.

At the Women's Institute conference help in Guelph in May this year, whenthe Convenors of the historical research met, we were very proud when theWilliamsburg branch came third for the award on Tweedsmuir VillageHistory Books. Mr Hannah, speaking at the conference, said these VillageHistory Record Books are so valuable they should not be kept at home butplaced in a vault in the local bank that may be available to new schoolteachers coming into the community. This would enable them too becomeacquainted with the early history of the community. It was alsorecommended that local pioneer history be taught, in the high schools.

Settled By Scotsmen
We all know our own township and village were settled by Scotsmen - theCamerons, Macmillalls, MacLeans, Gillies and many others whosedescendants are still living.

In the year 1802, Allan Glen Payne MacMillan, living in Scotland, saw asurvey of certain lands in Canada for settlers. He, with a number ofothers chartered a. vessel and set sail for Canada, a journey which tookthem 13 weeks before they landed at Montreal, walked through the forestto Kirk Hill, where they spent the winter with friends.

Allan Glen Payne Macmillan must have been a practical business man, forin 1803 we are told he employed a surveyor by the name of Bowels tosurvey the concession lines and place posts at the corners of certainlots. Thus is traced the name of the Payne River to Allan Glen PayneMacMillan. It was a place where the first settlers cleared the land andbuilt houses on the high land along the river.

As Alexander MacMillan was the first settler, I shall follow that familyfirst> Alexander McMillan married Margaret Cameron in Lochaber,Inverness, Scotland, in 1795. Two children, John and Mary, were born inScotland. They were one of the McMillian who came in 1803 spending thewinter at Kirk Hill. In the spring of 1804 four Camerons and fourMcMillans came to Finch and built cabins, cleared the land and broughttheir families from Kirk Hill in 1805. Shortly after they came adaughter was born to Alexander MacMillan. She was named Harriet--thefirst white child born in Finch township. That there were few settlers iscertain because they all attended the christening ceremony. The ministerwho performed the rite of baptism was the Rev. M. Weagent ofWilliamsburg. Harriet died at the age of 84, having been blind for thelast 15 years of her life. The present house of the late Donald J.MacMillan stands on the same spot where the first cabin stood and wasrecently purchased by Mr. Harry Taylor.

Duncan Cameron was the first male child born in the township. About theyear 1812 a few of the early settlers each contributed a bushel of wheatto an Indian to blaze a trail to the German settlement of Osnabruck. Theroad went out some place near Newington, keeping to the high places.

Other Settlers In 1814
Following these first settlers came Hugh and John MacMillan, LachlanMacLean, John, Donald and Allan Cameron, all of whom located along thesouthern border of the township about the year 1814, and in 1816 WilliamWiseman located on Lot 22, Concession 2. Mr. Wiseman lived to be morethan 100 years old, having been born on an ocean vessel while his parentswere on their way to some military post., His father was a member of aScotish Regiment.

In any part of the world where pluck, perseverance and endurance wereneeded, Scotsmen have settled and among them you will always find thename of Cameron. In the settling of Finch Township the Camerons playedtheir part. John Cameron, age 21, came from Inverness with his mother andthree brothers, Hughie, Alex. and Dougal. These settled west of Finch andthis was called Camerontown (now Goldfield). Hughie settled on the farmwest of John and Dougal settled near Berwick. John Cameron was married at28 to Mary MacMillan. The farm was all forest and was bought for $400dollars. John Cameron had one son and four daughters, Alex. was thefather of the late Miss Minnie Cameron whose farm is next to that nowowned by Donald MacIntyre. This John Cameron had an uncle who was awealthy ship owner. He left a large fortune in a London Bank for hisnephew John. This was never claimed. Alex. planned to go to the OldCountry to see about it but died before carrying out his plan.

Maclean Family
Here is the story of the MacLeans as told in the records of the late A P.MacLean. This family of MacLeans came a few years after the MacMillans,Camerons and the Lachlan MacLeans, as Peter MacLean settled in 1842. Hecame from the Isle of Mull and built his log cabin in 1842 and in 1876 anew house was erected. Peter Maclean landed in Montreal, ascended theOttawa River to Bytown (Ottawa) and followed the Rideau River to Perthwhere some of his people had settled, and where he expected to settle.Later he came to Finch to visit relatives, Lachlan MacLean, father ofGeorge L Maclean, and liking this part better, he settled at Finch.Hector MacLean, a brother and a sister, Anne, settled on the next farm.They walked all the way from Perth and drove a cow. A cow in those dayswas a, mark of distinction and fortunate was the man who owned one. Thinkof the hardships there must have been when the Camerons and MacMillanscame 37 years before this. The first beast of burden was an ox born andraised on the MacMillan farm in 1805.
The Peter MacLeans in 1843 had an adventurous passage across theAtlantic. They came over in the vessel "The Catherine of Belfast." Justafter they started, a terrible storm arose and the vessel sprang a leak,The sailors pumped for a, number of days and then rebelled, saying theship could go to the bottom for all they cared. All the able-bodied menamong the passengers were numbered and eight at a time worked the pumpsfor an hour at a time. After some days it was decided to turn back,although they were half way across. They returned to BelfaSt Two weekslater they embarked on another boat and arrived at Montreal 16 weeksafter they left their home port. As it was impossible to obtain a canoePeter MacLean travelled on foot to some point on the Nation River about,30 miles from Casselman. As he had to go out of his way to portage nightovertook him before he reached his destination, so he chose a high treein which to spend the night. The wolves howled and gathered in groups,but Peter knew he was safe.

Another family belonging to the early settlers was the Morrison family.Captain Morrison settled on Lot 6, Con. 2. His son, Lachlan, was asplendid piper. At a neighborhood gathering of many of the early settlersit was surprising to see the lightness of foot of these old people, someof them over 75 years old. Some of these were Mr. And Mr Neil Gillies, asthey danced the Scottish dances. Neil Gillies was the father of MissesMin and Kate Dillies whose home still stands opposite the PresbyterianChurch and is now owned by Mr. T. Dewar. It must have been a greatdeprivation for these Scottish folk to be away from their Kirk, but theynever forgot. to observe the Sabbath as taught in the homeland. There wasno dust n the family Bible in those days.

The first Kirk was at old St Lukes a frame building which stood on Lot10 Con 2.

Gladstone + Jenny Henry. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]