Fonthill Literary Journal, Fonthill Grammar School Lyceum, n.d.

The Fonthill Grammar School was established in 1856. The school closed in 1876 when it failed to receive community support for a new building. The editors of the journal were two individuals with the last names Ray, and Wiggins, unfortunately their first names are not included in any of the submissions to the journal.

Niagara Lodges of the Loyal Orange Association of British America

The Loyal Orange Association of British America is a Protestant fraternal society. The Loyal Orange Association originated in Ulster, Ireland during the late eighteenth century. Its purpose was to promote Protestant rights and privileges. The association was exclusively Protestant, fraternal, democratic, and benevolent. Orange principles were brought to Upper Canada by Protestant Irish settlers after 1815. The first Canadian Orange Lodge was formally established in Brockville, Leeds County, 1830. By the late 19th and early 20th century, the Loyal Orange Association of British North America had gained considerable popularity and political influence. Many prominent politicians, including several prime ministers, were members. Orangemen were particularly concerned with issues such as separate school funding, language rights, immigration, religious freedom and conscription. Further, they demanded the execution of Louis Riel and opposed the Jesuits Estates settlement. Administrative sketch courtesy Archives of Ontario.

Benjamin Woodruff Price Papers, 1851, 1853-1860, 1862-1863, 1874, n.d.

The fonds includes sixty two items of correspondence between Benjamin Woodruff Price, aka Woodruff, Ben or Uncle, and various family members, both immediate and distant cousins. Also included is business correspondence related to Price’s activities as a watchmaker and/or jeweler. Benjamin Woodruff Price was born in Thorold Township ca. 1831, the son of Joseph Price and Mary Smith. B.W. Price married Ella or Ellen McGlashan (1851-1906) ca. 1868. Price died between 1891 and 1901, his burial location is unknown at present. A watchmaker and jeweler, Price lived most of his life in Fonthill, Ont. He also included auctioneer, undertaker and photographer as some of his other professional activities. His siblings included David Smith Price (wife Isabella Ann), John Smith Price (wife Elizabeth Jane), and sisters Susan Page (husband Edward Rice Page), Jerusha Price, Mary Price and Martha W. Stone (husband Dudley Ward Stone). John Smith Price died 18 April 1860, leaving no descendents. It is likely that G.W. Stone was a nephew to B.W. Price, the son of his sister Martha W. Stone and her husband Dudley Ward Stone. Susan Page was a sister of Benjamin Woodruff Price. She was married to Edward Rice Page and they had at least two children, Joseph and Clayton. At the time of this correspondence they lived in Suspension Bridge, NY, now part of Niagara Falls, New York. Edward Rice Page’s occupation was listed as saloon keeper. The Price family appears to have had a very large extended family. This information was gleaned from the contents of letters of Maggie Tisdale, daughter of Ephraim and Hannah (Price) Tisdale, P.A. or Ann Morgan, [may also be Phebe Ann] of Newark, NY? and Marietta House of Bayham Township. DeWitt Higgins of Suspension Bridge, NY aka Niagara Falls, NY was an auctioneer, specialized in buying jewellery, watches, clocks, from individuals and reselling his product to others like B.W. Price.

School Board report, Bertie Township, January 13, 1848

Dexter Deverardo settled in the Niagara District around 1834. In 1842, he was elected to the District Council. He served in this position until around 1848, when he became Superintendent of Education for the Niagara District. He subsequently served as county Registrar (appointed in1852), Registrar of the Surrogate Court for Welland (1856), and served as county clerk until 1873.

Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS) fonds, 1954-2015, n.d.

Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society [PALS] held its first meeting at Brock University on June 21, 1976. Its first executive consisted of Robert Hoover, Rick Teather, Debbie Kehler and Bill Forster. Some objectives of the organization were "to seek the preservation of valuable farm areas from non-agricultural expansion and development and to foster development and support of federal, provinicial and local policy which will provide a secure financial future for farming." Gracia Janes and John Bacher are some of the organizations' well known advocates. The organization was active in raising public awareness of the issues surrounding encroaching development onto existing agricultural lands. The organization is still active today [2016] in educating the public and attempting to influence governments at all levels to protect valuable agricultural lands.

Humberstone Shoe Company Limited Minute Book

Book contains meeting minutes of the Board of Directors of the Humberstone Shoe Company Ltd., held at the Office of McLeod, Young, Weir and Co. Limited, Metropolitan Building, Toronto. Board of Directors includes: H.H. Knoll (President), J.H. Radcliffe, E. K. Reiner, T.H. Kinnear, L.B. Spencer. There is some correspondence, annual reports, contracts, by-laws, statements of profit and loss etc. throughout the book.

I.O.D.E. Earl Mountbatten Chapter Fonds, 1945-2007

The I.O.D.E. as we currently know it today was founded in 1900 by Margaret Polson Murray of Montreal, who recognized a need for loyal support of Canadians departing to fight in the Boer War with the Empire forces in South Africa. She encouraged the formation of a federation of women to promote patriotism, loyalty and service to others. The first chapter was formed in Fredericton, New Brunswick on January 15th 1900. Primary chapters were formed in quick succession across Canada. In 1901, Edith Boulton Nordheimer was elected the first national president, the location of the head office became Toronto, Ontario and the federation was incorporated as Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire and Children of the Empire Junior Branch. The Earl Mountbatten Chapter was formed in 1947 and is continuing to be a functioning chapter at the time of writing this finding aid. During the 1970’s the name I.O.D.E. was officially adopted. It is a federally chartered not-for-profit, charitable organization. Structured to report under the jurisdiction of the National chapter are the Provincial chapters, the Municipal chapters and the Primary chapters. The I.O.D.E. is associated with the Victory League in England and Daughters of the British Empire in the United States and it is proud of its heritage and traditions. Queen Elizabeth II is the current patron of the organization and although chapters sometimes disband there are always new chapters forming, including e-chapters that meet through 21st century electronics.

I.O.D.E. Second Dragoons Chapter Fonds, 1967-1983

The I.O.D.E. as we currently know it today was founded in 1900 by Margaret Polson Murray of Montreal, who recognized a need for loyal support of Canadians departing to fight in the Boer War with the Empire RG310 page 2 forces in South Africa. She encouraged the formation of a federation of women to promote patriotism, loyalty and service to others. The first chapter was formed in Fredericton, New Brunswick on January 15th 1900. Primary chapters were formed in quick succession across Canada. In 1901, Edith Boulton Nordheimer was elected the first national president, the location of the head office became Toronto, Ontario and the federation was incorporated as Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire and Children of the Empire Junior Branch. The Second Dragoons Chapter was formed in 1933 and was disbanded in 1983, which was their 50th anniversary. During the 1970’s the name I.O.D.E. was officially adopted. It is a federally chartered not-for-profit, charitable organization. Structured to report under the jurisdiction of the National chapter are the Provincial chapters, the Municipal chapters and the Primary chapters. The I.O.D.E. is associated with the Victory League in England and Daughters of the British Empire in the United States and it is proud of its heritage and traditions. Queen Elizabeth II is the current patron of the organization and although chapters sometimes disband there are always new chapters forming, including e-chapters that meet through 21st century electronics

I.O.D.E. Duke of Kent Chapter Fonds, 1934-1980

The I.O.D.E. as we currently know it today was founded in 1900 by Margaret Polson Murray of Montreal, who recognized a need for loyal support of Canadians departing to fight in the Boer War with the Empire forces in South Africa. She encouraged the formation of a federation of women to promote patriotism, loyalty and service to others. The first chapter was formed in Fredericton, New Brunswick on January 15th 1900. Primary chapters were formed in quick succession across Canada. In 1901, Edith Boulton Nordheimer was elected the first national president, the location of the head office became Toronto, Ontario and the federation was incorporated as Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire and Children of the Empire Junior Branch. The Duke of Kent Chapter was formed in 1934 and was disbanded in 1980. During the 1970’s the name I.O.D.E. was officially adopted. It is a federally chartered not-for-profit, charitable organization. Structured to report under the jurisdiction of the National chapter are the Provincial chapters, the Municipal chapters and the Primary chapters. The I.O.D.E. is associated with the Victory League in England and Daughters of the British Empire in the United States and it is proud of its heritage and traditions. Queen Elizabeth II is the current patron of the organization and although chapters sometimes disband there are always new chapters forming, including e-chapters that meet through 21st century electronics.

Rittermere Farm Craft Studio Fonds, 1951-2006

During the 1950’s, the Rittenhouse family of Vineland in the Niagara Peninsula opened a craft store and studio. Within a short period of time, they realized that resources for the craft of rug hooking were in demand and they began to build their business around this niche. Edna Rittenhouse, the mother, was the wool dyer; Margaret Rowan, the daughter, was the pattern designer; Ted Rowan, the son-in-law, changed careers and became the manager of the family business. The 1960’s were a prosperous time, not only in the Niagara Peninsula, but also for the Rittenhouse business. Edna Rittenhouse had been hooking rugs for decades but she and her family worked at developing and sharing newer techniques with newer materials. Shading manuals were authored and published; students became teachers; creativity abounded in the demand for and the creation of new designs. Instead of using woolen yarn, they were using pure woolen fabric; instead of using a standard cutter, they began using a uniquely designed cutter; instead of using frames, they employed a table top method. The new material and technique resulted in a rug with a smooth, uniform texture and a soft nap. Since many crafters belonged to crafters guilds, Margaret and Ted Rowan began promoting the idea of a guild for rug hookers and in time the Ontario Hooking Craft Guild was also a reality. A joint project between Chatelaine magazine and the Rittermere studio for Canada’s centennial year of 1967 was extremely well received within the circle of hooking crafters and the Rittermere Farm Craft Studio became a North American landmark for crafters. From this point onward the studio had a large customer base not only in North America but also overseas. The studio remained popular until 1984 when Margaret and Ted Rowan decided to retire. The Rittermere name has been preserved in the name of Rittermere-Hurst-Field which is a similar business located in Aurora which is just north of Toronto.

Great Lakes Waterways Development Association

This archive contains materials relating to the Great Lakes Waterways Development Association. The collection contains correspondence, financial information, clippings, biographical materials, media releases, presentations and publications. The bulk of the materials are correspondence.

City of St. Catharines fonds, 1951-1964, 1970-1973, 1978-1982, n.d.

The fonds contains materials relating to the City of St. Catharines from the 1950s to 1980s. The materials included are correspondence, clippings, media releases, and some photographs. Folders are arranged alphabetically and then chronologically within each series. The series are arranged alphabetically.

Rick Bell Family fonds, 1874-1875, 1879, 1884, 1886, 1888-1889, 1896, 1898, 1909-1910, 1939, 1945, n.d.

Lewis Tyrell married Jane Gains on August 31, 1849 in Culpeper Court House, Virginia. Jane Gains was a spinster. Lewis Tyrell died September 25, 1908 at his late residence, Vine St. and Welland Ave., St. Catharines, Ont. at the age of 81 years, 5 months. Jane Tyrell died March 1, 1886, age 64 years. Their son? William C. Tyrell died January 15, 1898, by accident in Albany, NY, age 33 years, 3 months. John William Taylor married Susan Jones were married in St. Catharines, Ont. on August 10, 1851 by William Wilkinson, a Baptist minister. On August 9, 1894 Charles Henry Bell (1871-1916), son of Stephen (1835?-1876) and Susan Bell, married Mary E. Tyrell (b. 1869?) daughter of Lewis and Alice Tyrell, in St. Catharines Ontario. By 1895 the Bell’s were living in Erie, Pennsylvania where children Delbert Otto (b. 1895) and Edna Beatrice (b. 1897) were born. By 1897 the family was back in St. Catharines where children Lewis Tyrell (b. 1899), Gertrude Cora (b. 1901), Bessie Jane (b. 1902), Charles Henry (b. 1906), Richard Nelson (b. 1911) and William Willoughby (b. 1912) were born. Charles Henry Bell operated a coal and ice business on Geneva Street. In the 1901 Census for St. Catharines, the Bell family includes the lodger Charles Henry Hall. Charles Henry Hall was born ca. 1824 in Maryland, he died in St. Catharines on November 11, 1916 at the age of 92. On October 24, 1889 Charles Hall married Susan Bell (1829-1898). The 1911 Census of Canada records Charles Henry Hall residing in the same household as Charles Henry and Mary Bell. The relationship to the householder is step-father. It is likely that after Stephen Bell’s death in 1876, his widow, Susan Bell married Hall. In 1939, Richard Nelson Bell, son of Charles Henry and Mary Tyrell Bell, married Iris Sloman. Iris (b. 22 May 1912 in Biddulph Township, Middlesex, Ontario) was the daughter of Albert (son of Joseph b. 1870 and Elizabeth Sloman, b. 1872) and Josie (Josephine Ellen) Butler Sloman of London, Ont. Josie (b. 1891) was the daughter of Everett Richard and Elizabeth McCarthy (or McCarty) Butler, of Lucan Village, Middlesex North. According to the 1911 Census of Canada, Albert, a Methodist, was a porter on the railroad. His wife, Josephine, was a Roman Catholic. Residing with Albert and Josie were Sanford and Sadie Butler and Sidney Sloman, likely siblings of Albert and Josephine. The Butler family is descended from Peter Butler, a former slave, who had settled in the Wilberforce Colony in the 1830s. Rick Bell b. 1949 in Niagara Falls, Ont. is the son of Richard Nelson Bell. In 1979, after working seven years as an orderly at the St. Catharines General Hospital while also attending night school at Niagara College, Rick Bell was hired by the Thorold Fire Dept. He became the first Black professional firefighter in Niagara. He is a founding member of the St. Catharines Junior Symphony; attended the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1966 and also performed with the Lincoln & Welland Regimental Band and several other popular local groups. Upon the discovery of this rich archive in his mothers’ attic he became passionate about sharing his Black ancestry and the contributions of fugitive slaves to the heritage Niagara with local school children. He currently resides in London, Ont.

Lt. Col. John Clark Papers, 1838-1851 [photocopy]

Lt. Col. John Clark (1787-1862) was born in Kingston, Upper Canada. In 1801 Clark became a private in the 1st regiment of the Lincoln Militia, serving under Ralfe Clench. By June 1812 he was promoted to lieutenant by Maj. Gen. Sir Isaac Brock. During the War of 1812 he served as lieutenant and adjutant for the Lincoln Militia flank company on the Niagara frontier under Col. William Claus, and was present at the surrender of the enemy at the battle of Queenston Heights. By 1838 the Lincoln Militia was being re-organized and Lt. Col John Clark was requested to lead the 5th Regiment, made up of men from both Grantham and Louth townships in Lincoln County. He served in this capacity until his retirement in 1851?. Around this same time Clark bought from William May Jr. a house in Grantham Township. He was to call his home Walnut Dale Farm. John Clark also served as the customs collector for Port Dalhousie, and as a secretary in the Welland Canal Company. One hundred years later efforts by a local heritage group to save John Clark’s home failed, when the house was hit by arsonists. By this time the house had become known as the May-Clark-Seiler House. See RG 195 Anne Taylor Fonds for more information regarding the efforts of the heritage group to save this home. Clark died in 1862 at the age of 79 years and is buried in Victoria Lawn Cemetery. John Clark’s daughter Catherine (mentioned in the diary portion of the papers) was married to William Morgan Eccles.