The Watson Family, continued!
by Jim PaulIn the Fall Newsletter, you will remember that we told you about Joseph Watson who had 16 children with his first wife. We concentrated upon William because so many of his descendants still have connections with Stayner. However, we have learned that at least FIVE of Joseph’s other children have offspring still living in this community! We couldn’t resist another installment.
1. Richard, the eldest, born in Whitchurch Township (1841-1925) later moved to Sunnidale, where a string of Watson farms extended along Sunnidale Road. He married Catherine McTaggart (1840-1930). Of their 4 children, we look at Malcolm (or Mike) who married Mary Shaw.
Their daughter, Mary married Tasker Grant, champion sheep breeder. Daughter, Marie, and husband, Allen, still live in Stayner. Sons Chris and Brian have carried on in Grandfather Tasker’s footsteps having over 500 purebred sheep at present.
Malcolm’s daughter, Velma, married R.O.Dickey, local feed mill operator and trucker. Of this family , Oscar and Shirley are still in the area. Eric, Mary and Marjorie are deceased.
Another daughter of Malcolm’s, Florence, married Clyde Newton, lived on William Street and had daughter, Audrey.
Malcolm’s, son, Ken, married Dorothy Robertson of Stayner, and they had a daughter, Marilyn.
2. We next arrive at John (1844-1933) whose wife was Mary Ann Scott (1836-1903).Two of their 6 children still have connections in Stayner.
Daughter, Carrie married Robert Allen, a well-known housepainter. Their son, Ken (recently deceased) and wife, Maureen, long-time residents on Main Street, had family - Robert, Richard, Catherine and Peter.
John’s son, druggist/grocer Thomas John (TJ) married Ada Clark (3 in their family - Clark, Floreen, Thomas) They died tragically in 1922. Their son, Tom (also TJ) married Dorothy McCandlish of Stayner (family Mary Jane, Martha and Rick). He was a champion golfer, and presently resides at Creedan Valley Nursing Home in Creemore.
As was often the case in large families, two sisters would marry two brothers. Hannah Watson (1856-1929) married George Hughes (1848-1890). Sister, Sarah Ann (1843-1928) married Thomas Hughes (1847-1932).
3. In Sunnidale Township, Hannah and George raised 9 children. Two of them, John Henry and Archie, fit into our Stayner story. George tragically drowned in the Nottawasaga River at age 42.
Their son, John Henry (1880-1944) married Levina Hollingshead. John was the builder of many of Stayner’s fine homes. Their family was Gladys, Dorothy, and Glenn. Daughter, Gladys Cameron, and her daughter, Brenda Giffen, still live here. Brenda and Gerald have a son, Derek.
Archie Hughes (1884-1920) married Minnie Grainger. Their son, Walter, was a lifelong resident of Stayner, as was daughter, Ida. Both resided on Sunnidale Street. Walter remained a bachelor. Most of Ida (1911-1971), and husband, John Paul’s four children remained in town - J.D (married to Phyllis Knox - family Jim, Judy and Marjorie), Ruth married Johnnie Miller (8 of her 11 children still here: Bob, Pat, Terry, Jack, David, Glen, Carol Ann, and Nancy) Dorothy (married Ken Barker - family Audrey, Shirley, Tom and Paul), and Lois, deceased.
4. Sarah Ann and Thomas Hughes farmed in Sunnidale and had 7 children. Daughter Louisa is of interest to us because her granddaughter is Betty Patterson! Several of Betty and Bill’s family still live in the area - Dave, Donna, Ron, Ted, Martha, and Mike.
5. The final member of Joseph Watson’s family that we wish to introduce to you is Ephemia (1850-1916). She married Ira Spicher (1841-1918). Of their family of 7 children, we are interested in son, Joseph, who married Isabella Shaw. Their daughter, Ottylene, married Alex Culham (family David, Marilyn and Judith).
Joseph Spicher, as a young man, traveled into Northern Ontario in winter to sharpen saws used in the lumber industry - he learned this trade from his Spicher grandfather! En route, he would visit Watson grandparents (Joseph Watson and his second wife, Jannet were living in Michigan State near Sault Ste Marie by this time).
Ottylene and Adeline (Verner) have given us an anecdote which illustrates life in Stayner over half a century ago. It seems that as teenagers, Adeline and Ottylene were living with Grandma and Grandpa Watson on Weir Street during the winter while they attended Continuation School. Ottylene’s after school task was to milk the cow (as part of the agreement to stay there). After Grandma supervised the separating of the cream, Otty’s job was to take a pail of milk to each of the three aunts’ houses on Weir Street - all Watson aunts and all living side-by-side.
When you consider the connections that occurred through the marriages mentioned above and in the previous newsletter, you realize the huge impact that Joseph Watson had on this community - think of all the families connected - the Culhams, the Pauls, the Spichers, the Pattersons, and many more. No wonder, people say that everyone is related!
This story originally published in the Spring, 2001 issue of our newsletter