Post #7 - Research Continues on Remarkable Residents of Merrickville
As we head into the last month of the summer and my last few weeks with MDHS, my attention has turned almost entirely to the Remarkable Residents Book Project. With over one-third of the book now complete, the project has made tremendous progress, but there is still much work to be done. Every profile is being researched and written with the utmost care to ensure that each individual’s story is as accurate, detailed and engaging as possible.
Bringing these lives to light requires an extensive range of historical sources. Primary records such as Ontario census records from 1851 all the way to 1931, land registry records for Wolford and Montague Townships, and historic maps from the 1860s and 1880s for both Leeds-Grenville and Lanark Counties have been invaluable. Together these sources allow me to trace individuals through time, follow their movements throughout the region and determine when they first arrived in the Merrickville area. Census records in particular, provide a remarkable glimpse into everyday life, revealing occupations, family relationships, ages, marital status, property ownership, and even the types of homes people lived in. They are truly a treasure trove of information.
Historic newspapers have also proven to be an unexpectedly rich source. While they rarely provide complete list stories, they capture moments that official records often overlook -community events, business ventures, personal milestones, and noteworthy accomplishments that offer fascinating snapshots into the lives of Merrickville’s residents. Among the most valuable publications I have consulted are The Ottawa Citizen, The Star Chronicle (Merrickville), The Merrickville Star, The Advance (Kemptville), and The Kingston Whig-Standard.
These primary sources are complemented by a number of important secondary works. Richard Tatley’s 1979 work entitled Industries and Industrialists of Merrickville 1792-1979 has been instrumental in understanding the profession and personal lives of Merrickville’s manufacturers, millers, and entrepreneurs who built and shaped Merrickville’s industrial economy. Glen Lockwood’s Montague: A Social History of an Irish Ontario Township: 1783-1980 and Thaddeus Leavitt’s History of Leeds and Grenville Ontario: From 1749-1879 have likewise provided invaluable context, particularly for the area’s earliest pioneer settlers and their contributions to both Merrickville and the surrounding region. By bringing together information from these diverse sources, I have been able to reconstruct detailed biographies of many of the people who once called Merrickville home. While not every resident led a sensational life, each made meaningful contributions to the community in ways both large and small. Their stories deserve to be remembered.
So far, my research has focused on the book’s earliest chapters, covering approximately twenty individuals who lived in Merrickville from the village’s founding in the early 1790s until 1845. These individuals played a central role in establishing the community and laying the foundations for its future prosperity. They include the likes of Thomas Watchorn (1828-1879), whose leadership heled make Merrickville a centre for Woollen manufacturing; Edward Errett (1823-1904) a local lumberman turned miller who supplied much of the timber used for the village’s early development and civic infrastructure; John Mills (1832-1924), owner of Merrickville’s most successful furniture business and funeral parlour, who established a furniture factory on the island; Mary Ann Hayden Church (1807-1877), the first recognized female preacher in the newly formed Universalist Society of Upper Canada who played an important role in the religious life of Merrickville, and Samuel Jakes (1833-1912), a prominent local merchant with a successful general store in the heart of the village and one of Merrickville’s longest standing postmasters, holding the position for nearly forty-five years. Their stories, and many more, are explored in greater depth throughout the book.
One of the most rewarding discoveries so far has been uncovering the remarkable connections between Merrickville’s residents. Although they came from a wide variety of backgrounds and professions, many became linked through business partnerships, marriages, shared civic responsibilities, and community organizations. Seeing these relationships emerge has reinforced how deeply local history is shaped by human connection. The Remarkable Residents Book Project is not simply a collection of biographies; it is the story of a community and the people whose lives became intertwined in building Merrickville's rich and enduring history.