Saturday, January 16, 2010

WHO AM I?

I have been entertaining myself lately by cataloging and rereading my genealogical resources.  This may sound boring to you, but I have often, and for a long time, been interested in the question, "Who am I".   I find it fascinating to get to know some of my ancestors and to find out if I can see some of myself in them!  I have been rereading about George Calvert, my 2nd great grandfather, who immigrated from Yorkshire, England to Port Hope, Canada in 1852.  He was my dad's grandfather.  Fortunately for me, he wrote a weekly column in the Lindsay Post (he lived in Lindsay), and here is some insight into his character: 
March 1880:  George Calvert celebrates his birthday.  I want to tell you a little news.  On Sunday the 29th of Feb 1880 was my birthday so I made up my mind to have a birthday dinner.  You will see that it is a rare thing to have a birthday on the 5th Sunday in February--so I fed up a turkey to 20 lb.  dressed and called my children together and we had a good time.  I will tell you the bill of fare:  turkey, roast beef, plum pudding, potatoes, and lettuce of my own growing also green onions and celery.  I also had the old cook that cooked my wedding dinner fifty-four yhears ago this month.  I think it will be some time before you are favored with news that can equal this.

In another post, he was talking about the farmer's market in a town a short distance away:    It is not a fit place for women to be after coming eight or ten miles.  They want to be in a warmer place.  Improve the market house and have a stove to warm the place for these fine women.

I like this story:  I sold some wood to a fellow in Port Hope for $1.25 a cord.  On the way with the first load, my sleigh pitched over 3 times and I had to reload.   I had contracted for 6 cord, so I fixed the sleigh.   When I got there, he said to return in 2 weeks and he would pay me.  So I called the next Saturday, and he told me to return on Tuesday.  I did so.  Still no cash--I was to return on Saturday--then Thursday, again..  Well, I had a wife and 4 kids, and my wife told me to not come home until I had the money.  So On Thursday, I took off my overcoat and said I was staying with him until Saturday.  However, he tried very hard to get me to go away, but I felt comfortable.   He made me terrible promises, so also did his wife, but I told him I would stop until I got the money, so he said he would try to borrow the amount.  He came back with $3.00.  I would not have it.  I would stop until I got it all and so I got it all in a short time.  I was glad to get out of the house, but that man never spoke to me after.  I knew he was rich.  We worked hard for what he had to pay.  If you think it is worthwhile, you can print these few lines.  I have nothing to do at present but to write a little. 


This man raised 9 of his own children and 2 grandchildren, whose parents were killed in a house fire.
I think too often we think of ancestors as dead people.  Maybe we should look at them as real people, and we can get to know them and apprediate them more.  I see a lot of myself in George.  I love to write and am somewhat opinionated.  I admire him for defending and respecting the women in his stories.  He was known as a devout Baptist (help build and pay for the church in Lindsay, and his son, John, acted as minister for a short time because they could find no one else to do it).  He was instrumental in having alchohalic beverages banned in the city of Lindsay. (my dad was also anti alchohol and never drank even a drop.  People used to give him Calvert whiskey at Christmas time, and it line a shelf in our basement, unopened!)   He was a master gardner and won many prizes for his produce.  He lived to be 85.  It's been kind of fun to get to know George!