Rooting around for Roots

At 5AM we woke up to the patter of rain on the tent.....so we quickly grabbed our tarp, and pegged it down over the tent, and then back to bed for a few more hours. When we finally got up at 8:30, we were between showers, so packed up the camp, and then had a quick breakfast before heading into London for some more family research. Timing was good....the rain started seriously to pour, and stayed that way while we were in the London Library downtown, studying microfiche films of old newspapers and historical records. We were able to find some of what we were looking for, but we still have a few mysteries which will need to be solved elsewhere......perhaps in Kincardine, or Southampton. By early afternoon, we were visiting my gt-uncle and aunt, Bill and Grace, and my cousin Linda, all interred in the St. Peter's Cemetery. We also found Grace's father there. Then, with a short stop for groceries, we were northbound out of London. There are numerous sweet corn stands along the road, so we had to pick up a few cobs of freshly picked corn for dinner. As we passed the village of Birr, just north of London, we searched for some Hodgins ancestors, but we either had the wrong cemetery, or our people are not marked there. The general store in Birr specializes in ice cream, though, so we refreshed ourselves with a big ice cream cone each, before continuing north, and finding a campsite just north of Goderich. We set up camp, and barbecued some trout we'd bought, along with our corn, and then sat overlooking Lake Huron to watch a lovely sunset - something this side of Lake Huron is famous for. Thursday morning was overcast, but no rain was in the forecast, so we packed up, and headed into Goderich for a look around. We visited the town museum, which is surprisingly large, and very thoroughly presents the history of the Huron Tract and Goderich area. Included in our $5.00 admission was entry into the Marine Museum, at the harbour. The wheelhouse of an old freighter serves as this part of the museum, and has many interesting photos and paraphernalia relating to the history of Goderich area marine life.






Goderich Marine Museum



I was unable, however, to shed any further light on my gt-gt-grandfather, John McKay, who was a captain in schooners and steamers in Lake Huron in the mid to late 1800's. We then set out to find some more of our interred ancestors, this time in Ripley. We found many, but a few still eluded us. One in particular, Allen McKinnon, was the first person buried in Ripley.....but we found no sign of him. There was rumoured to be an older, pioneer cemetery near Ripley, however, so we set out on a quest to find it. I questioned the postmistress who thought there might be the remains of an old Presbyterian church just south and east of Ripley on the 6th Concession, so we set out. A farmer passing by us (we looked lost, so he stopped to help us) advised that his boys played at an old cemetery back in the bush.....he pointed the way, but didn't know any easy way to get to it. So we set out, walking the fields between rows of Soy Beans and Corn, and then followed a riverbank, crawling under a fence-gate, and then over an electrified fence, before we found the cemetery. Somebody has gone to a lot of trouble to preserve the remaining stones, and some are even restored.....but I'd be surprised if many people make it here, a little over a half-mile from any roads, and well-hidden in the bush.




Linda crawling under a gate to find the old Pioneer Cemetery







We found it, but none of our ancestors. From the looks of it, most of those interred here are Scots from the Lewis migration to Bruce. We had time to search the Lucknow cemetery, as well, and found a few more of our people there. Then it was time to camp for the night. So west and north we went, to the south edge of Kincardine, setting up camp in the Aintree Park, near Boiler Beach. We're to meet my brother here on Friday night, when he drives a camper in, and we will spend the weekend visiting, and seeing my aunt and uncle who still live here. This is also the weekend of the mass bands, when the Kincardine Pipe Band joins up with many other pipe bands for a Scottish extravaganza. I do happen to have a fair bit of Scottish blood in my veins, so a weekend of pipe bands sounds pretty good. We took a walk along the almost endless sands of Boiler Beach, before going to bed.
Friday morning we moved our tent to the site next to the one we'd stayed in, in preparation for meeting up with brother John in the evening. Then we headed south and east again, to find more cemeteries. It took us quite a while to find the one in Kinlough, where we were looking for ancestors of a cousin we'd offered to help......unfortunately, although we found the cemetery, most of the stones are gone or unreadable, and most of those we were looking for were unfindable. Whle searching for the cemetery, we'd stopped at Lois's Hairdressing Salon for directions, and got Linda a haircut. Then it was time to investigate the Kinloss Cemetery. You'd think that it would be in the village of Kinloss, but it isn't - it's actually the South Kinloss Presbyterian Cemetery, and it's in the north end of Lucknow. We had just arrived, and found the first of several ancestors we were trying to find, when the rain started. I don't mind walking in the rain, but the lettering on the headstones disappears when it's all wet - so we had to call it a day for that, and headed back to Kincardine. I called my Uncle Jack to invite him out to dinner, and he and his partner, Myla, asked us to come for a visit first. They live only a few blocks from the phone booth, so we were there in less than five minutes, and enjoyed a good visit. We ended up sharing a couple of wee drams, and got a pizza and wine for dinner. I also managed to hand off the audio books we'd been listening to in the car, as Jack, in his 90th year, is losing his eyesight, and I felt he might enjoy listening to some books. My aunt, Orlo, was away on vacation, but due back soon......so perhaps a bit later on we can get a visit with her. By 8PM it was time to head back to our campsite, to meet with brother John on his arrival. He rolled in with a beautiful big motorhome, and rolled out a big awning over the picnic table - at least we'd be able to eat and stay dry in the numerous rainshowers we were still getting - and which were forecast for the weekend.




Camping with John's Motorhome






By the time he was all set up, and we'd had a few beers and rum drinks over a catch-up, it was after 1AM, and time for bed, so we crawled off under our tarp for the night.
Saturday morning was still cloudy with occasional rainshowers, but we still managed to fit in a walk on the beach with the dogs, and to visit with John and Louise. We then piled into our car and headed into town, stopping for a visit with a family friend, Gordon Campbell, and then continuing on to the Legion for a few beers and to have a go at winning dinner through the Meat Draw. The beers went down well, and we got in touch with Uncle Jack, who walked over the two blocks to join us for a short time.



Visiting at the Legion with Louise, John, and Uncle Jack







Then back to our camp for a quick bite to eat (bbq'd hamburgers and salads), and back to town for the event of the summer - the mass bands. Kincardine has a very traditional Scottish air about it, and every Saturday in the summer, the Pipe Band marches down the main street and then throws a concert in the park. The last weekend of August, they host a Highland competition for Pipe Bands from all over, and in the Saturday evening, the bands mass together for a giant parade. In spite of the pouring rain, it was well attended by both bands and onlookers - likely about a thousand people lined the street and followed the huge band down the street and back, and listened to their selections. It took me back many years to the days I used to do the same thing. We managed to sleep very well that night in spite of the pouring rain. Sunday morning, the rain had not yet let up, and we huddled under John's awning for a bit of breakfast, then gathered up our tent from under the tarpaulin and got it put away without our bedding or foams getting too damp. The tent, however, was by then lying in a pool of water, as the ground had finally become saturated. Our next campsite will need to be dedicated to drying things off a bit. The showers finally abated, and John, Louise, Linda and I took the dogs to the beach for a romp, and then we packed up John's motorhome and bade them farewell.


Walking the dogs along Boiler Beach









We drove a couple of blocks to a small motel nearby, to reorganize and dry off, and catch up on laundry and internet. It is now August 31, and it appears we may need to occasionally do a motel to maintain our sanity, as fall is now approaching - and it wasn't exactly a great summer for camping! With a month of travelling left before arriving home, we will no doubt be in need of occasional comfort stops.....but the weather will dictate that more than anything.