THE WILLSONS OF HEMLOCK GROVE FARMS
By Ward Willson Woolner, M.D.
On March 23rd, 1837, Ephraim Willson purchased 224 acres of land, being the east half of lot 37, German Company Tract in Waterloo Township, from Andrew Kaufman. This land was nearly all covered with forest, maple, beech and pine on the uplands and on the lowland hemlock, cedar and ash grew in abundance. It was good soil. Gravel and sand were found in the hills at the south-west corner. It was quite rolling and so fairly well drained. This farm is three miles west of Kitchener and south of Provincial Highway numbers seven and eight.
Ephraim Willson, his wife, a son, Ephraim, and a daughter Amy, had arrived in Upper Canada, from Yorkshire, England, a few years before taking up land. They first lived in the Martin Settlement, north of Waterloo. The first wife is buried in the Martin cemetery with it’s row upon row of white stones.
In 1835 he married Mrs. Elizabeth Gofton, who had also come from England. She had several children by her first marriage. The Goftons settled on farms in Wilmot and Blenheim Townships, some with financial assistance from the step-father. The Goftons were good farmers and were well and favourably known in the community.
From the second marriage another son was born when the mother was 45 years old. He was named Isaac and was the father of the family about whom most of this history is written. This branch owned the north half of the farm for 110 years.
Ephraim Jr., married and took possession of the south half in 1849. About 1870 this branch of the family sold their farm and took up residence in Lambton County. One son, however, was a photographer in Waterloo and had a studio on King St. He followed his brothers and sisters to Lambton County later and lived in Sarnia. His only child, Harvey, was in the hardware business in Paris until his death about fifteen years ago. This part of the farm was purchased by Henry Shantz and after the barn burned in 1890 E. W. Willson added it to the north farm which he owned.
Isaac Willson purchased Hemlock Grove Farm in 1858 but his father, Ephraim, continued to reside there until his death in 1872. Isaac Willson married Mary McCloy, and Ephraim’s second wife having died in 1853, he married his third wife, Mrs. Margaret McCloy of Preston. Mrs. McCloy was the mother of Isaac’s wife. The third wife lived on the old farm until her death at 84.She was thus the writers great-grandmother on both sides. She was a typical Scotch-Irish character.
Amy Willson, Ephraim’s only daughter, married a Brighton (John) and many of the Brightons who reside in Waterloo County are descendants.
Isaac Willson had attended the local school and what was then Grammar School in downtown Berlin. His health was not good, so he took up his father’s farm and continued to farm until his death in 1883. His wife Mary continued to make her home there until her death at 86 years. Mary was a wonderful assistant in her own family of five and to all the neighbors. When a midwife or nurse was needed she was ready to go through all kinds of weather and roads. Some of her grandchildren owe their lives to her care.
Isaac and Mary Willson had five children. Alexander, after his marriage to Matilda Joanna Stauffer, farmed for a few years on the Waterloo-St. Agatha road. He moved to Michigan and in 1898 he took up land in Alberta. He had 6 sons.
Margaret married Isaac N. Woolner. The Woolners lived on a farm just south of the Willsons. They farmed for six years. Then they lived in New Hamburg, Berlin, Harriston and Toronto. They had four children, of whom the writer was the eldest. Margaret passed away in Toronto in 1927.
Isabella married Josiah Stauffer and they lived all their lives in, or near, Waterloo. Harley, Mary ( Mrs. Roy Becker ) and Violet ( Mrs. Wilfred Snyder ) survive.
Ephraim William Willson was their fourth child and for sixty years or more he was the centre of the whole Willson clan. He took over the old farm on his father’s death in 1883 when he was only 21 years old. He had the care of his mother and grandmother for years. He married Mary Anthes of Waterloo. They had five children. Leslie, the eldest, was killed in a motor accident in Winnipeg. Ford, who farmed for a few years on the south farm, then moved to Preston where he operated an ice business and later added coal and wood. Ford has been very active in the municipal life of Preston and was elected Reeve for 1950. If the usual practice is followed he will be Warden of the County of Waterloo for 1950. Besides his father, who is in his 88th year, Ford is the only descendant of the original Ephraim Willson living in this county, who bears the name of Willson. ( Ford Willson is Warden for 1950. )
William Clare is a druggist in Walkerville.
Norma married the late Harry Hattin, barrister of Kitchener. Her father makes his home with her.
Marthabelle, the youngest, lives with her husband, William Cook and family in far-off Buenos Aires, Argentina.
E. W. Willson took over Hemlock Grove Farm in 1883 and owned it until 1947. His home was the gathering place of the Willsons. Cousins and nephews, nieces and his own family holidayed there. Seldom a week-end passed without some of the relative being on hand. For nearly twenty years it was the second home for the writer and Uncle Will was a father confessor and almost a second father.
E. W. Wilson took and active part in municipal affairs. He was, for about forty years, a trustee of School Section No. 8, Waterloo, and much of that time was secretary-treasurer. His father had been a trustee and secretary for this school section. Will Willson was a member of the Waterloo Township Council and assessor for several years.
E. W. Willson was a lover of good horses and a breeder of many purebred Shorthorn cattle and Leicester sheep.
Arthur Willson, the youngest son of Isaac and Mary Willson, attended the local high school, Berlin High School and Berlin Model School. He taught school for three years and then entered Toronto University. He graduated in Medicine in 1889. He immediately began practice in Plattsville where he had a large clientele until ill health forced him to retire. He passed away in 1937. Dr. Willson married Ada Perry of Woodstock. Their eldest son was killed in action in France in the war of 1914-18. A daughter, Dorothy ( Mrs. Donald Merner ), resides in New Hamburg and a son, Beverly, lives in St. Thomas.
The Willsons were members of Trinity Methodist, afterwards Trinity United Church, Kitchener. E. W. Willson and family have been quite active in the work of their church.
While today nearly all the farms west of Kitchener are operated by families of Pennsylvania or German stock, in the 1840's several English names were found on the farm deeds. Besides the Willsons, the Godbolts, Markhams, Goftons, Woods, Winghams, Woolners, and Chapmans lived west and south of Hemlock Grove Farm.
Thus times change and families disappear from Communities and find homes in other parts of the world.
(Mr. F. W. R. Dickson collected much of this material of this article.)
This article was originally published in the 1949
Annual Volume of the
Waterloo Historical Society. For more information, check the WHS web site
at
www.whs.ca