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Adapted from a letter written by Ron Walker
Ailsa Craig the little Village of 900 population, is located north-west
of London on the former Highway Number 7, in the County of Middlesex. The first
name, after the railway went through, was Craig's Station, in honour of our founder
David Craig. There was another place of this same name and therefore Craig's
Station was changed to Ailsa Craig after the famous rock at the mouth of the
river Clyde in Scotland.
Prior to the year 1873 and for some time subsquent to that date, Middlesex
County was an unbroken wilderness, its solitued being disturbed only by the natives
or an occasional Canadian trader, lead hitherto in quest of furs, which could
be obtained from the natvies in exchange for beads or other trinkets.
The Canada Company was incorporated, in London, England in 1826. Nearly two and a half
million acres of land were bought very cheaply from the Province of Upper Canada.
Over one million acres of this land proved very fertile, and still is. It lies
between the head of Lake Ontario and across to Lake Huron.
John Galt, after whom the city of Galt is named, was a very active member
of the Canada Company. He advised many of the finest settlers to take up land
in this area.
A little after 1832 the Canada Company built the Goderich roadway through
part of London, on through Biddulph, McGillivray and part of East and West Williams
townships. The northern part of the village is in McGillivray Township and the
southern part is in East Williams, the main street being the dividing line.
The townships are all named after directors of the Canada Company.
Mr. David Craig, and an Irishman named Risk were the first settlers here in
1835. The Seneca Tribe, lead by Chief Big Bow and fifty of his warriors along
with women and children spent the year of 1836, living on what is now lot 25,
north of the old CNR line bed (the property which takes the river bed).
When they left the following spring no less than 140 forequarters of deer were
left behind. This became a yearly stopping grounds for hunting, as the area
was rich with deer, wild turkey, bear, rabbit and numerous fowl. It has been
reported that there was many skulls, Indian arrowheads as well as a peace pipe
found on this camping ground.
The Village of Ailsa Craig began to settle about 1858, when the Grand Trunk
Railroad begun, later to become the CNR. The village was incorporated in 1874.
The dividing line was between the properties of David Craig to the North of the
present Main Street and Mr. William G. Shipley owning the South side. Land was
surveyed, lots sold and a settlement begun, which grew rapidly.
David Craig, a native of Ayrshire, Scotland, named the village, by recalling
the name of the celebrated rock which stands on the South of the Clyde River in
Scotland, which as a lad, he could see from his boyhood home. Geologists have
been puzzled to classify rock. It is unique -- partakes of the qualities of
both granite and green stone which makes it suitable for curling stones. At
one time being the supplier of curling stones to the world, unfortunately the
supply has been exhausted. It is too slippery for paving stones and too hard
for monuments.
Mr. Craig named the streets to the north division while Mr.Shipley named
the south streets, running east and west, after his three children: William, George,
and Annie Ada.
W.K. Atkinson, a native of Ireland arrived in Toronto in 1850. In 1858 he
moved further west, and in 1860 set up a store in Ailsa Craig. In 1868 Mr.
Atkinson with Mr. Lionel Shipley started the North Middlesex Fair Association, thiw
was the fore runner of the Western Fair in London and for many years was the
largest fair in the area.
Ailsa Craig had begun to grow with doctors, jewler and watchmaker, grocers,
banks and a druggest as well as flax mill, shoemaker and dry goods stores.
In 1858 the railroad made its way to the area and this really put Ailsa Craig
on the map. Unfortunately, towns like Carlisle, became ghost towns and even
some businesses moved from Carlisle, building and all. The present T. Stephenson
and Sons Funeral Home is one such business.
There were large stands of hardwood forests in the area which supported the
need for fuel as well as a very marketable commodity, in the form of logs and
lumber. It has been said that this was one of the largest lumber shipping yards
around, and it was not unusual to have many streets, lined with wagons, loaded with
logs, waiting to be loaded on the rail cars.
The authors great grandfather was married in 1897 and his farm backed onto
the rail line, and I have been told that a train went on this line every twenty
minutes at that time.
This wonderful opportunity, with the presence of the rail caused the stock
yards to grow until Ailsa Craig was the largest stock yards east of Calgary. This
lasted well into the '30's. At one time the cattle were loaded onto ships
and then taken to England as well as other European ports.
A brass band was organized in 1860 by Mr. William Rosser. About 1862,
Mr. Edwin Chapman became the band leader and the band grew to a membership of
78 and won many awards for their musical expertise.
Ailsa Craig has always been an exciting place to live and I have only touched
on the tip of the ice berg of what an exciting past we have had and I certainly
hope we will be around for many years to come.
Daivd Craig
David Craig was an engineer by trade. Mr. Craig had erected six
large engines for the sugar plantations on the island of Cuba before coming
to this county in 1835, two years prior to Queen Victoria's coronation.
Exercising his skill, he built three bridges in McGillivrary Township at his
own expense.
Mrs. Craig lived in a log house, until this present residence was built
in 1864. For nine months she never saw the face of a white woman. She shared
with her husband the trials and vicissitudes only known to the early settlers.
Later in life she became and invalid. Her bedroom was partitioned off from
the dining room, whith a window to the east facing the main road to McGillivrary.
A rope pulley was placed in the ceiling so she could raise herself to a sitting
position.
There were three daughters, one of whom married Mr. Jamieson. He was a
blacksmith by trade, and the street on which his shop was located is named
Jamieson. It runs south from the museum, across Main Street to the park.
The other daughters moved away from here after their marriages.
There were two sons, one of whom very little is known about.
Another son, David Henry, was born in 1844. His career was very bright
due to the advantages of education. His property was reckoned to be the most
valuable in the county. At 33 he married Miss Sara Shoults. He was considered
a most perfect gentleman-- strictly temperate. Of this union there was a son,
Roland, who grew up to be a fine man and came back to Ailsa Craig for his bride,
Miss Annie McKay.
Unfortunately, David H Craig's later life would not prove to be so good.
He started gambling on horse racing and he mortgaged the property and lost it.
Mr. David Craig Senior, the "Grand Old Man" of Ailsa Craig, lived out his
final years with a neice, Mrs. Eliza Craig Dorman on the seventh concession of
McGillivrary Township.
William G. Shipley
William G. Shipley chose the property to the south of the Main Street,
surveyed and sold lots. A settlement began to grow rapidly. In 1877 forty-four
new buildings were erected. His house stands today and is the home of the
Worgan family. There were two sons William and George and a daughter Ada. All
are deceased and there are no heirs. The three streets running east and west
are named William, George and Annie Ada Shipley.
For some reason Mr. Shipley's fortune began to wane. Just was he was on the
verge of bankruptcy, a young man named Rawlinson, arrived here from England.
He evidently was one of many, whose wealthy family supplied them with money and sent them to the
colonies in order that they would make a new beginning. He fell deeply in love
with Ada, but that love would not be returned. She was a frail girl and it is
said spent much time in bed. It is said that there was great tennis courts
on her father's lawn, and after an eveing of playing tennis the young people
would gather around her window for a chat before going home. If Mr. Rawlinson
was in the the company of these young people he was deeply spurned by Miss Ada.
Mr. Rawlinson approached Mr. Shipley with an offer of money for his
daughters hand in marriage, and as he was a man desperate for help financially,
he accepted and his influence was exerted on his daughter.
Then one day the news spread around the village like wild fire, that the
Rawlinson - Shipley wedding would take place that very afternoon, and they
would be leaving on a train for Toronto at 3pm. Everybody hurried with their
daily rounds so as to catch a glimpse of the young couple, who had been
forced into marriage, leaving for their wedding trip. Two days later word
arrived in Ailsa Craig that Ada had died in a Toronto Hotel. Mr. Rawlinson
was said to have left for Western Canada.
Trinity Anglican Church
In 1869, David Craig of Ailsa Craig donated lot fifty - one to the Diocese
of Huron on the terms that the deed would become void is the Diocese did not
erect, within three years " a good and commodious building for general uses of the
United Church of England and Ireland in the province of Ontario." This is now
known as the Anglican Church of Canada. Trinity Church was built in 1870
and consecrated on August 4, 1872 when it was fully paid for Rev. W. Davis
officiated at the consecreation. It was closed in 1993.
The church is distinctive as one of the few frame chruches in the area.
Originally, it had two large iron wood-burning stoves with pipes running the
full length of the building ending in two chimneys. The parish hall was added
around the turn of the century and provided a place for meetings, suppers,
Sunday school and other such occasions.
The large brick rectory was built in 1900 next to the church following a
fire which claimed the smaller frame one.
The steeple was renovated in 1963, and contains the original bell which
still rings.
The new kitchen and washroom facilities were added in September 1978.
At one time Trinity Anglican Church, St. Mary's Church, Brinsley and Christ
Church McGillivrary, constitued one parish. However, the Parish was rearranged
when Christ Church was moved to Centrailia where it was sold and two churches
could not continue alone. In approximately, 1967, Trinity and St. Mary's
joined with St.James Anglican Church in Parkhill. The rectory was sold in 1968.
The Ailsa Craig and District Historical Society formed and purchased the
building in 1996 and with the help of a government grant, Training Iniatives,
the building has been spared and returned to some of its former glory.
There is new drywall, insulation and paint in the original colours.
Claims to Fame
Dr. Norman Bethune
Lived in Ailsa Craig for a brief period of time as his father was an
interim Presbyterian Church Minister
Dr. Frederick Banting
Co-discoverer of insulin spent much of his childhoold on a farm which
is now Maguire Road
Mr. Earl Ross
In 1973 was the first Canadian to win Nascar Rookie of the Year
Mr. John Campbell
is now a resident of New York State but grew up in Ailsa Craig and has
had the most wins of any sulky jockey in North American Histroy- was
inducted into the horse racing hall of fame along with his grandfather,
Duncan R. Campbell
Mr. Robert and Mr. Sinclair McIntosh
World lawn bowling championships in the 1950's
Alex M. Stewart
Inducted into the Agricultural Hall of Fame. Was the "Oat King". Developing
many new varities of seed oats.
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