As fair as the fabulous asphodels;
And flow 'rets which, drooping as day drooped too, Fell into pavilions, white, purple, and blue,
To roof the glow-worm from the evening dew.
– From The Sensitive Plant by Percy Shelly, March 1820
The Township of Asphodel, named by the Deputy Land Surveyor Richard Birdsall in 1820 from the recently penned poem of Shelly, was full of Irish Immigrants, the so called Peter Robinson Settlers. Like the Harrisons some had been bankrupt and others became unemployed or victims of famines. Peter Robinson had the grim task of selecting which Irish families would be settled in Upper Canada and who would not. Robert Harrison 's mentor and keeper Mr. Fortune, much to the benefit of the young lad, had the Government contract …show more content…
William had bought the two from a farmer in the southern part of Percy Township south of the Trent River some 25 km away. The Trent defines the border between Asphodel and Percy. William used these two oxen for the dual use of farming and lumbering. As the spring warmed and it became June the oxen were let out of the barns for feed on the lush grass for the very first time after they were bought, which was in 1831. That night, a relatively short one, for it was June, these two intrepid animals headed south through the bush, got to the Trent River, swam across it and by sometime the next day were found at the original owners gate, the place of their birth and perhaps some of their kin! Needless to say all would be …show more content…
(b 1840), 45 acres of land cleared and still had his two oxen and two milking cows. His assessment of his properties worth was now £70 and had grown a well respected position in the community. Together William and Margaret would have 8 children nicely balanced with 4 boys and 4 girls. His younger brother Robert was married in 1840 to Margaret Rea (b 1820, Ireland) and had only just started developing his farm on Lot 14 and the west half of Lot 16 both on the first Concession line. They would go on to have 5 boys and 3
And flow 'rets which, drooping as day drooped too, Fell into pavilions, white, purple, and blue,
To roof the glow-worm from the evening dew.
– From The Sensitive Plant by Percy Shelly, March 1820
The Township of Asphodel, named by the Deputy Land Surveyor Richard Birdsall in 1820 from the recently penned poem of Shelly, was full of Irish Immigrants, the so called Peter Robinson Settlers. Like the Harrisons some had been bankrupt and others became unemployed or victims of famines. Peter Robinson had the grim task of selecting which Irish families would be settled in Upper Canada and who would not. Robert Harrison 's mentor and keeper Mr. Fortune, much to the benefit of the young lad, had the Government contract …show more content…
William had bought the two from a farmer in the southern part of Percy Township south of the Trent River some 25 km away. The Trent defines the border between Asphodel and Percy. William used these two oxen for the dual use of farming and lumbering. As the spring warmed and it became June the oxen were let out of the barns for feed on the lush grass for the very first time after they were bought, which was in 1831. That night, a relatively short one, for it was June, these two intrepid animals headed south through the bush, got to the Trent River, swam across it and by sometime the next day were found at the original owners gate, the place of their birth and perhaps some of their kin! Needless to say all would be …show more content…
(b 1840), 45 acres of land cleared and still had his two oxen and two milking cows. His assessment of his properties worth was now £70 and had grown a well respected position in the community. Together William and Margaret would have 8 children nicely balanced with 4 boys and 4 girls. His younger brother Robert was married in 1840 to Margaret Rea (b 1820, Ireland) and had only just started developing his farm on Lot 14 and the west half of Lot 16 both on the first Concession line. They would go on to have 5 boys and 3