1835 Thirteen Years in the Township
The year 1835 did not give any sign of the troubles the family were to face in the coming years. For 13 years they had worked on the land, contributed to the community and earned the respect of their neighbours. The move to Rawdon had been a rewarding experience for the family.
George continued to purchase lots adding to his original 100 acres. Unlike the majority of farms which provided for the families but were not profitable, the Coppings profited from theirs.
Unlike the majority of farms which provided for the families but were not profitable, the Coppings profited from theirs.
George grew enough grain, hay and potatoes to sell. He also collected the seeds for himself as well as for trade. He soon had a thriving business buying, selling and trading farm produce.
While the animals were raised mostly to provide food for the household needs they also were bought, sold or traded.
The boys delivered a monthly barrel of pearlash to the market in Old Montreal.in Montreal (The owners of Gibb’s Restaurant in Old Montreal strongly suggested this was the building 1995).
Elizabeth sent extra butter, eggs, and maple sugar to market with the boys pearl ash. She also accompanied them when she could get away from home for a couple days.
Fields were cleared, stumps removed as they rotted, rocks and stones collected from the fields and more and more crops produced. Wheat, oats, barley, buckwheat, peas potatoes, turnips sugar beets were all sown in the new fields for animal as well as human consumption.
The garden produced salad greens, carrots, cabbages, peas, beans, onions, leeks, beets, cucumbers, herbs, were also made into pickles and catsups.
Melons, gooseberries, currants, chokecherries, plums, were made into jams and jellies, as well as cordials. This last when fortified with alcohol was represented as a medication.
Fruit trees, apple, plum, cherry, even pear trees planted in a sheltered area near the house produced more fruit for jams and jellies.
Elizabeth and the girls tended to the flax grown near the little creek that ran beside the house. During the winter the flax was prepared for spinning and weaving. This mostly fell to the girls as much of their mother’s time was taken up tending to calls from the boys’ families and neighbours.
In order to distract from the ugly stumps littering in the yard, flowers were planted around the house. Bachelor Buttons, larkspurs, roses, lavender, lilacs were among the varieties blooming near the doorway and along the path.
Work on the farm and in the bush continued despite the weather, only in the very worst of times did they remain around the house. If illness did not stop them, neither did the weather. They logged and ploughed and planted, rain or shine, heat or cold despite extreme seasonal heat, cold, rain, sleet or snow. Only particularly strong winds that made working in the bush too dangerous kept them at the house.
There were always things waiting to be done. Until they were 17 or 18 years old Thomas and Henry were often sent along to school with their younger siblings.
George and William now married and on their own places, leaving the home farm with three grown brothers, James, Thomas and Henry. Ten year old Joseph still helped around the house and barn while gradually being given more responsibilities such as hitching the horse to take grain to the mill or make deliveries to George or William’s farms.
Henry, though still living at home, had received his Ticket of Location for the lot behind the family farm. Just as in George and Wiliam’s case the brothers set about fulfilling the obligations of the T.O.L. to receive the deeds.
Not only did the combined five lots, George’s 2, sons George, William and Henry’s, share the same work crew, Joseph was kept busy with delivering a constant exchange of carts, wagons, harness, horse and oxen between the farms..
The move to Lower Canada seemed to be very successful for this family. Sons George, William, and John, were now married with growing families.
To date all was progressing very well indeed.