GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: William Daisley ALLEN and Mary Jane WOODLAND

GREAT-GRANDPARENTS: William Daisley ALLEN and Mary Jane WOODLAND

My Grandfather Harry was the youngest child of William Daisley Allen and Mary Jane Woodland.

William Daisley was born 17 Jul 1849 at Lundy's Corners, Peel County, Canada West - the eldest child of Robert Allen and Mary Ann Widdis.

Family lore claims that 'Daisley' was a family name but in my 20+ years of genealogy research, I have yet to discover any ancestors with that name.  However, a brother of my father was also given the middle name of 'Daisley' - much to his embarrassment.

Mary Jane was born 20 December 1849 in Mono Township, Simcoe County, Canada West - the eldest daughter of Joshua Woodland and Catherine Craig.

William and Mary Jane grew up on neighbouring farms in Mono Township which at that point in time was part of Simcoe County.

They married in August 1872 at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Orangeville, Mono Township, Wellington County, Ontario.

In celebration of their 60th wedding anniversary, the Allen and Woodland families held a reunion at a local park.  As mentioned in earlier posts, the 'Just Married 60 Years' sign was altered to '50' and used for multiple family anniversary celebrations over the years and generations.

In addition to raising their 12 children (6 sons and 6 daughters), they also raised one of their granddaughters: Mary Ann "Minnie" McKenzie.  Minnie's mother (also named Mary Ann and known as Minnie) died a few weeks after giving birth.  A couple of years later, the widower, Archibald McKenzie, married another Allen daughter, Sarah Louise, and she died a few years later, leaving two young daughters as well. Granddaughter Minnie was only a couple of years younger than William and Mary Jane's youngest son Harry.  Harry's children grew up referring to Minnie as an Aunt even though she was actually a first cousin.

Census reports indicate that the couple moved around to various farms in Simcoe County while they raised their family of 12 children - all of whom lived to adulthood.  During the First World War, they were forced to vacate their farm in Tosorontio Township when it was taken over by the Canadian Government to develop Camp Borden.  Base Borden is still an active base for the Canadian military.  At that time, William Daisley and Mary Jane purchased the farm in Brentwood, Sunnidale Township, Simcoe County, Ontario which I knew from my childhood.
 
Both William and Mary Jane died at the Allen farm in Brentwood: William on April 6, 1935 and Mary Jane on May 17, 1938.  They are buried together in the Angus Union Cemetery in Angus, Essa Township, Simcoe County, Ontario.   Sharing their headstone are the two daughters who had married Archie McKenzie.

Having moved out of the farm house to a smaller house on the farm, they were on hand to see the birth of most of the children of their son Harry who had taken over the operation of the family farm.

Both William and Mary Jane died long before I was born, but I've always felt that they had a strong influence in my life.  It was their farm that I knew as the Allen family farm, although it was their grandson Joseph that was operating it during my childhood and my grandparents, Harry & Gertie, living in a bungalow built on the property when my Grandfather retired from farming.

The extended Allen family was large: Harry and Gertie had 10 of their 11 children reach childhood, marry and had children or stepchildren.  Harry was the youngest of William and Mary Jane's 12 children.  Like Harry, many of his siblings had large families - quite common for farming families.  Although 3 of the children migrated to the Canadian west, the others stayed in, or close to, Simcoe County.  I do remember that my father's Aunt Ida made frequent visits back to the family farm.  During my childhood, she usually stayed with her niece Minnie who by that time was living in the small house William and Mary Jane had moved into when they turned the farmhouse over to Harry.

Harry and his siblings held family reunions for the descendants of William and Mary Jane.  The reunions may have started with the extended family get together for the 60th Wedding anniversary of William and Mary Jane.

During my childhood the reunions were held on the last Saturday in August at a nearby Provincial Park.  I often encountered members of the extended family when visiting my grandparents, as well as family funerals.

Even though I never met either William Daisley Allen or Mary Jane Woodland, due to the strong family ties they instilled in their children and grandchildren, I have always felt a connection to them.