................................A remembrance from her sister's funeral - saved my Maggie HammondThe following letters were written by Martha (Gavin) Ennis to her sister Maggie (Gavin) Hammond.
Martha was married April 4th, 1888 to Thomas Ennis, and they lived on Lot 23 Concession IV Macaulay Township north-east of Bracebridge. There is an Ennis Lake on current maps on two lots on Concession IV. This property was probably accessible on the Kirk Line a little north of Bracebridge.
The Gavins lived in Draper Township south-east of Bracebridge on lots 23 and 24 of Concession XI (Purbrook). Maggie married Alfred Hammond April 5, 1899, and they also lived in Purbrook for several years.
Martha died in June of 1901 at 30. Her death certificate gives cause of death as 'convulsions.' In her first letter, she refers to 'her trouble' with regard to her jaundiced son. She may have had liver problems. Her sister Rosetta McCrea died at 44 of liver cancer. Their grandmother Horn also died of a liver disease.
Macaulay, March 19th, 1896
My Dear Sister,
You will think it mean of me not answering your letter, but Maggie, you must excuse me for I have had a lot of trouble this winter. I've not been well for such a long time, and now I have lost my darling baby. I guess you would hear from home before this, if not, I will tell you it over again. He died a week ago this morning . He had my trouble. He was the colour of a dandylion - was born like that and never changed. He turned black in spots three days before he died. He suffered a lot. Oh, Maggie, it hurt me. He was such a sweet little pet. He would have been very pretty if he had been white. We buried him in the garden. There was a large funeral for to be (?) a little one. We would have called him Robbie if he had lived. I miss him so very much. He was very bright for the first nine days and we were in hopes that he would turn white again, but the doctors says it was impossible for him to live for he had my trouble. If he had not gone, I certainly would and it was better him than me. The Lord doth all things............strong yet. I will have to say good bye.
From Martha
The child's death was registered:
Muskoka Death: Robert Ennis, died 12 March, 1896, 15 days old
Cause of Death: Unknown
Macaulay, January 4th, 1897
Maggie, Dear Sister,
I take pleasure in writing you these few lines to thank you very much for the lovely Christmas box you sent me. I think it is really nice of you. Ma and Sarah was up on New Year's Day. They were all well at home but I myself as usual was so poorly that it made us feel dull. Ma thought I was going to be in bed again, but I am better since. This is awful poor ink. I make a dreadful mess of it. Well Maggie, I hope you had a good Christmas and I wish you a happy New Year and many of them.
This is a very wet day. It has rained all day and is still raining yet. The roads is very bad and Tom wants to go out to town tomorrow. I have had Will and Tom all holiday here for a couple of weeks. Now, they were here both Christmas and New Years but we're sorry we didn't get home for Christmas but it was very cold to take the little folks out. Our house is so warm this winter that we don't know much about cold indeed. In moderate weather it is too warm. My feet is never cold. I'm glad we ever came up here.
We have a great revival meeting down in the little Free Methodist Church up here. It has been going on now for three weeks and is still going to continue this week. There has been no new members but one backslider returned. That was Herb Bell from Baysville. It was a awful sight to see him. They could hardly stop him from praying. It is so strange to me. They are bound to make us come to the bench but if they can show me any place in the word of God that commands me to do so, I will but they can't. I am sure and if they read the 14th chapter of first Corinthians 34, 35, and 36 verse, they will see what a woman's place is, won't they. I don't agree very well with the women testifying. I think we can live for God without making such a fuss as they do.
Well, Maggie, 20 minutes to ten and Tom and the little ones are all in bed and I am tired and my head aches so I must stop for this time. Did Minnie go home? Ma said she was with you. Write when you can for I get lonesome sometimes. All are well and I hope you are.
Good night from your old sister, Martha Ennis.
Alf didn't get down. Tom is well and busy cutting logs to make the new kitchen in the spring.
I got a new dress, 2 of them. A gray flannel one to wear and a green one for a good one. And a new pair of buttoned boots and a pair of rubbers and Maggie (daughter) has a new red cashmere dress. Good night. May God bless you, forever be a good girl and don't forget the ten commandments.
Macaulay, February 21st, 1899 [About two weeks before Maggie married Alf Hammond]
(to) Maggie Gavin
Dear Sister,
I am lonesome to hear from you, so I thought I would sit down and write to you. How are you getting along now? I heard you were not well, that you had the Iresiples in your face. [Probably -erysipelas : contagious skin disease, due to streptococci with vesicular and bulbous lesions]. I hope you are all right again. We are all well, but Willie. [young son] He has been very sick and is yet. He had the grip [flu] and turned to neuralgie [Neuralgia] in his head and he suffers something awful every forenoon and gets better after noon, but I got some tablets for him today and I hope they will do good. His eyes is swollen so he can hardly see out of them. The children were all sick the week before last. I had quite a time all alone with them. They had such a cough and vomitted so much.
Well, Maggie, Tom is away yet. [perhaps in lumbercamp] This seems to be such a long winter to me. It was so rough, but it is nice now. It looks like spring out here. If it was a month later, we would think so.
Well, I had Bob [their brother ?] up last Saturday night and Sunday. He looks well. He will be out to see you soon. He is home early this time. How long are you going to be there. Just this month? Write and tell me, Maggie. When Bob comes to see you, if I were you, I would tell him everything. He says you will tell him nothing and he don't like it. I think he should know, don't you? I never saw him so merry.......
[the end of the letter is missing. Bob is probably their brother who married Elizabeth Ferguson in 1904]
Macaulay, February 25th, 1901 [Martha died June 26th, 1901]
[To] Mrs. A. Hammond
Dear Sister,
I thought as Willie [her son who would have been about 12] is going back this afternoon, I would send a few lines with him to you. You will be rather disappointed to hear that I didn't get your letter that you sent to me. Tom got it and put it in his pocket with his handkerchief, pulled it out and lost it. At least, I expect that was it for I didn't get yours anyway.
I guess you would be looking for Willie back before this but I kept him to see if I could get some of that itch off him and I think I have done very well. We all have it more or less but I don't know where we got it, but it has been brought to us (will send something with him to rub himself with. See that he don't neglect it) It is of no use of him staying from school now. It will be all through it by this time and _____ be was before he went.
Well, Maggie, Tom told me to tell you to ask Alf if he would like two more sheep. He has bought two 'yews' from _____and he don't want to keep them.....we have no place for them. He got them through some trickery between them and he wants to sell them again and Willie says Alf would like to have more so that the two you have got would stay around better. So if Alf would like to have them, he can have the two on what we owe him on the buggy. Don't you think that would be fair. I haven't seen them yet, but they tell me they are very good ones. They are both in lamb. Tom is going to bring them home tomorrow if all is well and if Alf wants them, we would like to know by next Sunday and if he don't let us know by dropping a note in the post office as soon as you can, Tom said if Alf likes to come for to see them first, he could come next Sunday, if he is too busy to come through the week. And if he likes to risk it, he can let Willie come over next Friday night and Tom and I wil come over Saturday evening and bring the sheep with ______ that be fair? We are all pretty ____
you are all the same.
How is Sarah? Is she keeping well or nearly well rather. She will be dreading the worst, I guess, poor girl. [Carlton Crockford, Sarah's youngest child, was born in May 9, 1901]
Well, Maggie, you will think this is a queer scribble, for I wrote it so fast for Will wants to get off. So I must stop. I am sorry to not get your letter, but it can't be helped, I guess. You must write again soon. I would like to come there Saturday, but that all depends on business, I suppose. Well, I must stop and let Willie go.
Love to the three of you from your loving sister, Martha Ennis, [of] Macaulay
Martha was married April 4th, 1888 to Thomas Ennis, and they lived on Lot 23 Concession IV Macaulay Township north-east of Bracebridge. There is an Ennis Lake on current maps on two lots on Concession IV. This property was probably accessible on the Kirk Line a little north of Bracebridge.
The Gavins lived in Draper Township south-east of Bracebridge on lots 23 and 24 of Concession XI (Purbrook). Maggie married Alfred Hammond April 5, 1899, and they also lived in Purbrook for several years.
Martha died in June of 1901 at 30. Her death certificate gives cause of death as 'convulsions.' In her first letter, she refers to 'her trouble' with regard to her jaundiced son. She may have had liver problems. Her sister Rosetta McCrea died at 44 of liver cancer. Their grandmother Horn also died of a liver disease.
Macaulay, March 19th, 1896
My Dear Sister,
You will think it mean of me not answering your letter, but Maggie, you must excuse me for I have had a lot of trouble this winter. I've not been well for such a long time, and now I have lost my darling baby. I guess you would hear from home before this, if not, I will tell you it over again. He died a week ago this morning . He had my trouble. He was the colour of a dandylion - was born like that and never changed. He turned black in spots three days before he died. He suffered a lot. Oh, Maggie, it hurt me. He was such a sweet little pet. He would have been very pretty if he had been white. We buried him in the garden. There was a large funeral for to be (?) a little one. We would have called him Robbie if he had lived. I miss him so very much. He was very bright for the first nine days and we were in hopes that he would turn white again, but the doctors says it was impossible for him to live for he had my trouble. If he had not gone, I certainly would and it was better him than me. The Lord doth all things............strong yet. I will have to say good bye.
From Martha
The child's death was registered:
Muskoka Death: Robert Ennis, died 12 March, 1896, 15 days old
Cause of Death: Unknown
Macaulay, January 4th, 1897
Maggie, Dear Sister,
I take pleasure in writing you these few lines to thank you very much for the lovely Christmas box you sent me. I think it is really nice of you. Ma and Sarah was up on New Year's Day. They were all well at home but I myself as usual was so poorly that it made us feel dull. Ma thought I was going to be in bed again, but I am better since. This is awful poor ink. I make a dreadful mess of it. Well Maggie, I hope you had a good Christmas and I wish you a happy New Year and many of them.
This is a very wet day. It has rained all day and is still raining yet. The roads is very bad and Tom wants to go out to town tomorrow. I have had Will and Tom all holiday here for a couple of weeks. Now, they were here both Christmas and New Years but we're sorry we didn't get home for Christmas but it was very cold to take the little folks out. Our house is so warm this winter that we don't know much about cold indeed. In moderate weather it is too warm. My feet is never cold. I'm glad we ever came up here.
We have a great revival meeting down in the little Free Methodist Church up here. It has been going on now for three weeks and is still going to continue this week. There has been no new members but one backslider returned. That was Herb Bell from Baysville. It was a awful sight to see him. They could hardly stop him from praying. It is so strange to me. They are bound to make us come to the bench but if they can show me any place in the word of God that commands me to do so, I will but they can't. I am sure and if they read the 14th chapter of first Corinthians 34, 35, and 36 verse, they will see what a woman's place is, won't they. I don't agree very well with the women testifying. I think we can live for God without making such a fuss as they do.
Well, Maggie, 20 minutes to ten and Tom and the little ones are all in bed and I am tired and my head aches so I must stop for this time. Did Minnie go home? Ma said she was with you. Write when you can for I get lonesome sometimes. All are well and I hope you are.
Good night from your old sister, Martha Ennis.
Alf didn't get down. Tom is well and busy cutting logs to make the new kitchen in the spring.
I got a new dress, 2 of them. A gray flannel one to wear and a green one for a good one. And a new pair of buttoned boots and a pair of rubbers and Maggie (daughter) has a new red cashmere dress. Good night. May God bless you, forever be a good girl and don't forget the ten commandments.
Macaulay, February 21st, 1899 [About two weeks before Maggie married Alf Hammond]
(to) Maggie Gavin
Dear Sister,
I am lonesome to hear from you, so I thought I would sit down and write to you. How are you getting along now? I heard you were not well, that you had the Iresiples in your face. [Probably -erysipelas : contagious skin disease, due to streptococci with vesicular and bulbous lesions]. I hope you are all right again. We are all well, but Willie. [young son] He has been very sick and is yet. He had the grip [flu] and turned to neuralgie [Neuralgia] in his head and he suffers something awful every forenoon and gets better after noon, but I got some tablets for him today and I hope they will do good. His eyes is swollen so he can hardly see out of them. The children were all sick the week before last. I had quite a time all alone with them. They had such a cough and vomitted so much.
Well, Maggie, Tom is away yet. [perhaps in lumbercamp] This seems to be such a long winter to me. It was so rough, but it is nice now. It looks like spring out here. If it was a month later, we would think so.
Well, I had Bob [their brother ?] up last Saturday night and Sunday. He looks well. He will be out to see you soon. He is home early this time. How long are you going to be there. Just this month? Write and tell me, Maggie. When Bob comes to see you, if I were you, I would tell him everything. He says you will tell him nothing and he don't like it. I think he should know, don't you? I never saw him so merry.......
[the end of the letter is missing. Bob is probably their brother who married Elizabeth Ferguson in 1904]
Macaulay, February 25th, 1901 [Martha died June 26th, 1901]
[To] Mrs. A. Hammond
Dear Sister,
I thought as Willie [her son who would have been about 12] is going back this afternoon, I would send a few lines with him to you. You will be rather disappointed to hear that I didn't get your letter that you sent to me. Tom got it and put it in his pocket with his handkerchief, pulled it out and lost it. At least, I expect that was it for I didn't get yours anyway.
I guess you would be looking for Willie back before this but I kept him to see if I could get some of that itch off him and I think I have done very well. We all have it more or less but I don't know where we got it, but it has been brought to us (will send something with him to rub himself with. See that he don't neglect it) It is of no use of him staying from school now. It will be all through it by this time and _____ be was before he went.
Well, Maggie, Tom told me to tell you to ask Alf if he would like two more sheep. He has bought two 'yews' from _____and he don't want to keep them.....we have no place for them. He got them through some trickery between them and he wants to sell them again and Willie says Alf would like to have more so that the two you have got would stay around better. So if Alf would like to have them, he can have the two on what we owe him on the buggy. Don't you think that would be fair. I haven't seen them yet, but they tell me they are very good ones. They are both in lamb. Tom is going to bring them home tomorrow if all is well and if Alf wants them, we would like to know by next Sunday and if he don't let us know by dropping a note in the post office as soon as you can, Tom said if Alf likes to come for to see them first, he could come next Sunday, if he is too busy to come through the week. And if he likes to risk it, he can let Willie come over next Friday night and Tom and I wil come over Saturday evening and bring the sheep with ______ that be fair? We are all pretty ____
you are all the same.
How is Sarah? Is she keeping well or nearly well rather. She will be dreading the worst, I guess, poor girl. [Carlton Crockford, Sarah's youngest child, was born in May 9, 1901]
Well, Maggie, you will think this is a queer scribble, for I wrote it so fast for Will wants to get off. So I must stop. I am sorry to not get your letter, but it can't be helped, I guess. You must write again soon. I would like to come there Saturday, but that all depends on business, I suppose. Well, I must stop and let Willie go.
Love to the three of you from your loving sister, Martha Ennis, [of] Macaulay
