Day

(from Warwick  Tweedsmuir)

Edmund John (Jack) Day (1910 - 1968) came from Yorkshire, England in 1927. He was the son of John Day, a first cousin to Thomas Frederick (Fred) Wordsworth. Jack came to work on the Wordsworth farm on Lot 14, Con. 1 NER. After Fred died suddenly in 1934, and his wife shortly after, Jack took charge of the farm. 

When Radio Farm Forums were organized to provide educational experiences for farmers, Jack was actively involved from the beginning, serving as Chair of Kelvin Grove Farm Forum, then Lambton County Farm Forum and in 1956 Provincial Chair. 

In 1951 Jack brought his widowed mother to Canada. That same year he married Elizabeth (Betty) Bannigan ( - 1999) of Toronto, whom he had met at the first Folk School in Lambton County. Betty had been sent by the Department of Education, Community Programs Branch, as a crafts instructor. Their daughter Mary was born in 1952. 

Betty made a business of weaving on a box loom for a number of years. She enjoyed giving presentations to local groups concerning her hobby. During her presentations, Betty showed many samples of yarns and threads in wools, linens and cottons, also metallic and other decorative threads. Betty specialized in the weaving of yarn goods. Among the many pieces of her own work were a blue and grey tweed coat, a black wool coat, green wool dress and yellow and black checked wool suit. The buttons on these garments were also hand made. 

Betty was a 4-H leader for several clubs. She also organized community nights at Watford District High School. She served on the Board of Directors for Fairbanks House Adult Education Centre for several years. Betty Day was a librarian in Watford for several years. 

Jack and Betty made many improvements to Monkbreton House and to their farm. They bought more property as well. But in 1959 they curtailed some of their farm operations by selling their cattle and cutting down on the number of hens and hogs. Jack grew cash crops and did custom work. The year after Jack's sudden death Betty and Mary moved to Watford with Dorothy Wordsworth, daughter of Fred, who had continued to live with them when Jack first took over the farm. 

Chapter 24 of 25 - Day Family

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