(submitted by Dorothy Johnson, with additions from Main)
William John Leach (1840–1908) was born in Beckwith Twp., Lanark County, Ont. He moved with his parents to Warwick Twp. in 1853. In 1865, he married Margaret Henderson (1845–1917) who was born in Ireland.
William and Margaret farmed Lot 10, Con. 6 SER. It was said this land had been an Indian camping ground, because many artifacts, such as arrowheads, skinning stones and pipes, were found there. They raised a family of eight children: John, Thomas, Robert, Sarah Ann, Catherine (Cass), Janet, Mary, and Lillian.
John married Mary Ann Lucas and lived in London. Tom married Cora Keyes. He farmed on Con. 6 SER and also did custom threshing.
Robert (1877–1933) married Ida Pearl McRorie (1887–1963) in 1912 and took over the home farm. Ida was a teacher who loved to sing Scottish songs. Robert specialized in Hereford cattle on the farm on Con. 6 SER. They had four children: Margaret Jean (1913–1990); Anna Mae (1918–); Alma Louise (1920–), and Gladys Irene (1923–). Robert built a new cottage for his sisters Janet and Mary on 50 acres, two farms west of the home place. He also built a small barn for Mary’s Hereford cattle. After Bob’s death, Ida moved to Watford, eventually living with her daughter Alma McKercher.
Sarah married Andrew Moffit. They farmed for a few years on Lot 9, Con. 3 SER, Warwick, but then moved to Brooke. Catherine married James Moffit. They farmed on Con. 6 SER. Janet was a spinster school teacher. Mary was also a spinster who looked after her parents and her cattle. Lillian married John Cameron and lived in British Columbia.
William took an active interest in the affairs of the day. He was on Warwick Council for two terms. He served on the Board of Directors of the East Lambton Agricultural Society. He was instrumental in establishing the fair known as the “Forest Lambton Fall Show” around 1880, later known as the Watford Fair. It was held in the Crystal Palace in Watford until it burned down in 1926 after which the fair moved to Alvinston.
The Leach home, with its big brick house, large lawn and lots of beautiful trees was the setting for many community concerts and gatherings.
Margaret, being very Irish, always believed in Leprechauns or as she called them “The Little People”. She could keep her grandchildren happy with her stories about them. She told her family “the Wee People would let them know when she was going to die” and this really happened.
Dorothy Johnson related the story of that night. Her mother Pearl Sisson, who was almost 19, took her turn staying with her grandmother. Her spinster aunts Janet and Mary were there also. Just before the aunts retired, a knock came to the door twice. No-one was there either time, so they decided it must have been a tree limb against the roof. Then the three of them heard another knock, so Aunt Mary stormed out to the door to catch whoever was playing a prank on them. At that same time, a dark shadow crept up and Grandmother stopped breathing. Aunt Mary came back as white as if she had seen a ghost, and she knew her mother was dead. They never did find out whether she had seen anything when she opened the door that third time.
Chapter 24 of 25 - Leach Family
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