(submitted by Jo MacKenzie)
William and Catherine (Grant) MacKenzie came to Canada from Scotland in the early 1850s. They traveled on a sailing ship that took six weeks to reach Canada. A baby son a few months old died just before they docked and Catherine kept the body in her traveling bag so that he could be buried on land. She could not bear to have the body buried at sea.
The MacKenzies acquired a homestead on the 2nd Line NER, Warwick Twp. between 18 and 15 Sideroads. After clearing the land, they built a large log house. A barn was also built for sheep, as William had been a shepherd in Scotland. William grew wheat on his farm; he would walk all the way to London with 100 lbs. of wheat on his back and return with flour for the family.
The MacKenzie children, Alexander Grant (1845–), Janet, Katherine, Mary Ann, and Elizabeth, were born in Scotland. Margaret and William (1855–1936) were born in Warwick. Young William would later add Grant to his name on the advice of the postmaster, to distinguish himself from two other William McKenzies living in the area.
William Grant MacKenzie took over the family farm at a young age. The farm was mortgaged to pay $500 apiece to his brother and to his five sisters as bequests on the death of William MacKenzie. William married Eliza Janet Cameron (1860–1936) in 1884 and they worked hard to pay off the mortgage as well as raising and educating seven daughters and two sons. They built a new white brick home on the farm. Their children were: Alice Grant (1885), Mary Maud (May–Dec.1887), William Alexander (1888–1960), Katherine Winnifred (1889–1953), Anabel (1891–1918), Donalda Cameron (1894–1967), Mary Florence (1896), Donald Gordon Cameron (1899), and Margaret Janet (1901).
Alice Grant MacKenzie is engaged, 1911. Courtesy J MacKenzie.
Alice MacKenzie’s future husband wrote to her parents, asking their consent to the betrothal of their daughter. Part of Walter Leslie’s letter reads:
As for my ability to provide for her, I am sorry that I have not gotten more of this world’s goods with which to make life more pleasant for her. But she does not look for a great deal along this line and is apparently quite satisfied to share with me what little I have managed to save. As she is one whom I am satisfied will help me to economize … I feel quite safe in undertaking the responsibility of keeping a home with her.
Chapter 24 of 25 - MacKenzie, William
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