Bryson

(submitted by Lucy Bryson, Bill Bryson and Ruth MacKesy)

In 1853 William Bryson (1822–1896) and his wife Mary Margaret Coulter (1824–1892) settled on Lot 24, Con. 1 SER in Warwick Twp. They had six children: William, John, Thomas James, Lavinia (Lavina), Margaret Elizabeth and George Albert. William had come to Canada from Ireland in 1842 with his parents William (1780–1860s) and Ann (1781 –1860s) and his younger brother James (1825–1897). By 1846 the Brysons were in the Wisbeach area.

James Bryson married Ann Williamson. It appears that they and their family of 11 children moved away from Warwick, as records show family members living in Plympton or Enniskillen Twp., in Wyoming and Petrolia.

William's youngest child, George Albert Bryson (1862–1918) married Emily Jane Matthews (1863–1934). They settled in Warwick. There they had three children: William Henry (1887–1974), Asahel Albert (1890–1967) and Margaret Lavina (1893–1951).

When Mr. and Mrs. Bryson died, William Henry took over the farm. He married Mildred Harriet Augustine (1902–1943) from Brooke Twp. They had four children: Mary Louise (died at birth), Margaret Evangeline (1928–) who married Lloyd Werden, William John (Billy John, 1930–), and David Glenn (1938–) who married Angeline Willhelmenia Relouw.

Billy John married Joan Iris Youmans (1934–2004) in 1953. Of their four children, Kevin John, Brenda Lee, Marla Jean and William Dean, only Marla has remained in Warwick Twp. She married Donald Wayne Stephenson; their children are Daniel William, Jeremy Donald, Kyle Robert and Janelle Marie. Billy John farmed in Warwick Twp. until 1985 when he sold his farm to Luke and Sandra Van Aert, to retire to Grand Bend. After Joan died, Bill moved to Arkona.

In 1951, Bill worked on the construction of an Imperial Oil pipeline between Sarnia and Toronto. He remembers, “During construction a certain amount of debris accumulates inside the pipe.To remove this material, a device is made of rubber and steel plates, joined together, creating a cylinder about four feet long and a little larger than the pipe diameter. A heavy chain about 20 feet long is attached to the back. Water is pumped into the pipe under pressure and as it moves along the chain it creates a noise that can be heard from above ground. This device is called a Pig. Two men walk along the line and this Pig can be spotted if it gets stopped. About a half mile east of the Warwick Salt Works and next to Con. 2 SER it came to a halt. The pipe had to be dug up and cut open. The local farmer came to watch and asked what we were doing. We told him our Pig was stuck in the pipe. ‘Well, don't that beat all,' he said. ‘I know pigs are inquisitive but who would think it would crawl into a dark hole like that!'”

Carl and LLoyd Bryson cutting wood. Courtesy L Bryson.

George Albert Bryson's second son, Asahel, married Winnifred Grace Demaray (1900–1967). He purchased the farm at Lot 25 Con. 1 SER Warwick. They had six children — Lloyd, Calvin, Kenneth, Jeanne, Clayton and Carl. Carl stayed home at the age of 14 to run the farm as his father was gravely ill with polio. Asahel survived, but Carl never got back to high school. He enjoyed farming. In 1953 he married Lucille “Lucy” Baxter of Forest. They continued to live on the farm with Asahel and Winnifred Bryson. There, they had three children — Douglas, Dennis and Debbie.

In the spring of 1957, Carl and Lucy bought the Minielly farm, the west ½ of Lot 23, Con. 1 SER. In early October the dairy barn on Lot 25, Con. 1 SER burned down and the dairy cattle were moved up to the new farm with the help of neighbours and family. Their son Donald was born in 1959. Also in 1959 Carl and Lucy bought the Patterson farm — Lot 24, Con. 2 NER. It was then owned by Doc Blake who resided in Michigan. In the years Carl and Lucille were dating they always loved this farm. It had an old brick house about 100 feet long, with a two storey part at the south end. Carl had done custom work for the owner and knew it was a good farm and always said “Some day I'd like to own it.”

During this time Carl and his father rebuilt the dairy barn and put a milking parlour on the east side and carried on milking. In 1960 Darlene was born.

Tragedy again struck the Bryson family in August 1967, when Asahel and Winnifred were killed in a car accident.

The brick building on Lot 24, Con. 2 NER, which had been a cheese factory, was built in 1916. The Patterson family operated the cheese factory for many years. In 2008 it is used for shelter for young cattle. The big barn was built in 1912. In the early 1970s, the Brysons put in tie stalls and brought the cows back. In the early 1980s they built a large dairy barn and parlour and increased the dairy herd.

The drive shed and white house which were originally at the road (Arkona Road) were moved up the hill in the mid 1950s.The small white house had two bedrooms. Carl's sister Jeanne and her husband Wes Smale remodelled it and enlarged the kitchen when they lived there in the 1960s.

Chapter 24 of 25 - Bryson Family

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