(submitted by Doug and Wayne Higgins)
Thomas Higgins (1799–1871) came to Canada from County Monaghan, Ireland around the years 1838–1842. Thomas’ wife was Sarah Hillis (1800–1883), also from County Monaghan. It is said that Thomas had eleven sisters and no brothers. It is not known if they came to Canada at the same time as Thomas, but at least six of them are said to be buried in the St. James Cemetery.
Some doubt that Higgins was the original name. It may have been changed from Hogan to Higgins because of religious differences, or it may have originated as O’Higgins.
Some time before 1850 Thomas Higgins and his brother-in-law James Hillis purchased land for St. James Church on Churchill Line for $30. Around 1850 a barn-like structure was built; then in 1904 the existing church was built.
In 1850 Thomas purchased 100 acres, the east half of Lot 11, Con. 6 SER, Warwick Twp. (Churchill Line west of First School Rd.), from Mrs. Ken John Elmsley. Her husband had purchased the original 200 acres of Lot 11 in 1841 for $500 from Jim Chambers, who had received it as a crown grant in 1836.
Sarah and Thomas Higgins had six boys and one girl. They are: William (1826–1894) who married Sara Williamson (1827–1907), John (1828–1904) who married Susanna Seagrave, Jane Higgins (1831–1888) who married Henry Lucas (1823–1896), Thomas (1832–1877) who married Jane Lucas (1836–1897), Robert Higgins (1834–1899) who married Margaret Henderson (1858–1939), David (twin, 1838–1911) who married Elizabeth Leach (1842–1908), and James (twin, 1838–1909) who married Mary Bryce (1851–1891).
Mrs. Elmsley sold the other 100 acres, the west half of Lot 11, to William Higgins in 1856.
Richard Higgins, the son of William and Sarah, married Rebecca Logan in 1897 in Birnam. They had five children: Liz (1898–), Rheta (1901–), Ed (1903–), Gord (1906–1974) and Annie (1909–). Richard and his family lived on the west half of Lot 11, the farm that his father had purchased. A pear tree, planted by Richard in 1897 on the Higgins homestead, still survives. The present house was built before 1916.
Richard’s second son, Gordon Higgins (–1974), married Edith Weight (1911–2005). They raised three children: Gordon Douglas (1938–), Wayne Richard (1939–), and Arlene Edith (1942–), who married Dennis O’Strasser of Edmonton, Alberta in 1961.
In 1975 Gordon Douglas (Doug) Higgins bought 150 acres of Lot 11, the homestead, from his mother. He sold the east quarter of the farm to Clare Moffatt and, because the barn straddled the property line, it was torn down. Doug married Sandra Scott from Sandusky, Michigan in 1974. They raised four sons: Gary Lee (1971–), Ronald Douglas (1974–), Raymond Gordon (1976–) who married Connie Ruth, and Nathan Allen (1980–). Doug recalls growing up poor, living off the land, eating vegetables from their huge gardens and apples from the orchard. He remembers going to Watford with his brother and sister, wrapped in a buffalo robe, with the horses and bobsleigh passing through deep snow. The Higgins’ house was the last house on the road to install electricity, in 1951. Doug also remembers when Mr. Lambert delivered the groceries from Watford, using a horse and a wagon with a roof over it. One Hallowe’en the Higgins children were frightened when their outhouse was knocked over as a Hallowe’en prank.
In 1972, Wayne Higgins, second son of Gordon and Edith, married Ginni Van der Vecht and moved to Watford. Wayne and Ginni’s children are: Warren Whitney (1974–), Heidi Elizabeth (1976–) and Hilary Rebecca (1979–).
Thomas Higgins Sr. sold the west half of the east half of Lot 11 to his fifth child, Robert, in 1860. Thomas passed away in 1871 and Robert purchased the east half of the east half from Thomas Sr.’s widow. This was later the home of Adam and Jesse Higgins, whose daughter Nelena married George Searson. Nelena and George Searson had four sons: R. Darryl (1950–), Francis Carlyle (1939–), Harley Adam (1945–) and Claremon (1935 –).
Higgins home, W 1/2 Lot 11, Con 6 SER, 1909. Gordon, Reta, Edward, Richard holding Annie, Lizzie, Rebecca. Courtesy D Higgins.
Chapter 24 of 25 - Higgins, Thomas
Contact Us
Subscribe to this page