Holbrook, Edward

(submitted by Gladys Holbrook)

Edward (1814–1894) and Elizabeth (1804–1879) Holbrook and their daughter Mary left Kilkenny, Ireland and sailed to Canada in 1840. The voyage took 65 days. Their son William was born three days before landing. They went on to Smith Falls where relatives had already settled. Twenty-eight years later Edward, Elizabeth and children William (1840–1917), Sam, Henry and Eliza moved to Warwick Twp., settling on 50 acres on the north quarter of Lot 7, Con. 1 NER. Mary stayed in Smith Falls.

Sam bought the farm from his father while William worked at lumbering in the woods in northern Michigan to earn enough money to buy Sam out and clear the rest of the land.

William married Miriam Saunders (1858–1903) of Brooke Twp. in 1883. They had two children, Annie May (1884–1957) and George Hanson (1894–1975). They built a new house to replace the original log one in 1900.

William and Miriam Holbrook’s daughter Annie May married Robinson Karr in 1913 and farmed the south half of the east half of Lot 6, Con. 3 NER, Warwick until they retired to Warwick Village across from the present Warwick United Church in 1946. The Karrs had two sons: Clarence Karr, who died at the age of 16 from pneumonia, and Roy Karr, who moved to Windsor to work at the Ford Plant.

George Hanson Holbrook, son of William and Miriam, took over the farm when his father died in 1917. In 1920 he married Marie Davidson (1894–1976) of Arkona and in 1923 he bought the east half of Lot 6, Con. 1 NER. In the fall of 1925 they moved the house closer to Egremont Rd. from the 50 acre to the 100 acre farm. It was estimated to take three days, but it actually took 40 days because it was a wet fall. The house was moved by man and horse power on log rollers over the muddy fields. The Holbrooks lived in the house during all that time. One day Marie panicked when she couldn’t get to their baby Doris because the door jammed.

Hanson and Marie raised four children: Marian (1921–2002), Velma (1923–2007), Doris (1925–) and George (1928–). Hanson was school trustee for SS #15, Warwick Twp. Councillor in 1946 and Deputy Reeve in 1950–1951. Hanson did custom butchering for neighbouring farmers.

Daughter Marian never married. Velma married Stan Smith of Oxford County in 1946. They had three children: Clare, Glen and Nancy. Doris married Bob Stacey of Sarnia in 1948 and they had five children: Dianne, Allan, Jean, Ruth and Gail. George married Gladys Wright of Sarnia Twp. in 1951. They had 8 children: Anne, Lloyd, Norman, Carman, Jane, Helen, Lyle and Gwen.

Hanson and Marie Holbrook retired to Forest in 1968 and sold the 100 acre farm to the Lumley family. Hanson continued to work the 50 acres until son George bought it from his estate in 1976.

Chapter 24 of 25 - Holbrook, Edward

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