Humphreys

(from Settlers)

Susan Humphreys left Quebec with her parents when she was four. They moved to Brown’s Corners (Watford) when it consisted of eight houses, in 1860. Her parents were Philip LeSueur and Mary Lenfesty, who orginally lived on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands.

French was spoken in the home until the move to Watford. There was much clearing of land when Susan and her family arrived and her father thought about going into the potash business. But her mother’s wishes that he remain a storekeeper prevailed and trees were cut down to build the store.

Mrs. Humphreys remembered in a 1920s interview with Kate Connolly that Main Street was nothing but mud and only a block on each side of it was cleared. The rest was all woods and swale. Falling into a ditch and getting stuck in the mud were common occurrences for the children walking to school. The school was a little log schoolhouse on the 4th Line of Warwick. The children often took a short cut through the woods to get there. Mr. Bryce was the first teacher although Joseph Russell “Uncle Joe” Little did some teaching there before taking up the calling of preacher.

The Humphreys were in the area for seven years before the services of a doctor became available. Susan Humphreys recalled an old Mrs. Brown and Granny Anderson who knew about herbs when the family needed medical aid.

Mrs. Humphreys also recalled attending a political meeting in the town hall, where Prime Minister Alexander McKenzie spoke. It was the first time women had attended such a meeting and a man whispered, “Those women would do better at home over the wash tub!”

Chapter 24 of 25 - Humphreys

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