(submitted by Margery Johnson)
In 1847 Alexander (1781–1856) and Margaret (Leitch) Johnson (1797–1881), from Skipness, Scotland immigrated to Canada on the Euclid with their eight children, seven sons and a daughter, hoping to find prosperity. The trip from Glasgow to Quebec took six weeks. A smallpox outbreak also made their crossing difficult.
Their oldest child, Hugh (1819–), also brought his young wife Flora (Hamilton) Johnson, and their two children Mary (1845–) and David (1847–1941). Their other nine children, Alexander (1850–), Archibald (1852–), Hugh (1854–), Margaret, Margaret 2 (1857, Mrs. George Monroe), Euphemia (1859, Mrs. John Fuller), Flora (1861–), Hugh (1864–), and Elizabeth (1867–), were born in Canada. They settled in Bosanquet Twp.
Ann Janey (Fuller) Johnson. courtesy M Johnson.
In 1881, David married Ann Jane Fuller (1862–1926), daughter of George and Sarah (Clark) Fuller. David and Ann had eight children, two of whom died young. They were: William Alexander, Hugh Hamilton, Jennie Helena, Margaret Euphemia, Flora Georginia, and Newman David.
Although they continued to live on the east half of Lot 22, in 1900 they purchased the west part of Lot 22, Con. 6 NER Warwick Twp. (Townsend Line), which was a 70 acre fruit farm, from John Atkin, for $5,000. David Johnson engaged in fruit culture — apples, peaches, plums, strawberries and other small fruit.
A few facts about the property:
The farm was named Evergreen Farm because of the pines across the front and down both sides of the lane.
The barn foundation was made of hand cut stone.
It had a silo inside.
There was a greenhouse.
The house had two fireplaces and two staircases.
Water was pumped in from a well.
People came from miles around to see this farm, modelled after one at the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph.
In 1922, David and Ann’s son Newman David Johnson married Laura Helen Jackson, daughter of James and Joanna (Wintemute) Jackson. In 1927, at the age of 40, Joanna gave birth to a three pound daughter, Margery Jean Johnson. It was milk from a goat purchased in Windsor that kept the baby alive.
In 1941 the 70 acre farm was inherited by Newman and his wife. They passed it on in 1980 to their daughter Margery Jean, shortly before Newman passed away. In 1989 Margery sold the farm to Jerry George Stevens, who sold it to Gerry and Joy Pierce in 1996.
The property once had a Quaker Meeting House, built around 1853, on two-thirds of an acre at the northwest corner of the farm, hence the name Quaker Rd. In 1891 there were 64 members, but by 1908 many members had moved away, and in about 1911, the building was moved away and David Johnson bought the property back. The property had been owned by Quakers Levi (1815–1885) and Dorothy (1817) Hilborn and their son Joseph Lundy Hilborn from 1853 to 1895. In 1895 it was sold to the hired man, John Atkin, who married Amy Jane Hilborn, sister of Joseph. John and Amy Atkin developed the orchards and sold nursery stock.
Chapter 24 of 25 - Johnson, Alexander
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