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Arrival in British North America
Catherine Aiken, her sister Sarah, her brother Thomas, and their parents Ma and Pa arrived at the Montreal port in Lower Canada. The family had been travelling by ship from England to British North America for the last two months. Catherine had come down with the flu while on the ship and almost did not survive the journey. -
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Early Settlements in Upper Canada
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New Home
Catherine and her family made it to their Uncle Paul’s farm in Fenelon Falls in Upper Canada. He had been developing his land for the past five years, so the Aiken family could stay with him temporarily. The Aiken family spent their entire life savings to acquire the land North of Uncle Paul’s farm. -
Clearing the Land
Pa, Thomas, Uncle Paul, and their male neighbours helped the Aiken family clear their acquired land. They needed to cut down the trees and remove the stumps so that they could eventually build a house and plant crops. Clearing the land was extremely labour intensive. They used hand saws, crosscut saws, and axes. -
House Building
Catherine’s male relatives were able to clear enough space to build a house. The Aiken family used the wood from the clearing to build a one bedroom log cabin with a large fireplace for cooking. Extra wood was used to make furniture and kitchen utensils. -
Farming
The Aiken family had to begin planting seeds for the fall harvest before their land was completely cleared. They grew corn, wheat, and vegetables. Pa and Thomas helped build a neighbour’s barn in exchange for chickens, a cow, and a horse. They also constructed a small barn to house the animals. -
Chores
Once their house and barn were built, Catherine, Sarah, and Thomas completed daily chores to help their family. Catherine (thirteen) helped Ma plant crops, cook meals, and take care of her younger sister. Sarah (seven) washed dishes, fed the animals, and gathered vegetables. Thomas (fifteen) ploughed the fields, harvested crops, and hunted. -
Town
Pa travelled three days by wagon to buy and sell goods at the local market. He traded bushels of wheat from the farm for enough tobacco and sugar to last through the winter. -
School
The small community of Fenelon Falls had built a one room schoolhouse and hired a teacher in 1818. Catherine and Thomas attended school three days a week. Catherine was in grade five and Thomas was in grade eight, but they learned in the same classroom. -
Church
Religion was very important to Catherine and her family. They attended church every week when they lived in England. Pa and Thomas helped build a church in Fenelon Falls. Ma taught Sunday School for the children in the community. -
New Arrivals
The Aiken family received a letter from Pa’s brother Michael. He and his family of six are moving to British North America. They will be arriving in late March and will stay with the Aikens while they settle in Upper Canada. The journey continues!
