Walter COWAN's property in Puslinch, Ontario

Thanks to cousin Diana Roth, who pointed me to the Lot Histories of the Puslinch Historical Society, at http://www.puslinchhistorical.ca/

RG L29
Juniper Hill Farm

In 1848 owned by James Durand, and sold to We McKenzie. In 1849 it was sold to Walter Cowan Sr. In 1851 census, Walter Cowan from Scotland age 35, with wife Margaret, age 30, and son Walter, age 9. [I wonder if they rented the farm from 1832-1849?]

In 1886 the deed was transferred to son Walter Scott Cowan. Walter Cowan Sr. had built stone house. Mr. Kennedy was the mason. There was a spring fed creek in rear. Orchard east of barn. Well behind house 187' deep.

Walter Cowan Jr. m. Annie McPherson of l.8 RG
1. Margaret 1870-1961 m. Hugh McAninch [Hugh of F1 L21]
2. Alex 1881-1963 m. Margaret Naismith
3. Jean 1883-1945 m. John Sawyer of l. 19 FF
4. Wm. 1887 d. infancy
5. Mary 1888 m. James Blake of l. 19 FG
6. James 1885-1948 m. Clara Naismith
7. Thomas 1890-1970 m. Elsie Scheol (sic) [Elsie Schell]
8. Walter 1892-1950 m. Hetty Holden Vancouver

1916 Angus McDonnell, who had been in gold fields, then in real estate in Vancouver where he lost heavily. He met Cowans from Crieff and he traded his house in Vancouver for the Cowan farm at Crieff! [ed. I have never heard this story! So interesting]

Mrs. McDonnell was Helena Fraser from Glengarry (Greenvale, near Alexandria) The McDonnell kids ran up the back stairs and down the front stairs. There was glass in the doors between two rooms and the brothers would tease their sister to distraction. On one occasion she threw a whisk at one of them and it broke a pane in the glass. She got sent to bed, and her brothers got off Scott free! Her brothers would steal apples from the orchard behind Mackay's house (and Geordie would chase them).

Macdonnell Family included Fairbanks, Fraser, Idea who taught at #12; m Donald Barbels, Stewart lived in Guelph, Clover - born in Puslinch; lived in Stratford. Golden - born in Puslinch; lived in Brantford.

The McDonnells left in the late thirties; Jochimach who rented the farm to the Maltby family in
the early forties and sold to Pettigrew in 1946.

Robert Pettigrew & Dorothy with their daughter Margaret and her husband John Griesbach came c1946 also brother Bob Pettigrew. Griesbach children, Judy, Joan, Jayne, and John. John and Marg Griesbach continued until 2000 and sold.

I'm not able to find the lot references for Annie McPherson, John Sawyer, and James Blake. I'll inquire to the Historical Society.

Hugh McAninch: from http://www.puslinchhistorical.ca/Con1pt1.shtml

F1 L21

...1906 John McAninch m. Jane McPhatter 1853-1932
1. Hugh m. Margaret Cowan [my grandpa's sister Margaret 'Grett'. They lived in Seattle for many many years.]
2. Nelson 1880-1961 m. Marie Jamieson
3. Jane Ann 1882-1957 m. Fred Roszell
4. John James m.
5. Matthew went to Kindersley SK
6. Charlotte (Lottie) m. Alex Harbottle

The McAninches retired to Morriston in 1915.

More about the McAninchs: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/cowan-mcaninch-connection.html

The WWII Enlistment file for Hugh McAninch & Margaret Cowan's son Walter: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/wwii-enlistment-file.html

Walter Cowan's oldest son James, who never lived in Juniper Hill Farm, in 1901: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/james-cowan-wellington-1901-census.html

Cowans in the Wellington County Atlas: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/cowans-in-wellington-county-historical.html

Other related Cowans: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/four-cowan-families-by-jennie-f-cowan.html

Ontario Cowans in 1871: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/ontario-cowans-1871-census.html

Cowans and Neighbors 1911 Puslinch, Wellington Co. Ontario, Canada: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/01/cowans-and-neighbors-1911-puslinch.html

Early Canadian Cowan Marriage Bonds: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/cowan-marriage-bonds-in-upper-and.html

Great-great-grandfather Walter Cowan's brother William: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/william-cowan-settled-in-delaware.html

Confusing -- Biography of Hector Cowan of Stamford, New York, who must be ours, but how does he fit in? http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/hector-cowan-biography.html

Cowan Burials in Bovina, Delaware Co. NY USA: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/cowan-burials-in-bovina-delaware-co-ny.html

The Cowan list and Message Board are useful, at least for searches: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~valorie/Cowan-L.htm

Also, I've started a GoogleGroup just for the Scottish Cowans. If you are part of the family and are researching, *please* join. It's very low-traffic, and ONLY about our Scots Cowans. http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/scottish-cowans-googlegroup.html

As always, I welcome additions, corrections and other feedback.


Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. - Theodore Roosevelt

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