- 1920, Friday June 4, The Almonte Gazette, front page
Link With Early Settlers Is Gone
Mrs Hugh Metcalfe,
Born Almost a Century Ago in Ramsay Township.
One of the few remaining link with the early days of settlement in Ramsay was broken last week by the death of Mrs Hugh Metcalfe, at the age of almost ninety-seven. The funeral took place to the Presbyterian cemetery on Thursday, and was very largely attended. The late Mrs Metcalfe's maiden name was Jean McLean. She was the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Lachlan McLean, who settled in Ramsay in October of 1821, having come from the Mull of Cantire in Scotland. They travelled by way of the St. Lawrence to Prescott, across the country to the Rideau river,,and leaving it at Oliver's Ferry, came through Perth to Lanark village. At Lanark their daughter Jean a girl of ten years of age, died and hers was only the second interment in Lanark cemetery. Later on the same summer, Mr and Mrs McLean journeyed on, and settled on Lot No 18 on the 7th con of Ramsay. Two years later Mrs Hugh Metcalfe was born, and her parents named her Jean. Lachlan McLean was a veteran of the early days of the Napoleonic wars and saw service from 1779 to 1802 with the famous Cameron Highlanders. His discharge paper is dated 1802, and is now in the possession of his grandson, Lachlan McLean, of Beckwith. The late Lachlan McLean with his wife spoke Gaelic. He became very well known as the Ramsay Bard and had a distinct poetic talent. With the McLeans when they arrived in this district where the Blacks, Moores and Pauls, and a host of Scotch settlers, some of whom travelled on the same ship across the Atlantic. The late Mrs Metcalfe was the mother of a large family. They were: Christina, who is now Mrs Nicholson, of Bowesmont, Dakota; James, deceased; Lachlan, of Athabasca; Robert of Pakenham; Annie Mrs Eccles, of Medicine Hat; Alexander, of Ramsay; Hugh, of Comba, Dak; Jean, Mrs Jas Watt, of Lanark; Henry, deceased; William, of Dunseath, Dak.; John, on the homestead, and Dr. A.A. Metcalfe, of Almonte. The funeral took place from the residence of her daughter-in-law, Mrs Henry Metcalfe, of Almonte, the services being conducted by Rev. S. Gorley Brown.
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1824 - 1920 (95 years)
