- 1898, Friday October 28, The Almonte Gazette front page
A Ramsay Pioneer
Called Home ? Sketch of the Life of the Late Mrs James Toshack ? One of a Family of Remarkable Longevity ? Triple Drowning in Almonte Half-a-Century Ago. Almost every week we are called upon to perform the mournful task of chronicling the death of one or more of those brave men and women who first settled this county and patiently endured the hardships incident to a life in the forest, the fruits of whose toil and labour the present generation are enjoying. This week we have to add one more to the list in recording the death last Friday evening of Mrs James Toshack, of New England, at the age of almost 81 years. The deceased's maiden name was Agnes McLean. She was born in Port Kilpatrick, near Glasgow, Scotland, and came to Canada in 1821 with her parents, the late Mr and Mrs Lachlan McLean. They settled on the farm on the 7th concession of Ramsay at present owned by Mr McLean's grandson, Mr Malcolm McLean. Mrs Toshack belonged to a long-lived race. Her father lived to the age of 94, and her mother, whose maiden name was Christina Campbell, died at age of 81. Her father's family consisted of four sons and three daughters, and only two of them died under 80 years of age. The eldest of the family was Mrs Dunlop, who died in 1895 at the age of 86; the second eldest was Alexander McLean, who died in Almonte about ten years ago at the age of 80; the third was the late Robert McLean, who died in 1896, at the age of 82, Then came the deceased, Mrs Toshack, who was within about two months of 81 at the time of her death. Next was the late Mr Archibald McLean, who died some years ago in the West [It was his son's death that was mentioned in last week's issues of The Gazette] The next was Mrs Hugh Metcalfe, of Ramsay, who was 75 years of age, the only member of the family still living. The youngest member of the family, Lachlan, met a tragical death by drowning in the river below Almonte over fifty years ago, when he was but 18 years old. The accident occurred on the river just opposite Burnside. Lachlan McLean and another young man named Brymner were on the north side of the river, and, noticing that Robert Wylie (a brother of Mr J.H. Wylie), who as only about four years of age, had broken through the ice on the river, the two young men started across the river to rescue him, but broke through the ice themselves. Mrs Wylie (mother of Mr Jas H. Wylie) notices the two struggling in the water and tried to save them with ropes and poles, all unconscious that her own boy was under the ice. All three perished, and the three bodies were taken from the same hole in the river, later on, by the late Mr Daniel Shipman. On January 18th, 1842, the late Mrs Toshack was married to Mr James Toshack, who predeceased her some years ago. After their marriage they lived on the farm on the 9th line, now owned by Mr George Graham, and remained continuously on it until about twenty-seven years ago, when they removed to Almonte. To them were born two sons ? John, the elder, and McGavin, the younger ? and three daughters ? Christina, wife of the late Mr Daniel McLean; Margaret, wife of the late Mr John Sinclair; and Agnes, the youngest of the family. To the deceased fell the rare but melancholy lot of having to nurse through long sickness and to bury her husband and all her family. Her patience and cheerfulness under all her sorrows commanded the wonder and admiration of all who knew her. Naturally of a kind and gentle nature, she rarely, if ever, had an enemy, for she was never known to speak ill of any one, but always ready to find some excuse for the apparent or real wrongdoing of others. She was passionately devoted to her children and grandchildren, and she was well repaid in her last illness by the kind and loving attention given to her by her grandchildren, Mr John and Miss Marion McLean, who lived with her for many years. They feel her death very keenly, as, their own mother dying when they were very young, she had been a real mother to them ever since. To them and to their elder brother, James, who is farming in the North-West, we join the community in tendering our deepest sympathy in their affliction. The funeral, which was a large one, took place on Sunday at 1:30, and was attended by many of the deceased's old neighbours in Ramsay. It was conducted by Rev Mr Mitchell, of whose congregation the deceased was a consistent member. The remains were interred in the eighth line cemetery.
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1818 - 1898 (80 years)
