David Gemmill Dick

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: 51FE81DE097445B4B507995FFFFA96E950FD
• Residence-Occupant: 1826, Lanark Twp, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada; Concession 9 Lot 13
• Location: 1920, Vancouver, Greater Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia, Canada

Notes:

David Dick, son of John Dick and Marion (sic) (Mary) Gemmill, left Ontario around the year 1875 with his wife and three children and went to Diamond City, Manitoba. He later went to the Yukon where he ran a store during the gold rush and then went to Vancouver, where he was mayor of a small town.

Mrs. Janet (Dick) Burchnall of Nanaimo, (born 1894) says that his grandson, Walter Owen, became Lt. Governor of British Columbia.

?i?David G. Dick, lived in Vancouver, interviewed in 1920 about his military experiences:
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"My father took part in crushing the Mackenzie Rebellion in 1837, although he was in sympathy with the objects sought for, but not in sympath with the means being applied to secure them."

?i?"?/i?Near the close of the Crimean War, word came to us that Sebastopol had fallen. I assisted my father in raising a flag pole, with the flag already nailed to the mast, as a token of lyalty and joy for the success of the British and Allied armies in hunting the Bear back into its hole again and putting a damper on Russian aggression."
(1853-1856)

"When the Fenian Rid of 1870 occurred I was a partially drilled soldier. The company I joined was a company of the 42nd Battalion. At that time I was living at Middleville which was about 17 miles from Almonte, our headquarters. I well remember that May morning when I left for the front. We heard a rumour the evening before that the Fenians were crossing the international boundary. We went to bed as usual but did more thinking than sleeping.

At two o'clock in the morning I heard the rattle of a soldier's sword on the stone door step. I jumped from bed and on going to the door found the Ensign of our company (Dougall McEwen by name) who gave orders that I should get to headquarters in time to catch the seven o'clock train. I rushed out and hired a man with a horse and buggy to drive me to Almonte. I bade my wife goodbye and planted a kiss on the forehead of our only child, a boy of about three months old.

I was standing on the station platform when the seven o'clock train came along. I was whirled over the rails in short time, some 54 miles to Brockville.

The captain of our battalion stood six feet seven inches tall, and the smallest man in the company was six feet. We did not hae to fire a shot. The nearest we got to the enemy was when an American boat called at Brockville wharf with some 300 Fenians on it. It was at night and the officeer in comman d got wind of their presence and was there waiting with a detachment of soldiers. The enemy quit. They left their rifles and headed for home."

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Residence-Occupant:
Role: Occupant

Family/Spouse: Mary Stewart. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]