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THE EDSALL HOMESTEAD
The Edsall homestead at Edsall Park, Peacock Point, Lot 16, Concession 1, Township of Walpole, is a century farm on Lake Erie and displays the century farm sign issused by the Ontario Government in this "Canada's centennial year." The signs are issued only to direct descendants of the owners of the farms a century ago.
This century old home has housed the fifth generation of the Edsall family, and is now occupied by William Charles Edsall and his wife and 19 year old daughter, Beverley.
This was the only frame house in the area when it was built. All others were log houses which ceased to exist long ago. It was built with hand hewn timbers from the virgin pines that had to be cut to clear the land at that time. The walls were sheeted with pine plank 2 inches thick and from one to two feet in width. The timbers are hewn smoother and straighter than sawn timbers from the mill today. The house was well built and still stands erect. It is still in good condition. Modern conveniences and hardwood floors have been installed but care has been taken not to erase its antiquity.
The wagon trails and horse and buggy days have given place to paved highways and modern automobiles. Modern machinery does the farming but the old cradle that was once used to harvest the crops still hangs up at the farm unused. No one would work like that now. The old spinning wheel and the old oxen yoke have also been long unused.
The Edsalls first came to Canada at the time of the American Revolution. They were U. E. Loyalist and owned 200 aces of land where the city of Buffalo now stands. There was no bridge at that time. They floated their belongings across the river on rafts where Fort Erie is now. They established residence in Bertie township. Later on William Edsall better known at that time as "Major" came to Walpole. On April 10, 1846 he married Lucina Lamb of Lambs' Corners. He built the Edsall home at Peacock Point where he and Lucina raised their family of 5 girls and 4 boys. The girls by their married names were: Catherine Johnson, Jane Webb, Lucina Evans, Elizabeth Shaw, Caroline Lindsay. The boys were; Charles, Peter, Edward, William. The only one of the boys to marry was William, who married Margaret Wicher of Caledonia, daughter of John Wicher. Her mother was a Walker of the Sir Edmund Walker Family. He had been a professor of the Toronto University and also President of the Canadian Bank of Commerce in his time. Her father, John Wicher was well known in Mission Circles. He contributed large sums of money to that cause. He also contributed money to build the one wing of the Woodstock Hospital where the plaque bearing his name still hangs on the wall.
The McGaw School where the present William C. Edsall attended school in his boyhood has been made the Wilson McDonald memorial school. Mr. McDonald was related to the Lambs and Edsalls. He was a well known Canadian poet.
In 1919 the first cottage lot was sold off the Edsall Farm. In 1922 the first cottage was built by William Barnes. It has continued to build up until now in 1967 it is one of the largest summer resorts in the area.
Written by - William C. Edsall in 1967
The Edsall Homestead is at Peacock Point, Lot 16, Concession 1, Walpole Township, Haldimand County, Ontario. The house still stands today in 2009, but the Edsall family no longer own it.
On the 1852 Census of Walpole, Haldimand, Ontario are:
William Edsall, Farmer, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Married, Aged 33, Male
Lucina Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Married, Aged 26, Female
Catharine Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Single, Aged 5, Female
Elizabeth Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Single, Aged 3, Female
Anne Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Single, Aged 1, Female
George Jarvis, Carpenter, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Resides Cayuga, Single, Aged 30, Male
In this order on the census are Laurence Vodden, Richard Beckerson, William Gray, William Sloan, William Hedges, Adam Smith, William Edsall, James Welsh, Robert Stillwell, John Foster
On the 1861 Census of Walpole, Haldimand, Canada West are:
William Edsall, Farmer, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Aged 45, Male, Married
Lucina Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Aged 36, Female, Married
Catherine Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Aged 14, Female, Single
Elisabeth Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Aged 11, Female, Single
Jane Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Aged 9, Female, Single
Charles Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Aged 7, Male, Single
Edward Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Aged 5, Male, Single
William Edsall, Born Upper Canada, Baptist, Aged 1, Male, Single
On the 1881 Census of Walpole, Haldimand, Ontario are:
Lucina Edsall, Widowed, Female, German, Aged 54, Born Ontario, Female, Farmer, Baptist
Edward Edsall, Male, German, Aged 24, Born Ontario, Farmer, Baptist
Elizabeth Edsall, Female, German, Aged 32, Born Ontario, Dress Maker, Baptist
Peter Edsall, Male, German, Aged 20, Born Ontario, Farmer, Baptist
Lucina Edsall, Female, German, Aged 16, Born Ontario, Baptist
William Edsall, Male, German, Aged 15, Born Ontario, Baptist
Caroline Edsall, Female, German, Aged 12, Born Ontario, Baptist
Haldimand Deaths, Walpole - Lucinda Edsall, April 17th 1882, Female, Aged 56 Years, Widow, Born Ontario, Cause of Death Accident, Instantanious, Physician None, Informant Thos Harrison M. D., Baptist, C. E. Bourne Division Registrar of Walpole
On the 1891 Census of Walpole, Haldimand, Ontario are:
Charles Edsall, Male, Head, Single, Born About 1856, Baptist, Farmer
Peter Edsall, Male, Lodger, Single, Born About 1864, Baptist
Elizabeth Edsall, Female, Lodger, Single, Born About 1854, Baptist, Domestic
Cheapside Baptist Cemetery -
Stone No. 103
WILLIAM EDSALL
Died
March 20th 1873
Aged 55 Years
& 13 Days
Stone No. 14 A
LUCINA
Beloved Wife of
WILLIAM EDSALL
Died April 17 1882
Aged 56 Years
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Rainham Builders
1818 - 1873 (55 years)