Sarah Jane Porter (1850 - 1918)

Birth:
May 22, 1850; Lot 16, Concession 10, St. Vincent Township
Death:
February 23, 1918 (age 67); Meaford, Ontario
Buried:
Lakeview Cemetery, Meaford, Ontario
Parents:
Marriage:

George Henry Arthur was the son of John Arthur, Sr., a farmer and a Justice of the Peace, according to the Biographical Directory of Grey County Subscribers in the Historical Atlas of Grey and Bruce Counties, 1880 (H. Belden and Co., Publishers). John Arthur was born in County Tyrone, Ireland in 1803 and settled in Grey County in 1859. He owned Lots 20 and 21, Concession 9 of St. Vincent Township at a value of $10,000 for 200 acres.

George Henry Arthur bought 100 acres, Lot 20, Concession 10 (the south half of the lot) in 1866 from his father. In the Historical Atlas, this property was valued at $6,000 in 1880.

George and Sarah Jane Arthur later moved to Lot 17, Concession 11 of St. Vincent Township. He purchased 100 acres (the south half of the lot) in 1888 from Nathan Seaman. This farm was known as Fairview Grange. The date of their move is not exactly known, although it may have been in 1889. The reason for my guess is that George Arthur was a ratepayer of S.S. #12 (known as Street’s School or Bumstead’s School) in 1889. He was also a ratepayer of S.S. #11 (St. John’s School) in 1889. All their children attended one or both schools. (Note 1)

On Fairview Grange (Lot 17, Concession 11) is a beautiful stone house which still stands as a sentinel on the hill, overlooking the countryside facing the town of Meaford. This house was built in 1867. The original barn was destroyed by fire in the 1960s and a new one has been built.

George Henry Arthur sold Lot 20, Concession 10 to his son Orville J. Arthur in 1910. Orville sold it to his brother George Frederick in 1912. George Frederick later sold it to John W. Jolley in 1920. This farm (Lot 20, Concession 10) was in the George Henry Arthur family name for 54 years. The house on this farm was destroyed by fire in the 1960s.

In 1911, George Henry Arthur sold Lot 17, Concession 11 to two of his sons—the west or back half (50 acres) to George Frederick Arthur, the east or front half (50 acres) to Bernard Stanley Arthur. In 1912 George F. Arthur sold his part of the farm to Bernard Arthur. Bernard owned the whole farm until 1948 when he and his son sold it to Frederick I. Genoe, who in turn sold it in 1949 to Clarence Whitfield. This farm (Lot 17, Concession 11) was in the Arthur family name for 60 years.

In the 1871 St. Vincent Township census George Henry Arthur and Sarah Jane Arthur are listed in the following way.

George Henry Arthur age 32, Wesleyan Methodist, Irish descent, a farmer
Sarah Jane Arthur age 20, English descent
Elizabeth Arthur age 2, Irish descent

They owned 100 acres of Concession 10, Lot 20, of which 70 acres were improved. The farm had 1 house, 2 barns and stables, 1 carriage and sleigh, 2 waggons and sleds, 1 plough and cultivator, 1 fanning mill.

In 1871, 10 swine were killed
400 lbs. butter made
60 lbs. homemade cheese made
70 lbs. wool
20 cords firewood cut

Elizabeth Arthur was born in 1869 on the farm at Lot 20, Concession 10, St. Vincent Township. She married Phillip Foster Taylor. They lived in Toronto and had two children—Arthur and Evangeline. Foster Taylor joined the Toronto Police Force on April 23, 1888 at the age of 29 years and unmarried. He was 6 feet, 3/4 inches tall, born in Ireland and of the Episcopalian faith. He resigned from the Toronto Police Force in 1905, giving a total of 17 years service. Nothing else is known of this family.

William Henry (Harry) Arthur was born in 1871 on the farm at Lot 20, Concession 10 St. Vincent Township. He married Mary A. Howe, a daughter of Provincial Cabinet Minister S.L. Howe. They lived in Meaford and had 2 children, Lyness Rupert Francis (Robert L.) and William Almyra Porter Arthur. Harry owned King Edward Livery on Trowbridge Street in Meaford from 1911 to 1922. Fire destroyed the stable in the 1930s. The house they lived in is still standing—40 Trowbridge Street, beside the present day Church of the Nazarene. Both their sons moved to Buffalo after World War I, Robert working with the Liberty National Bank and Trust Co. as Vice-President.

Mary Beatrice Arthur was born in 1873 on Lot 20, Concession 10, St. Vincent Township. She married Abraham Lincoln Shunk of St. Vincent Township in 1901. Rev. Shunk was ordained in the Gospel Workers’ Church on December 17, 1914. He preached in Collingwood and Shelburne, Ontario. He retired to Meaford in 1928 because of failing eyesight. The Shunks had no children. (The Gospel Workers’ Church later became part of the Church of the Nazarene.)

Ethel Rose Arthur was born in 1875 on the farm at Lot 20, Concession 10 of St. Vincent Township. She married Robert Isaac Jolley at Fairview Grange (Lot 17, Concession 11) in 1902. Robert was the son of Robert C. Jolley and born on the family farm (Lot 17, Concession 12 St. Vincent Township). Robert and Ethel lived on this farm after their marriage, building a second part on the house. They had an agreement with Robert’s father to supply him with staples, etc. When his father died, Robert paid each family member a specified sum and the farm was his. The farm was sold to Clarence Fligg and his family after Robert Arthur Jolley’s death in 1957. Robert took an active part in agricultural matters and educational circles. He was also a devout church worker with the Gospel Workers. His obituary states “he was highly esteemed, and a man with whom it was a pleasure to know and associate”. Robert and Ethel had six children—an infant son who died at birth, Robert Arthur, George Kenneth Falconer, William Frederick, Muriel Irene, Harold Porter Jolley. After Robert’s death, Ethel moved to her daughter Muriel’s home. Robert Jolley was a ratepayer for St. John’s School, where all his children attended. Several of his children became school teachers. (See school pictures on pages 149, 150 of History of the Schools of St. Vincent Township and Other Chronicles, 1847-1967.)

Bernard (Bern) Stanley Arthur was born in 1878 on the family farm at Lot 20, Concession 10 of St. Vincent Township. He married Florence Donelda Baker in 1904. They farmed at Lot 17, Concession 11 of St. Vincent Township from 1911 to 1948, then retired and moved to Highway 26 west of Meaford. He also owned 115 acres, the back half of Lot 31, Concession 10 for one year. He sold it in 1942 to be part of the Meaford Tank Range. Bernard and Florence had six children—Helen Jean, Marion Isobel, Kathleen Bernice, George Wesley, Bertram Russell, and Frederick Donald Arthur.

Annie Gertrude Arthur was born in 1881 on the family farm at Lot 20, Concession 10 of St. Vincent Township. She died in 1886 at 5 years of age.

Ellen (Nellie) Victoria Arthur was born in 1882 on the farm at Lot 20, Concession 10 of St. Vincent Township. Ellen took nurse’s training in New York City, then moved to Weyburn, Saskatchewan to work in the Weyburn Hospital. She visited Mary and Robert Milligan of Ceylon, Saskatchewan and met their son, John, who had been born in Owen Sound. He was the owner of a homestead and also a businessman in the village of Ceylon. John and Ellen married in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1914 and then lived in Ceylon, Saskatchewan. They later retired to Victoria, British Columbia. John died in a nursing home in Victoria in 1965 and was buried in Royal Oak Cemetery, Victoria. Ellen moved to Toronto with her daughter, Aileen and Hugh White, and lived with them until her death in 1970. She was buried beside her husband in Victoria, British Columbia. Ellen and John Milligan had two children—Cecil Arthur and Eleanor Aileen Milligan.

George Frederick Arthur was born in 1884 on the family farm (Lot 20, Concession 10) in St. Vincent Township. He bought 50 acres of his father’s farm (Lot 17, Concession 11) in 1911 and sold it to his brother Bernard in 1912. He bought the south half of Lot 20, Concession 10 (100 acres) from his brother Orville in 1912 and sold it to John W. Jolley in 1920. George Frederick married Inez Blakeslee. (Inez was a sister of Abram Floyd Blakeslee who married George’s sister Tirzah Arthur. Inez and Floyd Blakeslee were also a niece and nephew of Abrahan Lincoln Shunk, who married Mary Arthur.) George Frederick and Inez moved to Edmonton, Alberta and farmed in that area. They had two children—Eugene and Theodore Arthur.

Orville James Arthur was born in 1888 on Lot 20, Concession 10 St. Vincent Township. Orville bought this farm from his father George Henry Arthur in 1910 and later sold it to his brother George Frederick in 1919. Orville married Annie Lavina Sutton, the daughter of James and Mary Jane Sutton, in 1910. They had three children—Lola Pauline, Audrey Florence and Aubrey Floyd Arthur, Audrey and Aubrey being twins. Annie Lavina Sutton attended U.S.S. #15 South Sydenham and St. Vincent School (Woodford). (Note 2)

Anna Porter Arthur was born in 1890 (location unknown because it is not known when her parents moved to their second farm). Anna never married. She spent much of her life in a wheelchair.

Tirzah Josephine Arthur was born in 1893 in St. Vincent Township (location unknown because it is not known when her parents moved to their second farm). She attended St. John’s School. She met and married Abram Floyd Blakeslee. Floyd was a brother to Inez Blakeslee (who married Tirzah’s brother George Frederick Arthur) and a nephew of Abraham Shunk (who married Tirzah’s sister Mary). Tirzah and Floyd moved to Pontiac, Michigan where Floyd had a law practice with his father. Floyd later became an Assistant Attorney General of Michigan and also a prosecutor for Oakland County, Michigan. They had two children—Ellen Elizabeth and Arthur Floyd Blakeslee.

School pictures of the Arthur family can be found on the following pages of History of the Schools of St. Vincent Township and Other Chronicles, 1847-1967:

page 148:
Tirzah Arthur
Annie Arthur
Orville Arthur

page 149:
Ken Jolley
Arthur Jolley
Marion Arthur
Helen Arthur

page 150:
Harold Jolley
George Arthur
Kathleen Arthur
Muriel Jolley
Marion Arthur
Fred Jolley
Ken Jolley
Arthur Jolley
Helen Arthur
Mr. B. Arthur

page 155:
Mary Arthur
Nellie Arthur

Notes

Note 1: History of the Schools of St. Vincent Township and Other Chronicles, pages 154 and 145.

Note 2: History of Sydenham Township, 1967. Page 117