Using Family Stories to Expand Genealogical Research
‘Ann Elizabeth Rutherford – Galloway was a very spry and wiry lady who could handle almost any situation requiring work.. When she wanted to do some special shopping, she would arise before daylight, do the necessary farm chores which women did then, get ready, take a little lunch in her shopping bag and strike out on her own two feet for Belleville. She would get the odd wagon ride on the way and would finally reach her destination. Shopping done, she would make her way homeward the same way. One party with whom she got a ride reached his own home while Mrs. Rutherford had 8 more miles to go. She accepted the invitation into their home for a cup of tea. They were sympathizing with her for having so much farther to walk and expressed their opinion as to how tired she must be. Undaunted, she set down her cup, jumped up with a laugh and lit into an Irish jig.” [‘Gleanings, A History of Campbellford-Seymour,’ edited by Margaret Crothers, Barbara Samson-Willis and Ann Rowe. Campbellford-Seymour Heritage Society, 2000.]
This family story falls in the category of ‘lore’. Lore is tradition and knowledge passed from person to person by word of mouth - most often unattached to fact. This particular brief was collected orally by a great uncle of mine and set to print in the local Historical Societies publication ‘Gleanings.' While some would set lore as hearsay – it is helpful in research to include unsourced stories (while noting them as such). One can use the details to substantiate or dismiss elements of the story and further deduce research avenues.
When reading the above snippet - it first struck me that the distance from the Rutherford’s homestead to Belleville was 45km or approximately 30miles. To walk this at an average of 1 mile every 20 minutes it would take 9 hours just to arrive at that location and a total of 18 hours there and back. My goodness! Annie would have been in her mid to late 30’s in the 1860s and just over 50 before her death in 1884. Even if one assumes that half the distance was by wagon (as the story relates ‘rides taken’) and half by walking that would still put a one-way journey at 7.5 hours and a total day of 15 hours.
It is now, with the math undertaken, that I would consider if there were closer locals for the family to acquire home goods. Perhaps Ann traveled to Campbellford (10miles or 3-4 hours) or even to Stirling (14miles or 5-6 hours). This would be a better fit to the narrative and time limitations.
Campbellford was a central place from 1830 onward for the surrounding agricultural community. The 1856 Directory for Northumberland and Durham Counties[1] states that ‘there were three general stores, six groceries, two grist and flouring mills, one grist mill, three sawmills, a foundry, a sash, door and blind factory, a woollen factory, three blacksmiths, one wagon and carriage factory, one cooper shop, three tailor shops, three hotels, three physicians and three churches.’ [Gazetteer and Business Directory for the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham 1865-1866. Archived directory, Internet Archive, 2024 (https://archive.org/details : accessed January 2024.]
So while this does not negate the story’s validity… it can suggest a slightly different scenario. NOT that it still wasn’t a great undertaking to travel by foot even part of the 4 hour journey and then back with groceries in hand. What a task!
Little clues considered now, I would move on to the parts of this story that give one’s heart a little turn – for instance, a description of Ann is given as ‘a very spry and wiry lady.’
Spry – active and lively, usually used to describe the extra energy of one that is aged
Wiry – lean, tough, sinewy (muscular)
Now we can picture her!
‘Undaunted, she set down her tea (upon being questioned how tired she was) jumped up with a laugh and lit into an Irish Jig.’
Ah, to dance at absurdity. The ability to laugh. This gives further details of Ann Rutherford’s character. It also states that she danced an ‘Irish jig.’
Here is a detail that may or may not present fact. To the best of my research and knowledge to date, Ann was born in London, England about 1832-1836. This is unsourced. The censuses of 1871 and 1881 gives her ethnicity as Scottish and her religious persuasion as Presbyterian (Scottish Church). So, the question becomes: was she Scottish or Irish? Maybe either. That she married Robert Rutherford, a Scot, is certainly true. It may simply be that she adopted his nationality for the surveys. This cannot be answered until her birth, place, dates and parents can be located. It does suggest though an alternate path of research into Irish Roots.
So when undertaking your family tree and collecting dates, documents and family stories - the genealogical value in considering any ‘lore’ is great. There is opportunity to find details that can be later verified, examples of historical context, an emotional connection to descriptions of the past and pathways to new research and exploration. So resist throwing ‘the baby out with the bathwater’. Keep your family lore close to you and enjoy.
Suzanne Mainprize, BA(Mus), PLCGS Canadian Studies
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