Vestiges

  Although many of the striking stone houses built along the Brock Road by earlier Puslinch pioneers have been demolished in a frenzy of new building, there are a few left which still stand as the last trace of their original owners. Such a one is the Cassin House on Lot 17 Rear 7. Uniquely, one of the Cassin’s earliest log homes actually survives too, albeit out of the Township at the Milton Farm Museum.

The founder of the Cassin Family in Canada, Morgan Cassin (d.1850) and wife Margaret (1783-1862) with their children left Upperwoods, Queen’s County, Ireland in 1832 and became part of the growing Irish community at the northern end of the 7^th Concession, Brock Road. The family  had originally intended to settle in Pilkington Township but, as son Martin recalled:”We stopped at James Flynn’s Tavern. . . on Lot 18, Concession 7. . . overnight being very tired and our oxen being done out. Well, we bought the farm (Lot 17) where we have lived ever since;where we built and cleared the land (McPhatter Letters).  

The Cassins had come to an agreement with the then occupant, Archibald Guthrie who on September 5, 1832 transferred his rights to Morgan. The deal included the house, the oats and the indian corn, saving back only the potatoes and a room in which Archibald could spend the winter. (Township Papers, #1793)

Martin had clear memories, not only of Flynn’s Tavern just over the Cassins’ line fence where he says the first Council met in 1836, but of the first local store. “I can remember trading maple sugar at John McFarlane’s store in Aberfoyle at .03 cents a pound.”Among Martin’s schoolmates were well-known Puslinch names: Stirton, Ellis, Hammersley, Hanlon, Kennedy, Allen and Lynch.  But to young Martin, the happiest days of his life were those spent “amongst the Indians and wild beasts in the forests of Puslinch in the early days”.

About 1847, the Cassins erected a new log house which was still standing and still in use in 1950 (Annals of Puslinch, 1850-1950). A few years later the stone house we see today went up.

 

At about the same time a walnut tree was planted which lived until Hydro recently  took it down. Its remains lie near the house in the old orchard.

Among Morgan and Margaret’s children were: Robert (1806-1881),  Hugh (1811-1868), Sarah (1820-1904), Mary (1824-1916),  Martin (1825-1910),  Margaret (1827-?), and possibly a Michael living on the farm in 1904. Robert farmed  Lot 16 Rear 7 and Hugh moved to Lot 17 Rear 9. Sarah married Michael Caraher (Keleher) and lived with him on Lot 8, 8^th Concession,  raising eight sons and nine daughters. Martin stayed on the homestead and in a fairly rare mixed marriage became the husband of Sarah Hammersley, daughter of John Hammersley, Esq., J.P.  Hugh, Robert and Martin also had big families but it was a descendant of Martin who was living on the homestead in 1939 when the new owners, the Daymond family came to call.  George Daymond, a child at the time, retains a vivid picture of Paulie Cassin, a true daughter of Ireland,  sitting outside busily rubbing lineament into the skins of a passle of snakes, who, she said, enjoyed the penetrating warmth.

No doubt there are many Cassin stories that could have been, or were, told at one time. At least their stone house remains for the moment and their log house retains its importance, having become a vehicle for teaching children at the Farm Museum.

Wonderful it would be if those who are transforming the landscape down the Brock Road could use their expertise and resources to help preserve our beautiful old buildings.*

*Sarah Hammersley Cassin’s home across the road is a case in point.