THE LEGACY OF A QUIET PIONEER
County Monaghan witnessed the birth of Peter Byrne in 1787. We know nothing of his forbearers or of his early life, except that he married Judith McMahon (b.1800). In 1824 at the age of 37, he left Ireland for Lower Canada where he worked for three years, no doubt saving for the passage of his wife, daughter Sarah and son Arthur (b.1823). Sarah, like Arthur, was born in Ireland and the record shows 1827 as her birth date so perhaps Peter returned to bring his family over himself. Admittedly, the dates in the records do not always correspond but Peter seems to have been in Guelph in by 1827, the year the city was founded, and was settled on Lot 7 Rear Concession 8, Puslinch Twp. shortly after. There the family continued without break or fanfare until at least 1950 when the fourth generation was in charge - over 120 years of continuous occupation.
Peter and son Arthur must have been prosperous and respected farmers for a well-deserved biographical sketch of the family appears in the 1906 Wellington County Historical Atlas. Certainly, Peter left at least two legacies: the first, his sons and daughters, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Line of Descent
Peter, (1787-1867 ) married Judith McMahon (1800-after 1871) .
Children: Sarah H.; Mrs. Simon Walsh; Arthur I m. Mary Nulty; Michael, settled in Sault Ste. Marie, John; Patrick of St. Louis; Anne; and Mrs. Maloney. Arthur I and Mary became the parents of Mary; Mrs. James Savage of Guelph; John of Cleveland; Julia, d. young; and Arthur II (1864-1944) who married Elizabeth Moran (1869-1936). Their children Arthur F. III (1894-1974) and Mary inherited the old homestead. Arthur III, married to Marguerite Broechel (1909-1968), lived on the old homestead until his death.
The Byrne family appears to have died out in Puslinch, but NOT Peter's second legacy:: his enduring and beautiful stone house. It stands today, its windows boarded up, desolate, in the middle of a wasteland. Developments hover around it and a new one is planned perhaps to devour it altogether. It is one of several such houses that used to be in Puslinch and now stand on land annexed by the city of Guelph. Their fate depends on the degree of success the Local Architectural Conservancy has in influencing the developers and on the foresight and good will of these builders who are making such enormous profits from the land.
The city of Guelph itself has stated recently: "the farmsteads are linked to pioneer settlers. . . and represent the historical development of Guelph and Wellington County. . . These built heritage resources are most deserving of preservation."
Let us at least retain the memory of the Byrne family from Ireland.
