The Whitby Historical Society
Tour Durham Region Museums this Summer or Fall, starting Father's Day Weekend, June 20th & 21st 2009, with special displays and events at 9 participating Museums.
Whitby History Museum is also on the Doors Open Tour,
May 2nd,2009
IN THE NEWS!
...Whitby History Museum is located centrally in Whitby, just south of the 'four corners'. It is often the first stop for tourists visiting Durham Region, a place to get local information, ask questions and get a lead on a bit of family history, or for those from overseas, a place to marvel at the ingenuity of early Canadians and in fact our ever-present indomitable spirit. After all we are making history every day! As many people as come in, also phone or email first to see if Durham Region and especially Whitby (its ‘heart’) should be one of their destinations.
Our little band of volunteers is always ready to eagerly point someone to more information or share what they know. Most often, we never hear from them afterwards, but in this instance, Sean Bryce Donaghey, just happens to be a writer with The Globe and Mail. After an email query, he followed up with a visit, children in tow, and found out some fascinating family history. Here is his article re-printed below, in case you missed
The Paper!
SEAN BRYCE DONAGHEY
Reprinted From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
February 3, 2009 at 12:00 AM EST
Your ancestors, though they're gone, are part of you. You're told your green eyes are just like those of your grandfather Gordon. Your ears, your mum tells you, are just like grandmother Mary's. And you walk just like great-aunt Janet, "with the grace of a little bird." A nice comment if you're female, but for a guy it's not what you want to hear the day of football tryouts or before a date.
Prince Charles knows exactly who his ancestors were — kings and queens. But even those of us who are just average can conjure up a romantic image of a fascinating ancestor living large in a castle.
I recently set off on a clear, sunny morning with my two children in the back seat of my Honda. We drove east from Toronto to Whitby, Ont., to search through a grey and fuzzy past. Offering bribes of Tim Hortons, I told my kids that we were on a quest for Jabez Lynde. We were looking for my great-great-great-great-great grandfather.
The name Jabez had been knocking around in my head for a few years. My mother told me about a grand house he built with British gold after the War of 1812. While the tale was compelling, I pretty much sat on it until she dropped a new detail on me: His brother, or perhaps a son, had been kidnapped by pirates from Algeria.
Pirates. That's what got me on the phone with Margaret of the Whitby Historical Society. I read up on the North African Barbary pirates of the 18th and 19th centuries, and learned of the two wars that the United States fought to ensure safe passage for its ships.
The impact Jabez had on local history is significant. With Margaret's help, I learned about his building of the grand Federal-style house that was a major stopping point between Kingston and York, now known as Toronto. Jabez co-operated with the famous Major-General Isaac Brock, lending horses and transporting British officers. That co-operation helped him build his house and secure his family's place in the community that remains today.
From Whitby, my children and I soon made our way to Oshawa to meet a distant cousin, Sybil C. Lynde Stirling. I purchased her final copy of a self-published Jabez book called To a House in Whitby, which is in its third printing, and made some great discoveries.
As a person of British-Irish stock, I've always assumed that a number of my ancestors were United Empire Loyalists. But just minutes into an animated chat with Sybil, I found out that our mutual ancestor was very much an Irish-American. More interestingly, his father was a Minuteman, one of the revolutionaries dedicated to fighting the British with a minute's warning.
With help from her book, I was able to link Jabez to my mother's side of the family. His great-granddaughter married another notable ancestor named Peter Henderson Bryce, a doctor who became the chief officer of health for Ontario and was a vocal critic of Canada's residential schools for native people.
Encouraging my patient, but hungry, children to hold on just a bit longer, we pushed on to find Jabez's house. What we found didn't sate their appetites, but did provide me with food for thought.
The house had been moved from Highway 2 in Whitby to a historical theme park in the north end of town. It had been plucked from the spot it had occupied for decades to make way for a new development. Preserving the past is expensive, many argued. But after years of celebrating community heritage, the park closed in 2006.
The grand house now sits on the edge of a large empty parking lot. With no tourists around, my kids and I were able to see the home up close, read the plaque next to the front porch and pose for photos. I felt fortunate showing them a tangible piece of family history.
After a while we got going, finally finding a late lunch. I drove home with a belly full of take-out and a few insights into how I view family and my divorce.
My parents have been married for more than 40 years, and I'm thrilled for their stability and happiness. But as I pored over family trees in my search for Jabez, I shone a light on my past and present. My ancestors had endured hard lives. A lot had married more than once — because of death, not divorce — and had raised many children.
Maybe our society's preoccupation with the perfect nuclear family is a little precious. Separated families can manage great happiness. Our pioneer ancestors didn't have easy lives, and no doubt suffered great personal challenges and disappointments. If you want to put your own life in focus, just root around the family tree.
Upon investigation, I don't think the pirate story is true. But who cares? Certainly not the Irish in me.
I didn't quite discover a castle in the family's past, but I did manage a view of a large, old, family home rich with history. The house was all locked up, but through its foggy windows I was able to look inside. Inside myself.
Sean Bryce Donaghey lives in Toronto.
Illustration by Larry Humber. (There was a neat graphic in the original article which was unfortunately not able to re-print here, but thanks Larry.) Also a great big thank you to Sean for telling everyone about his visit! The 'Margaret' mentioned in the article is our own, Margaret Boyce, president and dedicated volunteer. Margaret is a walking encyclopedia of information about history in this area.
Whitby History Museum & Children's Centre is located at 123 Brock Street, just south of the 4 corners on the east side, Whitby, Ontario
Whitby History Museum & Children’s Centre is a downtown storefront museum housing a large collection of early Southern Ontario artifacts from furnishings to tools, textiles, toys and photographs. It is 'a seed bank of ideas' and examples of human ingenuity and history, a microcosm of the area, representative of Central Ontario beginnings. A ‘Living Museum’ we hold many ‘hands-on’ children’s & youth heritage tours as well as heritage events for all ages. The museum strives to provide a link to the past using both traditional means and new technologies relevant to today’s digital information age. The Museum is a warm and welcoming place to visit, a cultural centre to the community, our motto is ‘Preserving our Past and our Present for the Future!’