THE FISHER FAMILY

SETTLEMENT IN CANADA

Return to Lyminge All of the information for this narrative has been provided by Mrs Linda (Fisher) Welch of Saskatchewan, Canada. Linda kindly wrote her story for me, I then mucked it about a bit and added other information received from her in a series of e-mails. This should be a good read for visitors domiciled in England. The pictures alone tell a story. See Photos Family and Photos Homestead
Bill Marsh May 2002

Linda Catches the Family Research Bug

April 2002. My Name is Linda Welch; a newcomer to tracing family roots. Last December, a cousin passed the Family Bible (see Family Heirlooms) to my sister and in it was found a well-written account of our family history with names and dates carefully recorded. However, there were some gaps and we wished to obtain documents to confirm the recorded dates. Thus our plunge into family research began.

First we ordered my gt grandparents' marriage certificate, then their birth certificates. When we received my gt grandmother's birth certificate we discovered that Jane Raines' mother's maiden name was MARSH - a brand new branch was added to our family tree. However, we had no idea as to how we could access any further information about her.

Just by chance, while browsing the Web, I happened upon Bill Marsh's site and sent him an e-mail. Bill already had information about my gt grandmother's family in his database and I was sent a partial pedigree chart to start me off on a new journey of discovery. Further, he then led me on the path to resolving the puzzle of my grandmother Edith Mary Cockton's beginnings.
Thank you Bill.

The Fishers in England

My story starts with Charles William Fisher and Jane Raines (a descendant of Richard Marsh of Lyminge). Charles and Jane were married in the Weslyan Chapel, Shepherdswell in December 1879. Their first child, Ernest Charles, was born 24 September 1880 in Shepherdswell. In the 1881 census, Charles was listed as a Groom (Domestic). Three more children were born in Kent - Hubert William, Charles Frederick and Percy Raines.

The family remained in Kent until sometime between 1888 and 1894 when they moved to the Horsham area of Sussex. The family is said to have worked at "The Grange" in St Leonard's Forest, Charles as head groom, and eldest son Ernest as a gardener. The last two of six children, Leonard Arthur and Winifred May were baptized at Colgate Parish Church, Sussex.

To Canada

Ernest, the eldest son, was the first to get itchy feet, immigrating to Canada about 1901 or 1902, to get a chance of owning his own property. First, he tried Manitoba, but was disappointed with the soil quality and a lack of water, so abandoned that settlement and moved to Saskatchewan. However, not before marrying Edith Mary Cockton, who followed him from England in 1903.

Ernest's father and mother and four of their grown children (Hubert stayed the rest of his life in Horsham) moved to Saskatchewan from England in 1908 to join Ernest in his farming endeavours. My grandparents and gt grandparents settled close to a small place called Crystal Springs near Prince Albert. Most people in the area were French-speaking and my forebears were among the first English-speaking families to settle here. I am sure that settling here was nothing like they thought it was going to be! Living in England they had family, friends, shops, jobs, and homes. Here it was nothing but trees and more trees.

My father, Ernest Wilfred Fisher, now 92, has said he often wonders how they even learned to build their log homes. It has been said that when my grandmother Edith got off the train on her arrival she sat down on her suitcase and just cried. These early settlers must have been strong-willed people to learn a whole new way of life; and to survive the cold winters and many hardships they had to endure.

Heartache

Charles Frederick served with the Allied Forces during WW1 and was killed 3 May 1917 in France. He is buried in the Beehive Cemetery, Willerval, France.

Homesteading

There was a requirement that homesteaders should make improvements to their property each year over a period of five years before the land title was given to them. My grandfather's homestead file reads like this:

1908 Broke 2 Acres     Cropped   Acres
1909 Broke 3 Acres     Cropped 2 Acres
1910 Broke 3 Acres     Cropped 5 Acres
1911 Broke 4 Acres     Cropped 8 Acres
1912 Broke 3 Acres     Cropped 12 Acres
1913 Broke 3 Acres     Cropped 15 Acres

In 1908 grandfather had three head of cattle and by 1913 he had 13 head of cattle.

The file shows that he built a house 12ft by 16ft with an addition of a 10ft by 14ft log house valued at $150
All homestead fenced with wire, value $200
Two stables 20ft by 22ft, value $125
Two granaries, a 10ft by 12ft portable and a 10ft by 14ft log, valued at $75
A well valued at $25
Hen house valued at $20
Pigpen valued at $20

It must have been a very proud moment when the land title was placed in their hands and to know that all the hard work and heartache had paid off, and they then owned the 160 acres - something to pass on to children.