Did you know that one of Sylvester Lynde’s grandsons was an award winning horticulturist?
Arthur Wellesley Lynde was the son of John Jabez Lynde and Elizabeth Wilson. He was born in Whitby on May 5, 1887. He was a musician and a music teacher for the Whitby School Board. In 1925, he became head of the music program in Whitby public schools. He was also a choir leader in Whitby's United and Presbyterian Churches.
One of Arthur's main hobbies was growing delphiniums. Delphiniums are perennial flowering plants, native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are toxic to humans and livestock. Arthur was a recognized authority on these flowers and he was a judge at flower shows.
He developed and sold prize-winning delphiniums in the 1920s and 1930s, and named one of the strains “Lynde”. Arthur won several prizes for his flowers at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.
He died on April 5, 1952 and is buried in Oshawa at the Oshawa Union Cemetery.
Today we celebrate the lives and deaths of Peter Matthews and Samuel Lount. On this day, in 1838, Peter Matthews and Samuel Lount were hung for their participation in the Rebellion of 1837. While the Rebellions of Upper and Lower Canada are mostly forgotten, these two events helped change Canada forever.
Peter Matthews and his family moved to Pickering Township in 1799. He served with Sir Isaac Brock as a sergeant in the local militia during the War of 1812. Samuel Lount, like the Lynde family, was a direct descendent of Mayflower passengers.
In 1837, Matthews was active in the political union movement pressuring the British government to grant reforms. In December 1837, he lead a group from Pickering Township to join William Lyon Mackenzie's uprising.
Samuel Lount first became politically active after the unjust expulsion of William Lyon Mackenzie from the Provincial Assembly by the "Family Compact." Lount organized the volunteers from the Children of Peace community in Sharon to join a planned march on Toronto, and joined the rebel group gathered at Montgomery's Tavern.
Matthews' group of 60 men arrived at Montgomery's Tavern on December 6 and, on the following day, were assigned to create a diversion on the bridge over the Don River. After a brief battle, most of the Reformers retreated. The ones captured or arrested later were housed in the Toronto or Kingston jails.
Wishing to set an example, Matthews and Lount were hung on April 12, 1838, in the courtyard of the King Street Gaol York (Toronto). They became martyrs to the Upper Canadian Reform Movement.
Whitby had a few residents active in the Rebellion. They included:
Dr. James Hunter, whose wife is said to have thrown papers implicating her husband in the Rebellion into her fireplace to prevent soldiers finding evidence against him. He and his family fled to Buffalo NY in 1838, but returned in the 1840s.
Nelson G. Reynolds, was tried for treason but was acquitted. He became the Sheriff of Ontario County at Whitby and the builder of Trafalgar Castle.
Joseph Gould, was sentenced to be exiled to Van Diemen's Land, also known as Tasmania, but his sentence was reduced to 9 months in prison. He remained active in politics and became the first reeve of Uxbridge Township and the first warden for Ontario County. He was also elected to Legislative Council for North Riding of Ontario in 1854 and 1857.
So, what was happening to the Lynde family during this time? Family Compact (Tories) or Reformers? While both Jabez and Sylvester later claimed to the Reformers, they were not active in the Rebellion. Living on the busy and well-maintained Danforth Road, Jabez was not experiencing many of the issues, for example, the residences of Pickering Township were.
In fact, William and John Warren, two of Jabez sons-in-law, had connections to the Family Compact in York. William Warren, who was married to Clarissa, even fought as a Captain in the Militia.
After the Rebellions of Upper and Lower Canada, Lord Durham was sent to Canada to investigate the reasons for the Rebellions. The Durham Report, among the changes and reforms, suggested the two colonies be joined as one. The Province of Canada was created in 1841. This also led to the introduction of responsible government and would be a critical step in evolution of Canadian democracy,
Every year since 1967, International Children’s Book Day is celebrated to inspire the love of reading and to call attention to children’s books.
April 2nd was chosen as it is Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday (April 2 1805 – August 4 1875). His most famous fairy tales include "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Little Mermaid", "The Nightingale", "The Snow Queen", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Little Match Girl" and "Thumbelina".
What would the Lynde children and grandchildren have been reading? Would the Lyndes’ have brought books with them when they moved to Canada?
Early books were used to instill self control, preach morality and had very little entertainment value. Good children were always rewarded and bad children were punished.
A variety of classic novels would have been available, including: “Robinson Crusoe” (1719) by Daniel Dafoe, “Gulliver’s Travels” (1726) by Jonathon Swift, “The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales” (1812) by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, and “The Swiss Family Robinson” (1812) by Johann David Wyss.
As the family grew and prospered, books became more available. Books by authors including Clement C. Moore, Louisa May Alcott, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and Laura Ingalls Wilder gave young readers a variety of ideas and situations to choose from.
In the late 1800’s, children stories were published in annuals. These books were filled with the best stories, illustrations and games from the year. They were marketed as a perfect gift for Christmas. In our collection, we have several annuals belonging to the Farewell family, including “The Boy’s Own Annual” from 1923, and “The Girl’s Own Annual” from 1898, which was given as a gift to Frankie Farewell in 1906 according to the inscription. This copy is unique in that it is bound upside down and backwards!
Of course, we can’t forget Leslie McFarlane, who between 1927 and 1946 ghostwrote under the name Franklin W. Dixon and penned many of the Hardy Boys books. He also wrote the first four books of The Dana Girls series under the name Carolyn Keene. Mr. McFarlane lived in Whitby from 1936 to 1943 and from 1961 to 1976.
Personally, I enjoyed reading my brother’s Hardy Boys, my sister’s Nancy Drews, the Bobbsey Twins and the Little House series. Did you have a favorite book as a child?
Most of our museum volunteers love a cup of tea, especially if it is served in some fancy china cups in alovely setting like Lynde House.
Last Saturday, June 23rd, a few of us sat around the table in the Dining Room sipping tea and munching on some light 'tea bread' and treats. One of our newest high school volunteers, Troy Bello, 'poured tea' as the ladies waited their turn at a special tea leaf reading given by Julie Ditta at wholesoul.ca
Thank you Mary Prettie-Elliott for organizing the event with Julie Ditta and guests, Halima Bacchus, Dianne Carson, Marilyn Curtis, and Beth Lariviere. Also in attendance, for part of the tea, Monica Effenberger, Troy Bello and Trina Astor-Stewart.
During the conversation one of the ladies mentioned that 'since Troy had poured the tea, he was the most important person at the table', it was explained that in years, in the not too distant past, at any occasion such as this, a visit, a reception etc. etc. it was always written up in the local newspaper and of particular mention was who poured the tea! This started a whole new banter and I for one can attest that there is something special about sitting around the table in the Lynde House Dining Room at any time!
Just in case you have not heard of this practice before here is an excerpt from the, Thursday, June 23rd, 1953 in THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO on page fifteen one of the articles reads, " Parsonage Tea At Newtonville Delightful Occasion." The article proceeds to say, "Thursday afternoon and evening last week a Parsonage Tea and reception of unique interest was held at Newtonville." The article goes on to describe the event where, "Rev. and Mrs. Pike were gracioiusly received at the parsonage enjoying the Christian kindliness and cheerful hospitality of the pastor and his wife at their home." And that, '...words of welcome were accorded to each and all' among the 'beauty of the lawns... with huge bouquets of peonies and helitrop"..
Now the subject of TEA POURING as bantered about last Saturday... it is further recorded in the article that, "During the afternoon Mrs. Lorne Todd, Shiloh, and Mrs. J. T. Pearce, Newtonville, poured tea", followed at the end of the article by, "-a happy event to add to memory's treasures."
Now as I have mentioned, we love to put on a victorian tea from time to time at the museum and we have several ladies who are expert at just how this is done... Tea Time means many things to people from varied cultures and is a tradition not to be forgotten.
Pictured on the left is Monica Lawlor, vice president, holding out her tea cup as Linda Calder pours the tea.
If you would like to learn more about how to put on a victorian tea at your home you can get some tips from one of our board members, Linda Calder, a retired teacher and writer of the Boomer Corner for the Local Biz Magazine. Click on the following link to see the article in Biz Magazine.
A presentation by Lianne Harris was given on Thursday, April 13th, 2017. Everyone always enjoys the programs by Lianne they are both informative and fun!
Lianne Harris presented an Easter Program at Lynde House Museum Visitor Centre. Her program focused on the Vikings and their input into our culture. As always it was an interesting program which tied in the Easter story and how the Easter Bunny began as a Viking tradition. Lianne Harris' presentations are always well attended and enjoyed. Everyone enjoyed her costumed interpretation of a lady Viking. Did you know that the Vikings actually started the insurance business? Photo: Lianne Harris demonstrates the importance of bread to Vikings in the Lynde House kitchen.
Lianne Harris Racioppo is a social studies resource specialist with the Toronto Board of Education (TDSB). Lianne is known for her entertaining and educational programs for all ages. Lianne is shown above in the Visitor Centre at the start of her presentation.
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Children's Easter Egg Hunt at the Museum
A Children's Easter Egg Hunt was held at Lynde House Museum & Visitor Centre on Saturday, April 15, 2017 from 11:00am until 4:00pm. Children accompanied by parents were invited to go on a tour through the rooms of Lynde House Museum. Children excitedly searched for the hidden eggs in each room giving parents a chance to enjoy the new Spring Tea displays. Children were given pictures of the rooms and they used these to draw in the position of the eggs (in rooms) on the photos. After the tour, children received their Easter treats as an award in the Visitor Centre. Every child was a winner! The museum was a very busy place in deed as double the number of participants came that did last year!
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Monday, April 24th, 2017 – 6:30 to 8:00pm - The museum was reserved for
A Special Pathfinder Girls Tour. The girls are studying Canadian Citizenship at the moment and were given a presentation which told the stories of our early settlers, First Nations People and all the countries of origin that make up the Patchwork Quilt that is Canada. The girls and their leaders enjoyed the presentation. Special thanks to volunteers, Barb Haug, Denise Lagundzin and Trina Astor-Stewart for putting on the presentation. Afterwards the girls toured the museum and they were delighted with the new displays. One girl commented that some of the items on display would help her with her school projects as they were studying WW1 and WW2 history. The girls loved the new display room upstairs were some of the artifacts were gently handled in white gloves in order to show the girls a close up look.
January at Lynde House Museum is the site of many interesting discoveries. Like this Portrait of a young woman dated 1835, a signed Lithograph presumably by H. Grevedon (1776-1860). Staff and volunteers are busy trying to research many of the artifacts and stories associated with them at the museum. Unfortunately for this work of art, there is some damage in the upper right hand corner from when this portrait was in storage. There is much to do at the museum, lots of ideas and the desire to help those interested to get involved.
We need people who can volunteer, do research, create events, in general get involved with a team for the good of the museum. We also need corporate sponsors to donate funds. Together we make Lynde House Museum an exciting and unique place to visit.
2017 at Lynde House Museum will be an amazing year. There are lots of new things being planned to coincide with Canada's Sesquicentennial.
Did you know that Whitby Historical Society was originally founded to honor Canada's Centennial in 1967 ? The Society was incorporated in the province of Ontario on the twenty-eighth day of May, 1968.
The original founders were, Helen Audrey Ingram, Constance Hope Muckle, Helen Cecilia Jeffery, Richard Gibson Valleau, Otto Alfred Vaughan, Lewis Alfred Guy Winter, ( Brian Winter, former archivist's father) and Adele Ruddy. The Society over the years has been presided over by people dedicated to the preservation of history and heritage. The artifacts and furnishings as well as the history of the Lynde Family represent a microcosm of early heritage in Southern Ontario.
Did you know that Jabez Lynde, who originally built Lynde House immigrated to Canada? His story may be unique in some ways, but in others it represents the ingenuity, drive and dedication to creating a new life for his family, in a new land that a great many people can relate to today.
The society has undergone many changes over the years and is very appreciative of all those who have served in any way. Currently our board, staff and volunteers run the day to day operations of the museum. "Many hands make light work" and there is always more than enough to do.
The structure of management is through the development of teams. This method works well so that volunteers can learn and develop new ideas in cooperation with others while at the same time having back up so that, if possible, no one gets burned out.
Teams are formed in a variety of ways, some serve specific needs for the museum while others focus on the needs of volunteers. Teams work both independently and together to achieve a long term vision for the museum.
Running a museum is work, but it is also a lot of fun! We like to keep having fun! Volunteers having fun and enjoying the work they do for the museum and our community at large.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please email, and we will send you a volunteer application form. Get involved in the exciting things that are happening this year and contribute to the enjoyment of heritage in your community.
Blog and graphics by Trina Astor-Stewart, Executive Director at Lynde House Museum
Many thanks to everyone who attended the Annual General Meeting for Whitby Historical Society on December 1st 2016. We appreciate all those who have contributed. Please click on the link below to see the presentation slides given at the event.
The table was set, candles were lit, fragrance of roast turkey wafted through the dining room as if to say... "Welcome to Lynde House, imagine Christmas might in the Victorian Era".
It all started with some research into what a Victorian Christmas might be like.
Here are some ideas we found for inspiration.
"Christmas ornaments (sold in stores) in the 1870's included butterflies, crosses, diamond, and lead stars created by Nuremberg toy makers, blown glass ornaments (Kugel) from Lauscha, Germany, and wax angels, animals, and Christ child dolls. merchants sold celluloid toys, soldiers, dolls, and birdhouse ornaments. A factory in 1875 manufactured silver foil icicles. In 1880, Frank W. Woolworth began selling blown-glass ornaments, and angel hair became available. Between 1880 and 1910, Dresdin manufacturers created glass ornaments, and gold cardboard camels, storks, peacocks, pianos, and sailboats and were used for Christmas decorations. In 1890's cotton was added to angels and santas." The Guide to Popular Culture edited by Ray B. Browne & Pat Browne.
We hope you enjoy these images from tours at Lynde House Museum 2016
When the Lynde family lived here, they most likely would have gone into the woods behind the house to cut a real Christmas tree and also make wreaths and boughs.
The original Lynde House kitchen was not part of the main structure and was destroyed by a fire years ago. The kitchen is now located in the south-west corner room.
Some Victorian Trees were placed on top of tables. Queen Victoria & Prince Albert - Decorate Christmas Tree, Illustration from Godey's Lady's Book, December 1860.
The upstairs parlor at Lynde House fills the area where the large front window looks out onto Brock Street South in Whitby. The parlor suite is called the Prince of Wales suite, come visit and find out why...
This year at Lynde House Museum the Christmas Tree theme was the Lynde Family and so ornaments were created using old fashioned frames with some Lynde Family portraits inside. These were photographed, printed and then cut-out. The two large gold frames used were donated by a friend of David Chambers for the 'teaching collection' and enlargements were printed. One of Clarissa Lynde Warren, a daughter of Jabez Lynde and one of John Borlaise Warren (sister and brother in law) to hang in the house. Miniatures of other family members were used only on some of the trees. The Lynde Family have a fascinating history and story, why not visit and hear more.
Other Victorian art images were also used to add colour. The reverse of all the ornaments were embellished with sentiments of the season such as, Peace, Joy, Kindness, Family Values, etc.
The Victorian Period was known for its over the top décor. "Twinkling lights hung on fragrant boughs, laced with golden antiquities; garlands strung from the mantle, framing a glowing fire of crackling pinecones.” The very first strand of electric lights were used during the Christmas season of 1880.
Candles on the Christmas tree were often real; however, in our 2016 décor we were able to purchase real-looking rechargeable battery operated candles thanks to the Bingo funds through Pickering Charitable Gaming Association Delta Pickering. Many of the other decorations were also purchased through Bingo funds. Volunteers and staff had a lot of fun arranging and decorating.
Many thanks to all who participated in events during Christmas at Lynde House Museum. To our donors, staff, volunteers, and board members a hearty thank you!
Blog and photographs: (minus -Old Fashioned Christmas images reminiscent of the Victorian era) Trina Astor-Stewart
Here are a few photographs to show you the festivities and a peak at the Christmas decorations. We especially want to thank Pickering Charities Delta Bingo funds for enabling us to create such a WOW decor.
Festivities at the Visitor Centre before and after the Tour of Lynde House.
Come visit Lynde House Museum & Visitor Centre, there is always something new happening here.
Many thanks to all everyone who made this event special!