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Reflections: A 'pioneer mother' of Perth County

Margaret Chamney played a pivotal role in the community life of 19th-century Wallace Township

The death of a longtime Perth County resident made front page news in the Listowel Banner on Nov. 29, 1928. The esteemed resident was Margaret Chamney, who had lived in Wallace Township for 75 years.

Chamney, whose maiden name was Stewart, was born in Wicklow County, Ireland, in 1832. At only three months old, she was brought to Canada by her parents, Mrs. and Mr. Edward Stewart. They first settled near Toronto but soon moved to Tecumseh Township in historical Simcoe County. While living there, they had a close relationship with their neighbours, the Chamney family. Eventually, as the children grew up, four members of the Stewart family married four Chamneys.

Reflections: A 'pioneer mother' of Perth County Back to video

In 1853, Edward Stewart visited the Queen’s Bush, an unsurveyed tract of land north of Waterloo Township and south of Lake Huron. He was so taken with the countryside in that area that he bought squatter’s rights from a man living on land that would eventually become part of Wallace Township The plot of land included more than 200 acres, but only four acres had been cleared while the rest remained covered in dense bush.

Young Thomas Chamney and........

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