Tag Archives: Janet WALKER (1859-1948)

Tangled Web of Family Relationships

19 Sunday Jan 2014

Posted by in Muir Family, Watson Family

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[Please keep checking this space, additional material and photos will be added as they become available, additional tags will be added as dates are clarified. The last information and / or images added 20 May 2014]

Family history often a confused mixture of relationships; the story of the WATSON (including MUIR) – ACTON  families is no exception. The photo below was taken about 1938-39 in Saskatchewan at one of the many family picnic get-to-gethers of the WATSON-ACTON families. The location of the photo is likely beside the Qu’Appelle River, near Ellisboro, probably just beside the old bridge.

After Thomas WATSON and his wife Jane MUIR immigrated to Saskatchewan in 1910, their sons (James (#15 in the photo), William (#4), Alexander (deceased at the time of the photo), and daughter Helen (Nell) (#40) married members of the Acton family. The resulting combined and extended families led to a tangled web of relations and cousins. While Thomas (d. 1932) and Jane Watson (d. 1933) are not in this photo, many of their descendants are.

 ACTON1937-004a-names

Names of people in picnic of Watson – Acton families and their relationship to Thomas and Jane (Muir) Watson. Names of persons still living have been left blank(__).

1. Joseph (‘Joe’) Francis ACTON (1886-1972): husband of Nell (#40); father of Dick (#12) and Tom (#8); son-in-law of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR.

2. [Living son] WATSON: step-son of Bill (#4); brother of Janet (#23); grandson of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

3. Samuel (‘Sam’) Acton WATSON (1920-2002): son of Jim (#15) and Nancy (#38); brother of Doris (#29), Bill (#13), Muriel (#37), and __ (#28); grandson of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR.

4. William (‘Bill’) Muir WATSON (1892-1973): step-father of Bob (#2); brother of Nell (#40), Jim (#15) and John (#35); son of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR.

5. Jeff PARKER: husband of Edith (#20)

6. Robert WALKER (Sr.): nephew of Janet (#16); married to Lilly BAKER (not in photo), sister of Bill Sharpe’s wife Priscilla BAKER.

7. [Living son] ACTON: son of Dick (#21) and Annie (#27); brother of __ (#39), __ (#36), __ (#19), __ (#18), __ (#26) and __ (#22).

8. Thomas (‘Tom’) Watson ACTON (1917-1991): son of Joe (#1) and Nell (#40); brother of Dick (#12); grandson of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR.

9. William (‘Bill’) SHARPE: Husband of Priscilla BAKER (#25);

10. Robert WALKER (Jr.): son of Robert WALKER (Sr.) (#6)

11. Anne (Gompf) McKINNON: wife of Alex (#14); mother of Vi (#30)

12. Richard (‘Dick’) William ACTON (1916-1990): son of Joe (#1) and Nell (#40); brother of Tom (#8); grandson of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

13. Richard William (‘Bill’) WATSON (1916-2000): son of Jim (#15) and Nancy (#38); brother of Doris (#29), Muriel (#37), Sam (#3) and __ (28); grandson of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

14. Alexander ‘Alex’ McKINNON: husband of Anne (#11); father of Vi (#30); brother of Annie (#27)

15. James (‘Jim’) Muir WATSON (1888-1965): husband of Nancy (#38); father of Doris (#29), Bill (#13), Muriel (#37), Sam (#3) and __ (28); brother of Bill (#4), Nell (#40) and John (#35); son of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

16. Janet (Walker) ACTON (1859-1948): (widow of Samuel ACTON; Samuel died in 1927 therefore not shown in photo); mother of Nancy (#38), Dick (#21), Bob (#32) and Jenny (#17).

17. Janet (‘Jenny’) Ethel ACTON: daughter of Janet (#16); sister of Nancy (#38), Dick (#21), and Bob (#32).

18. [Living son] ACTON: son of Dick (#21) and Annie (#27); brother of __ (#39), __ (#7), __ (#36), __ (#19), __ (#26) and __ (#22).

19. [Living daughter] ACTON: daughter of Dick (#21) and Annie (#27); sister of __ (#39), __ (#7), __ (#36), __ (#18), __ (#26) and __ (#22).

20. Edith (Allen) PARKER: wife of Jeff (#5)

21. Richard (‘Dick’) Arthur ACTON (1894-1984): son of Janet (#16); husband of Annie (#27); father of __ (#39), __ (#7), __ (#36), __ (#19), __ (#18), __ (#26) and __ (#22); brother of Nancy (#38), Bob (#32) and Jenny (#17).

22. [Living son] ACTON (back of head): son of Dick (#21) and Annie (#27); brother of __ (#39), __ (#7), __ (#36), __ (#19), __ (#18), and __ (#26).

23. Janet Mae WATSON: step-daughter of Bill (#4); sister of Bob (#2); granddaughter of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

24. [Living daughter] ACTON: daughter of Bob (#32) and Sarah (#31); sister of __ (#34) and __ (#33).

25. Priscilla (Baker) SHARPE: wife of (Bill (#9)

26. [Living son] ACTON: son of Dick (#21) and Annie (#27); brother of __ (#39), __ (#7), __ (#36), __ (#19), __ (#18), and __ (#22).

27. Annie (McKinnon) ACTON: wife of Dick (#21); mother of __ (#39), __ (#7), __ (#36), __ (#19), __ (#18), __ (#26) and __ (#22); sister of Alex (#14)

28. [Living daughter] WATSON: daughter of Jim (#15) and Nancy (#38); sister of Doris (#29), Bill (#13), Muriel (#37), and Sam (#3); granddaughter of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

29. Doris (‘Doris’) Janet WATSON (1915-ca 1985): daughter of Jim (#15) and Nancy (#38); sister of Bill (#13), Muriel (#37), Sam (#3) and __ (28); granddaughter of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

30. Viola (‘Vi’) MCKINNON: daughter of Anne (#11) and Alex (#14); niece of Annie (#27)

31. Sarah Hastings (Johnston) ACTON (1896-1986): wife of Bob (#32); mother of __ (#34), __ (#24) and __ (#33), sister of Mary (#41)

32. Robert ‘Bob’ Walker ACTON (1896-1966): son of Janet (#16); husband of Sarah (#31) father of __ (#34), __ (#24) and __ (#33); brother of Nancy (#38), Dick (#21), and Jenny (#17).

33. [Living daughter] ACTON: daughter of Bob (#32) and Sarah (#31); sister of __ (#34), and __ (#24).

34. [Living daughter] ACTON: daughter of Bob (#32) and Sarah (#31); sister of __ (#24) and __ (#33).

35. John (‘John’) McConnell Muir WATSON (1903-1994): brother of Bill (#4), Jim (#15) and Nell (#40); son of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

36. [Living daughter] ACTON: daughter of Dick (#21) and Annie (#27); sister of __ (#39), __ (#7), __ (#19), __ (#18), __ (#26) and __ (#22).

37. Muriel Mae WATSON (1919-2000): daughter of Jim (#15) and Nancy (#38); sister of Doris (#29), Bill (#13), Sam (#3) and __ (28); granddaughter of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

38. Agnes ‘Nancy’ Elizabeth (Acton) WATSON (1892-1981): daughter of Janet (#16); wife of Jim( #15); mother of Doris (#29), Bill (#13), Muriel (#37), Sam (#3) and __ (28); sister of Dick (#21), Bob (#32) and Jenny (#17); daughter-in-law of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

39. [Living daughter] ACTON: daughter of Dick (#21) and Annie (#27); sister of __ (#7), __ (#36), __ (#19), __ (#18), __ (#26) and __ (#22).

40. Helen (‘Nell’) McNab (Watson) ACTON: wife of Joe (#1); mother of Dick (#12) and Tom (#8); sister of Bill (#4), Jim (#15) and John (#35); daughter of Thomas WATSON and Jane MUIR

41. Mary JOHNSTON: sister of Sarah (#31)

The picnic was likely held on a Sunday afternoon, after the 11 AM church service in the rural Rosewood United Church. After attending church, the families would briefly return to their farm homes. All family members remained dressed in their Sunday best; they would not change after attending church. Quickly tying on an apron, the women would pack food that had been prepared the day before. The men would conduct a last minute check of any farm animals that might require food and / or water before evening; if this necessitated a change into ‘chore clothes’ the white shirts, ties and dark suit trousers would be put on again before leaving for the picnic. Cars were quickly packed with excited children and delicious and plentiful home cooked food.

ACTON1938-052ACTON1938-051Each housewife would pack more than enough for her own family, but once at the picnic site, all food would be placed on picnic tables or blankets for a large ‘pot-luck’ feast including jellied salads, potato salad, canned chicken, hams, sandwiches (canned salmon, roast beef and pork, chicken, ham), pickles (dill, mustard, sweet, bread-and-butter), homemade buns and bread, cakes, ‘squares’, pies and cookies. Large jars of homemade lemonade would be available for the children, multiple thermos of hot tea would be provided for the adults. Several families would also bring a ‘cream can’ of cool drinking water.

The afternoon’s entertainment was informal: the woman would gather and discuss children, gardens, recipes.

The men would discuss cattle, crops, weather, the price of grain, the lack of railway cars to ship the grain, the cost of farm machinery, the state of the roads, and the other constant challenges of farm life. The young children would dash amongst the trees involved in their own games of tag, or games of, the now politically incorrect, ‘war’ with pretend guns made from tree branches.ACTON1938-054

 

 

 

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WATSON, Alexander Hunter (1895-1934)

19 Saturday May 2012

Posted by in Watson Family

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(see ‘Thomas & Jane (MUIR) WATSON Family’ under heading ‘WATSON’)

[this post last edited, new information and/or images added 12 March 2013. Unless otherwise indicated all photos are from the author’s collection]

[For more Watson family photos also check out Donald Slater’s family history Flickr account www.flickr.com/photos/palaeoecogeek]

Alexander (Alex) Hunter WATSON, born 21 June 1895 at Cloncaird Mains in the Parish of Kirkmichael, Scotland was the fifth child and forth son of Thomas and Jane (MUIR) WATSON. He was the first of their chldren born in a place other than Mt. Oliphant Farm. The move to Cloncaird Mains sometime after 1892 marked the beginning of the nomadic life of the Watson family as it moved from tenant farm to tenant farm until immigration to Canada in 1910.

Photo left: Alexander Hunter Watson, 10 June 1914, Rosewood District, Lemberg, Saskatchewan, Canada

Alex was given the middle name ‘Hunter’ after his paternal grandmother Mary HUNTER. His life as a child would have been similar to that of his siblings; farm work and school work, chilly damp accommodation and probably never enough to eat. By 1909 Alex, aged 14, was the oldest boy at home since his brothers Tom, Jim and Bill had left to work. Tom [Thomas WATSON] had already embarked on his chauffering career in Scotland and England, Jim [James Muir WATSON] and Bill [William Watson Muir WATSON] had already moved to Canada. Alex would have had to carry a heavier share of farm work to help his father.

By April 1910, Alex and the rest of the Watson family lived in Saskatchewan. Alex worked as a hired farm hand until he could manage to acquire some land of his own.

When WWI broke out, Alex did not immediately enlist as his did his brother Bill. However, in 1918 the war for the allies was going badly and a call went out for additional soldiers. On 30 April 30 1918, in Regina, Alex joined the RNWMP (Royal Northwest Mounted Police Canadian Expeditionary Force). With this Expeditionary Force he travelled by train to Montreal, where on June 3 he sailed for England on the ship S. S. Bellerophon. The eighteen day sea journey was no doubt memorable because it was lengthy, rough and Alex caught measles which meant that he was in and out of hospitals in military camps in England. Finally almost four months later, on 7 October he was transferred to the Canadian Tank Corp. By 12 November he was back in hospital where he underwent a tonsillectomy operation.

Photo: Alexander Hunter Watson, taken between 30 April 1918 – 30 May 1919

His military records are unclear, but it appears that he spent the remainder of the war at Bovington Camp in England with the Canadian Tank Corp. He returned to Canada in May 1919, left Southhampton on 18 May on the ship Aquitania. After disembarking in Halifax, he travelled to Winnipeg by train where he was demobilized from the army on 30 May 1919.

We know from Alex’s military records that he was a slight man; at enlistment he was 5’ 7” and weighed 130 pounds. He had blue eyes and dark brown hair. When he left the military he weighed 140 pounds. While Alexander’s military career may not have offered the excitement he anticipated, it was much safer than that of his brother Bill, and he benefited from the military health care and nutrition of the active and convalescent hospitals.

On 22 July 1919, Alex, his brother Bill and other fellow soldiers from the Rosewood District of Saskatchewan were honoured by their neighbours. The newspaper The Lemberg Star, Friday, July 25, 1919 reported:

“A social evening was held at the home of Mrs. S. ACTON [Janet WALKER, married to Samuel ACTON] on Tuesday, July 22. The objective was to present each of the following soldiers with gold watches: Pte. W. M. WATSON, Pte. Fred OBLEMAN, Pte. Tobert CLARKE; Gnr [gunner] Neil BONGARD, Gnr. R. A. ACTON, Gnr. H. BANTRUM; Trpe. William BARTON, Trpe. Alex WATSON.

The above are all soldiers of the Rosewood District. Mr. Jamieson said a few words of welcome: also Mrs. Acton exressed her joy at seeing the boys home again. On behalf of his associates Mr. Dick Acton thanked the people of Rosewood for all the kindnesses bestowed upon them while overseas and particularly made mention of the numerous boxes of good things, which were so highly appreciated.

After singing ‘They are jolly good fellows’ the pleasant evening was brought to a close“

After the war, Alex returned to farming his half section of land north of Lemberg. On 1 January 1927 in Lemberg, Saskatchewan, Alex, 32, married 29 year old nurse Sarah May (May) ACTON daughter of Samuel ACTON and his wife Janet WALKER. No doubt Alex had met Mae at the numerous family and community gatherings in the Rosewood neighbourhood.

On page 1 of the 7 January 1927 issue the Lemberg Star [newspaper] reported the wedding:

The home of Mrs and Mrs. S. Acton, Martin Street, Lemberg, was the scene of a pretty wedding on Saturday, January 1 when their daughter Sarah May ACTON, R. N. became the wife of Alexander Hunter WATSON of Lemberg. The bride, wearing a plum coloured satin dress trimmed with georgette and carrying a bouquet of pink and white carnations was given away by her father. The room was pleasingly decorated with white bells and pink and white streamers.

The witnesses were Miss Janet E. ACTON, sister of the bride and John M. WATSON, brother of the groom. The wedding service was read by Rev. W. H. Hughes of Lemberg.

About 35 guests partook of the very dainty lunch served after the ceremony. Those assisting at the tables were: Mrs. W. DANNELS, Miss WATSON [Jane Muir WATSON]and Miss Mary JOHNSTON.

The numerous gifts from a wide circle of friends evidenced the high esteem in whch the young couple are held. The bride is a graduate of the Grey Nun’s Hospital in Regina and a daughter of one of the first pioneer families of the Rosewood District.

The young couple left, amid a shower of confetti and rice, on the evening train for Winnipeg, where they will spend their honeymoon. [They likely would have visitedand perahps stayed with Alex’s brother Tom and his wife Mary who married in 1923.] On their return they will reside on the groom’s farm north of Lemberg. The good wishes of a host of friends will follow them.

Alex and May had three children between 1928 and 1932. Sadly Alex died on the 15 August 1934 leaving May a widow with three young children. Alex’s obituary from the [Regina] Leader Post, Monday, August 20, 1934, Evening Edition, Page 20.

Alexander H. Watson, farming north of Lemberg, died at his home Thursday morning. He had been confined to bed with cancer for several months. He was born in Ayrshire, Scotland and was 39 years of age. He came to Canada in 1910 with his parents, who made their home in the Ellisboro district. During the war he enlisted for active service and was attached to the Tank battalion. On his return he took up farming and on January 1, 1927, was married to Mae Acton, R.N. of Lemberg.

 Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon at the house, the remains being taken to Ellisboro for burial. Surviving him are his widow and three children, Janet, Robert and Margaret; two sisters and four brothers, Mrs Jos. Acton [Helen McNab WATSON) of Lemberg, Miss Janet Watson [Jane Muir WATSON] of Regina, Thomas of Winnipeg, James of Ellisboro, William and John of Lemberg. His father predeceased him two years ago and his mother one year ago.

Alex is buried in the Ellisboro Cemetery in the Qu`Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan.

WATSON, William Watson Muir (1892-1973)

18 Friday May 2012

Posted by in Watson Family

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(see ‘Thomas & Jane (MUIR) WATSON Family’ under heading ‘WATSON’ , for photograph of WATSON family see post 29 April 2012)

[this post last edited, new information and/or images added 12 March 2013. Unless otherwise indicated all photos are from the author’s collection]

[For more Watson family photos also check out Donald Slater’s family history Flickr account www.flickr.com/photos/palaeoecogeek]

William (Bill) Watson Muir WATSON was born 24 August 1892 at Mount Oliphant Farm, Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland to tenant farmers Thomas WATSON and his wife Jane (MUIR) WATSON.  Bill, the fourth child and third son born to Thomas and Jane, was the last of their children to be born at Mount Oliphant Farm. Sometime between 1892 and 1895 the family left Mount Oliphant in search of a better living, a search that would lead them to seven farms throughout Scotland before the family immigrated to Canada in 1910.

Photo above: William Watson Muir Watson, 10 June 1914, Rosewood District, Lemberg, Saskatchewan, Canada

At Bill’s birth his name was registered as ‘William Watson Muir Watson’, although in later years Bill sensibly eliminated the redundant ‘Watson’ as a middle name. No explanation has ever been found for the extra ‘Watson’, perhaps the registrar was hard of hearing, or had partaken too much of Robbie Burns favourite spirit.

As were all the Watson children, Bill would have been expected to work on the farms the family lived on, as well as attend school. In the 1901 census William (as he was called on official documents) was an 8 year old ‘scholar’, the normal term for school children in the census records of the time.

In 1906 when Bill was 14, his 17 year old brother Jim [James Muir WATSON] left home and immigrated to Canada. Bill wanted to follow him and did so three years later. After he completed school, Bill sailed from Glasgow on the ship “S. S. Hesperian” and arrived in Quebec City on 19 July 1909. Passenger records show that he still used his full legal name as the ship’s register listed him as ‘Wm. W. M. Watson, 17′, His destination was Rapid City, Manitoba.

A postcard has survived from this time. Bill’s sister Nell [Helen McNab (WATSON) ACTON], who addressed the card to: Mr. Wm Watson, C/O S. L. Henry, Stockton, Manitoba wrote:

Aye “haudin the haunles” yet Will[?] What do you think of Canada then, now that you have got there [?] How is harvest getting on[?] Saltcoats have most of theirs cut now but they are first here about. I will stop now. Hope you are not feeling home sick. Had any reels yet [?] Address this postcard and send it to Jim as we have not got his address yet. Nellie

Bill worked as a farm labourer in Manitoba for about a year until the rest of his family immigrated in 1910, when he moved to the Ellisboro area of Saskatchewan. He was with the rest of the family on 10 June 1914 when his brother Jim married Agnes (Nancy) Elizabeth ACTON. [see post 29 April 2012 for photograph of Jim and Agnes’ wedding]. Two months later, in August 1914, WWI broke out and on 14 December 1914 in Winnipeg, Bill enlisted.

WATSON1914-040

Photo right: Bill is sitting down, second from the right

He served with the Canadian army (10th Canadian Infantry Battalion) in France from 1914 until the end of the war in 1919 and was involved in some of the bloodiest battles of the war. He rarely, if ever, talked about his horrific experiences in the trenches. Amazingly, he lived through the experience without suffering any physical wound or injury.

His military file gave a physical description of Bill: 5 foot 7 ½ inches tall, grey eyes, dark brown hair. He weighed 140 pounds when he returned from the war.

After he was demobilized in 1919 he returned to farm in the Lemberg area.

On 22 July 1919, Bill, his brother Alexander Hunter WATSON and other fellow soldiers from the Rosewood District of Saskatchewan were honoured by their neighbours. The newpaper The Lemberg Star, Friday, July 25, 1919 reported:

“A social evening was held at the home of Mrs. S. ACTON [Janet WALKER married to Samuel ACTON]on Tuesday, July 22. The objective was to present each of the following soldiers with gold watches: Pte. W. M. WATSON, Pte. Fred OBLEMAN, Pte. Tobert CLARKE; Gnr [gunner] Neil BONGARD, Gnr. R. A. ACTON, Gnr. H. BANTRUM; Trpe. William BARTON, Trpe. Alex WATSON.

The above are all soldiers of the Rosewood District. Mr. Jamieson said a few words of welcome: also Mrs. Acton exressed her joy at seeing the boys home again. On behalf of his associates Mr. Dick Acton thanked the people of Rosewood for all the kindnesses bestowed upon them while overseas and particularly made mention of the numerous boxes of good things, which were so highly appreciated.

After singing ‘They are jolly good fellows’ the pleasant evening was brought to a close”

On 15 October 1940 Bill married Sarah May (May) ACTON. Mae was the widow of Bill`s younger brother Alex. (See post 19 May 2012 on Alexander Hunter WATSON). Bill and Mae had one son. Bill and Mae had a blended family as Mae`s three children Janet, [living son] and Margaret, from her marriage to Alex also lived and grew up with them.

Bill and Mae lived and farmed in the Lemberg area. Bill died on 7 December 1973, and Mae on 4 December 1982; they are both buried in the Ellisboro Cemetery in the Qu`Appelle Valley.

A WATSON family wedding

29 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in Watson Family

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(see ‘Thomas & Jane (MUIR) WATSON Family’ under heading ‘WATSON’ )

[this post last edited, new information and/or images added 9 January 2019. Unless otherwise indicated all photos are from the author’s collection]

[For more Watson family photos also check out my cousin Donald Slater’s family history Flickr account www.flickr.com/photos/palaeoecogeek]

Photo above: On 10 June 1914 James Muir WATSON married Agnes (Nancy) Elizabeth ACTON.

For those interested in Watson family history the above photograph is unique because it shows the complete Thomas and Jane (MUIR) Watson family at one time and in one place. Standing, left to right: Alexander Hunter WATSON, Jane (‘Jean’) Muir WATSON, the groom James (‘Jim’) Muir WATSON and his bride Agnes (Nancy) Elizabeth ACTON, Thomas (‘Tom’) WATSON, Helen (‘Nell’) McNab WATSON and William (‘Bill’) Watson Muir WATSON. Sitting: father Thomas (‘Tom’) WATSON and his wife Jane (‘Jean’) MUIR, and between them their youngest child  John McConnell Muir WATSON. The only family member missing is Mary Hunter WATSON who died as a young child in Scotland in 1900.

The date of the wedding is 10 June 1914, the place is the bride’s home on her parent’s (Samuel ACTON and Janet WALKER) farm in Rosewood, Saskatchewan.

WATSON1914-002L to R: Parents of the groom, Thomas Watson and his wife Jane Watson, groom James (Jim) Watson, bride Agnes (Nancy) Watson and parents of the bride Janet and Samuel Acton. The photograph was taken in the vegetable garden – see the sticks with seed package covers to mark the rows in the lower left of the photo.

A clipping from a local newspaper [probably the Lemberg Star, however no source was cited] described the wedding.

On Wednesday of last week one of the most popular young ladies in the district, Miss Nancy Acton, entered into the married estate, the happy bridegroom being Mr. James Watson, second son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Watson who, since they came out from Scotland some four years ago, have been farming north of the [Qu’Appelle] valley. TheACTON1910-001 wedding took place at the beautiful home of the bride’s father, Mr. S. [Samuel] Acton.

Right: The home of Samuel and Janet Acton, obviously several years before the veranda was built, and tree windbreak and garden planted.

A large company of friends and neighbors gathered on the veranda of the house which was gaily festooned with branches of trees, with the guests grouped around on the lawn. Rev. D. B. Millard officiated, Mr. Thos Watson, of Winnipeg, brother of the bridegroom, acted as best man, Miss May Acton supported her sister as bridesmaid and Mrs. W. S. Oliver played the wedding march and accompanied the singing. The bride looked lovely in a gown of lace over white satin, with a prettily embroidered veil fastened to her hair with a wreath of white carnations, a bouquet of which she also carried in her hand. The bridesmaid was becomingly dressed in embroidered voile with a pink sash and pink carnations.

Left to right: Thomas WATSON, and his brother James WATSON, Agnes (Nancy) WATSON and her sister Sarah May (May) ACTON. The veranda of the house “gaily festooned with branches of trees” clearly in view.

After the ceremony a sumptuous wedding breakfast was served on prettily decorated tables set out on the lawn under arches of trees and shade with foliage.

Many useful and handsome wedding presents were showered on the bride, including a gold watch and chain from the bridegroom and a cheque from Rosewood congregation, where for several years past she has acted as organist. The bridegroom’s present to the bridesmaid was a gold bracelet.

Amid a shower of rice and confetti the happy couple, the bride attired in a suit of Alice blue and a white hat, left by automobile for Wolseley en route for a short honeymoon in Regina.

The newly married couple were driven to Wolseley to catch the train to Regina by the groom’s brother and best man Thomas who was a chauffeur in Winnipeg to the wealthy Black family. The bride, Nancy, later told her family that this was her first automobile ride.