James Hammond History

(Information and extracts from “Beyond Rogues Harbour” by Don Baron)

The Story of James Hammond

James's Story Context

Born in 1797
James Hammond was born to Edward and Betty Hammond, a family of weavers in Ulster in 1797. In response to massive upheaval in Ireland, his family moved across the Irish Sea in 1801 and settled in Glasgow.
Hammond's in Scotland 1801 - 1830
The Hammond family grew in the decade from 1800 to 1810. James was born in Ulster in 1797. Brothers William and Edward were followed by sisters Margaret and Jane, and finally John.
Like his father James became a weaver in Glasgow.. He married Elizabeth Keating, seven years his senior in about 1822. Sons John and George were born to Betty in 1824 and 1832.
James’ brother, William, left first to become a hotel keeper in Hamilton.
Edward ventured further west to settle and farm near Listowel in now what is known as southern Ontario.
Margaret had married Michael Alexander in Scotland and the couple had two sons before setting out for Canada. Instead of continuing on to southern Ontario where her two brothers were, they travelled up the Ottawa River, and settled at Fitzroy Harbour on the in Ontario where two more children were born.
Sister Janet, who didn’t marry, remained in Scotland, as did the last brother, John.
Finally, James and Betty followed sister Margaret to Canada some time around 1835 (with his large hand loom) and sailed aboard a small ship for what must have seemed to be an eternity - 11 weeks and three days.
For background information on the history and circumstances that led the Hammonds from Ulster to Glasgow and then to Canada, please click here.
Some early Ottawa Valley history:

1791 – The Constitutional Act of 1791, passed by the British Parliament, establishes the separate regions of Upper and Lower Canada.
1800 – Philemon Wright founds Wrightsville (later called Hull)
1805 – The British Navy, fighting the Napoleonic Wars, look to the the Ottawa Valley for timber for their ships. Philemon Wright pilots the first timber raft down the Ottawa River to the port of Québec.
1812 – The United States declares war against Great Britain and attacks Canada.
1826 - In response, Lieutenant Colonel By starts construction of the Rodeau Canal and founds Bytown. Construction on the canal ended in 1832; the population of Bytown reaches 1,000.

Settling in the Ottawa Valley
Having survived the ocean crossing ordeal, James' family followed his sister, Margaret Alexander, to settle in Fitzroy Harbour in Upper Canada. Some of Betty Keating’s relatives, and other Irish and Scots-Irish immigrants were there as well. James got on with his weaving, finding a ready market for his flannel among the settlers. Sons Edward and William were born in 1836 and 1840.
Then, James’ sister Margaret and her husband crossed the Ottawa river to Bristol Township in Lower Canada, adjacent to Clarendon and Onslow, James and Betty followed, settling in Onslow township setting up farms in their small clearings in the forest.
As his pattern for the rest of his life, James established himself as a weaver, continuing to provide cloth to the Onslow settlers.
As the four Hammond sons grew, they began to clear and break the land, raising a few cattle and pigs and poultry.
Oldest son John, married Irish-born Liza McKinney in 1851.
There seems to be little written about the Irish settlers who took up farming in the Ottawa Valley. There is a wealth of information on the fledgling lumber industry that took off during this time of the James Hammond family.
More History:

1849 – The Stony Monday Riot between the Tories and Reformists.
1850 – Bytown is incorporated as a town.
1855 - On January 1, Bytown is formally incorporated as a city, changing it's name to Ottawa.
1857 – Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as the capital of the Province of Canada.
1867 – The British North America Act is passed, establishing Ottawa, with a population of 18,000, as the capital of the Dominion of Canada.
1879 – The Great Dominion Exhibition is held in Ottawa. Later the exhibition grounds become Landsdowne Park, named after the Marquis of Landsdowne, Governor General from 1883 to 1888. Many citizens question the location of the park so far out in the country.
1900 – On April 26, a terrible fire decimates much of Hull and many buildings in Ottawa.

1856 - Lower Canada to Upper Canada
However, James did not stay in Onslow. With Johm and Liza becoming farmers, James was concerned that there was little room for growth. The soil would not support heavy farming, plus, Onslow consisted of a narrow strip of land between the Gatineau hills and the Ottawa River. Sons George and Edward wanted to farm. William, who was well educated wanted to become a teacher.
Edward Hammond, James’ younger brother, had left Scorland seventeen years earlier to settle near what would become Listowell in southern Ontario in Elma Township in Perth County. The area had not yet been developed. As well some of Betty Keading's relatives (James' mother) had settled in the Elma area. In 1854 Edward send James a letter to inform him that land was coming on the market. So, in 1856, the family and the three younger sons travelled by train to Hamilton. It is speculated that the family walked the 80 miles to the wilderness of Elma.
After purchasing 200 acres of crown land, 100 each for George and Edward, the family built a one story log house, supposedly one of the largest in the township. After that, they set to build a house for James and Betty and the three boys. They started the back breaking work of clearing the hardwood brush, piling up the logs and branches into huge piles and burning it.
Ontario in 1850
Old maps show that Perth county was one of the last regions of southern Ontario to be opened up for development. Edward probably wrote his brother when the land was made available.
The town of Hammond was established, with James as the first settler. At some time in history, the name of the town was changed to Gotham. Subsequently Gotham was abandoned and all that is left is ruins. (A photographer from Hamilton took the pictures here. )

Settling IN to Elma
Around the time the Hammonds arrived in Elma from Quebec, a Keating family arrived from Glasgow. Daughter Janet, born in Glasgow in 1847, came with her parents. In 1863, a Baptist minister married George, age 31, and Janet, age 21, at the Keating home.
The following year, George’s younger brother Edward married Sarah Steele, the daughter of Sarah Anne McKinney, the sister of John Hammond’s wife Liza (back in Onslow). After the Wesleyan Methodist wedding, the family travelled back to Onslow for a visit. During that visit a picture was taken of James and Betty Hammond and their four strapping sons.
Two years later in 1866, 26-year-old William married Canadian-born Margaret Keating. He continued on with his teaching career and when the Donegal school opened, taught there.
Hammond Post Office was opened near them in 1865, where mail from Listowel was delivered twice a week. Donegal village was established two and one half miles south of the post office
The Hammond Family

William, Edward, George and John
Betty and James Hammond (oldest son of Edward and Peggy)
In 1864, with the marriage of Edward to Sarah Steele, (niece of the wife of his uncle John Hammonmd, still in Onslow) the Hammond family returned from southern Ontario to visit John Hammond in Onslow Quebec.

End of a productive life
James continued a healthy, energetic and thrifty life. He often walked the eight miles to Listowel rather than harness a horse. He was an avid and thoughtful reader, determined to keep abreast of events, and to make his own interpretation of them.
Edward and Sarah shared the same house as James and Betty for the rest of the parents’ lives, and this undoubtably caused some strains as Betty did little house work, leaving that to her patient and dutiful daughter-in-law. She enjoyed being catered to, and was not above manipulating those around her. James outlived Betty by a few years and retained his health.
But in his final years, james became engrossed in the tragedy known as the “Biddulph Tradegy” or the “Massacre of the Black Donnellys”. He followed the newspaper accounts of the trials of the accused killers with great anguish. While it was going on, he suffered terrible headaches and becme confused.
Some family members attributed his memory loss to the murders and the long drawn-out criminal trials affected. A grandson differed, suggesting it was a stroke. James would wander off and not know his way home. His daughters had the responsibility to keep an eye on him, and if necessary, to follow him and bring him home. On one occasion, he slipped away unseen and was not found until a day or two later some distance away. James died at age 85 in 1882 or 1883.
The tragedy of the Black Donnellys
In 1840, James Donnelly immigrated from Tipperary, Ireland, settling in London, Ontario. Some time later, James moved his faimily to squat on 100 acres on land, north of London. When the rightful owner sold the land, the new owner Patrick Farrell tried to evict the Donnelly family. The resulting court battle resulting in James being permitted to keep 50 acres and to turn over 50 acres (cleared and developed by James) to Farrell. The two men detested each other, and in 1857, during a "logging bee", the two men got into a deadly fight, resulting in Farrell's death.
Donnelly hid, living off the land for one year before turning himself in. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang, but his sentence was later reduced to 7 years of imprisonment in the Kingston Peniteniary (equivalent to a "life sentence" in those days). Until he returned in 1865, the family struggled to survive and the boys were harrased and ridiculed.
The seven Donnelly boys and their father soon acquired a reputation for violence and mayhem, and were accused of burning down barns and assaulting townspeople. The family seemed unstoppable, until a vigilante group decided to seek a permanent solution to their reign of terror.
On the night of February 4, 1880, a handful of men broke into the Donnelly house near Lucan, a few miles south of the Hammonds’, and murdered James Donnelly, his son Tom and a cousin from Ireland named Bridget, then burned the house down, then went to brother William’s house where they shot his brother John by mistake.
The vigilantes were tried but not found guilty, resulting in widespread celebration.

The Story of James Hammond
James's Story	Context
Born in 1797 James Hammond was born to Edward and Betty Hammond, a family of weavers in Ulster in 1797. In response to massive upheaval in Ireland, his family moved across the Irish Sea in 1801 and settled in Glasgow. Hammond's in Scotland 1801 - 1830 The Hammond family grew in the decade from 1800 to 1810. James was born in Ulster in 1797. Brothers William and Edward were followed by sisters Margaret and Jane, and finally John. Like his father James became a weaver in Glasgow.. He married Elizabeth Keating, seven years his senior in about 1822. Sons John and George were born to Betty in 1824 and 1832. James’ brother, William, left first to become a hotel keeper in Hamilton. Edward ventured further west to settle and farm near Listowel in now what is known as southern Ontario. Margaret had married Michael Alexander in Scotland and the couple had two sons before setting out for Canada. Instead of continuing on to southern Ontario where her two brothers were, they travelled up the Ottawa River, and settled at Fitzroy Harbour on the in Ontario where two more children were born. Sister Janet, who didn’t marry, remained in Scotland, as did the last brother, John. Finally, James and Betty followed sister Margaret to Canada some time around 1835 (with his large hand loom) and sailed aboard a small ship for what must have seemed to be an eternity - 11 weeks and three days.	For background information on the history and circumstances that led the Hammonds from Ulster to Glasgow and then to Canada, please click here. Some early Ottawa Valley history: 1791 – The Constitutional Act of 1791, passed by the British Parliament, establishes the separate regions of Upper and Lower Canada. 1800 – Philemon Wright founds Wrightsville (later called Hull) 1805 – The British Navy, fighting the Napoleonic Wars, look to the the Ottawa Valley for timber for their ships. Philemon Wright pilots the first timber raft down the Ottawa River to the port of Québec. 1812 – The United States declares war against Great Britain and attacks Canada. 1826 - In response, Lieutenant Colonel By starts construction of the Rodeau Canal and founds Bytown. Construction on the canal ended in 1832; the population of Bytown reaches 1,000.
Settling in the Ottawa Valley Having survived the ocean crossing ordeal, James' family followed his sister, Margaret Alexander, to settle in Fitzroy Harbour in Upper Canada. Some of Betty Keating’s relatives, and other Irish and Scots-Irish immigrants were there as well. James got on with his weaving, finding a ready market for his flannel among the settlers. Sons Edward and William were born in 1836 and 1840. Then, James’ sister Margaret and her husband crossed the Ottawa river to Bristol Township in Lower Canada, adjacent to Clarendon and Onslow, James and Betty followed, settling in Onslow township setting up farms in their small clearings in the forest. As his pattern for the rest of his life, James established himself as a weaver, continuing to provide cloth to the Onslow settlers. As the four Hammond sons grew, they began to clear and break the land, raising a few cattle and pigs and poultry. Oldest son John, married Irish-born Liza McKinney in 1851.	There seems to be little written about the Irish settlers who took up farming in the Ottawa Valley. There is a wealth of information on the fledgling lumber industry that took off during this time of the James Hammond family. More History: 1849 – The Stony Monday Riot between the Tories and Reformists. 1850 – Bytown is incorporated as a town. 1855 - On January 1, Bytown is formally incorporated as a city, changing it's name to Ottawa. 1857 – Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as the capital of the Province of Canada. 1867 – The British North America Act is passed, establishing Ottawa, with a population of 18,000, as the capital of the Dominion of Canada. 1879 – The Great Dominion Exhibition is held in Ottawa. Later the exhibition grounds become Landsdowne Park, named after the Marquis of Landsdowne, Governor General from 1883 to 1888. Many citizens question the location of the park so far out in the country. 1900 – On April 26, a terrible fire decimates much of Hull and many buildings in Ottawa.
1856 - Lower Canada to Upper Canada However, James did not stay in Onslow. With Johm and Liza becoming farmers, James was concerned that there was little room for growth. The soil would not support heavy farming, plus, Onslow consisted of a narrow strip of land between the Gatineau hills and the Ottawa River. Sons George and Edward wanted to farm. William, who was well educated wanted to become a teacher. Edward Hammond, James’ younger brother, had left Scorland seventeen years earlier to settle near what would become Listowell in southern Ontario in Elma Township in Perth County. The area had not yet been developed. As well some of Betty Keading's relatives (James' mother) had settled in the Elma area. In 1854 Edward send James a letter to inform him that land was coming on the market. So, in 1856, the family and the three younger sons travelled by train to Hamilton. It is speculated that the family walked the 80 miles to the wilderness of Elma. After purchasing 200 acres of crown land, 100 each for George and Edward, the family built a one story log house, supposedly one of the largest in the township. After that, they set to build a house for James and Betty and the three boys. They started the back breaking work of clearing the hardwood brush, piling up the logs and branches into huge piles and burning it.	Ontario in 1850 Old maps show that Perth county was one of the last regions of southern Ontario to be opened up for development. Edward probably wrote his brother when the land was made available. The town of Hammond was established, with James as the first settler. At some time in history, the name of the town was changed to Gotham. Subsequently Gotham was abandoned and all that is left is ruins. (A photographer from Hamilton took the pictures here. )
Settling IN to Elma Around the time the Hammonds arrived in Elma from Quebec, a Keating family arrived from Glasgow. Daughter Janet, born in Glasgow in 1847, came with her parents. In 1863, a Baptist minister married George, age 31, and Janet, age 21, at the Keating home. The following year, George’s younger brother Edward married Sarah Steele, the daughter of Sarah Anne McKinney, the sister of John Hammond’s wife Liza (back in Onslow). After the Wesleyan Methodist wedding, the family travelled back to Onslow for a visit. During that visit a picture was taken of James and Betty Hammond and their four strapping sons. Two years later in 1866, 26-year-old William married Canadian-born Margaret Keating. He continued on with his teaching career and when the Donegal school opened, taught there. Hammond Post Office was opened near them in 1865, where mail from Listowel was delivered twice a week. Donegal village was established two and one half miles south of the post office	The Hammond Family William, Edward, George and John Betty and James Hammond (oldest son of Edward and Peggy) In 1864, with the marriage of Edward to Sarah Steele, (niece of the wife of his uncle John Hammonmd, still in Onslow) the Hammond family returned from southern Ontario to visit John Hammond in Onslow Quebec.
End of a productive life James continued a healthy, energetic and thrifty life. He often walked the eight miles to Listowel rather than harness a horse. He was an avid and thoughtful reader, determined to keep abreast of events, and to make his own interpretation of them. Edward and Sarah shared the same house as James and Betty for the rest of the parents’ lives, and this undoubtably caused some strains as Betty did little house work, leaving that to her patient and dutiful daughter-in-law. She enjoyed being catered to, and was not above manipulating those around her. James outlived Betty by a few years and retained his health. But in his final years, james became engrossed in the tragedy known as the “Biddulph Tradegy” or the “Massacre of the Black Donnellys”. He followed the newspaper accounts of the trials of the accused killers with great anguish. While it was going on, he suffered terrible headaches and becme confused. Some family members attributed his memory loss to the murders and the long drawn-out criminal trials affected. A grandson differed, suggesting it was a stroke. James would wander off and not know his way home. His daughters had the responsibility to keep an eye on him, and if necessary, to follow him and bring him home. On one occasion, he slipped away unseen and was not found until a day or two later some distance away. James died at age 85 in 1882 or 1883.	The tragedy of the Black Donnellys In 1840, James Donnelly immigrated from Tipperary, Ireland, settling in London, Ontario. Some time later, James moved his faimily to squat on 100 acres on land, north of London. When the rightful owner sold the land, the new owner Patrick Farrell tried to evict the Donnelly family. The resulting court battle resulting in James being permitted to keep 50 acres and to turn over 50 acres (cleared and developed by James) to Farrell. The two men detested each other, and in 1857, during a "logging bee", the two men got into a deadly fight, resulting in Farrell's death. Donnelly hid, living off the land for one year before turning himself in. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang, but his sentence was later reduced to 7 years of imprisonment in the Kingston Peniteniary (equivalent to a "life sentence" in those days). Until he returned in 1865, the family struggled to survive and the boys were harrased and ridiculed. The seven Donnelly boys and their father soon acquired a reputation for violence and mayhem, and were accused of burning down barns and assaulting townspeople. The family seemed unstoppable, until a vigilante group decided to seek a permanent solution to their reign of terror. On the night of February 4, 1880, a handful of men broke into the Donnelly house near Lucan, a few miles south of the Hammonds’, and murdered James Donnelly, his son Tom and a cousin from Ireland named Bridget, then burned the house down, then went to brother William’s house where they shot his brother John by mistake. The vigilantes were tried but not found guilty, resulting in widespread celebration.

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