The COULTERS  - By Mrs. L. Bennett (Mary Coulter)  1967

The following is taken from an autobiography of R.D. Coulter's, requested by the "Toronto Globe".

    I was born on the 5th day of April 1828 in the parish of New Daley, AyreShire, Scotland. My father was a stone mason by trade; my mother a farmer's daughter. They immigrated to Canada in 1832 when I was four years old and settled in the Township of Vaughan on the 9th Concession County of York, Toronto, which was then but a small town. It was called Little York in those days.

    Our first home was in the heart of the forest. My father not knowing the difference between hardwood and pine land, chose the latter, thinking where such large trees grew the soil must he the best. And on that rough hilly pine farm, for 15 years, until I was 19, we had our share of hard labor. Then in l 847 he sold that farm and moved to Owen Sound in the County of Grey, and took up land in the Township of Derby, there again to begin pioneer life in the heart of the forest. In my boyhood days in Vaughan there were no public nor private schools in our part of the township but I got six weeks in school in the Township of King, but the trustees forbad the teacher taking any pupils from our township so that six weeks ended my school days.

    Being the oldest son, my father could not spare me from the farm, as he was not in a position to hire help, therefore could not send me to a distant school. But I learned to read at home in the evenings when the day's work was done, and soon became fond of reading. The first newspaper I read was printed in Toronto by William Lyon McKenzie. Then George Brown published the weekly Globe, and I have read the Globe since its first publication except five years when I was in the California gold mines, and other places, part of which was in the Northern States, even there I used to go to the news stands and get the Globe wherever it was to be bought. So I think I might be put down as one of the oldest readers of the Toronto Globe.

    In 1882 I came to Manitoba and took up land in Silver Creek Municipality where I at present reside together with my three sons.

    R. D. Coulter, after three trips to Manitoba, settled on the north half of section 14-20-27. He came west first in 1882 from Owen Sound, Ontario, and again in 1883 when he erected a log house to which he brought his wife, the former Mary Waddells and three sons in 1884, Alexander (Sandy), Robert, and Gavin.

    R. D. Coulter was a staunch liberal supporter in the political life of his day. He had a wide knowledge of the Bible and although no formal education, had a deep appreciation of classical literature and spent much of his time composing verse, some of which is compiled in this Pioneer History of Russell and surrounding area. A story is related which indicates his love of reading in that he was credited for having designed a rack to hold a book which hung down from a cow's back while he milked.

  R. D. Coulter's second son, Robert John - R.J. homesteaded the North-east quarter of Section 10-20-27., afterwards taking over the south half of Section 16-20-27. He married Margaret Elizabeth Peddie, a school teacher in the municipality and daughter of a pioneer family who emigrated from Stratford, Ontario. Their home became the half-way house between the large community south of what is now Angusville, and their marketing town, Russell, the road passing between the house and barn. The stopover calls made by the pioneers to and from market added zest and pleasure to life on the Coulter farm. The school (Stratford) the center of the community activities, was only a stone's throw away. R. J. from 1900 and until the time of his death in 1935, was SecretaryTreasurer of Stratford School. He was Reeve of Silver Creek Municipality for nine years, and several times assessor for the municipality.

    The family consisted of three sons and three daughters. The original farm has remained in the family for three generations from R. J. to his eldest son Mervyn, and then to Mervyn's son, Robert.

    R. D. Coulter's youngest son, Gavin W. was a farmer of the Silver Creek district. He married Annie Anderson in 1896, the daughter of Robert Anderson, who had opened a general store to cater to the needs of the pioneers of the community.

    Being the youngest son of the family, he farmed with his father until l901 when they moved to make their home on the south half of Section 14-20-27. There they raised their family of five children, three sons and two daughters, Always the youngest son is on the home place, which is now known as Clear View Farm.

    There was no direct railroad line to Silver Creek, so they took the train to Moosomin, Saskatchewan and drove sixty miles by sleigh, in March, 1884. They brought only one carload of effects, that is, horses, cattle, chickens, pigs, dogs, clothing, machinery, and furnitures.  The horses they brought were of a very high spirited nature, and upon one occasion, two of them jumped the enclosure. The two oldest sons gave chase by foot, which ended at St. Lazare, a distance of approximately thirty miles. There the run-aways were caught by pioneers of that district. The only method of a return trip was by foot until another friendly pioneer half-way back gave them a conveyance.

    A description of the Coulter farm is also expressed in one of R. D. Coulter's poems, entitled: "Coulter's Hill".

Sitting where the waters of the Birdtail River glide,
I hear the joyous chatter of the birds on every side.
But the scene is not so charming, nor the music note so shrill,
As you can hear each morning; away up on Coulter's Hill.
That is the most delightful spot on which the eye can rest,
THe land is high and rolling, sloping gently south and west.
And to crown this of beauty, every morning when I wake,
I can look with admiration on a charming little lake.

   The eldest son, Alexander (Sandy) homesteaded the S.W. quarter of Section 16, Township 20, Range 27.  Sfter fulfilling his duties in the regard, he spen several years erecting many of the pioneers' homes, a trade learned with his fater in Ontario.  One of the major projects being the building at the Binscarth Farm.

   Later in life he marrie Mabel Stewart, daught of another pioneer family.   Tow of their four sons, Leslie and John, gave their live in World War II.

Coulter Families
Hugh Alexander Coulter married Edna Mabel Stewart.
Leslie Coulter (Killed in WWII)
John Coulter (Killed in WWII)
Harold Coulter
Wilson Coulter

Robert John Coulter married Margaret Elizabeth Peddie.
Mervyn Coulter married Margaret Cochran.
           > Beth and Robert
Armetta (Mrs. James Hainstock)
          > Ernest, Meryl, Jack, Grant
Guy Coulter married Heather Buie
          > Enid
Donelda (Mrs. Clare McInnes)
         > Donald, Elaine, Gordon
Chester Coulter married Betty McFarlane
         > Dick
Mary (Mrs. Lawrence Bennet)
         > Ann

Gavin Waddell Coulter married Annie Anderson.
Wilfred Coulter married Ruby Cochrane.
         > Irene and Barry
Marian (Mrs. Ernest Fraser)
         > Wilson, Marie, Emilie
Russell Coulter married Emily McLeod.
         > Gavin, David, Angus, Gordon
Nettie (Mrs. John Brown)
        > George, marian, Elaine, Joan
        Alwyn Coulter married Laura McLeod
        > Ethel and Patrica

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