Monday, October 5, 2009

Family of Martin Sandford and Sarah Jane Johnson



Martin SANDFORD (1832-1909)
m. Sarah Jane JOHNSON (1843-1920)

Martin originally settled in Etobicoke Township and was living there in 1878 on Lot 11, Concession II Fronting the Lake, part of the Colonel Smith Tract, when the Illustrated Atlas of York County was published.

Martin Sandford Farm, Etobicoke Township, York County 1878

Later he bought a farm on Lot 21, Concession 2, Toronto Township, Peel County, at the south west corner of present day Mavis Road and Eglinton Avenue in Mississauga (former Toronto Township, Peel County) moving there. The farm eventually ended up in the hands of Vincent Sandford his grandson. Vincent and his sister Agnes were reclusive and lived on the farm almost until the end of their lives. The property ended up being taken over by a development company. In the 1990s I helped ensure that the farmhouse (built circa 1870) was designated under the Heritage Act but it provided little protection for it. After Vincent and Agnes left the property there were a series of mysterious fires that destroyed the barn and then the farmhouse (twice!).
The burned out shell of the Martin Sandford farmhouse 2008. Courtesy of Lone Primate on flickr. More photos can be found on flickr.

The farmhouse, which was supposed to be incorporated into the development of the site was a ruin. It stood for a few years but the walls were reduced to 3 foot stubs in early 2009 and will be incorporated into the
local park as an interpretive feature.


courtesy of the City of Mississauga

Allowing the destruction of the Sandford farmhouse was a great failure for the City of Mississauga. Protection and preservation of the farmhouse should have been front and centre and a condition for development of the site, not an afterthought. Had the developer been required to renovate the house as a condition of the first building permit on the site it would still be there today and would have provided some historical distinctiveness and uniqueness for an otherwise nameless suburban development. Mississauga is dimished by its loss.

They had the following children:

• Elizabeth (1873-1893).  Elizabeth never married and died on February 7, 1893 aged 22 years 11 months.  According to her death registration she died from inflamation of the bowels which occurred over 20 hours.  She is buried with her parents in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Port Credit.

• Charlotte (1872-1959) – never married

• Anthony (1872 - ?) m. 1. Jean F. MacDonell (1870-1906) m. 2. Mary Murphy, aged 34 years b. Streetsville on April 27, 1908.  Mary was the daughter of James Murphy and Rosemia? Donague.  She was a dressmaker and he was a farmer.  The witnesses were Wm. J. Sandford of Streetsville and Kathleen O'Connor of Trafalgar.  The record mentions that Anthony was born in New Toronto.  Anthony's first wife died aged 36 years on December 30, 1906 and was buried in the family plot in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Port Credit.  According to her death registration she died in Cooksville of tuberculosis.

• Martin (May 2, 1876-?) m. Mary KELLY, daughter of John Kelly and Ellen Creeman, on September 7, 1904. m 2. Jane CULNAN?
     o John m. Madeline KELLY – 4 daughters
     o Mildred m. James MCDEVITT – 1 daughter
     o Mary (1907-2004) m. Albert HENNESSEY – 2 children
     o Helen m. William HEARY – 4 children
     o Martin – never married

• Thomas Edward (June 4, 1878 - July 16, 1960) m. Theresa (Tessie) Mary McCulley (December 6, 1879 - September 11, 1968)on January 23, 1907 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Port Credit.  Teresa, aged 25 years, was the daughter of Patrick McCully and Mary Maddigan, and listed as a dressmaker.
In the 1911 census Thomas and his family are living on Lot 21, Concession 2, Toronto Township, Peel County. With them is his mother Sarah, sisters Hannah and Charlotte and his brother William and his wife Catherine. In addition there were also two farmworkers Bert Martin and Robert Ray or Kay.
o Sylvester Edward (November 26, 1907 - November 17, 1974) m. Monica JACKSON (1904-?) Feb 4, 1937 – 2 children.
According to his birth registration he was born on Lot 21, 2nd Concession north of Dundas Street in Toronto Township, Peel County on November 26, 1907.  Sylvester Edward is buried in St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Cemetery in Streetsville (Mississauga).  His last name is spelt Sanford without the "d"on his tombstone.  Monica Jackson, his wife is buried at Assumption Roman Catholic Cemetery in Mississauga.
o Agnes Mary (February 26, 1909 - 2003) – never married
o Helen Theresa (1910-1995) m. Avery TINDALE – 2 children 
o Vincent Joseph (January 21, 1912 - 2002) – never married
o Margaret (1913-?) – never married.  Buried at St. Mary's,
   Hepworth, Ontario

• Ellen Teresa (September 25, 1880-?) – entered convent of the Good Shepherd – became Sister Mary St. Dominic

• Hannah Katherine (May 9, 1883 - December 25, 1952) m. John KIRKHAM (April 21, 1883 - August 22, 1945), aged 30 years, son of Robert and Isabella Scott on October 27, 1913 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Port Credit.  The witnesses were Norman Sandford and Helena Sandford.  Hannah and her husband John Kirkham are buried in St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Cemetery in Streetsville (present day City of Mississauga) with their sons Willie 1914-1917 and Wm. Joseph (July 20-1914-April 5 1918).  According to his death registration William died of pneumonia on April 5, 1918,  Hannah's last name is spelled Sanford without the "d" on her tombstone.

• Henry (1884-?)

• William (September 6, 1885 - September 21, 1928) married 1. Kathleen O'Connor (1890-1913).  According to her death registration she died on June 30, 1913 of anemia of seven months duration. She is buried in St. Peter's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Trafalgar Township, Halton County, near Milton in the O'Connor family plot.  Married 2. Mary Helena SHEA (1881-1967) on February 4, 1915 at Oakville.  William's place of residence is listed as the Village of Hornby, Halton County.  Mary's place of residence is listed as Oakville.  William was listed as a widower so this was his second marriage.  He was 30 years of age and she was 33.  They were both born in Trafalgar Township, Halton County.  Mary was the daughter of Thomas Shea and Frances Tolan (?).  The witnesses were J. Sandford of Mimico, Ontario and Anastasia Shea of Detroit, Michigan.  William was living with his brother Thomas in 1911, according to the census.  According to his death registration William died on September 21, 1928 in St. Joseph's Hospital, Toronto, of endocarditis, an inflamation of the heart which brought about heart failure.  He is buried in Streetsville.  Helena Shea is buried at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Cemetery in Streetsville (Mississauga).

According to his death registration Martin Sandford Sr. died on July 26, 1909 of arteriosclerosis and old age but there is also a note from Dr. M. Sutton of Cooksville, transcribed by the registrar, that says "He was subject to fits. I believe he took a fit and fell of (sic) the fence". According to her death registration Sarah Jane Johnson died on January 19, 1921 of cystitis (kidney disease) at the age of 74 years. It indicates that she is buried in Port Credit.  Both are indeed buried at the old St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery in Port Credit next to the church.  Their tombstone survived the clearance and paving over of much of the cemetery in the mid 20th century as it is located close to Lakeshore Road East where a small section of the cemetery survived unscathed.

In his will dated January 16, 1907, Martin Sandford made the following dispositions:

- all household furniture and effects to his wife

- $50 to his wife

- to his son Thomas Edward the north half of Lot 21, Con 2 NDS containing 100 acres

- give to my wife and daughter Charlotte to reside upon same and dwell in the northerly half of the dwelling thereon with all rights of entrance and full enjoyment of the said home

- my son Thomas Edward to provide my wife and daughter Charlotte with all and every produce of the said farm that they or either of them may require for their consumption use and table and to provide groceries provisions and such other things as my wife and daughter may require for their consumption, use and table as are generally used by people of their condition, my wife during her life and my said daughter after my wife's death to determine what is required for their consumption, use and table.

- my son Thomas Edward to provide my said wife and daughter with fuel they may require

- my son Thomas Edward to provide my said wife and daughter Charlotte with a horse and buggy when they require same

- my said son Thomas Edward to pay to my wife and daughter upon the first day of October in each and every year during their lives the sum of $50 each

- my son Thomas Edward to pay my son William the sum of $1,500 in yearly instalments of $200 each upon the first day of October in each and every year after my death until the sum is fully paid

- I give to my son Martin John the westerly half or 50 acres of Lot 11, Concession 1 in the Township of Etobicoke subject to the payment to my son William of the sum of $1500 in yearly instalments of $200 each upon the first day of October in each and every year after my death until the sum is fully paid, provided however that should my son Martin John is to pay the whole of the balance of the said sum of $1500 remaining unpaid within two months after the request made therefore by my son William

- I direct my son Martin John to pay to my wife the sum of $50 upon each and every first day of October in each year of her life

- I give to my daughter Helen Teresa the sum of $500 to be paid in annual instalments of $100 each upon the first day of November in each of the five years next after my death

- I give to my daughter Hannah Catherine the sum of $1000 to be paid in annual payments of $200 each upon the first day of October in each of the five years next after my death

- all the residue of my estate to my wife

The estate was valued at $14,026.74 of which the bulk was in real estate.  The 100 acres comprised of the northerly half of Lot 21, Concession 2 north of Dundas Street in Toronto Township, Peel County was valued at $7,400 and the 50 acres comprised of the south half of Lot 21, Concession 2 north of Dundas Street in Toronto Township, Peel County was valued at $5,225.  There is a note in the probate file that the 50 acre farm in Etobicoke was "disposed of by the Testator in his life time".  Household furniture was valued at $100; horse and buggy at $150; there was $1000, cash in hand or in the bank; and, $151.74 owed to the estate for rent of real estate.