Ploughing Match

Ploughing Matches were contests between local farmers to see who was the best ploughman. Whether pulled by oxen, horse, steam or tractor, the matches have been a much anticipated event for centuries. 

The Australasian Pastoralists' Review Feb 1894, pg 612 (48)

They were usually held on a lucky local farmer's field. Notices of the matches for the upcoming season were posted in papers and agricultural journals.

Lower Canada Agriculturist, Oct 1866, pg.2

The rules are listed on the next page.

In 1871 the Stalmine Ploughing Association held their annual match on Grange Farm occupied by my 3x great uncle James Singleton.

Ploughing Match, Stalmine Lancashire, 1871

Results of ploughing matches were posted in the local newspapers, agricutural journals, state board of agriculture reports, or even sessional papers. Points were awarded for straightness and neatness. 

My Carter and Singleton ancestors often placed in the Lancashire matches, as did my Bruce ancestors in the Aberdeenshire matches. Robert Bruce, son of my 3x great grandfather of Upper Knaven, Fyvie attended the match in Methlic and came in 4th.

Aberdeen Journal, 14 Jan 1852

Ploughing matches have today gone international and become big exhibitions including other events. There are classes for horse-drawn and tractor pulled ploughs.

Richmond Ploughing Match, page 3, Sherbrooke Record, 1 Oct 1979

Local jewelers, silversmiths or goldsmiths were given the task of making medals to give to the prize winners. 

Sessional Papers of Ontario 1895, pg.71-72

Relevant links


Lower Canada Agriculturist

Manitoba ploughing match prize winners 1915

Ontario provincial ploughing matches 1894 winners

New Brunswick ploughing match winners 1884

Quebec ploughing matches by parish, 1880

Agricultural journal and transactions of the Lower Canada Agricultural Society 1851

Agricultural journal of the Lower Canada Agricultural Society 1848-1852

Wentworth Pioneer Ploughing Club, Ontario

The Australasian pastoralists' review 1894, mark 48

Back to Kapunda, September 17 to 24, 1927 : official souvenir pg 42, mark 44

State Board of Agriculture reports

Agricultural Delegates From UK to Canada

In 1879 the Honorable J H Pope, the Agriculture Minister of Canada, invited tenant farmers' delegates from the UK to visit the Dominion of Canada for the purpose of examining its resources, and reporting back to their group what farming is like, encouraging tenant farmers to immigrate to Canada.

The delegates then reported back to their constituents, and these reports were published and handed in to the Department of Agriculture of Canada.

I found this while researching my Bruce family of Aberdeenshire. There is a young farmer named James Bruce from Gartly that was chosen as a delegate, my line were from Fyvie. 

Tenant farmer delegates

James Bruce reports on the cost of a farm and running it in the good Ontario neighbourhood of Guelph.

A farm in Guelph

Conclusions of delegate Colonel Francis Fane who toured Canada in 1890

Visit of tenant farmers 1890, page 54

It seems not all delegates took their task seriously and made headlines as far away as Australia!

But you can see from the report that most did a thorough job of it. The reports of later visits have illustrations.

Relevant Links

Reports of tenant farmers' delegates on the Dominion of Canada 1879

Reports of tenant farmers' delegates and other informations on Manitoba North-west Territory and other parts of the Dominion of Canada 1879

Reports of tenant farmers' delegates on the Dominion of Canada, 1880 visit

The Visit of the tenant-farmer delegates to Canada in 1890,incl Maritimes

Scotch tenant-farmers visit to Canada in 1893

An Irish agricultural delegate on the agricultural resources of Canada 1893

Welsh tenant-farmers on the agricultural resources of Canada 1893

  

Sheep Breeders

My Grampa was the cook in his family. He might have learned as a survival tactic because my Granny was a businesswoman and didn't like to cook.  

Grampa would take the bus from where they lived in Verdun to the Atwater Market, which opened in 1933 in Montreal. He always got his meat from one of the butchers at the market. 

He loved lamb and his favourite butcher would call him when the spring lambs started to arrive from New Zealand. 

Chef Grampa c1957

Grampa didn't know who bred the sheep, he just cared that it tasted good. In Breeds of Sheep, it is said that "New Zealand lambs are outstanding because of their quality and type." They mix breeds for the best tasting meat. I wonder if his lamb came from one of the ancestors of these NZ breeders. 

People have raised sheep for milk, meat and wool for thousands of years. They don't have to have a perfect pasture as for cattle. 

Port Phillip Australia, Pastoral Pioneers, 2nd Ed

Search also with these keywords: flock book, flock register, sheep breeding. 
Check local museums, historical societies and libraries for papers of sheep breeder societies. The Glenbow Museum in Calgary holds documents of Wool Growers and Sheep Breeders in Alberta. 



Relevant Links

Breeds of Sheep 1942

Features of the sheep industries of United States, New Zealand, and Australia compared 1915

Sheep breeding in Australia: the pedigrees of stud flocks in Australia and New Zealand 1890

Register of the Michigan Merino Sheep Breeders' Association

Black Top Spanish Merino Sheep Breeders

The Sheep Breeder

Catalogue of exhibits at the Australian Sheep Breeders' Association's Show, 1883

The Sheep-breeders Sydney carnival, July 1894

The Flock book of the American Cheviot Sheep Breeders'Association of the United States and Canada 1893

Report of the Chief Inspector of Sheep 1880

Pastoral pioneers of Port Phillip - Australia

Annual Report of The Dominion Sheep Breeders' Association -Toronto

Register of the Vermont Merino Sheep Breeders' Association

American Hampshire Sheep Association – Flock record 1907

Corriedale sheep : the dual-purpose breed (breeder names)

The Australasian pastoralists' review 1893-1897

United States. Regional Sheep Breeding Laboratory

Canada 150 - Short-Horn Cattle Imported to Canada

During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...

The Dominion Short-Horn Breeder's Association

The front of this publication has the list of officers of the Short-Horn Breeder's Association. It goes on to show records of which Canadian breeders bought what cattle from whom and where and what the pedigree is. 

Also names of people in the UK and US who sold to or bought from the breeders in Canada.

Relevant Links

History of short-horn cattle imported into the present Dominion of Canada from Britain and the United States, 1894

George Brown's Bow Park herd of thorough-bred short-horns: to be sold June 1876 on the Agricultural Society's Show Grounds in the city of Toronto

Canadian Livestock Records Corporation: Canadian Shorthorn Association / Société Canadienne Shorthorn:  Members and Pedigrees.

Canada 150 - Old Macdonald Had a Farm

During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...

Old Macdonald had  a farm.... 

Under construction in 1906

...Old William Christopher Macdonald that is, who planned and funded Macdonald College on the west island of Montreal.

William Christopher Macdonald

When it opened its doors in 1907, 110 years ago, Macdonald College was one of the most modern agricultural colleges in the world, and the largest in Canada.

Macdonald Campus today

It was not just a teaching farm, but was often opened to the community.  I remember my Mom going there in the fall to pick a bushel of fresh apples to make her famous, prize-winning apple pies.  The Girl Guides and Boy Scouts did orienteering on the grounds of the college.  The public can have a guided tour of the farm during the summer. 

With spring hopefully looming in the not too distant future, mosey on down to the Morgan Arboretum for their annual sugaring off. I remember the first time my parents took us for maple taffy on snow and when we got home we had our Dad tap the only sugar maple on our property.  Of course it takes more than one tree to get enough sap to make maple syrup hahaha. 

Maple taffy on snow

William Macdonald didn't stop with the college, he also funded an elementary and a high school, both of which I attended. I also worked at the college coffee shop for a time when I was in high school. 

Relevant Links

The Macdonald Farm Journal, 1952-1968

Clan Macdonald Yearbooks, 1932-2000

Macdonald College Magazine, 1910-1932

The Macdonald Journal, 1940-1952

The Dram (Macdonald College Newspaper)

What's in the Archives

Serendipity Sunday - Not just for Farmers!

My Carter ancestors of Fold House Farm in Pilling, Lancashire, England were pig farmers. They developed an excellent breed of pigs that were well sought after.

1899

1938

I can imagine that they may have subscribed to a Farm Journal, which gives good information on animal diseases and care, prize winners, prices at market, etc.

Just because your ancestor was not a farmer, don't discount these fact filled agricultural journals when telling the stories of your ancestors.  For example the Marks Express has market prices of crops and stock at various areas of the UK. Also, in the back of issues are interesting articles for the farmer's wives: recipes, fashion, etc...

Look for farm or agricultural journals for your area.



Relevant Links:


Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England

The Mark Lane Express Agricultural Journal - UK, (various years)

Farmer's Advocate and Home Magazine  Canada (various years)

The Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Victoria, AU

Farmer's Directories

Many of my ancestors were agricultural labourers, farm servants, or farm owners.

My 2nd great-grandfather, Alexander Mavor, a young man of 23 at the time of the 1851 census of Scotland was working with his brother Francis in Methlick, less than 10 miles from his home in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. He was an agriculture labourer on the farm of Jonathan Whitehead. So I wanted to know what kind of farm it was and what kind of work he did.  I did a search for the name Jonathan Whitehead, clicked books from the drop-down menu, and up came Volume 11 of the "Coates's Herd Book" for the UK. It is a collection of books of pedigrees of short-horned cattle and their breeders, with a list of subscribers in the back. Just as we do for our human family, they trace their cattle's family tree back to the 1600's.
Also, in the 1865 edition of the book "Field and Fern" (Scottish flocks and herds), it mentions that "... he [Mr. Hay of Shethin] and Mr. Whitehead of Methlick had once a great shorthorn-bull trade, but the latter retired in '56". Aha, so it was a cattle farm, breeding Shorthorn Aberdeen Angus.

In reply to my pedigree and social register articles, a reader recently said there should be a register for agriculture labourers.  Well, they may well be in the regular town directories or post office directories of where they live.  But if your ancestor was a farmer .... labourer, servant, or owner - I did find a few links of interest, including some Farmers Registers and Breeders Registers.  

Also check Livestock Brand Books in your area of research.
This is the brand registered to my great-grand-uncle in Daysland, Alberta

Relevant Links

A century of Agriculture in Aberdeenshire (member names pgs 85-90)

Lovell's Farmer's Register of the garden of the Eastern Townships 1909

Prairie Farmer's Directories - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan

Reports of tenant farmers' delegates on the Dominon of Canada

Coates's Herd Books - UK

Field and Fern (Scotland) 1865

Farmer's Register - US (a few editions)

The Wool Grower and Stock Register (USA 1852)

The Country Gentleman's Magazine (UK)

Westmorland agriculture, 1800-1900 (UK)

Supremacy of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle

Officers, students and graduates of the Kansas State Agricultural College (several years) 

Prizes: l'exposition de Montréal et carnaval des fermiers de l'Est :cinquième exposition provinciale, septembre 11-19, 1896

The Union Publishing Co's (of Ingersoll) farmers' and business directory for the counties of Halton, Waterloo and Wellington, Ont – 1906

Union Publishing Co's farmers and business directory for the counties of Bruce, Grey and Simcoe - Ontario

Morrey's Farmers and Business Directory, County of Haldimand, Ont; Containing the Following Valuable Information: The Name, with the Post Office Address, Lot and Concession, of each Farmer; also whether a Freeholder or a Tenant – 1884

Members of the Highland and Agricultural Society (w/members UK, AU, NZ,CA)

Farmer's Cabinet and Herd Book, PA

Farm and Fireside, OH

Herd Book of the National Pig Breeders, UK 1914

The Canada Herd Book, 1867

International Directory of Stock Breeders 1928-1929

The only complete directory of the poultry, pigeon & pet stock breeders in the United States of America 1891

Search Alberta Livestock Brands

Alberta cattle and horse brands 1907-1913

Alberta and Saskatchewan Brand Book 1907

Brand book of the state of Arizona up to 1920

My ancestor was just a farmer... Early Censuses

Tithe Apportionments - Devon, UK

I have heard many people say - "My ancestor was not very interesting, he was just a farmer. So there was nothing written about him." Well, without the farmers the soldiers, merchants and the Sieurs would not eat. So big Yaaaay for the farmers!

Actually, if your ancestor was a farmer, you may be in luck! Some of the early Censuses had an Agricultural schedule B, the most complete being the Canada Census of 1851 (1852). (Sorry, not every farmer's schedule B is available). This is what information I found for one of my husband's ancestors:



According to the Census of 1851 the family lived in a 1 story log house, and owned a "moulin a battre" valued at 15 livres.
They had 160 arpents of land, 100 of which were cultivated. 62 arpents was crops, 37 arpents was pasture, 1 arpent was gardens and orchards, and 60 arpents was woods. In 1851 they produced 40 bushels of wheat, 10 bushels of rye, 2 bushels of peas, 430 bushels of oats and 40 bushels of potatoes, as well as 3300 bales of hay. They had 1 bull, 11 dairy cows, 2 calves, 4 goats, 17 sheep, and 6 pigs. From these they got 600 pounds of butter, 300 pounds of beef and 600 pounds of lard. They produced 12 pounds of wool and lanolin, 15 yards of cloth, 40 yards of canvas and 26 yards of flannel.

Now I can picture these ancestors with their 10 kids in their log house on their farm, and how much work it must have been, but all the kids helping out.
If you do not subscribe to Ancestry, your local library probably does, or your local Family Search Center. In your search filters, in the Keyword space write Agricultural. This schedule B to the 1851 Canada Census is 4 pages, so don't miss any.

You can also get the 1851 agricultural census free at LAC. You go to the 1851 Census page and scroll down to Agricultural Census. Then choose East or West and open the pdf. From there you scroll down to the County, then find the township. In this sample you sill see in the Page column, 1d, 2a (3) then 2b, 2c (4) 2d, 3a (5)... etc.. That means that the starting page with the names is on 2a (right hand of page 3 ), then go to next page 4.. the pages with crops and product is a two page spread, 2b and 2c, then go to next page 5 and the last page of the form, 2d has animals. The next right hand page is the next batch of people, starting with 3a.

 

If you had ancestors in 1762 Quebec, their Census gives similar information, though not quite as detailed. Same for the 1765 Census of Montreal and Trois-Rivières. Both are searchable on Our Roots.

If you are in Great Britain and Ireland you can look for the Tithe Apportionment or Valuation Rolls for your area of interest.


Note:  At LAC you can find images of census for 1666 and 1667, but they are not searchable.  If you find them first on Ancestry or Archive.org, then you can guess how far to go to find the image you are looking for.  It is tedious browsing, but worth it when you get the image of the original census.



Relevant links

Census 1666 (on Internet Archives)

Census 1666 (Originals at LAC)

Census 1667 (On Internet Archives)

Census 1667 (Originals at LAC)

Census 1671 - Acadia

Census 1681

Census of Acadia (Port Royal etc) 1686

Quebec - 1716

Quebec -1744

Recensement des habitants de la ville et gouvernement des Trois-Rivières 1760

Québecen 1762 – Le Recensement du Gouvernement de Quebec

Montréal et des Trois-Rivières: Census 1765

Census 1825

Census 1831

Cadastre abrege de la Seigneurie de I'isle de Montreal (and Vicinity) 1854

Cadastre ancien (terrier) de la seigneurie de Vaudreuil

Heads of Families - US 1790 Census

USA Censuses

Return of owners of land, 1873 England

Ireland Griffiths Valuation

Devon Tithe Maps and Apportionments

See also article on Cadastres