HISTORY OF BOWMANVILLE
Part 37
By Mr. J. B. Fairbairn, P. M.
I will now go aside from the main subject a while. I do so at this point as Mr. Richard Brimacombe about whom I will now write a few pages, had much to do with one of the persons to whom I refer, as he roomed in his house during his stay in Bowmanville. Mr. B., is my next door neighbor and has lived alongside of me for the last twenty years. I must be careful not to use too strong language as it may partly destroy the effect of what I say, as none are perfect. To be faultless is to be lifeless. I will go this far, I have in the course of a fairly long life known many good men. I now conclude without any reservation, take him all along, I have never met his peer. He is not a star of the first magnitude but like a lesser one has an equally important place to fill. He has allowed his light to shine steadily and faithfully on those by whom he has been surrounded, telling them by his good words and works whose he is and whom he serves. He was born in Devonshire in the same year a
s Her Late Gracious Majesty, Queen Victoria and is now in his eighty sixth year. He had at the time and for a person of his station a fairly good school training. When sixteen years of age he left the farm and went into Exeter, taking a situation as butler in a gentlemen’s house. This was a good position and only filled by persons of intelligence and standing. When he was about thirty years of age he turned over another leaf in his history, an important one. He married a wife. She did not require to change her name-she is a sister of Mr. J. M. Brimacombe, dentist, Bowmanville, and Frank, one of the well to do farmers in Clarke. He then rented a farm in the parish of Broadwoodwidger (the name would be greatly improved I think by leaving off the "widger") not far from the river Tamer. Then commenced the contest in real earnest.
For a long time he had more than ordinary returns for his labor. There was a good market at Tavstock and what he had to dispose of commanded a good price. During the whole of his tenancy, the ruling prices were high. He paid great attention to raising improved breeds of horses and other live stock and went largely into sheep both for the fleece and to dispose of the carcasses for home consumption. Mutton and lamb are prime articles in the diet of English people. Here again comes in the unexplainable. With large experience, being also a good judge of both horses and cattle, giving every attention to his business, conscientious and upright in all his dealings, nothing small or narrow, having superior intelligence to many who outstripped him in his own immediate neighborhood, and beyond all and above all he gave devoted allegiance to his Heavenly Father and still grave disaster overtook him. Tennyson says: "We are only children crying in the dark and must wait for a solution of the
whys and wherefores till the great record is unrolled." One misfortune followed another, the loss of valuable horses by accident, hundreds of sheep and young cattle perished from a plague that swept over the country. This left Mr. B. fairly bereft of the hard earnings of his lifetime. Had he closed out one year before he did there would have been enough left to buy a good farm in Canada. Discouraged, with a young lot of humans to provide for, yet with faith and trust in the good hand of Providence, he gave up the farm and left for this, to so many, the promised land. When he did get here it was too late in the day for him to undertake the purchase of a farm and the consequent effort that it would be to him in his crippled condition to raise money to pay for it. There was only one boy among them and he was but a child. He did the next best thing and with manly fortitude went to work in the old furniture factory and earned what he could in that way.
While in England he was Superintendent teacher in the Sunday School where he had opportunity to impart to those who were under his care, his own religious views, based on the truths of the Bible as he understood them. There may be some yet living who may recall him and no doubt if they do it will be with affection, but they must be few. He was Guardian of the poor and collector of rates for his parish. He has a wonderful memory and can talk by the hour of people he knew and things he saw in his native place. I am tempted to quote, "and still they wondered and the grew, how one small head could carry all he knew." As a young man he had most wonderful strength, small in stature and light in weight no one there could surpass him at any work on the farm. He has told me that he could take in his hand a raw potato and mash it to pieces. I know that disabled as he is with that fell disease rheumatism he managed last spring supported by a crutch to dig his garden which is the heaviest
kind of clay. He has suffered since I knew him days and nights of constant agony which he has ever borne without a murmur. I have never seen a frown on his face. He is the most heroic piece of humanity. I am sure, to be found anywhere. The whole family are most assiduous in their attention to and care of him and all the neighbors hold him in the greatest respect. If he were a millionaire he could not have any more temporal comforts and kind wishes from all who know him. Mrs. Brimacombe his partner of so many years is still able to share with him what of joy or sorrow is meted out to them day by day.
In politics he is a staunch Liberal and came through many a bitter contest when a voter in his native parish. He took part in the great agitation arising out of the Reform Bill introduced in ’81 and although so young at the time he recollects all about it. He had a hand in the fight over the repeal of the Corn Laws and has lived to see the wonderful effects on the commercial growth of England. I will mention one instance to show the independence of his character and his adherence to his conscientious convictions. His wealthy landlord who had him at the time completely in his power, threatened him with eviction if he did not vote for the Conservative party whose candidate he wanted elected. But solicitations and threats were alike in vain. He voted according to his convictions. I am proud to number Richard Brimacombe among my warm personal friends. The only son of Fred, who was for some time in my office is married and resides in Toronto, doing well.
To return to the telegraph, I will take up Billey Cator. If his early life and after wonderful history had been known to some one gifted with the necessary power of imagination and delineation he could have written a tale of fact equal to any of the imaginary ones of even a Ball Caine. I will now run rapidly over it. He left for Canada at thirteen years of age, born in the county of Norfolk. What his surroundings were when he first entered this sublunary scene I cannot say. He got in some way a fair education and learned a trade with his father who was, I believe, a shoemaker. I should judge from what I saw of him that he had aspirations imbibed from some source, to climb up to a more elevated position than that to which he was heir by birth. Why, and under what influence Canada became the land of his choice he never told me. However he did emigrate to it and I first knew of his existence through George Gray, who was then living on the old Hyle homestead at Newt
onville, Clarke. The latter gentleman is one of those people who came into our town from Scotland, at an early date and was for quite a period in his earlier career identified with its progress. He worked on quietly, making steady advance towards the aims he had set before him; that is to obtain a place worth having in this the land of his adoption. Any one who will follow up his course of procedure will find another instance of what can be accomplished by one having the necessary brains and energy. He had no capital apart from his hands and head, but with dogged determination to accomplish his ends he gained step by step until he reached it. I need not say that he is a progressive farmer and now occupies about as nice a position as any one could wish. His services are often asked for as a judge at the larger agricultural shows and he had been out in the west on several occasions in the employment of the government on missions connected with the farming interests of that great country. I may here say t
hat I am especially interested in my friend and can write with some accuracy about his antecedents and present status. Fifteen years ago my nephew, R. A. Brock, now at the head of one of the great wholesale dry goods houses in Montreal, intended becoming a farmer, his inclination having always lain in that direction. I was asked to name some good person to whom he might apply to learn art. I recommended Mr. Gray and he spent some time in their home getting his hand accustomed to the work. They were then at Newtonville and the unvarying kindness of both the master and mistress, was duly appreciated. I know that Mr. Brock does not fail to keep up his interest in the family, writing when special incidents call for it. I recall the doubts he had about taking a young city youth, whose father was then very wealthy into so rural a place and into the hard and sometimes dirty work of a farm. I told him not to hesitate, that he would find the lad up to the occasion and assured him of one thi
ng, that he was a gentleman out and out, and so he found him. He immediately after his arrival stripped off and put on the ordinary clothing of a manual laborer and did not hesitate to tackle any job that turned up, keeping right along side of the rest. He has told me time and again, how much he liked all the household and the many happy days he spent with them. He looks up Mr. Gray as at the head of his profession. It was with him and upon the same place that Billey hired as an ordinary farm hand. He was small but well put together, with any amount of self confidence and willing to undertake anything that came to his share. He tried to improve his mind – by study and took advantage of the opportunity that lay within his reach. I know his employer encouraged him by inducing him to attend a night school, and the result was that he got to write a fairly good hand and well up in the rudiments of ordinary English. All went well till one day they were sawing wood with a machine, when an accident oc
curred which changed the whole current of his future life. His hand got into it and was taken off at the wrist. I have no doubt that when it occurred he and all concerned looked upon it as an irreparable misfortune, and no wonder, how he must have felt. A stranger among strangers, without resources and maimed for life. But the darkest clouds give lightning birth, the pearl is formed in ocean’s bed. Here again it was to him only an entrance into a new niverna’ and opened up a door for worldly advancement and now comes into view a first knowledge of his existence. Mr. Gray came into my office one day and related the facts; also giving him a high character for more than usual ability and honesty, appealing to my sympathy for him or anyone else who had been so terribly afflicted, letting me know at the same time that he had some means wherewith to help himself. I strongly advised that he would go to one of those excellent schools in Toronto, where they teach Telegraphy.
After he returned home he entered into a correspondence with our old popular and reputable citizen, who for so long took part in everything relating to the good of others tht occurred here: Thos. Yellowlees, but he was also convinced that it would be better for Cator to get into my office if possible. Mr. Gray again turned up and with the persistence of the unfortunate widow urged the matter upon my consideration. I told him that I did not need any assistance and with only one hand he could be of little help in the post office. At last I yielded, being persuaded that it was the best thing he could undertake to obtain a living and in due course he came into the office. Thus I came in touch with him and got mixed up with his future, my interest continuing along the road till he reached the place where they all converge at last. But what a road it turned out to be. There was romance and tragedy encountered at every stopping place along the way. He was a diligent student and eage
rly did his best to become a sound operator. Contrary to his expectations it took him much longer than he anticipated to accomplish this. He thought he had sufficient money to carry him through, but as the days passed into months and the months into years, the little hoard grew less and less and he was brought to his wits end to know what to do. I grew to like him. He was so upright and corageous. With such a happy disposition it was impossible to remain uninterested. I was willing to do what lay in my power. He had a room with my neighbor, Mr. Rd. Brimacombe, and they did all they could to help him out of his difficulties. We had a young woman living with us, Miss Fanny Scott, a daughter of Foster Scott, now in Manvers and also a neice of Mr. William Scott, merchant in town. She was good looking and clever; a superior housekeeper, well fitted to make a good wife for any man. After due thought I said to Cator, "If you like you can save expense of boarding by taking y
our meals at my house. Fanny, I am sure will look well after you there." He accepted the offer and continued to do so until he was able to take a situation. At first she did not appear to like him, but the subtle little god of love began to cast a spell over the pair, and the first thing we knew they were in his toils. Cator was led a willing captive to her will. It is said that the course of true love never did run smooth. Be this aphorism true or not, it was verified in this instance. Her relatives were bitterly opposed to the match and used every means to prevent the engagement. I did not wonder at their attitude. She was a prime favorite with the whole connection and they thought, not without reason, that it was altogether a mistake on her part. Totally without means, physically small and only one hand. He future as they saw it, looked ominous; not a ray of light could they see ahead. I did not agree with this view and did what I could to throw oil on he troubled waters of their disconten
t and predicted a good outcome for him if he once got a start; I knew the kind of material he was made of. All their efforts to prevent it proved useless. When a woman wills, she wills and the more they tried to stop it, the more determined she became. He was altogether four years with me. However as soon as he became competent to be trusted with the care of an office he applied to the C.P.R., asking them to take him into some position on the road. It was through the kind efforts of Mr. Robert Beith that he got a hearing from them which resulted so favorably.
Next - Bowmanville and Darlington History Part 38
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