by Mary Jarrott Cassar 

Billy, a farm labourer from Hornsea, embarked on a challenging journey across the Atlantic Ocean in 1830 with his family. Despite facing harsh conditions in steerage, they eventually reached Quebec City and settled in Upper Canada. In Vaughn, Billy worked alongside Penn-Dutch neighbors, using tools like the three-cornered drag and scoop shovel. Farming in the 19th century involved manual labor, with women playing crucial roles in dairy, poultry, and garden management. Despite challenges, the Jarrotts cultivated various crops and fruits, adapting to new agricultural machinery in the 1840s.

Key Insights

• Billy’s journey from Hornsea to Upper Canada in 1830 involved facing harsh conditions in steerage on a crowded ship.
• The Jarrotts worked with Penn-Dutch neighbors in Vaughn, using tools like the three-cornered drag and scoop shovel for farming.
• Women played essential roles in dairy, poultry, and garden management, preserving fruits and vegetables.
• The introduction of horsepower machinery in the 1840s revolutionized agriculture in Vaughn.
• Superstitions and oddities from neighbors added flavor to the pioneer life of the Jarrotts in Vaughn.

(499p., 1999)