Sir Sandford Fleming’s journals reveal his love for family and the Dingle
By Iris Shea
Much has been written about Sir Sandford Fleming’s life as an engineer and of the many accomplishments with which he is credited. We recognize him locally as the driving force behind the building of the Memorial Tower at the Dingle on land which he donated for that purpose. Fleming was also a family man. He kept journals and wrote letters to his family whenever he was away from them.
Sandford Fleming married Ann Jane (Jean) Hall in “Peterborough, Upper Canada” on 3 January 1855. Fleming always called her “Jeanie”. They had five sons and four daughters but only four sons and two daughters lived to adulthood. Fleming’s journals and letters at the Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, reveal much about his personal life, especially his love for the Dingle. Frank (Francis Allen) Fleming, the eldest child, was born in 1856, followed by Sandford Hall in 1857 (referred to as Bob by his father), Minnie (Mary Ethel) in 1859, Lily in 1861, Jeanie in 1864 (died, aged nine years), Paul, born December 29, 1865 in Halifax; died February 28, 1866 in Ottawa, age three months, Maud (died at the age of one year in about 1867 on the return voyage from Europe aboard ship), Walter Arthur, born in 1868; and Hugh Percy, born in 1872.
The Flemings travelled between Ottawa and Halifax by train each summer. On July 11, 1870 Fleming wrote in his journal: “Halifax. Children delighted to be back”. One day later he wrote, “Jeanie & I drove round the Head of the Arm to the Old French Prison & had a ramble over part of 260 acres recently purchased”. Between January and August 1870 Fleming acquired this land, some at public auction and some through direct purchase from William Cunard, Esquire, and Frederick Jollimore.
In his journals Fleming wrote of his frequent visits to the Dingle with his wife and children during the 1870s and 1880s. Journal entry, July 29, 1874, “Arrived Halifax at the new house at the Arm”. This refers to The Lodge, his large summer home on the Halifax side of the Arm (now Blenheim Terrace). Journal entry, Aug, 3, 1874, “Spent a few days very charmingly between our new house & the Dingle laying out work with the boys. Left by night train for Ottawa.” His family and servants spent their summers, from July to September, at the Lodge with frequent trips to the Dingle for a picnic. Contrary to popular belief, Fleming and his family did not live in the cottage on the Dingle Road. That was occupied by his caretaker, James Hutton and family, from the late 1870s until 1910. Fleming, in his journals, referred to the cottage as Hutton’s house.
Journal entry, Mar. 26, 1888, “Early this morning my poor dear wife breathed her last and left me with my children.......the comfort and kindness of my children which nothing will exceed”.
Fleming’s daughters, Minnie and Lily, lived with their father until they were married, both in their early thirties. Fleming did everything he could to discourage their suitors but without success. When William Exshaw arrived on the scene in 1890 to ask Fleming’s permission to marry Lily, a series of letters and interviews were mentioned in Fleming’s journals, none in Exshaw’s favour. Journal entry, September 3, 1890, “Minnie’s birthday. Wrote Mr. Exshaw. NW Arm illuminated in honour of Stairs who was with Stanley in Africa”. Journal entry, February 18, 1891 “Exshaw and Lily engaged”. They married in Ottawa June 9, 1891. Fleming and Exshaw became very good friends and partners in the Western Canada Cement Company in Alberta. Fleming named the town of Exshaw after his son-in-law.
It was Minnie’s turn next, in 1893. Thomas O. Critchley wrote to Fleming that he and Minnie were engaged. Fleming put a stop to that, telling Critchley to find an occupation. In September 1893 Fleming took Minnie to Australia, France and London, returning home to Ottawa in January 1894. Critchley did not give up. Journal entry April 16, 1894, “Got Minnie to place her money with Trustees (C.A. Eliot & S.H. Fleming). Critchley left for Toronto”. On Jul. 12, 1894 “Received telegram from Bob that my daughter Minnie was married to T.O. Critchley today”. Jul. 13, “Miss Minnie very much”. Thomas and Minnie Critchley were the owners of the Red Lodge Ranch in the area of Olds, NWT (now Alberta). A former employee of the Red Lodge Ranch reported “Mr. Fleming, this generous father-in-law, made the Critchleys a wedding present of about one hundred pure bred Hereford cows and the necessary sires for the herd”. But homesteading was not Minnie’s forte and by 1898 they sold the ranch and Critchley joined the Constabulary. Journal entry, September 3, 1899, “Oswald Francis Walter Critchley baptized at the little chapel across the Arm”. Sep. 16, 1899, “Wm. Exshaw appeared with his motor car”. The Halifax Daily Echo, September 11, 1899, reported the following: “The first automobile ever seen in Nova Scotia arrived on the Allan liner ‘Siberian’ from Liverpool this morning. It is a gasoline horseless carriage, owned by William Exshaw, son-in-law of Sir Sanford (sic) Fleming”.
Journal entry, August 7, 1901, “Telegraph from Minnie “Tom left Constabulary what shall we do?” Replied “all come home draw for funds”. Aug 28, “Cable from Minnie to send 30 pounds”.
Fleming was happiest when his children and grandchildren were living with him. Lily and her son, Noel Exshaw, spent five months in Ottawa with him in 1901, and he frequently visited them in Scotland and in France. His journal entries show that Minnie and her family (husband and two sons) moved into Hutton’s house (the cottage on the Dingle Road) in 1911. Journal entry, Aug. 14, 1911, “At Birchdale last two weeks, now sitting under a tree looking at the Tower building now 50 or 60 feet high”. Fleming was visiting Minnie in Halifax when he died there on July 22, 1915. The Chronicle, July 23rd 1915, reported the death of Sir Sandford Fleming at "the home of his daughter, Mrs. Critchley, Northwest Arm". While the Crithleys called the Dingle Cottage their summer home, McAlpine's Halifax City Directory for 1915 provides two addresses for them, the summer residence at The Dingle, Northwest Arm, and a residence at number 14 Oxford Street. Fleming's own summer home, Blenheim Lodge, may have been that same address, prior to it being called Blenheim Terrace. Number 14 Oxford Street was the first house on the west side of the street. That same year, Sir Sandford Fleming was also listed in the City Directory as living at 14 Oxford Street.
The following record is an unofficial obituary, written by persons unknown, and is located at the NS Archives iinder the following files:MG 9, Vol. 188, p. 147. "Sir Sandford Fleming, passed away yesterday at home of his daughter Mrs. Critchley, North West Arm, midway between his 88th and 89th year. Born 7 Jan. 1827, married 1855 Miss Jane Hall, daughter of Sheriff Hall, Peterboro, Ontario. Leaves three sons and two daughters, Sandford, Walter, Hugh, Mrs. Exshaw and Mrs. Critchley. His summer residence was at the Lodge, off Oxford Street, near the Kenny residence, Thornvale. He was spending the summer with Mr. And Mrs. Critchley at their residence on the west side of the Northwest Arm. He acquired the land on the west side of the Arm from the Murphy estate and others. His holdings extended uninterruptedly from Melville Island to North West Arm Village, extending some distance westward. Sir Sandford spent considerable money on the Property, having roads constructed and about twenty years ago he had look out summer houses built on two of the high hills on the property from which splendid views were obtained. One of these houses blew down by a heavy gale and the other was accidentally destroyed by fire."
Sir Sandford Fleming died at the cottage on the Dingle Road according to th e newspaper accountsof his death .