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 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 oldest child, was born in 1856, followed by Sandford Hall in 1857, often called Bob), Minnie (Mary Ethel) in 1859, Lily in 1861, Jeanie in 1864 (died, aged nine years), Maud (died 29 July 1865, age 10 months, NS Vital Stats)), Paul , born in Halifax December 29, 1865 (died 1 March, 1866, age 2 months, NS Vital Stats),Walter Arthur in 1868 and Hugh Percy in 1872.
The Flemings travelled between Ottawa and Halifax by train each summer. On July 11, 1870 he 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 spend any time 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 Apr. 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 purchased 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, Sept. 3, 1899, “Oswald Francis Walter Critchley baptized at the little chapel across the Arm”. Journal entry, 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 Fleming”.
Journal entry, Aug. 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 and the 1911 census record for Northwest Arm District show that Minnie and her family (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”. It would be one more year before the tower was completed. Fleming was visiting Minnie at the Dingle cottage when he died there on July 22, 1915.