One of
the best known families of Chatham Gore is the one so ably represented
by Henry McGregor, general farmer of Chatham Gore, on Lotr 22, 1st
concession, where he owns to farms of fifty acres each.
Henry
McGregor was born in Camden Gore, July 30th, 1838, a son of
George and Sophia (Hoffman) McGregor, the former of whom was born at
Nova Scotia, and the latter on Lake Erie in County Essex. George
McGregor was the son of Capt. James McGregor, a military officer, who
served in the Rebellion of 1837, receiving 750 acres of land for his
services, and the present Wallaceburg occupies a portion of this site.
George
McGregor was brought to Ontario and was reared upon the river Thames in
Chatham township. He lived upon his property, remaining there until his
death, which occurred in April, 1873, when he was eighty-four years of
age. His wife lived until 1877, when she died aged eighty-four, and
they were buried in the Methodist churchyard, Salem, Chatham Gore. Both
were members of the Methodist Church. The children born to them were:
Jane, who died at the age of twenty years; Catherine, who died at the
age of twenty years; Susannah, who died at the age of twenty-five years;
Deborah, who married Thomas W. Awter; Georgiana, who married Edgar
Simpson, a carpenter of Bay City, Michigan; and Henry.
Henry
McGregor, the second in the order of birth in the above family, was
brought to his present farm by his parents, and he has since lived upon
it, making many of the improvements found there. In politics he is a
Reformer, and is interested in Protestant churches, and a liberal
supporter of all Christian enterprises.
On
September 29th, 1875, in Chatham, Ontario, Mr. McGregor
married Eliza Jane Ruttle, who was born at Duluty, Minnesota, in 1858, a
daughter of John and Mary J. (Shaw) Ruttle, of County Sliggo, Ireland.
The children born of this union were: Sophia, married Walter Bond, a
banker of Flaxton, North Dakota; Jane died at the age of nineteen years;
Henrietta, of Crystal City, Manitoba, is a milliner; and Thomas W.,
Malcolm, Lena, John, Gordon, Carson and Donald are all at home.
John
Ruttle, father of Mrs. McGregor, came to County Kent at an early day,
and in 1895 removed to North Dakota where he engaged in farming. He
died there April 28th, 1904, aged seventy-six years. His
widow, who is well advanced in years, is a consistent member of the
Methodist Church. Their children were: Thomas, a traveling salesman in
New Zealand; Eliza Jane (twin to Thomas), Mrs. McGregor; James, a farmer
of Chatham township; Henrietta, of North Dakota, who married James
Moreland; Isaac, a real estate agent of North Dakota; David, deceased;
Margaret, deceased; John, a stonemason in North Dakota; Joseph, a farmer
of Alberta; George, a farmer at the home farm in North Dakota.
Mr. and
Mrs. McGregor, with their children are well and favorably known through
their community, and although he is a man of advanced years, is very
active, and does considerable farming himself. In all township matters
he is looked up to with great respect, and he enjoys a well earned
popularity.
p.143,
144
