MURDOCH
McKENZIE, a prosperous general farmer of Dover township, County of Kent,
residing on a farm of 150 acres located in Lots 17 and 18, 8th
Concession, was born in Ross-shire, Scotland, January 18th,
1837, a son of Murdoch and Ann (Urquhart) McKenzie, of that country.
Mr.
McKenzie’s parents came to Canada October 1st, 1844, and
settled in Chatham township, County of Kent, Ontario. In Scotland the
father was a fisherman, but in Canada he became a farmer, first renting
a farm in Chatham township for a year; then he was on another farm as a
squatter until 1850, when he located on the farm of his son Murdoch,
purchasing 50 acres and later fifty more. There he remained until his
death, in May, 1879, when he was seventy years of age. His wife died in
1863, aged fifty—two years. They are buried in Jacks cemetery. In
religion they were members of the Presbyterian Church. The following
children were born to their union: Murdoch; Christena, of Chatham, who
married Samuel Montgomery; John, who died in 1860, aged nineteen;
Roderick, on a farm adjoining that of his brother Murdoch; Henry,
deceased; Anna, married to Jeremiah Donevan, of Chatham; and Jeanette,
deceased, who married William J. Montgomery. The paternal grandfather,
Murdock McKenzie, of Scotland, died in his native land.
On June
25th, 1872, in the County of Wellington, Murdoch McKenzie was
married to Ann Wilkerson, and the following children were born to
them: Rev. John, of Toronto and Alexander, Anetta, Kenneth U., Roland
G., Janette C. and Mary B., all at home but Janette, who is deceased.
Mrs. McKenzie was born in Puslinch, County of Wellington, Ontario,
October 25th, 1848, a daughter of John and Ann (Kilcrist)
Wilkerson, of Campbelltown, Scotland, who were married in Canadas; both
died in Puslinch, Ontario, he in 1877, aged sixty-seven years, and she
in 1857, aged forty-two years. They were members of the Presbyterian
Church, and died in that faith. The children born to their union were:
Catherine married William Lore, of Beverly, Ontario; Alexander, of
Beverly, Ontario, is unmarried; Mary married Donald MacIntosh, of
Kiladen, Ontario, a carpenter; Malcolm is a resident of Puslinch,
Ontario; Neil is a farmer of Kiladen, Ontario; Janette (deceased),
married Isaac Montgomery; Flora married Hugh Porter, of Dover township.
Murdoch
McKenzie remained on the home farm, which he now owns, as well as
another farm of 100 acres, in the same township (all of which has been
reclaimed from the wilderness of heavy forest), and a 100-acre tract
adjoining the old farm – 350 acres in all. In politics he is a Reformer,
and has acceptably held the office of school trustee for nine years, and
for one year was township collector, but was obliged to resign on
account of the pressure of other duties. He and his wife are members of
the Presbyterian Church, in which he has been an elder for the past
twenty-nine years, and to which he is a very liberal contributor.
Energetic, honourable, public-spirited, Mr. McKenzie has not only made a
success of his life, but he has firmly established himself in the
confidence and esteem of his neighbours and friends, and is justly
regarded as being one of he representative pioneer farmers of the County
of Kent.
p.145,
146
