Oxford County

Oxford Branch Ontario Ancestors April’s Zoom Presentation – Barn Raising, Threshing & Quilting Bees!

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Hello Everyone,

please see this guest post from the Oxford County Branch of Ontario Ancestors:

Barn Raising, Threshing and Quilting Bees: The Stories Farm Diaries Tell, will be presented by Catharine Wilson, with stories from her recent book, “Being Neighbours,” about barn raisings and quilting bees in Ontario, 1830-1960.
Employing farm diaries, she takes the audience into families’ daily lives, the intricacies of the labour exchange, their workways, feasts, and hospitality to uncover the subtle social politics of mutual dependency, the expectations neighbours had of each other, their relationships, and ways of managing conflict and crisis. 
Dr. Wilson is a History Professor, University of Guelph, and Director of the Rural Diary Archive website.

This meeting will be a virtual Zoom meeting on Monday, April 10, 2023 at 7pm.

All are welcome to attend. Pre-registration is required.

To register for this event click on this link: Zoom Meeting Registration for Oxford County Branch Ontario Ancestors.

National Tartan Day April 1, 2023!

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Hello Everyone,

Please see this guest post from the Zorra Caledonian Society!

The Zorra Caledonian Society would like you to join us for a “Pub Night” with live music & a wee bit of Scottish fun on Saturday, April 1st, 2023, as we celebrate National Tartan Day!

A few fun facts:

  • National Tartan Day originated in Canada in the 1980’s, when just over 15% of the population was of Scottish descent
  • The date of April 6th was chosen as it was the day on which Scotland in 1320 became an independent country at the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath
  • Every province and territory of Canada with the exception of Nunavut has its very own tartan & that Canada also has a national tartan
  • 9,500 jobs in Scotland are provided by Canadian Companies
  • Canada is a top 10 export partner for Scotland
  • 5 million Canadians claim Scottish heritage

For questions directly contact the Zorra Caledonian Society at events@embrohighlandgames.ca.

Ingersoll Library: Black History Month Event!

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Hello Everyone,

Please see this guest post from the Ingersoll Library:

Curious about the new Underground Railroad Sculpture in Ingersoll?
Join us at Ingersoll Library Saturday, February 18, 2023 from 1-3PM

Meet local artist Duane Kumala-Thomas and discover the vision behind an Ingersoll art installation recognizing significant dates in town history.

Join local historian, Heather Rennalls and explorer her knowledge of Ingersoll’s Black history.

Ingersoll Town Councillor, Khadijah Haliru, will speak about her story from Nigeria to Brampton to Ingersoll.

Special Guests including: Town Councillor, Mike Bowman, Oxford Caribbean Canadian Association and more.


“Using the familiar theme of the underground railroad as a focal point, the sculpture aims to represent Ingersoll’s involvement in accepting, aiding and growing amongst a new and increasing black population in the 1800’s and beyond. The visual of train tracks breaking through the soil and springing up into the Ingersoll air will present viewers with the emphatic feeling of a journey to this place, where travellers came up for air, settled and planted new roots”.

Duane Kumala-Thomas

Feel free to spread the word about this special event via social media or by printing and displaying the attached posts: Ingersoll Library Event Duane Kumala-Thomas

The Ingersoll Library can be reached at:
The Town Centre, 130 Oxford Street Ingersoll ON N5C 2V5
Email: ingersolllibrary@ocl.net
Phone: 519-485-2505

Oxford Branch of Ontario Ancestors February Zoom Presentation: Black History Month

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Logo from the OCBOGS

Hello Everyone,

please see this guest post from the Oxford County Branch of Ontario Ancestors.

Heather Rennalls will discuss the importance of Black History Month; the who, why and when Black History Month was designated both in the United States and here in Canada.  

This meeting will be a virtual Zoom meeting on Monday, February 13, 2023 at 7pm.

All are welcome to attend. Pre-registration is required.

To register for this event (or for inquiries), go to their website Oxford County Branch of Ontario Ancestors, and follow the links.

Presentation Tonight – Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 6:30pm: Doris Weir – Cold Springs Farm in Thamesford!

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Mr. Harvey Beaty (photo provided by Doris Weir)

Hello Everyone,

Please join us on Wednesday, October 26 at 6:30pm to hear Doris Weir’s presentation on the Cold Spring’s Farm in Thamesford. The presentation will be held at the Woodstock Museum, NHS.

From Doris Weir:

“Mr. Harvey Beaty was a huge employer and contributor to the town of Thamesford and surrounding areas.  He started Cold Springs Farm in 1949 and up to his death in 1994 he created a business with over 100 farms, processing plants and was starting to build a mini town in Florida. 

When I received his memoirs I wanted to ensure everyone knew who he was and what he had done for Thamesford, Oxford County and many other areas in Ontario, Michigan and Florida so I digitized the memoirs and created a book for everyone to read and enjoy.

I will be talking about Mr. Beaty’s memoirs book, his upbringing, how he crippled himself (his word) and how he started in to the poultry and feedmill business and more.”

This presentation will take place at the Woodstock Museum, NHS. The meeting will start at 6:30pm. This is a free public meeting, all are welcome to attend.