The Hill clan in 1950 celebrating Charles and Ada Hill’s 50th Wedding anniversary.
Calling all Descendants of Charles Hill and Ada Woolgar!
It’s that time again for the Hill family to get together in Rockwood, Ontario for the annual Hill Family Reunion. Here are the details:
Who: Descendants of Charles Hill and Ada Woolgar and their families What: Potluck lunch followed by games for the kids, prizes, laughter and shared memories Where: Rockmosa Community Centre in Rockwood, Ontario (see map below) When: Sunday August 18, 2014, Noon – 7pm Why:To meet and greet with family members from near and far, reminisce and learn a little about your family history
Charles Hill and Ada Woolgar
Charles and Ada were married September 1, 1900 in Pyrford, Surrey, England before having children and moving to Canada. To celebrate their 50th anniversary, a large party was organized by their children as a potluck with activities for the kids and cake for the loving couple and everyone in attendance. They had such a good time, they decided to do it again the next year, and the next, and the next. It has been successfully running for the past 64 years as their children, grand children, great-grand children and great-great-grand children have kept up the tradition.
Children and adults alike can participate in games such as ball throw, running races and my personal favourite, Kick the Shoe. Guessing games are also popular with family members guessing how many items are in a jar, ultimately winning the contents within. This often includes sweet treats and can be hotly debated.
If there is one thing the Hill clan does well, it is cook and bake. Families are asked to bring food for the potluck and cold drinks for your family. Tea, Coffee and Cutlery are all provided. Donations will be accepted in order to host future family functions and people are asked to provide gifts for the prize table which are raffled off.
This year, I will continue my tradition of searching for family information and plan to have some items on display. Everyone is interested in finding out where they came from and there is no better way than a going to a family reunion to find out.
Note: this is the fourth installment in my own version of #52ancestors where geneabloggers have been asked to write about a different ancestor every week for a year. To understand the concept, read my blog entry from January 19, 2014.
My April Ancestor as part of my 12 Months, 12 Ancestors project is Ada Elizabeth Woolgar.
Great-Uncle Ed shares a chat with my great Grandmother Ada Elizabeth Woolgar
Woolgar.
What kind of bad ass name is that?
My great grandmother Ada Elizabeth Woolgar came from England. In England, the name goes back to the Doomsday Books, or so it says here:
WOOLGAR, or rather the original spellings of Wulfgar, Wlgar and Vlgar, is a Saxon name meaning ‘wolf-spear’. According to “A Dictionary of English Surnames” by P. H. Reaney & R. M. Wilson (Pub Routledge 1991 ISBN 041505737X), the earliest references to WOOLGAR are:
Domesday 1086 in Sussex and Hampshire
Wlfgarus de Cokesale 1252 in Colchester, Essex (Cartularium Monasterii S. Joh. Bapt. de Colecestria)
From tales I have been told, my great grandmother Ada was a strong woman. She was tall, well at least taller than her husband Charles. She was born in April 6, 1884 in the hamlet of Hersham, in Chertsey County, Surrey, England. She was the youngest child to Richard Woolgar and Esther Cannon and by the age of 8 had received a bible from her uncle. She kept this bible for her entire life and used it to record major milestones in her life from her marriage, to coming to Canada and the birth of all 13 of her children and even some of her grandchildren.
According to her bible, Ada Woolgar married Charles Edmond Hill on September 1st, 1900 in Pyrford, village also in Surrey. She was 16 years old at the time of their marriage. Young for our time, but not back then. By 1901, Ada and Charles were living in Long Ditton, Surrey, England in little place called “Moon’s Cottage.” Something about this place draws me in every time. I want to go there and find Moon’s Cottage. I want to see where it was Charles and Ada lived when first married, and where they started their family.
Kate, Ada and Amy, Taken in Ontario July 1954
In 1908, with Kate, Albert, little Charlie and baby Lily in tow, Charles and Ada packed it in and made their way to Canada. On the ships manifest she is listed as “wife” and no other occupation has been listed for her in any of the census records I’ve been able to uncover. However, family lore has indicated she was a midwife. I have been told they were allowed to come to Canada despite my great-grandfather having a hump on his back because of her much needed skill. However, I haven’t been able to substantiate this. As British citizens, they should have been able to travel anywhere in the dominion without any issue.
My great-grandparents Charles and Ada Hill with my great-uncle Ed
The Hill family settled in the Eramosa township area of Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. They rented a farm and had horses and chickens and grew their own food. From what I have been told, Ada was the backbone of the family and worked as hard or harder than anyone else . She doted on her children, in particular her youngest “Eddie” whom became one of my favourite great-uncles even though he lived in Manitoba and we would only see him once a year.
Ada died in 1962 and was buried in Johnston Cemetery, Eramosa Township, Wellington, County, Ontario, Canada. With incredible luck, I found her funeral card while visiting my Great-Aunt Margaret. The font is pure 60’s and the card was in fantastic shape. Here is a breakdown of the details:
In Memory of Mrs. Charles E. Hill Passed Away At the Palmerston Hospital on Wednesday October 17, 1962 Ada Elizabeth Woolgar Widow of the late Charles Edmund Hill in her 81st year. The Funeral Resting at the Hardy Funeral Home, Harriston, on Thursday, then to McIntyre and Wilkie Funeral Home, Guelph on Friday where funeral service will be held on Saturday, October 20, at 2:00 pm. Internment in the Johnston Cemetery, Eramosa
The funeral card for Ada Elizabeth Woolgar, wife of the late Charles Edmund Hill
Ada Elizabeth Woogar Hill is to me someone who I would like to have gotten to know. She could be tough when needed, but also had a good sense of humour and supported her own. I’ve been told my sister Heather resembles her in height, looks and attitude. I think this is a fantastic compliment.
