Several years ago an important record of the history of Clayton went missing.
The Women’s Institutes across Ontario were directed in the 1940s by Lady Tweedsmuir, wife of the Governor General, to collect and record local history. The books of these local histories were called the Tweedsmuir Histories.
The main book was a large blue binder stamped with gold letters “Tweedsmuir History” along with the name of the local branch, in this case, “Clayton”. Along with it scrap books were made by some branches to preserve what would not fit into the main book. The scrap books for Clayton are stored at Archives Lanark at 1920 Con. 7 Road, Drummond Centre. However, the whereabouts of the main book remains a mystery.
For the past two years I have been researching Clayton’s history with the goal of publishing a book in the next few months. Although there are several other sources of information, it would be very valuable to me to find the missing Tweedsmuir history, and thus share the information with the world. It would also be valuable to other people who are researching their family history. The Tweedsmuir histories were not meant to become the property of an individual. They are meant to belong to the community.
If you know where this book is, please know this. No one really cares how you come to have it. If your grandmother with dementia hid it under her bed, or your teenager needed it for a project, it doesn’t matter. Please, do the right thing, and give it back to the community. Put it in a plastic bag and leave it at the Almonte Public Library, no explanation needed. They will see that it gets to Achives Lanark.
Rose Mary Sarsfield
413 Van Dusen Street
Almonte, K0A1A0
rose@sarsfield.ca
613-621-9300
FB page “Clayton Ontario History”
