History of the Cottage: Part Two

This is the second instalment of Pat Grafton's guest post, a very colourful, fascinating story told from memory, of the house that continues to bring our family together. 

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I think I shall now try to describe the interesting characters that inhabited the cottage each summer. 

First, H.A.  He had come over from England as a young man around 1880 and after working in several jobs, started a piano business.  After it got established, he sent for his blind brother to tune the pianos.  He married Florence Scott and they had three children, Armitage, Frank and Alberta.  He did extremely well in business and investments and bought a large house on Dorchester Street in Westmount, where he remained until his death in 1960.  His children were in awe of him and rarely did anything against his wishes.  For instance, Armitage wished to marry a Catholic girl and was told that if he did he would be disinherited – so ended that romance and Army remained a bachelor all of his life.  However, Frank did marry the Catholic girl of his choice and was not disinherited, but H.A. insisted that his three daughters be brought up Protestant.  This turned out to be a very happy marriage. 

Armitage, H.A.’s eldest son, went into the family business with his father and brother.  He volunteered a great deal of his time organizing entertainment for war veterans of World War II through the Canadian Legion, was loved by all, and was called “Uncle Army” by everyone.  He was also active in the Kiwanis Club of Montreal until his death at age 92.  (Another interesting fact that came out at the time I met the family was that my father and Army had known each other quite well as members of the Kiwanis Club.)

Alberta, H.A.’s only daughter was always “Papa’s pet” as his sons’ said, and this was quite true.  She was never allowed to do any housework or cooking and, as a result, never did learn these things in her entire life.  She did take a home-making course at Macdonald College, but to no avail.  On the other hand, she did receive her Teaching Certificate from Macdonald and taught Grade I for many years.  She told me that her teaching years were the happiest in her whole life.  In fact, we discovered that she had taught my sister, Doris.  She remembered Doris particularly because of the smocked dresses she wore to school that my mother had made for her and said that she would send Doris with a note to another teacher solely for purpose of letting her see the dresses she wore!  Alberta did not expect to marry, but Ross Grafton, whom she met at church, popped the question and she accepted.  Two years later Geoff (my husband) was born.  Fortunately, she was able to have help in the house, and at the time I met the family, Lizzie was her housekeeper.

Ross Grafton, Alberta’s husband, was a part of the scene from the time of his marriage to Alberta in 1927.  He commuted regularly on Wednesdays and weekends and after his retirement, spent the summer with us after H.A. died.

His chief interests were his car which was always kept in perfect running order, and his motor boat, the dispro (disappearing propeller).  He spent many a happy hour going all over the lake.  In the mid-sixties, he bought a new boat which he christened The Diana after his little granddaughter.  He was always looking for passengers but as his trips were often too long for us (sometimes two or three hours), when we saw him heading for his boat, we all got very busy.  When television came upon the scene he went to the U.S.A. and bought one of the first ones made.  I believe he ended up owning seven in all.  As you might gather, anything mechanical was of interest to him

He was a very affable and loving man and I was very close to him having lost my father at an early age.  He spent most of the summer months with us as Alberta did not like to live there and was very content  with the arrangement.  I was very happy to have him with me as both Scott & Diana were in cribs at that time and he was good company for me as, of course, Geoff was working and commuting.

Lizzie was a tyrant with a violent temper.  I could never understand why Alberta kept her, but she said that she was afraid to lose her as she was totally dependent upon her.  I guess it was a case of “better the enemy you know.”   She died in her forties of some mysterious disease and Alberta was able to find a very kind and efficient woman to replace her.

Elizabeth, H.A.’s housekeeper, was sent to Canada by her family.  She had been in service in a wealthy home in England but was sent home in disgrace for having insulted the housekeeper.  I do not know exactly when she came to H.A., but she was always a part of the household for as long as I can remember and stayed with him until she was too old to continue.  She did all the cooking in the country and was a delicious cook.  When the family went to town for their Friday weekly excursions, Elizabeth always came back with a new hat.  She was a short woman and very stout and had very little hair on her head and these new hats perched on her head were visions to behold!  However, she was very good-natured and was happy as long as she was complimented frequently on her cooking.

And so it was with this interesting group that my husband Geoff spent all his summers.

History of the Cottage: Part One

Alexandra’s maternal grandmother, Pat Grafton, is lively, outgoing and warm. She is also a walking encyclopedia of experiences and stories. We are honoured that she has accepted our invitation to guest post, and over the next few weeks Pat will string together an incredible hundred year history of the family cottage on Ile-Cadieux (near Vaudreuil-sur-le-lac). I first laid eyes on some of Pat’s written memoirs in 2009 during their early development. Their vivid narrative quality and the obvious fun she was having creating the document moved me to both encourage its completion and start digging into my own family history. This work was finished soon afterwards, with the advice and feedback of a professor friend and Pat’s granddaughter Victoria helping with the compilation, layout and digitization of images.

What follows over the course of these installations demonstrates the centrality of place in personal history. Place anchors and binds subjects over time; the stability and safety of place ensures the continuity of relationships and identities. No post to date has been as true to the complete theme of this blog. Enjoy!

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Pat, 2009

The Cottage at Ile Cadieux

Memoirs of Patricia Grafton

This is the story of a cottage and five generations of a family who have lived in it since 1916.   It is now 2009 and the fifth generation is still enjoying it.   

The Background

The land was purchased by W. R. Eakin in 1910 for $200 and in 1916 the property, complete with cottage, was sold by Eakin to Herbert A. Layton (my grandfather-in-law) for $1900.  H.A. (as he was always called behind his back) immediately extended the house on both sides, had a fieldstone fireplace built, screened in the large front verandah and smaller back porch and installed indoor plumbing.   That design remains today (see description attached).

The cottage as it was in 1916 when purchased from the Eakins.

 H. A. chose this location because of the incredible view of the lake and sunsets, and because of its then difficult access from Montreal – he did not like to have visitors!  In those days one would have a long trip on a narrow road along the lakeshore, then take two ferries, one from Ste. Anne de Bellevue to Ile Perrot, and one from Ile Perrot to Dorion.  From Dorion, one would drive on another narrow road about four miles and walk over a small bridge to the island.  In 1918 the bridge was enlarged to accommodate cars. This was a great help to the islanders and, as a result, many more cottages were built.                              

Two photos of the incredible sunsets that H.A. loved.

H.A.’s sons, Armitage and Frank, were in the army training at Petawawa at this time as this was during the First World War. One day they surprised the family by arriving on foot at the cottage.  It seems that they asked and received permission to hop off the train that was taking the soldiers to Montreal for a short leave.  The train slowed down for them and they got off a few miles from the island and hitch-hiked a ride from a farmer to the island.  This was their first view of the Island and they fell in love with it as everyone else had.

Moving to the country each year in those days was a major undertaking.  Before the family moved out, shutters had to be removed from all windows, mattresses aired and the pump started.  When the Layton/Grafton families moved, they brought carpets, curtains, china, etc.  There was quite a social life for the ladies, as husbands and fathers came out only on weekends.  Formal teas were held and much visiting back and forth took place.  This lifestyle continued through the 1920s and until Mrs. Layton died in the thirties.  Her daughter, Alberta, then took over the responsibilities of the summers in the country.

After H.A. retired in the early 1940s, all the family went to town for the weekly shopping on Friday of each week with the old gentleman at the wheel of his 1940 Oldsmobile  - quite a hair-raising experience for the passengers:  H.A. did not learn to drive until he was over 70 and insisted that the proper way to drive was very slowly and in the middle of the narrow roads.  This made for much honking and shouting from the line of cars following him, to which he paid absolutely no attention; it was very uncomfortable for the passengers.  He drove back and forth to and from the country in this fashion until he was 92 and quite deaf.  Fortunately, a small accident in the city prevented him from further driving.

Thursday of each week was actually the commencement of the Friday shopping day to Montreal.  The ritual started early in the morning with the heating of large tubs of water on the stove in preparation for H.A.’s weekly bath (needless to say there was no hot water available at that time).  When the bath was ready, H.A. would be called and would disappear into the bathroom for one hour but before he was called, great rushing around took place to make sure everyone in the household had performed their daily ablutions beforehand.  That evening the grocery list was made out in preparation for the Friday shopping, and menus for the following week were planned by Mrs. Grafton (my mother-in-law) aided and abetted by the two maids.  To my recollection, this always seemed to take about two hours and left Mrs. Grafton in a state of exhaustion.