Mackenzie Tapestry. Audrey, Marilyn, and Eleanor Cairns, November 1951.
Description
- Media Type
- Image
- Item Type
- Photographs
- Description
- William Lyon Mackenzie was sheltered and hidden by the family of Absalom Smith of Palermo, Trafalgar Township, on his historic flight from Upper Canada after his defeat at the skirmish at Montgomery's Tavern, York (now Toronto), December 1837.
Mackenzie was soaked from crossing the icy water of the Sixteen Mile Creek but he and his companion, Allan Wilcox, had to hide and wait until visitors at the house had departed. By the time they were able to seek refuge in the house, he was thoroughly chilled.
Family lore says that Anna Mary (Beamer) Smith gave him a newly made dry shirt and his wet one was left behind. He was wrapped in this quilt, made by her, while he slept.
One of the three sisters in this photograph remembers the quilt being used by her grandmother, "I remember when that picture was taken. My Grandma, Annie Prudham, had that quilt on the bed where we slept when we stayed with her. It was beautiful. Every stitch was perfect." The spinning wheel is very likely the one used by Anna Mary (Beamer) Smith, one of the first steps in creating sewn and quilted materials for her family.
A recommended book, as it is the story as told by Annie Prudham, is by Lyn Cook, "Rebel on the Trail".
Click on the link here to the "Absalom Smith Family, Trafalgar Township" to see the other photographs of family artifacts connected to the flight of William Lyon Mackenzie. - Notes
- The mother of the girls was Anna Elizabeth Prudham, father was Archie Cairns who had much to do with the building of Cedar Springs and many custom homes in the area. The family lived on a farm in Nassegaweya and attended Kilbride Church. The girls also had a brother, Bill, and another sister, Lois.
- Date Of Event
- November 1951
- Subject(s)
- Personal Name(s)
- Audrey, Marilyn, and Eleanor Cairns.
- Local identifier
- TTOIIRT0010
- Collection
- Trafalgar Township Historical Society
- Geographic Coverage
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Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 43.4473698627646 Longitude: -79.7674804760742
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- Copyright Statement
- Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
- Recommended Citation
- Mackenzie Tapestry. Audrey, Marilyn, and Eleanor Cairns, November 1951.
- Contact
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Trafalgar Township Historical Society Sponsor: Jeff Knoll, Local & Regional Councillor for Oakville Ward 5 – Town of Oakville/Regional Municipality of Halton
