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31 August 2013

Dougall Part 12, Manitoba Peter

Peter3 Dougall (George2, John1, ThomasA, JohnB) was born 5 December 1855 in Montreal and baptized 13 January 1856 at Erskine Presbyterian Church, son of George and Agnes (Moffat) Dougall.[1] He died 27 December 1939 at Pembina, Manitoba.[2] He is buried at St Lukes Church cemetery, Pembina.[3] On 9 March 1882 in Montreal, Peter married Helen Anderson, daughter of the late George Anderson and his widow Agnes;[4] Helen predeceased Peter on 16 October 1935.[5]

See Note 7.
Peter was said to be a naval engineer with the Merchant Marine for some years[6] and then migrated to Manitoba in 1880 to farm. His location on both east quarters of Section 22, township 2, range 9 west was nearby that of his older brother James Joseph.[7] Peter returned to Montreal to marry, as did his brother, between filing his land claim and receiving the 1886 patent for it. In 1881, Peter was enumerated with brother James, both single farming men.[8] Ten years later, he is with his wife and son, next to the Lea relatives of my correspondent Felix Kuehn.[9]

Pembina Manitou Archive
Peter's father George likely also assisted his youngest son in building a new frame home of Peter's own design. The tall narrow section featured interior window seats for a fine view over the valley and his property known as Kirkland Farm. Although not clearly discernible, I would say the Dougalls posed for the photograph, with Helen in the garden she was planning and Lorne on the porch, assuming the man in front is Peter. Helen was probably well-educated; she was one of the founders of the Pembina Crossing Literary Society. She brought expensive wedding gifts with her from Montreal, possibly also inheriting resources from her father. Their home was furnished with many framed oil paintings, fine china, and a grand piano. Yet the couple led unpretentious, hardworking lives, generally acknowledged as exemplary and hospitable Christians―"incorruptibly faithful in their attendance at church."[10]

Peel's Prairie Provinces
(University of Alberta)
 The year 1902, about the time Peter was completing his new house, saw a solid step toward a momentous religious transition in Canada. Some would call it disruption. Formal talks were begun to unite three different faiths: Presbyterians, Methodists, and Congregationalists (it was not until 1925 that the United Church of Canada was officially formed). Many Presbyterians were against the idea of merging with Methodists, including our western Dougalls. Their early church building was shared with a Methodist congregation on alternate Sundays. Then a large new Presbyterian church was built at Manitou just after the turn of the twentieth century; Peter Dougall became an elder.
 
The incumbent of the new church spoke in favour of union, quickly falling out of favour with some parishioners who resisted. Dr. Matthew Young, friend of the Dougalls and great-grandfather of Felix Kuehn, was one who made his objections plain. Eventually each church congregation in the nation voted whether to join the United Church merger or not. When his church voted to join, Peter Dougall switched his worship to St Luke's Anglican Church at Pembina Crossing. He went so far as to stipulate he would not be buried at the Manitou church, therefore he and his family lie in St. Luke's churchyard.[11] This is indicative of how strong the feelings ran; although solid numbers of Presbyterians overall embraced the merger, it was difficult for many members to accept the change, especially if they felt bereft of the local church they loved. Nonetheless, the Presbyterian Church in Canada still remains a stalwart, separate entity.

 Only child of Peter3 Dougall and Helen Anderson:
i. GEORGE LORNE4 DOUGALL was born at Manitou, Manitoba on 30 June 1883.[12] He died, unmarried, before 1971 in LaRivière, Manitoba.[13] Lorne maintained the family farm throughout his lifetime except for draft service in the Canadian army from July 1918 until his discharge in November 1919.[14] His parents commissioned an oil portrait of teenaged Lorne in Highland dress, by a Montreal artist.[15] He befriended local natives, having a great interest in Indian lore, collecting artifacts unearthed while ploughing. Much of his collection later went to friends and neighbours; his cousin Agnes believed the Manitoba Museum acquired some pieces--this last has not yet been verified or not. .

My thanks to Felix Kuehn who considerably enlightened me on a corner of Manitoba history!

[1] "Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967," digital image, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 20 August 2013); Peter Dougall baptism, Erskine Presbyterian Church (Montreal, Quebec), 1856, folio 2.
[2] Peter Dougall, Manitoba death registration no. 39-06-048423 (1939), Manitoba Department of Health, Pembina division. Further information in undated newspaper clipping kept by Agnes B. Dougall.
[3] Felix Kuehn to Brenda Merriman, email, 2 February 2013.
[4] "Quebec, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1627-1967," digital image, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 8 August 2013); Dougall-Anderson marriage, Erskine Presbyterian Church (Montreal, Quebec), 1882, folio 7.
[5] "Deaths," database, Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency (vitalstats.gov.mb.ca : accessed 20 August 2013), Helen Anderson Dougall, death registration no. 040416 (1935).
[6] Family story.
[7] "Western Land Grants (1870-1930)," database, Library and Archives Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca : accessed 15 August 2013), citing microfilm C-5958; Peter Dougall, SE part section 22, township 2, range 9W, 12 January 1886. A separate patent was issued for the NE quarter.
[8] 1881 Census of Canada, Manitoba, district 186, Marquette, subdistrict 3, Mountain, p. 6, Peter Dougall; digital image, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 19 August 2013), from Library and Archives Canada (LAC) microfilm C-13283.
[9] 1891 Census of Canada, Manitoba, Selkirk District, subdistrict Louise, division 2, p. 16. Peter Dougall; digital image, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 19 August 2013), from LAC microfilm T-6295.
[10] Felix Kuehn, Departed Leaving Footprints in the Sands of Time, Chaper XI, "Our Noble Neighbours," p. 9.
[11] Kuehn, op. cit., p. 9 note 27.
[12] George Lorne Dougall, Manitoba birth registration no. 003913 (1883); database, Consumer & Corporate Affairs, Vital Statistics (http://web2.gov.mb.ca/cca/vital accessed : 10 April 2007). Note the more recent change of the database title as per Note 5.
[13] Family information. Manitoba death registrations are available only when seventy years have passed.
[14] “Particulars of Recruit,” service no. 528576 JO, 30 June 1916, digital image, Canadian Genealogy Centre (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/index-e.html : accessed January 2007).
[15] Kuehn, op. cit., p 11. The portrait devolved into the possession of Felix's family but was destroyed in a house fire in 1976.

© 2013 Brenda Dougall Merriman

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