Eaton Reunion, 1926
The Montreal Daily Star
August 21, 1926
Prosperity Attends Large Families
Anson Eaton, his oldest son, had about 270 descendants, of whom 230
are living. Anson Eaton settled in Hespeler, Daniel Eaton, who was another
son and a resident of Carlisle, had descendants numbering about 250, of
[which] about 200 are living.
With 10,000 invitations and a good percentage of acceptances the Eaton-Vanduzen
centennial celebration was held recently at Carlisle, Ontario. Here [congregated]
descendants of John Eaton, 1773-1837 and his wife Catharine Vanduzen,
1786 - 1874 in the grove of Tudor and John Eaton. A picnic was [held on]
the original 400 acres and a tablet to John Eaton was unveiled at the
United Church graveyard, which is less than a quarter mile away [from
the] ancestral acres.
Elaborate preparations had been made. There were 10,000 invitations
[and] accommodations were provided for as many as cared to come. The home
[of John] Eaton, the great-grandson, was the headquarters. In the original
homestead which, by the way, is on land he acquired as a United Empire
loyalist, church services were held when Hamilton was only a circuit just
[as some] remote northern outpost might be so considered today. Here the
[word] of God was preached by Mr. Eaton, he interpreting the message as
a [..?] Wesleyan.
[..?] first son, Anson Eaton, and he moved up Hespeler way,, where
he [farmed] and flourished. There are over 270 offspring of that union
today. [A] second son, Daniel Eaton, has almost as many descendants. The
oldest [..?] present was Mrs. Washburn, 85 years of age, from Hespeler,
a [..?] child of the original John Eaton. She is still quite bright and
alert [..?] made a three-minute speech at the proceedings during the afternoon.
[..?]s a daughter of Anson Eaton.
Among the interesting exhibits at the home of John Eaton was an old
trunk brought to this country by a party of U. E. Loyalists and owned
originally by Rev. John Vanduzen and now in possession of Mrs. Mary Hawkey,
Grimsby. The trunk contains a number of books of John Wesley’s sermons
published in 1810, marriage licenses and other interesting articles. A
quaint chest which was brought over on the Mayflower by John Eaton's ancestor,
Francis Eaton in the 17th century was also exhibited. But perhaps what
had the antiquarian flavor to it more than anything else was a 17th century
cabinet that had been brought over on the Mayflower. It is very old in
design, and has wooden devices inside the drawers which evidently served
as locks for pegs which at some time must have penetrated the holes on
the drawer ends. Then too, there was an old chest not unlike a trunk,
the property of Mrs. Mary Vanduzen Hawkey, Grlmsby, which was very interesting.
In it were to be found books over 100 years old and a musty old marriage
certificate dated back to the ‘50’s.
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