Robert Morrison was born in 1823 to Mary Young (daughter of Robert Young of Smithfield, Co Longford) and Charles Morrison (1779-1861). His mother died when he was very young and he was raised by his older sister, Jane (married William Loney).
In 1845, 21 year old Robert seeing no future farming on the land, sold his Right of Holding in Legan, Co. Longford to raise the money for passage and walked to Dublin to board a small vessel across the Irish Sea to Liverpool and then embarked on a 6 week voyage on the sailing ship "Carthaginian" to Quebec City. He set out on other boats via the various waterways finally docking at Hamilton and then by stagecoach to Guelph, Ontario arriving there 3 months and 3 days after leaving Ireland which was an exceptionally speedy trip in those days. He took up residence in Peel Township, Wellington County and in 1853 married Charlotte Matthews in Arthur, raised 8 children and by the turn of the century they had cleared and were cultivating 100 acres of land, built a 5 bedroom brick house with a gracious maple tree lined driveway, a bank barn and a large fruit orchard.
The hardship faced by those early settlers to the area without money could not have been endured but for the robust constitution and simple mode of life that came with the immigrant and was re-enforced by the pure air, cheerful disposition and freedom of action in the new life. Robert Morrison, many times, told his son, James (known as JJ), that "had he known of all the toil and privations that were before him, he never would have faced the 'Peel Bush'".
Footnote: Robert's father and sibling eventually immigrated to Ontario also. His sister Jane and her husband William Loney lived in Parker, south of Arthur, and are buried in the Elora cemetary. Brother Joseph was a constable in the Royal Irish Constabulary and on retirement came to Canada settling in the Grand Valley south of Arthur and is buried in the St. Albans cemetary with his wife and son. His brother James eventually settled in Memphis, Tennesee. His father Charles, died in 1861 after falling off a load of peas on Robert's farm and is buried in the old Grace Anglican burial ground in Arthur (now a park).
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 9th Aug 1823 | |
| Date of Death | 10th Apr 1917 | |
