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Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Kent, Ontario
James Cruickshank


JAMES CRUICKSHANK is a prosperous general farmer and ex-reeve of Zone township, residing on Lot 5, Concession 4, where he owns a fine farm of 150 acres to which he came in 1853, having purchased it from John E. Brooks, land agent.  The property was then all a wilderness, and he had to make a clearing in order to erect his little cabin on the spot where now stands his handsome brick residence, which was put up in the fall of 1897.

Mr. Cruickshank was born March 6, 1832, son of James and Janet (Marnes) Cruickshank, of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where they remained until 1833, and then emigrated to Canada, settling in Howard township, County of Kent, Ontario, where they took up 100 acres from Col. Talbot.  Later the father purchased 250 acres, and there he died in 1867, aged 63 years, while the mother died in 1879, aged 69 years, and they are buried in the Morpeth cemetery.  They were members of the Presbyterian Church.  The father held many minor township offices, became very prominent and was especially active in educational matters.  His children were as follows:  James; Alexander, who died in Zone township, on an adjoining farm, in 1881; John, a retired farmer of Aylmer, Ontario; Mary, of Zone township, widow of John Tinney William, who died in Howard township, on the old homestead; Elizabeth, who died in 1891 at Brown City, Michigan, wife of John Brewster.

James Cruickshank has been twice married, his first union in 1858, in the township of Howard, being to Elizabeth Bullock.  One child was born to them:  Rachel E., who married Alonzo Grawburg, a farmer of Sanilac, Michigan.  On November 5, 1866, Mr. Cruickshank was married in Florence, Ontario, to Mary A. Maynard, and she bore him children as follows:  Mariah married William Dickson, a farmer of Zone township; Sarah J. married John W. Southerland, a driller of Petrolia, Ontario; James is at home with his parents; Hester A. is at home; Jeanett married Charles Hubble, a contractor and builder of Thamesville; Mary I. Is at home; Ada M., a school teacher, is also at home.  Mrs. Cruickshank was born in Harwich township, daughter of Manel and Esther Maynard, both of Canada, the former of Nova Scotia.  They were married in the County of Kent in an early day, there beginning life as pioneer farmers.  On January 1, 1865, in this same locality, the father passed away aged 58 years, and he was buried in the English cemetery of Harwich township.  The mother resides in Howard township, and is advanced in years, having been born in 1817.  She is a member of the Baptist Church as was her husband.

Until his marriage Mr. Cruickshank remained with his parents, and then located on his present farm, where he has since remained.  In politics he is a Conservative and is very active in local affairs.  For eight years he served as township reeve; seven years he was assessor and also township collector, and for about 30 years he has been in the township council, having been one of the first to be elected to that office.  Being very deeply interested in educational matters, he has served upon the school board for a number of years as member, secretary and treasurer and trustee.  Fraternally he is a member of the Orange Lodge.  His farm is one of the best cultivated in the township, and his home is a very pleasant and comfortable one.  Having firmly established himself in the confidence of the neighbourhood, he is highly regarded and is justly considered as one of the representative farmers in his section of the County of Kent.


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