The Pluck of the Irish

Many who settled in Lucan-Biddulph, like John Culbert & Mary Ward, hailed from Ireland. 

Scuffles were not unusual occurences in the area, as observed in this incident from 1896 on the 3rd Concession. The Culbert homestead was not far away, on the 2nd Concession...

Source: Exeter Advocate. 26 March 1896.

Mr. Mountain was "an Irishman, and well up to collar and elbow." Collar-and-elbow is a style of wrestling native to Ireland. No doubt it came in handy for life in the New World when "seedy-looking tramps" could come knocking at your door at any time of day or night.

You had to be able to defend yourself in those days as it wasn't unusual for fights to break out. But I quote Terry Culbert, "Culberts are not fighters, they're lovers!"[1]

[1]Culbert, Terry. Lucan: Home of the Donnellys. Renfrew, Ontario: General Store Publishing House, 2005, page 16.