It all began in 1892 when 21-year-old Albert Oscar Hodgins of Biddulph Township attempted to elope with a 15-year-old schoolgirl named Maud Blackwell.
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| Source: Exeter Advocate, 3 November 1892, page 1. |
Albert and Maud headed southwest to the village of Ailsa Craig, where they intended to have the wedding ceremony performed.
Maud's furious father, Freeman Blackwell put a damper on further proceedings by chasing the lovers down, and capturing his daughter.
However, our story doesn't end there!
Fast forward a few years to 1896. Freeman Blackwell still holds a grudge against Albert Hodgins. In fact, Freeman had publicly threatened to shoot the young man.
On May 1st, 1896 Freeman and his daughter, Maud (now age 19) went to Lucan on business. As they passed Read's livery stable in their horse and buggy, Freeman caught sight of Albert Hodgins who was working at the stable.
Freeman drew his revolver and fired a shot at Albert. Fortunately, Albert caught site of the gun before Freeman had time to pull the trigger. Albert ran through the alleyway, dodging the bullet.
Meanwhile, Freeman coolly left the scene of the crime, driving off to Farrell's Drug Store where he made a few purchases and headed home with his daughter.
Read about the incident, here...
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| Source: Exeter Advocate, 7 May 1896, page 1. |
Freeman Blackwell managed to evade the law officers for three days but soon gave himself up. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of shooting with intent to kill. Freeman was sent to trial and bailed in the amount of $1,500 (the equivalent of almost $30,000 today.)
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| Source: Exeter Advocate, 14 May 1896, page 1. |
Whatever happened to Freeman Blackwell, his daughter Maud, and her suitor, Albert Hodgins?
Freeman Blackwell (1843-1919) lived another 23 years with no further incidents of violence reported in the newspaper. Freeman's parents were Freeman Blackwell, Sr., and Rebecca Culbert. Rebecca was born in Ireland in 1807 and died in 1875. She is buried in St. James Cemetery near Lucan and is not to be confused with the many other Rebecca Culberts. We don't know whether or not Rebecca (and therefore her son, Freeman) are related to our Culbert family. Nonetheless, Freeman is distantly related by marriage (through his wife Ann Armitage) to Mary Ann (Culbert) Kent, the daughter of John Culbert and Mary Ward. Therefore, Freeman Blackwell (and his daughter Maud) are related to all of us, albeit through marriage, and in a very distant and roundabout fashion.
Freeman's daughter, Maud Blackwell had done a lot of living in her young life. We know about her thwarted elopement at age 15 with Albert Hodgins. And before that at age 12, she'd spent almost a year in Manitoba, prospecting with her widowed father, Freeman. Maud was only three years old when her mother died which may account for Freeman being so zealously overprotective of her. Not surprisingly, she didn't end up with her ardent suitor, Albert. In 1899 at the age of 22, Maud settled down with Oscar Alva Hudson, and they raised a family in the village of Bryanston in London Township. One has to wonder what kind of father-in-law Freeman was to Oscar Hudson.
Albert Hodgins finally found himself a bride at age 30. He wed Ellen Jane "Nellie" Hamilton but I don't know whether he risked another elopement or opted this time for a more formal wedding. Albert and Ellen had a daughter, Edythe Hodgins who married John Clifton "Jack" Murdy of Murdy's Funeral Home. Murdy's was a long-established family business in Lucan. It was Murdy's who prepared the bodies of the infamous Donnellys for burial following their massacre. Albert Hodgins is distantly related by marriage to John Culbert and Mary Ward's son, William Edward Culbert. Therefore, Albert Hodgins is very distantly related to all of us.
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| Albert Hodgins finds true love at last with Nellie Hamilton. |
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