Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford (1845-1940)

On this day 174 years ago, Rebecca Ann Culbert was born.

This is the only photo I have of Rebecca Culbert. She was probably in her 90s when this photo was taken.

Not to be confused with the many other Rebecca Culberts, Rebecca Ann Culbert was the seventh child of John Culbert and Mary Ward. She was born 15 July 1845 in a log cabin on the Culbert homestead at Lot 19, Concession 2 (the Coursey Line) in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario, Canada.

Although we don't have a birth certificate for Rebecca Ann Culbert, her death certificate shows her birth date as July 15, 1845.

This entry from Rebecca's death certificate shows that her parents were John Culbert & Mary Ward.

Rebecca was named after her deceased older sister. Rebecca's mother, Mary (Ward) Culbert had given birth 10 years earlier to another daughter with the same name (Rebecca Culbert) in 1835. That child died age six in 1841. That daughter's name, Rebecca was given to the next female child born into the family. It was the custom at the time to name your next-born child of the same sex after the deceased child. I wrote about this in a previous post.

On 6 June 1865, 19-year-old Rebecca married William Whiteford, a local blacksmith/farmer.

William’s parents, James Whiteford and Sarah Aitken (or Aitkin) lived a little northwest of the Culbert property at Lot 13, Concession 1, Biddulph Township.

For the first 5 years of their marriage, Rebecca and William lived in Centralia, and this is where their first three of their 10 children were born.

Centralia is located north of Lucan and south of Exeter.

After 5 years of married life in Centralia, they moved briefly to Goderich, Ontario where William continued to work as a blacksmith. 

Around 1871, they moved to Morris Township in Huron County, Ontario. (Morris Township is now known as the Municipality of Morris-Turnberry.) They lived at Concession 2, Lot 30, north ½ at Jamestown, right on the Grey Township border.

Section of an 1879 map of Morris Township. You can see William Whiteford's property at the far right under the word "Jamestown."

Jamestown is north of Brussels and is situated at the crossing of the middle of the Maitland River. 
 

Jamestown, Ontario - an early postcard

Today, all that remains of Jamestown is a commemorative stone marking the spot where the general store once stood.

It’s likely that the Whitefords knew Walt Disney’s father and grandparents. Elias Disney (Walt’s father) was born and raised close by in Bluevale, Ontario.

After farming in Morris Township for about 20 years, the Whitefords moved to a farm on Concession 6 in Usborne Township (east of Exeter) in 1891. Here, they farmed for about 15 years.

In 1907, Rebecca & William (now in their sixties and retired) moved to a small house on a large lot on the south edge of Exeter at Lot 20, Concession 1, Stephen Township.

Tragedy struck the Whiteford family in 1919.

On Friday, October 24^th, William Whiteford was returning home from a visit to his daughter Lizzie and her husband, Alex McFalls of Usborne Township. Suddenly, William’s horse came to a stop. A team of horses driven by Milton Jacobs of Stephen Township came along at a brisk pace and collided with William’s rig. William was thrown from the wagon, rendering him unconscious.

The shock caused a paralytic stroke from which he died, age 78 on Tuesday, 28 October 1919. William’s death certificate gives cause of death as a cerebral hemorrhage and arteriosclerosis.

Source: The Brussels Post, 6 November 1919

In the 1930s, Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford moved to Elimville, Ontario in Usborne Township to live with her daughter Annie and Annie's husband, Wes Horne.

The late Grant W. Taylor recalls visiting his great-aunt Rebecca in Exeter. Grant's father, Hector Taylor had a dairy in Exeter.

"I remember delivering milk to her. She was very hard of hearing and had an ear trumpet that she would hold up to her ear. Often when I went in, she would be sitting in a rocking chair reading her Bible. She dressed in black with a high neck to her dress or blouse and wore high buttoned boots. And often she would be wearing an apron. She kept a garden and I remember her as a kind, gentle old lady." 

Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford died 23 May 1940, age 94 from chronic myocardial degeneration and arteriosclerosis. The funeral was held in the living room of the home of her daughter, Rebecca Ann "Annie" (Whiteford) Horne of Elimville.

Rebecca Culbert and William Whiteford are buried in Exeter Cemetery located at 39650 Dashwood Road, Exeter.

 

Rebecca Culbert & William Whiteford's headstone in Exeter Cemetery. Their grandson, Percy McFalls and Percy's wife, Margaret Johns are buried in the same plot. Photo by Mary Jane Culbert.

Rebecca Ann Culbert and William Whiteford had 10 children, six of whom survived to adulthood.

Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford (third from left) and her children. This photo was probably taken in the late 1930s when Rebecca was in her 90s. Photo courtesy of Rebecca's great-granddaughter, Anne (Routly) Willcox.
Left to right:  
Susan Lauretta "Ettie" "Etta" (Whiteford) King
John Silas Whiteford   
Rebecca Ann (Culbert) Whiteford (1845-1940)
Sarah Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Whiteford) McFalls
William "Will" Henry Whiteford 
 Mary Emily (Whiteford) McFalls
Rebecca Ann "Annie" (Whiteford) Horne

REBECCA ANN (CULBERT) WHITEFORD’S FAMILY TREE:

Ancestors:

John Culbert and Mary Ward (parents)

Descendants (Children):

James Albert Whiteford (1866-1866).

Mary Emily Whiteford (1868-1954) married James McFalls.

William Henry Whiteford (1870-1960) married Mary Jane Hout.

Sarah Elizabeth “Lizzie” Whiteford (1873-1955) married Alexander McFalls (brother of James McFalls).

Harriet Whiteford (1875-1875).

Rebecca Ann “Annie” Whiteford (1876-1955) married George Weston Horne.

John Silas Whiteford 1^st (1878-1879).

John Silas Whiteford 2^nd (1880-1963) married Sarah Maud Parkinson.

Thomas William Whiteford (1883-1883).

Susan Lauretta Whiteford (1886-1980) married Wilbert James King.

Update: Click here to read about Rebecca (Culbert) Whiteford's children.