Saturday, December 27th,
1902, being the one hundredth birthday of Mrs. William Watkins of
Forestville her relatives and friends met at her home to commemorate that
event with a surprise party. In all, there were one hundred one
persons present. Of these there were eleven over 60, six over 70,
and Mrs. Griffin over 80 years of age, all of whom live within a few miles
of one another.
They assembled to cheer, to honor, to congratulate a
fond mother, a good and faithful Christian, a dear, very old lady, the
sole surviving pioneer of the township of Charlotteville, who was born
December 27th, 1802 at the village of Catskill, near a creek of the same
name, but known to the inhabitants of that time as North River, in the
State of New York.
Jane Frayer came to Canada with her parents, one
brother and one sister, and arrived at the Long Point Settlement in
November, 1807. Jane Frayer was then nearly five years of age. At the same time, and in company there came with Mr. Frayer, Mr. Wooloon
and Mr. Becker and their families. They came on wagons drawn by
horses, (Mrs. Watkins remembers crossing Niagara River on a cow). All of these settled on the Bay
shore, Mr. Frayer on lot number 8,
and Mr. Wooloon on lot No. 2, and Mr. Becker near Troyers Point at Wilsingham [sic].
Jane Frayer married William Watkins by
which marriage there were two sons and two daughters, all of whom are
living. Isaac Watkins, now in his 71st year, lives with his mother,
Mrs. Wm. Hilmer, on Turkey Point, one daughter in Texas and one son in
Michigan. Her younger brother, Jeremiah Frayer, was drowned in the
great wind storm of 1834. Her husband died 20 years ago. Her
elder brother inherited the homestead which now belongs to her nephew John
Frayer, of Pt. Rowan. Mrs. Watkins has lived in the neighborhood and
almost in sight of her father's farm all her life time.
