Vanessa
Couple, Wed 70 years,
recall when village named Bethany
The longest-married couple in
Norfolk County and possibly in the Province, is the unique honor which
can be claimed by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clement Longhurst of Vanessa,
seven miles northwest of Waterford, in Windham Township. They had been
married more than 70 years.
The aged couple have both been
almost lifelong residents of the County and with the exception of the
first four months of their marriage, have resided in the same house,
just south of the village.
They are both in remarkable
health in spite of their advanced years and still retain their
eye-sight and hearing. They can recall many happenings of years ago,
and the changes that have taken place.
Mr. Longhurst was born at
Niagara-on-the-Lake and is now in his 90th year. He was a son of the
late George Longhurst and Elizabeth Cahill. His father and his only
brother, James, were killed before he was born, in an explosion in the
tannery owned by his father.
When three months old he came
to Norfolk with his mother and resided with his uncle and aunt, Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Clement, who resided south of Vanessa.
His mother later remarried and
Mr. Longhurst had five half-brothers and three half-sisters. Two of
the half-brothers, Frank and Edward Lowery [sic], reside in St.
David's.
Mrs. Longhurst was the former
Martha Ann Bannister and was born near Dundas, one of 15 children, 10
girls and five boys, of the late William Bannister and Mary
Church.
She is now 87 and is the last
surviving member of the family. At the age of six years she came to
Norfolk with her parents who took up residence on a farm south of
Vanessa.
They were married on 15 Dec
1867, and four months later moved into their present home which Mr.
Longhurst and his uncle built on part of his uncle's property.
To this union were born four
children, one dying in infancy. One son James, resides at home,
another son Robert, also lives in Vanessa, and a daughter, Mrs. John
(Flossie) Finch, lives a mile and a half south of the village.
Practically all his life Mr.
Longhurst has followed the occupation of a farmer, being forced to
retire a few years ago due to rheumatism.
He has been a life-long member
of the Latter Day Saints' Church and for nine years was in charge of
the district.
Mrs. Longhurst at present is
confined to bed most of the time due to an injury suffered a year ago
when she fell and broke her hip.
They can both remember many
changes which have taken place in the district since they were
children.
When they first came to that
part of the county it was known as Bethany and it was not until 1876
that a post office was established there and the place renamed Vanessa
by the Postal Department at Ottawa.
The post office was
established in a store operated by A. T. Sussex. Henry Bartholomew,
uncle of W. H. Bartholomew of Simcoe, was appointed as the first
Postmaster. He held this office until his death in 1932.
In 1879 Henry Bartholomew and his brother William, bought the business
and ran the store for many years. The building is still owned by Mrs.
Harvey Searles, daughter of Henry Bartholomew.
Mr. Longhurst vividly
remembers the disastrous fire in 1907 which almost demolished the
entire village. In the conflagration a number of building were
destroyed, including the Methodist Church, church shed, grist mill,
evaporator, planing mill, cider mill, cheese factory, and a large
barn. The store was saved by laying wet carpets on the roof and
wetting them continually.
During his lifetime Mr.
Longhurst has always been a staunch Conservative. He particularly
recalls an election about 60 years ago when fever was at a high pitch
and every vote counted. His uncle Robert Clement, who had gone to
Niagara-on-the-Lake to vote, returned to Waterford by train with only
25 minutes left until the polls closed.
He was met at the station by
his nephew with a team of horses and a democrat. They travelled the
distance from Waterford to Vanessa with the horses galloping over the
entire route and reached the polls with five minutes to spare.
