When the spirit of William Sandham
departed from its earthy tenement the Township of Middleton lost one of
its oldest and most respected residents -- one who will be greatly missed
and long remembered, even outside his family circle, on account of his
usefulness in the community in which he spent his long life, his kindly
temperament and his unblemished character.
His life work was done faithfully
and well, and to all who knew him his name will ever stand in a synonym
for industry, thrift and honesty.
Mr. Sandham was born in
Lancashire, England, nearly 72 years ago and came to Canada with his
parents when four years old. His father's party consisted of eleven
persons, and when they reached Brantford, whence they had to drive to the
Goshen settlement, among them they had not money enough to pay for all the
conveyances required and Mr. Sandham's father walked all the distance.
He did not like the prospect when
he reached his destination and would have returned to England if he had
been able to do so, but that being impossible he settled down to hewing a
home out of the forest, a task in which he soon had the help of his son,
William, who, at the early age of ten years began to take a hand in
clearing the land, and was in a few years able to do a man's work, as he
was big and strong, at the age of 16 years, tipping the scale at 199 lbs.,
and was straight as a sapling and strong as an ox.
The labors of father and son
earned a generous reward, and they erected on their farm one of the first
brick homes built in that section, making the bricks themselves from clay
found on the farm and the material for the bricks being mixed up by oxen
treading it.
After his father's death, William
bought the homestead and continued to develop it until it became one of
the most valuable properties in the far-famed Goshen settlement. He
eventually acquired 300 acres of land, which is now divided into three and
owned by his three sons.
Notwithstanding the laborious work
he had to do during the early years of his life, Mr. Sandham had time and
ability to devote to the duties that citizenship in a democratic country
imposes upon every unselfish man, and he was several years member of the
Township Council, two years being Deputy Reeve, and a member of Norfolk
County Council. He was also a School Trustee, a Director of the Middleton
Agricultural Society, and a Director of the Middleton and Bayham Cheese
Company.
Every office he was placed in by
his neighbors he filled creditably and with advantage to the community. He
took a very active interest in the politics of the country and was an
ardent and valued member of the Conservative party.
Forty years ago Mr. Sandham
married Elizabeth White and she, with three sons and one daughter survive
him. The sons are T. Alexander, W. Edgar, and Aquila O., all of whom
reside in Middleton, and the daughter is Mrs. George Shepherd of
Middleton. One daughter, Mrs. Charles White, died last fall. Mrs. John
Burnett of Courtland, and Mrs. R. Stizaker of Delhi, are sisters of Mr.
Sandham.
The funeral took place on Friday,
May 6th, and a very large number of friends of the deceased assembled to
pay the last tribute respect. The interment was made at the Goshen
cemetery, afterward a service being held in the Baptist church, conducted
by Rev. Mr. Silcox. The pallbearers were: Joseph Watson, Marsena
Ostrander, Robert Stafford, Samuel Patterson, William Girvin and James
Patterson.
