Coleridge Anecdotes
Frances Nessle Penhall was born in England. She married
John Cleave. Their daughter :Mary Jane married Daniel
Coleridge in Doddiscomsleigh church in 1849. They left for
Canada, and lived near Hamilton, at Dundas for seven years.
They cleared land and pioneered 12 miles from Durham Town,
township of Egremont Co Grey, four miles west of present
town of Dromore. This spot was called Greenside, nicknamed
Bob Town because of the number of Roberts born there. They
had a store, blacksmith shop, Orange Hall, red school and
post office here.
The Legate family lived across the road from Coleridges.
The Legates owned a store, and Robert Legate taught school 1
1/2 miles north of Greenside. 1 1/4 miles west of the school
was Ebenezer Methodist Church which the Legates attended.
Greenside church services were held in the Orange Halk.
Coleridges went to church one mile south of Dromore, Amos
Presbyterian, east through the woods.
Ann Elizabeth started school at Red School, and sat with
her Uncle Thomas Coleridge. Legates lived in a house built
by Robert P. Legate, by the Orange Hall. He married
Elizabeth Jane Coleridge in 1876.
A story tells of how Mary Jane Cleave and Daniel
Coleridge met. Daniel was the son of a Lord Coleridge and
Mary Jane , the daughter of a Duke. The families refused to
let them marry, so they eloped and came to Canada. Mary Jane
would twit Daniel when she was annoyed with 'Lord Pick-Axe'
routine. Another version of the story was that Mary Jane was
a kitchen maid and he, a Lord. Grandpa Coleridge would say
'she is a very fine old lady as long as she gets her own
way.' She once had a very bad cold and Uncle Jim took her to
the doctor in Dromore. She got a bottle of cough mixture and
put it on a shelf. Never took the cork out of it. Her cough
got better and she said 't'was the best medicine I never
took!'
Grandma Coleridge walked 12 miles to Durham to sell her
butter and eggs. The path was through solid maple woods. One
day she met a bear on the path. She put her basket on the
ground and walked off into the woods. The bear nosed out the
sweet butter and enjoyed it then ambled off. Grandma picked
up her eggs and continued on her way to Durham - no thanks
from the bear!
Grandpa Coleridge(1822-I9I3) lost his hearing at 40 years
of age, and later on became blind. Grandma Coleridge.
(1826-1911) was the only one who could communicate with him
then. Both are interred at Amos Cemetery at Dromore.
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