At the end of May historians in Dufferin remember the anniversary of one of our counties earliest tragedies as well as one of our areas many violent weather stories. The following research on the event was completed by descendants of neighbours of the family Mr. and Mrs. William Wisdom, of Mono. Their story recalls the afternoon of May 28, 1908.

“At the turn of this century tragedy in the form of death at childbirth, in epidemics, by disease, and from infections, was all too common and brought sadness to rural communities where man and neighbours were so interdependent upon one another. Violent death was more shocking. They were not exposed to it daily as is the case today when instant communication plus visual aids bombard us with violent death, factual, suspected or fictional.

The violent death of William Wisdom and his Isobella (Bella) in the rural countryside of Hockley and Relessey, leaving eight children (the oldest was nineteen) was not only a shock, it involved hundreds of friends and neighbours. Now in January 1973 it was still talked about by descendants of those participants, a few of whom still reside in the area. Now the predominant residents in the area are non-farmers because the land was, for the most part, unsuitable for farming. The area is beautiful. It is not far from Toronto. Today country homes, summer and ski cottages, make up the majority of dwellings. (Many of the owners may not know the story of the Wisdoms, or may have heard one of the local versions).

Neighbours took part in search. Thursday morning, May 28, 1908, dawned a normal late May morning for William Wisdom and his wife Bella, nee Isobella Irwin, at their farm; s. 1/2 of Lot 11 Con. 8, Mono, which was rented from Hugh Magill. Their little log cabin was on the 8th Line of Mono. Little did they suspect that before nightfall they would be drowned violently before the eyes of three of their children: Norman, the youngest, 5; Mary, second youngest, 7; and James, their oldest, 19.

Where the bodies were discovered William and his son James were fixing fences at the rear of the farm near the 7th Line. Bella and the two youngest children left the house about four o’clock to take some refreshments to the men. A violent rainstorm blew up. They all started for the house but the storm became worse so they took refuge under a bridge which crossed a gully. Suddenly a cloudburst flooded the area and almost immediately a wall of water and debris sixteen feet high swept down the gully. The husband and wife were carried away. Young Norman grasped a tree branch and James pulled him out. Mary was jammed between logs. James freed her. She was unconscious for a time, but recovered.

Mrs. Wisdom was found the next day about a mile from the bridge close to the intersection of the 7th Line and Hockley Road. Samuel Rainey saw the glitter of a wedding ring. The funeral was Sunday. The soil and debris that had spread on the flats at that outlet of the gully, up to six feet in depth, may still be observed today. Now it is partially tree-covered.

In later conversation with Samuel Anderson, James said the last he saw of his mother a large pole struck her on the head and she went under the water. This suggests a quick ending to her suffering, and agrees with later finding when her body had a broken skull, broken ribs, and a broken leg.

William Wisdom was not found until the following Tuesday, because of the depth of the material carried down by the water, though hundreds of friends and neighbours searched long hours. When found, his body was not far from where his wife had been found. Some of the descendants of residents of the area at that time have photographs of the search parties.

They were buried at Relessey beside the parents of Mrs. Wisdom, James Irwin and his wife Mary Wilson. Later their son Walter, who was deaf and crippled in an accident was also buried there in 1918. Much later, James, who had spent most of his life and raised a family in the U.S.A. was also buried beside his parents. The American Legion erected a monument to him which reads “William Wisdom – Missouri – Wagoner – 14th Field 14th Field Artillery – 1939”. As of this date of writing, January 1973, only two of the children survive: Mary (Mrs. Andrews, Toronto), no surviving children; and Ernest of Kitchener, who has three children.

The Wisdoms were not lacking in aunts, uncles and cousins, because the Irwin family consisted of six aunts and two uncles. Mary was raised by the oldest Irwin girl, her Aunt Jane who married John Irwin, no relation. The family scattered amongst aunts and uncles. Wilson Wisdom (Billy or Willy), the third in age after James and Walter was raised by the William Haddocks. Mrs. Haddock was Elizabeth (Lizzie Irwin) Irwin. A twin sister, Caroline (Carrie) married Robert Haddock, a brother of William, and raised Ernest Wisdom, the fourth oldest. Sarah Irwin married James McCutcheon who farmed near Mono Centre, not far from the Haddock’s. (Margaret Irwin married Jonas Lee and raised Archibald. Archibald Irwin (Archie) married Annie Haddock, sister of Robert and William). They were at that time residents of Orangeville and raised Harry Wisdom. Norman Wisdom for the most part was raised at William Haddocks with his brother Wilson. Walter, second oldest, spent part of his time at the James Irwin’s who, at the time of the mishap, was farming Lot sixteen, concession 6, Township of Mono. The one remaining Irwin girl, Ellie, married Robert Ireland, a widower with three children, and had one child.

The Wm. Haddocks on Lot 23, Con. 6, the Robert Haddocks, near the north end of Mono on Con. 7, and the J. McCutcheons, were all close geographically, and not far from Horning’s Mills near where John Irwin farmed, but Mary mentions not knowing her brothers until they grew up. She said the brothers got together in later life but as the only girl among the surviving six sons they considered her a damper on the party.

All five boys were in the army in World War I; James with the American Artillery. At least two, Ernest and Archibald, served with the 164th Battalion, according to Clarence Haddock , son of William Haddock, and who was in the 164th himself, Wilson and Harry were with the Royal Canadian Regiments.

Norman died and was cremated at Victoria, B.C. – no family. Harry Wisdom never married, died about four years ago and was buried at Vancouver. Archibald died and was buried in Mexico, no family. Wilson Wisdom (Billy) raised a family in Toronto and was buried there.

In the Relessey Cemetery in the countryside in which the William Wisdoms raised their family and were buried there is no marker of their tragic death.

The one stone carrying the name of Wisdom, does carry the name of one son, William Wisdom, whose full name was William James Wisdom and was naturally known as James.”

Today, this story, believed written from stories told by Mary [Wisdom] Andrew, Samuel J. Anderson and Clarence Haddock as well as several photo postcards of the event have been donated to the DCMA Collection.

Dufferin has many stories to tell and remember, good and bad.