March 18, 2009:
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Jackie Patterson, 613-735-0206,  or jjpat@nrtco.net

WHO REALLY FOUNDED PEMBROKE?

"Pembroke, A Glimpse Into The Past", contains much information about the early years of 
Pembroke, previously not published.  Readers will be surprised to learn that, following the
survey of the Pembroke Township in 1835, free land grants were given to Military Veterans, 
Sons or Daughters of United Empire Loyalists and a very large grant to a Mr. Treadwell.  

In most cases the land was already occupied by squatters who had cleared the land, planted 
crops, erected homes and barns.  The squatters found that they had no rights, they would 
have to purchase the land from the grantees.  Unfortunately, there is no official record 
on just when the squatters arrived.

The author, Jackie Ryan Patterson, became interested in Pembroke's early years when she 
became a member of the Upper Ottawa Valley Genealogical Group.  The mandate of the Group's 
Reference Library is to collect information about Renfrew and Pontiac Counties that will aid 
family historians research and write their family histories.  A few years ago, the Group 
purchased microfilm of "The Township Papers" for all the townships in Renfrew County.  This 
collection contains some of the earliest surviving printed records.  Ms. Patterson was 
surprised to find that Peter White's name was missing from the Pembroke Township papers.  
Researching in the Renfrew County Land Records Office, she found that Mr. White had 
purchased his land from John and Hannah Robinson.  The Township Papers show that Hannah 
Robinson was the daughter of United Empire Loyalist, (UEL), Nathan Dayton.  

The book covers the period 1820 to 1877 and contains many direct quotes from contemporary 
sources.  It is estimated that the first squatters/settlers arrived about 1820.  The 
railroad arrived in October, 1876, and Pembroke was incorporated as a Town in January of 
1877.  Many of the subjects touched on this book, deserve to be covered more deeply.

"Pembroke, A Glimpse Into the Past" may be purchased at the UOVGG Reference Library, 222 
Dickson St., Pembroke; the Book Bank, 79 Pembroke St. West, or from the author.  For more 
information, please contact Jackie Patterson, 613-735-0206.
___________________________________

Hi Al:  Thanks for your interest and support.  The book has been well-received.  Though I 
haven't heard from any of Peter White's descendants yet.  I'm sure they will be unhappy to 
find that Peter probably wasn't Pembroke's founder.
 
The book is self-published, ISBN 978-0-9810357-0-3, The list price is $15 and I do mail 
orders for $20.  Cheques for $20 should be made out to Jackie Ryan Patterson and mailed to 
me at 493-1 Angus Campbell Drive, Pembroke, ON, K8A 8K7. 
 
May you have a truly glorious St. Patrick's Day, 

... Jackie
March 24, 2009:

More Pembroke settlers:
Michael Heenan and Ann White. Thomas Heenan married Honora Hawley and those children married 
the Kennedy's in Pembroke. 

Michael Heenan married Mary Ann Cahill. Also Mary Elizabeth Heenan married David Joseph 
Cahill. Mark Kennedy married Ellen Heenan, Richard kennedy married Honora Heenan. Also Kennedy 
married Huckabone. 

... Taylor Kennedy
November 25, 2009:

James Rowan married Jane Ellen Jackson at Pembroke in 1888.

 April 5, 2010:

Thanks to Taylor Kennedy for the following newspaper article:

OTTAWA CITIZEN – AUGUST 11, 1928

A Pembroke Fire Department Came Into Existence in 1865 

Was Volunteer with Ladder Wagon. No Improvement Till after The Copeland House Fire in 1882. Then a Steamer Was Bought.
A Little History of the Fire Protection Movement of Pembroke Town. 

Prior to 1865 when a fire occurred in Pembroke, it was a case of people turning out with their buckets to do the best 
they could (a "bucket brigade"). But in 1865 a hook and ladder company was organized, and a wagon and ladders were bought. 
This company was organized by the residents, not by the council, though the council granted the large sum of twenty 
dollars towards the Capital expense.

There were 25 members in the new company at the start, but every able bodied citizen was regarded as an ex-officio
member when fire broke out. 

The wagon with its ladders and buckets was stored, when not in use, in a shed behind the old town hall near the wharf. 

Thomas Jewell was the first Captain of the company, and he was placed in complete charge of all fire fighting operations.

The fire department wandered along without much improvement until 1882. Then came the Big Copeland House fire and the 
brigade was not equal to it. Two persons lost their lives. 

Then council woke up and purchased a steamer. From that time on Pembroke’s fire fighting equipment has steadily improved. 

In 1884, the town built a new Town Hall and the fire department was given a place of honour on the ground floor, the exit 
being from the rear of the building as not to spoil the architectural appearance. In the early nineties, the water work 
system came, and the fire department was on easy street, as it were or apparently so. 

But despite the improved conditions the brigade was not able to cope with the fire that visited Pembroke in 1908. 
In this fire, the Leland Hotel, the Munro Hotel, Foster’s Shoe store, Dickson’s Drug store, S.E. Mitchell’s Book store, 
Alex Millar’s General store, the Freeman block, the Munro block (which the Standard was located), the Public Library, 
the Royal Bank, the Quebec Bank, and Moffat’s Flour Mill and the National Manufacturing (Delaney’s) were destroyed. 
This was Pembroke’s biggest fire.

See also other Fire Departments in the Ottawa area.

 
E-mail Jackie Patterson, Taylor Kennedy and Al Lewis


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