The Carpenter family had members in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Connecticut, California, and Wisconsin; and were related to the Smith, Lawrence, Richmond, Paul, and Orr families. Edward Richmond Carpenter was born in Woodstock, Conn., 16 Jun 1838; Jessie Leonora Smith was born in Lloydtown, On., on 17 Jun 1844. They married on 27 Sep 1864. The Collingwood, On. cemetery contains a headstone for Edward Richmond Carpenter (1838-1914), his wife Jessie Leonora Smith Carpenter (1844-1921), and those of their children who predeceased them: Paul Amasa (1865-1890) John White (1867-1871) Mary Richmond (1870-1870) Jane Lawrence (1876-1912); [also known as "Jennie"]; m. John Rowland Orr; 2 children Jessie Lenora (1878-1883) Cyril Richmond (1889-1912) Three of their children were buried elsewhere: Edward Michael Carpenter (1871-1943) buried at Oceanside, CA Henry Stanley Carpenter (1874-1950) buried at Regina, SK Louise Melville Carpenter Harper (1879-1963); m. Clarence J. Harper; buried at Kingston, ON [Edward Richmond Carpenter's brother], Ezra C. Carpenter (1832-1891) [was also buried at Collingwood]. Edward Michael Carpenter married Eva Victoria Aylsworth on 17 Jun 1896; they had three children: Dorothy Winn (1897-1989); m. Arthur Cecil Henzell; one son, Arthur Louise Aylesworth (1902-1985); m. Rex Edward Fountain; two sons, Wayne and Lloyd Ruth Richmond (1903-1904) Henry Stanley Carpenter married Jessie Ross Cameron; they had five children: Edward Stanley Cameron (1904-1956); [also known as "Jim"] Paul Hamilton (1905-199?) John Richmond (?) [also known as "Jack"] Alison Hamilton (1913-?) Nancy Ross (1916-1991) One of Paul Hamilton Carpenter's children was David Cameron Carpenter; one of John Richmond Carpenter's children was Nancy Linforth Carpenter

Bill Heselton was born and raised in Moose Jaw. He worked for thirty years as a teacher and school administrator in Moose Jaw. Ann was born in The Hague, Holland and in 1952 her family moved to Moose Jaw. She managed a desktop publishing business. The Heseltons share a passion for history, and particularly collecting railway memorabilia. This led to the publication of a historical account of the electric railway in Moose Jaw, entitled “Not to exceed 10 miles per hour”: The story of the Moose Jaw Electric Railway 1910-1932 and Public Transportation in Moose Jaw to 2003. They have also published a book entitled Windows to the past: historical notes: Moose Jaw Brewing & Malting Co. Ltd. & building at 960 Home Street West, 1906 to 2010.

G. Gordon Botting was born December 25, 1910 in Wallaceburg, Ontario. In 1911, his family moved west when his father bought a farm in the Marquis district. In 1921, the family moved to Moose Jaw. In Moose Jaw, Gordon Botting attended King George Public School and Central Collegiate. In 1930, he graduated from the University of Saskatchewan.

Botting began work for the City of Moose Jaw in 1930 as a cost accountant and office manager of the engineering department. He was in this position until 1945 when he accepted the position of internal auditor with war time housing for the federal government. He took over his father’s farm and became a partner in a consulting firm. In 1957, he resumed his work for the City of Moose Jaw and became a city clerk. In 1961, Botting was made a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators of London, England and in 1967 he was given a centennial medal for public service. In 1971, he was chosen as city commissioner. He retired December 31, 1975. Botting was an active member of the Masonic lodge, the Elks, the Rotary Club and the St. Andrew’s United Church. He died June 20, 1976. Botting had a wife, Murleen, and a son, Gerald.

Kathleen McClelland was born April 7, 1907 in Moose Jaw to Samuel “Ernest” Milburn McClelland and Ida (Battell) McClelland. She taught in various rural Saskatchewan schools from 1932-1938 and then in Moose Jaw from 1938-1970. She died in 1988 in Moose Jaw.

Samuel “Ernest” Milburn McClelland was born January 4, 1877 in Moose Jaw. He married Ida Battell on October 4, 1904. Shortly after their wedding, the couple left for a honeymoon in Ontario and stayed in Toronto until 1906. Ernest taught in Moose Jaw until 1917 when he was offered the school inspector position. He worked as a school inspector until 1942. Ernest lived at 160 Ominica St. West from 1907 until his death on July 28, 1961.

Ida (Battell) McClelland was born May 16, 1879 in Wicklow, Wentworth County to Martha Battell Brubaker and Henry Battell. Her family moved west to Moose Jaw on a wagon train in 1882. They were one of the earliest pioneers of the Saskatchewan District. Ida was a homemaker and had three children: Kathleen (1907-1988), Milburn (1909) and Laurella (1912-1993). Laurella was a doctor and worked in preventative medicine in the United States. Ida died March 13, 1966 in Moose Jaw.

Rella (Brubaker) Hunter was born February 8, 1895 to Martha Battell Brubaker and John Henry Brubaker. She was Ida (Battell) McClelland’s half-sister and Kathleen McClelland’s aunt. She married Harold B. Hunter and taught at the Alexandra Public School in Moose Jaw until her retirement in 1941. She lived in Vancouver until 1961, when she returned to Moose Jaw. Rella died September 28, 1966.

Henry and Martha Battell lived together in Moose Jaw. Henry, and their daughter Bertha, were both struck by lightning and killed. Martha remarried John Henry Brubaker. She died September 2, 1903.

Samuel McClelland was born January 12, 1833 in Ireland. He travelled to Peterborough, Ontario when he was about 15 to be with his sisters. He worked as a blacksmith. McClelland married Mary Milburn on April 1, 1856. Mary (Milburn) McClelland was born June 20, 1835. The couple moved to Bobcaygeon and by 1860s had opened a blacksmith shop and general store. They are considered one of the founders of Methodism in Bobcaygeon. They had nine children, seven daughters and two sons, the youngest being Samuel “Ernest” Milburn McClelland. Samuel McClelland died on November 21, 1920.

A.M. Logan was born in Carleton County, Ontario in 1855. He homesteaded in the Manitou district of Southern Manitoba in 1879. In 1881 he returned to Ontario and on Feb. 22, 1882 married F.L. Hayes. They returned to Manitoba. In 1904, Mr. Logan and several of his sons moved to the Central Butte, SK district (Bridgeford area) and took up homesteads. Mrs. Logan and the other children joined them in 1909. The Logan children were Wilbert, Albert, twins Norris and Hardy, Ormond, Victor, Wilfred and one daughter Pearl.
Mr. Logan was a member of the Loyal Orange Lodge, No. 338 for nearly fifty years, and a member of the Independent Order of Foresters, No.135, of Manitou. He died on Feb. 22, 1928 at his home in the Central Butte district. His sons Albert, Hardy, Norris and Wilfred all served in World War I. Hardy was killed overseas in 1916 while serving with the 5th Artillery Brigade. Norris married Jane Ellis, his English war bride. He passed away in Central Butte on Dec. 11, 1976 at age 80 years. Jane died on July 10, 1978. Wilbert resided at Kindersley and Albert in Estevan. Pearl never married. She came to Moose Jaw in 1948 and passed away there on Oct. 22, 1976 at the age of 83 years.

The McWilliams family history in the Moose Jaw area consists of several generations beginning with Thomas Edwin McWilliams (Tom). He was born in Kingston, Ontario in 1840. He married Martha Jane Dunseith and had six children - Eliza Jane, Margaret Ann, Mary Victoria, Samuel Henry, George Edwin and William John. He spent from 1879 to 1882 in Fort Garry, returned to Ontario and then headed west to the Moose Jaw area in 1883. His family followed in 1884. He rented several properties in the Pasqua/Drinkwater area including a railway section house and E½ 10-16-25 W2. He worked away from the farm at various jobs including as a freighter of supplies for the military during the Riel rebellion.
In July 1886, Thomas discovered the hills south of Drinkwater contained deposits of a clay suitable for ceramics and brick. By 1887, he had registered a homestead claim for the property containing the deposits. He and his family moved to Moose Jaw and lived there for several years. Martha leased the Queen’s Hotel and operated it as a boarding house for a number of years.
By 1889, Thomas was in danger of forfeiting his homestead claim as he had not abided by the rules requiring habitation and agricultural development. He and his son, Sam, moved to the property - Thomas living there for six months of the year and working elsewhere the rest and Sam staying there year round while the rest of the family stayed in Moose Jaw. They cared for cattle on the property to help fulfill the agricultural requirements.
There are several different sources providing conflicting timelines re: the early development of the clay deposits. One states that after trying unsuccessfully to interest investors or raise capital to start manufacturing, Thomas sold the property to a group of businessmen in August or September, 1899. They then started what is known as the Claybank Brick Plant.
Another source suggests that McWilliams hauled clay from his property to Moose Jaw for sale to various manufacturers in Moose Jaw until he partnered with the Moose Jaw Fire Brick and Pottery Co. from 1904 until they reorganized into Saskatchewan Clay Products and bought out his shares in 1912.
Thomas was also a founding member of the Moose Jaw Orange Lodge and was recognized as being one of the longest serving members of the lodge in the Canadian west.
He died on River Street in Moose Jaw at age 78.
Samuel Henry McWilliams (Sam) was the son of Thomas E. McWilliams. He was born in Muskoka, Ontario ca. 1874 and moved with his family to the Assiniboia territory in 1884.
At the age of 15, Sam worked as a water hauler for the people of Moose Jaw. All the water used in the construction of Victoria School was hauled to the site by Sam. He attended the school the following year.
In the Fall of 1889, Sam moved to Claybank, Saskatchewan to help fulfill the residency requirements for his father’s homestead claim.
In June, 1892, when he turned 18, he filed for his own homestead on NE 1/4 24-15-25 W2. He purchased SE 1/4 31-14-24 W2 in 1904.

He married Bessie Ann Coventry of Coventry, Saskatchewan and had five children - Leslie Earl and William Henry who later rented the family farm from their father when he retired to Moose Jaw, Harry Hector who worked for the CPR, and daughters Fern Louise (who married an Englishman in the RAF and moved away) and Olive Jane.
Sam was active in the community and was an original member of the Moose Jaw Agricultural Society and was also a member of the Saskatchewan Grain Growers and the Moose Jaw Museum Committee.
He retired to Moose Jaw in 1939. He died November 13, 1962, age 88.
Leslie Earl McWilliams (Les) had one son, James Leslie (Jim). William Henry McWilliams (Bill) had three sons - David, Ronald and Murray and one daughter, Sandra.
A number of family members were involved in the St. Andrews Society and Scottish pipe and drum bands.

William Connelly was born in 1882. Helen Connelly (née) was born in 1885. They were married in Findlater, Saskatchewan on July 3, 1912. They had daughters Stella, who died in 1915, and Viola, who died in 2008. Helen Connelly died on September 9, 1949. The 1948 Henderson’s Directory lists William Connelly as living in Moose Jaw and working as a carpenter.

William died on April 10, 1967.

Fanny Shepherd was born in Kent, England in 1866, the youngest daughter of baker and operator of a public house, Edward Hopper. Edward Hopper was born in Eastry, England in 1833.

William Shepherd was born on the Island of Sheppy, England in 1862. William originally worked in a butcher’s shop in Canterbury. He and Fanny married in 1887 and had three sons, Will, George, and Charles in Canterbury before moving to Deal in 1894. They had a daughter, Kitty, and sons Harry and Geoffrey in Deal, and a last son Tommie in Ramsgate. After attempting to farm and returning to the butcher business, the family decided to immigrate to Canada. They ended up acquiring 640 acres of land to farm outside of Stalwart, Saskatchewan.

Fanny, an active community leader, gave the leading address for the women’s section of the Moose Jaw Grain Growers’ Convention. She also wrote a regular column titled Mother’s Hens that was published in The Grain Growers’ Guide.

In February 1916, Will Shepherd married Fanny Howland, who hailed from Kent. They had three children, Edgar, Margaret, and Sylvia. Edgar served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in WWII, and married Betty Ritchie who passed away in 1983. They had daughters Patricia and Sylvia. Edgar died in 1999. Margaret was born in 1922, and married Gordon McKay. They had two sons, Bill and Paul. Gordon McKay passed away in 1984, and Margaret in 2004 in Moose Jaw where she had lived for most of her life. Sylvia was born in 1928 and married George Gow in 1957. George died in 1980. They had a daughter, Nancy, in 1958, and a son, Richard, in 1962. Sylvia resides in Moose Jaw.

Charles and George Shepherd, sons of William and Fanny, left the family farm in Stalwart to go West in search of land for new homesteads. They started in Maple Creek, but eventually settled South of Cypress Hills and also West Plains. Every family member would eventually move West to join except for the aforementioned William Junior and his wife Fanny.

Charles married Helen Banks and had sons, Jack, in 1922 and Charlie, in 1926. Charles died in July 1926, and his youngest brother Tommie would marry his widow Helen in February 1929. They raised children Joan, Lloyd, and Ruth.

Jack enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1942 and fought in Europe. He contracted tuberculosis in Italy and recuperated for 18 months. He married Mary Mitchell in 1949, and they assumed control of the family ranch in 1950. They had daughters Barbara, Sheila, CIndy, and Susan.

Lloyd went to school for engineering and graduated in 1956. He married Florence Lavers in 1957 and returned to school at the University of Saskatchewan, earning a Phd. in physics in 1963.

George married Irene Thompson in 1927 and had children Gordon and Eleanor. Gordon attended Luther College High School in Regina and then went to Harvard Medical School, and then to Yale. He researched nerve cells and wrote books about his research. He married Grethe Gadegaard and had children Gordon, Kristen, and Lisbeth.