Irvines

Irvines
William Irvine, a native of Orkney, was with the HBC in the North for 40 years.

While in Fort Norman he met and married Margaret Pritchard who had come from Red River as a companion to the wife of Bishop Bompas. Margaret died in 1896, soon after their 8th child was born. William brought the chilren by paddlewheeler and train from Ft. Norman to the Halcro district where the Pritchards had relocated to from the Red River. Mr. And Mrs Richard Pritchard cared for the 8 Irvine grandchildren until Wm. finished his contract with the Hudson’s Bay Co. in 1900.
The children attended the St. Andrew’s school which was at that time situated on the River Road.
At the aged of 68 William took up farming on property adjoining the Pritchards. He kept a daily journal which tells about the variety of responsibilities on a mixed farm at the turn of the centruey :
Nov 1/1901 Threshed 130 bu. Wheat
114 bu. Oats
Apr. 16/1902 Commenced to plough
May 28/1902 Planted the potatos
29 « barley and oats
June 13 « the turnips

September cut the weat, barley, oats, took up potatoes, turnips, stacking hay, fencing hay
October – Threshing weat, oats, barley, Went to town with Grist 885#flour
November – 10 below – housed the cattle
December – the glass has been ranging from 20 to 48 degrees below zero
December – hauled wood from across the river
1903
February – went to town for shingles
Hauling logs
March – went to town for 300 ft. Barbed wire. Hauling wood – 34 loads so far
April – Plouging, harrowing, 8 goslings hatched
May – Ploughing, planting
June – Building New House – total cost $116.05
1904
June – Building the Byre, sqaring flooring for byre
July – working on the Rood, butchered and salted pig
August – cutting wheat – the binder broke down. Went to town for repairs.
October – went to town with the cattle
Nov. Butchered a cow
December - 45 below. Went to town with butter and fowl.
There are references to cows calving, mares foaling, chickens and turkeys hatching, piglets being born, new land being broken, calves and colts being branded - all new experiences for the retired fur trader.
His 8 children attended the St. Andrews School, then located on the River Road. The 3 boys helped on the farm as they grew bigger and the girls « kept » house with Grandma Pritchard’s training.
William Irvine died of the flu in 1918. His family was as follows :
Rita – Alfred Spence
Lina – Roderick Campbell
Rose – Robert Wright
Ida – Milton Flynn
Dora – John Gerrond
Ned – Christina Leask
Alex, a veteran of the Great War, unmarried
Stanley, a veteran who died as a result of injuries in 1918.



Family of Ned Irvine and Christina Leask
The fathers of both Ned and Christie were from the same area of the Orkneys and their families were friends. Ned’s father emigrated in 1860 to Northern Canada with teh Hudson’s Bay Co., and Christie’s grandfather moved his whole family to the Red River around the same time – to work as a carpenter with the HBC. Forty years later, the two Orkneymen had both moved to Saskatchewan and lived in the St. Lanards and St. Andrews district. Their families were united when Ned Irvine and Christina Leask were married in Prince Albert on Oct. 16, 1918.
Ned was a mixed farmer who was also a successful trapper and hunter for some years. He and Christie raised a family of four daughters who attende St. Andrew’s School. Ned served on the school board and both he and Christie were active members of the Halcro church. He was well known for his knowledge of animals and their ailments, and she was recognised as being a very capable cook and baker.
Their large vegetable and flower gardens were a great source of satisfaction – and food, right through the winter.
Ned and Christie left the farm to live in Prince Alber in 1964. He passed away in 1967, aged 79, and she in 1986, just after her 90th birthday.
Their family consisted of :
May, who married Ron Ashbee and lives in Brandon
Esther, who married James Ferguson, both of whome have passed away, Esther in 1986.
Dorothy – married to Earl Jorgensen who passed away in 2001
Violet, married to Harry Budd who passed away in 2008.

Dorothy attended St. Andres school. Worked at the PA San (TB Sanitorium) for a year before going into the women’s Division of the RCAF. Spent 3 years in the service, then attended Business College in Vancouver. Worked 4 years with Libby’s Sales office. Married in 1950 and moved to Nelson where her husband taught for 33 years. They have 6 children, living in BC, Ontario and Quebec.