Life was very difficult for early settlers at Wesleyville and across Upper Canada. The Farrows were a family which came from Lincolnshire, England. Two brothers, Thomas (1735) and John (1750) would each have lines that ended up in Wesleyville. Martin, grandson of Thomas, and Sabina, granddaughter of John would marry in Lincolnshire sometime before 1835. The family however would not stay there.

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In 1838, Sabina's brother William would arrive in Canada settling in Clarke Township, near Wesleyville. Martin, Sabina, and their children would arrive in Dec 1849. However, a little over a month later Sabina died. The details we do not know, only that this caused massive upheaval for her family. Her children would for the most part be separated and sent to live with different family members during this trying time. Thomas was living on his own in Clarke. Emma (15) and Lucy (8) were living with Samuel Dickinson and his family. Jessy (12) was nearby living with the Wileys. Asher (11) was living with the Reeds.

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There is also another Farrow, John (5) who was living with another part of the Willey family. He is likely the son of William Farrow. But that part of the family is also missing during this time period. William arrived in 1838, the first of the Farrows to arrive, and settled in Clarke. William was married to Elizabeth Searby Willey whose mother was Sharlotte Willey and adopted father Richard Willey are listed as the heads of this household. John was likely visiting his grandparents.

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In addition, Sabina's brother Asher (30) lived with his wife Sarah (26) and his son John (2) in Wesleyville. It may be that all of the children were staying with relatives. We are currently investigating this possibility. Another of Sabina's brothers, Enoch would arrive in August 1850.

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Whether the family was living in Wesleyville prior to Sabina's death is not clear. As the Willey's were located in Wesleyville, Martin may have sent the children to stay with various relatives who just happened to live in Wesleyville. The family may have always lived in Clark or perhaps the family moved by 1861.

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Sabina's husband and children would settle in Clarke by 1861 and in 1871 Lucy has married her first cousin Willows Farrow (son of William Farrows, Sabina's brother) and is living in Clarke. She would join her family in Huron by 1881.

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We find John, his wife Frances Jones, brother Asher, and father Martin living together in Turnberry, Huron East, Ontario, Canada. This is where the family would be buried. Martin would die in 1896, and John would die in 1897.

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This is a story of hardship, after traveling far away from home, the family matriarch would die leaving the family in a precarious place. However, it would seem the children were taken in by other families, potentially to do household work. Eventually, the family would be largely reunited in Clarke, and subsequently in Huron. Their stay in Wesleyville although brief was certainly an important, if sad, part of their story.