Son of Silas Knowlton (1764-1843) and Sarah Lucinda Holbrook (1763-1800), Paul Holland Knowlton (1787-1863) was born on September 17, 1787, in Newfane, Vermont. He grew up alongside his brothers Luke Holland (1795-1870) and Samuel Willard (1800-?), as well as his sister Samantha (1797-?). He was the grandson of the Hon. Luke Knowlton (1738-1810), former justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. Due to their support for the Loyalists, the British government granted Paul's grandfather virgin land in Lower Canada. Too old to manage his own land, two of his sons, Silas, and Luke Jr. (1775-1855), accepted the concessions. In 1798, Silas Knowlton and his family settled in Stukely in the Eastern Townships. In 1800, after his mother's death, Paul returned to Newfane to complete his education under the guidance of his grandfather and uncle. He later returned to Lower Canada in 1807.
Paul H. Knowlton married Laura Moss (1789-1868), a schoolteacher from Bridport, Vermont, on September 22, 1808. The couple had no children, but they adopted three children from Luke Holland Knowlton: Sarah (1822-1905), Amanda (1828-1852) and Thomas Anson (1843-1906).
In 1827, he assumed the role of agent to sell the lands of non-resident landowners in Brome County and he emerged as one of the most important landowners in the area. In 1834, Paul H. Knowlton settled permanently in the hamlet of Coldbrook, which became the Village of Knowlton, renamed to honor him in 1851. He played a significant role in the region's economy, spearheading the development of commercial and industrial structures within the village. These included a general store, saw and grist mills, distillery, and potash factory.
Paul H. Knowlton's role in the social development of the community cannot be overlooked. He is the founding president of the Shefford (1834) and Brome (1856) county agricultural societies. In 1834, he took on the role of correspondent for the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, representing the Eastern Townships. Through personal donations of both land and money, Paul H. Knowlton played an active role in the construction of the village's first high school, the Knowlton Academy, in 1854, and Brome County's first courthouse in 1858.
Paul H. Knowlton had an active and varied political career. From October 26, 1830, to October 9, 1834, he served as a member of the House of Assembly of Lower Canada for Shefford County. Though initially sympathetic to the Patriots, he later aligned with the Bureaucratic Party and voted against the 92 Resolutions in 1832. Promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Shefford Battalion during the 1837-1838 uprising, he led the detachment that captured one of the Patriot leaders, Wolfred Nelson (1791-1863). In recognition of his loyalty, Governor John Colborne appointed him to the Special Council of Lower Canada twice, from April 2 to June 1, 1838, and again from November 2, 1838, to February 10, 1841. Later, he is appointed to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada on June 9, 1841. During the last two decades of his life, he served on various commissions, held the position of mayor of Brome Township, and was elected warden of Brome County from 1855 to 1862. Paul H. Knowlton passed away at his home in Knowlton on August 28, 1863.
Sources :
ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE DU QUÉBEC, « Paul Holland KNOWLTON », consulté le 20 sept. 2023, https://www.assnat.qc.ca/fr/deputes/knowlton-paul-holland-3807/biographie.html.
DAY, Catherine Mathilda. History of the Eastern Townships, Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Civil and Descriptive. Mika Publishing Compagny, Belleville, Ontario, 1869, 475 p.
GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC. List of Lands Granted by the Crown in the Province of Quebec, from 1763 to 31st December 1890. Imprimeur de la Reine Charles-François Langlois, Québec, 1891, 1920 p.
Marion Louise Phelps, « KNOWLTON, PAUL HOLLAND », dans Dictionnaire biographique du Canada, vol. 9, Université Laval/University of Toronto, 2003, consulté le 20 sept. 2023, http://www.biographi.ca/fr/bio/knowlton_paul_holland_9F.html.
STOCKING. Charles H. W. The History and Genealogy of the Knowltons of England and America. Knickerbocker Press, New-York, 1897, 682 p.
Frederick Robinson was born in 1821 in Waterloo, Quebec to Hezekiah Robinson (1791-1851) and Seleucia Knowlton (1800-1876) who were both born in Newfane, VT and moved to Waterloo, Quebec. Seleucia was the granddaughter of Hon. Luke Knowlton, Supreme Court Justice in Vermont, who also lived in Newfane and was an Empire Loyalist during the American Revolution. Canon Robinson wrote a biography of Judge Knowlton that is in the historical museum in Newfane.
Frederick Robinson graduated from Bishop’s College. He was ordained deacon in 1847 and priest in 1848 by the Bishop of Quebec. Robinson was appointed to Coteau-du-Lac in 1847; Incumbent to Rougemont and Curate to Abbotsford in 1848. He also had temporary charge of Granby and Milton in 1850, of Milton in 1864 to 1866 and of St. Hyacinthe from 1871 to 1873. He was appointed a Trustee of Bishop’s College, Lennoxville, in 1874. He also served as Canon of Christ Church Cathedral.
Canon Robinson married Mary Jane Johnson (1824-1911), the daughter of Rev. Thomas Johnson. Canon Robinson died in 1893.
Thomas Johnson was born in Bampton, Westmoreland, England in 1789. Ordained deacon in 1815 by Vernon Harcourt, the Archbishop of York in the United Church of England and Ireland and priest by the Bishop of Carlisle in 1817, in 1819 he was sent to Canada, to the Diocese of Quebec, by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. He served as Missionary for the SPG for 32 years. He was assigned to the mission of Charleston (Hatley) before being transferred to Abbotsford in 1830. Rev. Johnson traveled in the Eastern Townships founding schools and churches. He was rector at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Abbotsford, Quebec, as was his son-in-law Canon Frederick Robinson. He was also involved with the founding of Compton Ladies College and Dunham Ladies College (St. Helen’s School). In 1850 or 1851, he retired.
Thomas Johnson married Annis Spedding (b.1794) on April 15, 1819 in Bolton, Westmoreland, England. They had a daughter named Mary Jane Johnson (1824-1911). Rev. Johnson died in 1881 at the age of 92.
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The Coaticook youth centre, Maison des jeunes de Coaticook, was founded in 1983 for the primary purposes of encouraging the autonomy of adolescents (ages 12-17), to provide a location for youth to gather together, to provide youth with activities that respond to their interests, and to prevent problems specific among youth. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with various committees to support its activities. Initially, the Maison de jeunes de Coaticook rented space from the high school école Polyvalente La Frontalière but later on was able to secure their own space on Laurence Street. Also known as La Mayz de Coaticook, the organization celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2003. The Maison de jeunes de Coaticook continues to be active as it pursues objectives similar to those established in 1983.
The Coaticook factory that would eventually become the Canadian Celanese had its earliest beginnings in 1872 with the purchase of water rights from Levi Baldwin to Thomas McDuffee. They would then be acquired by Frederick Cross for the establishment of a rake factory. The factory went through a series of changes in ownership and purpose until it was acquired by Trenholme and Armitage in 1889 and became the Coaticook Woolen Mills. The factory was destroyed by fire in June 1889 and was rebuilt, continuing operations until 1919 when it was sold to Walter Blue. The factory again underwent multiple transactions until 1944, when it was acquired by Coaticook Textiles Limited. Under this ownership, the factory was expanded and by 1954 it employed 125 workers.
The Canadian Celanese was established in Coaticook in 1956 with the purchase of Coaticook Textiles Ltd’s building and equipment. In 1963, the Canadian Celanese Company merged with the Canadian Chemical Company to become a division of Chemcell Limited. In 1972, its corporate name was changed again to Celanese Canada. In 1980, the principal activity of the Celanese was the manufacture of acetate lining and texturized polyester fabrics. At this time, 80 per cent of their production went to Drummondville for dying and dressing.
In 1984 and 1985, Canadian Celanese’s plant in Coaticook was purchased by Produits Cellulaires Waterville. The company subsequently closed the plant, transferring Coaticook employees to Waterville.
Françoise Maurice was born in Coaticook on 17 December 1916. Her love for books and music developed during her childhood through access to many books in the family home and the pursuit of music lessons at the convent in Coaticook. Following the opening of a public library in Coaticook in 1959, Maurice began as a volunteer and eventually acquired a permanent position. Her passion for arts, culture and heritage showed through her organization of exhibitions of art, photographs, and antiques. The eventual outcome of an antique exhibition was the establishment of the Beaulne Museum. Maurice held a position at the library for 32 years but was also involved with setting up some of the first dance classes, volunteered for the Beaulne Museum and the Coaticook Historical Society, and taught piano, among other things. In 2003, the City of Coaticook honoured her years of service to the library and the community by renaming the library in her honour. Maurice passed away the 11 September 2009, at the age of 93.
Jean-Nil Drolet was born on 5 June 1930 in Coaticook, the oldest child of Léo Drolet (1907-1935) and Hélène Aurore Lapointe (1907-1988). As a boy, Jean-Nil participated in sports and the Catholic Boy Scouts. Mr. Drolet married Rita Carbonneau on 16 July 1955 in Coaticook and together they had eight children: Claire, Julie, Léo, Guy, Michel, Raynald, Marie, and Johanne. Early on, Mr. Drolet worked for Kilgour in Coaticook and obtained a diploma from the Université de Sherbrooke in school administration. In his professional life, he was active in the unions in Coaticook and served as secretary-treasurer of Commission scolaire de Coaticook in the 1960s, as well as for the Foyer de Coaticook Inc. and the Local Artisan 928. Under his tenure with the school board, two new schools were built (Albert-l’Heureux secondary/high school and Sacré-Coeur primary/elementary school). Mr. Drolet also served as the secretary for the Board of Directors for the Centre Hospitalier de Coaticook and in 1971, he went on to become the General Director of the Centre Hospitalier de Coaticook. Mr. Drolet has been very active in many community organizations throughout his life.
The Massawippi Union Church, built in the New England style in 1861, stands to this day as a reminder of the village’s American roots. Though it is now seldom used, the church is still occasionally opened for services and other community events.
The Women's Canadian Club of the Eastern Townships was formed in 1949, its mandate like other Canadian clubs was "having for its objects the encouragement of the study of the history, literature, and resources of Canada" and engaged in joint activities occasionally. The Women's Canadian Club of Eastern Townships was governed by a board of executive directors. In 2014, the Club members voted to dissolve because of a decreasing membership.
Arthur John Hampson (a.k.a. Jack) Richardson was born 31 July 1916 in Lennoxville, Quebec to Arthur and Margaret Richardson. Jack attended Bishop's College School (Lennoxville, Quebec) and graduated from Bishop's University in 1935. After graduating, he worked at the National Archives of Canada before joining the Royal Canadian Navy in 1942 and served in England as the historical liaison for the Canadian Government until 1946. After a career of 40 years, Jack retired in 1981 from the National Archives Canada / Indian Northern Affairs Canada, National Historic Sites. In 1987, he received "The Gabriel Leger Medal" from the Heritage Canada Foundation for his work in historical architectural, preservation, restoration and conservation of Old Quebec City. He was married to Gertrude and together they had four children: Margaret, Peter, Andrew, and Marie. Jack passed away in Ottawa on 6 May 2011 at the age of 94.
The Coalition of Conservationists of the Eastern Townships (CCC) began in the late 1970s by Brian Olding, Richard (a.k.a. Crick) Glass, and Alex Bowie and was driven by concerns regarding the water quality of the Massawippi River, which was being contaminated by industries situated along the river, in particular Scott Paper Limited in Lennoxville. A water quality sampling program was undertaken to identify the pollutants present in the Massawippi River. As support and interest in the group’s work continued to grow, it was incorporated the 14 June 1979 as the Coalition pour la Conservation de l’Environnement dans les Cantons Inc. with the objectives of protecting and improving the natural environment for the good of the general public, which was to be achieved through the promotion of scientific research and projects, raising public awareness of environmental concerns, and supporting the creation of laws to protect the environment. The first directors were Richard Côté, Vincent Cuddihy, Stephen Monty, Sonya Nigam, Charles Simpkin, and Ann Tippet. In 1979, the CCC applied for government funding for a project to complete an analysis of the Massawippi River basin but the project was not funded.
Following a decade-long period of inactivity, the members of the CCC voted to dissolve the organization in 1991. The funds remaining following dissolution were donated to the Sentiers Massawippi Trail.
Matrix is a literary magazine founded in 1975 by members of the English Department at Champlain Regional College – Lennoxville, QC. The magazine publishes literary and artistic submissions, with a focus on showcasing new Canadian talent – especially English writers in the Eastern Townships and Montreal. At its founding, it consisted of an editorial board (staffed by the Champlain English Department) headed by Editor-in-chief Philip Lanthier. In 1988, the team at Champlain College (consisting at that time of Lanthier and his colleagues: Michael Benazon, Marjorie Retzleff, Vivenne Allen, and Rina Kampeas) could not maintain their commitment to the magazine, so the publication was moved to the English Department of John Abbott College in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC. It is presently published through the English Department at Concordia University in Montreal, QC.
While publishing out of Lennoxville, Matrix experienced a great deal of accomplishments: launching the literary careers of writers such as W.P. Kinsella and Joan Fern Shaw, and winning a National Magazine Award for featuring the work of Joyce Marshall, to name a few. During its early years, Matrix was funded entirely by CRC-Lennoxville; when most of the funding from the College was cut, the magazine turned to subscriptions and grant funding through the Canada Council for the Arts. Matrix experienced a financial crisis for the majority of 1982, facing near-extinction, but regained its stability in the following years. It is presently funded by the following bodies: Conseil des arts de la communauté urbaine de Montréal, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Canada Council for the Arts, the English Department and Faculty of Arts at Concordia, and the federal government through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF). It was previously published semiannually and is now published three times per year.
James Henry Smith is born on 14 November 1865 in Sutton. He is the son of Benjamin and Sarah Galusha Smith. He married Florence Maud Flannery on 10 August 1898 in Sutton. Throughout his professional life, he had been a tinsmith, a machinery merchant (carriages, sleighs, harnesses, farming implements, wagons, cream separators), and a maple sugar dealer in Sutton. He had also been involved in municipal politics as a member of the municipal Council of the village of Sutton. He died 15 May 1926 at 60 years of age.
Delbert Russell Holsapple was born the 7 May 1868 in the Beford area to David Edwin Holsapple and Elizabeth Russell. He married Sarah Lizzie Adams (a.k.a. Lizzie) Guthrie in Beford on the 10 November 1891. Together the couple had one child: Beatrice Elfrida/Alfreda (b. 1898). Delbert spent most of his life as a farmer in the area of Saint Armand West, near Morse’s Line, Vermont. He died in August 1961.
The Sherbrooke and District University Women’s Scholarship Foundation was founded in 1993 by the Sherbrooke & District University Women’s Club for the purpose of granting scholarships, bursaries, and prizes to students and recent graduates based on academic achievements, accomplishments, or financial need. Their principal objective is to support the education of women in the community and to encourage the continuation of their studies. The Foundation raises funds for the scholarship programs through fundraising and donations. In 2008, as part of a broader effort to gain more publicity and generate more interest for the Foundation, the Scholarship Foundation chose to change its name and logo to something shorter and easier for the community to remember and recognize. In 2009, the Advisory Committee selected the Lampe Foundation for the new name and the Scholarship Foundation was officially changed to the Lampe Foundation in 2010.
The Business and Professional Women’s Club of Sherbrooke was founded in July 1934 by a group of fifteen women. Jean Kinkead was elected as their first president. The Club was organized with members, all of whom had to be gainfully employed women, and an elected president. In 1935, the Sherbrooke club became a chapter of the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. In 1937, the Sherbrooke club was instrumental in the establishment of the Border Business and Professional Women’s Club in Rock Island.
Initially the Club focused on bringing professional women together and on highlighting women active in the professional or political spheres through hosting special speakers, among which included Nellie McClung in 1939. During the war, the Club’s activities largely focused on war work. In 1945, the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Sherbrooke established a public speaking contest for girls from Sherbrooke and Lennoxville High Schools.
Later on, the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Sherbrooke’s primary aim was to provide friendship and fellowship for working women. It is likely that the Club disbanded in the late 1960s.
The Wilkinson Brothers Studio opened in the spring of 1892. John Wilkinson (b. March 9, 1862 in Scotland, d. 1946) and his brother, Alfred Wilkinson (b. December 14, 1867 in Belgium) bought the studio of H.H. Weeden in Cookshire and reopened it under its new name. John had visited Canada and the United States from 1884 to 1885, and after completing his studies at the London Polytechnic School of Photography, he had returned (in 1891) to settle in Cookshire with his brother Alfred. The Wilkinson Brothers were known to photograph both the upper and lower classes of the region, and also contributed to the illustration of L.S. Channell’s work, “History of Compton County,” published in 1896. John Wilkinson married Millicent Botterill. Alfred Wilkinson married Ethel Bigland and together they had a son, Gerald (b. 1897). Records suggest Alfred left the photographic studio and served as headmaster at Bishop's College School in Lennoxville from 1911 to 1931. John continued to operate the photograph studio without his brother into the 1930s. John died in Cookshire in 1946.
Alfreda Joan Leech, a.k.a. Joan, was born the 25 January 1932 to Henry William Leech and Ellen Lily Symons. Joan was proficient in the piano, receiving certificates and awards, both locally and from the McGill Conservatorium of Music. In particular, she was a recipient of the Schubert Club Scholarship in 1946. She married Edward D. Mills on 21 July 1956 in Sherbrooke. Together they had two children: Ken and Debbie. Joan passed away on 1 October 2018 and was buried at the Elmwood Cemetery in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Helen Marilla Sweeney, daughter of John Sweeney and Sarah Hovey-Chamberlain, was born 5 November 1850 in Hatley, Quebec. She married Richard Emery (1842-1911) on 12 October 1870 and together they had three children: Emily Pauline (b. 1873), Frank (d. in infancy), and Sadie M. (1877-1961). In adulthood, Helen and her husband converted to Christian Science and were members of the Christian Science Church in Boston, Massachusetts. She was also a proponent of temperance and a charter member of the Stanstead County Women's Christian Temperance Union. Helen was active in writing poetry and many were published in the Sherbrooke Daily Record. She was also integral in the establishment of the Hatley Library; a room in her house served as the location for the library collection and she was active in seeking the incorporation of the library in 1923. Helen passed away on 3 December 1926 and is buried in the Saint James Cemetery in Hatley.