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Muddling ThroughThe Remarkable Story of the Barr Colonists (1992) |
When two thousand British bank clerks, butchers, housewives, saleswomen, remittance men and ex-Boer War soldiers followed the charismatic but inept Anglican minister, Isaac Barr, to the Canadian prairies in 1903 their rallying cry was “Canada for the British”. Despite the Canadian government’s expectations and Barr’s assurances, however, very few of the colonists knew anything about farming. As the granddaughter of Barr colonists, Lynne grew up on stories of what it was like to be young and green in the huge, raw Canadian west. |
Two bachelors survey the buffalo bones they have collected to sell. Their sod house is unusual because it has a glass window. Prov. Archives of Alberta |
A log and mud house is better than one made from sods, but not by much. Prov. |
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Ivan Crossley (front row left) shorlty after he married Bessie Holtby (front row, 3rd adult from left) and various family and friends. |
Ivan and Bessie Crossley and their children, Muriel and Desmond c.1912 Author's Collection |
Kate and Robert Holtby before they left England. Robert holds Bessie, Lynne's grandmother. Author's Collection |
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Muddling Through can be found at:
Avaliable as an E-Book at Amazon or Greystone Books
Second-hand copies can be purchased through AbeBooks.or Amazon.ca