The Strongs made their home near York Mills for 15 years where Michael earned a living as a farmer and labourer. Michael was a man of some education and he kept a small little notebook or diary in which he made numerous entries over the years. Written in "permanent ink", the book still survives today. We know Michael's birthdate, Dec 27, 1804, Margaret's birthdate, Aug 1815 and their marriage date, 4 June 1835 from this little notebook. In it he wrote, "June 1846, me and my family came to Canada". Click here to view a complete transcript of Michael Strong's notebook
I have never determined exactly what Michael meant by "me and my family", but he could have been referring not only to his immediate family, but also to John and Mary Strong who lived close by. Close enough, in fact, that they were recorded immediately before Michael and Margaret's family in the 1851 Canada Census of York Mills. John was three years younger than Michael and appears to have come to Canada at the same time as Michael, judging by the birthdates and birthplaces of his children.
Michael's oldest daughter, Mary Anne married John McIntyre in 1855 and moved to Oro township in Simcoe County, about 80 miles north of Toronto. Daughter Sarah married Charles Chadwick and by 1861 the oldest son, Joseph was also living in Simcoe County. Michael's whole family was soon in Simcoe County as he wrote, "Oro, January 11th, 1862. We came to John McIntyre's with all we had".
Michael and his family settled on the south half of the east half of the 14th lot of concession 6 in Oro. Again, Michael recorded, "on the 29th I got my deed of Mrs Smith's place". Investigation has revealed that on this date in March, 1862 he signed a lease with Mrs Mary Ann Smith agreeing to pay fifty cents yearly for a period of ten years for his fifty acres of land.
Michael set about building his family a new home in which to live. With the aid of many of his new neighbors, Michael held a "logging bee". He dutifully recorded in his notebook the amounts of lumber and whiskey purchased for this event, and the names of his friends and neighbors who came to his assistance. The family was living in their new home by August.
The youngest daughter, Jane was married to Charles McConnell later that year and they moved to farm near Meaford, Ontario. The last daughter, Eliza married next door neighbor, John Dunsmore in 1868, whose first wife, Kesia Cotton had died. John Dunsmore came with a ready-made family of nine children. He and Eliza had five more of their own.
Michael arranged the purchase of a 200 acre lot in neighboring Medonte township in 1870 from Harrison Colberry. It was lot 13 of concession 13 in Medonte and Michael's three sons were to share it equally. Joseph was married to Jane Kyle in 1870 and and all three sons began to work their new land in Medonte.
Michael Strong passed away February 7th, 1876 at the age of seventy one and was buried at St. George's Fairvalley Anglican cemetery, just a few minutes walk from home.
Son James married Ellen Leader later in 1876 and moved to Meaford, Ontario near his sister, Jane McConnell. In 1889 he would take his family and settle near Windham, Montana.
Robert Michael married Mary Hopkinson in 1884, and my grandfather, William Strong was born in 1885. But Mary died after the birth of her second son, Howard Strong in April 1887. John Dunsmore had died in December of 1886 and Eliza (Strong) Dunsmore and her brother Robert Michael lived together for a time with their young children, William and Howard Strong, Robert and Alma Jane Dunsmore. But Robert was unable to raise his boys and William was unofficially "adopted" by Mrs & Mrs Amos Barnes of Orillia. Howard was raised by his Rankin cousins in Medonte, the daughter of Sarah and Charles Chadwick. Although raised apart, William and Howard remained in touch with each other throughout their lives.
Margaret Strong died June 27th, 1888 near the village of Eady in Medonte township. She too was laid to rest at St. George's Fairvalley, beside her husband, Michael Strong.
Adapted from History and Genealogy of the Strong Family of Medonte Township, Ontario, Canada by William L. Strong, 1989.