Individual 703: Albert Catt

Individual Record 703

Name} Catt, Albert (Bert)

Family History} Hancock

Title}

Ethnic Origin} English/White

Sex} Male

Birth: Date} Fam 1 Apr 1865*

Place} Forest**, Bosanquet, Lambton, Ontario

Marr.: Date} Exa 12 Sep 1894

Place} Winnipeg, , Manitoba (Link)

Death: Date} Fam 4 Aug 1954

Place} Winnipeg, , Manitoba

Burial: Date} Cir 6 Aug 1954

Place} Bethel Cem., Treherne, R.M. of South Norfolk, Manitoba

Grave Marker}

Source 1}	121 = 1871 CAN cen
Source 2}	98 = 1881 CAN cen
Source 3}	995 = 1901 CAN cen
Source 4}	1018=Photographs
Source 5}	998 = 1906 CAN cen
Source 6}	999 = 1911 CAN cen
Source 7}	996 = Geog history
Source 8}	962 = Family history
Source 9}	965 = Family history
Source 10}	979 = Family history
Source 11}	1103=Family history

Parents: } Stephen Catt (#3) & Mary Ainscough
Relationship No.} 212

1st Household No.}

Occupation 1} Farmer
Occupation 2}

Religion/Church} Methodist

Spouses: First} McDonnell, Sarah Jane
Total Number of} 1?

Notes: *The year of Albert's birth is in conflict on various source documents: his age reported on his Marriage Registration gives a calculated birth year of 1871, the Canadian 1901 Census reports his birth year to be 1860, and his age reported on the the Manitoba 1906 Census gives a calculated birth year of 1866. After analyzing his parents' marriage date and his siblings' birth dates, I conclude that Albert's actual birth year was 1865.

**Albert's birth place is also in conflict: some family histories report that he was born is Forest, while Source 1103 says he was born in Jura. However, both Forest and Jura are in Bosanquet Township.

When Albert was 18, in about 1883, he left his Ontario home and went to Manitou, Manitoba.

In 1897, Albert, along with his brother Harold Catt and with William Grogan, filed on land on the north side of the Assiniboine River. They built houses on their homesteads and thus became some of the first settlers in the Ladysmith District of Manitoba's Rural Municipality (R.M.) of South Norfolk. The Catt brothers' farm was at 18-9-10 and they had to ford the river at a spot known as the Old Ford to go south to Treherne or for their mail.

By early 1900, a few more settlers arrived. They were able to build a school in 1901 which they named Ladysmith. A year later they built a ferry. Every fall for several years the school district had an oyster supper. The photograph at the right shows Albert circa 1902.

The first grain was threshed by a small hand fed separator driven by horse power. A portable steam threshing outfit came to the district by 1905.

In July 1906, Albert's farm included 10 horses, 9 milche cows, 30 other cattle, 8 sheep and lambs, and five hogs and pigs. His post office address was Lavenham, Manitoba. His step-son Shirley and his brother Newton were living with him.

Albert bought an old Chalmers car in Winnipeg in 1914. He also bought a Titan tractor and Robert Pullman bought a separator. They threshed together until 1920. Albert also had the first truck: a 1918 Ford Model T.

Albert was one of the first councillors in the R.M. of Victoria (immediately west of the R.M. of South Norfolk) and was one of the first trustees of the Ladysmith School.

Albert ran the Ladysmith ferry after he retired from farming. He then lived on his farm in section 18-9-10. Albert sold his farm to his brother Norman Catt in 1928. Thereafter Albert lived with his son in Portage and then he went to Winnipeg where he spent the last of his days. Albert passed away in 1954 at the age of 94 years.

Time of Birth}

Time of Death}

Fraternal/Social}

Baptism Date}

Place}

See the photographs (two)
on pages 50 and 127
of the book
Tiger Hills to the Assiniboine
(Source 996)

Confirm. Date}

Photos} Also see ===>

Immigr'n Date} N/A

Port} N/A

Education: Grade} or Top 2 Degrees}

Military: Service} for the State of}

Health Condition}
Cause of Death}

Last Updated
by} Dan Hancock

Date Updated} 19 Dec 2008
Date Created} 4 Jan 2007

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