Greenwood History

Ready for some Greenwood history? Over the course of this "history lesson", you will learn a bit about the five generations of people who lived in Greenwood.

Here's an abridged, 30-second version of the Greenwood story to pique your curiosity...

Jean-Baptiste Sabourin first settled the Greenwood property in 1732. The original Sabourin homestead still stands and forms part of the house. The property remained in Sabourin hands until 1820. At that time, John Mark Crank Delesderniers purchased it. He intended it to be both a residence for his son, Peter Francis Christian, and a general store and trading post. In the 1840's, it served as the first post office in the area. Greenwood was extended eastward on two occasions, in the 1820's and again after1860.

Greenwood remained in the Delesderniers family until Phoebe Nobbs Hyde passed away in 1994. Some notable family ancestors include R.W. Shepherd, the co-founder of the Ottawa River Navigation Company, Dr. Francis Shepherd, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University for many years, and Percy Nobbs, one of Canada's foremost architects. A number of Delesderniers-Shepherd descendents still live in the Hudson area and continue to be involved with Greenwood.

The Sabourin Family Homestead

Greenwood's story starts during the French Regime, around 1732. Pierre de RigaudMarquis de Vaudreuil, the second seigneur of the Vaudreuil seigneury, granted lot 16 to Jean-Baptiste Sabourin, a censitaire (or habitant) from Pointe Claire. This land was approximately two fields wide and it extended from the shoreline of Lake of Two Mountains to what is today Route 342 (Harwood).

In return for his land, and protection by the seigneur, Jean-Baptiste Sabourin, as a censitaire, owed the seigneur a substantial fee. Jean-Baptiste had to provide a corvee (three or four days a year of unpaid work, such as land clearing, building, or helping with the harvest), plus annual rent. On top of those dues, he had to share a certain portion of both wood from his land, and fish caught off his shoreline.

Jean-Baptiste's ledger was not clear yet, however. His seigneur was also entitled to a "milling right." This meant that 1/14th of the grain Jean-Baptiste milled at the seigneur's Vaudreuil mill would remain there.

With the above obligations probably weighing on their minds, Jean-Baptiste and his wife, Sarah Hanson, would have cleared some land and set up their homestead. As their farm progressed, they would have kept a few animals for food and clothing purposes. Their principal crops would have been corn, wheat, barley, buckwheat and oats.

Before we move on to details about the family home, there are some interesting side notes to slip into the story at this point...

Jean-Baptiste juggled two other demanding occupations during his lifetime. He was Captain of the Militia, second in command after the seigneur, for the Vaudreuil seigneury. Jean-Baptiste was also a trader. Over the winter months, as a coureur-de-bois, he would have secured several different types of animal pelts. The beaver pelt was especially lucrative as it was very popular with the Europeans during that period.

The Ottawa River, once known as "La riviere des Algonquins" and the major thoroughfare for the canoes of Nipissings, Algonquins, Hurons and Mohawks, became the trade route for the fur trade. In fact, not far from Jean-Baptiste's lot, further up the river near Carillon, the French explorer Samuel de Champlain would have spent the night on shore. He was searching not only for beaver pelts but also an access route to China!

Hudson is fortunate to have a reminder of an old tradition started by another one of Canada's most well-know explorers, Jacques Cartier. When Cartier sailed to Canada, he planted five crosses, in the name of the King of France, between Gaspe (1534) and Trois-Rivieres (1536). French Canadian lumberjacks similarly put up crosses along their routes. For them, the crosses served a religious purpose, along with marking possession of a territory.

The wayside cross, located opposite of Greenwood, is a replicate of the original from the 1870's (which is now part of the Centre's collection). It used to be located further east, near the current Willow Place Inn. Watch for it the next time, you drive past Greenwood on your way to or from Hudson's commercial centre.

Okay, now let's go back to where we left off... the Sabourin homestead.

Jean-Baptiste and Sarah built a simple frame building. The main floor had a large fireplace as its focal point. This hearth would have been the center of activity for the household, from heating to cooking to washing. A steep stairway led to the sleeping quarters, with an attic above it. This was home for a family of eight: two parents, five boys and three girls.

By the time all the children were married, the Sabourins were considered "people of consequence." Jean-Baptiste's position as Captain added to their status in the community. The Sabourins and their descendants would live in Greenwood for almost a century.

The Fireplace Kitchen

In the last section, we learned a bit about Jean-Baptiste Sabourin and his wife, Sarah Hanson. Together they cleared "Lot 16" and built a homestead for their family of six. Their modest frame building is the oldest remaining structure from the former Vaudreuil seigniory and the original section of Greenwood. It is also the focus of this part of the story. So step inside. We'll go directly to the room known as the "Fireplace Kitchen."

In Jean-Baptiste's time, this would have been the main room of his home. The wide pine flooring, the slate hearth slabs, the rough ceiling beams and the impressive stone foundation are all the originals.

Through the doorway to the basement, you can see the thickness of the uneven floorboards. (The basement also shows the original post and beam construction style.) A steep narrow staircase leads up to the second story, which was probably used as sleeping quarters. Windows on the north side face Lake of Two Mountains, while the south ones face what is now Main Road of Hudson.

Close your eyes and picture a family of eight going about their daily business in this relatively small space. Are you thinking "organized chaos"?

A large stone fireplace is the focal point of the room. The iron arms now sit idle but at one point, they would have supported a range of utensils. The hearth would have been a bustling household centre. Activities would have ranged from the preparation and cooking of meals, to the washing and drying of clothes, to the family's sole source of heat. On frigid winter evenings, I imagine that the Sabourins must have sat as close as possible to the hearth.

A cast iron heating stove was inserted into the fireplace by Phoebe at one point. This stove, c. 1810-25, was probably made at Forgerie St. Maurice. It originally heated another part of Greenwood and dates back to the time of the Delesderniers family (c. 1850).

Near the front of the fireplace is a rocking chair. Phoebe, a professional actress, would sit in this chair when she was performing her Sarah Hanson monologue. How easy it must have been for her to slip into this role. After all, this was Sarah's fireplace, where she spent much of her waking hours!

Standing in the centre of this room, you are struck by the variety of artifacts surrounding you. Unlike many other historic homes, Greenwood does not organize its rooms by dates. Greenwood reflects its many transformations over five generations... a homestead, a trading post/general store, a post office, a summer home, a year-round residence and now a "family museum."

As your eyes wander around the room, so many beautiful articles make you pause... the pine wall-mounted cupboard, the armless red rocking chair of Amelia Delesderniers (nee Rice), the pine armoire, the butter paddles, the iron cauldron, the flat irons, the blue and white Wedgewood tureen, the bear paw snowshoes, the arrowhead sash, the water colour paintings of Greenwood, the sleigh bells, the nautical copper lantern, the gold-upholstered regency sofa with horse-hair stuffing and the list goes on! No wonder the Fireplace Kitchen is a favorite spot for so many visitors!

During the summer months, Greenwood hosts house tours that include tea and goodies on the screened-in porch. The Fireplace Kitchen always ignites some interesting discussions about the who/what/why/where of its different artifacts. During December, this room takes its natural warmth and beauty to a higher level during Greenwood's annual "Old Fashion Christmas" event. Put a spectacular Christmas tree, lovely decorations, hot mulled cider, music, reading performances, and friendly people altogether in the Fireplace Kitchen and you have something magical!

At this point, we will move our time machine to 1821. John Mark Crank Delesderniers acquired the property from the Sabourins. He sold it to his son, Peter Francis Christian, to house the family trading post. Next we will find out the reason why Peter's wife, Amelia Rice, named the house "Greenwood Cottage" when they moved in 1824.

The Delesderniers

It's time to introduce John Mark Crank Delesderniers. Mark, a man of Swiss Huguenot descent, was born near what is currently Windsor, Nova Scotia. Proficient in English, French and several Aboriginal languages, he worked throughout the years as a trader, surveyor, mill owner, "Agent of the Crown" to the Iroquois and Algonquins, customs official and sheriff.

Then in 1795, he and his family moved to the area of what is now known as Saint Anne-de-Bellevue. There he opened a trading post and served as the crown agent in charge of the Two Mountains Mission (Oka).

Within a few years, Mark sold his house in Ste Annes and moved to Cavagnal (later called Como, now Hudson) where he acquired Lot #15 from the Seigneur of Vaudreuil. Here he and his father-in-law built a house they named Swiss Cottage which was completed in 1805, this location being more convenient for his trade with the Indians at Oka than at Ste Annes. He soon built the first store in the area on land just to the west of Swiss cottage.

In 1821, he bought the Sabourin lot, added to the farmhouse and opened a general store. Mark now owned a very large tract of land. Each lot was four fields wide and 11/2 miles deep.

A few years later in 1824, his son, Peter Francis Christian (Frank, as he was called) Delesderniers and his 16 year-old bride, Amelia Rice, moved in and took over the business. Their only child, Mary Cecilia, was born there in 1826.

Life was prosperous for the family. There was another expansion to the home/store in 1840 to accommodate the first post office in the area. Frank, of course, was its first Postmaster.

Amelia also has a special spot in Phoebe Nobbs Hyde's ancestral history. She was the one who gave Greenwood its name. Her inspiration was the "greenwood tree", a large elm tree on the property. In a poem, Amelia and Frank expressed their wish to be buried under this tree.

The mausoleum, across the road from Greenwood, stands guard over their graves.

There is a little-known story connected to this elm tree. It had a chain around it until, at the age of at least 150 years, it succumbed to disease in the 1960s. Legend says that as John Mark Crank Delesderniers was dying, a dispute arose amongst his children about how to best save his soul. (Some of them were Roman Catholic and others were Protestant.)

Mark spoke up and told them that he would be "saved" as long as the tree was healthy. On the night of his death, there was a storm during which the tree almost split into two pieces. His children reconciled their differences and tried to save the tree (and their father's soul!) by wrapping it together with a chain. The next time, you drive past the mausoleum on Main Road, imagine a stately elm tree nearby and the heavy responsibility it bore for so many years!

Peter Francis Christian Delesderniers died in 1854. His wife lived six more years without him. Both, however, were alive when their daughter, Mary Cecilia, married Captain Robert Ward Shepherd in 1847.

In the next part of the story, we will discover more details about the lives of Mary Cecilia and Robert. He was a pioneer in the development of steam navigation on the Ottawa River. You will also find out why the area along the Main Road, from St. Mary's Church down past the Royal Oak Tennis Club, was sometimes called "Shepherd Village".

The Shepherds

Frank and Amelia had one daughter, Mary Cecilia. She was born in 1826. In its extensive collection, Greenwood has two of her childhood dresses and some of her toys, including building blocks and dominos. It's fun to look at these artifacts and picture in your mind Mary Cecilia as a child. Can you see her skipping along in the garden or playing quietly by the big fireplace in the kitchen?

It's a bit more difficult to picture Greenwood's current Victorian dining room as a general store. The mahogany sideboard, the Empire sofa, the petit-point fire-screens, and the many other interesting objects in the room provide no evidence of past commerce. However, on the second level, just above the dining room, there is the outline of a trap door on the floor. It's much easier to imagine this area as a storage room, full of store supplies.

1847 marks the next chapter of Greenwood's history. Mary Cecilia Delesderniers married Captain Robert Ward Shepherd that year.

Robert was the largely self-educated son of John Shepherd and Esther Ward, who had emigrated from Norfolk, England. Mary Cecilia and Robert had ten children. This family was also involved with business... but of a different kind!

R.W. was known as both a leader in the community and a pioneer in the development of steam navigation on the Ottawa River. After serving as a volunteer in the 1837 Rebellion, he made his living in the shipping business. He identified the channel through the Vaudreuil rapids and was subsequently given the command of the "Oldfield" steamer. R.W. moved up the ranks in 1857 with his appointment as the second president of the Ottawa Navigation Company.

R.W.'s entrepreneurial focus, however, was not only on the water. In 1849, Captain Shepherd built "Riversmead," just down the road and east of Greenwood. (Watch for this beautiful house the next time you are driving down Main Road towards the Willow.) When the family moved to their new home, Greenwood became a summer residence. The eldest son, R.W. Shepherd II, and his wife, Margaret Anne Robertson shared Greenwood with R.W.'s sister, Mary Roberta (May) Shepherd, who had married George Ross Robertson. The house was divided into two parts, one for each family, with a kitchen extension added at each end.

From an archived note written by R.W. Shepherd III, we get a sense of the summer exit from the city...

"One of the highlights of our younger days was the exciting experience each spring when our family moved from Montreal to Como for the summer. My brother, sisters and I were driven to the Company dock on the Lachine Canal by the same old cabby each year. There we boarded the "Sovereign" while she was taking on fuel and supplies. We children slept on board, going up the canal between eight and ten o'clock at night to the Lachine Wharf, where the steamer lay over until morning, proceeding to Como the following day. The sights along the Canal intrigued us, watching flames pouring out of the iron chimneys of the rolling mills, meeting other craft, steamboats, tugs and barges and to smell the steam and oakum on the main deck. All this added to the thrill of the trip."

When Mary Cecilia Shepherd passed away in 1901, R.W. Shepherd II inherited Riversmead, and Greenwood was bequeathed to his youngest brother, Delesderniers (Del) Shepherd. In the next section, we will learn how Del and his wife, Vicky McCallum, put Greenwood on the "social" map due to their lavish and frequent parties.

Shepherd to Nobbs

In 1849, Captain R.W. Shepherd and his wife, Mary Cecilia Delesderniers built Riversmead, and a decade later, Rose Cottage. Greenwood became a summer residence at that point. What a wonderful spot on the shores of Lake of Two Mountains to escape the heat and noise of Montreal!

Upon the death of his mother, Mary Cecilia, in 1901, R.W. Shepherd II inherited Riversmead. Before we look at the fate of Greenwood in her will, here's a quick anecdote about Riversmead...

Like his father, R.W. II wanted to make his land pay for itself so he operated "Greenwood Nurseries and Orchards" on the Riversmead property. R.W. grew, packaged, and shipped apples to friends and royalty in the "old country." Popular apples included "Fameuse," "Wealthy," "McIntosh," and "Winter St. Lawrence."

Apples were considered a precious commodity so R.W. Shepherd II had them packaged individually, like eggs. His apples graced the royal tables at Sandringham and Windsor castles, and during that time were tasted by such royalty as the Duke of York, the Prince of Wales, and Lord Srathcona.

Now, let's go back to the Mary Cecilia's will. Greenwood was bequeathed to Delesderniers (Del) Shepherd, the youngest brother of R.W. Shepherd II. The period of time during which he and his wife, Vicky McCallum, occupied the house is often called Greenwood's socialite period. The couple loved to entertain and hold lavish parties.

Because they wanted their guests to see Greenwood as "une grande maison," Del and Vicky initiated many renovations. They remodeled the ground floor of the east end of Greenwood, including the entrance hall, the gable bedroom/porch extension, and the east living room. Cedar strip flooring and a new central staircase were added as well.

The highly respected architect, David Jerome Spence, designed the staircase. Visually, it is a work of art and it adds greatly to the welcoming charm of the entrance hall. See for yourself when you come to visit Greenwood in the summer!

Unfortunately, the marriage of Del and Vicky ended in a divorce in Reno. Del, though, stayed connected to Greenwood until his death in 1924.

In the meantime, Greenwood's ownership took an interesting twist. Dr. Francis John Shepherd, a former Dean of the Medical Faculty at McGill University, had originally purchased "Rose Cottage" as a gift for his daughter, Cecilia Shepherd. He ended up exchanging it for Greenwood.

Cecilia married Percy Erskine Nobbs, a young architect from Edinburgh, Scotland. Percy immigrated to Montreal when he was offered the Macdonald Chair of Architecture at McGill University. They had two children, Phoebe and Francis. The family lived in a house designed by Percy on Belevedere Road in Westmount.

Percy Nobbs is well known for his work as an architect. The McCord Museum, for example, is one of his designs. What is less known is that Percy was an avid fly fisherman, the founder of the Atlantic Salmon Foundation, a skilled fencer (he won the silver medal at the 1908 Olympics, a canoeist, and a hunter. Percy even designed the bridesmaids' dresses for his wedding!

Percy also played a key role in bring the Arts and Crafts movement to Canada. As a follower of this movement, Percy hated the ugly products of industrialism. He believed that new buildings should look as though they had always been there. According to the Arts and Crafts school of thought, everything must be both functional and beautiful. New buildings should never clash with their surroundings; consequently, natural materials such as wood, wrought iron, and stone were preferred.

Cecil and Percy acquired Greenwood in 1924. They decided against tearing down the old house. Instead, they turned it into a comfortable summer home. During renovations, the Nobbs family camped out and used the stone patio area as a summer kitchen. Phoebe, their daughter, used to say that her happiest days as a cook were during those summers when she cooked outside at Greenwood.

Phoebe Nobbs Hyde

First of all, let's take a look at how Phoebe Hyde became the last member of the Delesderniers-Shepherd family to own and live in Greenwood.

She was the great-granddaughter of Robert Ward Shepherd and his wife, Mary Cecilia Delesderniers. Mary Cecilia was born in Greenwood in 1826.

Her great-great-great grand parents and great-great-grandparents had settled in Cavagnal (as it was called at the time), in 1805 on a lot just to the east of present day Greenwood. In 1821, the Delesderniers purchased the Greenwood land just to the west of theirs, including a small house, from the Sabourin family who had settled there in the 1730's.

Mary Cecilia's parents, P.F.C. Delesderniers and his wife Amelia Rice were married in 1824 and were the first of the family to live in Greenwood. Frank, as P.F.C. was called, with his father, added to the existing house to the east and from there ran their general store and trading post. This is Greenwood's present-day dining room.

Thus, Phoebe was the 7th generation of the family to live in Como, the 6th generation to own the property, and the 5th generation to live in Greenwood.

Phoebe was born in Montreal in 1910. She and her younger brother, Frank, grew up in Westmount, spending the summers in Como with their grandfather, Dr. Frank Shepherd. These were happy times - "fishing with Grandfather as well as helping him in his garden, boating, and swimming in the Ottawa River."

It was safe to swim in the river in those days. The roads were not paved, but the summer dust was kept under control as Dr. Shepherd made sure that oil was spread in front of all the family houses.

From the age of 10 to 14, Phoebe's summers were spent in Nova Scotia, where her father had bought property. However, she missed Como. Happily, summers in Como resumed for Phoebe in 1924.

How did Pheobe acquire Greenwood?

In 1901, when Mary Cecilia Shepherd died, Greenwood was left to her youngest son, Del. As you have already read, Del had done major renovations and additions to the old house. These included the east living room, the entrance hall, the gable bedroom/porch extension and the new central stairway, all of which added greatly to the charm of the entrance hall and the house itself.

Before Del died in 1924, he sold Greenwood to his sister, May Robertson. She exchanged Greenwood with Dr. Frank Shepherd for Rose Cottage, a house that she had always coveted.

Dr. Shepherd gave Greenwood to his daughter Cecil, Phoebe's mother. With the help of her husband Percy, together they turned it into a comfortable summer home. During the renovations, the family camped out and used the stone patio area as a summer kitchen, an experience that Phoebe loved.

Even at the ripe old age of 14 years, Phoebe felt it her responsibility to keep the house for a family museum. Many of the old artifacts and family treasures are displayed today. Visitors to Greenwood appreciate their beauty and the stories they tell.

After Phoebe finished school, she was sent to finishing school in London, England. It was here that her talent for drama was recognized and encouraged. Phoebe was 18 years old and the year was 1928. She had already met a handsome Cunard Line officer, Andrew MacKellar, on her first trip to England and she was in love! By now, though, she had started her studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and her father insisted that Phoebe finish her course before marrying.

She and Andrew were finally married when she was 24 years old.

Being married to a ship's officer led to a different kind of life. They had an apartment in London, but Phoebe still spent her summers at Como. In summer, Phoebe only saw her husband when his ship came into Montreal (4-5 days a month).

It was during these Como summers, that she started to get together with friends and relations to do Shakespeare plays in the Greenwood garden. Her great-aunt May Robertson was also an enthusiast in this project and she loved acting. For seven summers, well into the second world war, they held a "Shakespeare festival", acted by young people and adults of the community. It was wonderful opportunity for all, as Phoebe coached them in elocution classes and in the delights of acting in Shakespearian and other plays.

Marjorie McMurtry Moore shares her reflections as a teenager at the time:

"When Phoebe was older, and had had lessons in England at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, she began to produce Shakespeare plays on the Greenwood lawn each summer.

She offered private elocution lessons, and I was a rather unwilling student of hers with my friend Hilda (Shaw) Shipley. Phoebe tried to teach us to breathe low in our diaphragms to give our voices more power and range. She positioned us on the front verandah at Riversmead, handed us a text and said, 'now throw your voice as far as the road.' It was all very serious and seemed ridiculous to me. I feared that our strange efforts might be heard by anyone walking down the road to Como village for their mail. Hilda was less half-hearted. She was wise to see the benefits of Phoebe's instruction.

Phoebe drew any interested person into her plays and recruited others! Aunt May Robertson was often included. Aunt May shone as Juliet's nurse, and was the main character in a play about a little girl whom she coached to spell a difficult word - Mississippi - in the big test. Whoever saw this play will never forget it. Phoebe was very patient with our amateur attempts at acting. I think she opened for us an appreciation of Shakespeare, which has remained all our lives."

After the war, Phoebe returned to England and resumed a "normal" life with Andrew. There she started lecturing on Canadian and Indian folklore to women's groups and schools, etc. as well as studying at the British Museum. Every summer, she came back to Canada and often traveled west to collect material for her aboriginal folklore (these stories were much appreciated in Great Britain) and to squeeze in some "One Woman" shows at the same time. This was the start of Phoebe's monologues.

Around this time, Phoebe's mother sold Greenwood to her. In 1959, Andrew MacKellar died. A memorial service was held in St. Mary's Church in Como. There remains a plaque to his memory inside the church.

They had an unusual life, but Phoebe said that she would not have changed it for an 'ordinary' married life. Her only regret was that they did not have children. The following year, Phoebe married Reid Hyde, her adopted uncle. He was 82 years old and she was 50.

The Hydes spent the winters traveling and the summers at Greenwood, which was still not winterized home. At this time they began to turn Greenwood into a year-round home, introducing electric baseboard heating to part of the residence and adding where they could.

In1963, the Hydes made Greenwood their permanent home. Reid Hyde died three years latter.

During the next 30 years, Phoebe was a permanent resident of Hudson and became very involved in the community. She was President of the Hudson Historical Society and President of the Garden Club.

She started the annual flower and vegetable show; she helped publish historical books as well as working for St. Mary's Church. She enjoyed being busy but she also enjoyed the relaxation of swimming in her own pool in her back garden.

In her will, Phoebe left Greenwood to "The Canadian Heritage of Quebec", a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of lands and buildings of beauty or historic interest in Quebec. She directed that it be preserved and shared with the community from time to time. Greenwood is her legacy to Hudson and the surrounding area. The dream of a 14 year old girl had come true!

She also left another legacy in the written transcripts and tapes of her monologues. Over the years, she had portrayed many Canadian heroines: Madeleine de Vercheres, Jeanne Mance, Marguerite Bourgeoys as well as a number of United Empire monologues and others.

Phoebe's most famous monologue is that of Sarah Hanson. Sarah was the wife of the first owner of Greenwood, Jean Baptiste Sabourin. According to Phoebe's monologue, Sarah had been captured by the native Indians when she was16 years old and brought to Oka. Jean Baptiste paid her ransom in order to marry her.

Phoebe Erskine Nobbs MacKellar Hyde was indeed a remarkable woman.

Conclusion

That's it for this quick history lesson! For more details about the Greenwood Centre, Greenwood history and Phoebe, join the tour at the Virtual Museum of Canada.