The House of RefugeThe House of Refuge closed in 1969. Those living there were moved to its modern replacement, Woodingford Lodge which officially opened on Oct. 25 of that year.
When Woodstock was but a town, the Oxford Jail offered a better-than-no-place for Oxford County residents to stay who were too disadvantaged in one way or another to own or to rent their own shelter. Concerned that jail was not the best place for the needy, several Anglican ministers (including Rev. Mr. Farthing of New St. Paul's Anglican Church) presented a petition from about 450 local citizens to Oxford Council in June, 1889, for a House of Refuge that would care for such people. Council agreed and hired Messrs. Cuthbertson and Fowler as architects with instructions to design a Home for about 100 inmates costing $15,000 or less, exclusive of furnishings. The Council bought a 100 acre farm just west of Woodstock for the site, and a Mr. Thomas McClay built it. The final cost of the farm, new construction, all furnishings, new farm equipment, drainage, fencing and so on, was over $28,000. James Leek was the first person admitted, on March 10, 1893. By year's end, there were 15 male and 7 female residents at the House of Refuge and each cost $6.05 per week to keep. It is interesting to note that costs were managed very well. On Dec. 31, 1966, the 22 males and 8 females then in residence still only cost $5.11 per week. While the number of residents varied constantly, the highest number was 125 in 1916; the lowest was 27, in 1965. A thoughtful touch was the fencing off in 1895 of a quarter acre for a cemetery, at the centre of the western edge of the property. The youngest person buried there was a still-born baby; the oldest was a lady reported to be around 103 when she died. Over 60 years, about 200 residents were buried there. At the start, a married man and woman were hired to act as a live-in Manager (later 'Superintendent') and Matron respectively. The Manager's job was to 'examine all persons received, suitably locate as to age, sex and character; treat with ... kindness all children, ... sick and infirm'. He also had to check that all lights were out at 9 p.m. in summer, 8:30 p.m. in winter; 'to see that all provisions is good and properly cooked and that no waste is permitted;. . . to inflict suitable punishment for disobedience ... not more than 24 hours confinement to be inflicted ...'. Matron was to assign suitable work to all inmates; to see that the inmates clothes and bedding was kept repaired; 'and to prohibit all waste'. All able-bodied inmates had to get up at 6 a.m. from April to September; at 8 a.m. at other times; present themselves at their assigned places at table for all meals; hands and face were to be clean and hair combed. No drunkenness, disobedience, immorality, profane language, theft, waste, etc. were allowed. The Sabbath Day was to be strictly observed. The Manager and Matron managed servants and other local staff, and reported to a Management Committee who met monthly. At one of their meetings, in 1894, 'the Committee considered the matter of entertainment at the House of refuge and instructed the Manager to dispense with such as it was a County expense'. Bearing in mind the alternative, the average citizen was certainly encouraged to have his or her own place. Sources: - Woodstock Museum, 'County of Oxford Historical Item # 5' - Doug M. Symons, 'The Village That Straddled A Swamp' HOUSE OF REFUGE CEMETERY There are no stones in the House of Refuge Cemetery, only a large Cross which the County has erected with the names of people buried there. Many of the residents were claimed by family and buried at other cemeteries in the County. This cemetery is located on the west side of Fanshawe Road #515137 (County Road # 30) north of Dundas (Highway 2) at the west end of Woodstock Lot 3 Concession 10. Further information available at the Oxford County Genealogy Society, Woodstock. This cemetery was made possible by Helen Brenneman. Map of directions to this Cemetery. This cemetery was last updated January 12, 2002. Click HERE to go back to the Oxford County Cemeteries HomePage. ERECTED IN MEMORY OF THE RESIDENTS OF OXFORD COUNTY HOME 1895 - 1956 *(year of death after each name) James CHANDLER 1895 Donald ROSS 1896 Jessie ING 1896 Daniel FOWLER 1896 Jane HEAD 1896 Thomas HOLMES 1896 Donald STEWART 1896 Peter HENRY 1896 James SLOAN 1896 James MCLAUGHLIN 1897 M. C. DALY 1897 Ezekiel THORN 1897 Reuben SAUNDERS 1897 Charles DAVIDSON 1898 (baby) WOOD 1898 William TYLER 1899 William THURLEY 1899 William OLLIS 1899 Thomas SHRUBSOLE 1899 Frederick HOFFMAN 1899 James TIZZARD 1899 William JOHNSON 1900 Jane CLEMONADE 1900 Elizabeth SMITH 1900 James KINCHOW 1900 William LAKEMAN 1901 John BELL 1901 Jame LEEK 1901 Thomas SCHOFIELD 1901 Joseph DIAMOND 1902 William DAVIS 1902 James HANDLEY 1903 Robert ROSS 1903 Isaac ROWE 1903 Agnes MATCHELL 1904 Ann WILLIAMS 1904 Ellen PETERS 1904 James FAIRBOTHAM 1904 George ARMSTRONG 1904 Thomas MANN 1904 Caroline REBERG 1904 John B. MCKENNEY 1905 Maria BAKER 1905 Mary HOFFMAN 1905 Thomas MCLEOD 1905 William SUTHERLAND 1905 Albert GAST 1906 Walkin SHAW 1906 Alan HAMILTON 1906 Wilhelmina ROSS 1906 George HUBBARD 1906 Hannah STEWART 1906 William PAYNE 1906 Abram BRADY 1906 Gottrich BINDER 1907 Alexander TAYLOR 1907 Ben BAKER 1907 William GRANT 1907 John W. BENNETT 1907 Job JOHNSTON 1907 John W. BENN Sam GARNETT 1910 Horace HALL 1910 George GARNER 1910 A. HUTTON 1910 Mary BOYCE 1910 George H. TITUS 1910 John HAWTHORNE 1911 Sarah SOUTHWELL 1911 John GRAHAM 1912 Margaret CHARLTON 1913 Rudolf WILHELM 1913 Emily CRAWFORD 1913 Alexander P. FRASER 1913 Walter STRANGE 1913 George BOWERMAN 1913 Joseph SMITH 1913 Elizabeth SCHELL 1914 John MABEE 1914 Delena ROSS 1914 Ward SITZER 1915 Isaac WHITELOCK 1915 James DALY 1915 Neil MIDDLETON 1915 Marilda SOMERS 1915 William SMITH 1916 James HENDERSON 1916 James INNIS 1916 Wallace PEASE 1916 Miss WATLAND 1916 Hiram HEATH 1916 Caroline JOHNSTON 1917 Frank THOMPSON 1917 John MURRAY 1917 Jessie SUTHERLAND 1917 Hannah SIMPSON 1918 Stewart BATES 1918 Artimes PALLISTER 1919 Jehiel MILLARD 1919 Morden WILKINSON 1920 Jerome FULLER 1920 William SMITH 1920 James LANGSTAFF 1920 James STURGEON 1920 William CRADDOCK 1920 Annie MEIKLE 1921 John SMITH 1921 John BOSSENCE 1922 William HUSON 1922 Emmaline SNIVELY 1922 Clarissa FITCHETT 1922 Walter LAST 1923 Donald MCLEOD 1923 Samuel VENT 1924 Albert MARTIN 1925 Nelson PARKES 1931 Katie SWEIZERHOFF 1932 William HUFFMAN 1932 Baby LINTHWAITE 1932 Richard LACOCKE 1933 William SILVERLOCK 1933 Samuel MORRELL 1934 John FITZPATRICK 1935 George RICHARDSON 1935 Lucy BURTCH 1935 Thomas POTTER 1936 George WILSON 1936 John FOSTER 1936 James R. GRAHAM 1936 Joseph J. GRAHAM 1936 William WHITE 1936 Roderick MCKAY 1936 Addison FISHER 1937 Lambert SHERMAN 1938 Frank MARSHBANK 1938 Robert BRUCE 1938 John SULLIVAN 1938 Henry KLEIN 1938 John S. CUTHERBERT 1938 Frank BAXTER 1939 Charles CAMPBELL 1939 Lula SMITH 1940 Edwin MILLMAN 1940 William WATERS 1941 George GOOCH 1941 Karl JOHNSON 1942 Herman RADLOFF 1942 George GAUNT 1943 Wesley EVERETT 1943 Mary PARKS 1943 Elizabeth CRYOR 1944 Charles HARVEY 1945 Sarah J. WOODHOUSE 1945 Frederick E. SMITH 1945 Joseph SIBLEY 1947 Henry BEAM 1948 Oscar DAKIN 1948 Mary Ann STURCH 1948 Joseph SMITH 1949 John WINEGARDENER 1950 Robert GORDON 1950 Alois BRUNEEL 1951 Edward BEARFOOT 1953 James VENABLES 1955 Lewis HOWELL 1956 Walter PEARSON 1956 |
