By Ashley Harper Collection Highlights is an ongoing series that aims to shed light on some of the interesting items that have been donated to CDHS since its incorporation in 1984.
This suit is made of a thick wool fabric and consists of a vest, jacket, and a pair of pants. It would have typically been worn with a white shirt and collar (they were often separate), along with a tie.
At the time this suit was made, most clothing was still produced by hand, though with the added help of certain textile machines. Standardized items became mass produced and many pieces could be purchased from catalogues and clothing stores. It was no longer necessary for the average person to go to a tailor, but those seeking custom-made garments (such as for special occasions) usually still relied on these skilled workers. The excellent condition of this suit can, in part, be attributed to the quality of work done by S. W. Boyd. Simeon William Boyd was a native of Williamsburg Township, where he was born in 1868 to parents Nathaniel and Christie Ann (Weaver) Boyd. As a youth in the 1880s, he apprenticed under Alexander Cameron, a merchant tailor in West Winchester (now Winchester). Eventually, Simeon branched out on his own, and by 1891 he was working in Buckingham, Quebec. At the end of the year, he married Anastasia O'Neil and within a short time the couple moved to Chesterville. From 1892 to 1898, he operated a tailoring business on the northwest corner of Mill and Victoria Streets (now 2 Mill), opposite the McCloskey Hotel. At the beginning of 1899, he moved his shop to the Kearns Block on Main Street, which burned in Sep 1991 and is now the parking lot between PharmaChoice and Scotiabank. S. W. Boyd’s business moved to Winchester on 3 August 1903 and remained there until at least late 1915. The exact location of his shop has not been found, but it is known that the family lived on St. Lawrence Street. Simeon's former master, Alex Cameron, was still in business on Main Street during this time. By 1919, the couple and their four children had moved to Ottawa, where Simeon worked as an insurance agent until his death in 1933 at the age of 64. He and his wife, along with two sons, are buried at Maple Ridge Cemetery in Chesterville.
From this, we know that this suit was commissioned by Simeon Casselman. Simeon Barnett Casselman, known as Sim, was born in 1874 and was the youngest child of Philip Arnold Casselman and Catherine Elizabeth Sutherland. He was a resident of the Grantley/Goldfield area, having lived his whole life on the family farm at Lot 6, Concession 1 of Finch Township (now 14412 Casselman Road).
After they were married, Sim and Jean went on to have a large family of seven children: Margaret, Marion, Donald, Douglas (died young), Harold (killed in action in WWII), John, and Eleanor. The couple remained at the Casselman farm for the rest of their lives, with Sim passing in 1956 and Jean following in 1967. Both Sim and Jean, along with several of their children, are buried at the Grantley United Church Cemetery.
Sim was ill for some time prior to his death, so his daughter Margaret and granddaughter Mary (daughter of Donald) were living on the home farm to help care for him. After he passed, Mary was given this suit, which she held on to for over sixty years before donating it to CDHS. Over a century after it was made, it now lives on to tell the story of S. W. Boyd, Sim Casselman, and their families.
2 Comments
Erin
12/7/2022 06:38:22 pm
Lots of good history here! Simeon and Jean were married in my house in Morewood.
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CDHS publishes articles about interesting photos, artifacts, people, events, buildings, etc. that relate to the history of Chesterville and District. If there is something that you would like to see, email us at [email protected]
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