Notes:
Data source is David Lloyd Muma, e-mail dmuma@telus.net
Henry Muma became a Squire and later was Dominion Arbitrator for Sir
John A. MacDonald when Sir John A. MacDonald was Prime Minister of
Canada.
The following story was told by Sarah Muma who was a great neice of
Squire Henry Muma:
Sir John A. MacDonald and Squire Henry Muma were drinking buddies and
quite often got drunk and raised a commotion. Sarah remembered when
she was a small girl that they used to take her for rides in a
surrey. She also had pictures of Squire Henry and Sir John A.
MacDonald together.
From one of the many newspaper clipping following Squire Henry's
death comes the following:
Henry Muma died at his homestead, Pine Grove, on Saturday in his 80th
year. He located on his present farm, then a wilderness, in 1843, a
was a member of the Township and County Councils for thirty years. He
was a founder of the village of Drumbo, a justice of the peace,
notary public, and civil engineer. A land agent for years, he acted
for the late Hon. Thomas C. Street, of Niagara Falls, up to his
death. he was a warm confidential friend of the late Sir John A.
MacDonald, serving during his life as Dominion Arbitrator and land
valuator on the Welland Canal, and after the Riel Rebellion was a
member of the commission to settle the claims against the Government
caused by the rebellion. He was always a staunch conservative.
He is also featured on an historical plaque and in the Drumbo museum.
Buried in Windfall Cemetery Drumbo, Ontario, Canada
1881 Canadian Census, Blenheim, Oxford North, Ontario, Household #462, Dist 166, Sub-dist G, p. 96
Henry Muma, German Ethnic Origin, 60, b: Ontario, Canada, farmer, Methodist
Margaret Muma, German Ethnic Origin, 67, b: Ontario, Canada, Methodist
Jacob William Muma, German Ethnic Origin, 30, b: Ontario, Canada, farmer, Methodist
Maitland Fisher Muma, German Ethnic Origin, 20, b: Ontario, Canada, farmer, Methodist
Charles McCarty, widowed, German Ethnic Origin, 101, b: Ontario, Canada, Methodist
Sperrin Chant, married, English Ethnic Origin, 26, b: Ontario, Canada, store keeper, Methodist
Agnes Chant, married, German Ethnic Origin, 22, b: Ontario, Canada, Methodist
John Megg..., , English Ethnic Origin, 26, b: Ontario, Canada, Methodist
The most prominent man in the section of the forest which became the site of Drumbo from the time of his arrival, at the age of 20 until his death in 1902 was Henry Misener/Coleman Muma. But it all started with a family of seven brothers (Samuel (his father), Christian, Jacob Jr., Michael, George, Henry, and Absalom) and three sisters [children of whom? Jacob & Betsy or Leonard?] The Brothers came to Upper Canada(Ontario) and some of them settled in Ancaster Township. Christian, Michael and Henry Clark Muma took up land in South Dumfries in 1819.
Samuel (Jacob & Betsy) Muma settled between Troy and St George. He was born in 1786 and married Elizabeth Coleman aka Misener in 1809. He had a family of fourteen children, some born in Pennsylvania, but his son Henry was born in 1821-22 in South Dumfres Township. So Henry had 13 brothers and sisters.
Samuel's son, Henry Misener Muma, married Margaret McCarty of Irish-Indian origin in 1842 and decided to seek his fortune in Blenheim Township, which was being opened up for settlement. All roads and farm lots were surveyed by this time. He chose to build his first small log cabin on the south east corner of his farm Lot 13, Concession 7, the center of the township. Gradually more buildings were erected at this road intersection and this early settlement waas called Muma's Corners. It is fairly certain that he chose this spot deliberately with the hope that the future village would be the central focas of the township.
Family legends differ somewhat as to the possible national origin of the Mumas. All have agreed that they left Europe to escape religious persecution and came to Pennsylvania in the 17th century. Thus the Mumas came at last Holland and embarked for America, where William Penn gave three hundred acres to one of the family and a rosebush from which he was to send one red rose each year, as long as he kept improving the land. During the American Revolutionary War the family either entertained British soldiers or refused to fight and their land was confiscated. As late as 1905 it was claimed that the stone chimney of the original Muma homestead was still standing in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.
Henry & Margaret McCarty Muma had 9 children. His 2 daughters, Emily Ann and Agnes Eva married and left Drumbo to live in St Thomas and London. Two sons died in infancy, Joseph and Maitland died in their 20's. Another son Alexander Jarvis lived in Drumbo and Paris and died in 1904 at the age of 52. Ebenezer Jasper was set up on his father's farm on Lot 12, Concession 7. He died in 1900 at the age of 53. None of his children stayed here. Gordon, Eva and William lived in Ottawa.
Henry's eldest son Charles Andrew was born in 1843 and married Augusta Maud Hare of Dundas n 1867. He became the second most prominent and wealthy man in Drumbo. He died in 1916. He had a family of 7. The oldest was Henry Hare Howe and the youngest daughter Margarette Elizabeth died in infancy. Of his 5 daughters, two lived out their lives in Drumbo-Edith(Mrs. John O Given) and Alicia(Mrs. Lorne Wilson). Maude(Mrs Maud Gorman) lived in Milwakee, Wisconsin, Nina in Chicago, Ill. Evelyn(Mrs Archie McNichol) lived in Port Arthur and later in Collingwood.
Henry Misener Muma's brothers, Hamilton, Admiral Nelson and George, followed him to Drumbo. Hamilton did not remain long, but went off to the US. The other 2 did not farm but did odd jobs in carpentry and brick-makling in Drumbo. Nelson finally left for Brantford.
George Nathan Muma stayed in Drumbo and married Mary Waugh. Some of the decendants of his large family are living in this area. His eldest daughter Melissa married Moses Innis and their eldest daughter Mrs. Mae Innis Forsyth lived in Drumbo until her death in 1975. The next daughter Nancy Sophia married Abraham Holder and her daughter Eva and sons John, George, Thomas lived near Richwood. A son Nathan George died in Ayr in 1968 at the age of 93. He was a forman on the CPR. His daughter Belva married Carl Nicholls and lived in Ayr until 1976 when they moved to Strathroy. His son George became Chief of Police in Galt. At least 5 of his sons found work on the railway. Three of them leaving Drumbo to live in St. Marys and Stratford. The 2 youngest sons of George Nathan's second marriage to Isabel Waugh lived in Drumbo. William married Flossie Balkwill in 1913. Their children are Harold who was a foreman on the CPR and married June Williams and he died in 1974. Isabella (Mrs E Hammond) lived at Eastwood. And Harry married Clara Beaman.
Henry Muma was a Conveyancer, a land agent who was in the buying and selling of land and issued the deeds to record land ownership. He was employed by the government. By 1850 there were 69 buildings,cabins,sheds and barns at Muma's Corners: a store on the south west corner (Where Hildred's store stand) and in time a blacksmith shop, a shoe shop, a harness shop. In 1851, Henry had a survy of the village made and the streets named. By 1852 the village had been named Drumbo and a Post Office established as the population reached 250.Over the next 10 years the village continued to grow. Henry built a saw mill that operated on steam ( Service Station is now). The first railway was built through the village and made it aq center for shipping cattle, hogs, turnips and grain. Henry had acquired 2 farms of about 100 acres in Lots 12 and 13, Concession 7. Four Hotels were built each with their own livery stables. The Township Council met in Henry's residence until his new Hall was built for their headquarters. He was a member of the council, in which he served as Reeve. The 1st agricultural fair was held in his new barn in 1854 and for several years later. The population soared to 700.
After the fire of June 26 1862 which destroyed over 50 businesses, there were 22 families left homelss. Henry was the priciple loser. He had in all 11 buildings burned together with a number of barns and sheds. He lost about $25,000. Two years later 3 large buildings were burned, one was a hotel that Henry had built. Henry's second home which he had built after the fire of 1862 was also destroyed. After these fires many became discourged and moved away. Henry himself fled from the village and built his third home about 1865 on his farm about a 1/4 mile north of the village. The village began to recover slowly but the population dropped to about 300 and remained that low for 75 or more years.
After the fires a new industry started up in brick making by two families the Mumas and the Stevensons.They employed 20 hands and were busy from May to November shipping their products. This was the life of the village for 25 years. All of the white brick buildings in Drumbo, Princeton, Wolverton, Windfall and Ayr were made in these two brick yards. They were on opposite sides of the road. In 1890 Henry built the large brick building which adorns the corner of Oxford and Wilmot streets. It was known as the Muma Block and stands today as a monument of Henry Muma. A few years later when he retired the people of Drumbo gathered to show their appreciation of all his endeavours on their behalf and presented him with a gold watch and chain and his wife with a tea set.
Henry was appointed a member of the Dominion Board of Arbitrators and had to travel far and wide. When the Welland canal was surveyed he as Dominion Government Arbitrator bought the land for the canal for the Government in 1874 from the owners. He went West to take charge of the land settlement there after the Riel Rebellion probaly in 1865 or 1869. It is said that he watched the ceremony of the LAst Spike in the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Rockies.
In the early days Henry was often called upon to settle disputes among the settlers. As he acted as a Justice of the Peace, he became known as "THe Squire" and also because he was a prominent citizen and the chief land proprietor of the district.
Henry was a Conservative in politics and locally important enough behind the scenes to be honoured personally by John A MacDonald himself. When John A was on a campain trip to London it was arranged that he have dinner at the Squire's house. The Squire had a silk dress made for his wife Margot for the occasion. On the day of the dinner Margot and Henry had a minor argument in which she refused to wear the new gown. Instead to show who was boss she appeared in her old black dress and left her apron on.
Henry was a heavy set man about 5'10" tall with blue eyes and fair hair. He was astute, energetic,progressive,domineering and had a violent and famous temper, which he excerised frequently. He made great use of his ability and ingenuity to carry through his projects and quite justifiably has been designated as the founder of Drumbo.
Charles Andrew, the Squires eldest son was born in the log cabin and educated in the log school, whose 1st teacher was Charlotte Muma. He played a leading part in the building of the business section of the village after the fires. He was a progressive citizen, like his father and was an energetic boaster of Drumbo. He unertook the brick making business which was situated on the Muma farm just south of the CPR track. The first white brick structure built was the Baptist Church in 1876. In 1878 Charles built the Royal Hotel.
In July 1888, Charles, at his instigation the Drumbo Board of Trade was started and he was the first President. He induced a printer to relocate to Drumbo and so he began his second business as a publisher. In 1889, he built 2 brick dwellings on Muma Ave. with gingerbread work around the top of the veranda,(BMO). This was used as his publishing house and for many years he was proprietor of the newspapers published under various names (The Drumbo Advertiser,The Maple Leaf,Drumbo Express). When the brick building was sold he built the cement block building on Oxford West for the printing business.
In 1890 whrn the Muma Block was built by the Squire, he began his 3rd business in it-a general merchandise store and soon offered competition to two general stores. One wa operated by J.L Burgess(Daymans) and the other by Silas Dawson (Hildreds).
Charles Andrew was a conveyancer and his advice was solicited by many. He like his father was a staunch Conservative and took a great interest in politics. He was President of the North Oxford Conservative Association and at one time was a candidate for North Oxford for the local Legislature, oppsing Andrew Patullo and D.R Ross of Embro.
He must be credited with having Drumbo made a police village and waas active in the matter of securing hydro power and light. He was a large property owner in the village. He was an Anglican active and liberal in the support of the Church of England.He was instrumental in the reopening of this church which was closed for many years.
At the age of 70 in 1913 he helped to organize an Old Boys' Reunion and published a small booklet containing pictures and a short history of Drumbo. Like his father he left behind his monument in the business section of the village but he surpassed his father in one respect- in the number of them- three.