|
|
|
||||||||||
| Spouses: | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Notes for William Fyler DIBBLEE | ||||||||||
| Extract from notes by W.O. Raymond, great great grandson of Sally Munson Dibblee The youngest child of the Dibblee family, who must have lived on the old farm at Woodstock when he was a little boy, was Ebenezer, who was the ancestor of William Fyler Dibblee, a very well-known man in Woodstock, who, curiously enough, was a cousin of my wife's mother, whose maiden name was Mary Secord. He was a great friend of my father and also of myself. He was a man who possessed a marvellous memory. As an illustration of this, I recall a case in which a prominent lumberman named MOORE closed the road in the town of Woodstock leading down the north bank of the Mexnakik to the old Beardsley Mill. This deprived a good many people of a near entrance to their buildings. They took legal action against Mooers and in the trial a number of the "old inhabitants" were called to prove that the street had been so many years in use as a public street that it could not lawfully be closed. No witness was so ready and positive in his replies as William Fyler Dibblee, who could give date and date for things in a manner that was very damaging to Mooers' interest. Mr. Gregory (afterwards Judge Gregory a very able lawyer) paused in his questioning and regarding the witness for a while said very seriously "Pardon me, Mr. Dibblee, May I ask how old a man you are?" If I remember right, he said, "I am ninety years old." Mr. Gregory said, "Mr. Dibblee, that is a wonderful age." "It is," said he, "I'm thankful to have been spared so long." Mr. Gregory paused again and then said very impressively, "Mr. Dibblee, are you aware that when a man reaches that age his faculties naturally fail him; his memory is not to be relied upon as in his younger days; I don't think Mr. Dibblee if I were ninety years old I could stand up and swear as you have don the date and day in your evidence." Everybody was on the qui vive for the answer, and it came instantaneously, "Very likely you couldn't remember Mr. Gregory, but then you and I are of a different breed!" The spectators laughed, the jury laughed, the judge laughed and even Mr. Gregory laughed, and Mooers lost his case.Mr. Dibblee I think attained the age of 94 years and died of injuries received in falling down the cellar stairs. Dr. Rankin, a clever Woodstock physicisan, told me that when past ninety years, Mr. Dibblee's heart action, arteries etc. were like those of a man almost in the prime of life. The doctor regaded him as easily a centenarian and deplored that the opportunity of making a record for longevity in Woodstock should have been spoiled by so simple a thing as falling down the cellar stairs. In his younger days, William F. Dibblee had an unusual head of brilliant red hair, which made him decidedly conspicuous, particularly when travelling, but when he grew white with years, the transformation was wonderful and he was quite a distinguished looking man. He was a strict teetotaller and would not touch liquor in any form but he once told my father that he loved the taste of it, and that there were times when he cound it necessary to go to the woods on a fishing excursion or something of that sort to get out of the way of temptation. It seemed like a disease he said, these periodic spells in which he would give almost anything in the world for a dring. His iron will and God's help saved him. To the last he retained and used to show with pride the "Manifesto of the Good Ship Union" in which his grandfather, Fyler Dibblee brought more than 200 Loyalists to the River St. John in May 1783. He was a very active Freemason and loved the ritual of the Order, although in churchmanship he was a decided Evangelical, and disliked ritualism. He and my father were for years churchwardens in Woodstock. They were also actively interested in the old-time Militia, and I remember them as mounted officers at the annual training, or "General Muster" of the militia I can recall the old fashioned field officers' uniforms, with epaulettes and long tailed blue coats with bright brass buttons. I rememmber well one "training day" onthe Faymond and peabody Intervales, about 55 years ago. At the close of the day's training, the Colonel of the First Battalion of Carleton County Militia, Col. William T. Baird made a short speech and called for"three cheers for the Queen." Then somebody else called for "three cheers for Colonel Baird" and then "three cheers for Major Raymond" and "three cheers for Adjutant Dibblee" whereat father's old mare "Gill" became excited and waltzed round a little. | ||||||||||
| Last Modified 28 Jan 2001 | Created 24 Aug 2001 by EasyTree for Windows |