Haley, Healy, Healey Genealogy

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Comment by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on November 27, 2009 at 2:07pm

I just blogged about some descendants of the Nova Scotia Healy/Healeys. Look for the blog "A Big Appetite" - and I have several more posts about Healeys at www.nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com (see the "Mayflower Voyage 7" post)

Comment by Melissa Doum on August 28, 2009 at 6:49am

I am no longer looking for Steve Hale and his family...After 5 years of looking, I finally found and got a hold of him.

Comment by Trevor Haagsma on August 25, 2009 at 7:29am

Any Healy Haley family here from Ireland? John Healy, Mark Healy, Peter Healy? Haly?

Comment by Nancy Fowler on August 24, 2009 at 6:12am

Bev, We were there last year for the reunion. It was wonderful. Thanks for posting those pics. I have some close-ups of the inside of the clock etc I took when I was there before. Did you meet Irene Hopper? She knows a lot about the Haley line there.

Comment by Sharon Gillis on August 23, 2009 at 1:09pm

Nancy, thank you for sharing the story. I look forward to seeing your photos!

Comment by Nancy Fowler on August 23, 2009 at 10:20am

Beverly and all,
I also have seen the clock several times. I have pictures but just don't have the time right now to scan and put on here.. We visited Lee Haley and his wife. Lee has passed on now but his wife still lives there and has the clock. everly, did you go to Springford Ontario? Did you see the church and the gravesites?
Nancy

Comment by John Noble on August 23, 2009 at 8:52am

My great great grandfather Alexander(?) Noble was married to a Mary Haley (Haly) believed to have been born in Ireland in the early 1790's!

Comment by Nancy Fowler on August 22, 2009 at 11:47am

History of Springford and Community

In 1811 Squire and Sarah Healy moved from Nova Scotia and settled on the farm on which the north-west corner of the village is built, living some distance north of the railroad. He had long wished to settle in Upper Canada but his wife refused to go for fear of Indians, but one night in a dream she found herself alone in her home with the children, and the Indians filled the house, who treated her with the utmost respect and played with and fondled her babes. She took this as an omen that she would be protected and in the morning told her husband she was ready to make the venture. Mrs. Healy was a mother in the new country, helping in any sickness wherever she could, as was also her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Ebenezer Healy (Aunt Rachel).
Soon after the Healys were settled in their new home the war of 1812-14 broke out and at this time Mr. Healy paid $100 for a barrel of salt, which he resold to the neighbors within a raduis of fifteen miles. He was a staunch, christian man and he and his wife were two of the eighteen charter members of the Baptist church, His daughter-in-law told of him once selling a two-year-old heifer to get money to buy a bible. Among their belongings moved from Nova Scotia was a tall grandfather's clock with wooden works, which still keeps good time and is a valued heirloom of his great grandson M. L. Haley.

Comment by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on August 22, 2009 at 11:39am

I love the story! We just took delivery of a grandfather clock (gift from hubbies office for his 25th year in same place) My daughter has already asked for us to pass it on to her someday!

Comment by Nancy Fowler on August 22, 2009 at 11:20am

I'm not sure of the best way to put this information in. I just typed it up. Is there a better way? This is one article about the clock. I will have to scan in the pictures and it may be a few days.
Nancy

Springford Family Treasures Pioneer Clock of Ancestors
from The Free Press, London, Ontario
Jan 12, 1950

Springford, Jan 11 - This is the story of the clock - a grandfather's clock - or to be more exact, a grandfather's great grandfather's clock.

The grandfather is 73 year old Martin Haley of Springford. The clock is an impressive structure standing an even seven feet high that has been ticking off the seconds for more than 200 years.

Some people might call the big awkward timepiece a "monstrosity". Structurally it is not beautiful. But to the Haleys it is "just like one of the family".

Around this grandfather's clock is written a story of courage and determination, a story of hardships and suffering, of defeat and victory.

It is, in fact, a chapter from the story of Canada and its people.

Made in England

The clock was made in Winchester, England by a man named R. Whiting. Twenty-five years ago Haley's daughter, Edith, visited Winchester while in England and discovered that about 100 years before a clockmaker named Whiting had lived in Winchester. He was believed to have been a grandson of R Whiting, the craftsman who made the Haley clock.

It was apparently brought across the Atlantic to the New England by the grandfathers of Martin Haley.

When the United States revolted against British rule and established their independence, Squire Healey carried the cumbersome clock with him when he made the long trek to Nova Scotia.

For several years Squire Healey lived in the maritime province but tried to persuade his wife to move west into the new territory of Upper Canada. She had heard terrible stories of massacres and atrocities by the Indians and was loath to endanger the lives of their small children.

Move On Dream

One night however she dreamed they had settled in "the west" and that the Indians were very friendly, especially to the children. The next morning she told her husband that she was ready to venture westward into the wilderness of Upper Canada.

In 1811 the rugged United Empire Loyalist, his family and his clock landed at Port Burwell and, carrying the clock on his back, Squire Healey led his family to their new home near what is now the village of Springford.

Somewhere between Squire Healey and the present generation, the name was changed: the "e" was dropped and Healey became Haley.

The clock with the wooden works also changed. When carried into the Oxford County wilderness on the sturdy back of Squire Healey, the big grandfather's clock was minus it's case, presumably left behind in New England due to its weight. For years it hung on a wall until Squire Healey himself built it's present case.

Long Service

There followed a century of service as the stolid old clock tick-tocked it's way through generation after generation of Haleys. It outlived three houses on the old Haley homestead and when Marvin Haley retired to the village of Springford he took the clock with him.

Then one day about 25 years ago, like the grandfather's clock in the song, Haley's timepiece stopped. Several jewelers examined it but their verdict was unanimous - the clock was just wron out.

Back to the Haley home went the venerable old timepiece. There it was given a place of honor in the living room. Although it had outlived its usefulness the Haley's couldn't part with it.

Survives Fire

The tradgedy struck. The Haley's awakened late one night to find the rear part of the house in flames. Their first thought was to save the clock. Together they carried it to safety. The house was burned to the ground along with most of their possessions. But their great-grandfather's clock was intact.

Two years later the Haley's were gradually recovering from their loss in the fire. The only timepiece they had was a pocket watch. One day while Mr. Haley was away - with the watch - Mrs. Haley wound the old clock just for curiosity.

Comes To Life

The ancient wooden cogs began rotating, the pendulum swinging and the measured tick-tock of grandfather's clock filled the room.

"I can't describe my feelings when the old clock started up again," said Mrs. Haley. "It was just like the voice of an old friend. It started just when we needed it most."

The clock is temporarily stopped now while Mr. Haley makes minor repairs to the weight system which runs the old wooden works.

Someday Martin and Edith Haley hope that the old timepiece will return to Squire Healey's homestead where Martin's grandson, Lee Haley' now lives.

To Lee, the sixth generation of the Haley family to live on Squire Healey's grant, the old timepiece is more than just a grandfather's clock.

It's a great-great-great-grandfather's clock.

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