David Lougheed came from “northern Ireland,” a phrase which is open to more than one interpretation and which gives no clue as to a specific location. When he died in 1867, his age was given as 72, thus giving a date of birth around 1795. An obituary of his eldest son, William, states that the said William who was born in 1824 came to Canada with his parents when he was two years old. Given that information, it seems likely that an item to be found in the Upper Canada Land Petitions (Ontario Archives) refers to this David Lougheed:

“David Loughead of Toronto Township, yeoman, native of Ireland, resident in this province since Sept. 1826 and has a family of a wife and two children wishes a grant of 200 acres. Dated York, 5 December 1827. Recommended #170 - order issued the same day.”

In the same bundle is a letter dated 1826 from Downing St. Colonial Dept. saying that they don’t pay passage. David’s address at that time was Prestbury, England (a parish and village in Cheshire, two and a half miles northwest of Macclesfield). Just how long David, his wife and children were in England prior to sailing for Canada we have no way of knowing.

It is impossible to say with certainty where the 200 acres David received at the end of 1827 were located, but land records show a David Loughead, res. Toronto, as the holder of Lot 22, Concession 6, Etobicoke Township, York County, 27 July 1830. At some later date according to an early map of Toronto Township, Peel County, David was living nexst door to James Lougheed of Brittania amd was said to have been a cousin of James. In 1837 David was in Gore of Toronto, and in 1847 he was listed in the Albion Township Directory as living on Lot 8, Concession 4.

At the time of the 1852 and 1861 census, David and his family were recorded in Albion Township, Peel County. The Agricultural Census for 1861 gives some idea as to the properity of the family at this time:

“Size of farm - 100 acres with a cash value of $1,600. Cash value of farming implements or machinery $100. Of these 100 acres, 70 were under cultivation with the remaining 30 under Wood or Wild.

- 12 acres were in fall wheat, produce in bushels, 100
- 20 acres were in spring wheat - 250 bushels
- 7 acres in barley - 60 bushels
- 4 acres in peas - 40 bushels
- 6 acres in oats - 150 bushels
- 1 acre in potatoes - 15 bushels
- 4 tons of 2000 lbs. or bundles of 10 lbs. of hay
- 3 steers or heifers under 3 years
- 4 milch cows
- 2 horses over 3 years
- 12 sheep
- 15 pigs
- 200 lbs. of butter
- 0 Pleasure Carriage kept.”

Some time after 1861, David and his wife moved to Euphrasia Township in Grey County. The W.W. Smith Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Grey 1865 showed that David owned 100 acres in Lot 23, Concession 2.

David made his will April 2, 1867 with the following bequests:

“NW 1/2 of Lot 23, Con. 2, Euphrasia Township to his son Israel and the SW 1/2 of the said lot to his son Noah. Each son was required to pay one-half of the expenses of the board, maintenance and comfortable keeping of their mother, Isabella.”

Isabella was left “all such sum or sums of money as may be due me or arise out of the out of the west half of Lot 8 in the 4th Concession of the Township of Albion or from John Hall [husband of David’s daughter Isabella] and David Lougheed, my son, of the purchase money thereof...”

Isabella also received two cows and all of the household furniture, with the use of the dwelling house they resided in, for the duration of her life, if she so desired.

David’s son Noah was also assigned one yoke of oxen provided he paid a note of $100. plus interest owned to a Richard White.

Executors: William Lougheed, his son, and Thomas Reid, his brother-in-law.

Later in the month, on April 27, 1867, David died. [Note this date, given in the original text, does not align with the transcription of the tombstone.] He was buried in St. James Anglican Church Cemetary, Fairmont, Grey County, Ontario.

Isabella Lougheed lived with her sons Israel and Noah after the death of her husband as the 1871 Census confirms. She died at the age of 75 on January 21, 1880. She was buried beside her husband. Their graces are marked by a white slab of sandstone, the top of which is oval shaped with an images of clasped hands and an inscription, now faded:

“DAVID LOUGHEED
DIED
Apr 20 1867
AGED 72 y’re

ALSO ISABELLA REID
beloved Wife of the above
DIED
Jan 21, 1880
AGED 75 y’rs

Our parents here lie underground
The dearest friends we ever found
But through the Lord’s unbounded love
We hope to meet in realms above”

David and Isabella had nine children and whom we have information in varying amounts: William, Margaret, Mary jane, Isabella, James, David, Harriet, Israel, Noah. At least one family member maintains that there were two more children, Thomas and Everett, but if so we have no knwoledge of them at this time. There may be some support for this claim in the following entry:

“St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Erindale, Records:
November 8, 1828, Churching of Women - Isabella Lougheed”

The expression “churching of women” indicates that Isabella (if, of course, this is “our” Isabella) had recently had a child. But the only child we know of born prior to 1828 was Margaret, who was born in Ireland in 1825. Mary Jane, the first child born in Canada, ws born in May of 1838. There certainly could have been a child born in, say, 1828, who may have died at a very young age.429