Fonds MS-225 - Jennie Ottewell Smith fonds

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Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Jennie Ottewell Smith fonds

General material designation

  • Textual record
  • Graphic material - photograph
  • Textual record - published

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Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on contents of fonds.

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA EDM MS-225

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1920-[196-?] (Creation)
    Creator
    Smith, Jennie Ottewell

Physical description area

Physical description

10 cm of textual records. - 9 photographs. - 7 published works

Publisher's series area

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Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1892-1985)

Biographical history

Jane Elizabeth (Jennie) Ottewell was born in 1892 in Edmonton. She was the fifth child of Richard Phillip Ottewell and Frances (Fanny) Trevillion. Her father, Richard Phillip Ottewell, is considered one of the early pioneers in the Edmonton area.

Richard P. Ottewell was born in Lincolnshire, England and came to Canada as a very young boy with his parents, settling in Middlesex County, Ontario, ca. 1852 and then moving to Bruce County, Ontario in 1867. He married Frances (Fanny) Dingle Trevillion on June 7, 1877 in Port Arthur, Ontario. Richard worked in the Duncan Mine. Two children arrived in quick succession, William John (born 1880) and Frances Ella (born 1881). Around this time, Richard read an editorial in “The Bulletin” newspaper, written by Frank Oliver describing the Edmonton area and decided to move west.
Leaving his wife and two children in Ontario, he set out in 1881 from Port Arthur to Duluth by boat, then to Winnipeg by train, then to Edmonton with two horse teams and a wagon. Richard Ottewell staked his claim on August 7, 1881, in the Clover Bar area – then some 10 miles east of Edmonton. Once the homestead was broken and the land cultivated for farming grain, he sent for his family. His wife, Fanny, and children William and Ella, joined him in Edmonton in 1883.
A sod house was replaced by a log house, which was eventually replaced by a large brick house in the early 1900’s. The original log house was restored and placed in Fort Edmonton Park. The Ottewell family eventually turned from grain to dairy farming. Richard Ottewell died in 1942, but his youngest sons continued to farm the land until 1951.
The Ottewell farm was considered one of the finest in the areas and Richard was considered a driving force in the Clover Bar community. He helped to organize the Clover Bar School District, opened the Ottewell Coll Mine and the Campbell & Ottewell Flour Mill.
Richard and Fanny had 9 children in total - William John (1880-1976), Frances Ella (1881-1971), Arthur James (1884-1979), George Garnet (1886-1979), Jane Elizabeth ‘Jennie’ (1892-1985), Muriel (1894-1964), Cedric (1896-1950) and twins Frank Clinton (1905-1967 and Frederick Samuel (1905-1965).

In 1916, Jennie Ottewell married Bliss Botsford Smith. They had four children, Isabel, Allen, Dorothy and Kathleen, and lived in Fort Saskatchewan.
Bliss Smith died in 1975 and Jennie (Ottewell) Smith died in 1985.

Custodial history

It is assumed, though not confirmed, that Melanie Moore is a descendant of the Richard P. Ottewell family.

Scope and content

The fonds consists of some records and biographical clippings of Richard Ottewell and the Ottewell family as well as correspondence and records of Jennie (Ottewell) Smith and her husband Bliss Simith.
There are also books in algebra, geometry, mechanics and mechanical drawing from the American School of Correspondence, likely used by Bliss Smith for correspondence courses as well as a garden seed and nursery catalogue:
The photographs are of Richard and Fanny Ottewell and their children, including Richard and Fanny Ottewell on their 50th wedding anniversary (1927), as well as the Clover Bar School.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

This fonds was donated to the City of Edmonton Archives by Jennie Ottewell Smith (Mrs. Bliss Smith) in 1968 and 1979, and Melanie Moore in 1996.

Arrangement

The material was arranged by the archivist based on creator (family branch).
The photographs were assigned item numbers with the prefix EA-55.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Location of originals

    Availability of other formats

    Restrictions on access

    There are no restrictions on access.

    Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

    Copyright may apply.
    Reproduction restrictions may apply.

    Finding aids

    Finding aid available online.

    Associated materials

    In this repository, see also:
    Ottewell, Richard P. clipping file

    Related materials

    Accruals

    No further accruals are expected.

    General note

    Accession numbers: A68-47, A74-77, A79-118, A96-48

    General note

    Formerly known as Mrs. B.B. Smith fonds

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Standard number

    Standard number

    Access points

    Subject access points

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    Name access points

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    Control area

    Description record identifier

    Institution identifier

    City of Edmonton Archives

    Rules or conventions

    Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
    Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms

    Status

    Final

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation, revision and deletion

    Language of description

      Script of description

        Sources

        Digital object (Master) rights area

        Digital object (Reference) rights area

        Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

        Accession area