When records featuring animals are donated to the Simcoe County Archives, there is often a lack of information, such as the animals’ names and their stories. Lacking clear identification, the manner in which these animals are depicted could be placed into the following categories…
Animals as family
Animals as trophies
Animals as food
Animals as labourers
Animals as spectacle
On June 15th, 1901, the Ringling Bros performed their “World’s Greatest Shows” in Canada for the first time, visiting Barrie. Included in this circus was a parade of 30 elephants that came down Dunlop Street! Forty-five years later, the Barrie Examiner recalled the event, listing the “shuffling elephants, wild animals and performing ponies” as wonderous attractions.
Although there is often a lack of information accompanying documentation of animals, below are a few instances of identified animals who lived in Simcoe County!
Trim the Faithful Dog
Living on Guest Farm in Tiny Township during the early 1900s, Trim was the faithful companion to farmers Thomas and Sarah Guest. One unfortunate night Sarah heard a vehicular accident nearby her farm and rushed to the scene with a pail of water and a tea towel. Following close behind her, Trim arrived on site with Sarah and was promptly given a letter to deliver to Thomas who was plowing in a distant field. Trim traversed through multiple wire fences to successfully deliver the message and alert his owner of the situation!
In 1920, the Guests sold their farm to Walter Marcellus and moved to Midland. Concerned that Trim would not be content with leaving the farm, the Guests gave Trim to Walter, who cared for him for nearly six years. Trim is described as a real friend who was very intelligent and well-trained, assisting around the farm as he rounded up the milk cows and kept the chickens out of the garden.
The Cows of Jermey Farm
Born in 1882, farmer Thomas William Jermey had a property in Hawkestone, Simcoe County with a herd of cows. In Thomas’ farm account books from 1913-1939, Thomas addressed his cows by name, including Kate, Jean, and Queen.
Years later, Thomas’ son Grant Jermey took over the farm and continued to name upwards of 30 cows. Cows mentioned in Grant’s 1953-1954 farm account books include, but are not limited to: Commando, Connie, Snow, Cathy, Classy, Betty, Eleanor, Shamrock, Edith, Rose, Pearl, Henrietta, Cherry, Style, Rose Marie, White Rose, Molly, Jenny, Trixie, Beauty, Trudy Ann, P. P. Dimple, and Polly. Queen was arguably a favoured name on Jeremy farm as Grant’s farm account books list Queenie the 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th, and 14th ! Interestingly, one of Grant’s cows was named Flos, like Lady Sarah Maitland’s dog Flos who became the namesake for the Township of Flos (See Lady Sarah Maitland and Tiny, Tay, and Flos – Simcoe County). Four horses are also mentioned in Grant’s 1953-1954 farm account books: Min, Nell, Bess, and Doll.
Michael from Ovenden College
Michael John Ovenden was a half-German Shepherd and half-Border Collie who lived in the loving care of the students of Ovenden College, a girl’s boarding school in Barrie (See Ovenden College, 1915-1950). We know of Michael from the numerous poems and stories dedicated to the dog found in the “Ovenden” Chronicles, an annual magazine published by the school.
Adopted by the school in 1926, Helen McGibbon writes the following poem introducing Michael:
One morning while at breakfast
We heard a whine and scratch,
And there our dog was standing
With his little friend called Patch.
The door was hurriedly opened
To let our Michael in,
But little Patches had to stay
Out in the snow and wind.
He loves to come with us
Upon our daily walk,
He seems to understand
The thing of which we talk.
He's such a lovely puppy!
What kind of dog? you'll say.
A Belgian police, I'll answer,
And keeps all danger away.
He runs and scampers all day long
And never seems to tire,
From dawn until the sunset
He is a "real live wire."
When McGibbon mentions Michael is a “Belgian police”, she may be referring to the Belgian Malinois, a breed of dog popular in police K9 units. A couple years later, Michael celebrated his birthday on March 17th, 1928!
This event did not go unnoticed by the students of Ovenden as A. Boehm writes:
March seventeen,
O, what does it mean?
For all wear green
Whenever they're seen
"St. Patrick's Day,"
All people say.
But what else? No!
A party also?
To celebrate what?
We question not,
" 'Tis Michael's birthday,"
The girls all say.
The tables are spread –
Candy? . . . . . . to bread.
Each brought a riddle,
One about a fiddle;
Merry with laughter
We danced after.
In the 1935 installment of the “Ovenden” Chronicle, a passage was written from the perspective of Michael himself as he chased a rabbit with one of his dog friends, Roguey. Reading the many other stories written of Michael the dog, he seemed to have lived surrounded by a loving community that adored him from the time of his adoption in 1926 to his passing in the fall of 1939.
More animals
Other animals that have been identified in records at the Simcoe County Archives include Margaret Lee and her cats Nankie and Peter, George Kerr’s dog Nipper, and a whole collection of beloved pets in the William Justice family’s photo album, including their 8-year-old cat Friday.
Conclusion
It is incredibly valuable, and much appreciated by archivists, when records identify their subjects, when they lived, and their life stories. This does not just apply to people, but to animals as well! So, whether you are donating records to the Simcoe County Archives or keeping personal accounts of your loved ones, don’t forget to write down those details!
Here is a helpful blog post all about providing Identification for your Family Photographs. Additionally, for more documentation of animals, see the beautiful and intimate works of J.E. Coupe’s slides and film available on our digital collections site.
Written by: Lily van Huisseling, Archives Assistant, 2026
Works Consulted
- Ancestry Library. “Thomas W Jermey in the 1931 Census of Canada.” Accessed 2026. 1931 Census of Canada – AncestryLibrary.com. Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Seventh Census of Canada, 1931; Folder Number: T-27294; Census Place: Simcoe North, Ontario, Canada; Page Number: 8.
- Ancestry Library. “Walter Marcellus in the 1921 Census of Canada.” Accessed 2026. 1921 Census of Canada – AncestryLibrary.com Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 86; Census Place: Tiny, Simcoe East, Ontario; Page Number: 9.
- Ancestry Library. “Grant Jermey in the 1931 Census of Canada.” Accessed 2026. 1931 Census of Canada – AncestryLibrary.com. Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Seventh Census of Canada, 1931; Folder Number: T-27294; Census Place: Simcoe North, Ontario, Canada; Page Number: 8.
- Barrie Examiner, “Barnum’s Circus Paraded Through the Streets of Barrie and Many Another Town Forty-five Years Ago? View Taken at ‘Five Points,’ Barrie, Proceeding East,” p. 32, ca. 1940s. 1981-035, Fred Walker Grant collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- Barrie Historical Newspaper Archive. Northern Advance, 13 Jun 1901, p. 6. Accessed 2026. https://news.ourontario.ca/Barrie/2767355/page/6?q=elephant&docid=OOI.2767355.
- Jermey Family Farm Account Books, 1913-1939, 1953-1943. 2023-076. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- The “Ovenden” Chronicle, 1926, 1928, 1934. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of 8-year-old Friday the cat], ca. 1930s. 1978-001. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Alice Wonch and dog], ca. 1900s. 2012-025. Don Beatty Glass Plate Negative collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Barrie circus], 1925. 1998-088. SCA Image collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of George Kerr and Nipper in Front of House at Harriet Street], ca. 1940s. 1995-062. Kerr family collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Hunter with mounted deer head], 1933. TR 2014-100. Djenane Mackellar Lemmon collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario. [Photograph of Hunters with hunting dogs], n.d. TR 2014-100. Djenane Mackellar Lemmon collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Man holding stuffed owl], n.d. 2023-073. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Margaret & her cats Nankie & Peter], n.d. 2023-073. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Michael the dog], 1934. “Ovenden” Chronicle. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Mrs. Sarah Guest and Trim the dog], ca. 1900s. 1996-007. Pine Ridge Women’s Institute fonds. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Turtle Soup for Grandpa’s Birthday], 1914. 1990-019. Dobson and Hines family collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Two men holding rows of fish], n.d. TR 2014-100. Djenane Mackellar Lemmon collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Two men in a carriage pulled by one horse], n.d. TR 2014-100. Djenane Mackellar Lemmon collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- [Photograph of Boy with pet dog], n.d. TR 2014-100. Djenane Mackellar Lemmon collection. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- Pine Ridge Tweedsmuir, p. 44, ca.1900s. 1996-007. Pine Ridge Women’s Institute fonds. Simcoe County Archives, Minesing, Ontario.
- White, Olivia. “Ovenden College (1915-1950),” County of Simcoe, 2023. https://simcoe.ca/simcoe-county-archives-blog/ovenden-college-1915-1950.