Canadian Friends Historical Association

Tag: Coldstream

  • “Spiritual Life” by Charles Zavitz

    “Spiritual Life” by Charles Zavitz

    From the estate of Gordon Thompson, we have received a large volume of papers relating to his work with the CFHA and his personal search for meaning in Quaker principles and thought. While the archiving of these papers is ongoing, we have also acquired a few non-archival items of interest. In some special cases, we will take books that are small press, old, or otherwise limited in run, ideally local to areas of Canadian Quaker concern, and explicitly on topics of interest to our members and researchers. 

    In this case, we accepted a beautiful small-press chapbook by Charles Zavitz. In broader history, Zavitz is known as the man who introduced soybeans as a crop to Canadian agriculture. In Quaker terms, he was born into the Coldstream meeting and was a noted peace activist. At the end of the Boer War, Zavitz founded the Canadian Peace and Arbitration Society, the first such organization explicitly in Canada. When president of the Ontario Agricultural College (now part of the University of Guelph), Zavitz refused to let World War One recruitment or drills occur on campus. After his retirement from agricultural work in 1927, he became the first president of the Canadian Friends Service Committee in 1931.

    Around this time, he released this serene book. Spiritual Life was published in 1932 by “A. Talbot & Company” in London. It is a small volume, about five by six inches, with 15 pages containing one short meditation each. The start of each passage is illuminated in red, matching the red and gold cover; the pages are thick and rough-edged.  

    The real value of the human soul under the guidance of the Divine Spirit is much greater to the individual than that of all the other things in the in world combined.

    …

    Quiet, sincere and habitual prayer enriches the soul and prepares the individual to fill worthily his place in life and to serve best his fellow man.

    …

    Being a Quaker with Quaker parents I learned early in life to listen in silence to the “still small voice” of my Spiritual Father. During and since my forty-one years of very active service in college teaching and in scientific research in agriculture, the Christ Spirit within me has been the most precious thing in my life.

     

    In our journal, issue 67 (PDF), James R. Zavitz contributed “Recollections of my Grandfather, Charles Ambrose Zavitz” and mentions the publication of this book:

    “In 1932 Grandfather published a booklet containing his personal thoughts from over the years. The result was “Spiritual Life.” He had 1000 volumes printed and distributed them, free of charge, to his relatives, friends and associates. I was ten years old at the time and often accompanied him to the printer in London. On one visit the publisher showed us three prototypes for the cover; they had various combinations of gold, red and green. In hindsight I don’t know if Grandfather had made up his mind or not, but he turned to me and asked which I preferred. I liked the red and gold combination and that is what was eventually used. Grandfather had a way of making me think I had had some input in the final choice.”

    Our copy of this book is in reasonably good condition for being 92 years old. It has some water staining and some foxing (the reddish-brown points of rusty-looking stains). As Charles Zavitz died in 1942, this book is now firmly in the public domain, and we are sharing a fully digitized version here, so that you can enjoy each meditation it contains. (This is a cellphone-camera-quality digitization assembled into a PDF; we may pursue higher-quality digitization at a later date.) Enjoy!

     

    If you think you might have similar items that could qualify for permanent collection by the CFHA – unique or rare, and relevant to the Quaker life in Canada – please get in touch.

  • Book Report of Ruth Zavitz’s “Flight to the Frontier”

    April 1, 2023. Ruth Marian Zavitz (nee Bycraft) of London and formerly of Coldstream, passed away at the age of 99.

    During announcements one Meeting after Ruth’s passing, I learned a bit about her background and that she was an author. It turned out that we had one of her books in the Coldstream library, Flight to the Frontier. Since I enjoy history, I signed it out.

    I found this 2014 article about the book from the Strathroy Age Dispatch about the book:

    Many fiction fans have picked up a historical novel or two, maybe even come across a tome about the same general topic that local writer Ruth Zavitz, for many years, has waited to get published. What separates her work of fiction about the American Revolution of 1776? Well for one thing it doesn’t have anything to do with Mel Gibson nor does it particularly favour one side over another, British or American. The characters are impartial in this battle for sovereignty and instead, hold some significance in a picture of life at the time and the writer’s own Quaker background.

    Zavitz, 91, has been waiting many years to share Flight to the Frontier, the story of a three-person Quaker family—a husband, wife, and their teenage daughter, Phoebe— as they trek to the Niagara Region while escaping persecution, a result of their refusal to choose a side in the revolution. Over years of writing the book has changed and gained layers before finally being published this year.

    “It’s a family emigrating from the United States at the end of the American Revolution because of persecution, to the Niagara area. The parents, they were born in England and they left England and came to the Hudson River….their house and store burned and they came through to Niagara,” Zavitz, now a London resident, said of her book last week during a visit to her home community near Coldstream.

     

    Of her book she said, “ They were Quakers, they were pacifists.” Zavitz chuckled, “so both sides were dumping on them.”

    An amateur writer from a very young age, Zavitz continued her passion for stories through raising a family and several unrelated jobs. Previously, she also published a non-fiction work on decorative grasses.

    Her latest book and research brings not only a story of drama and travel to the reader but also an account of life at the time. The historical setting made for rich material to work with, she said.

    Zavitz was raised in a Quaker family and her ancestors, like many others, also migrated from the United States though later, around the 1790s. The novel looks at a piece of Canada’s history that Zavitz feels is rarely told.

    “I got thinking that there weren’t any novels written about American emigrating to Niagara in the early days. There are novels about them going to the Maritimes and novels about them going to eastern Ontario but nothing to Niagara and that’s where Ontario started because Niagara on the Lake was the first capital of Upper Canada, it started right there.”

    And so, a teenage girl and her family are escaping a violent conflict; the girl’s parents are pushing for a profitable but to the girl, rather repulsive marriage proposal; there’s adventure, danger, love lost and unrequited; and in spite of it all the story tells of realistic life on the frontier. How did Zavitz find her inspiration for facts and fiction? She tapped the top of her head.

    “The ideas come out of here but the background information, there are some non-fiction books about the early parts of settlement in Ontario. Particularly I was interested in how they did things: the kinds of tools they had and what they ate, that sort of thing.”

    While painting a real picture of what life at the time could have included, the story is filled in with a love triangle and hard travels among other aspects of a story that Zavitz describes with a smile.

    “I enjoyed writing it all. I would just sit down one morning and [the story] just poured out of me. It just came, it wasn’t anything I had to construct,” she said. [1]

    Cover of “Flight to the Frontier” by Ruth Zavitz

    I really enjoyed Ruth’s book. I’ve long been curious about what the circumstances were like for Quakers during the war of independence. My Quaker ancestor Samuel Moore’s property in the Province of New Jersey was confiscated by the “rebels” and he and his family lived for years under the protection of the British in their camp in New York before moving to Nova Scotia.

    Ruth’s prologue helped me better understand: “In the autumn of 1782 the American colonies were embroiled in a revolutionary war with Great Britain. Although no military battles had been fought in the little hamlet of Haventown on the Hudson River, most of the inhabitants took sides for, or again, the rebels. Only the Society of Friends, called Quakers, who were against violence, remained neutral and thus were persecuted by both sides.” Ruth’s story describes how the Careys’ property was taken by the British. Mr. Carey was a shopkeeper, and all his goods were gone. The family had to move out of their house while the British took over. Their food was taken. They suffered after the troops left by the local folks who said they had taken sides with the British. They hadn’t but they couldn’t counter the forces against them. They decided to move to Canada, and had a treacherous trip.

    I am so glad that I read this book. It really helped me understand better the experience of Quaker families during this time in history. And, I found myself really looking forward to reading the book because the story was so well written. I heartily recommend this book if you are looking for a good read with an historical basis.

    -Donna Moore

    [1] Elena Maystruk, “Local writer, 91, brings story of Niagara, adventure and the American Revolution to readers,” Strathroy Age Dispatch, 5 September 2014.

  • 25 Christmases with Hugh Webster Zavitz

    Hugh Webster Zavitz (1854 – 1943) was a member of Coldstream Preparative and Lobo Monthly Meeting. His diaries, held by the Canadian Quaker Archives and Library, detail his life in the community of Coldstream. Jane Zavitz Bond was given Hugh’s diaries by his son, Vincent Zavitz. Jane writes, “We are grateful for Hugh Webster’s care over many years, knowing that he jotted down the key events of the day. Surely there were omissions, but this is a valuable skeletal fossil record.”

    Thanks to Hugh’s records, we have a glimpse into how he and his family spent over twenty-five Christmas days. He commented on his daily chores, the weather, the health of his family, and attending meetings.

    Hugh’s Christmases consisted of chopping wood, threshing peas and oats, visiting family, husking corn, making soap, and splitting wood. He noted oyster suppers, turkey dinners, and plum pudding. Gifts were seldom mentioned, though he recorded receiving mittens, a lantern, and a generous present of $500 from his mother in 1895. As part of the First Day School committee, he also attended a philanthropic meeting on peace and arbitration in 1892, and in 1898 another philanthropic session on peace where “the subject of temperance also claimed a share of our attention.”

    Logging Sleigh in the Woods, c. 1890 Ontario

    Hugh’s records can be read below.

    1874 – Friday, December 25, 1874
    Jonah was drawing saw logs to day he took down 24 logs today Father and I were choping some it was a very fine day for Christmas Mary Elizabeth was here yesterday and today.

    1875 – Saturday, December 25
    This has been a green Christmas as the snow is all gone except some drifts and the frost nearly all out of the ground Grand Mother is some better today.

    1876 – Monday, December 25
    Our folks all went over to uncle Samuels except Joah and I we were threshing peas and this evening us young folks were up to George Zavitz (except Jonah) and had a splendid good time uncle James arrived this evening.

    1877 – Tuesday, December 25
    We were threshing on the Haight place threshed 2 bush oats and Jonah was helping Samuel P. thresh this afternoon Willie and Phebe and a party of little folks here today which was very pleasant Charlie Vail is here this evening so ends a Merry Christmas.

    1878 – Wednesday, December 25
    Went to meeting and us young folks spent the afternoon and evening at Franks Eugene and Libbie Marion & Martha, Ella, Wellington, Laura were there also and had a very pleasant time.

    1879 – Thursday, December 25
    Amelia Mercy Jonah and I went up to uncle Elijahs this P.M. and spent the day and then spent the evening at Edmond Henrys. Dan was choping.

    1880 – Saturday, December 25
    Drew out two loads of wood this morning then we went over to Father’s. Uncle Merritt aunt Emily uncle James, Dellie & uncle Samuel’s there. Called on Lexie in the evening.

    1882 – Monday, December 25
    Carrie & Libbie washed. Husking corn. Edgar called with bills for the next lecture.

    1884 – Thursday, December 25
    Spent Christmas at Fathers. Uncle Zachariahs Tamer Daniel P. Emily and a cousin of theirs Kitty Shotwell were there also.

    1885 – Friday, December 25
    Colder and pleasant. I have been getting wood in the wood house, and spent a very pleasant Christtmas have been burning the big elm top that fell in the corn field in the summer.

    1886 – Saturday, December 25
    Spent Christmas at Fathers. Uncle Samuels and Melvin and Mercy there also and uncle Zacharia & Tamer. Spent a very pleasant day.

    1887 – Sunday, December 25
    Georgia went to meeting with Jonahs and our team. After meeting they came this way and we all went over to Fathers to an Oyster dinner uncle Samuels were there also. had a very pleasant time. Carrie went by covering her head to keep from the wind mild and snowing.

    1888 – Tuesday, December 25
    A rainy Christmas. We took Jonah & Emily over to Father’s Uncle Samuel’s there. Elma came home with us. Aunt Lexy brought over a present for each of us – mittens for self &c

    1889 – 12-24 – 3 rd day
    Helping prepare a Christmas tree to surprise the children. Libbie came this morning. Rainy. Joseph took all the children over to Walters. Walter called. After supper we had a nice little tree with presents on it for all. Frank came at night.

    12-25 – 4 th day. Grand father and Grand mother and Walter Phebe & Rebecca here to dinner. Uncle John called in the P.M. We have spent a very pleasant Christmas. Weather quite mild.

    1890 – Thursday, December 25
    All spent Christmas at Fathers. Uncle Zachariah Tamer Thomas and Emily there also and we had a very pleasant time. Jonahs went over with us. I got 2 pairs of mittens and a lantern for my Christmas.

    1891 – 12-25 Xmas. 6th day
    All over to Fathers to dinner. Uncle Zachariah and family there and Annie McGilvery also, had a very pleasant time. warm and muddy.

    1892 – 12-25 First day
    Christmas, All but Carrie Vincent went to meeting. Father Mother and Phebe took dinner with us and we all but Carrie attended the Philanthropic meeting on Peace and Arbitration in the P.M. in place of the F.D.S. which was good. A very snowy stormy day.

    1893 – 12-25
    Christmas Father and Mother spent the day with us. Lexie & Annie took dinner with us. Father helped clean some more of the clover seed and started to run off the leach to make soap A warm pleasant day.

    1894 – 12-25 3rd day
    All went to Jonahs to spend Christmas Uncle Eli and Aunt Mary were there they came yesterday. Lexie and Annie were there also and Tommy Tompkins. We had a Christmas tree and got a good many presents. Uncle Zachariah & Tamer were there also. Colder today and a little snow flying but the ground is bare.

    1895 — 12-25 4th day
    All went to meeting Lexie going with us, and we all went to Jonahs to a Christmas dinner of turkey. Uncle Ambros Tamer and Katie Shotwell there also. Had a pleasant time. I went to the P.O. and got a letter for Carrie from Mother containing $500 Quite a Christmas present. Warm and pleasant no frost or snow.

    1896 – 12-25 6th day
    Splitting wood in the wood house and choring.

    1897 – 12-25 7th day
    Christmas All went over and spent the day at Fathers Lexie and Annie going along. Tamer did not come back with us, it has been pleasant to have her here with us. A pleasant day but miss the dear one who has passed on.

    1898 – 12-25 First day
    All went to meeting and in the P.M. attended the Philanthropic session on Peace. The subject of temperance also claimed a share of our attention.

    1899 – 12-25 2nd day
    All went out to Ceaf Cissons to spend Xmas The Bond and Cisson families well represented. about 30 there to eat turkey Plumb Pudding &c. Had a very nice time. went in the sleigh.

    1900 – 12-25 3rd day
    Christmas, Sarah Ethel and I went to Amos Wiltons to spend the day. About 30 there of their relatives and a pleasant time had turkey Edward & Bertha went the eve before

    Hugh Webster Zavitz’s diaries are held at the Canadian Quaker Archives and Library. Sheila Harvard transcribed the diaries and Randy Saylor prepared them for posting.