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SHORT HISTORY OF PIONEER ROBERT BETTS AND THE PRESENT WOODLAWN FARM IN PICKERING TOWNSHIP The rolling acres of Pickering Township were wooded at the turn of the l800's when Robert Betts took possession of 90 acres, Con. 2, Lot and block near Con. 3, to which he soon added 10 acres to bring his farm out to the concession line. That was as far as a road had been laid out. All was unpathed forest of Maple, beech, elm, conifers, etc. Fine streams of water flowed toward Lake Ontario, one of which crossed the Betts farm, fish and game were plentiful. Robert Betts traced his ancestry back to his great grandfather, Joseph Betts, born in England and said to have land that is now part of the City of London, but which was confiscated by the British during the Revolutionary War. Robert was born in Otsego County, New York State, but was brought to Ontario, Canada, at an early age by his father, Aaron Betts, who took up land which is part of the Town of Whitby. Another son, Henry Betts, inherited that farm so Robert looked about and found a farm whose original deed to him came from the crown. (Ref: at bottom of this letter.) He proceeded to build his log house and to clear his land, taking unto himself a neighboring girl, Rachel Churchill, for a wife. They had nine children, two of whom died in childhood. The present stone house was built for his growing family during the years, 1845 to 1847. The older children helped by spinning and making their clothes, preserving the wild berries and plums, while the oldest son, John, became his father's able assistant in the fields, for trees had to be felled and split into rails, or hewed into beams for the new house. In fact, the doors of that house to-day, 1956, are all hand made, a very remarkable workmanship. Robert's wife, Rachel, turned over the housekeeping to her older daughters and plied her loom, providing carpets for neighbors, far and wide. Yet she always found time to stay up at night with a sick neighbor or to help to bring to birth the newest baby; and never a tramp passed that way who wasn't fed, and if necessary, housed for the night. Both Robert and Rachel Betts were members of the Society of Friends. Never was their work so pressing that they could not attend Thursday morning meeting and of course, Sunday was a special day for worship. A couple of generations ago, the Quaker Church building (now a fine Masonic Temple), was the Church with the largest congregation in the Village of Pickering. Robert Betts was a quiet living man, there are no records of him dipping into politics. He was far too busy turning his wooded acres into arable land that he might feed, clothe and educate his family. His eldest daughter, Eliza, taught the first school on the farm of Gervas Cornell, adjoining on the East side. Daughters Caroline and Adelia, also were teachers, but all three in a few years became the wives of substantial farmers. Adelia, the fifth child, carried on by educating all four of her children for teachers, one of whom, Elma Cronk, spent 40 years of her life in the Ontario Schools. Robert Betts met with a great loss when his son John, died in his early 20's. His daughter Adelia's husband, Stephen Cronk, came to the rescue by selling his own farm in Prince Edward County, and buying that of his father-in-law, taking possession in the Autumn of 1876. Later on, his son, Robert Cronk, named after his grandfather, was taken into partnership, another house was built on the farm, another family of six children reared there and another 50 acres were added. To-day, Pioneer Robert Betts, has three great-great grandchildren, the fifth generation, enjoying farm luxuries of which he never dreamed; pushing buttons for lights instead of home-made tallow candles, and wonder of wonders, purebred Ayrshire cattle being milked by a machine in a "Cow Parlor" and chewing their cud in a "Lounging Room". Yes, the farm has gone ultra modern under the ownership of Robert Cronk's daughter, Myra, and son-in-law, Alan Lishman. Allegra Cronk. "Written by Robert Betts' 84-year-old granddaughter living at 580 Erbes Rd., Thousand Oaks, Calif." A.C.S. "Note - The original deed for this parcel of land is in the possession of Mrs. Alan Lishman. Deed Registered Nov. 26th , 183O, Mary Elmsley to James Brown for 125 Pounds. Purchased by Robert Betts who cleared the land." Ref.: Mrs. Alan Lishman.