Notes:

From Cobden of the Past, March 8-9, 2021 researched by this author:
1.Where is the house depicted on this page located?
A very recognizable brick home that most Cobden students passed on the way to school. It is located at the corner of Crawford & Cowley. You can see both schools in the background.

2.Who has lived in this home in the PAST?
The upstairs tenants that were identified, were Roy & Edna Lester, Jack & Eve Arnott, William & Edna Reynolds and Florence Wilson.
Roy & Edna Lester were closely connected to the Cobbs. Edna Lester & Marguerite Cobb were sisters. Roy Lester passed away in 1966. Edna married again in 1968 to William Reynolds.
Jack Arnott didn?t have far to walk to work ? across the street to CDHS.
Do you know of any others?

The owners who lived in this home - more recently ? Ed & Shirley (nee Cobb) Stairs.

1945- Shirley?s parents Nigel Cobb (1897 -1978) & Marguerite Bowland (1896-1985) purchased the house in Sept 1945 from Carrie Jack.

1936-Carrie, (Caroline 1881-1956) Jack had inherited the property in 1936 from her mother Elizabeth Jack nee Cowdry. Jim Cobb mentioned that a ?Carrie? made a ghostly appearance to several people in this home. I couldn?t find any other female named Carrie associated with this property.

1914-Elizabeth Jack nee Cowdry purchased the house in April, 1914. Elizabeth (1860-1936) who was the widow of John Jack (1853-1913) from Almira Ferrier (wife of James Ferrier) nee Strong.

1906-Almira Ferrier (1862-1942) was the widow of Robert Andrew Caswell (1868- Dec 1905) when she inherited the property in March 1906. She later married James Ferrier. The significant jump in value when Robert?s widow received the property and the general timeframe suggests a change on the property such as a new building. Some of you may have realized by now the Robert Caswell was the brother of Edgar Caswell. The Caswell brothers were in partnership in brickworks and building construction. This is one of the homes that they built as noted in posts previously commenting on the brickworks and other homes they built. However, it would seem that this home was built for Robert himself. I find it interesting that the executers of Robert Andrew Caswell?s estate were the who?s who of Cobden: Edgar Caswell, James R Delahey, Robert Boyle.

1903-Robert Caswell purchased this property in 1903. There were many land transfers prior to this one however the value of the property remained relatively the same.

3.What is the significance & business connection of this multifamily home?
The wives of Roy Lester & Nigel Cobb were Bowland sisters. Both couples lived in this home. Roy & Edna moved to Cobden in 1935 to manage the Cobden Grain Elevator owned by C. W. Hall & Co. A year later he purchased the business. In 1945 he was joined by his brother-in-law Nigel Cobb to be General Manager.
4.Who built this home?
As previously indicated, it was built by the Caswell brothers. Judging by the land records, the home was built somewhere between Oct 1903 when the property was purchased by Robert Caswell and Mar 1906 when Almira his widow, inherited the property.

Nigel married Marguerite BOWLAND on 9 Sep 1922 in Ottawa, Carleton, Ontario, Canada. Marguerite (daughter of Oswald BOWLAND and Alvina Bernice HUDSON) was born in 1896; died in 1985; was buried in Cobden, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Marguerite married Edison Dow STAIRS on 24 Jun 1950 in Cobden, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada. Edison was born on 16 Oct 1924 in West Waterville, , New Brunswick, Canada; died on 10 Oct 2023 in Renfrew, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Cobden, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Edna married Kenneth Gilmour WHILLANS on 5 Sep 1953 in Cobden, Renfrew, Ontario, Canada. Kenneth (son of Horace G. WHILLANS and Thelma POPE) was born on 8 Aug 1927 in Ottawa, Carleton, Ontario, Canada; died on 24 Aug 1990 in Cousins Beach, , Prince Edward Island, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]