My Family Tree

James Dyment, the second son of Humphrey Dyment and his second wife, Nancy McDougald, was born on the Dyment homestead on the Northam Road on February 14 1862, and baptized in the Bible Christian Chapel in O'Leary on 7 September 1862. He lived on the Northam Road until his death in 1956 at the age of 95. His thirteen sons and daughters were also born there. Like his father and grandfather before him, James Dyment became a successful farmer, well-known and highly respected in the community.

On August 7 1889, at the age of 26, James Dyment married Laura Belle McArthur in Tyne Valley, with the Reverend Thomas Corbett officiating. Laura Belle's sister Sarah Jane was the maid of honour, and Bannerman MacDougall the best man. Bannerman would have been a double cousin, through his McArthur mother and MacDougall father.

Laura Belle McArthur was a bride of seventeen years of age. She was born in Percival River/Enmore on November 26 1871, the eldest daughter of Alexander Clifford MacArthur and his wife, Margaret Emily McLean. Her ancestors included Laughlin MacKendrik and Rachel Galbraith who came to the Island on the ship Annabella in 1770. She was also descended from William Ellis, a famous ship-builder in Prince Edward Island. Her father sold his farm to his uncle William McArthur and the family moved to Lot 13 around 1875.

While attending school in Tyne Valley, Laura Belle and her sister Sarah Jane (later Mrs. Edmund Maynard) lived with their aunt, Mrs. Mary Ann McLean McNiven. Education must have been important to Laura Belle, since her older boys and the girls, who might not have been expected to be able to stay on the farm, received a good education.

The family of James and Laura Belle Dyment consisted of nine sons and four daughters: Hatfield, Wilfred, Herman, Edward (Ned), Eleanor, Williams (Bill), Clifford, Laura Belle, Roy, Annie, Spurgeon, Ethel, and Russel. Her son Albert Hatfield was named after one of her brothers, and Annie Minerva after a sister; Alexander Clifford was named for her father. Eli Herman and Mary Eleanor were named after James' siblings, and Henry Williams after James' brother-in-law. Annie Dyment Crozier, the family historian, also said there were twins who died at birth.

On September 10 1906 Humphrey turned over the farm to James. The text on the land conveyance said: "All goods and chattel to James in consideration of the natural love and affection which the said Humphrey Dyment has and bears towards the said James Dyment." Humphrey lived with James and Laura Belle until his death in 1912.

Hatfield, Eleanor, Laura Belle and Annie graduated from Prince of Wales College, Charlottetown and taught school in various parts of the Island, including Northam. Later, Hatfield entered the ministry of the United Church of Canada and served in communities in the Gaspe, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. After teaching and working in the United States, Laura Belle joined the nursing profession, graduating from the Royal Victoria Hospital Training School in Montreal in 1931. Herman attended business school in Charlottetown and became a potato inspector as well as a farmer; his brothers Edward, Spurgeon, and Russ also became successful farmers on the Island. Wilfred worked his way up in the Canadian National Railways, being appointed the company's representative in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Zealand. Bill and Roy became skilled artisans in the construction industry in Rochester, New York, while Clifford journeyed to New England and engaged in farming. Ethel died while still a schoolgirl.

When they were young, the boys were wildly interested in horses, and often raced up and down the Northam Road, each lad with his favourite horse attached to a buggy. It's not unusual to find pictures of Dyments with horses.

When war broke out in 1914, Herman and Wilfred signed up to go overseas with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Edward wanted to enlist at the same time, but with his older brothers gone he was needed on the farm by his parents. By the time the draft letter came to Edward in 1918, the war was almost over and he served less than a month in Canada. Hatfield, a student during the early years of the war, went overseas around 1917.

After the war, in the 1921 census, Hatfield, Clifford, Laura, Roy, Annie, Spurgeon, Ethel and Russell were living at home. Hatfield had gone back to his studies and Clifford was farming. Herman and his wife Inez, and Edward and his wife Bertha, had farms of their own. Eleanor was a teacher, boarding in the Belmont area. I haven't been able to find Wilfred, who at the time might have been transferring from the CNR office in Moncton to Montreal or Toronto.

At one time or the other, the older Dyment sons went to work in the woods in Maine. Roy, Cliff and Bill settled in the States, where they married. There were mentions in the local newspaper of visits to their parents, at least once a year. According to my father, his grandmother Laura Belle had at least one trip to Niagara Falls to see her sons.

James and Laura Belle were interested in their growing family, as grandchildren began to arrive. When my father was born, if anyone praised a baby within James' hearing, he would tell them "If you want to see a baby, go up to Ned Dyment's. Now, that's a baby!" In spite of the fact that he sometimes got into mischief, Earle never remembers hearing a harsh word from his grandparents. It wasn't unusual to have 15 around the table at dinner on a Sunday in Northam.

Many friends, neighbours and family members celebrated the couple's 50th wedding anniversary, including the maid of honour and best man. The whole family came home for this event, and a photograph was taken. It was noted by speakers at the party that the Dyment household, situated across from the school, meant that teachers and students came to rely on the Dyments for any kind of supply that was needed. Earle Dyment remembers going to his grandparents for the mid-day meal, usually called dinner, while attending the school across the road. In the 1891 census, a schoolteacher was lodging with the Dyments.

Laura Belle's daughter, Laura Belle Finlayson, said of her mother that no one was ever turned away from her door hungry. She must have been fond of music, because she owned a gramaphone.

She died from what was termed a lingering illness in 1945, probably a stroke. She had been cared for by her husband and son Russ.

After a long and distressing illness, Mrs. James Dyment passed away at her home in Northam on August 7th, which was the fifty-sixth anniversary of her wedding day when she, a seventeen-year-old bride had come to her new home where she has since lived. She was the daughter of the late Alexander MacArthur and Emily MacLean and is survived by four sisters and two brothers. Deceased was a faithful member of the Tyne Valley United Church and the Northam Laties' Aid. She was also an active member of the Northam Women's Institute. Everything that was for the betterment of humanity, expecially of the young, received her energetic support. Living almost opposite the school she was often called upon to take the teacher to board and many Island teachers will remember with pleasure their stay in the Dyment home, where they always received such hearty co-operation in the projects they undertook. she was a devoted mother and fortunately she was able to see in her life-time her ambitions for her family realized and her self-sacrificing labour rewarded as one by one they went out into the world to fill positions of trust and responsibility, on to establish prosperous homes for themselves. Though far apart she kept the memory of each in her heart and rejoiced in all their successes and advancements. During her last illness her faithful and devoted husband and her son Russell and his wife in the home did all they possibly could to make her comfortable.

As one of the oldest members of the Northam community, James' birthday was noted annually in the local papers. These articles always mentioned James' keen interest in community affairs. The newspaper also noted visits with cousins like David Dyment of Mount Pleasant. In 1953, James met his cousin Jabez McDougall for the first time, even though they lived only 20 miles apart. Also at the meeting was William Dyment from Knutsford.

James suffered a heart attack in his later years and was hospitalized with pneumonia. His failing health was mentioned in the newspaper article on his last birthday, and on 25 November 1956, James died. His obituary noted "Always interested in the happenings of the day and being endowed with a wonderful memory, he was a most intelligent conversationalist. He was a man of fine character and sterling qualities...Visitors at his home always received a hearty welcome." He was buried in the Tyne Valley Presbyterian Cemetery. His death was announced on the front page of the Summerside paper, where it was noted that he had been active up until the last few months of his life. James, like his father before him, had already signed over the farm to his youngest son, George Russel Dyment.

"The death occurred at his home in Northam on Sunday November 25 1956 of Mr. James Dyment at the age of 95 years. He leaves to cherish his memory eight sons, all of whom were present at the funeral, Reverend A. Hatfield, Edward, Williams, Clifford, Roy, Herman and Spurgeon and Russell. Also three daughters. His wife, the former Laura Belle MacArthur predeceased him, also a son Wilfred and a daughter Ethel."

Mr. Earle Dyment Moncton. N.B.. attended the funeral of his grandfather the late Mr. James Dyment. The funeral of the late Mr. James Dyment, was held on Wed. afternoon. November 23th and was largely attended. A short service was held at his late residence, then to the Presbyterian Church. Tyne Valley, with Rev. Mr. MacPbail conducting service.

September 1958 - Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Dyment of Topsfield, Mass, who have been visiting relatives in Nor- tham, visited with his sister, Mrs. Bruce Crozier on Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Marchhank of Belmont, N. S., and Rev. and Mrs. A. H. Dyment of Glen- holme, N. S. spent several days ...

Most of the information on James comes from The Family and Descendants of James Dyment (1862-1956) and Laura Belle MacArthur (1871-1945) of Northam-Lot 13- Prince Edward Island (1 October 1973) by David Finlayson and my father.