My cousin Lynda Sykes wrote this about her visit to Mabee’s Corners many years ago, after reading about my ‘sighting’ of the road sign for it. She graciously gave me permission to post it. Lynda is the editor of Charles Kipp’s WWII memoir Because We Are Canadians
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Ever since I can remember anything, I remember Grandma telling me many times with great pride how her family came to found Mabee’s Corners, which I vaguely knew was somewhere down around near Tillsonburg.
Crossroads
Grandma told me that her great-great-great (I don’t remember now how many “greats”) grandparents got married on the three-way crossroads of Mabee’s Corners. There was nothing there at the time – just the intersection of the three roads. She said the bride came from one direction, the bridegroom came from another direction, and the preacher came from the third direction. They all met at the intersection and the preacher married them there at the crossroads. After they were married, the young couple was looking for a place to settle, and so they decided to settle at that same crossroads. And thus, they founded Mabee’s Corners. Real romantic story, right?
I never saw Mabee’s Corners until I was a teenager, dating Wayne. One Sunday, he and I were out driving and we were coming into Tillsonburg, kinda through the ‘back door’ from the south. I saw this road sign that pointed to Mabee’s Corners, so many miles down the road. I got all excited, and asked Wayne to turn around and follow that road. As he did, I’m telling him with great pride about how my ancestors founded Mabee’s Corners, and relating Grandma’s romantic story to him.
Mabee’s Corners now and then
Today, Mabee’s Corners looks very different from what it did then, almost 50 years ago. Then, it was just a three-way stop. It’s only in the last 20 years or so that they opened up what used to be barely a cowpath to make a fourth road running to the south, thus making it into a four-way stop. Today, all the roads in the south country are paved. Modern, tidy homes have been built in Mabee’s Corners.
Back then, however, when I was happily telling Wayne Grandma’s wonderful romantic story, it was very, very different. And it was March, when nowhere looks its best.
We’re driving along, getting closer and closer to Mabee’s Corners, and we start seeing some small weather-beaten houses. A store on the corner. That was it, except for the mud everywhere. Needless to say, I was stunned! I had always wanted to see this place. In my mind, it was a magical town like on a picture postcard.
Wayne looked at me with such a smirk on his face and he started to laugh. “So this is the place your ancestors founded, eh? Well, it looks like they’re still here.” Well – we laughed and we laughed. It was at such odds with the romantic story I had just been telling. For years and years, we could never drive through Mabee’s Corners on the way down to Judy and Fred’s without laughing.
Marrying at a crossroads
Years later, after Grandma passed away, Mom found a newspaper clipping amongst her papers and keepsakes. It was an article about the Mabee family. But it also gave some history regarding early pioneer culture and customs in this area. It described the practice of marrying at a crossroads, like Grandma’s ancestors did.
Normally when a couple plans to marry, in order for the union to be legal, they either have to have their marriage certificate for at least three days before the marriage date or have the banns read aloud in church for three Sundays before the blessed event. However, back then, if one was in a hurry, there was another way.
If neither of those two criteria had been met, a marriage could still be considered legal if 1) the marriage took place at midnight, 2) the bride and groom were attired in their nightclothes and 3) the marriage took place at a crossroads.
Sure sounds like a premise for a shotgun wedding to me! Needless to say, this article pretty much obliterated whatever romantic notions I had left regarding my ancestors’ founding of Mabee’s Corners.
Doesn’t it make ya’ wonder if great-great-great-great-grammy was knocked up, and that great-great-great-great-grandpappy wasn’t too thrilled about marryin’ her? But bless their hearts! I guess we all turned out all right anyway. All I can say is, “Thanks,” and I hope life wasn’t too hard for them.
And those are my stories about Mabee’s Corners.
(Edited and images added by Dorothy S.)
Daryl Webber
26 May 2023Hi Dorothy. Just came across your note from a couple of years ago, now. MaryAnn is listed on the BHC record there beneath her sister Hattie. I just was mailed her records from overseas!
MaryAnn had first lived with Rev. George Shaw in Brownsville in June 1896, then L.A. Hensley who is listed as having her on March 3, 1897 in Eden, then moved to Tilsonburg with a John (Guther….)then in April of 1898 Ben Maybee (something about Courtland Station and Tilsonburg again) Then MA is with Ben Maybee on May 16, ’98 (So perhaps he was married to Sarah and MA had been a “relacement child for Ben and Pheobe). Maybee writes in May MA is doing well. But on August 29 writes that the relationship with Ms. Maybee had gone south! MA was transfered to Israel Stillwell and/or Mrs Gray in Eden. By February 99 Mrs Stillwell is dead. She goes to Mrs. Potter in Mount Elgin and is there for a bit longer! Mrs Hayes in Springfeild takes her in December 01 from a Mr. Flemming in Hollbrook. The record is unclear because of the handwriting. But finally she moves out and is working for money with a Mrs. Boyers somewhere.
So it sounds like she may have a been a pretty angry or a feisty, little girl by the time she was 14! In teh counselling office we would look at grief history and “attachment style”!
Any of those names ring any bells for you? Know anything more about the Maybees? Would be interesting if there was a news clipping or a picture or anything. Interestingly enough she takes her trunk with her stuff to Mrs. Potters, so she stil has her personal belongings in one place “later” in life.
Thanks for getting back to me. Ill be interested to hear if you come up with anything on Ben and Sarah…
Cheers! Have a great weekend.
Dorothy
27 May 2023Hi Daryl, I am so glad that you’ve found out more about MaryAnn – and that you shared it here! None of these names are familiar to me but I will be looking for them now. Thanks so much.
James Hodgson
24 Sep 2023I have a picture from Mabee Corners with Nellie Mabee and the Hodgson Children she is my Great Grandmother contact jahodgson@yahoo.com
Daryl Webber
2 Jun 2021Hi Maybee corner folks. I am The great nephew of MaryAnn Bradshaw who came as a British Home Child to live with Benjamin Maybee and was living there July 1898 when she was eleven. It was perhaps her 7 th home in two years. A 3 line report on her says she was “made much of” and was the only child on the farm. Also that she went to church and had won an award for memorizing the 32 Psalm.
Previously she had lived with the Hensleys in Eden.
Anyone ever hear of a Home child in Maybees corners. Her sister was in Brownsville. So close yet they lost contact not long after arriving in the area together in 1996.
Thanks for the posts. It is good imaging MaryAnn finding hole there for a bit!
Ps. I may be much too late to this conversation to have a reply!!
Dorothy
2 Jun 2021Hi Daryl, I hope we can find an answer to this! I have a Benjamin E Mabee living in Middleton Twp. at the right time for MaryAnn. His wife Phoebe died in 1897. A son Frank died in 1889 at age 4. Benjamin’s 2nd wife was named Sarah. You probably already know this, but I found a good website British Home Children in Canada – alas no MaryAnn Bradshaw.
John MayBee
6 May 2021Dorothy,
I am a genealogist working on the Maybee/Mabee families of North America. Many of the records I researched refer to Mabee, Ontario, in Middleton Township, also Mabee road, and Mabee side road, which I could never locate, but when Roy Hodgson, married Lizzie Mabee, I discovered Roy’s mother was Nellie Maybee (of a different line), and that Roy and all his brother’s and sisters said they were born in Mabee’s Corners (1889-1909).
Now I have THE location for all my other source’s location references.
Interested Mabees can probably find their relatives on my website
Thank you,
John MayBee
Maybee Society Database Coordinator and Webmaster
Dorothy
6 May 2021Hi John, it’s an honour to hear from you. I’ve spent many hours on your website. Mabee Side Road, I believe, is one of the roads that intersect at Mabee’s Corners. I’m glad that you’ve found where it is. Thank you for writing, and thank you also for the work that you have done. It has added enormously to my knowledge about my grandmother’s family – and it’s very easy to use!
James Hodgson
24 Sep 2023I am James A Hodgson and Nelly Mabee was my great great great grandmother married to Henry Hodgson contact me at jahodgson@yahoo.com
Elaine (Homick) Swinimer
27 Aug 2017Hi, my name is Elaine and I grew up in the store at Mabees’ Corners you talk about. I don’t ever remember there being the type of shacks and junk around that Lynda Sykes said were there twenty to thirty years ago. My parents owned the store for twenty years or more from the time I was a baby until I was in my twenties. I am now in my early seventies (very early) and I was back a few years ago to visit my family and went to see the store. Sure it has changed over the years but when every farm was a tobacco farm and the big stores weren’t open on Sundays and late evenings in Tillsonburg, the store did prosper but like all small stores now they do the best they can to keep open. But as you see it is still going. Putting the picture of the Beverly Hillbillies on sure was an insult to the people of Mabees’ Corners. Now that I have had my say, Good day to you.
Elaine .
Dorothy
27 Aug 2017Hi Elaine – I read Lynda’s story as more of a tongue in cheek laughing at herself for having kind of grandiose fantasies. Neither she nor I intended any offence to anyone in town. That’s where our grandmother comes from, after all. Please accept my apologies.
Jo Anne
18 Dec 2017Hello Elaine. My name is Jo Anne Wingfield, nee Claus. If you look at the post JLW, that is me. I remember you and your parents: you were about 3-4 years old when we lived nearby and shopped at the store. The lady & her 2 sons who lived in a small house behind your folk’s store was called Flossie Davies/is. The house was not a shack, by any means! The lady was a single, partly crippled Mom: struggling to make a living and often worked for my Dad. I met my husband Ken at Maybees Corners in 1951, married in 1952, was married for 50+ years and now am a widow and live in Saskatchewan. If you would like to communicate I’m ke.n.jo@hotmail.com
D.Scott Mabee
6 Jun 2016I’m a Mabee that grew up in the area. Just 3 miles south of Mabee’s Corner. My family have been long time residents of this area. The parcel of land where my brother Cliff lives was the Mabee homestead that my Great-Great Grandfather built. The barn is gone, two Tobacco Kilns still stand on the property on the North Road of the former Houghton Township. My Grandfather George lived just North of our house (where my mother Shirley (Vernon) Mabee still lives). There are more Mabee’s in the area than a lot of people knew. I now reside in Port Rowan where there are other Mabee’s as well.
Dorothy
6 Jun 2016Hi Scott, it’s nice learning more about Mabee’s Corners and who lived where. Your grandfather and my grandmother were brother and sister, I see. On my Mabee photo page, there are some pictures of him and your grandmother. I hope your mother is well, and thanks for writing.
Maggie Purtill/nee Mabee
11 Aug 2018Yep we’re everywhere!
Karen
8 Mar 2016I went to see Mabee’s Corners for the first time today. Wow there’s is even a side road named Mabee’s Side road . Well it was really kind of overwhelming as this is most likely the home of my ancestors my last name is Mabee . I was hoping to find a little trinket business card or something with the name and address but no such luck. I did go down the road about a mile and a half and found the cemetery and there were many graves of the Mabees. So I guess there must have been a fairly large settlement of Mabees at one time. Now that leaves me wondering how many Mabees still live in the area?
Sure would be fun to have a Mabee reunion there.
Dorothy
9 Mar 2016Hi Karen, glad you made it to Mabee’s Corners. I don’t know how many still live there or in the area. I don’t know if there have been family reunions there. It’s a good idea. Maybe we’ll hear from a Mabee who can answer these questions for us?
Stacey
26 Aug 2015Hi there!
Interesting article. Mabee’s Corners is one of the most beautiful, magical places in Norfolk County. I grew up on the North, West corner directly across from my Grandparents who spent most of their lives living there. The sandy, nutrient rich farmland was dedicated to tobacco for over 50 years and you can still find fields of it there along with corn and soybeans. I have the Happiest childhood memories growing up there and I still visit several times a month. It’s the perfect place to reconnect with nature, relax and appreciate how beautiful our world really is.
Dorothy
26 Aug 2015Hi Stacey, you’re right. That area, north of Lake Erie, is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, the countryside, towns and villages. Both sides of my family lived around where Elgin, Oxford and Norfolk Counties meet. Rediscovering it with adult eyes was one of the things I’m happiest about having done.
JLW
23 Apr 2015Hi. When I was about 14, my Dad moved us to one of Matt Dean’s tobacco farms at Maybees Corners – year 1946 – as a sharegrower. At that time the store had a pool table, few groceries and gas pumps. Soon it was sold to another man who made it mostly groceries. My younger brothers attended the local school and later attended Tillsonburg High School. I have many memories of that place and some of the local families — Davies, Vandendriechie-(probably misspelled),people on the corner that I babysat for. A year or so later Dad moved to another of Matt’s farm that was a concession south – (very swampy).
I know well tobacco work; pulling plants, planting, hoeing, topping, suckering. handing leaves, tying and stripping in the barn.
I don’t know if this part of my life is of any interest to anyone — and I also met my husband of 50+ years –(deceased) there.
If anyone lived there at that time, it would be nice to swap experiences.
jlw Saskatchewan, April, 2015
Dorothy
23 Apr 2015Hi J – thanks for writing. My mother worked in tobacco one year, said she quickly decided to never do it again. When I wanted to, because it was good money, she said you do not want to do that! She always laughed at Stompin’ Tom’s song Tillsonburg, said he knew what he was singing about. Thanks for sharing your memories of that and of Mabee’s Corners.
sherry white
26 Nov 2014My Grandpa and Great Grandpa WHITE Had the farm at the corner of Maybees
Corners!
krista
29 Jun 2014http://images.gasbuddy.com/FetchImage.ashx?key=Zt8rjKJ2nN0kD%2bMxwrfkbQ%3d%3d&id=uRmiT1kUVq4rMXajltscRLE7%2bdBRib6YNZQomgtI0Zc%3d
This is a picture I found.
krista
29 Jun 2014For the mist part my grandmother says the store is the same. Their bedrooms on the 2nd floor, store in the middle and porch and kitchen in the little section to the right.
krista
29 Jun 2014That seedy-looking store at mabee’s corners was built and run by my great-grandfather. My grandmother lived in the house by the store and says she pumped many a gas tank as a girl. It had been sold before she was grown and they bought a tobacco farm down the road. I drive by the store twice a year for family reunions and I don’t believe i’ve ever seen the place as seedy. I’ll keep a good eye out for it next time.
Dorothy
30 Jun 2014Hi Krista, thanks for telling us about the store. The link you sent for the picture doesn’t seem to work. I’d love to see it. I had no pictures, past or past, to use for this story. The building in the picture is not in Mabee’s Corners, it’s just one I found online that seemed to convey the sense of what was written. Thanks for writing and anything you want to add to fill out the story would be greatly appreciated.