“In winter, farmers in Headingley participated in ‘balls’ given by various members of the community and a great deal of effort was taken to find the proper fiddler for the occasion and to prepare sufficient food for the guests. Taylor wrote that at one such ball, more than 110 people sat down to dinner. These social occasions lasted often until dawn and were attended at times by fights between the participants. The Headingley Agricultural Society frequently held lectures during the Winter months and in the early Spring as well.

The main political contests also took place during this time, and the local offices and vestry positions were usually hotly contested. A close reading of Taylor’s Journals indicates large turn-outs for elections, an admiration for speeches, and large crowds for political rallies and parades. Magnus Brown was involved in politics during his years in Headingley and, in 1904, William Brown Jr. was elected as Councillor.

December was also tax time and residents paid municipal taxes wherever they held land – sometimes in several parishes. The Browns paid most of their tax bill for the Parish of Headingley, but William Brown and James Brown also held lands outside Headingley which they had used to secure debts. John Taylor sued William Brown Jr., for example, for lands in Baie St. Paul which William had borrowed against in the early 1890’s.

December was the time at which the residents paid the government and, in the same spirit, it was normally the time at which they began to look for those who might be in debt to them. Lawsuits appear to increase during the last portion of the year and continue at a strong pace during the first two or three months of each new year. Many of the lawsuits involved property claims (particularly before 1880) and many of them arose from vigorous political campaigning. For example, William Brown Sr. sued Hugh Cameron in May 1848 for defamation of character. He won the suit and was awarded 5 shillings plus costs. Thomas Brown sued J. Omand over the ownership of a horse and lost the case. Magnus Brown was sued by a man who claimed that Magnus did him an injury during political campaigning. Taylor also recorded that he and the Browns appealed their tax assessments on a regular basis. It should be noted that they had mixed results.”¹

John Taylor of Headingley recorded the following in his journal during the winter months:

• “I was up to St. Francois Xavier and paid my taxes to the Treasurer P. Levallée $37.50. He paid me back $2.50 on former taxes.” (December 7, 1889)
• “There was a ball at Brandon’s, quite a number were at it. His house caught fire while the dancing was going on but was in time to put it out.” (February 8, 1889)
• “I attended the Council it is our first meeting of the new Council. All the Councillors were present. A party was got up and kept up a dance all night at McLean’s before his leaving for Ontario.” (January 14, 1890)
• “This is election day in Winnipeg for a member to serve in the House of Commons. Martin and Campbell are the candidates.” (November 22, 1893)

¹ B.G. Hunter-Eastwood, “Report on the William Brown Heritage House,” Prepared for the Historical Museum of St. James-Assiniboia, Winnipeg, 1988, p. 69-70.

Sources for this section include the Taylor Journals and Provincial Archives of Manitoba, District of Assiniboia General Quarterly Court Records, MG 2B4-1. Minute Books of Trials held before the Quarterly Court: 21 Nov. – 1844-Aug. 1851; 20 Nov. 1851-25 Feb. 1863; 25 Feb. 1863-20 May 1872.