Our next person of focus is Sarah Campbell McIvor. She was born on July 12, 1800 in Londonderry, Ireland to Jane and Dunkin Campbell McIvor. She married John Wright, also of Londonderry, in 1818. In 1833 they emigrated to Canada with their three children, settling in York (Toronto). The family grew to include three more children. In January 1838, Sarah’s husband John was killed after falling from his horse (he was serving the Crown in the aftermath of the Rebellion of 1837). Sarah was left on her own with a young family, including a child who was on the way.
As a widow, she had a small military pension, and in 1854 Sarah acquired a 5-acre property south of Streetsville along Mississauga Road (part of Lot 3, Range 5, Credit Reserve) and established a small farm. Her eldest son Samuel rented a larger farm property nearby. Sarah’s children included Jane (1819-1914), Samuel (1820-1924), Elizabeth (1832-1909), John (1834-1894), Mary (1836-1837) and Alexander (1838-1906). Sarah’s daughter, Elizabeth married into the notable Graydon family of nearby Streetsville. Elizabeth’s husband, William Graydon Jr., was the brother of prominent Streetsville builder John Graydon. Sarah sold her 5-acre property on Mississauga Road to her son Alexander in 1894, although she lived on the property for the rest of her life. Sarah passed away on February 14, 1902 at the age of 102 and was laid to rest in St. Peter’s Anglican Cemetery in Erindale. Sarah Wright was remembered as a fierce protector of her family and worked hard to ensure that her children would thrive and have security, despite the absence of their father.