Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
A. J. Watt family fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Architectural drawing
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
5.5 cm textual records
2 blueprints
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
A.J. Watt was born Albert Edward Watts in Suderland, Ontario on December 23, 1873 to Samuel and Bridgit Watts. On December 29, 1897, in the Diocese of Toronto, he married Mary Frances Purvis, of the Township of Brock. The couple had two children: Ernest Russell born Feb. 19, 1899, and Earl Edward born August 26, 1903.
In 1906 the family moved to Dundurn, Saskatchewan, and in 1914 to the Grande Prairie area, coming in over the Edson Trail, a month-long trip. They filed on three homesteads in the Flying Shot area, the home place being SW 3-71-6-W6. Ernie and Earl completed their schooling at Flying Shot Lake School and supplimented the family income by trapping – mostly coyotes.
By 1924, Albert Edward Watts was going by the name Arthur James Watt. In 1951, when the Old Age Security Act was passed, he applied to the federal government for a birth certificate under that name in order to prove that he qualified for the pension; the reply stated that there was no record of his birth. He then re-applied under the name Albert Edward Watts. No explanation is available for the change of name, but all income tax, correspondence and family stories in the Along the Wapiti history book are recorded under the name Arthur James Watt.
Ernie took out his own homestead, SE 31-70-6-W6, and he and A.J. farmed together. During the 1930s Ernie and Earl worked in the Globe coal mine.
Mary Frances Watt passed away in 1944, and A.J. Watt in 1957. Earl married Olive Ethel Mutch and lived first in High Prairie and then Grande Prairie. He passed away in 1978. Ernie continued to farm the three homesteads as well as Dr. Little’s homestead. In later life he resided in Wild Rose Manor and then Mackenzie Place. He died in 1998 at age 99.
Custodial history
The records were donated to Grande Prairie Museum by Ernie Watt in 1993. In 2000 the responsibility for the collection was transferred to the Grande Prairie Regional Archives.
Scope and content
The fonds consist of personal papers in the form of genealogy records, income tax returns and correspondence; farm records consisting of income receipts and crop statements; hand-written recipes; a collection of booklets: coupon premium catalogues, cookbooks and household remedies; and some clippings on the Royal family from 1921-1938.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The records were donated to Grande Prairie Museum by Ernie Watt in 1993.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on access.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
A finding aid is available at http://southpeacearchives.org/finding-aids/a-j-watt-family-fonds/
Associated materials
Accruals
Accompanying material
Donated with this collection was a blueprint for the Toronto Dominion Bank (1968) included in the Map Library, and booklets: Personal Hygiene for every Woman and Girl (1951), The Boy Scout & Wolf Cub Proficiency Badge Reference Book (1948), and The School Ordinance (for the NWT, 1901).
Many artifacts from the Watt family home are included in Grande Prairie Museum collections.
Alpha-numeric designations
Accession numbers: 1985.48; 1993.60
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Watt, Albert (Subject)
- Watt, Mary Frances (Subject)
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Level of detail
Partial
Language of description
- English