Grace Sutherland, circa 1835

Historical records reveal that on average,  approximately four females were associated with each male head of households in Lambton County prior to 1862. It can indeed be stated that women also helped to build the county.

The youngest of five children, Grace Sutherland was born to Grace Hog and Thomas Sutherland and was among the first to settle in Moore Township in 1833. Like all pioneering females, her contribution to establishing her family on the Upper Canadian frontier was significant.  The young Grace assisted with the household chores, helped out at the family's general store and otherwise made herself useful.  Only her family's relatively privileged position kept her from the more back-breaking tasks, such as wood chopping and farmwork, routinely performed by countless other female settlers in the county.  Nevertheless, she did her part according to the domestic expectations of her social class.

In 1847, She married Dr Thomas W. Johnston of Port Sarnia.  The couple had nine children, seven of whom lived to adulthood.  Three of their sons rose to local prominence.  Thomas, a physician like his father, was a two-term mayor of Sarnia in the late 1890s and sat as West Lambton's member of parliament from 1898 until his death in 1905.  Sutherland was a popular Sarnia druggist from 1876 until 1903 and then a well-respected customs officer during the early twentieth century.  And Edward served as Sarnia's town clerk for several years until his premature death in 1885.  He and his siblings inherited their mother's artistic talents.  Edward rendered some of his most interesting albeit politically cryptic, sketches while jotting down town council minutes.

Based upon, and Courtesy of;  Glen C. Phillips, Lambton: An Illustrated History of the County (Cheshire Cat Press, 1999)