The house sits on a ¼ acre of land sold by the Canada
Company to George Dobbie for £5 on May 7, 1831. George Dobbie sold
it to Fanny (Marlton) Cattle (1840 -1921) in September of 1868 for
$100.00. Fanny’s husband George Cattle (1829-1881) was a druggist in
Goderich. In late 1868 and 1869, the Cattle’s constructed 285
Cobourg Street for Fanny’s brother Henry Marlton. It appears that
they rented the house until 1883. Margaret (Johnston) Marlton
(1836-1923) purchased the property in November 1883 for $600.00.
Margaret and Henry Marlton (1828-1884) had three (3) children,
Henry Edward (1861-1881), William Francis (1863-1920) and Zeda
Margaret (1868-1921).
Around 1848, Henry Marlton had established a shipyard on Ship
Island in Goderich harbour. William Francis took over his father’s
ship building business when Henry Marlton died in 1884. Between 1848
and 1912, the Marltons built about 70 schooners, tugs and steamers,
which delivered cargo to the eastern shores of Lake Huron and
elsewhere.
The fact that the Marltons were shipbuilders might help to
explain why they had cement poured between the inside and outside
walls of the house up to the bottom of the windows! With the strong
winds blowing off the lake, they might have thought that some
ballast was needed to hold the house on the embankment.
On the bookcase in the parlour is a shadow box with a piece of
glass from one of the front windows of the house with the initials
of the Zeda Marlton [ZM] (1868-1921) and Francis H. Spence [FS]
(1863-1934) scratched into it along with the dates of May 1 and
August 3, 1886. We have not been able to determine the significance
of the dates.
Duncan Angus McNevin (1860 - 1909), (Shoemaker) and Catherine
McNevin (1853 - 1929), (nee McLay) bought Lot 91 on October 4, 1898
for $450.00. Edward N. Lewis (later Judge Lewis) held the $350.00
mortgage at 5%. Duncan A. McNevin is the great grandfather of Linda
Jewell. Duncan and Catherine had four children, Donald (1885 -
1934), Margaret (1887 - 1961), John (1890 - ?) and Angus (1894 -
1966).
When Catherine McNevin died in 1929, her sons agreed that
Margaret Ellen Grass (McNevin), whose husband had disappeared about
1925, could take possession of the property on the payment of $1.00
to her brothers and paying for the funeral expenses for her mother.
Margaret Grass and Harry Lorne Grass had twin daughters born in
1912, Margaret Elaine and Katherine Lorene. M. Elaine Grass
inherited the property on her mother’s death in 1961. Katherine
Lorene Blake (nee Grass)and her daughter, Linda (Blake) Jewell
inherited the property on Elaine’s death in 1997. The property is
now owned by Linda and Duncan Jewell.
Viewpoint was the name of the Guest Home operated by Margaret E.
Grass and her daughter M. Elaine Grass (twin sister of Katherine
Lorene Blake). Viewpoint was in operation in the 1940's and
1950's. Linda and Duncan Jewell completely renovated
the property in 2000 and it now operates as Viewpoint Bed &
Breakfast, Goderich’s only B&B overlooking Lake
Huron.
