No Ordinary Man. Lois Winslow-Spragge

[tops] a good while after that we went up to the cupelo and caught Oharas pigon which we fed and put up again after dinner we read a little and did several little things when I came in at five little miss Wilmot was in I showed them my magic lantern I had a bad headache all the afternoon

      March 31st. 1861.

      went to mamas church this morning after dinner {I went out with rankine} [...] red a little to william and I listened after that mama read me a little after tea I read a story in holiday after noons

      April 1st. 1861.

      Miss came this morning got on very well with lessons after lessons Grandpapa gave me a top which I was playing with I went out and played top with the boys I got a piece taken out of my top which I put in again after tea I went to a meating of the Normal school asocation they had some very nice music.

      April 2nd. 1861.

      Miss came this morning though we thought she would not as it was snowing so badly after lessons I read some of Homers ilead after dinner I was spinning my top nearly all the afternoon I practised a little after tea I prepared some microscope objects for papa & one for myself

      April 3rd. 1861.

      Miss came this morning after lessons I spun my top after dinner Nina Ohara and us went to see some jugling tricks and some canary birds trained to do tricks at the mechanichs hall after that Ohara and me got a drawing book for Ohara and I got a top and string for myself I learnt my lessons and piled away a lot of paper boxes for papa after tea tonight got a new pair of slippers

      April 4th. 1861.

      As usual miss came this morning after lessons we were playing soldier after dinner we played snowballing and sailing boats and tried to make whistle of alder but could not after tea I put a lot of specimens in boxes for papa I was asked over to Baynses but could not go.

      April 5th 1861

      Miss came this morning after lessons we played soldier after dinner we played tag with the girls and snowball <with> and top with the boys. I practised half an hour in the afternoon mama read to us a little after tea and when I was in bed

      April 6th. 1861.

      We played soldier & top this foornoon after dinner <we playe> I had to stay in till 3 after that we played top papa came and took me over to the indian remains after tea I arainged some specemens some of the students came tonight

      April 7th. 1861.

      I read a little to william and took rankine out for a walk this fornoon after dinner I went down with papa to the bible class but prince followed us and I had to go home with him mama read some to us before tea after tea I learnt a hymn for papa went to bed early

      April 8th. 1861.

      miss Macdonald came this morning after lessons we played soldier after dinner we played soldier hide and go seek and shortly before I went in I played top after tea I learnt my lessons went to bed preety early as I was tired

      April 9th. 1861.

      Miss came today after lessons I went out a little while after dinner I went down town with papa he went to Frothinghams and Dawsons I met mama at the bible depositary on our way up we called on Mrs Torrance²³ after I came home I went to the stabels and helped Tom to cut hay after tea had some music.

      April 10th. 1861.

      Miss came this morning after lessons I went out a little while after dinner I went down town with Ohara & william we bought a bow and arrows and some sweaties when we came home we practised with our bow and <an> arrows and played marbles.

      April 11th. 1861.

      Had a bad headache

      April 12th. 1861.

      Miss came this morning got on very well with lessons after lessons we went out with our bows and arrows after dinner we made a dam and sailed boats and played top mama bought me 3 arrows today some ladies and gentlemen were in tonight

       On 13 April this diary ceases. The “journal” as George calls it, he evidently made himself. The cover was of light cardboard, with a design of small blue flowers and the pages were held together at the back with a fold of orange cloth. It also contained a set of directions on how to make colours to paint slides for the magic lantern.

      ¹⁷William C. Baynes was McGill’s secretary, registrar and bursar from 1856 to 1887 and the Baynes family also lived in the East Wing of the Arts Building (now Dawson Hall) on the McGill campus. Obviously, the children of the two families visited back and forth between family apartments in the East Wing.

      ¹⁸Rankine Dawson (1863-1913) was George’s youngest brother. He graduated from McGill Medical School in 1882 and after spending time as a medical officer for the Canadian Pacific Railway in Manitoba, he left for further training in London, England. For four years, Rankine acted as surgeon on liners of the P & O Company before settling in London. In 1896, he married Gloranna Coats and they had one child, Margaret Rita. Always prone to depression and instability, Rankine uprooted his family and moved back