"Archie MacLachlan was born on a farm 1.5 miles south of the village of Middleville, Lanark County, Ontario...
When he was 14 years of age his Father moved to a farm in the Township of Elmsley about four miles north-east of Perth on the road to Carleton Place.
In 1852-3 he and his brother started for what was then called the Queen's Bush, now Bruce County. They could not take the train farther than Stratford so walked to Goderich, took boat from there to Southampton. They chose land about a mile and a half North-East of Burgoyne. Father's farm lay on the east bank of the Saugeen River. The whole country was forest.
He cut the first tree on his farm. Here he built a small log house and in December 1859 he married Janet Isabella Brown.
Father was a strong silent man.
He was deeply religious. He was baptized and united with the Baptist Church in Paisley. For years while in Arran Township he was Superintendent of a Sunday School and held the same office in the Sunday School in Lockerby. Father and Mother attended the Presbyterian Church at Burgoyne. Father was an Elder in the Church and had the first four or five of the family christened. (Rev. J.D.M,)
In the spring of 1878 Father moved to lot 7 Concession 6 in the Township of Eldersley, three miles North-East of Paisley. The long journey of twelve miles through mud, in wagons, is very vivid in my memory. We entered a small log house. Soon however, we were housed in a fine new frame house that appeared a veritable palace to me. The white plastered walls were the last word in beauty. Many of the most gracious influences of the half dozen years that followed I've, I doubt not, been forgotten but a few stand out…"
"In 1878 we moved to lot 7 Concession 6 Eldersley, three miles East of Paisley, near Lockerby. After being here a year or two Father took down with spinal trouble. Joe my eldest brother was about nineteen years of age and Will two years younger when Father became an invalid. The care of the home and of the farm fell upon Mother and my two older brothers. Times were hard everywhere so luxuries were unknown and even the necessities of life were not always ours. It was a day of great rejoicing when Father was able to walk to the barn. He recovered sufficiently to take partial charge of the farm, though never afterwards very strong."
"In 1899 after a lingering illness Mother died. Shortly after this the farm was sold and Father and Bell, my sister, moved to Port Elgin, later going to the American Soo (Sault S. Marie), where he died in the year 1915." (Rev. John D. MacLachlan writes of his family).
Death certificate says cause of death "senility-general failure of vital force".
Death reported by son Joseph who signed his name (and gave father's name) as McLachlan (not MacL) - He was buried in Port Elgin.
Census 1910- Archibald living in Sault Ste Marie with daughter Belle who was a saleslady in a grocery store,.
(Research from "Ancestry" by Rev AJ and Rev JD McLachlan)