A group of Meiklejohns gathered together for dinner and a reunion at the historic Meiklejohn House in Harriston on March 18.
Early in the 1900s two brothers, Robert and John Meiklejohn left home with their families from Scotland. Robert and his family headed for Australia, while John and his group came to Canada. In recent years, their grandchildren have been in touch. This spring, Robert’s grandson, Gordon and his wife Carol came to this area after travelling from Australia to Alaska to see the Iditarod.
During the week of March 17, they visited this area and were able to meet with many of their cousins. After an enjoyable week Gordon and Carol left to visit friends and family in the United States, and will end up their North American tour with their daughter who lives in Virginia.
Family members note it is not yet clear what connection this Meiklejohn clan has to the original Meiklejohn family of Harriston, although they are researching the connection.
The Meiklejohn House was built in the 1870’s as a stately Victorian home by Alexander Meiklejohn who became the first mayor of Harriston. It has many unique features including a wall which recesses into the ceiling to make the parlour into one large room and eight fireplaces, four of which are made of Italian marble. The building is currently operated by Ralph and Irene Drost as a bed and breakfast with rooms available for meetings and gatherings.
