How is this object or story important to you?

On the spoon are engraved the initials of four generations of women. The womens' last names are their husbands' last names. The spoon is either from Ireland or it could have been purchased in Toronto. It has been passed down from mother to daughter not from father to son. Nancy plans on having her initials engraved on the spoon soon. This spoon appears only at Christmas and Thanksgiving and disappears the rest of the year. When Nancy received the spoon it was broken at the intersection of the handle and bowl. She is now thinking about repairing it, even though it is very plain and practical rather than decorative. The initials on the spoon are as follows: E.R. Elizabeth Reilly, E.T. Thompson, G.T. Gertrude Thompson, M.G. Mary Gale. Nancy's ancestors come from Tara, an area just south of Owen Sound, Ontario. Elizabeth Reilly's generation were pioneer farmers.

What does it add to the story of Toronto?

The story of Toronto is the story of all the people who farmed the land around Toronto when it was only a town. They aspired to move there because it promised a better life for them.

How did you acquire it?

Nancy's mother gave the spoon to Nancy shortly before her mother's death. She told her that the spoon has been handed to the first-born daughter of four generations.

How old do you think it is?

Before Confederation, between the 1850s and 1860s.