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Join us as we explore some of the fond family memories, as the children recall them, of the house on the Homestead.

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Scale model of the Banting Homestead, as it looked in 1920.
1920
Alliston, Ontario

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Thompson Banting, Frederick's brother, purchased the farm from their father in 1915. He and his wife Lena (Knight) Banting, who had been living on a rented farm since their marriage 5 years earlier, re-located back to the family Homestead. Their son Edward was only 3 weeks old and had to be wrapped in first a layer of blankets, and then a layer of newspaper for the move.

This scale model shows the house and farm as it appeared circa 1920.

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Beeton Junction School Class.
1890
Beeton, Ontario

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School class from the Beeton Junction School. In the centre, second from the right, is Thompson Banting, older brother of Sir Frederick. Another brother, Nelson Banting, is on the right in the front row.

Robert Thompson Banting, the grandson of Thompson Banting and Lena Knight, recalls his grandparents:

"Grandma loved to jest with Grandpa after dinner. The standing joke that kept us kids in laughter went like this:

"'Have you had sufficient?'
"Grandpa would answer, while appearing somewhat deaf, 'Have I gone fishing?'
"'No, have you had plenty?'
"'Did I catch twenty?'
"'Oh you old fool.'
"'Did I fall in the pool?'

"Grandpa especially loved to laugh - Neither had a mean bone in their body. We loved them dearly."

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Scrapbook Page
1930
5116 Sir Frederick Banting Road, New Tecumseth, Ontario

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The old farmhouse, however, was drafty and difficult to heat in winter. In 1925, Thompson Banting had it remodeled into a smaller, eight-room house.

Ron Brighty recalls speaking with one of Thompson Banting's daughters, who reported that "some time after the photo' [top left] was taken, the family moved into the part of the building seen in the left of the photo', tore down the nearer part, and built the present house on its foundations, from materials of the demolished part: they then moved into the new house and demolished the part in which they had temporarily lived."

The new house was also wired for electricity, at the cost of $42.50.

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Grandchildren of Thompson and Lena (Knight) Banting.
1960
Alliston, Ontario

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This picture, circa 1960, is a group shot of Thompson and Lena's grandchildren, on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. Robert Thompson Banting, grandson of Thompson and Lena Banting, is at the top left.

The Banting Homestead, as well as Thompson's brother's Nelson's nearby farm on the Scotch Line (present day Boyne Street) were full of children, especially in the summers.

Marie (Banting) Shields, Thompson's daughter, recalls that: "cousins from the city would come up ... I don't know how Mother put up with so many kids! Always, all summer she would have little kids to look after. Of course everybody thought 'we should get out to the farm, out of the city;' it was so much healthier for the children. But they never thought of all the work my mother had to do over it."

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The second Banting house.
1995
5116 Sir Frederick Banting Road, New Tecumseth, Ontario

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Robert Douglas Banting, Nelson Banting's grandson, and Marie (Banting) Shields, Thompson's daughter, discuss summer nights at the Homestead.

Bob: You'd be doubled up in most of the beds. ... And sleeping out on the porch?

Marie: Slept on the porch, I can remember, and of course we didn't have sleeping bags. You just took a blanket or a quilt or something. ... If it rained we'd sleep downstairs on the verandah. If it was nice weather we'd sleep upstairs on the balcony.

B: I remember at the Webster farm, there must have been 6 of us all on a similar verandah. You got what bedclothes you could get, and you got something under you that was as soft as you could get. And there we were all night.

M: Watching stars.

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Children playing at the Homestead.
1960
5116 Sir Frederick Banting Road, New Tecumseth, Ontario

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In this photograph, Robert Thompson Banting, the grandson of Thompson and Lena Banting, rides in a sulky behind "Lulu", with Judy McKnight, a neighbour from across the road.

Robert adds:

"Had many a thrilling summer at the Banting Farm and enjoyed the time immensely. Most of the summer gatherings were for the Banting reunion, but other times we just drove down from Sudbury and stayed a couple of weeks to be with Grandpa, Grandma and Uncle Edward."

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Children playing instruments at the Homestead.
1960
5116 Sir Frederick Banting Road, New Tecumseth, Ontario