Archibald Piper 1887-1964

Archibald Piper 1887-1964

Son of:

William Piper and Janet Crawford

Brother of:

James Piper 1873-1949

John Piper 1875-1950

William Piper 1877-1941

Thomas Piper 1879-1951

Jane Piper 1881-1885

Catherine Piper 1884-1956

Janet Piper 1889-1953

Martha Piper 1892-1893

Husband of:

Eliza Elizabeth Clayton 1882-1940
from 1913-1940

Edith Pittman Wallin 1900-1985
from 1943-1964

Father of:

Ellen Janet Elizabeth Piper 1915-2008

William Archibald Piper 1916-1979

Frederick James Piper 1920-1943

Archibald Piper was born at 11:20 am on the 14th of February 1887 in Sorn, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Sorn is a small village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is situated on the River Ayr.
He was the seventh of nine children born to William Piper, a Pitheadman at the mine, and his wife Janet Crawford

Archie attended school in Sorn Public School and in the 1901 census he is listed as a 14 year old apprentice blacksmith for his Uncle Archibald Piper at Craighill, Mauchline, near Sorn. A trade he would continue with for many years.

On the 14th May 1908 he enlisted as a soldier of the Ayrshire Yeomanry to serve in the Territorial Force of the County of Ayr and was discharged, after serving his 2 year commitment, on 13th May 1910.
Archie had decided that staying in Sorn meant working in the coal mine as his father and brother William were doing. This was not what he wanted to do the rest of his life so a ticket to Canada was purchased with his earnings.
John Piper, a brother to Archie, had left Sorn, in 1894 for Battle Creek, Nebraska, later moving to Aberdeen N. Dakota in the USA. In 1909 John and family moved to Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada and in 1911 moved to the homestead by Bow Island. This being perhaps the reason for Archie to choose Lethbridge, Alberta as his destination as he and John Duncan boarded the “S.S. Ionian” on the 19th of March 1910 at Glasgow Scotland. They sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia arriving on the 29th. On the census, 1 June 1911, Archie is a blacksmith in Blairmore and eventually ended up in Pincher Creek. It's believed Archie, being a Blacksmith by trade, worked for Edward Blackburn on their ranch in the Pincher Creek area. It was in Pincher Creek that he would meet Eliza E. Clayton.

“Pincher Creek Echo" Friday November 7, 1913
Matrimonial: Piper-Clayton

A quiet wedding took place at the manse on

Saturday last when Elizabeth E. Clayton was married to Archibald Piper.

The bride was attended by Mrs. J. Monaghan and the groom by E.G. Blackburn. Rev Hillis Wright performed the ceremony. The wedding breakfast was partaken of at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. Monaghan. Mr. and Mrs. Piper will reside in Pincher Creek

According to the "Pincher Creek Echo" 21 November 1913

A. Piper, left Tuesday for McLaren's lumber camp, where he has accepted a position.
This was located just out of Pincher Creek.

While in Pincher Creek Archie was an Inside Guardian for the Local I.O.O.F Lodge

Independent Order of Odd Fellows, this is a service fraternity derived from the British Odd Fellows service which came into being in the 18th century

(This was a picture grandpa kept in his hat while in the war, that is why it is so wrinkled)

"Pincher Creek Echo" 26 February 1915

Born: Piper; at Pincher Creek, on February 13 to Mr. and Mrs. Piper, a daughter.

On the 1st of February 1915 in Pincher Creek, Alberta, Archibald enlisted and became a Farrier Sergeant for the 13th C.M.R's Canadian Expeditionary Force .

He was 32 years old, 5ft 5inches tall with a dark complexion and brown eyes and hair. He had a mole on his left breast and a vaccination scar on his left arm.

A farrier's routine work is primarily hoof trimming and shoeing. In ordinary cases, it is important to trim each hoof so it retains its proper orientation to the ground. If the animal has a heavy work load, works on abrasive footing, needs additional traction, or has pathological changes in the hoof, then shoes may be required.
Additional tasks for the farrier include dealing with injured or diseased hooves. Horses with certain diseases or injuries may need remedial procedures for their hooves, or need special shoes.

 "Pincher Creek Echo" 19 February 1915 names A. Piper as one of the brave boys who have joined "A" Squadron

Archie did his training at the Sarcee Camp in Calgary, Alberta.

As Archie had enlisted and was in Calgary training Eliza and her 10 month old baby journeyed back to England so they could be nearer to Archie when he arrived overseas. Eliza and Ellen stayed with Eliza's sister Maria Perrin and her family in Ilford, Essex where their son William Archibald Piper was born 18th June 1916. He was always referred to as Archie Jr. Eliza got to meet the Piper family in Sorn and little Ellen was adored by her grandmother Piper and Aunt Janet, Archie’s mother and spinster sister. This attachment lasted years as many a card and letter were written to “Little Ellen” after she returned to Canada. .

Archie arrived in England with the troops aboard the S.S.Olympic on the 6th July 1916.
After the war Archie boarded the "S.S.Regina" on the 22nd of March 1919 arriving in Halifax Nova Scotia on the 30th. The train would take him the rest of the way back to his wife and children in Medicine Hat, Alberta.



It was in the spring of 1919 Archibald heard of two Blacksmith businesses for sale in Saskatchewan so he headed east to check on them. The first stop was at Tuxford and the second stop was supposed to be at Cupar. However he liked Tuxford and the people so this is where he settled and set up his Blacksmith business.

A third child was born in Tuxford; Frederick James Piper was born 22nd May 1920.

(My 5th cousin has written Uncle Fred's story)

Archie took on the position of Overseer and that of Mayor over the next 40 years. It was in 1929 that he gave up smithing and started selling Massey-Harris farm implements and Imperial Oil.

Piper Family 1938 in front of their house in Tuxford

Fred, Archibald, Eliza, Ellen, Archie Jr.

Archie was an avid curler; here is a quote from the Moose Jaw Times Herald 1950s which tells it all.

Archie Piper, the well known radio speaker from Tuxford was in the midst of a ding-dong battle with the Bad Harry rink of Regina, skipped by Gillis. Archie was just a curling fool and made anything he shot. On the last end Gillis lay shot and Archie had to make a very delicate raise to lay shot and win the game.

Before Archie threw his last rock he turned to Gillis and said “Weel it was a quid battle and it’s too bad ye hae to lose a game like this” To which Gillis replied “You haven’t thrown your last rock yet”

“Dinna you worry aboot that” shot back Piper “it’s just too bad ye hae to lose after the good battle you put up”

The Tuxford Scot then steeped up and made his six inch raise perfectly to lay shot and win the game. Other members of the rink said Piper was inspired by the spirits of his ancestors and he just couldn’t lose.

In October 1940 Eliza passed away and then in 1943 Archie lost his son Fred who had joined the R.C.A.F. and was shot down over Germany while piloting a night raid.

Archie remarried in November of 1943 to Edith Pittman Wallin

Grandpa and his grandchildren

In 1957 he sold his business and retired to White Rock B.C., which reminded him of Scotland. Here he spent his time with his service groups. gardening and curling.
He passed away there on the 5th of November 1964.

Archie and son Archie Jr

"White Rock Sun" Thursday November 12, 1964 page 2

PIPER- Nov 5, 1964 Archibald Piper of 15309 20th Ave White Rock, age 77 years. Survived by his loving wife Edith, one son William A. Merritt, one daughter Mrs Ellen Forrest, Tuxford SK, also three grandchildren. Funeral service Monday Nov 9th from the Field of Honor at Sunnyside Lawn, under auspices of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8. Reb H. Filsinger officiated

Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada   Veterans Section