It is St. Patrick’s Day and listening to some Irish-inspired music often helps with the spirit of the day. One song lent some inspiration for this article: “The Night Pat Murphy Died” by Great Big Sea. The song is a Newfoundland folk/Celtic song about the death of Pat Murphy. So, what is the connection to Mississauga?

The song follows the rollicking course of an Irish wake, and with measures of amusement and curiosity, one wonders if such antics may have ever played themselves out on the landscape and social scape of historic Mississauga. Thanks to historian William Perkins Bull and his From Macdonell to McGuigan book (1939), we are shown a map of the funeral procession for Patsy Herbert, where the funeral procession from the church to the cemetery indicates a rather circuitous travelled route that was 30 miles instead of 14, with several stops for libations along the way. One has to wonder at the sobriety and condition of the procession when the mourners finally arrived at the Elmbank Catholic cemetery on Fifth Line.

Patsy Herbert funeral procession map, route to cemetery, 1901, Perkins Bull collection, Region of Peel Archives.

But let us set the stage first – who was Patsy Herbert?

Patrick “Patsy” Herbert Sr. (c1827-1901) was born in County Limerick, Ireland, likely between 1827 and 1833. He was the son of Honora and Edward Herbert. Patrick reportedly came to Canada in 1845 or 1846. He married Amelia Kett (1839-1911) at St. Basil’s Roman Catholic Church in Toronto on June 29, 1858. Amelia (sometimes recorded as Emelia) and Patrick had at least five children: Norah (1859-?), Bridget (1861-?), Margaret (1867-?), Edward (1870-1943), and Patrick Jr. (1873-1880). Sadly, their youngest son, Patrick Jr., drowned in a creek in June 1881.

In 1895, Patrick Sr. purchased Mary and John Gilleece’s Pucky Huddle Tavern near the intersection of Burnhamthorpe and Tomken roads. Pucky Huddle Tavern certainly developed an interesting reputation over the years. It was viewed as a rough and tumble tavern “full of bad whiskey, ill temper, and good fellowship.” During Patrick Herbert’s ownership in 1899, there was concern that the tavern would not receive a liquor license, and that its loss would cause a “general row,” given its popularity amongst the Irish Catholic working class and farm labourers who frequented it. The lot where the hotel stood was sold by Amelia (Patrick’s widow) to James Allison in 1908.

Plaque to Patrick Herbert at the Elmbank Cemetery Plot at Assumption Catholic Cemetery.

In his last years, Patrick operated a toll booth on Dundas Street, just east of Dixie Road. Patrick died on December 20, 1901, of Bright’s Disease, after a period of convalescence. Patrick’s funeral was held at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Dixie. The map of the funeral procession route, as published by William Perkins Bull, highlights the route of travel that “Patsy” took to the cemetery, and shows not only several historic crossroad hamlets and villages, but also what were likely stops at drinking establishments along the way.

St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Dixie, c1910, courtesy Region of Peel Archives

The map highlights both the Pacific Hotel and the Atlantic Hotel in Dixie (these were highlighted in an earlier article in the Way Back Wednesday series), along with a stop at Patrick’s former Pucky Huddle Tavern. From there, the procession went northwards along Tomken Road (formerly Second Line East), with locations marked at Hawkins’ Corners, Hanlan and Palestine, before turning eastward along Derry Road. The next locations marked on the map include Mount Charles, Malton, Richview and Elmbank, before finally arriving at the Catholic cemetery on the Fifth Line. One wonders at the inebriation levels of the procession and at the amount of time it took for them to traverse the 30 miles instead of the more direct route of 14 miles. It must have been quite the party!

Elmbank Cemetery Memorial, Assumption Catholic Cemetery.

Patrick’s obituary, published in the Brampton Conservator on January 17, 1902, showed that he was well-known and well-loved in the community, specifically that he would be missed by many warm friends and interesting “cronies”. He had lived in the Dixie area for over 40 years and was described in his obituary as a “typical Irishman – blunt, outspoken and at times aggravating, but warm-hearted, generous and forgiving.”

The Catholic Cemetery at Elmbank/Fifth Line was used from 1833 to 1932. After 1939, it was within the airport grounds. In 2001, the cemetery was relocated. Patsy Herbert and others buried at the Fifth Line Mission were re-interred at Assumption Catholic Cemetery, at Tomken Road and Derry Road. This site is just north of Patrick’s Pucky Huddle Tavern site.

Patrick Herbert Obituary, Brampton Conservator, January 17, 1902.

I know that I, for one, will raise a toast to Patsy Herbert on St. Patrick’s Day, and maybe a second toast to all his mourners and revellers who made the long, indirect journey to the cemetery back in 1901 to ensure their friend got a proper send-off. Wishing our readers a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

A special thank you to Nick Moreau and the team at the Region of Peel Archives for their assistance with this article.

We have not yet located pictures of Patrick Herbert or for the Pucky Huddle Tavern.