A life well lived - Glimpses of the Past with Karen Webster

While it is not unusual for someone to have more than one vocation, a gentleman who lived in Auburn several years ago had two varied ones; he was a cobbler and a raiser of canaries.

 

Nelson Moulden, born on May 2, 1913, was the only child of John and Margaret (Symington) Moulden, of Auburn.

 

For many years, the pupils of the schools in Colborne Township took part in an annual fair which was held at Smith’s Hill (later to become Carlow). It was at these school fairs that young Nelson showed his various talents by winning prizes for such feats as rope halter making, raising Barred Rock poultry and also in the needlework section (in which several other boys also competed). 
At the 1928 school fair, Nelson was awarded the Eaton Cup for garnering 36 points in the various competitions. In a foreshadowing of his benevolence later in life, he deferred from accepting the cup and insisted that the next highest point-getter, Pearl Lawlor, receive it instead.

 

By 1937, when Nelson was 24, he was living in Auburn with his maternal grandparents and his own parents were farming the Symington property west of the village. In 1943, when his grandmother, Mrs. John Symington’s estate was settled, Nelson purchased the farm for $750.

 

One fact about Nelson was that he had a physical disability, in that one leg was shorter than the other, however, we do not know the cause of this ailment. In 1937, shoe shop owner Thomas Hamilton sold his business to Nelson, thus beginning his 38 years as a cobbler. He worked out of his house in a front room dedicated to shoe repair and to house his many canaries. There are two ancient terms associated with the shoemaking profession: the cordwain (referring to one who crafted the more luxurious shoes) and the cobbler (who repaired shoes and made boots). The word “cob” comes from the term to beat or shape and thus to mend. All shoemakers use lasts, which are heavy metal forms on which to hold the shoe while it is being worked on. 
People from all around depended on Nelson to repair their shoes and thus get a few more years’ wear out of them. Most common repairs were restitching, putting on half soles and attaching new heels.

 

Nelson’s involvement with his community did not stop with his business. In 1951, when several householders banded together to obtain water from the Huron County well at the corner of Goderich Street and Hardwood Line, 11 of them formed a water renters group and Nelson was the secretary-treasurer for many years. In 1951, the fee was $1 per month and by 1980, the rate had increased to $25 per year for the, by then, 17 shareholders.

 

Knox United Church in Auburn also counted Nelson as one of its members and, at one time, he was a trustee there. The Lions Club could rely on Nelson for support. For example, in 1984, he funded horse-drawn sleigh rides for over 50 village children. In fact the local children held him in such esteem that, in the previous year, over 60 children visited him on his birthday to sing for him and give him their best wishes.

 

Even though he was valued as a cobbler and a philanthropist, what many associated his name with was his collection of canaries. You see, they were not pets but rather another business of Nelson’s. For example, in 1951, he was running advertisements in local papers, as well as farther abroad, offering “CANARIES - come and hear our guaranteed singers. Yellow and variegated colours. Will hold ’til Christmas. $8 each.” 

 

As one might guess, canaries first came from the Macaronesian Islands (the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands). Canaries are prized for their cheerful little nature, their musical sounds and a lifespan of up to 12 years. 

 

The canaries that Nelson bred were Roller canaries. Other names for them are the German Roller Canary and the Harz Mountain Roller Canary. This type of canary sings with its beak closed and the sound is a kind of rolling music, thus their name. These charming little birds have been prized for centuries for their sweet singing. With up to 200 birds in his shop at a time, the music made by these little songsters made a lovely background sound. Nelson used specially-designed boxes to ship the canaries all over Canada.

 

Over time, Nelson’s health declined and, after a few unfortunate falls, he left Auburn and made his home at Huronview Home for the Aged, south of Clinton in 1986. He passed away in 1990 and was buried at Ball’s Cemetery.

 

John Nelson Moulden was a quiet man who made the world a better place by his life example, his benevolence, his service to his community and his hobby of raising little yellow songsters.