Benjamin Soule, with his wife, Mary Elizabeth Green, owned avery considerable tract of land at Tapleytown, Canada, and livedin quite an imposing style of house for his time and day. Itwas very large and roomy, with the necessary adjunct of anenormous fireplace armed with a long iron crane, on whichvarious sizes and forms of cooking utensils were suspended frompothooks and trammels. There was a large oven in the yard inwhich the bread for the large family, and for the assembly ofretainers incident to such a primitive establishment, was baked.The parlor in this great farm house was very capacious;according to the standard of those times finely furnished witharticles hand made and carved or imprted. There were largesleeping apartments with their stately four posted beds in whichthe members of the family found rest. The women in the Soulefamily were expert handlers of wool and ingenious weavers, andcoverlets fabricated by them of beautiful patterns, are stillpreserved among the descendants as treasures of almost pricelessvalue. This manor house was surrounded by a large yard enclosedwith a picket fence, and within this green parquet there werecultivated plenty of the old fashioned flowers such as pinks,roses, and hollyhocks.Benjamin Soule was a man of considerable wealth for his time anda leader in the life of the community. He took an active partin politics, though he was not ambitious for prefermen. In 1850he became a Councellor of the township of Slatfleet, WentworthCounty. This was the first organization of the municipalcouncil. He was a man of sufficient means and landed estate togive each of his sons a relatively large and well equipped farm.The farm house at Tapley town is still standing near the severallarge barns. This rural seat was a fine outstanding residenceand although built of wood, was somewhat stately andpretentious. The lands surrounding the house are gently rollingand the landscape very attractive. This country, when theSoules entered upon this grant, was marvelously well wooded.The growth was primarily oak, hickory and pine.