X00286 Burial Record for Eva Wilkinson - Solved!

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but there have been some new releases that have come out since my last post. In particular, the Ontario Death Registrations for 1949 have been released. Among other things, I was able to find the death registration for Evangeline Louise Madden Wilkinson (1883-1949).

I had already know that she was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto through Find a Grave, but the death registration confirmed it.

I found the plot number through the Toronto Trust website and then went to Family Search to search for the burial records for that plot and was able to get the burial record

In addition I was able to verify other names as well for that plot.

James Douglas Tailor?

James Douglas (ca. 1822 to 1891) is the brother of John Douglas, my third great grandfather. I had previously thought that he had been a tailor in Owen Sound, largely based on advertisments and directory entries that I had seen:

James was the Deputy Registrar of Grey County from at least 1870, so this would have been his career prior to that. The ads suggested 1852 as the date of establishment of the business, so he would have been in that profession from 1852 to before 1870. It does make some sense that he might be a tailor as his step-father, Thomas Lunn worked in the garment industry previously and James may have worked with him at some point.

I started, however, having my doubts and started suspecting that there was a second James Douglas living in Owen Sound at the time. Sure enough I found that there was a James Douglas (1830-1898) also living in Owen Sound at the time:

I found an obituary for the second James Douglas, and sure enough he was a tailor who came to Canada in 1852. So my hunch was correct - it looks like there are two different individuals named James Douglas and the one connected to my family is not the tailor.

X00241: More on Ann Hardy Barnhill and Mary Hardy Hyatt Sisters?

I've posted previously about X00241 and whether Ann Hardy Barnhill and Mary Hardy Hyatt were in fact sisters.

I've recently found Ann Hardy Barnhill in the 1911 census living in Esquesing.

The census record gives a correct age for Ann of 72 years (which she would have been in 1911), but an incorrect year of birth of 1831 (as opposed to 1838). It also says that she came to Canada in 1835, which is incorrect. But if she had said that she came to Canada when she was four years old (which would have been correct) they would have recorded it as 1835.

She's living with her daughter Nancy as well as Everett Barnhill, son of Matthew Hyatt and Mary Hardy. Nancy's relation to the head of household is given as "aunt" and Ann's relationship is given as "Grandma", which further confuses things because if my theory is correct, their relationships would be "cousin" and "aunt" respectively.

So, it looks as if Everett is related to the family, but it's not entirely clear what the relationship is at this point. It looks like I'll have to go back and re-evaluate what information I have at this point.

X00056 Clarence Douglas in 1921 Census Solved!!

For the longest time, I wasn't able to find Clarence W. Douglas in the 1921 census, I did come across the following person in the 1921 census:



While the name and the age (53) matches, there are a number of things that do not. For one thing the relationship to head of Roomer/servant is a discrepancy. But the biggest one is that he is listed as being from Ireland, of Irish background and immigrated to Canada in 1884, where we know that he is actually of Scottish background and was born in Canada.

On the other hand, the address of the place he was living at was 845 2nd Avenue East, which was the address of the Paterson House where he and George Marron would have been the co-owners in 1921. Sure enough, George Marron and his family are also listed as living there at the time. Owen Sound street directories from show Clarence Douglas living at that same address in 1917 and 1922, which leads me to conclude that this Clarence Douglas in 1921 is the correct one, and the information about his ethnic background was giving incorrectly by someone who did not know him all that well.

Update on X00121: Who is Ellen Reynolds?

Back again with another update on the X00121 quest to find out who Ellen Reynolds/Ellen McLeod is and if they are the same person. This time I've been searching to see if I could find some other records on Ellen McLeod.

Some time ago, I found evidence of an Alexander & Ellen McLeod living in Niagara. Since the John McLeod family has a connection to Niagara, could this be the same Ellen McLeod as the one that we're trying to resolve? It would have to mean that Alexander died before 1861. I managed to find their gravestone in Drummond Hill Cemetery in Niagara and Alexander died in 1871. As well, I found the two of them together in Welland County in the 1861 census:



Since we already have the other Ellen McLeod in the 1861 census in Cobourg we can rule this Ellen McLeod out as a match.

Next, when I was searching for possible marriages between an Ellen McLeod and a Joseph Reynolds in Cobourg, I found a marriage record between a John McLeod, aged 34, born in Scotland and an Ellen Thompson, aged 21, born Canada. The marriage date was 30 Dec 1858. Both bride and groom resided in Hamilton.



So, this marriage was intriguing for a number of reasons: the names Ellen & McLeod. The fact that it was in Cobourg and that both parties lived in Hamilton (John McLeod & family have connections with Hamilton). If this were the case, it would mean that Ellen's maiden name was Thompson and her husband John would have died before the 1861 census.

But there are some other issues with the record that suggest that it might not be the same Ellen. For one thing, the age in the marriage record suggests a birth year of 1837, whereas the other Ellen would have been born in the 1820s (the year varies by record). As well, she is listed as being born in Canada whereas the Ellen that we are looking for would have been born in Scotland. Plus, in the 1861 census, the Ellen McLeod we are checking is not listed as being a widow.

But the final blow came when I found John & Ellen McLeod in the 1861 census as well. So we can rule that possibility out as well.

X00288: What happened to Caroline Seymore Sanders Williams? Solved!!

Caroline Seymore Sanders was the wife of Isaac Amos Williams. They married 22 Oct 1850 in Guelph, Canada West [D04283]. The family later moved to Lindsay, Victoria, Ontario. Isaac Amos died in 1885 [D03762].

But after 1885, I had no further records on Caroline and so had no idea what had happened to her after 1885. I checked the Ontario death records, but couldn't find her. I checked census records with no results. I even checked the Ontario marriage records to see if she had remarried after 1885, with no luck there either.

So, I put aside that X-file for some time and started researching other members of the family. When I was researching the family of her second daughter, Fanny Sophia Williams and Fanny's husband, Lewis Dyer, I found Caroline living with them in the 1891 census in Uxbridge, Ontario [D05263]. So, I had at least traced her to 1891.

I started looking for the cemetery records for Isaac Amos Williams, figuring that if I found his gravestone, it might give some clues. I knew that he had died in Lindsay, so I had figured that he had been buried there. But I checked all of the usual cemetery sites: Find-a-Grave, Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid, Canadian Headstones, Ontario Genweb Project, BillionGraves, Canadian Gravemarker Gallery and didn't find a thing.

But I had a bit of luck when I did a search on the Ontario Genealogical Society's TONI database. There, I found a cemetery reference for Isaac Amos Williams. It had him listed as being buried in Riverside Cemetery in Lindsay. The name and date matched. So, I contacted the Kawartha Branch of the OGS and they did a look-up for me. Not only was Isaac buried there, but Caroline as well. And the stone inscription indicated that she had died on 7 Apr 1896 at age 70.

With that new knowledge, I did another search of the Ontario death records with just the year and her first name and I managed to find the record. The record had been incorrectly indexed as "Caroline Seymore" [D05298]. I've since submitted a correction request to Ancestry.



Lewis Dyer is the informant on the death record, to further confirm that it is the correct person.

So the X-file now appears to be solved. After her husband died, Caroline moved in with her daughter and son-in-law and likely lived with them until she died in 1896. Now the next step is to see if I can get a photograph of the gravestone.


Sources:
[D03762] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935, Reel 42: 560, 35, 16571; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (15 May 2018).

[D04283] "Marriages," (Guelph) Guelph Weekly Herald, 22 Oct 1850, p. 3, col. 1.

[D05263] 1891 census of Canada, Ontario, district 102, Uxbridge, p. 30, family 152; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca, Ancestry (accessed 27 Dec 2018).

[D05298] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935; Reel: 81: 355, 19363, 15; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (19 Jan 2019).

X00290: Confirm death dates for Charlotte Ann Perry Williams

Charlotte Ann Perry (1836-1862) was the first wife of John Williams (1829-1889). For X00290 I'm trying to confirm her date of death. I know that the two of them married in 1858 from the county marriage records [D01325]. Their three children were born in 1860, 1861 and 1862 from the census records [D03739]. But after that, no more children. And in the 1871 census, John is listed as being a widower [D01565].

Then I found someone on Ancestry had posted a date of death for her of 07 July 1862 in Guelph, Wellington Co. but without any sources given. The location would make sense and the date of death would explain why the two would not have any more children after 1862. So, it's plausible, but I need to find sources to confirm.

Some places to check:

• Guelph newspapers
• Cemetery sources such as Find-a-grave and Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid
• TONI
• Guelph Public Library

Sources
[D01325] Ontario, Ontario County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869 37, Williams-Perry, 1858; digital images, FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch (accessed 5 May 2018)

[D01565] 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 37, sub-district 01-g, Owen Sound, p. 28, dwelling 105, family 109; RG 31; digital images(accessed 5 May 2018)

[D03739] 1861 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Peel, sub-district Brampton, Brampton, p. 15; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 13 May 2018).

X00291: What happened to Hester Sophia Williams after 1841?

Hester Sophia Williams is daughter of Thomas Williams and Sybil Foxwell for whom I have very little information (a similar case to Samina Foxwell Williams - see X00287)

There are two sources that I've found for her so far:
1) Her 1833 baptism record [D00028]



2) The 1841 census where she appears with the rest of the family [D01530]



So, here are the details that we have:

• She was baptized in 1833 and so was likely born about 1833 [D00028].
• The family moved to Canada around 1842 and eventually settled in Guelph, Ontario. The 1851 census for Guelph did not survive, so the earliest census in which the family appears is the 1861 census (where she would have been about 28 years old). She does not appear with the rest of the family in the 1861 census [D01597].

Here are the possibilities:

1. She died in the UK before the family came to Canada. In that case she would have died between 1841 and 1845.
2. She stayed in the UK and never came to Canada. That would have been very unlikely as she would have been under 10 years old when the family came to Canada.
3. She came to Canada, but died prior to 1861
4. She came to Canada, but married prior to 1861.

I'm going to dismiss option 2 as unlikely. So, the next actions are:

• Check UK deaths and burials for 1841-1842 [Option 1]
• Check Guelph and Orillia burials prior to 1861 [Option 3]
• Check Guelph and Orillia newspapers for deaths prior to 1861 [Option 3]
• Check marriages prior to 1861 [Option 4]
• Check later census records for a hester, ester or sophia born 1833 in England [Option 4]
• Check death records for a hester, ester or sophia born 1833 in England [Option 4]

Sources:
[D00028] Saint Peter (Liverpool, Lancashire, England), "Baptism Record - Hester Sophia Williams," Batch No P020273; Dates 1826 - 1833l Source Call No 0093877-0093879; FHL microfilm.

[D01530] 1841 census of England, Liverpool, Lancashire, folio 45, page 37; digital images(accessed 6 May 2018); citing PRO HO 107/559/15.

[D01597] 1861 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Guelph, Guelph, p. 14; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 13 May 2018).

Profile: Lewis Dyer and Fanny Sophia Williams

Profiles: Lewis Dyer [1838-1906] & Fanny Sophia Williams [1853-1924]

Lewis Dyer was born 30 January 1838 in Devonshire, England [D04846, D04848, D04885]. He immigrated to Canada and worked as a dry goods clerk, initially in Uxbridge, Ontario [D04846, D04847, D05263].

Fanny Sophia Williams was born 27 Mar 1853 in Guelph, Wellington, Canada West [D04846, D04848, D04849]. She was the daughter of Isaac Amos Williams and Caroline Seymour Sanders.

She grew up in Guelph [D03763], but later moved with her family to Mount Forest, Wellington [D03788] and then later Port Perry, Ontario County [D04846] where she met Lewis. The two were married on 11 July 1875 in Port Perry, Ontario [D04846]. As a couple, they first lived in Uxbridge, but later moved to Lindsay in Victoria County [D04848].

Lewis and Fanny had two children, Ethel Verena Seymour Dyer, born 23 Mar 1880 [D05265] and George Harold Lewis Dyer born 26 November 1884 [D05884].

Lewis died 2 May 1906 in Toronto at the age of sixty-eight [D04855] of apoplexy. After Lewis died, Fanny moved in with her daughter and son-in-law [D05268]. She herself died 23 July 1924 at the age of seventy-one [D04849]. They are both buried in St. James Cemetery in Toronto [D04849, D04854]


Sources
[D03763] 1861 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Wellington, Guelph, p. 31; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 20 May 2018). Rec. Date: 5 Feb 2018. Cit. Date: 20 May 2018.

[D03788] 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 35, sub-district e, Mount Forest, p. 49, dwelling 173, family 173; RG 31; digital images(accessed 20 May 2018). Rec. Date: 4 Mar 2017. Cit. Date: 20 May 2018.

[D04846] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Marriages, Reel 18: 339, 6765, Dyer-Williams; digital images, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Marriages,"(accessed 26 Dec 2018).

[D04847] 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, district 133, sub-district J, Uxbridge, p. 46, dwelling 218, family 229; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 27 Dec 2018). Rec. Date: 17 Feb 2018. Cit. Date: 27 Dec 2018.

[D04848] 1901 census of Canada, Ontario, district 120, sub-district C-8, Lindsay, p. 8, family 82; RG 31; digital images(accessed 27 Dec 2018).

[D04849] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS940 Reel 16: 2099; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (27 Dec 2018). Rec. Date: 3 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 27 Dec 2018.

[D04854] St James Cemetery (Toronto, York, Ontario), C Ravine. Rec. Date: 27 Dec 2018. Cit. Date: 27 Dec 2018.

[D04855] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS940, Reel 5: 1269; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (27 Dec 2018). Rec. Date: 3 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 27 Dec 2018.

[D04885] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS940, Reel 5: 1269; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (27 Dec 2018).

[D05263] 1891 census of Canada, Ontario, district 102, Uxbridge, p. 30, family 152; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca, Ancestry (accessed 27 Dec 2018). Rec. Date: 30 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 27 Dec 2018.

[D05265] Ontario Archives of Ontario, MS 929, reels 1-245, MS929, Reel 44: 452, 23008, 19; digital image, Ancestry.com, "Ontario, Canada Births," (27 Dec 2018). Rec. Date: 21 Apr 2017. Cit. Date: 27 Dec 2018.

[D05268] 1921 census of Canada, district 142, sub-district 14, Toronto, p. 24, dwelling 105, family 131; RG 31; digital images, ancestry.com (accessed 27 Dec 2018). Rec. Date: 1 Apr 2017. Cit. Date: 27 Dec 2018.

[D05448] Ontario Archives of Ontario, MS 929, reels 1-245, MS 929 Reel 1-245: 590, 35359, 31; digital image, Ancestry.com, "Ontario, Canada Births," (5 Feb 2019). Rec. Date: 21 Apr 2017. Cit. Date: 3 Feb 2019.

Profile: Gabriel Williams (1825-1854)

Gabriel Williams [1825-1854]

Gabriel Williams was born in 1825 [D00029, D01459, D01530] in Gloucester, England, the son of Thomas Williams (ca. 1792 – 1868) and Sibyl Foxwell (1798-1874). He was the fourth child and second son of the couple.

Gabriel grew up in Minchinhampton, Gloucester. The Williams family moved to Liverpool in the 1830s and when Gabriel was old enough to begin working, he followed in his father’s footsteps into the clothing industry and worked as a hatter’s assistant in Liverpool [D01530].

The Williams family emigrated to Canada West in the early 1840s and first settled in Orillia, Simcoe County but eventually relocated to Guelph, Wellington County. Thomas Williams set up a business as a brewer in Guelph and like his brothers, Gabriel worked as a brewer as part of his father’s business [D04688].

Sadly, Gabriel died 22 May 1854 at the age of 29 years and was buried on 26 May 1854 [D01459].



Sources
[D00029] (Minchinhampton, Gloucester, England), "Baptism Record - Gabriel Williams," Batch No C049002; Dates 1813 - 1875; Source Call no; 0857041; FHL microfilm.

[D01459] "Deaths," Guelph Mercury, 25 may 1854; digital images, Ancestry.ca (ancestry.ca : accessed 9 Jun 2018)

[D01530] 1841 census of England, Liverpool, Lancashire, folio 45, page 37; digital images(accessed 6 May 2018); citing PRO HO 107/559/15.

[D04688] Canada. Ontario. Wellington. Assessment Roll for the Town of Guelph, 1853. Guelph Public Library, Guelph. Guelph Public Library, Guelph. Guelph Public Library, Guelph.

X00289 Birth and death dates for Annie Louisa Williams

I'm researching the family of John Williams and Charlotte Ann Perry and I've been trying to get the birth and death dates for one of their daughters, Annie Louisa Williams.

The only definite record that I have found for her so far is the 1861 census [D03739] which puts her birth date at 1859 or 1860.

A number of trees on Ancestry have her listed with the following dates:
Born: 14 Apr 1860
Died: 25 Oct 1861

However, none of these trees provide sources for these dates.

So, I’ll need to do some more research. Since she evidently was born and died before civil registration, so I’ll have to find other sources. I’ve checked the standard websites for cemeteries but have had no luck.

Next steps:
- Check Guelph newspapers for birth/death announcements
- Check Wellington County OGS grave transcriptions
- Check Guelph Public Library/Wellington county archives for church records
- Check possibility that birth/death dates are wrong
- Check possibility that Annie Louisa Williams is confused with another one of the sisters


Sources:
[D03739] 1861 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Peel, sub-district Brampton, Brampton, p. 15; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 13 May 2018).

Profile: Private Emerson Claude Smith (1881-1917)

I've decided to start off 2019 by taking Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. I don't know how far I'll get with it, but I figure it will help start the process of writing and documenting the research that I've found so far.

Each week there is a theme to get you going on choosing an ancestor to profile. For week one, the theme is "First". So, I've decided to profile a First World War soldier. I've been doing some work on the Smith family of Eugenia Falls and so for this week, I'm going to profile Private Emerson Claude Smith.

Private Emerson Claude Smith (1881-1917)
2nd cousin, 3 times removed



Emerson Claude Smith was born 13 October 1881 in Eugenia Falls, Grey County, Ontario Canada, the son of Adam Smith, a blacksmith, and Kate Julianna Williams [D04797, D04735, D04798]. He spent most of his early years in Eugenia Falls, Grey County, Ontario but did work for a number of years in Edmonton, Alberta [D04861]. He did not fallow his father into the blacksmith trade, but instead became a woodworker for a period of time. [D04736]

Emerson enlisted to fight in World War 1 in Owen Sound on 14 December 1915 [D04906, D04798, D04799], about fifteen months after his younger brother, Fred enlisted. His attestation papers give a physical description of him as being 5 ft, 8 inches in height, 165 pounds with blue eyes, fair hair and fair complexion. He had a scar on his right knee [D04798]. His attestation also gives his occupation prior to enlisting as a chauffeur [D04798].

Upon enlisting, Emerson was assigned service no 838414 and assigned to the 147th (Grey) Battalion which began recruiting in late 1915 [D04799].

After training for almost a year, the 147th sailed on the SS Olympic to England, departing on 13 November 1916 and arriving on November 21st [D04799]. Emerson was transferred to the 8th Reserve Battalion on 1 January 1917 and then on April 1st to the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion [D04799]. His unit landed in France April 22nd and he was reported as having arrived for duty on April 27th [D04799].

Sadly, Emerson was killed in action on 7 June 1915 at the age of 36. He died at Vimy Ridge, after being in France for only about two months. [D05025 p405, D04861, D04799]. He was buried at Petit Vimy on the slope of Vimy Ridge [D05025 p405, D04861].



Emerson’s mother, Kate Julianna Smith was given the memorial cross for losing her son [D04799]. She may have also received some consolation in a letter that Emerson wrote to her just before his death. The letter in included the following passage that seems to indicate that he was comfortable with whatever fate lay in store for him:

"I am not just as good as I might be, but I am going to try very hard to lead a better life. Do not worry too much about me, because God will bring me through safely if He sees fit." [D04805]

The Smith family printed this memorial in the Flesherton Advance 6 June 1918 in his memory:

In Memory Of Pte. Emerson Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Smith, Eugenia, killed in battle June 7, 1917.
Somewhere in France, near the long battle line,
Stands a cross on the grave of that dear son of mine.
He suffered, he died, that his country might live.
Paid the full price, gave all that could give.
Through he lies far from home, over the sea,
I shall meet him again in the life that's to be.
- Father, Mother, Sisters, Brother.[D04863]

After the war, Emerson’s mother was a big part of ensuring that a war memorial was set up in Eugenia Park to commemorate the fallen soldiers from the area, including her two sons. The memorial was officially dedicated on 21 July 1921 and list both Emerson and his brother Fred. [D05025 p 401 & 402]




Sources:
[D04735] 1901 census of Canada, Ontario, district 66, sub-district A-5, Artemesia, p. 14, dwelling 126, family 126; RG 31; digital images(accessed 15 Oct 2018).

[D04736] 1911 census of Canada, Ontario, district 72, sub-district 4, Eugenia, p. 7, dwelling 70, family 70; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com (accessed 20 Oct 2018).

[D04797] Ontario Archives of Ontario, MS 929, reels 1-245, MS929; Reel: 48: 8357, 26; digital image, Ancestry.com, "Ontario, Canada Births," (25 Oct 2018).

[D04798] Canada, "WWI CEF Attestation Papers, 1914-1918," Attestation Papers: Emerson Claude Smith; digital images, Ancestry.ca(accessed 11 Nov 2018).

[D04799] Canada, "Emerson Claude Smith WW1 Military Service Record"; digital images, Library and Archives Canada(accessed 27 Dec 2018).

[D04805] "Claude Emerson Smith," Flesherton Advance, 16 Aug 1917, p. 1, col. 2; digital images(accessed 2 Nov 2018), Grey Highlands Newspapers.

[D04863] "In Memory," Flesherton Advance, 6 Jun 1918, p. 1, col. 2; digital images(accessed 2 Nov 2018), Grey Highlands Newspapers.

[D04906] "Eugenia Soldiers," Flesherton Advance, 30 Mar 1916, p. 3, col. 2; digital images(accessed 10 Nov 2018), Grey Highlands Newspaper Collection.

[D05025] Mildred Young Hubbert, editor, Split Rail Country: A History of Artemesia Township (Owen Sound, Ontario: Stan Brown Printers Limited, 1986),

X00060 Sybil Williams Death Information

So, here's the issue. I'm trying to find a death record or death information for a Sybil Williams (born Sybil Foxwell) (Feb 17 1798 - May 13, 1874)



Here is the known information:

• She was born February 17 1798 in Gloucester, England based on her baptism records [Sources: D00157, D00419]
• She died May 13 1874 based on her tombstone and the Greenwood Cemetery Internment listing [Sources: D01131, D01637]
• She was buried May 15 1874 Greenwood Cemetery, Owen Sound, Ontario based on the Greenwood Cemetery Internment listing [Source: D01131]
• Her religion was Church of England [Source: D01565]
• She was living in Owen Sound in 1871 based on the 1871 census [Source: D01565] and Guelph before that.

Here's the results of my research:

• Couldn't find anything in the Ontario Civil Death Registrations on either Ancestry or FamilySearch
• Couldn't find anything in the Ontario Civil Death Registrations on microfilm
• Couldn't find anything in the indexes of Owen Sound newspapers
• Couldn't find anything in the indexes of Guelph newspapers
• I found a death certification for a Sybil Williams in England in 1874, but it is not her [D03877]

Any other suggestions of places to look? Or next steps to try?

Big Breakthrough!!

So, with a great deal of help from a distant cousin and the French Heritage Project, I think i may have finally broken through the Delaheye-LaForme brick wall on my maternal line and managed to trace the line back to the early 1600s and a fille-du-roi names Francoise Michau. More information to come later....

Ruling out possible marriage record for William Hardy

I came across the following indexed record [D03486] for a marriage between a William Hardie and a Janet Burns in 1845:



At first it seemed like it could be a match for William Hardy's first marriage to a woman named Jane. I have, however, decided to rule it out for the following reasons:

• The location of York Mills is not exactly where I would have expected the marriage to be. The family seems to have settled around Peel Region, although they moved around a bit in the first few years, so York Mills is not outside the realm of possibility.
• The spelling of the last name as "Hardie" rather than "Hardy" is off, although I have seen it spelled that way before.
• The last name of the bride of "Burns" is not what I would have expected. Other records point to a maiden name of "Irwin".
• The biggest issue seems to be the timing of the marriage. The marriage date given is 1845. Most records seem to point towards a birth year of 1830 for William Hardy and 1832 for Jane. This would put them at 15 and 13 years of age at the time of the marriage. Their first child (as far as I have been able to tell) was born around 1856, so most likely their marriage would have been closer to 1855.

All in all it seems to be too far off from the known data to be a match. But the timing of the marriage seems to make this very unlikely to be the same couple. So, I'm ruling this document out.

Investigating Lancelot Hardy after 1850

There are two Lancelot Hardy's in the Hardy family that I am investigating: One born about 1793 and his son born about 1827, both in Yorkshire England. I have both of their baptism records, and they both appear in the 1841 census, but there is very little information about either of them after 1850.

Issues to investigate:

1. What happened to Lancelot the younger? The older appears to have died in 1874 and is buried in Churchville Cemetery, Meadowvale, Ontario, Canada. I haven't found a death notice or record for either of them and have not found a cemetery record or burial record for Lancelot the younger.
2. Which of the two married Jane Tricker? There is evidence that a Lancelot Hardy and Jane Tricker were parents to a Sarah Jane Hardy (b. abt. 1844), Henry Reilly Hardy (b. abt 1849) and George Hardy (b. abt. 1860). So, that would suggest a marriage date of about 1843 or so. She remarried in 1876, so whichever one she married would have died before then.
3. Which of the two married Ester Riley in 1850? There are no ages or parents given for the marriage, so can't determine which one it is. And I have not seen Ester Riley in any other record.
4. Which Lancelot Hardy appears in the 1861 census with Jane? The age is shown as 50, or a year of birth of 1811, so it could conceivably be either of them.
5. When did Ester Riley Hardy die? Where is she buried?
6. When did Ann Wood Hardy die? Where is she buried?

Known Facts:

• Lancelot Hardy the older born about 1793 in Yorkshire, Married to Ann Wood
• Lancelot Hardy the younger born about 1827 in Yorkshire
• Both appear in the 1841 census in England
• Presumably the family emigrated to Canada in their early 1840s, around 1840
• One of them likely married Jane Tricker
• One of them likely married Ester Riley (the marriage years overlap, so it was likely not the same person married to both)
• Lancelot Hardy the older died in 1874
• None of the above names have been found in the 1851 or 1871 censuses. One of the Lancelots and Jane Tricker have been found in the 1861 Census of Canada.
• Maria Hardy, daughter of Lancelot & Anne Wood Hardy was born Oct 29, 1844, so Anne Wood Hardy was alive at that date.
• One of them appears in an 1866 directory of the Home District and the profession is listed as “Gardener”. Lancelot Hardy the elder’s profession appears as a miller on most records, so this could likely be the younger one

Possibilities:

1. Lancelot Hardy the older married Ester Riley & Lancelot Hardy the younger married Jane Tricker
Timeline:
Anne Wood Hardy dies between 1844 and 1850
Lancelot Hardy the younger marries Jane Tricker about 1843
Lancelot Hardy the older marries Ester Riley in 1850
Lancelot Hardy the older dies in 1874
Lancelot Hardy the younger dies before 1876
Ester Riley Hardy dies ??

2. Lancelot Hardy the younger married Ester Riley & Lancelot Hardy the older married Jane Tricker
Timeline:
Anne Wood Hardy dies about 1844
Lancelot Hardy the older marries Jane Tricker about 1844
Lancelot Hardy the younger marries Ester Riley in 1850
Lancelot Hardy the older dies in 1874
Lancelot Hardy the younger dies ??
Ester Riley Hardy dies ??


Documents that would give some answers:

• If I could find Lancelot Sr or Jr, Ester or Jane in the 1851 census
• If I could find the other Lancelot or Ester in the 1861 census
• If I could find Lancelot Sr or Jr, Ester or Jane in the 1871 census
• If I could find a death record for Lancelot the older
• If I could find a death record for Lancelot the younger, or any later record, for that matter
• If I could find a death/burial record for Esther Riley Hardy
• If I could find a date of death/burial record for Anne Wood Hardy
• If I could find a will for either Lancelot Hardy
• If I could find either one in land records

Next actions:

• Look for will for Lancelot Hardy (either)
• Look for land records for either Lancelot hardy
• Check for assessment/collector rolls for either Lancelot hardy

X00241: Are Ann Hardy Barnhill and Mary Hardy Hyatt Sisters?

One of families that I’m researching at the present time is the Hardy family who came from Farndale, Yorkshire, England to what is now Peel Region in Ontario Canada in the 1840s. Lancelot Hardy and Ann Wood had several children and I’ve been able to trace most of them to Ontario.

Right now I’m trying to determine if Ann Hardy Barnhill and Mary Hardy Hyatt are sisters.

Ann Hardy married John Barnhill (1824-1868) around 1862. They had two children (that I have been able to identify so far): Nancy Maria Barnhill (1863-1929) and William John Barnhill (1867-1909).

Mary Hardy married Matthew Hyatt (1846-1909) around 1869. They had several children before she died in 1884. Matthew remarried after she died.

I’m definitely sure that Ann Hardy is the daughter of Lancelot and Ann; one record I’ve found gives their names as the parents. I haven’t found the same for Mary yet, but Lancelot and Ann did have a daughter named Mary and the information is definitely consistent with their daughter being the same one that was married to Matthew Hyatt. But I have yet to find definite proof.

The two families were definitely close. They lived in the same area and after Mary died, some of her children started living with the Barnhills and adopted the surname Barnhill. So, it's very likely.

X00199 - Solved!

A couple of years ago I went to the Peel Archives to look up the Perkins-Bull collection for the surname Hardy. In it, I came across this record:



The record indicates that Lancelot Hardy the younger lived from about 1860 to 1896 and was buried in St Peter’s Cemetery in Erindale.

According to the record above, there was a Lancelot Hardy who was born about 1860 and died in 1896 and was buried at St Peter’s Anglican church in Erindale. The problem is that:

• I can’t find a death record in the Ontario death registrations for a Lancelot Hardy in 1896
• The cemetery transcriptions for St Peter’s Cemetery do not show a Lancelot Hardy
• I’ve contacted the Anglican Church archives and they don’t have a burial record

I also went to the cemetery and couldn’t find a stone.

I was about to conclude that Perkins-Bull had the wrong information, or that no stone existed, but then I checked the cemetery transcription for the nearby Erindale Cosmopolitan Cemetery and found a listing there.



Then I went to cemetery and actually found the stone. It’s very worn and difficult to read, but you can make out some of it.



Next, to see about finding a death or burial record.

X00080 Solved!

Question: Multiple William Hardys in Peel in the 1871 Census. Which one is the correct one?

Details/Background:
The 1871 Census of Ontario has two listings for a William Hardy born about 1830 in Peel Region. One in Meadowvale [D01576] and one in Streetsville [D03311]. The question is which one is the one that is the son of Lancelot Hardy?



Analysis:
The William Hardy of Meadowvale [D01576] appears to be the correct one for a number of reasons:

• The other Hardy family members also settled around Meadowvale
• The names and ages of the other family members seems to coincide with the family in other censuses.
• William Hardy’s profession is listed as a blacksmith, which coincides with other census results as well as the profession listed in the marriage record between him and Aveline Burns [D00733].

Sources:

D00733 - Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Marriages, MS932; Reel: 96: 615, 4, Hardy-Burns; digital images, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Marriages".

D01576 – 1871 Census of Canada, Ontario, District 39, Sub-district 03, Toronto Township, p. 22, Dwelling 81, Family 86; RG 31.

D03311 - 1871 Census of Canada, Ontario, District 39, Sub-district b, Streetsville, p. 22, Dwelling 66, Family 68; RG 31.

Leach Marriage Record found!

I have managed to find the marriage record for Charles Leach and Margaret Delahaye [D02745].

Based on the fact that they both are unmarried in the 1851 census and their first child was born around 1853, I figured that they married between 1851 and 1853. Sure enough, I managed to find them in the records for St. Luke's Anglican Church married on February 4 1853.



A couple of notes:
1. Charles' occupation is listed as yeoman. I have not seen a record that describes his profession as a yeoman to date. He's usually been listed as a carpenter
2. It is a bit unusual that they would be married in an Anglican church when it is very likely that Margaret comes from a Roman Catholic background. Then again, given the time period and the region, there may not have been much in the way of church options to get married in.

X00151 is now closed!