William Miller & Jane Hardy Marriage Location

Recently, Newspapers.com has added some Owen Sound papers to their collection and it has been very beneficial as it is has allowed me to find the full text articles to some things where I have previously only had the transcription. But a side benefit is that I have been able to find some other articles through searches that I would haven't likely been able to find otherwise.

One such example is an obituary of Jane Hardy from the Owen Sound Sun, 24 April 1917:

The article implies that she and William Miller were married in Meadowvale about 1856. I had previously found their marriage reistration record showing a date of 22 June 1857 in Wellington County. The marriage was performed by Matthew S. Grey.

So, the date of the marriage is confirmed, but the question is where did the marrige take place? The marriage register doesn't give a definite place of marriage, but can a news article written sixty years after the fact (and after both the husband and wife are deceased) be trusted to give accurate information?

The next step is to see if there are additional church records that might give some indication as to the location

Article about Mr. E Tricker

I came across this article on the Streetsville Review, dated 5 May 1892 about a Mr. E. Tricker returning to the area after 42 years.

Based on the fact that he was living in Indiana at the time and that he fought in the US Civil War, this would mostdefinitely be Emmanuel Tricker.

It mentions a Mrs. Carthew of Meadowvale, who would be Jane Tricker Hardy Carthew and also that one of his brothers lives to the East, which would have been Mark Tricker.

What is interesting (and the new information) is that the article suggests that he moved away from Meadowvale around 1850.

X00359 Alice Hallam Skusky Date of Death

Alice Hallam married Charles Skusky on 14 January 1890 in Meadowvale, Peel Region, Ontario, Canada [D07195]. The couple had a number of children over the next decade, although it would appear that only two of them (Jennie May and Charles Harold) survived by the time of the 1901 census [D07197].

The 1901 census shows the four of them living in the town of Erin, Ontario in Wellington County [D07197]. And it would also appear to be the latest record in which I have found Alice Hallam Skusky...or is it?.

I have found Chrales Skusky in both the 1911 and 1921 census records living in Algoma County, Ontario and he is listed as a widower in both records [D08038, D08039]. He is also listed as a widower in his death record [D08023]. Based on that information, it would appear that Alice died somewhere between 1901 and 1911. I have not been able to find any death or burial records however.

But then, I've come across a 1940 directory that lists a Mrs. Alice Skusky living in Meadowvale, Ontario.

This certainly makes things interesting. Could this be the same Alice Skusky? Skusky is a very rare name in Ontario, so there is a good chance of it. It would mean that Charles and Alice separated some time between 1901 and 1911, Charles moved up to Algoma and Alice stayed with family in Meadowvale. And both of them claimed to be widowed, rather than explain the separation. It is certainly plausible, particularly considering that it appears Alice's grandmother Jane Tricker did the same thing when her husband William Carthew moved to Manitoba.

But in order to prove that I would need some additional evidence that she was alive and living somewhere else after 1911, which I have yet to find.

So, it would appear that she either died between 1901 and 1911 or after 1940. To prove the former, I'd need to find a death or burial record. To prove the latter, I'd need to find either death or burial records, or some other evidence to suggest that she was alive after 1911.

---

Sources
[D07195] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Marriages, Reel 68: 291, 9598, Skusky-Hallam; digital images, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Marriages,".

[D07197] 1901 census of Canada, Ontario, district 126, sub-district 6, Erin, p. 4, dwelling 34, family 35; RG 31; digital images(accessed 27 Feb 2022).

[D08023] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935, M023566, Reel 681: 315, 9556; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (6 Mar 2022).

[D08038] 1911 census of Canada, Ontario, district 55, sub-district 32, Bruce Mines, p. 20, dwelling 198, family 198; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com (accessed 12 Mar 2022).

[D08039] 1921 census of Canada, district 66, sub-district 4, Plummer Additional, p. 3, dwelling 42, family 42; RG 31; digital images, ancestry.com (accessed 12 Mar 2022).

Harriet Hardy

I was requesting some look ups from the Anglican Church archives, and although they weren't able to find what I was looking for, they did manage to find something that I was not expecting: A daughter of Lancelot Hardy and Jane Tricker that I did not know about previously, named Harriet.

Her baptism record gives a date of birth of 11 July 1846 and a baptism date of 11 July 1847:

Her burial record gives a burial date of 13 January 1851

So, she died before civil registration started in Ontario and did not live long enough to appear in a census (although the section of the 1851 census where the Hardy family would have been living has not survived). I've never come across a gravestone for her. So these two records might be the only records that survive for her.

X00212 Who is Esther Riley Part 2

In last week's post, I was verifying information found on a tree in Ancestry.

In the post, it mentioned that

• Henry Raleigh died 1848 in Meadowvale due to a sawmill accident
• Henry married Esther Tricker in 1843 in Churchville, Ontario
• Esther Tricker lived 1822 to 1851
• They had three children: William b. 1844, George b. 1846 and Henry b. 1848

So far, I've been able to verify a number of the facts including Esther's birthdate and the names and birth dates of the children.

While doing these verifications, I had another look at Lancelot Hardy and Jane Tricker in the 1861 census and realized that the Henry listed with them is actually Henry Reilly, son of Henry Raleigh and Esther Tricker, which not only confirms the family connection, but adds further evidence to the idea that Esther had died by that time.

But the biggest piece of confirmation that I was able to find was this transcription of an obituary from the Streetville Review:

I still need to confirm with the original record, but from the transcription it does seem to confirm that Henry Raleigh did in fact die in a sawmill accident (albeit in 1849, rather than 1848).

So, this means that I've been able to confirm all of the details from the other tree, except for the year of marriage between Henry Raleigh and Esther Tricker and Esther's date of death.

X00212 Who is Esther Riley Part 1

One of the mysteries that I've been searching is the question of who is Esther Riley. Thus far, she had only appeared in a marriage register from 1850, listing a marriage between a Lancelot Hardy and an Ester Riley:

Unfortunately, that's all the information that I have on her. No death information, nothing about her parents, or when or where she was born.

I had originally thought that Esther Riley was the second wife of the older Lancelot Hardy (born about 1794), remarrying after Ann Wood Hardy had died, and that the younger Lancelot Hardy (born about 1827) had married Jane Tricker. But I've since changed my opinion on that - more on that issue in a future post.

I've come accross some additional information and Esther Riley recently. A cousin who is researching the same family pointed me to a family tree on Ancestry. The tree mentioned a Henry Raleigh who died in Meadowvale in 1848 due to a sawmill accident, married an Esther Tricker (1822-1851) in 1843. They had three children together, William Raleigh born 1844, George Raleigh born 1846 and Henry Raleigh both 1848.

On the plus side, the timeline fits quite nicely: Esther Tricker marries Henry Raleigh in 1843. Henry dies in 1848 and the widowed Esther Raliegh (or Riley) marries the younger Lancelot Hardy in 1850. She then dies in 1851 and Lancelot Hardy goes on to marry Frances Snowden in 1853. The fact that her maiden name is Tricker also suggests that there is a connection with Jane Tricker. On the minus side, there are no sources given in the Ancestry tree for any of the information given. So, I decided to treat the Ancestry tree information as a clue and do my own verification.

The first thing that I did is find a baptism record for a Hester Tricker, baptized 7 April 1822, the daugther of James Tricker and Sarah Wade, the same parents as Jane Tricker (see X00214). So, Esther and Jane Tricker were sisters.

Next, I had a look at the children.

I found the death certificate for Henry Raleigh who died in Tacoma, Washington in 1935. In the death certificate, his birth date is given as 10 July 1848 in Meadowvale, Ontario and his parents are listed as Henry Raleigh and Esther Tricker.

I managed to find a marriage registration for a William Riley and a Mary Ann Hyatt in 1866 where William's parents are listed as Henry and Esther Riley. It also confirmed a birth year for him of 1844.

Verifying the connect with George was a little harder to do, but I found that from census records he was living with James Tricker and Sarah Wade in Indiana and is buried in the same cemetery as them.

So, I've been able to verify dates of birth for Esther and the children and everything checks out with the details on the Ancestry tree. Next week, I'll look at some of the other details from the tree.

X00192 Part 2: Sorting out the Lancelot Hardys

I previously mentioned X00192 and the sorting out of multiple Lancelot Hardys.

To add to the confusion, the book Meadowvale: Mills to Millenium by Kathleen A. Hicks has the following passage about Jane Tricker:

“Joseph (b. 1823), operated a shingle factory. He lost his wife, Isabella, and was left with six children, Ella, 1855, Eliza, 1856, Rebecca, 1862, John, 1864, William, 1866, and Henrietta, 1860. In 1875, he married a widow named Jane….”

This would suggest that it was Joseph Wood Hardy who married Jane Tricker, rather than one of the Lancelot Hardys.

There's quite a bit that seems to be off with that above passage. Not only are the number of children and their birth years off, but according to my research, Isabella outlived both Joseph Wood Hardy and Jane Tricker. She was at least alive in 1901 [*].

But also, the marriage registration for Sarah Jane Hardy, lists her parents as Lancelot and Jane Hardy [D00170]. Sarah Jane is buried in the same plot as Jane Tricker in Churchville Cemetery [D02104].

Perhaps the author was mixing up Joseph Wood Hardy with one of the Lancelots, but I think it’s safe to rule out the hypothesis that Joseph Hardy married Jane Tricker.

---

Sources:
[*] Year: 1901; Census Place: Toronto (West/Ouest) (City/Cité) Ward/Quartier No 4, Toronto (west/ouest) (city/cité), Ontario; Page: 9; Family No: 91

[D00170] (Meadowvale, Peel, Canada West, Canada), "Marriage Record - Hallam & Hardy"; FHL microfilm 1,030,063. Marriage Registers of Upper Canada / Canada West

[D02104] Churchville Cemetery (Canada, Ontario).

More options for the Margaret Farriage query

A few months ago, I posted an analysis of query X00055 - the search for more information on Margaret Farriage. I was at the OGS conference this weekend and talked to a few people about this brick wall. The people that I talked to made a number of suggestions for further research:

• Investigate the names of the marriage witnesses to see if there are any clues there
• Check ships passenger lists for the late 20s or early 30s and see if there are any similar names that could be possibilities
• Check church records for Nelson Township and Toronto Township for the time period
• Check land ownership for George Miller or names similar to Farriage. Check for neighbours - was Amelia Grant Munro living in the area?
• Research the children of George Miller (both with Margaret Farriage and Amelia Grant Munro)
• Possibly consider Scottish naming patterns, and look for a father named William for either George or Margaret
• Check out Ryan Gilcrest's book on marriage records
• Check out OGS' TONI database

The people that I spoke to were largely in agreement with my theory that the surname of "Farriage" is likely an error.

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

Finding Margaret Farriage: X00055 Analysis

Some time ago, I had posted that the Margaret Farriage that is married to George Miller is not the one born in Rothbury, England in 1804. So, it's time to re-evaluate and take a look at what is known and what is unknown.

Known facts about Margaret Farriage:

• The only source that I have found that gives her full name is from the Marriage Bonds of Upper Canada p 239 [D00800]
• She married George Miller, carriage maker on Oct 25, 1832 in Toronto Township (now Peel Region). Church not known. [D00800]
• At the time of her marriage was living in Nelson Township (now Burlington, Ontario) [D00800]
• She appears to have given birth to two sons, John born about 1833 and William born 10 May 1834. I don't have sources identified at this time to confirm John Miller's birth, so that may not be reliable.
• William Miller's Marriage Records lists his parents as George & Margaret Miller [D03152]. No maiden name given.
• She likely died some time between May 10 1834 (likely date of birth for William Miller) and Dec 9 1835 (likely date when George Miller married Amelia Grant Munro) [need source]
• According to the 1891 Census, she is of Scottish Origin [D00772]. That being said, this was several years after she had died and William Miller would have been very young when she died.
• At some point, the Miller family moved from Nelson to Cooksville [Need Sources].

Analysis:

• To this date, I have not found the surname Farriage elsewhere in Halton, Peel or southern Ontario for that matter, so I am questioning whether or not that is the real surname. On the marriage licence record itself, the name Farriage was spelled exactly like carriage and marriage which also appear on the form, so it could easily be something that sounded like Farriage.
• Based on the fact that she was married in 1832 and George Miller was born in 1809, a likely range for her year of birth would be 1805 to 1815
• Based on her last child birth and when George got remarried, a likely range for year of death would be 1834-1835
• As mentioned in a previous blog post, there is a Margaret Farridge born in Rothbury, Northumberland, England in 1804 [D00089], but I have ruled out that individual as a possibility because she died in 1809 [D01638] [See D03104]. I have checked the Baptism registers to see if the family renamed a later child Margaret but did not find anything.

Research Strategies:

1. Investigate the possibility that her last name was not Farriage. There is only one source that mentions a name. Note that the written name Farriage appears exactly as carriage. Could it have been that the person writing the bond spelled it the same way as carriage or marriage? We can rule out this possibility if we find a second source that corroborates the name. Some things to pursue:
   • Look for a second source that mentions the marriage and check the name: church records, newspapers, etc. George Miller was strongly Weselyan Methodist
   • Look for a marriage record for William Miller & Jane Hardy (married 1857) [D03152] Marriage record does not mention a maiden name
   • Look for records (marriage, death, census etc) for John Miller born 1833 [X00223]
   
   
   
2. Look for records of a Margaret Farriage, or Farriage family living in the Burlington Area
   • Check with the Burlington Public Library for directories, news, anything from the time period
     • Gravestones/cemetery records
     • Directories
     • Tweedsmuir Histories
     • Newspapers
     • Old books on early settlement
   • Check Hamilton Public Library - same list as above
   • Check Mississauga Public Library - same list as above
   • Check Halinet search
   
   
   
3. Investigate the possibility that William and/or John were born later than 1834. Look for:
   • Birth information for William Miller [X00158]
   • Birth information for John MIller [X00223]
   • 1851 Census information for the Miller family [X00082]
   
   
   
4. Look for a Margaret Farrish (or other variant names) born in Scotland around 1810
   • Check with Scotlands People

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.