Buried 68 years apart

 John and I made a trip to Quebec in the spring and stopped off in Prescott along the way.  We visited an amazing little pioneer museum before walking across the street to the Kenyon Cemetery.  This stone caught my eye because it was for two people who may have been married and died decades apart. I decided to focus on Edward first.

Edward Duncan MacGillivray was born to parents Murdoch and Kate Mc Rae on 18 November 1896 in Prescott, Ontario, and named after his paternal grandfather.(1)(2)

He appears in the 1901 census with his parents and younger sister Mary.  Murdoch is 50 and Kate is 34.(3)

In 1911, Edward is still with his parents, along with Mary and younger siblings Rory, Nora, Flora Ann (born June 1896), Hector M. D., and Christy Ann.(4)

On 11 June 1918 he has his medical exam in Ottawa and is approve for military service.  His birthplace is recorded as McCrimmon, Ontario and he's a single farmer and living in Dunvegan, presumably with his parents.  He was 5' 7.5" with a dark complexion, dark brown hair, and blue eyes.  He had a brand on his left breast.  His unit was the 2nd Depot Battalion, Eastern Ontario Regiment.(5)

Edward returns home and is back with his parents and all of his siblings with the exception of Mary in the 1921 census.(6)  Little seems to  have changed by 1931, Edward, Rory, Floraann, Hector and Christina are all still living with their parents.  Seems kinda odd that no one is really leaving.  Edward can speak Gaelic in addition to English.(7)  

Sadly Edward died after 14 days of influenza and 10 days of meningitis.  His brother Roderick (Rory) reported his death.(8)

Influenza strikes again and Murdoch died a few years later on 26 December 1936 of influenza with myocarditis as a contributing factor.  Murdoch was born in Ontario as were his parents Edward (born in McCrimmon,County Lochiel) and Mary MacIntosh (born in Dalkieth, County Lochiel)(9) 

I wasn't able to find an obituary for Edward or Murdoch.  

I was able to undercover several obituaries for his siblings and his mom, starting with sister Flora Ann, who shares his grave.  Flora Ann's obituary appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on 31 March 2006 (page 51).  She passed away at Maxville Manor and there was no reference to a spouse or children.  The obit does reveal  some details about her siblings, which helped me uncover more obituaries. She seems to have outlived them all and was predeceased by brothers Edward, Rory and Hector and sisters Mary Sheldrick, Christina Hewston, and Nora Irwin (Irvine). 

Katie died 27 July 1959 at Cornwall General Hospital.  Her obituary names her parents, Roderick F MacRae and Nora Bethune and explains that she married Murdoch on 19 September 1895.   She was well known for her charity and was a charter member of the Women's Institute and a life member of Skye W.M.S.(10)

Rory died suddenly on 6 May 1967, leaving behind his wife Penelope (nee MacLeod), and children Dr Royce MacGillivray of London England and  Wilma Hayes of Ottawa, and grandson Steven Hayes.  Hector was living in Brockville, Christina in Dunvegan, Mary in Vars, and Nora in Charlottetown PEI. (11)

Hector Donald Murdock MacGillivray died on 8  December 1972 in the Kingston General Hospital, following a few weeks of illness. Hector was an engineer, a member of Brockville Legion and Bayview Hunt Club.  He had recently remarried to a woman named Edna Bland, his first wife Victoria MacMillan died in 1969. In his obituary we come to learn that Mary died about 5 weeks before him on Nov 1.(12) 

Mary passed away in 1972. Sadly, her only son Keith passed away in an accident while fishing with a friend in 1954.(15)

Christina died 29 January 1985 at the age of 74.  She was married to Clifford Hewston, lived in Avonmore. and had one surviving child, Garry.  Her daughter Mrs Daryl Lang and son Orvil predeceased her.  She had 4 grandchildren  at the time of her death.  Flora Ann was living in Alexandria and Nora was in Kingston. (13)

Nora passed away 29 June 1999 in the Ajax-Pickering Hospital and was buried in Kingston.  There was no mention of siblings.(14)   

(1)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Series: Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, 1869-1913; Reel: 134; Record Group: Rg 80-2

(2)

(3)Year: 1901; Census Place: Caledonia, Prescott, Ontario; Page: 8; Family No: 57

(4)Year: 1911; Census Place: 9 - Caledonia, Prescott, Ontario; Page: 1; Family No: 8

(5)Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Canada; Soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918)

(6)Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 83; Census Place: 83, Prescott, Ontario; Page Number: 2

(7)Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Seventh Census of Canada, 1931; Folder Number: T-27290; Census Place: Prescott, Ontario, Canada; Page Number: w

(8)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 449

(8)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 564

(9)The Ottawa Citizen, 31 Jan 1985, page 8

(10)https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181537994/catherine-mcgillivray

(11)The Ottawa Citizen 8 May 1967, page 30

(12)https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182826559/hector-donald_murdock-macgillivray

(13)The Ottawa Journal 02 November 1972, page 54

(14)The Kingston Whig 30 June 1999 page 38

(15)The Ottawa Citizen 23 June 1954 page 1

Family Plot at Blue Church Cemetery - but only one stone

 John and I enjoyed a trip along the St Lawrence in the Spring and spent the night in Prescott.  We came across an interesting cemetery at the Blue Church.

We were lucky enough to chat with a man who spends countless hours there curating and researching the people.  I took pics of quite a few stones including those of Queen Camilla's ancestors.

  There was one stone that was all on it's own surrounded by a large stone-walled cemetery plot. It's a bit hard to see but the stone is resting on the wall in the upper right hand corner of the picture.

 According to Find My Grave, the plot is large enough for 9 people, but only George is believed to be buried there. (1) Sounds like there's a story behind this.

George Walsh was born in 1800 in Ireland.  In the 1851 census he was living with his Eliza and children William (aged 14), Jonathan (12), Eliza (10), Matilda (8), George (3), and Sarah (1).  He was a hotel keeper. (2)  The 1861 census gives us a little bit more information. In this census we discover that his wife Eliza Francis and daughter Matilda were born in Lower Canada, and that they are still in Prescott living in a 2 1/2 storey frame house.  They own 1 cow and their livestock is worth $29.  William, Jonathan, Matilda and George Alfred Jr are living with them but Sarah is not.   William appears with his wife and 2 children in the 1871 census, where he is a railway clerk.  A few families down, Elizabeth appears in the same household as George, neither have an occupation.  The hotelkeeper, is a Walsh but not one of George's children.  J Morrow Walsh appears in the 1871 census as a hotel keeper.  James Morrow fought in the Fenian Raids, was a member of the North West Mounted Police, ran a mining company in the North West Territories and served as the first commissioner of the Yukon territory.(4) James' father Louis was born in Ireland and I wonder if he and George were brothers.(5)

Elizabeth never remarried, in 1881, she is living with her widowed daughter Matilda (Blakey) and 11 year old grand daughter Gertrude.(6)  Sadly, Matilda died in 1883,  and Gertrude also lived a shorter than hoped for life and died in Perth, Ontario of Phthisis(7).  She is buried beside her mom in Blue Church Cemetery.(8)

Elizabeth died June 12, 1887 and her death was reported by William, who stated she was born in Montreal. (9)  I haven't been able to find where she was buried.  

(1)https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72047478/george-walsh

(2)Year: 1851; Census Place: Grenville, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C-11724; Page: 1; Line: 27

(3)Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1026

(4)https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Walsh-7055

(5)https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Walsh-7055

(6)"Ottawa, Carleton, Ontario, Canada records, Aug 4, 2018," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSM8-

Q9GY-G?view=explore : Aug 19, 2023), image 541 of 740; Public Archives of Canada.

(7)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 9

(8)https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72194047/mathilda-blakey#view-photo=53010095

(9)"Canada, Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q93-C9YJ-79TF-5?cc=1307826&wc=3LKH-VZ9%3A1584243504%2C1584250302%2C1584279901 : 27 April 2019), Deaths > 1887 > no 8629-14996 > image 143 of 1612; citing Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto.

John Chrystie

 On Memorial Day, John and I headed to Wilson, New York for their annual fair and also attended a memorial day service (which was very well done).  On the way home we stopped by Fort Niagara State Park, of course I couldn't resist a visit to the cemetery.  In keeping with my interest in the War of 1812, this stone caught my eye:

John Chrystie

son of 

Major James Christie

of the Revolutionary Army
Colonel
of the 23rd Reg. Infantry
and
Inspector General
of the Northern Division
United States Army
Born in the City of New York
4 January 1788
died at Lewiston
23rd July 1813
aged 25 Years 6 Months
19 Days

With that I decided to research John Chrystie.

A quick google search immediate gave results.  A brief biography was listed for him on Wikipedia.  As his stone tells, he died a colonel, he participated in the War of 1812 and died of natural causes. (1)  Natural causes?  When he was so young and during the war?  

John attended Columbia University where he studied law and graduated in 1806.  He joinned the army on 3 May, 1808, as first lieutenant of the 6th infantry and was promoted to captain in February, 1809.  He apparently resigned on 15 November, 1811, but re-entered the service, and on 12 March, 1812 when he became lieutenant of the 13th infantry. (2)

  In May 1812 John was was actively recruiting men to serve with him in Lancaster, New Jersey and succeeded in enslisting 195 in one month. (3)  On 17 July 1812, he left Charleston, South Carolina to march 300 troops to Albany. (4) Those same 300 troops would later participate in the Battle of Queenston Heights.  

  The Americans led by General VanRennselaer were planning an attack of Queenston, Ontario on 13 Oct 1813.  Chrystie led his men across the Niagara River by boat in the early morning of October 13th.  John's men came under heavy grapeshot and musket fire while paddling across the river but the currents were too strong for three of the boats, which ended up moving far from the landing point.  John was on one of these three boats and it was said that when he made it ashore, his only guide to the ground left him.  The delayed landing of so many troops put the Americans at a disadvantage. They had far fewer men than expected reach the landing point and they came under heavy fire, but prevail they did, and ended up killing General Isaac Brock on the heights.(5)  On Oct 12th, the same newspaper reported a more detailed but slightly different account of the events.  In this account, John Chrystie was wounded slightly in the hand by grapeshot during the crossing,  his pilot became confused, and the men in the boat became frightened.  As a result, they sailed back to the American side.  It was the boats of Major Mullany that drifted down river, far from the landing.  Two of those boats were captured and the rest also returned to the American side.   While a significant number of men sat on the other side of the river, refusing to cross, the Americans at Queenston rallied and stormed the Heights, killing Brock who was struck by 5 bullets. It wasn't until 2pm and when the Americans had control of Queenston that Chrystie and Mullany sailed once again across the river,  where he ordered an injured Captain Wool to stand down and get treatment.  At 3pm a band of Indigenous men coming from the direction of Chippewa attacked the Americans.  Throughout this attack it was mentioned that Chrystie remained with perfect composure and coolness.(6)

  Yet another newspaper article in November reports that Chrystie was take prisoner but not before he lead 300 men into battle and drove between five and 600 British soldiers of the Egyptian Regiment (42nd) several miles by point of bayonet.(7)   About a week later, the newspaper published an article with a correction to the British regiment.  It was not the Egyptian regiment, but the "brave two score nine" who fought in the sand-hills of Ostend.(8) In yet another newspaper article, letters received by Major Thomas Chrystie at the end of October were published.  In one letter dated Oct 22 in Albany, Thomas is told that his brother John was slightly injured on his hand, and he and nearly all the troops that he led were taken prisoner.  In the second letter, dated Oct 21, Thomas was told that it was reported that Brock had died but the reports were wrong and he would survive his wounds.(9)

  Chrystie also participated in the unsuccessful (for the Americans) Battle of Stoney Creek as part of the Winder Brigade, under the command of Brigadier General Winder.  Rather embarrassingly for the Americans, both  American Generals (Chandler and Winder) were captured by the British and Colonel Burns assumed command. Chrystie was part of Burns' council of war and appears to be one of the few who pushed for an attack on the British at Burlington Heights, an event that never happened.   The Americans retreated to Fort George under the orders of Dearborn and almost three weeks later suffered another loss during the Battle of Beaver Dams.   Lieutenant Colonel Boerstler, marched 570 men to Beaver Dams but 2 miles before their destination they were ambushed.  A skirmish ensued which resulted in Boerstler moving the men to a field, where they waited for reinforcements.  Chrystie received the request for help and march 300 men to Queenston, only to be informed that Boerstler had surrendered and the reinforcements were no longer needed. (10)

On Jan 30, 1813 it was reported that John, was one of many soldiers exchanged for British Prisoners of war and by order of the John Armstrong, Secretary of War he as well as all men were "free to act against the united kingdom of Greatbritain and Ireland and dependencies thereof, as if they had never been captured". (11)  Trying to figure out when and where John was captured was a bit tricky.  On July 26th, it was recorded that he was one of the POWs captured at Queenston on 13 Oct 1812 along with John Fenwick and Winfield Scott and several men of the 13th infantry.(12)  While the location is likely true, we know that John was involved in the Battle of Beaver Dams on June 24th, so his capture was between then and July 26th.  So far I haven't been able to obtain anything else about his capture online.  John was parolled on 19 Nov 1812 in Quebec and was to return to Boston on a boat named Regulus, but it was remarked that he returned by land instead.(13)

John appears to have been favoured by the government and it was reported that he was appointed an Inspector General on April 16th by Armstrong.(14)  Surprisingly, it seems that John drafted a letter to decline the offer.  A bookseller (James Cummins) seems to have original copies of the offer as well as a draft copy of John's letter dated April 30 written in Niagara, declining the offer because he was in command of a Battalion of the 13th Infantry and preferred the position.(15)  If he did in fact decline the offer, whoever erected his stone wasn't told! 

Sadly, Chrystie died a short time later. News of John's death was published in newspapers about a week after his death. The Gleaner on 13 August 1813 include highlights of the Buffalo news of July  27th. The Buffalo news had reported that Colonel Chrystie of the 13th Infantry died the previous Wednesday of fever at Fort George.(16)   How different his life might have been if accepted the offer.

He continues to appear in the news twice more that year, when it was reported by the Buffalo Gazette that  as of Oct 1(17), and later as of Nov 1(18), John was one of many who had unclaimed letters at the Fort Niagara Post Office.

A portrait of the young John Chrystie appears in the National Portraits Gallery

(1)John Chrystie - Wikipedia

(2)http://famousamericans.net/johnchristie/

(3)Lancaster Intelligencer 30 May 1812, Sat · Page 3

(4)

(5) Richmond Enquirer 3 Nov 1812, · Page 2

(6)Richmond Enquirier 12 Nov 1812, Thu · Page 3

(7) 'Richmond Enquirier 27 Oct 1812 Page 3

(8) 'Richmond Enquirier 6 Nov 1812 Page 1

(9)Richmond Enquirier 30 Oct 1812 Page 2

(10) Staff Guide Handbook of the Niagara Campaigns 1812-1814 https://usacac.army.mil/sites/default/files/documents/lde/CSI/CSIPubs/NiagaraCampaign%201812-1814.pdf

(11)Lancaster Intelligencer 30 Jan 1813, Sat Page 3

(12)Virginia Argus 22 Apr 1813 Page 2

(13)‘War of 1812 Papers’ of the Department of State, 1789-1815. Microfilm Publication M588, 7 rolls. General Records of the Department of State, Record Group 59. The National Archives in Washington. D.C.

(14)Ancestry.com. War of 1812, Prisoner of War Records, 1812-1815 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.

(15)https://www.jamescumminsbookseller.com/pages/books/304427/war-of-1812-john-armstrong-jr/partially-printed-document-signed-john-armstrong-as-secretary-of-war-appointing-colonel-john

(16)The Gleaner, Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvannia 13 Aug 1813, Fri · Page 3

(17)Buffalo Gazette 19 Oct 1813, Tue, Page 3

(18)Buffalo Gazette 2 Nov 1813, Tue, Page 3

Marie Pauline Haines

 The Haines family plot is large and contains numerous stones for the family in Oak Lawn Cemetery in Jordan. This one was beside the large monument for Roy.  I always feel bad when I see a stone for a child and want to make sure that although their life was short, it is not forgotten. 

Marie Pauline Haynes was born in Lincoln, Ontario on 1 October 1905 to parents Archie Haines, a general merchant and Lucetta Overholt.(1)  She appear in the 1911 Census of Canada with her parents and baby sister Rita, who all live with her grandfather Gabriel Overholt.  All members of the household were of Dutch origin.  Archie's occupation is a real estate agent, likely with his brother Roy. Sadly, Marie died in hospital on 5 December 1913 due to appendicitis.  Poor little girl would have suffered terribly. (3) 

(1)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Series: Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, 1869-1913; Reel: 173; Record Group: Rg 80-2

(2)Year: 1911; Census Place: 30 - Louth, Lincoln, Ontario; Page: 2; Family No: 14

(3)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 188

Huron Nelles

 While in Brantford visiting the Military Museum, I decided to see the Mohawk Chapel, not realizing that it is by appointment only.  I wanted to check out the grave of Joseph Brant and I was able to but unable to walk up close.   I'm still very interested in Canadian History around the war of 1812 and this stone caught my eye. 

I love visiting the Nelles Manor in Grimsby and I was sure this gentleman was related to the family.  Willliam Macklem Huron Nelles was born to Abraham Nelles (son of Robert Nelles and Elizabeth Moore) and Sarah Augusta Macklem (1) on  7 October, 1872.(2)  Abraham was the rector of the Mohawk Church in Brantford and Sarah was a cousin of Abraham's first wife Hannah.  Abraham was 67 at the time that William was born and Sarah was 35.  When they married, Sarah was 29 and he was 61.(3) Hopefully he was a young looking 61.  Huron appears in the 1881 census of Canada not with his parents but with William and Harriet Bygreave and family.  I wonder why? (4)  In 1891, he is with his mom and sister, still in Brantford(5), his dad having passed away in 1888.(6)  The 1896 Brantford directory lists him as living at 24 Palace St and working at Harley, Sweet, and Harley as a clerk.  His mom lived not too far at 34 Palace, which is at the corner of Palace and Albion St.(7)  Huron appeared to be someone who enjoyed being in the great outdoors and was one of a group of canoeists who paddled down the Grand River from Galt at the end of April, 1900.(8)  In 1901, 28 year old Huron resided with his mom and his occupation is a lawyer.(9)

Huron tied the knot the following year when he married Amelia Maud Brooke on 19 Nov 1902. at Grace Church in Brantford. There is a writeup about their wedding in the Brantford Weekly Expositor and includes a list of invitees, which was relatively small.  The couple had a quiet wedding out of respect for a recent death in the groom's family (likely his mom). After their honeymoon, they were going to live at the corner of Albion and Palace Rds in Brantford, which appears to be the family home at 34 Palace.(10)

Huron passed away in 1905.  His exact date is not really known. On 22 May 1905 in the Brantford newspaper there was a front page article about Huron who was missing and presumed drowned in "New Ontario". It included the following picture.

The article explains that Huron had left Brantford in March and set out to join a surveying party along the Ontario and Temiskaming Rail Line. He left Twin Lakes on April 4 and about 30 miles from the main party of people, he was met by men (packers) who advised him to travel no further because the ice was showing signs that it was breaking up. April up north is not the same as April in Brantford and unfortunately Huron carried on. Sadly he never reached the camp.  His family only heard the news in May and when they sent a telegraph to where he was last seen they were told that he was feared drowned and the water was too high to search for him.  Poor Maud was pregnant with their second child at the time.(11)  A few days later on the 26th it was reported that the Ontario government would send out a search party to find Huron.(12)  Almost three weeks go by before we get another update.  On June 19 it's been reported that a body has been found in the Black River and presumed to be Huron.  The body was being taken on a 3 week journey to New Liskeard where family could identify him.(13) News of his positive identification by Brantford mayor, A. E. Watt who made the journey up north was reported on July 10.   Huron was temporarily interred on the banks of the Black River and would be transported back to Brantford in the winter, when travel was possible.  His reported date of death was April 3.(14)

Maud Nelles did not remarry.  Her sister Mary Ann Brooke passed away at her house on 89 William Street at the age of 89 in June 1946(15) and Maud herself passed away at home on Christmas morning in 1949 at the age of 79.  Her son Lionel went on to become a minister and her daughter Lisbeth Macklem appears to have not married.(16)

(1)(3)(6) http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/nelles_abram_11E.html

(2) Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Series: Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, 1869-1913; Reel: 8; Record Group: Rg 80-2

(4)Year: 1881; Census Place: Brantford East, Brant North, Ontario; Roll: C_13264; Page: 77; Family No: 345

(5) Year: 1891; Census Place: Brantford City, Brant South, Ontario, Canada; Roll: T-6326; Family No: 188

(7)Ancestry.com. Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

(8)The Brantford Expositor 02 May 1900, Wednesday · Page 5

(9)Year: 1901; Census Place: Brantford (City/Cité), Brant (South/Sud), Ontario; Page: 10; Family No: 104

(10)The Brantford Weekly Examiner, Brantford Ontario, Thursday November 20, 1902

(11) The Brantford Daily Expositor 22 May 1905, Monday · Page 1

(12) The Brantford Daily Expositor 26 May 1905, Friday · Page 1

(13)The Brantford Daily Expositor 19 June 1905, Friday · Page 1

(14) The Brantford Daily Expositor 10 July 1905, Monday · Page 5

(15)The  Expositor 2 May 1905 - Page 5

(16) The Expositor 27 December 27, 1949 Tuesday- page 6

Escaping the workhouse only to be killed by a workhorse

 One of the numerous pictures I took at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Jordan Station was the stone for a younger man who died at 29 years of age on 29 June 1895.  The stone provided his birthplace which was helpful in tracing his story.  

Robert Nurse was born 9 April 1867 in Sutton St Edmund in Lincolnshire County England.  He appears in the 1871 Census of England in Sutton St Edmund with his parents Richard and Eliza and his siblings Emma (aged 6), Thomas (aged 2) and 2 month old George.  Richard (who appears to be 50!), a shepherd was born in Stoke Ferry, Norfolk and a much younger Eliza who was born in Spalding, Lincolnshire. (1) Richard and Eliza Holland married in Holbeach on 15 May 1863(2)

It looks like the family fell on hard times when Elizabeth died at the age of 41 in Holbeach in Dec 1880(3).  Robert, Thomas, and George, along with younger sisters Fanny (aged 7), Hannah (aged 5), and Mary (aged 3) appear as "scholars" in the Holbeach Union Workhouse in the 1881 census.  All the children were born in Sutton St Edmund with the exception of Mary Rebecca(10) who was born in Gedney Hill.(4) My heart kind of sunk after reading this piece of news.   I tried to search for Richard in the 1881 census but could not find him.  Emma seems to have also vanished. I hit a road block with respect to Robert as well.  I spent several hours trying to find a trace of him between 1881 and his death in Canada. 

I started some side ways searches to see what happened to his siblings. In 1891, Hannah and Thomas are living as lodgers in the Smiths household in Gedney Hill (5)  Fanny was living as a housemaid in the William P Jackson household in neighbouring Pinchbeck(6).  Mary was still living at  the workhouse(7).

George appears to have stayed in Sutton St Edmunds and in 1892 he married Ellen Elizabeth Niccoll.(8)  In July 1898, Hannah was married in Holbeach(9).  Fanny married John Joseph Green 16 May 1894 in Deeping-St. Nicholas, Deeping-Fen, Lincolnshire, England(11) and appears to have died in Spalding in Dec 1903.(13)  Mary married John F Putterill in Holbeach in Oct 1916.(14)

I decided to see if I could get information about the children from the Workhouse records. I was able to purchase for a reasonable price a copy of the minutes for the Holbeach Union House from genfair.co.uk.  It gave me some amazing insight into what happened to the children in the gap between the 1881 census and their time leading up to their removal/marriage. On 6 July 1882, Robert was given the opportunity to apprentice as a carpenter with Charles Goodwin Alcock of Whaplode until he was 21 years old.  On 3 August 1882, Robert's indenture was settled as follows:

Premium £10 to be paid half at once, and the balance when half the time is expired The Guardians to provide clothes to the value of 50 s /- Nurse to be apprenticed until 21 years of age, and receive wages at the rate of 3 d per week, and 2/6 per week for the last year. 

Robert's indenture was signed and cheque for 5 pounds was drawn up on Aug 31.

Not quite a year later George also managed to escape the workhouse. On 10 May 1883 a. Mr Hemmant of Gedney Hill made application to take him out of the work house and attend school regularly. The application was granted, with £2 to be allowed for clothes, and school fees. On 22 Sept 1883, Mr Hemmant attended a meeting again and on 10 April 1884, the cheque for 2 pounds was drawn.

  It appears that Robert continued his apprenticeship into 1885 when another cheque for 5 pounds was drawn.  Things were not harmonious though and by 1886, Mr Alcock filed a complaint that:

"Robert Nurse his apprentice was very awkward and would not do what he was told, and refused to work, after hearing Nurse’s statement: The Chairman reproved the lad strongly and advised the Master to take him before the Justices if he continued awkward."

Unfortunately, the situation does not seem to have improve and on 10 March 1887 we see the following record:

Robert Nurse and his Master Mr Chas G. Allcock attended before the Board. Nurse complained of his Master striking him. The Board recommended that if the boy is not satisfied he had better go before the Magistrates, but the Board hoped the Master and Boy would make up their differences, and complete term of the apprenticeship. 

My guess is that Charles was taking advantage of his indentured apprentice, and Robert had enough.  Robert did manage to complete his indenture and on 5 April 1888, he attended before the Board in regards to his Apprenticeship Indenture (he now being nearly out of his time) and also with regards  to some money that he is entitled to receive from his late father (not sure when he died yet). 

Robert attended the board again on 19 April 1888. and I guess was asked if he wanted to repay  the Board but declined. No order was made. I wasn't able to determine what money Robert received but I'm going to assume that he took what money he had and sailed for Canada.

We see that Hannah's escape from the Workhouse started on 23 August 1888, when Mrs Smith applied to take her out of the Workhouse, so she could go to school until she passed the IV Standard.  Her request was granted, and £2 allowed for an outfit. 

An interesting turn of events happened on 13 October 1892 to Mary.  There is an objection on record filed by George Nurse, brother of Rebecca, who was also going to live with Mrs Smith of Holbeach Drove.  the board rejected his complaint and were "satisfied that the girl could not go to a better place".  It's nice to see that George likely tried to have Mary live with him after shortly after he was married to Ellen.

The last entry that I see for the Nurse family was for poor Thomas who was removed to the county lunatic asylum on 25 May 1893 and a cheque was made for 2 pounds, 11 shillings and 6 denaris.  The 1901 census reveals that he was a patient at the asylum in Bracebridge Heath and worked as a farm labourer.  He may have passed away in Dec 1901(17)

Robert's whereabouts after his indenture completed has continued to allude me as did information about him in Canada and his death record.  I turned to Newspapers.com for some help and was surprised to find news of his death in the The Buffalo News.  The paper reports that Robert died in Jordan as a result of his horse running away.(15)  The Hamilton Spectator affirms this story and on the same day further explains what happened:

"[Robert] a painter, died Saturday morning at Jordan from injuries received in a runaway accident on the previous evening. He was driving along the road east of Beamsville, returning from work, when his horse became frightened and he lost control of it. Joseph Fulton, a farmer, saw the horse go past at a gallop with Nurse doing his best to stop it. Fulton followed, and some distance further on found the young man lying beside the road insensible, with his head cut as if coming in contact with a three-cornered stone. He had evidently been thrown from the rig. Nurse lingered until 8:45 the next morning and died without having recovered his senses. He was 28 years of age, an Englishman, and had no relatives in this country, so far as known." (16)

Robert had such a hard time and it's quite sad that after he leaves poverty and his home country, he meets with an unfortunate accident and dies.  I hope he found some happiness and satisfaction in his life. 

(1)The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1871 England Census; Class: RG10; Piece: 3326; Folio: 21; Page: 5; GSU roll: 839350

(2)FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

(3)FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

(4)The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1881 England Census; Class: RG11; Piece: 3211; Folio: 106; Page: 2; GSU roll: 1341765

(5)The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2566; Folio: 51; Page: 7; GSU roll: 6097676

(6)The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2559; Folio: 35; Page: 5; GSU roll: 6097669

(7)The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2569; Folio: 191; Page: 4; GSU roll: 6097679

(8)Ancestry.com. England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

(9, 10, 12, 13)FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

(11)Ancestry.com. England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

(14)General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 7a; Page: 839

(15) The Buffalo News, Buffalo New York. Monday 01Jul 1895 page 30

(16) http://www.glanbrookheritage.ca/deathsjanjun1895.htm

(17)FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

US Veteran - Peter Snyder

John and I vacationed in upstate New York and we toured a couple of old cemeteries along the way.  We stopped at Willow Glen Cemetery, near Buttermilk Falls State Park in Ithaca, New York to do a geocache.  John became interested in Peter Snyder and asked me to research him.  Peter Snyder as the tombstone shows, died at 79 years of age on July 23, 1832, which places his birth around 1753.  I did a quick google search of him and quickly found a small biography about Peter, his family and his settlement in the area. (1)  According to this website, Peter was born in Oxford County, New Jersey on Dec 26, 1753 to parents Cristoffer and Katarina Schneider. Peter was a wagon maker and blacksmith. He married Mary Shaver, who was also born in Oxford County in 1776, and they had 11 children.  Both were of German descent. sources were not cited.(1)  The webpage also states that Peter and his brothers were members of the Continental Army.   I did a few manual searches through muster rolls and didn't come up with them.  I started to broaden my google searches and then came across the grave of Peter and Mary's son Peter V Snyder on Findagrave (and his picture).   From this page I uncovered a few more details.  The family originated in Tinnen, Germany (by the Ems River near the Holland border), and came to America in 1746. They first settled in Oxford, New Jersey, and moved to Dryden, NY in 1803.  BUT AGAIN, I can't find any primary sources that are reference.  Peter and Mary's grandson  Samuel and his wife Deborah Whipple participated in the underground railroad in Albion Michigan. BUT AGAIN, I can't find any primary sources that are references.(2) 
As an aside, there's a writeup about Samuel and Deborah complete with their pictures at Taylor PIONEER FAMILY PROVIDED UNDERGROUND RAILROAD STOP IN ALBION.
 

Are you related to Peter?  Would you be interested in sharing some primary resources about his revolutionary service?


 (1)   https://sites.rootsweb.com/~taughannock/grover/snyder.html from the book  The Centennial History of the Town of Dryden: 1797-1897
(2) https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7253565