TALBOT TIMES
Newsletter of the
ELGIN COUNTY BRANCH
ONTARIO GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
VOL. 1 ISSUE 3 September 1982
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
There are a few things that I would like to mention – cemetery transcriptions, meetings, census, elections.
Special thanks to Marg Daugharty for her work on the Southwold Cemeteries. Thanks also go to
Joyce Locke, Helen Pincombe, Lloyd and Norma Smith and the members of the West Elgin Genealogical and Historical Society, for their work in transcribing cemeteries. I hope that we will still be able to do one more cemetery this year and that many of you will come out to help. Transcribing cemeteries can be fun, the companionship is great, some of the verses are hilarious and information recorded on the stone can be extremely interesting. For example the stone of Randolph Johnson (1809-1865) in the Seminary Cemetery (Lot 11, Conc. 4, Yarmouth) gives almost his whole life history – member of the District Council of London, member of the Council of Yarmouth, Reeve and Warden of Elgin County, and Justice of the Peace. He was a native of New York.
I hope that this Fall’s meetings will be interesting. In particular I draw your attention to the “Show and Tell” meeting. I hope that many of you will bring your family histories to this meeting. If you know of anyone in Elgin County who has a family history of this area, please see if you can get access to it. Maybe in this way we can extend our knowledge of people in this area.
1986 is the anniversary of the O.G.S. We have been requested to index the 1871 County Census. Hopefully there will be some volunteers who will index this census starting this winter. The more volunteers the easier the work will be. I must caution everyone though, those 1871 census are not easy to read.
In December, we plan to have elections for the year 1983. I hope that there will be some volunteers for the various positions necessary to make this branch a success. I have enjoyed this first year, but Eileen, Anna and myself would like some help.
FROME UNITED CEMETERY – “N Lot 27 NBTR” (North Branch Talbot Road) (now #3
Highway). The cemetery sits on a high knoll on three sides of the Frome United Church which faces south. Our very first joint project and what a turnout! We beginners learned a lot about transcribing cemeteries from the old timers.
At 6 o’clock, we met in the neighbouring yard and had our lunch, and at 6:30 sharp, Tony had us up and at it. Marg Daugharty, Southwold co-ordinator was busily marking stones. We have a marvelous congenial group, everyone was helping each other to read the very old stones. We quickly learned the value of trowels, chalk and brushes.
The stones in the cemetery mostly face east, and many of the stones had a willow tree or a pair of willow trees on them. Marg Daugharty explained the use of willows on the stones from information she had read from Early Ontario Gravestones by Carole Hanks. “As a Christian symbol, the willow represents the gospel of Christ because it is an exceptionally hardy tree, able to withstand the loss of many branches and still flourish so, too, the gospel of Christ flourishes no matter how widely distributed among the peoples of the world. This esoteric symbolism undoubtedly escaped most who chose the willow as a grave marker motif. To them the willow wept and, simultaneously, represented the tree of (eternal) life. As such it could be, and was, used in combination with a variety of other motifs, Urns and Obelisks most frequently appear with willow, and either may be draped in mourning.”
We had another work party Saturday July 10, and it was a beautiful day. We completed the recording and the oldest stone was dated 1817. “In Memory of/Truman! son of Ira and Nancy Gilbert/who was born in County/of Leeds C.W. and died/in Southwold/ April 1, 1817.” There was another stone “Thomas S.M./ son of John and Clarissa/Sutton – Sept. 5, 1812/ age 14 days.” The cemetery didn’t come into existence until after 1812, and it is believed that this stone was erected at a later date.
QUERIES:
EBERLE, Jacob of Palmyra & Morpeth d. 1852, m. Sarah Mills b. 1806, d. 1913. belonged to Palmyra Baptist Church – not same Jacob Eberle of Palmyra b. 1837, d. 1907, m Rebecka Fisher.
answer to Wilson E.A. Hewstone,
McCALLUM, Hugh m. TUCKER, Sarah ca. 1844, is she dau. of John Tucker, is she sister of Walter Adam Tucker m Mary McCallum. answer to Mrs. Muriel Arnason #2441. see membership.
CAMPBELL, Alexander b. 1877 Wallacetown, father is John -info requested on parents and siblings. M. Sarah Jane Baker, when?
DOUGLAS, Thomas E. m. Laura Ann Whiting ca 1894. Lived in Southwold & Dunwich twp.
Children Charles, May, Nellie. Any info on Thomas? Laura Whiting born Walsingham Twp., Norfolk cty. Parents Samuel & Rachel Whiting. Reply to #6234, Anthony Hofstee,
SECORD, ROSE. (ROOSE), ROUSE, ROWES) German. Nancy Rose b. May 31, 1806 m. Wm.
Peter Secord ca. 1822. She was German (Penn. Dutch) b. in USA. Lived in New Sarum, Yarmouth Twp. Elgin cty. Who were her parents, where in the USA was she born, where was she married?
WILCOX, Susan (who ?) m. William Wilcox possibly Wainfleet or Humberstone. Susan b. ca. 1786, b. in Canada according to Census. Lived in New Sarum. answer to #4829, Mrs. Elva Sanghera
DENNIS, William b. 1813 in Humberstone s. of Joseph Dennis and Elizabeth Wintermute,
- RecbeccaBrewer in Malahide twp., bur. Luton (also Elizabeth). Dau. Mary b. 1834 m. 1st. ? McKnight, 2nd Wilson McMaster. Dau. Martha Jane b. 1837 m. Adam Gerhard 1861. Does Mary Have Descendants. Have info on Gerhard will share.
DENNIS, Joseph b. 1802 m Martha ?? 1822. b. Old Springfield Cemetery. Were they parents of Nancy Dennis b. 1824 Humberstone m. George Neff 1846? Was Joseph brother to William above? Any info to #5558, Mrs. Grace Noad
SMITH- Request ancestors and descendants of John A. Smith who settled on land now owned by Western Fair Grounds.
GRAM- John Gilbert Smith b. 1858 m. Elizabeth Gram b. 1858 Westminister Twp. in 1878 by her father Rev. Henry Gram of the Methodist Episcopal Church. John & Elizabeth resided in
Elgin County in Sparta area- Interested in ancestors & descendants of Rev. Henry Gram. Info to #7248 Mrs. Norma Smith
SMITH, Cecilia (Sesilia) Smith, age 4 listed 1851 Southwold census with Catharine Smith, spinster, age 33, housekeeper. Catharine was the dau. of Samuel & Mabel Smith, and g.dau. of Othniel Smith.- Catharine age 47 m. Jacob Caughell age 59, of Yarmouth, Baptist April 5, 1866.
Request any info on Cecilia Smith b. ca. 1847.
TUMMON, all occurences to #7283, Mrs. Eileen Mycroft,
CLARK, Info request on grandfather James Clark b. Devonshire, Eng., d. Aldborough (West Lorne) May 10, 1905. Info on date and place of birth. m. Ann McDermid d. Perdue, Sask., Jan. 6, 1905. Info to #6830, Georgina E. Clark, (address membership list)
McCABE, ROYAL (ROIAL, RYALL, etc.) – Is Fanny (Royal) McCabe a brother of James Ryall? – Land records of 1861, show James Ryall, Ann Francis and husband Thomas McCabe selling property, Conc. 9, Lot 13, in Dunwich twp. (south of Wallacetown) to a Thompson. Fanny d. 1862 leaving 10 small children and Thomas McCabe d. 1866. Info on any of these please contact Mrs. L. J. Yori
MONTGOMERY, John – prior to ca. 1875 lived in St. Thomas. m. Latitia Sutherland who died prior to family move to Walford Twp. Leeds, Grenveill, in 1895. Son George worked on N.Y.C. in St. Thomas. George and unmarried sister Sarah were living with him at the time of move. Request for info comes from lona Hammond (address membership list).
KERR – Any Kerrs of Aldborough Twp. & Southwold Twp. especially John & Janet Kerr of
Southwold – Request info to Gene Amos (address membership list)
PETTIT, WILLSON & SMITH – Johnathan Pettit Jr., came ca. 1787-1788, lived Windham,
Norfolk – wife ? -John Pettit son, m. Catharine Willson dau. of Jacob Willson, Charlottville, Norfolk Cty., dau. Mary 1791-1859 m. ca. 1810 Charlottville? to Garrett Smith, Yarmouth, son
of Othniel Smith. Info on all of the above to #2280 Mrs. Willson
OFFER OF HELP
SECORD – Mrs. Elva Sanghera has a good amount of info on the Secords. (Address queries) She is willing to help anyone with their Secord line.
PLEASE when asking for a reply from an individual, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope (S.A.E.). We have found most genealogists are quite generous, but lets not take advantage of their generosity. It is easier to answer a request when it doesn’t cost money.
Printed in 1905
David Caughell, one of the successful agriculturists of Harwick, County of Kent, located on Lot 22, Concession 3, Talbot Road, is one of the highly intelligent and much esteemed citizens of that locality. Mr. Caughell was born February 18, 1833, in the County of Elgin, Canada, a son of Peter and Mary (Culver) Caughell.
Peter Caughell born in 1803, near Niagara, a son of John and Elizabeth (Seeley) Caughell. The former was born in Holland 1754 and the latter was born in Hartford, Conn. 1770. They settled at Niagara (Beainsville), where they raised a large family. After his marriage Peter Caughell settled seven miles east of St. Thomas and was one of the pioneers of that locality. There he engaged in farming throughout his life, his death occurring in 1876. His wife was born in Simcoe (Mary Culver) and died in 1854 at Houghton. Peter married again to Maria Raven by whom he had two children. Minnie and Peter of Ridgetown -other children by the first wife besides David. Dr. Darius born on the homestead near St. Thomas, engaged in medicine in Morrison, Missouri where he died leaving children (Dr. Frank, Lois and Peter) Miriam (deceased) married William Rodgers, who moved to Wisconsin, where she died leaving sons David of Kansas City and Darius (deceased), Margaret, born near St. Thomas married John Buchner of Peoria, Illinois where they had daughters Stata and Maud. Clarinna married William Caulson a retired businessman of Peoria. Alma died in young womanhood; Victoria and Elizabeth died in childhood.
David Caughell grew to manhood in the old home near New Sarum and received a fair education in the local schools. When nineteen years of age he made a trip to England, and thence to Australia, remaining three years in the latter country. The trip in 1852 was considered a rapid one, although he was obliged to go by boat to Buffalo from Port Burwell, thence to New York City and after four weeks on the Atlantic reached Liverpool. On his trip to Australia Mr. Caughell went around the world. He went by way of New York and Liverpool and then around the Cape of Good Hope easterly from Liverpool. In the Bay of Biscaye they were laid up for two days on account of high seas and severe storm. The trip was made by sailing-vessel, and it was one hundred days from Liverpool to Melbourne, Australia. Fifteen emigrant ships came into Melbourne that day. This was the most exciting time Mr. Caughell ever experienced, due to a collision between the Minnesota the vessel he was on, and another coming into harbour. In Australia, Mr. Caughell was first engaged in mining.
He then went to driving stage, for which he received 6 sterling a week and commissions. He then engaged again in mining; which he followed until he started to return home and was quite prosperous. The life was full of adventure, and Mr. Caughell felt well repaid financially. He came back easterly from Melbourne, sailing in South latitude 70 degrees, around Cape Horn and was eighty days on the return trip, landing in Liverpool. He had for a travelling companion William Rodgers, a brother-in-law. This experience was an unusual one for a young man not yet twenty-two years of age.
The fall of 1855 saw Mr. Caughell again a resident of Canada, and his marriage took place soon after, at Mapleton near his old home. He then spent one year at Yarmouth on the homestead and in 1856 came to Harwick, County of Kent and purchased 100 acres from Stilwell Wilson, on which he built a small frame house; this the family occupied until the handsome brick residence in 1882-84. He cleared up his land and now owns one of the finest farms of the section, comprising of 100 acres.
In 1855 Mr. Caughell was united in marriage with Miss Mary Hill, born at Beverly, Canada, a daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Burdick) Hill, the former of whom was born in 1794, in Rhode Island and died in 1878: the latter born in 1800, died in 1872. They settled in the eastern part of the state of New York and moved to Canada in 1837, settling at Houghton on Lake Erie. There they lived for some eight years and then they moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the remainder of their lives was spent. Their children were
Rushamn; Zebediak, Benage, Rosanna, the wife of William Platt, of Michigan; Laura, wife of
Benjamin Randall of Michigan; Harriet J., wife of George Avril of Michigan; Celicia, born at White Hall, New York, in 1828, now the widow of James Warwick, residing near St. Thomas, between New Sarum and Mapleton; and Mary; wife of David Caughell. Children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Caughell as follows: Darius, Roscal, James W. and Arella M. all died young; Peter, born in 1861 married Lizzie Haggart of Harwich, and they reside on the old Haggart place and have two children, Mary and David Alexander; and Stata, born in 1871 is the wife of Douglas Campbell of Harwich. Both Mr. and Mrs. Caughell are members of the Disciples Church. In politics he has always been identified with the Reform party, and has been a member of the township council of Harwick for twenty years, being first elected in 1862. He was elected reeve in 1880, re-elected to that office annually for five consecutive years, and was again chosen in 1894, holding the office of reeve for three years. He was elected to county council in 1899 for two years. He was a member of that body in all, ten years. In 1884, he was elected warden of the county. He has also been receiver and warden and for the past ten years he has officiated in the position of justice of the peace.
Mr. Caughell is one of the self-made men of the county of Kent, and for many years has taken his position of his locality. His travel and experience, combined with an intelligent and liberal spirit, have made him a very useful member of society. He is well posed on all subjects, and has made the agricultural possibilites of his section a special study.
Recent acquisitions of interest to genealogists and available through any of the 11 branch libraries of the Elgin County Library:
929.30941 Smith, Frank
Smi A Genealogical Gazeteer of Scotland
929.3 Hamilton-Edwards, Gerald
Ham In Search of Scottish Ancestry
929.3 Whyte, Donald
Why Scottish Genealogical Research
929.1 Pine, L.G.
Pin American Origins
971.377 MacGillvray, Royce and Ross, Ewan
Mac A History of Glengarry
971.6 Nova Scotia. Public Archives
Nov Place-Names and Places of Nova Scotia
971.6 Nova Scotia. Public Archives
Nov Loyalists and Land Settlement in Nova Scotia
929.3 Punch, Terrence M.
Pun Genealogical Research in Nova Scotia
929.2 Little, Harriet (comp)
Lit Descendants of William Little Jr. and Allied Families
929.2 Yule, J. Herbert
Yul Genealogical Sketches of Robert and John Hazelton of Rowley, Mass. and Some of Their Descendants More Especially of John Hazelton
929.2 Yule, J. Herbert
Yu1 Genealogical Sketches of James Yuill of Ramsay Township Lanark County, Ontario and Descendants
929.2 Milliken, Oscar and Milliken Bertha
Mil Milliken Crest
971.333 Gathering at the Forks/The Story of Wallaceburg
Man
929.2 Griffin, Justus A.
Gri Ancestors and Descendants of Richard Griffin of Smithville, Ontario! A Pioneer Family with a brief Account of Some Related Griffin Families
929.2 Crysler, John M.
Dry History of that Branch of the Crysler Family Who Settled in the Township of Niagara
929.2 McCall, D. T.
McC Genealogy and History of the Norfolk McCall Family and Associate Descendants 17961946
929.2 Carr, David Henderson
Car A History of the Descendants of William Carr of Lanarkshire, Scotland 1800-1970
929.2 O’Dochtartaigh Family Research Association of North America Dau O’Dochartaigh/North America 1981 Yearbook
971.327 McLean, Angus
McL Reflections of a Century 1880-1980
971.323 Campbell, Isabelle
Cam The Story of Hibbert Township/County of Perth
Chairman of Elgin Branch – Anthony (Tony) Hofstee
Secretary Treasurer – Mrs. Anna Hofstee
Newsletter – Mrs. Eileen Mycroft