THE FAULKNER FAMILY - CANADA PROJECT 150

In 2017 the Ontario Genealogical Society asked their members for stories about the families who lived in Canada at the time of confederation in 1867.  I thought it was a good idea and decided to write about each family unit. This is the last family of my project

FAULKNER FAMILY

My great great grandparents William Faulkner (1815-bef 1901) and Annie Jane/Hannah Crosby (1819 - 1876) were both born in Ireland, possibly Dublin.  They emigrated to Canada between 1847 and 1849, probably due to the Irish Famine with their 2 sons John Crosby and George Lewis and settled in Ontario.

William and Annie Jane had at least 7 children. John Crosby was born in Dublin in 1844 and George Lewis in 1845.  According to a Family Bible, their next son Ford was born in either 1847 or 1849 (the date has been overwritten) and he was born in Toronto, Ontario

By 1850 the family had moved to Simcoe County, as their son William Joseph was born in Tecumseh, Simcoe County, Ontario on July 1, 1850 and baptised on 18 May 1851.  More children followed, Mary Jane born 1852, Henrietta born 1853 and Annie Margaret born 1855.

Annie Margaret  Faulkner Fawcett (1855-1939)

Ford Faulkner (abt 1847-1929), my great grandfather

Mary Jane Faulkner Rowe (1852-1909)  Photographer John Crosby Faulkner, Mary Jane's brother.

William was a tailor   According to the book entitled Governor Simcoe Slept Here by the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local Historical Association, Volume 1 and 2, William Faulkner was the first tailor in the village of Newton Robinson.  Newton Robinson is a village about 50 miles north of Toronto, in Simcoe County.

A partial transcript of the book:
William Faulkner was the first tailor in the village.  About the year 1852, a building was erected immediately north of the Chantler Store.  William Faulkner occupied it as a dwelling and tailor shop.

Faulkner bought lot "E", built a house and operated a tailor business until 1868,  when he sold the property to John Merrick.   George Ogilvie and J. M. McClean were successful tailors during prosperous years.

The tailor shop stood where the present Women's Institute Hall (Orange Hall ) is now located

Another book from Simcoe County also mentions the Faulkners as being established in Newton Robinson around the same time:   Newton Robinson: A History of the United Church and the Community 1841-1987 by Bernice Merrick Ellis writes that a new church in the Bradford Circuit, Wesley Chapel appears in the June 1849 - 1850 annual report. 

The Latimer's corners log church appears under its own name for the first time.  There can be no doubt that is what it was.  The subscribers are familiar Newton Robinson Church names.....

The Village itself had been formally christened Newton Robinson in the year 1848.

 In the Missionary lists of the next few years more names that would be well known appeared, including......Wm. and Hanna Falkner.....

Certainly William and Annie Jane were in the village of Newton Robinson as William Faulkner, tailor,  is listed in the 1869 Gazetteer for the area.  According to the 1871 Census they lived in Tecumseth and William's occupation was tailor.

Sadly Annie Jane died in 1876 and by that time William and Annie were back living in Toronto.  After Annie's death William seemed to move around to be near his children.  In 1877 he was living in Fordwich, Huron near his daughter Mary Jane Rowe and son Ford.  He was living with Mary Jane and her family according to the 1881 census.

By the time the 1891 census was taken, William had moved to the Muskoka, Parry Sound, Ontario, area to be near his sons John Crosby, photographer and William Joseph, baker who both had businesses in the area.

What happened to William after that remains a mystery.  I haven't located a death certificate, and William doesn't seem to appear on the 1901 Census.  Several researchers have listed his death as January 28, 1896, but further investigation reveals that death certificate is for an Annie Jane Faulkner a farmer's wife. Did he move to North Dakota, USA to be near his daughter Annie Margaret Fawcett?

Annie Jane's burial location is unknown as well.  Are they buried together somewhere in Ontario?

THE REAL MEEHAN O'LEARY CONNECTION

Over 4 years ago I wrote about the O'Leary sisters country and western group and the very tentative connection to my Meehan family see Meehan-O'Leary Connection.

Since that time I have been in contact with a descendant of Teresa Meehan and Norman Dunne O'Leary.    Susan also introduced me to another relative Rosemary.  Rosemary is a descendant of Mary Ann Meehan and Lorne Sheridan.  Susan, Rosemary and I share the same great grandparents George Thomas Meehan (1851) and Emma Howson.(1851)

Both Susan and Rosemary have been very generous and shared family pictures.  My grandfather George Meehan (1882) and my grandmother Isabel Faulkner were separated and I didn't know my grandfather.  So when Susan shared the Meehan family photo I was thrilled.

The picture was taken circa 1907 and appears to be taken for a formal gathering, possibly a wedding.

Back Row L to R: George Meehan (1882),Margaret Meehan (1876), James Meehan (1880), Mary Ann Meehan (1878),   Seated  George T. Meehan (1851) Teresa Meehan (1886) Emma Howson  Meehan (1851)

FAULKNER FAMILY - PART 7

Annie Margaret Faulkner was the youngest daughter of William Faulkner (1815 - ) and Annie Jane Crosby (1819 - 1886).  She was born in Newton Robinson, Simcoe County, Ontario about 1857 and died in Consort Alberta in 1939.

Annie Margaret married Joseph Hugh Fawcett in Huron County in 1878.   Joseph Fawcett was listed as a farmer and by the 1881 Census the family was living in Peel , Wellington County.  They had a large family some born in Ontario, but the majority of children were born in North Dakota.  The family moved there in about 1883 where there was land available.

Unfortunately, most of the 1890 US census has been destroyed, so according to the 1900/1910 US census the children are listed as follows:

• William Melville - 1879 - 1891
• John Franklin - 1881 - 1926
• Joseph Ford - 1882 - 1964
• Henrietta Louise - 1884 - 1884
• Nina Irene  -  1885 - 1980
• Matilda Elsie - 1889 - 1968
• Cecil Everett - 1893 - 1951
• Ethel May - 1895 - 1960
• William Dewey - 1898 - 1963
• Charley Eames - 1901 - 1970

Joseph Fawcett owned Timber culture land in  North Dakota according to the   US Bureau of Land Management  His land is listed as 160 acres of land in the Township/Range of 130N-059W, which is in Dickey North Dakota.  The land was sold in 1910 and the family owned a pool hall in Ludden North Dakota.  After that,  the family moved to Alberta and were homesteaders north of Loyalist Alberta west of Consort.

In searching the internet for genealogy information, I have been in contact with a descendant of Matilda Fawcett and he has shared some photos and information with me.  Matilda Fawcett kept a scrapbook of her family's history.  She kept newspaper clippings and photos which has been a real treasure trove of information.  Much of the information in this blog has been taken from the documents that he shared with me.

According to the  Alberta Homestead Records 1830 -1970  Joseph Fawcett owned land in Section 20, Township 36, Range 7, Meridian 4.  Which is near Loyalist Alberta.  It also states that Joseph died in 1916.  The land was then assigned to Annie Margaret Fawcett and there is also an entry for this same property for their sons Cecil Fawcett and William Dewey Fawcett.  There are no dates on the Index, so further investigation is needed to determine when they actually owned the land.  However according to the the Border Crossing - US to Canada information Matilda Fawcett crossed the border in April 1912 and listed that she was going to her father.  She was also travelling with her niece and nephew who stated they were going to their father.  I haven't found Annie Margaret and Jospeph Fawcett on the 1916 census, but did find John Franklin Fawcett, a widower,  his children Blanche and Russell, as well as Dewey Fawcett.  On the 1916 Census John Franklin and Dewey are listed as living in Township 35, Range 7, Meridian 4.  Which seems close to where Annie Margaret and Joseph had land, but not quite.

I find from the scrapbook, Melville Fawcett died in 1891 at the age of 11, in North Dakota, from spinal meningitis and he is buried in the Ludden Cemetery..  There was a lovely poem in the newspaper clipping dedicated to him.  The Enterprise Newspaper from Consort Alberta has an obituary for Annie Margaret Faulkner Fawcett who died in 1939 in Consort.  The obituary confirms that Joseph died in 1916.  It also indicates that Annie Margaret lived in Toronto as a young girl and woman.  I think this is something I need to examine more closely.  I seem to have her living in Simcoe County and then marrying in Huron County.  I do know the family lived at some point in Toronto, so that is something more to check out on the ever growing "Faulkner" list.

Annie Margaret Faulkner Fawcett - taken in Ludden North Dakota

Thankfully the obituary also lists where her offspring were living at the time of death.  I find Dewey is in Loyalist, Alberta;  Ford is in South Dakota; Charles is in Oregon and Cecil is in Saskatchewan.  Three daughters and their married names, hooray, are also listed:  Ethel May has married Adrian Grexton and is living in Ontario; Matilda has married Willard Robinson and is living in Consort Alberta; and Nina Irene is married to Edwin Isamin and is also living in Consort.  Frank, Melville and Henrietta had pre deceased her.  At the bottom of  this obituary, a handwritten note indicates Joseph H. Fawcett was born Apr 3, 1856 and died March 30, 1916.

From another obituary for Frank Fawcett, we learn that he died from a farming accident in 1936.  His children are mentioned as Russell and Blanche who has married an A. J. Canning.

What a wonderful scrapbook, for the family to own.  They also the have William Faulkner's eyeglasses and William Faulkner  family bible.  As any one who traces their family genealogy knows, these artifacts are priceless.  I thank all the extended family members who have shared these with me.  Now if we could only find out more about our elusive William Faulkner and Annie Margaret Crosby in Ireland.









FAULKNER FAMILY - PART 6

Willliam Joseph Faulkner is the 4th son born to William Faulkner (1815- ) and Annie Jane Crosby (1819 - 1876).  According to the Wesleyan Methodist Baptismal Register, he was born in Tecumseth, Simcoe County, Ontario, on July 1, 1850 and baptised the following May in Bradford.  So far this baptism record is the only record I've found for any of the children.

It does establish the family in Simcoe County in the 1850's even though the 1851 Census is no longer available for this County.  Ford Faulkner an older brother is listed as being born in Toronto, between 1847 and 1849.  This gives us a time frame for the family.  William senior and his wife Annie Jane came from Ireland with 2 children born in Ireland between 1844 and 1845.  If Ford Faulkner was born between 1847 and 1849 the family must have emigrated in that time period.  Likewise they must have moved from Toronto to Simcoe County by July 1, 1850, where William senior was the first tailor in Newton Robinson.

William Joseph Faulkner married Saphronia Diana Garbutt in West Gwillimbury, Simcoe, in 1880.  They lived in Simcoe County and then by 1891 the family had moved to the Muskoka area, where William was a baker.

William and Saphronia Faulkner had at least 4 children:

Lewis Norman Faulkner  1881 - 1908
Henrietta Jane Faulkner   1885 - 1965
William Garbutt Faulkner  1889 - 1970
Florence M. Faulkner  1895 - 1931


The  Vintage postcards website indicates that William Joseph Faulkner had a bakery and confectionery shop in Sundridge, Muskoka County, but it burnt down in 1903.  This shop was at Paget and Main Streets and was next to his brother John Crosby Faulkner's photography shop.

William died in 1905 while working with his son William Junior on a harvest excursion in Strathclair Manitoba.  William Senior worked as a baker for the harvest.  Another researcher sent me a newspaper article, date and paper unknown, that recounts his death.  However, the article indicates he died on the excursion in Strathclair, while his death registration was in South River, Parry Sound, Ontario.  Strathclair is about 2,000+ km west of South River, so I'm not sure how accurate the newspaper article is.   The article goes on to say, that the body was brought home for interment and William is buried in the South River Cemetery in Sundridge, Ontario




Willliam Garbutt Faulkner

There are no known pictures of William Joseph Faulkner, but here is a nice one of his son William Garbutt Faulkner (1889 - 1970).  This has been shared with me, by a descendant of William Faulkner's family.  I always think it odd that there aren't more photographs of the Faulkner family, since John Crosby Faulkner was a professional photographer.  I guess it's like the old story of the cobbler's children never having any shoes.


At some point the family had land in Saskatchewan. Saphronia Diana Faulkner is listed on the Saskatchewan Homestead Index. Charles George Gandier and Thomas Edward Casson. is also listed in the same area, which I think was near Battleford, Saskatchewan. As the property is listed in Saphronia's name I'm assuming this was sometime after 1905.

I've just found the family in Battleford, Saskatchewan on the 1916 Census.   It was a tricky one to sort out.  The Ancestry Index had her listed as "Sophronia Din* *Lronor".  Oh, well, now I'll have to be creative to find out where they were on the 1911 Census.

Henrietta  married Charles George Gandier in Ontario in 1903 and they are living near Battleford.  William Garbutt Faulkner married Blanche Pike in 1915, in Saskatchewan and Thomas Casson and Florence Faulkner were the witnesses  Saphronia Diana Faulkner is living with William Garbutt Faulkner..  Florence Faulkner  is listed as a spinster so she must have married Thomas Casson after that period.  According to the Census they moved  west in 1909.

Saphronia Faulkner died in 1921, but the exact details are not known.  Possibly she died in Saskatchewan.

FAULKNER FAMILY - PART 5

Mary Jane Faulkner was born May 1, 1852 (per her death certificate)  in Ontario.  She died in 1909, in Fordwich, Huron, Ontario.  Mary Jane was the oldest daughter of Willliam Faulkner (1815 -) and Annie Crosby (1819 - 1876).  The Faulkner family had emigrated to Canada from Dublin Ireland around 1847-1849.  Mary Jane's older brother William Joseph Faulkner was recorded as baptised in Simcoe County in 1851, so it is probable that Mary Jane was born there as well, possibly in Newton Robinson.



 

 This picture of Mary Jane Faulkner appears to be from a larger group photo.  The photographer is shown as "Faulkner, Sundrige".  This is Mary Jane's brother John Crosby Faulkner, who had a photo studio in Sundridge Ontario.  The back of the photo says "Aunt Mary" according to a distant relative who sent me this copy.  The photo belongs to the Annie Margaret Faulkner family.  Annie Margaret is the younger sister of Mary Jane.

Mary Jane Faulkner married James Rowe in 1873 in Simcoe County.  James Rowe was from Cornwall, England and his parents are listed as James and Susan Rowe.  James and Mary Jane settled in Howick, Huron County according to the 1881 Census.  William Faulkner, Mary Jane's father is also living with the family.  A few doors away, Ford Faulkner, his wife Sarah Newton Faulkner and her brother Edward Newton are also living in Howick.  James Rowe was listed as a brickmaker, a farm labourer and also an insurance agent on the various census.

Mary Jane and James Rowe had at least 7 children:

• William Henry 1874 -
• Henrietta Gertrude 1876 -
• Susan Jane (Elsie) 1878 -
• Alberta 1881 -
• Matilda "Tillie" 1885 -
• Annie Mary 1887 -
• Elmer Austin 1894 - 1918

Henrietta Rowe married Charles W. Ruttan in Huron County in 1906.  Susan Rowe married John Thompson in 1903 also in Huron. Tillie married Herbert Bricker Huron in 1918.  Lance Corporal Elmer Austin Rowe was killed in the First World War and is buried in France.  He was attached to the Fort Garry Horse Unit, so he must have been in Manitoba prior to enlisting in the Army.

When Mary Jane Rowe died in November 1909, her daughter Alberta wrote a letter to Annie Margaret Faulkner Fawcett.  Annie Margaret Fawcett was living in Ludden North Dakota at the time.  It's a lovely letter from Alberta expressing her sorrow at her mother's death.

The letter indicates that Will had just been married and returned home with his new bride and did not return for the funeral.  I'm not sure where home is, but I think perhaps it is Manitoba.  The letter also mentions Etta (Henrietta) had returned for the funeral with her  3 month old baby and expects to stay all winter as it is a long journey home.  Once again, I believe that Henrietta and Charles Ruttan lived in Manitoba.   At the time of Mary Jane's death Alberta, Tillie and their father James Rowe were at her bedside.

The letter goes on to say that Uncle John and Aunt Jennie (John Crosby Faulkner and his wife Jennie Stewart) and Uncle Ford and Aunt Sarah (Ford Faulkner and his wife Sarah Ann Newton) "came up" for the funeral.  The letter closes by wishing her aunt Annie Margaret a Merry Christmas and is signed "Niece, Alberta xxx"

There was a notice in a local paper in Huron County that indicated " On account of the late Mrs. Jas. Rowe's funeral, there will not be any service at Newbridge on Sunday afternoon."  Newbridge was a small village in Huron County.

Mary Jane Faulkner was buried in Fordwich Cemetery.  Her husband James Rowe died in 1919 and he was buried with her.  The tombstone inscription  also lists their son Elmer Austin Rowe.

FAULKNER FAMILY - PART 4

George Lewis Faulkner was born in 1845 in Ireland, possibly Dublin.  He was the 2nd son of William Faulkner (1815 - ) and Annie Jane Crosby (1819 - 1876).  He died in Toronto, in the House of Industry in 1907.

As far as I can determine the William Faulkner family came to Canada between 1847 and 1849.  My great grandfather Ford Faulkner was born in Ontario, between the two dates.  The family was certainly living in Simcoe County by 1850 according to a baptism transcription.

George Lewis Faulkner married Mary Combs (1852 - ) in 1872 in Aurora, Ontario.  Mary's parents are listed as George and Phoebe Combs.  On the 1871 census, I found Mary living in Aurora with a Phoebe and  Robert P. Irwin.  I think Mary's father must have died and her mother re-married.  The witnesses to the marriage included an R.P. Irwin, who may have been Mary's step-father.  I haven't found George anywhere on the 1871 census.  He was not listed with his parents and I haven't come across a suitable candidate as yet.  However, there is a George L. Faulkner, Safemaker, listed in the 1871-1872 Toronto Directory, living on Queen Street East.

By the 1881 Census, George and Mary were living in Galt Ontario.  George is listed as a Safemaker and they have 4 children:

• Matilda "Tillie"  born 1873 Toronto
• Henry Lewis born 1875 Aurora
• Robert Crosby born 1877 Toronto
• Henrietta born 1881 Waterloo

By the 1891 Census, I had lost the family completely.  There was no family listed and I couldn't find the individual names either.  I assumed Mary Combs had died before 1896 as George married Jannett (Malcolm) Ling in 1896 in Galt Ontario.  Jannett was a widow, however George is listed as a bachelor.  I'm sure this is the right man he is listed as George L. Faulkner, parents William and Annie Faulkner, born in Ireland.  Well, I wonder what happened?

I dd some more research on Family Search and found that Henrietta and Henry Lewis Faulkner had died in the United States.

Henrietta married Christopher Reed Denham in Colorado in 1900.  Christopher Denham was born in Kentucky.  He lived in Colorado and the family moved to California.  Henrietta died in California in 1948.  According to the 1900 census Henrietta had emigrated  to the US in 1883.  Unfortunately, most of the 1890 US census was destroyed, so I haven't found where the family were located in 1890.

Another researcher on Ancestry has Matilda Faulkner marrying Charles Greely in Wisconsin in 1900.  I've discounted that for now as Matilda's parents are listed as John and Rosa Faulkner.

Henry Lewis Faulkner died in Washington State in 1924.  There was an interesting entry for the 1910 US Census.  I found a Harry L. living with with mother Mary  in Colorado.  I have no idea whether this is the same family, but it is interesting.  The age of Mary Faulkner and Harry L. Faulkner are consistent with the family I'm researching and they are both born in Canada and emigrated to the US in 1886.  I searched the 1900 US Census, but couldn't find Mary or Harry L. Faulkner.   Given that George Lewis Faulkner listed himself as a bachelor in 1896, it makes me wonder.

Further research for the 1901 Canada Census brought me more questions.  I haven't found George but I did find Jannet his second wife.  She is living in Galt with her parents, no George living with her.  She is listed as married.

George Lewis Faulkner died in 1907 in Toronto, in the Houses of Industry.  He is buried in the Necropolis Cemetery and his burial is listed as a Poor Adult Interment.

The questions remain did he take his family to the United States and then come back to Canada?  What happened to Mary Combs?  I haven't found a death certificate for her.  I haven't found any information on Robert Crosby Faulkner or Matilda Faulkner.  Did they go the the United States as well?

FAULKNER FAMILY - WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

I have several pictures of the Faulkner family.  The picture below was in my grandmother's possession and we know it is a picture of  at least some Faulkners.  The question is who?   Here's my working theory, still to be proven.




Theory:
Top row:  Sarah Ann Newton, mother,  ?Ford  Faulkner, father
Middle row:  Baby Faulkner
Bottom row: Mary Smith great grandmother, Isabella Mcknight Newton, grandmother

It looks like it is 5 pictures that have been placed in one frame.   I've been working on assumption that the man and women in the top row are the parents of the baby.  Of course, the question remains, who is the baby.  It could be my grandmother Isabel May Faulkner Meehan (1885-1959).  And does that make the other two ladies the grandmothers?

I believe the lady on the top left is Sarah Ann Newton (1860-1933). I've based that assumption on this picture:

This is a picture of my grandmother's family. In the front from left to right: Isabel Faulkner, her parents Ford Faulkner, Sarah Ann Newton Faulkner.  The back row from left to right: her brothers  William Robert* Faulkner, Stewart Faulkner, Ford Crosby* Faulkner and Clifford Faulkner. (* I'm not sure if I have these 2 brothers in the right order).

Comparing the two photos I think I see a resemblance in Sarah Newton.  I'm not so sure about Ford Faulkner, the nose and cheeks look different.

Then I found this picture on the Internet.  It is a picture of George Mcknight (1807-1884) and  Mary Smith (1821-1909).  They are the grandparents of Sarah Ann Newton

As you can see its not very clear.  Its a copy of a copy.  I've been told it is a daguerreotype and it is printed backwards.  It looks to me that Mary Smith is the lady wearing the hat in the first picture.  Maybe its just the hat, but I think I see a resemblance.

If it is Mary Smith in the picture, could that mean that the lady on the bottom left of the picture is Isabella Mcknight Newton (1839-1913), the grandmother of the baby?

So the question remains:  who are these Faulkners?  My cousin who shared these pictures with me isn't sure.  We've come up with our assumptions but no definitive proof.  We know they belong in the family, but it's just another piece of the puzzle for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAULKNER FAMILY - PART 2 UPDATE

I received a comment from a descendant of the William J. Faulkner family about the information from the North Ontario Vintage Postcards website that Lily Faulkner was the daughter of William J. Faulkner and Saphonia Garbutt.  I have updated this blog to clarify the information.

John Crosby Faulkner, is the oldest son of William Faulkner and Annie Jane (Hanna) Crosby. John Crosby Faulkner was born in Dublin Ireland around 1844 and died in Sundridge Ontario in 1932. He was a photographer working in Toronto and later in Sundridge.

John married Jennie Stewart in 1874 in Toronto at St. James Cathedral. Her parents were John and Frances Stewart. Jennie Faulkner died in 1918 in Sundridge. Both John and Jennie Faulkner are buried in the Strong Cemetery in Sundridge.

John and Jennie had no children, but adopted a girl Lily Agnes Faulkner born about 1888 who was also a photographer in Sundridge. According to Northern Ontario Vintage Postcards site,
Lily was the daughter of John's younger brother William.   However to date there is no proof of this.
The 1891 Census shows the 3 children of William Joseph Faulkner and Saphonia Garbutt Faulkner as Louis aged 10, Henrietta, aged 5 and William, aged 2.   Perhaps the idea that Lilllian was William's daughter evolved by misreading the child's name William for Lillian on this census.  A tombstone indicates Lillian was born in 1888, while William was born 10 January 1889 and died 28 July 1970, in Vernon, B.C.  It is believed that Lillian died in 1986 in Sundridge, Ontario.  If anyone knows Lillian's parents names, please leave a comment below.

. 
John Crosby Faulkner is listed in the book The Ontario Photographers List by Glen C. Phillips.

• Faulkner, J. C., photographer 1887 - 1892 - Toronto
• Faulkner, J. C., photographer 1892 - 1900 - Sundridge

The Dun & Bradstreet Commercial Directory also lists him as a photographer.

• Faulkner, J. C. 1901 - 1907 Sundridge
• Faulkner, John C. 1914 - 1920 Sundridge

In 1881 John & Jennie Faulkner are listed as living in the St. David's Ward, in Toronto. By 1891 the Census shows the couple living in Joly Strong - Sundridge, in the Muskoka and Parry Sound area of Ontario. John's address on the 1911 Census is 5 Main Street, Sundridge.

The photograph used in this blog was taken by John Crosby Faulkner. It is a picture of his brother Ford Faulkner, his wife and children. It was taken around 1910 in Toronto.

NEWTON FAMILY - PART 1

This bible represents my starting point in researching my genealogy.  I knew that my paternal grandmother's maiden name was Faulkner, but that was all I knew.  This gave me dates, names and places to commence my journey.



Bible presented to Sarah Ann Faulkner by her father R. Newton 1884

Holy Bonds of Matrimony Ford Faulkner & Sarah A. Newton June 25, 1879, Fordwich, Ontario

Robert Newton is my great-great grandfather.  He was born about 1821 in Ireland and came to Canada before 1849.  He lived in Peel County, Perth County and  Huron County in Ontario and then in Manitoba and was a farmer.  Robert married twice.  His first wife was Margaret Fallis she was born in 1827 in County Fermanagh in Ireland.  It's not clear where Robert and Margaret married, but possibly in Ontario.   Sadly she died in 1855 in Wallace, Perth County, Ontario, probably shortly after giving birth to her daughter Margaret.  Margaret Fallis' parents were James Fallis and Esther Spence.

Robert and Margaret had at least 5 children born in Ontario:

• Ester Ann  1849 - 1933
• Mary           1850 - 1937
• William Henry 1851 -
• Susan          1853 - 1864
• Margaret     1855 - 1912

On the 1851 Census Robert and Margaret Newton were living in Albion, Peel County.  According to The Christian Guardian, Margaret died 24 February 1855, in Wallace Township, Perth County.  Therefore the family must have moved between 1851 and 1855.


In 1857 Robert Newton married a second time.  His wife was named Isabella McKnight.  They married in Wallace, Perth County.  Isabella was the daughter of George Mcknight and Mary Smith of Fermanagh Ireland.  Isabella was born in about 1839 in Palmerston, Minto Township, Ontario.

Robert and Isabella had at least 11 children:

• Edward George  1856 - 1939
• Robert T.   1857 - 1927?
• Sarah Ann   1860 - 1933   - My direct line - great-grandmother
• Simon A.    1861 - before 1881?
• Stewart A.   1863 -
• Susan  1864 - 1892
• Mary Matilda   1868 -
• Anna Maria 1870 - 1915
• Elizabeth Jane   1874 -
• Christina  1875 -
• Thomas John  1876 -

On the 1861 Census, the family was living in Wallace Township, Perth County, Lot 37, Concession 8.  Margaret Newton, born 1855 to Robert & Margaret Newton was living with her grandparents James and Esther Fallis in Albion.  By the 1871 Census, the family had moved once again, this time to Huron County.  They are listed in Howick, the  North Huron District of Huron County.  Robert Newton  owned 50 acres of  property on Lot 24, Concession 2.

The family moved to Manitoba between 1871 and 1881, as the 1881 Census shows the family living at St. Clement, Lisgar, Manitoba.  The children included in the census were: Robert, Stewart A., Maria, Christine, Elizabeth and Thomas, ranging in age from 22 to 6. 

My great grandmother Sarah Ann had married Ford Faulkner in 1879  and they stayed in Howick, Huron County along with her brother Edward who was staying with them.  Edward was to move to Manitoba later to join his family.

Ester Ann married Thomas Campbell in 1865; she and her husband stayed in Howick until the 1901 Census indicated they had moved to Brandon, Manitoba .

Mary Newton married Robert Armstrong and they stayed in Ontario.  William Henry Newton married Louisa Ann Mosier, in 1879  and by 1911 they had moved to Saskatchewan. Margaret Newton (1855) didn't live with her father, first she was living with her grandparents James and Esther Fallis and by 1871 she was living with her uncle Robert Fallis and his family in Peel County.  In 1880 she married Samuel Cornish Saunders .

Sarah Ann and Ford Faulkner eventually moved to Toronto between the 1881 and 1891 Census.

At this point in my research I had now "lost" both of the Susan Newtons I had recorded.  The first Susan born to Robert and Margaret was born in 1853 and the second Susan born 1864 to Robert and Isabella.  I assumed the Susan born 1853, must have died before 1864 as another Susan was born in 1864.  That detail was to become very important to my research later on.  Susan, born 1864 was not with the family in 1881 in Manitoba.

Robert Newton (1821) died in RM N. Cypress, Manitoba, 11 November 1895.  His parents were not listed, but his birthplace is listed as Queen's County Ireland.  Isabella McKnight Newton died 15 May 1913, in Elton Manitoba.  Her birth date is listed as 6 April 1839 and she was born in Palmerston, Minto Township, Ontario according the the death certificate.

Now, I don't know if you have been keeping count, but Robert Newton and his two wives, produced 16 children, that I am aware of.  I can only hope he was as productive as a farmer as he was as a husband.

THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF RESEARCHING TRANSCRIBED INDICES.

When I took my first genealogy research class, I remember the instructor stressing that we must be flexible when searching for our ancestors' surnames.  This was due to many factors.  Back in the day, a lot of people could not read or write and so the concept of how their name was spelled was not a big issue.  In most cases for farm workers or labourers this did not impact their day to day life.

Emigration played a large part of this name game as well.  An English, Scottish or Irish accent changed how the name sounded to the North American ear and therefore how it was written down.  Another factor to be considered is that when the census were taken, the person taking down the information may have misheard the information given and basically guessed at what they thought they heard.

Therefore I thought I was ready to search and try out variations on a name.  I started with my Meehan surname and tried to think of all the different variations I could.  When I started thinking about it there were quite a few:  Meehan, Mehan, Mechan, Meecham, Meighen, Meaghan, Meaghen, Meagher, etc.

Other names such as Howson, had similar variations:  Howson, Hawson, Honson, Houston (this being the most popular), Howard.  The Faulkner surname became, Falconer, Falkner, pretty close to the original.  The easiest name so far to search has been Newton, it seems to have escaped the many and varied spellings that happened to my other surname searches, although I did find a Hewton.

Then there is the added fact that when these census or vital statistics documents are indexed there is another layer of human intervention that can lead to a completely different surname altogether.  So what we have is potentially a name that is taken down incorrectly in the first place being transcribed incorrectly as well.  It's the written equivalent of playing broken telephone.

When I was researching my Meehan family, I was looking for the marriage for Teresa Meehan and Norman Dunne O'Leary on the Ancestry website.  What I came up with was Teresa Mechan and Roman Dunne Breaw.  That one stumped for a while and I did have difficulty finding the marriage record until I took out most of the information in the search box and just left the parents names.  Even then George Meehan was recorded as George Mechan and his wife Emma Howson became Emma Teresa Danson Mechan.  Not too far off for the Meehan surname, but how in the world can you transcribe Breaw for O'Leary?  The only part of Norman Dunne O'Leary's name that was correct was the middle name Dunne.

My latest search for George Howson is even more bizarre.  I knew that George Howson died, at the age of 85 years, in March 1879 in Belleville, Ontario, as I had his burial record from St. Michael's Church in Belleville.  I realised I didn't have his death certificate recorded.  Easy peasy I thought and went to Ancestry to do a search.  No George Howson appeared.  I then tried New Family Search and  I found him.  Unfortunately New Family Search does not have images.  But it does have the certificate number.  So I went back to Ancestry and searched in the Belleville deaths for 1879 and found the certificate number I was looking for.  George Howson's  name was recorded as Genya Snorton, aged 0.  Of course how silly of me!

Now I'm wondering how many more Roman Breaws and Genya Snortons are out there waiting for me to find them?

MEEHAN FAMILY - PART 2

George Meehan was my grandfather but I don't remember meeting him, even though he died after I was born.  He was born in Belleville, Ontario in 1882 and died in Toronto in 1960.  He married Isabel Faulkner in Toronto in 1907 in Toronto.  Isabel Faulkner was born  in 1885 in Galt, Ontario and died in Toronto in 1959.

They seemed to have married twice.  They married in Toronto in November 1907, but on two of the birth registrations of their children Isobel and George, Buffalo is listed as their place of marriage.  On Isobel's registration the date of May 1907 is listed.

George and Isabel had  6 children:

• Mary "Belvie"  1908 - 1926
• Dorothy  1909 -1910
• Isobel Theresa  1910 - 1973
• George Faulkner 1912 - 1985
• James Arthur  1914  1969
• Lenore Patricia  1923 - 2007

George Meehan had moved to Toronto sometime after 1896 with his family.   On the 1911 Census George and Isabel and 2 children were living together with Isabel's mother, Sarah Ann; father, Ford; and brother Carlyle.  They lived at 34 Caroline Street, in Toronto East.  

George Meehan was a merchant, salesman and  store owner in men's clothing.  The 1911 Toronto directory shows George Meehan as the owner of Meehan & Co. a haberdashery store located at 34 Caroline Avenue.  By 1913 the store is listed as George Meehan & Co., with 257-259 Yonge Street as the address.  Other directories list him as a salesman for men's clothing.

I don't think it was a happy marriage and the couple lived separately for many years, but did not divorce. My grandmother Isabel is listed several times in the Toronto City directory as: Mrs G. Meehan, widow. I think this was very common when divorce was not an every day occurrence.  George and Isabel are buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Thornhill, Ontario.

FAULKNER FAMILY - PART 3

 Ford Faulkner was my great grandfather he was born about 1847 in Ontario.  According to his death certificate he was born in Toronto, Ontario.  There is a written notation in the family bible that suggests he may have been born in 1849.  The family were Methodists but to date I have only found one Methodist baptism record.  Unfortunately not for Ford, but for his brother William Joseph who was born 01 July 1850 in Tecumseth, Simcoe County and baptised in Bradford, Ontario.

Ford married Sarah Ann Newton in Fordwich, Huron County in 1879.  Sarah Ann's parents were Robert Newton and Isabella McKnight.  Sarah was born in 1860 in Wallace, Perth Ontario.

By 1851 Ford Faulkner's family were living in Simcoe County.  At some point before 1879, he and some of his family moved to Huron County.   The 1881 Census shows the family living in Howick, Huron County along with Sarah's brother Edward Newton.  At this time some of the other Newton family had moved to Manitoba, where Edward was to join them.  

The 1891 census shows the now growing family had moved to Toronto, St. Thomas Ward.  They are listed as lodgers with a Joseph and Ellen Kearney.  In 1901 they are living at 50 Blair Avenue in Toronto.

Ford and Sarah Ann had at least 8 children:

• William Robert  1880-1938
• Ford Crosby  1882 - 1920
• Bella May "Isabel"  1885 - 1959
• Stewart Clement  1887 -
• Edna (Twin)  1893 - 1893
• Gilbert (Twin)  1893 - 1893
• Herbert Russell  1894 - 1895
• Clifford Carlyle  1900 - 1942

Now back to the Family bible, the book that really got me interested in genealogy.  My paternal grandmother Isabel Faulkner Meehan gave the bible to my mother in the 1950's.  Isabel Faulkner had been raised in a strict Methodist family.  When she married George Meehan she became a Roman Catholic.  The bible had belonged to Isabel's mother Sarah Ann Newton.  It was presented to Sarah Ann by her father Robert Newton in 1884.   My mother didn't know at the time why she was given the bible and it remains a mystery to this day.  Perhaps, because it was a Protestant bible and my mother was a Protestant?

There are many names and dates in the bible, which have been very helpful in my research. I'm not sure whose hand writing appears in the book or if the dates were written as they occurred or after the fact.  Never the less, it's a wonderful artifact.

Ford Faulkner died in 1929  and Sara Ann died in 1933.  They are buried in St. John's Norway Cemetery in Toronto.

FAULKNER FAMILY - PART 2

John Crosby Faulkner, is the oldest son of William Faulkner and Annie Jane (Hanna) Crosby.  John Crosby Faulkner was born in Dublin Ireland around 1844 and died in Sundridge Ontario in 1932.  He was a photographer working in Toronto and later in Sundridge.

John married Jennie Stewart in 1874 in Toronto at St. James Cathedral.  Her parents were John  and Frances Stewart.  Jennie Faulkner died in 1918 in Sundridge.  Both John and Jennie Faulkner are buried in the Strong Cemetery in Sundridge.

John  and Jennie had no children, but adopted a girl Lily Agnes Faulkner born about 1888 who was also a photographer in Sundridge.  According to  Northern Ontario Vintage Postcards site,
Lily was the daughter of John's younger brother William.  However to date there is no proof of this.

  John Crosby Faulkner is listed in the book The Ontario Photographers List by Glen C. Phillips.

• Faulkner, J. C., photographer 1887 - 1892 - Toronto
• Faulkner, J. C., photographer 1892 - 1900 - Sundridge

The Dun & Bradstreet Commercial Directory also lists him as a photographer.

• Faulkner, J. C.            1901 - 1907  Sundridge
• Faulkner, John C.       1914 - 1920  Sundridge

In 1881 John & Jennie Faulkner are listed as living in the St. David's Ward, in Toronto.  By 1891 the Census shows the couple living in Joly Strong - Sundridge, in the Muskoka and Parry Sound area of Ontario.  John's address on the 1911 Census is 5 Main Street, Sundridge.

The photograph used in this blog was taken by John Crosby Faulkner.  It is a picture of his brother Ford Faulkner, his wife and children.  It was taken around 1910 in Toronto.

FAULKNER FAMILY - PART 1

William Faulkner was born about 1815 in Ireland, possibly in Dublin.  He married his wife, Annie Jane Crosby in Ireland before 1844.  William was a tailor and they settled in Simcoe County in Ontario.

According to the book Governor Simcoe Slept Here , published by the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local Historical Association, William was the first tailor in the village of Newton Robinson.   Newton Robinson was a village in the township of Tecumseh, County Simcoe about 20 miles south of Barrie and 50 miles north of Toronto.  I believe the village is now part of Bradford.  In 1852,  he occupied a  building as a tailor shop and a dwelling  in the village.  He sold his tailor business in 1868 to John Merrick.

Before emigrating to Canada, William and Annie Jane or Hannah as she is sometimes recorded, had at least 2 children:

•  John Crosby Faulkner born about 1844 in Dublin, Ireland
• George Lewis Faulkner born about 1845 in Ireland

After they arrived in Ontario, they had at least 5 more children:

• Ford Faulkner born 1847-1849  in Ontario, possibly Toronto
• William Joseph Faulkner born in 1850 in Tecumseh, Simcoe, Ontario
• Mary Jane Faulkner born about 1852 in Simcoe, Ontario
• Henrietta Faulkner born about 1853 in Simcoe, Ontario
• Annie Margaret Faulkner born about 1855 in Simcoe, Ontario

The forenames of Crosby, Ford and Lewis are used quite a bit in this Faulkner family.  I know that Annie Jane's maiden name was Crosby and so that is often used as a second name.  I've been wondering if Ford was also a family name.  There was a Jane Crosby born in Dublin, Ireland around 1829.  She came to Ontario and married a John Southeran/Southern/Sotheran.  According to some research on the Southeran family, Jane Crosby lived in Simcoe County and then moved to Huron County with her husband John.  On her death certificate her father is listed as Ford Crosby.  This branch of the Southeran family also uses Crosby and Ford as surnames.  I have no proof, but I think this Jane Crosby is somehow related to Annie Jane/Hannah Crosby.

Annie Jane died in 1876 and after that William Faulkner lived with his children.  On the 1881 Canada Census he was living with his daughter in Howick, Huron County.  By 1891, he was living in Muskoka, Parry Sound, living next door to his son William.  I don't know when he died.  I have not found him on the 1901 census.  So I have been assuming that he died between 1891 and 1901.

However, another researcher who is a descendant of William Faulkner, has his  eye glasses and glass case.  I'm wondering if William went to live with his daughter Annie Margaret in North Dakota.  Is a pair of glasses something you would leave in a will?  Or possibly it is just a family memento to remember a father?

Why am I a budding genealogist?

When my mother died in 1999, I inherited a small red suitcase filled with old black and white photos, along with her family photo album.  I knew who most of the people were by rote.  They were my grandmother, grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins etc.  There was even a picture of “Sparky” the terrier dog.  He didn’t really belong to my mom, but to a lodger.  Sparky didn’t know, my mom was not his owner and he adopted her.  As a child, sometimes I would drag out the photo album and my mom would tell me the stories behind the photos.    Of course, there were far more pictures that were a mystery to me.  I started to wonder how these people were related to me and wished I had asked more questions at the time.

In 2004, we were travelling in England to visit my husband’s family.  Over a family lunch in a restaurant, his cousin told me she was researching her family.  She started asking me questions about when I was born, who my parents were and so on.  She said she would add me to her database and suggested I join Genes Reunited so she could share her information with me.

In the next month or so, I had lunch with my cousin, on my dad’s side of the family. We hadn’t seen each other for a while so we chatted endlessly.  Out of the blue, she asked me if I knew our grandmother’s maiden name.  Somewhere from my memory bank came the name Faulkner, but I couldn’t remember her first name.   Elizabeth was my guess, but my cousin said her first name was Isabel.   We discovered between the two of us we knew very little about our family.  We knew our grandfather was George Meehan and now, we both knew our grandmother was Isabel Faulkner.  I think George and Isabel separated before I was born and I don’t remember ever meeting my grandfather Meehan.

When I got home from our lunch, I suddenly remembered a family bible that my mother had insisted I take years before her death.  It was in her basement and it was very musty.  At the time, I didn’t really want the Bible; it’s very large and quite frankly it smelled.  I aired it out and stuck in on my book shelf and promptly forgot about it.  This was a Bible from the Meehan side of the family. 

When I opened up the Bible, I was confused.  The names in the Bible were Sarah Ann Newton and Ford Faulkner.  Who are these people?  I was looking for Meehan and Faulkner.  Then it donned on me, this Bible was dated 1884.  Could this be Isabel Faulkner’s parents?  With beginner’s luck I had just gone back a generation.  Further investigation showed me the Bible had been presented to Sarah Ann Newton and Ford Faulkner by her father R. Newton.  Now I also knew Sarah Ann’s father was R. Newton.

In the next few weeks I happened to go to the North York Central Library (NYCL) in Toronto.    The NYCL has a floor dedicated to Genealogy specializing in Ontario Genealogy.  I wandered up to the 6^th floor just to see what was there.  A very friendly librarian asked if I needed some help.  I explained that I was interested in researching my grandparents George Meehan and Isabel Faulkner.  He introduced me to the Ancestry Library Genealogy Program and suggested I try the Census as a starting point.

I entered  my information and was rewarded immediately with some information that I could verify through my own limited knowledge and some new information as well.  Beginner’s luck once again, I now know.

From that point on, I was hooked.  I joined Ancestry.ca and became a regular visitor to the NYCL.  I have met many wonderful people on the internet who are also searching their families.  More importantly, I have also been in touch with some of my cousins who I haven’t seen for years.  We have also shared some of those family photos.  In some cases, we have been able to put the faces and names together.