GEORGE MCKNIGHT AND MARY SMITH - CANADA PROJECT 150

First Published in the Halton-Peel  Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society Newsletter - Special Edition Halton-Peel KINections - Canada 150 Project - July 2017

The Halton-Peel Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society invited members to share stories about ancestors who lived in Canada at the time of confederation in 1867.  George McKnight and Mary Smith are my paternal 3x great grandparents

George McKnight and Mary Smith Family

George McKnight (abt 1817-1884) was born in Fermanagh Ireland and came to Canada about 1836.  According to his wife Mary Smith McKnight’s (abt 1821-1909) obituary, George McKnight married Mary Smith in 1835 in Enniskillen, Fermanagh Ireland and they emigrated to Toronto, Ontario. The obituary is probably from the Listowel Standard, Perth County, dated May 28, 1909.  The obituary states:   "...and settled in Toronto, where Mr. Mcknight engaged in the mercantile business for two years.  From there they moved to Albion Township and followed farming until 1854.   In that year they moved into Minto Township, Wellington County......"

Other researchers have quoted an autobiography by a Fermanagh Patterson Rutherford that claims the business that George McKnight operated was a Dry Goods Store near the Eaton's store on Yonge Street in Toronto.  There was a listing for a McKnight and Saxon listed as Wholesale Merchants in the 1837 Toronto & Home District Directory.  The address is simply Yonge Street, Toronto.  This was a business listing and I have not found a home address for the McKnight family, so possibly they lived above the store.  There was no listing for Mr. Saxon either.  Certainly looking at other businesses in the area, in this time frame, the dry goods stores seemed to be on Yonge Street north from King Street. 

If Mary Smith McKnight’s obituary is correct, the family moved to Peel County by 1839.  Certainly the family was listed in Albion on the 1851 Census.  According to the book The Way it was:  a History of Minto, George McKnight was one of the original landowners of Minto Township, Wellington County and purchased Lots 41 and 42 on Concession 1.  The land sale is recorded as September 10 and 11, 1854. 

George’s parents James and Ann/Hannah Colwell Mcknight and George’s siblings also came to Albion around the same time.  The 1846-1847 Brown’s Toronto City and Home Directory shows a James McKnight living at Concession 3, Lot 29 in Albion, Peel County.  It is possible George and his family lived with his parents until he moved to Wellington County.

George and Mary had at least ten children: Isabella (1839-1913), Anne Jane (1841-1894), Margaret (1843-1920), Sarah (1847-1929), John (1847-1911), James (1850-1931) born in Albion, Peel County.  George (1857-1936), Mary (1861-1938), Elizabeth (1862-1867) and Samuel (1865-1957) were born in Wellington County.  

Sarah McKnight was baptized August 19, 1849 in Albion and she was born in Albion on January 6, 1847 according to the Wesleyan Baptism Register.  This is the first documented proof that the family lived in Albion.

Mary Smith and George McKnight - unknown source

George and Mary and their children Isabella, Anne Jane, Margaret, Sarah, John and James are all listed on the 1852 Census living in Albion.  As their daughter Isabella was born in 1839, it is possible the family was living in Albion as early as 1839; however there is no documentation to support this information.

HENRY NEWTON AND MARY BRYAN/BRYANT - CANADA PROJECT 150

First Published in the Halton-Peel  Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society Newsletter - Special Edition Halton-Peel KINections - Canada 150 Project - July 2017


The Halton-Peel Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society invited members to share stories about ancestors who lived in Canada at the time of confederation in 1867.  Henry Newton and Mary Bryan/Bryant are my paternal 3x great-grandparents


Henry Newton and Mary Bryan family

Henry Newton and his wife Mary Bryan/Bryant were born in Ireland, possibly Kings County and came to Canada in the 1830’s.  Not much is known about them, but according to family history they both died in the late 1840’s or early 1850’s and have not been found on any census record.

According to the St. Lawrence Steamboat Company Passenger list there was a Henry Newton and wife and children listed as arriving from Quebec City to Montreal on 2^nd June 1831.

Certainly by 1837 Henry Newton was shown in the City of Toronto and Home District Directory as living on Concession 1, Lot 27, Albion Township, Peel County.  Their children have been identified as Robert (1821-1895), Henry (1824-1905), William (1826-1923), Maria (1828-1918) and possibly George Newton (1823-?).  There is also an entry in the 1847 Brown’s Directory for the same address for Henry Newton.

Maria Newton, aged 16 and Henry Newton aged 21 were confirmed in the church on October 28, 1844 in Albion.  Their address was listed as Lot 20, Concession 2, Albion, per the Index for Baptismal Register for the Mission of Chinguacousy, Gore of Toronto and Parts adjacent.

Robert Newton (1821-1895), farmer married Margaret Fallis before 1848 and they lived in Albion.  They had 5 children: Ester Ann (1848-1933), Mary (1849-1937), William Henry (1851-1921), Susan (1853-1864) and Margaret (1855-1912).  Margaret Fallis, a native of Enniskillen, Fermanagh Ireland died in 1855 in Wallace Perth County.  Her parents James Fallis(1802-1882) and Ester Spence (1803-1869) also of Fermanagh died in Albion and are buried in Crawford Cemetery. Robert married Isabella McKnight in 1857 Wallace, Perth County.  They had 11 children together and lived in Perth County and in Howick, Huron County, before moving to Manitoba.  When Robert Newton died in Elton Manitoba in 1895, his death Certificate stated he was from Queen’s County, Ireland.  More information about  Robert Newton part 1

Henry Newton (1824-1905), Storekeeper was living in Albion according to the 1851 Census, but by 1861 he had moved to Howick Huron.  He married Lydia Hill Bloomily, a widow in 1862.  Lydia died in a fire in Howick in 1864 and Henry married Susan Ghent Sutherland in 1865 in Wellington County.  By the 1901 Census Henry had moved to Kootenay East, B.C.  Henry died in 1905 in Athalmer B.C.  His place of birth was listed as Kings County, Ireland.

William Newton (1826-1923), farmer must have lived in Albion when his family first emigrated, but by the 1851 census he is living in Waterloo.  He is living with his presumed brother George Newton and his wife Letitia McFadyen Newton.  William married Eleanor Holt in 1855 in Waterloo.  Eleanor Holt is the sister of Thomas Holt.  Thomas Holt married Maria Newton.  According to the 1901 Census William emigrated to Canada in 1834.  On the 1911 Census his emigrated to Canada in 1837.

Maria Newton (1823-1918)  married Thomas Holt in 1846 in Albion and according to her obituary in 1918; Maria was born in Kings County Ireland. The Newton family including her parents and 4 brothers left Ireland on April 18, 1835 and landed in Toronto on July 11, 1835.  They moved to Albion, Peel County and she lived there until she married and moved to Wellington County.  The 1901 Census state Maria emigrated to Canada in 1843, but the 1911 Census states 1835.

MCKNIGHT FAMILY - PART 3

 The Historical Atlas of the County of Wellington, Ontario has an obituary for George McKnight, that lists his wife Mary Smith and his children.  George McKnight was born about 1817 according to the various census, but this biography/obituary states he was born in 1827 in Fermanagh, Ireland and he emigrated to Canada in the early fifties (1850) with his family.  This is incorrect  as Isabella his daughter, was born in Ontario about 1839.  So while some of the information is suspect it does give a sense of who George McKnight was.

From other sources, I know he came to Wellington County by 1854 as he is listed as one of the first owners of land in Minto Township at Concession 1, lots 41 and 42.  The biography states "There were no roads at this time and the McKnight found their way through Wallace and up to their location the 'blazed' path.  Here Mr. McKnight made a small clearing and built a log house, eventually clearing the whole farm and living upon it until his death."  The article also states that he was a Conservative and the family were members of the Church of England.

The most valuable part of the biography lists his children and more importantly who they married.  Unfortunately the daughters are listed by their married names, i.e.:  Mrs. Robert Newton.  This takes some sorting out to discover which daughter it means.  Luckily the  men fare better, they are listed by name and the full name of their wives.

By using the biography as well as information from other sources here are the family marriages:

Isabella   (1839 - 1913)  m. Robert Newton

Ann J.      (1841 - 1894) m.  Leonard Denney/Denny

Margaret (1843 - 1920)  m.  Moses Aldrich

Sarah      (1847 - 1929) m.  Robert Magwood, George Adams, E. G.  Harris

John        (1849 - 1911) m.  Elizabeth Phillips

James     (1850 - 1931) m.   Sarah Rutherford

George   (1857 - 1931)  m.  Mary Jane Lovell

Mary       (1861 - 1938) m.  Charles Heuckerote 

Elizabeth (1862 - 1867)        --

Samuel   (1865 - 1957) m.  Elizabeth Rothwell

Most of the family seemed to stay in the Wellington County area and George McKnight's farm stayed in the family for years after his death.  I believe there are still quite a few McKnight family descendants in the area to this day.

MCKNIGHT FAMILY - PART 2

George McKnight was born about 1817 in Fermanagh, Ireland where he married Mary Smith who was born about 1817.  According to Mary's obituary in 1909, they married in 1835.  Shortly after their marriage they came to Canada and settled in Toronto for approximately 2 years where they ran a dry goods store, possibly with a Mr. Saxon.

After that time they moved to Albion, Peel County, Ontario.  On the 1851 Census, George and Mary  are recorded as living in Caledon, Peel County.  Their children are listed as:

• Isabella   (1839 - 1913)
• Ann J.      (1841 - 1894)
• Margaret (1843 - 1920)
• Sarah      (1847 - 1929)
• John        (1849 - 1911)
• James     (1850 - 1931)

According to the book They Way it was:  A history of Minto Township, by Clifford Harrison, George McKnight was the original owner of Lots 41 and 42, Concession 1 in Minto, Wellington County in 1854.  The land sale for Minto is recorded as September 10 and 11, 1954.

Unfortunately the McKnight family seems to have been missed on the 1861 Census in Minto as I can not find the family.

However, the 1871 Census for Minto shows that the family is still there and that more children were born:

• George   (1857 - 1931)
• Mary       (1861 - 1938)
• Elizabeth (1862 - 1867)
• Samuel    (1865 - 1957)

And of course, there might have been other children born between 1850 and 1857 that have not been recorded.

The birth years that are given here are just approximations as there are no birth certificates to support the dates.  Many of the dates are different from the information that was available at the date of death.  On Isabella McKnight's death certificate from Manitoba, her date and place of birth are recorded as April 6, 1839 and Palmerston, Minto Township.  However, by looking at the census, she was probably born in Caledon, Peel County and not Minto, Wellington County.

George McKnight Senior died Nov 16, 1884 in Minto.  He was still residing at Lot 42, Concession 1.  At the time of his death his age was recorded as 67 years, 9 months and 18 days.  If my math is correct, his birth date is April 3, 1817.  Mary Smith McKnight his wife died May 15, 1909 in Wallace, Perth County.  They are both buried in the Shipley Cemetery in Wallace.

MCKNIGHT FAMILY - PART 1

This is a picture of George McKnight (1817 - 1884) and Mary Smith (1817 - 1909)

George and Mary McKnight

 

George is my 3x great grandfather and came from Enniskillen, Fermanagh County Ireland.  He emigrated to Canada before 1839 as his first known daughter Isabella McKnight was born in Upper Canada in 1839.  There are quite a few researchers working on this family and the general consensus seems to be that George and Mary were married in Ireland before they came to Canada.

I met a new researcher on the Internet last month, who is a  Mcknight.  He asked me if I had a tree on the Mcknights.  The George Mcknight family was one of the first families I researched.  As their daughter Isabella married Robert Newton and that started me on my genealogical research, I thought I had done quite a bit of work on this family, but now I see there is a lot more to do.  So while I have put together a family tree, it is sadly lacking in information, backed up by sources.

I think there are several reasons for this.  The first reason of course is that I've learnt more about how to document properly.  The second reason is that because there are so many trees out there already, I left this tree on the back burner to pursue another day.   But I think the most compelling reason that this family has been left is because I find Irish genealogy hard to get a handle on.  I never know whether a place name is a Civil Parish, a Townland,  a county, a post-town. etc.  And as  I have found it can be all of those things.

So for now I think I'll just concentrate on the Canada side of my research.  I need to fully explore George McKnight's family since he came to Ontario and tidy up the information I have.  Maybe then I'll feel brave enough to tackle those Irish sources, if I can find them.

I've just realised another reason I've been procrastinating about the McKnights:  they had very large families.  When there are 10 children in a family, the documentation piles up.  There is also the added complications when the families inter-marry.

George McKnight's parents were James McKnight and Hanna/Ann/Sarah Colwell (1796 - 1870).  They were born in Ireland and while there is no documentation, it is thought that they both came to Ontario.  Ann McKnight is found on the 1851 Census as a widow.  The thinking is that the family came in the late 1830's - 1840's and settled in Ontario, but James died around 1845.  I'm not sure there is any proof of this, but it seems to be a possibility.

The 1837 Toronto & Home District Directory lists a Mcknight & Saxon on Yonge Street Toronto as Wholesale Merchants and Wholesale dry goods store.  I wasn't sure if this was my George McKnight as I first found him in Albion, Peel County, Ontario with his family.  However several other trees have indicated that he was a shop owner and perhaps that it was a family run business.  Recently, another researcher Laurence kindly sent me an obituary for Mary Smith McKnight who died in 1909.

I think the obituary was from the Listowel Standard Newspaper, May 28, 1909, and it states that Mary Smith was born in 1815 in Fermanagh Ireland; she married George McKnight in 1835, in Fermanagh and they came to Canada in 1836.  They settled in Toronto where George McKnight was "engaged in mercantile business for two years".  After Toronto they moved to Albion, Peel County where they farmed.  In 1854 they were some of the first families to acquire land in Minto Township, Wellington county.  According to the obituary, their land was a dense forest and they had to clear the land to make a home for themselves.

So this confirms the story that George and Mary first settled in Toronto.  Unfortunately I couldn't find George Mcknight's address in the directory, perhaps he lived above the store.  Also Mr. Saxon is missing as well.  It also confirms that George and Mary married in Ireland.

It appears that George McKnight's siblings also came to Ontario and settled in the same area.  I've found 7 children listed as James and Ann Colwell Mcknight's family in Peel and Wellington counties.  But I think I shall leave that for another day.

NEWTON FAMILY - PART 6 - FIRE, WHAT FIRE?

If you have been following my blog, I've been tracing the Robert Newton family recently.  I believe that Robert Newton (1821-1899) was the brother of  William, Henry, Maria and possibly George Newton.  I know from documentation that William, Henry and Maria are siblings, and their parents are Henry Newton and Mary Bryan(t).  Robert Newton was a witness to the marriage of George Newton in Simcoe County.  George may be a brother or a near relative.

My last post discussed Ester Ann Newton the oldest daughter of Robert Newton and Margaret Fallis (1827-1855).  Ester Ann (1849-1933) married Thomas Campbell and she died in Manitoba  in 1933.

My internet buddy, Heather is descended from Ester Ann and Thomas Campbell's family.  She was also researching the Newtons.  She had a scrapbook with newspaper articles that someone in her family had collected.  Unfortunately there were no dates or names of the publications attached to the articles.  Nevertheless, her family still lived in Huron County in Ontario so that is probably where the newspapers were published.  That was where Robert Newton and his family had lived before they went to Manitoba.

Heather had an article that recounted Ester Ann Campbell's death.  The article from a paper in Huron County was entitled:  Mrs. Thos. Campbell Passes - Mother of Mrs. J. Patterson, Fordwich was Last Survivor of Fire Tragedy in Fordwich in 1864.   The article seemed to be a reprint of the article in the The Recorder, Bossevain Manitoba (see this blog Newton Family - Part 5) with an added paragraph:

"The death  of Mrs. Campbell will recall to the minds of pioneer settlers in this district a tragic fire which occurred in Fordwich on January 12, 1864.  Mrs. Campbell was the last survivor of three persons rescued when a store, located just north of where Wm. Wade's stable now stands, was burned to the ground and in which five lives were lost.  The victims were William McAuly, 60 years of age; John Miller, 35 years; Michael Bloomly (sic), 18 years; Susan Newton, 11 years, all burned to death, while Lydia Newton died a few days later from effects of burns sustained.   The latter two were sisters of Mrs. Campbell who as at that time in her 16th year."

Michael Bloomily, Susan Newton, Lydia Newton were all names I had researched.  Susan Newton, age 11 was the missing Susan Newton (1853-1864) from the 1871 census.  She was a daughter of Robert Newton and Margaret Fallis.  There was another Susan listed on the 1871 born in 1864 to Robert and his second wife Isabella McKnight.

Michael Bloomily (abt 1843-1864) was the son of Lydia Hill (abt 1806-1864) and Michael Bloomily (1803-bef Mar 1862).  When  Michael Bloomily senior died, Lydia married Henry Newton.

I believe that last part of the article is incorrect. "The latter two were sisters of Mrs. Campbell..."  I think, Susan was the sister and Lydia was an aunt.

The fire started in a store owned by Henry Newton.  Further investigation revealed another article in the Huron and Bruce Advertiser - Semi-weekly Signal newspaper that it was a two-storey house and store owned by Henry Newton.  This article indicates that indeed Susan Newton is a niece of Henry and Lydia Newton and Ester Ann Newton is described as a "relative".  Apparently Ester Ann Newton escaped by leaping through a window while the others perished in the house.   How sad.  It was thought the fire had been set deliberately.

And there was my link.  Susan Newton, age 11 is the daughter of  Robert Newton and Margaret Fallis.  She is listed as the niece of Henry and Lydia Newton.  That makes Henry Newton her paternal uncle which makes Robert and Henry et al siblings.

I now feel confident adding Robert's parents as Henry Newton (senior) and Mary Bryan(t).

NEWTON FAMILY - PART 5

There was quite a lot of genealogy information on Robert Newton (1821 - 1895) and his first wife Margaret Fallis  (1827- 1855).  They had at least 5 children:  Ester Ann, Mary, William Henry, Susan and Margaret.  When I started my research I didn't follow up with the first marriage as I didn't think of them as direct descendants.  Then I thought of my mother's sister Aunt Marjory.  She was from my grandmother's first marriage; after her husband died my grandmother married my grandfather.  My mother never referred to Aunt Marjory as her half sister and she took umbrage with anyone who did.

As I thought of that I decided to follow the Robert and Margaret Newton line just as vigorously as my Robert and Isabella Mcknight Newton line.  I'm glad I made that decision because it gave me what I think is the link to Robert, Henry, Williiam and Maria Newton.

Ester Ann Newton (1849 - 1933) married Thomas Campbell (1841 - 1927).  Ester was the first child born to Robert and Margaret Newton and was born in Ontario, probably Peel County.  Thomas Campbell was born in Ireland.  They married in 1865 in Peel and lived in Huron County for some time.  Robert Newton had moved to Manitoba by 1881 per the Census and Ester Ann  and Thomas Campbell stayed in Howick until at least 1891.  By the 1901 Census they had moved to Brandon Manitoba where Thomas Campbell was a farmer.

The Manitoba Legislative Library will copy obituaries from the Manitoba newspapers for a small fee for around $5.00 to $10.00.  The last time I used the service 2 years ago the  e-mail address was:
Legislative_Library@gov.mb.ca  .

Unfortunately they didn't find any obits for Robert and Isabella Newton, but they did find obits for Ester Ann Newton and Thomas Campbell.

Thomas Campbell died 16 December 1927.  According to an obituary in the Winnipeg Free Press, he was born in the county of Tyrone Ireland and came to Canada in 1857.  He lived in Tottenham and then Fordwich in Ontario.  He married Ester Newton, in 1865 and  his parents were listed as Edward and Mary Ann Campbell.  The family moved to  the Minto area of Manitoba in 1888.

Ester Ann Newton Campbell died 15 November 1933.  Her obituary appeared in The Recorder, Boissevain, Manitoba.  The article states that Ester Ann Campbell was living with her daughter Mrs. Rice in Brandon, Manitoba at the time of her death.  The article also lists her children and where they are living:

• Mrs. J. Patterson, Fordwich Ontario
• Liskum Campbell, Minto
• Mrs. C. D. Sparrow, Russell
• Mrs. R. E. Rice, Brandon
• Mrs. L. Sparrow, Silverton
• John Campbell, Froud, Saskatchewan
• Edward Campbell, Vancouver
• Mrs. Mackie, Minto
• Russell Campbell, deceased
• Mrs. E. Cunningham, deceased

There is also a sister mentioned a Mrs. R. Armstrong of Harriston, Ontario.  The burial services was from the First Presbyterian Church and Ester Ann Campbell was buried at the Brandon Cemetery.

There was certainly a lot of information in the obituary and lots of names for me to check out.  It's often hard to find the married names of daughters in families, but this article listed not only the names but also their residence towns as of 1933.

About this time a lady named Heather contacted me about Ester Ann Newton and Thomas Campbell.  She was a descendant of this family.  We were sharing information that we had found from our research.  Someone in her family had started a scrapbook and had pasted various articles about the family in the book.  Unfortunately, Heather didn't know where the articles came from or when they had been published.  As I had just received the 2 obituaries around this time I asked Heather if she needed a copy.  She didn't have a copy of Thomas Campbell's obituary and she wasn't sure about Ester Ann Newton's obituary.

She asked me this simple question: " Is it the obituary that mentions the fire, because I have that one?"

Fire, what fire?


 

NEWTON FAMILY - PART 4

As I started my research into Robert Newton (1821 - 1895) and Isabella McKnight's (1839 - 1913) children,  I sent out various e-mails and added my information to genealogy message boards.

One of my contacts Carol, lived in the USA and was following the family history of Edward  George Newton (1858 - 1939) and his wife  Mary Harriett Everett (1872 - 1947) .  Edward was the 2nd son of Robert and Isabella Newton.   Carol's ancestors were on the Everett  side of the family.   We shared information back and forth and commiserated on our lack of progress.  We first "met" on the ontariogenealogy@yahoo.com  forum.  There are lots of people on this site that share their ideas and some who go the extra mile and dig into the research. 

One of the posters came up with this gem from the Our Roots website:   Edward Newton family
The book is called the Furrow to the Future and it was published by the Oxbow-Glen Ewen History Book Committee in Saskatchewan.    Edward had moved from Huron County in Ontario to Saskatchewan or the Assiniboia Territories as it was known then.  He moved between the 1881 and 1891 Census.  According to  Furrow to the Future, he worked for the CPR railway as a brakeman and was in Portage La Prairie, Winnipeg Manitoba and latterly in British Columbia before settling in Saskatchewan in 1887.  There are some nice photos on this site of the Edward Newton family.

Robert and Isabella Newton had moved to Manitoba by the 1881 Census and were living Lisgar Manitoba at the time with most of his children.  Their son Stewart (1863 -)   had also moved to the Assiniboia Territories by 1891.  He married Victoria Adelaide Everett (1877 - ).  Victoria was the sister of Mary Harriett Everett.

This was a nice side diversion, but I still needed to get back to the research on Robert Newton.  Was he related to the other Newtons:  Henry, William, Maria and possibly George?

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEWTON FAMILY - PART 2

When I was researching Robert Newton (1821 - 1895) I thought I would look to see if there were other Newtons in the area that might be related.  All I knew was that he was Irish, he was a Protestant and he was a farmer.  He was in Ontario in 1851 according the the Census and he was living in Peel County.  By 1861 his first wife Margaret Fallis had died and he had remarried Isabella McKnight and he had moved to Wallace, Perth County.

It was rather a slow start.   The Toronto Family History Centre  has a weekly newsletter and there is an opportunity to have your  question published with (hopefully) a solution provided, either by the volunteers or another newsletter recipient.   Several years ago I sent in my question asking how I could find out when and where Robert Newton married Isabella McKnight.  Robert's first wife Margaret died in 1855 in Wallace Perth County and Isabella and Robert's first son Robert T. was born about 1857.  It looked like I had a two year window and a possible location of Wallace.

The answer came back that records for that period and that location were very scarce and it would be difficult to find out.  Great I thought, I'd already figured that part out, that was why I was asking where I could start my search.  My goal always to find out the parents names of Robert.

The next week however I received this reply from genealogist Fawne Stratford-Devai:

Fawne Stratford-Devai writes:

“Regarding the question for the Perth County marriage records pre-1869, we are very fortunate that the returns to the clerk of the peace were found and transcribed by Dan Walker and myself some years ago. The full transcription with index is available from Global Genealogy at: http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/canada/ontario/perth/resources/258034.htm

Perth County Baptism, Marriage & Burial Register, 1852-1859

Compiled by Dan Walker & Fawne Stratford-Devai

[Also available at the Toronto Reference Library and North York Public Library]

When I checked the transcriptions, I found the following entries for Newton/McKnight:

Marriages by Rev’d John Armstrong Wesleyan Methodist Minister

Robert NEWTON, to Isabella McKNIGHT. 11 Jan. 1857, Wallace, by Licence. Rev. ARMSTRONG. Wit. William McBRIDE and S. ARMSTRONG

Hooray for the internet.  A source for the marriage and where I could locate the source.  Not the complete answer I was looking for but it did confirm the marriage date between Robert and Isabella.

I decided to go back to the Census and see if I could find any other Newtons in the general area that were Irish, Protestant and possibly farmers.

Here's what I found on the 1851 Census:

William Newton born about 1826 in Ireland living in Waterloo County
George Newton born about 1821 in Ireland living in Waterloo County
Maria Newton Holt born about 1828 in Ireland living in Waterloo County
Henry Newton born about 1828 in Ireland living in Peel County

There was also a Henry Newton listed in the City of Toronto and Home District Directory and Register 1837.  He was listed at Albion Township, Peel County, Concession 1 Lot 27.

Could these be relatives of Robert?  The Henry that owned land in Albion, was probably not the same Henry in the 1851 Census.  That Henry would be just 9 years old in 1837. 

I did some more digging and found that William, Maria and Henry Newton (1828) were related.  Following their marriage registrations the parents for all three were listed as Henry Newton and Mary Bryan or Bryant.  I also found that when George Newton was married Robert Newton and William Fallis were the witnesses.  Fallis is the maiden name of Robert's first wife.

George married a Leitia Eason and  on the 1851 Census there is a William  Newton (1828)  living with the family in Waterloo.  Henry (1828) is also living quite nearby as well. Perhaps George is related to the other 3 Newtons.

A very helpful volunteer a the Peel Region Ontario Genealogical Society looked up some information for me as well.  She reported that a Henry Newton age 21 and a Maria Newton age 16 appeared on the Index for Baptismal Register for the Mission Chinguacousy,  Gore of Toronto and parts adjacent.  They had been confirmed 28 October 1844 in Albion, Peel, living at Lot 20 Concession 2.
Now that is not the same Concession and Lot where the other Henry was living but it was in Albion.

Also according to the Peel Region volunteer, the original land for Henry Newton - Lot 27, Concession 1 had been owned by an A.J. Fallis, by 1859.  Once again the Fallis name appears.

Now all I had to do was connect these Newtons to Robert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

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.