September 8, 2008
The ROBERTSON family – early settlers to Upper Canada
I went looking for information about the ROBERTSON family; but there are alot of these families. In doing a google search for the family, I came across this website which lists one original Robertson family from Scotland that emigrated in 1821 and settled in Lanark County, then called Bathurst in Upper Canada. This chart was really confusing to me the first time that I saw it, but luckily the ROBERTSON that we’re looking for is on the first page – written in blue - 4 c3 ? Robertson (this is Jane; and I can’t find a contact person for this website to help them update it).
Margaret Jane MINION’s mother was Jane ROBERTSON, and she was born in Bathurst, Upper Canada around 1837. I think that I’ve found the record of Jane’s marriage to Stephen MINION in the collection of Bathurst district marriages (MS 248-reel 8-1858-1859) which I found at Library and Archives Canada. The only thing is that it lists a 21 year-old Jane ROBERTSON (daughter of John ROBERTSON and Janet DOW) marrying a 29 year-old Stephen MORRISON (Son of James MORRISON and Margaret HALPENNY) on February 18, 1858. Basically, all of the variables are right except that Morrison surname. Now I have to go and dig up the microfilm of the record and see if I agree with the transcription. Nothing in this research stuff is easy!!
So, back to the ROBERTSON family. Now we know that Jane ROBERTSON is John ROBERTSON and Janet DOW’s daughter. Back to the archives, and a search for something referencing the ROBERTSON-DOW family of Lanark. And I found it. Here’s a picture I took from a book of local history called “The Lanark Society Settlers” by Carol Bennett. It shows John ROBERTSON’s brother James and his wife:
Also, there’s a picture of an early 1800s medal from the British Army – this belonged to John ROBERTSON senior (father of James an John that I just mentioned).
The Robertson family had a family grave plot here.
The first gravestone on the site is that of John ROBERTSON, born 1785, died 1867 Native of Scotland, his wife Jane KYLE, born 1790, died 1856 Native of Ireland. (John ROBERTSON was awarded the 1800s medal).
The second is a stone saying: John Robertson, born in Glasgow, Scotland, Feb. 20th, 1810, died Nov. 14th, 1888, aged 78 years. Also his wife Jennet Dow, born in Alloway Ireland, Feb. 21st, 1809, died March 11th, 1893, aged 84 years. These are Jane ROBERTSON’s parents.
September 3, 2008
Marriage record of Samuel ARBUCKLE & Margaret Jane MINIONS
I spent a few hours yesterday at the Ottawa Public Library with my records and a USB key. If you go to the library, they have a subscription to ancestry.com which is a website that has images of many of the public records up to about 1918. If you know the name of the person you’re trying to find, and some other pertinent details like a birth date or a place, it’s actually pretty easy to find records.
This is a copy of the marriage record for Samuel ARBUCKLE and Margaret Jane MINIONS – this is not the register that they signed at their church. The Reverend would have sent a copy of that record to the provincial government, where someone copied it into the big book of registrations.
August 31, 2008
Old buildings built by Stephen MINION
In searching for information about Stephen MINION, I came across the website posted by kcollins; it documents the COLLINS family of Carlsbad Springs and notes a book by James COLLINS (1879-1936) titled
The Chronicle of Carlsbad Springs by James Collins.
So, off to the Ottawa Public Library. I was amazed when I found the book (Ottawa Room; 971.384 C712) and pictures of Stephen MINION’s old barn and his house. Both pictures were taken in 1919. The pictures are available on the Carlsbad Springs website; here’s the old barn and the house
If anyone knows if the buildings are still standing, please let me know! I tried to find them, but the land is not developed and the road blocked.
Stephen MINION & Jane ROBERTSON
Stephen MINION and Jane ROBERTSON are buried in the Ramsayville Cemetery just outside of the city of Ottawa. Here is a picture of their gravestone – very difficult to read – available here but I’ve transcribed underneath.
MINIONS
Stephen MINIONS; Died April 29 1906 Aged 76 Years
Jane Robertson His Wife Died Sept 4 1897 Aged 60 years
Gone but not forgotten
Samuel ARBUCKLE & Margaret Jane MINION
This is the couple that started all this genealogy mess. Samuel and Margaret Jane are buried in the Bellevue cemetery, Aylmer Quebec. I managed to find a photo of the gravestone of Samuel and Margaret Jane on Scott Naylor’s website; here’s the link
Samuel and Margaret Jane were married in Gloucester, Carleton County by Reverend J H Stewart on August 8, 1882. Samuel was 23 years old, a farmer, son of James ARBUCKLE and Jane ARBUCKLE (Presbyterian). He was born in Duncansville which is now Russell, Ontario. Margaret Jane was 19 (listed as Jane on the marriage schedule) and was born in Gloucester and the daughter of Stephen MINION and Jane ROBERTS (Methodist). James MINION and Janet MINION were witnesses. I assume that since there was no ARBUCKLE witness present, that Samuel’s parents were unavailable. This also makes sense, because Eddy ARBUCKLE has told me that he was always told that Samuel was an orphan.
The Arbuckle farm and Minion farm were very close to one another; Eastman’s springs in now known as Carlsbad Springs and is a short drive out of Ottawa, going east along the 417 highway. The atlas image is courtesy of McGill University’s “In search of your Canadian past”
The couple lived in Eastman’s Springs and then moved to Aylmer Quebec in 1894 (found in Pioneers of the Upper Ottawa Valley; Author: Anson A Gard). Samuel and Margaret are listed in the 1901 census with their family and several associated relatives and labourers. Samuel worked for EB Eddy’s daughter Mrs. Bessey as a foreman on her farm (listed as foreman in 1901 census).
In 1911, the family is shown on Lot 10bc R2; I don’t know if this is the same place as in 1901 because Samuel’s grandson E.A. has told me that the family moved from one farm on the Aylmer road to another further north.
Here is the census record for 1911:
