December 13, 2008
Reverend AG Robertson & Aggie
So, after the score at the Gatineau Heritage associate with the Arbuckle bible and with the picture of AG Robertson, I decided to do a google search and see if there was any other mention of the reverend on any of the genealogy sites.
Enter Reverend AG Robertson into Google, and you’ll find a link here, to a website administered by Charles Dobie, who posts information about the Robertson family of Perth, Ontario.
Inscribed on the back: “Rev. A.G. Robertson and sister Aggie”.
Yahoo, jackpot!! So now I’m excited! But on a whim, I contacted Charles to ask whether there was any chance of acquiring the photo since he fits into our tree. And guess what; he sent it to me!!
Charles picked up this photo at an Almonte antiques shop because it had the name on the back and was a Robertson. But our Robertson family is not related to Charles’ family so the photo was in family limbo until yesterday when AG and his sister Aggie arrived in the mail.
Thank, Charles! And I’m sure the rest of the family thanks you too…
December 8, 2008
Jennet Dow obituary text
Here is a transcript of the Jennet Dow obituary; I’m typing it out so that anyone who searches by google will be able to find the names and associated dates.
Obituary text:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MOTHER
born February 21, 1809
died March 11th, 1893
This week we are called upon to chronicle the death of Jennet Dow, widow of the late John Robertson, of Lanark township, which took place a few minutes before twelve o’clock , noon, on Saturday, the 11th inst. She was in her usual health till within a few days of her death, when she complained of not feeling well, and from which time she gradually sank till she quietly and peacefully passed away. She was born in Allowa, Scotland, on the 21st of February, 1809, and hence at her decease had attained the ripe age of 84 years. Her parents, James Down and Annie Kirk emigrated with their family to Canada in the year 1821, on board the ship “David”, and the same year settled in Lanark township. On board the same vessel John Robertson and his wife (Jane Kyle) also sailed with their family of emigrants, settling the same year in the township of Ramsay. On the 10th of July, 1832, John Robertson (son of the above-mentioned John Robertson) and Jennet Dow were united in marriage, and a year or two later settled on the farm where they resided till their decease. Their married life continued till the autumn of 1888, when the husband, after a brief illness, was called away, and she who had so long been a helpmeet for him was left to comlete the journey alone. This she did with “her mind stayed on God and being kept in peace.” As a wife and mother, as a neighbor and friend, and also as a Christian, she was true and loving, kind and faithful. We can safely say she was esteemed by all who knew her, and most by those who knew her best. By her sweet and gentle spirit and life she has left a precious and cherished memor, as of one who did something to make this sorrowful world less like itself and more like Heaven. She cared little for its vanities, but prized highly the good things that may live and grow here, and endeavored to live so as to be ready for both worlds, sometimes saying she did not pray for length of days, but only that she might rbe ready, and as death drew near she still trusted His greace, which had been her support and strength through life. The funeral, which took place on the 14th inst, was attended by a large number of old neighbors and friends, with whom she had lived in peac and good-will. The service was conducted by the Revs. S. D. Chown and N.B. Topping, the former preeching a thoughtful and impressive sermon from Phil. 1:23–”For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.”
Of eleven children the following still survive: Mrs. Andrew Dick of Renfrew county; Mrs. S. Minions of Eastman’s Springs; Mrs. S. McFeeters, of Minneapolis; Mrs. John McFarlane, of Almonte; Miss Agnes, at home; John, of Cartwright, Manitoba; James Y., on the homestead; William, of Bathgate, Dacota; and Rev. A.G. of Montreal.
Pictures finally…
I love this blog and I love it when people contact me to put me in contact with other members of the family. This was a great week!
I received word through EA that there were still Arbuckle decendents around the Ottawa area and I managed to contact one of Samuel and Margaret Jane’s grand-daughters who lives in Aylmer. She was nice enough to donate materials to the Aylmer Heritage Association - located in Aylmer Quebec – just over the river from Ottawa, Ontario.
So now, if you’re in the area, you can make an appointment to go and see the James Arbuckle family bible, a photo of Samuel and Margaret Jane (Minion) Arbuckle, a photo of AG Robertson (a cousin of Margaret Jane), an obituary of Margaret Jane’s grandmother Jane Robertson (Kyle) and a few other interesting pieces.
Here are some great pics from this excellent collection (click on the photos to get a better look at the image):
Samuel Arbuckle and Margaret Jane Minion; photo dated 1929
The Arbuckle family bible; printed in 1855:
I’m assuming that this bible belonged to James Arbuckle (born 1828). I say that because the oldest entry is the marriage of James ARBUCKLE and Margaret Jane KELLY October 1st 1857. A second marriage is listed as November the 5th, 1866 of James ARBUCKEL to Jane BROWNLEE. Also on this page is a record of the marriage of Samuel ARBUCKLE to Margaret J MINION August the 8th, 1882 by the Reverend James H Stewart.
Samuel ARBUCKEL was born January 1st 1859; he had 2 sisters: Lucinda born October 6, 1861 and Margaret Jane born September, 1863. These are all children of James ARBUCKEL and Margaret Jane KELLY.
Another page of birth records showing Samuel Arbuckle and Margaret Jane, and the births of their kids: Herbert, Percy, Jennie, Eddy, James, Margarete, Winefred and Kenneth.
Finally, from the bible, a page with family deaths. This lists Margaret Jane (Kelly), Lucinda (she was 6 years old) and Margaret Jane (she was 1; both daughters of James Arbuckel), James himself, Winefred and Jennie (daughters of Samuel and Margaret Jane Minion) and Margaret Jane (Minion).
Also in the collection is an 1893 obituary for Jennet Robertson (Dow) who was the maternal grandmother of Margaret Jane Minion and AG Robertson, uncle of Margaret Jane Minion.
So, that’s the end of the pictures I’d like to share from Aylmer; I hope you find this interesting and informative. Please pass the blog location on to anyone you think might be interested, I’m posting all this because I think that family histories are important. Feel free to leave me a message if you would like more information or if you’d just like to share. Happy Holidays!
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
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
