Sidney Adams, Canadian Expeditionary Force, WWI

Today, as we remember and express our gratitude to the men and women who have courageously and sacrificially served our country, I would like to honour my Great Grandfather, Sidney Adams, by writing this year’s Remembrance Day post about him. I always struggle writing posts about family members I didn’t have the chance to know. I love searching for information. When I find a document it feels like Christmas morning, but the truth is, I am always left wanting more. There are always unanswered questions. It feels all the more so when war is involved. With that being said, I will do my best to do his life, his time here, and his service to our country, justice.

My Great Grandfather, Sidney Adams was born in Botwood, Green Bay, Newfoundland on March 19, 1898 to his parents Abraham Adam Adams (for real) and Matilda Jenkins.

Sidney enlisted on December 28, 1916 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He had moved to N.S. some time prior to this date, and had been working as a Miner in the Reserve Mines in Sydney prior to enlisting. There were two locations at the Reserve Mines Sidney could have worked at: Dominion Colliery No. 5, which opened on the Phalen Seam in 1872 and closed in 1938, or No. 10, which opened on the Emery Seam in 1905 and closed in 1942. Before it closed, No. 5 produced 350 tons of coal per day; No. 10 produced 1,470 tons per day.

Dominion Coal Company's Reserve Mines Colliery, Sydney, Cape Breton, N.S. ca. 1900
Source: Cape Breton at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century,
Toronto; Nation Publishing, 1903, Author: C.W. Vernon

In the Summer of 1916, while Sidney was working at the Reserve Mines, the 246^th Battalion, a unit of the Canadian Expeditionary Force based in Halifax, Nova Scotia began recruiting throughout the province of Nova Scotia. Spoiler alert: Sidney enlisted.

He signed up on December 28, 1916. He was 18 years old at the time, and according to his medical exam from that day he had a dark complexion with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was 5 feet 2 ¾ inches tall (no short jokes today, we’re honouring him…besides now I know what I inherited from him). Also, his religious denomination was Salvation Army. This is the first branch of my family I’ve come across that were members of the Salvation Army. I found that interesting since I worked for the Salvation Army for a while.

Sidney’s Regimental number was 1060284, and his rank was SPR (Sapper). His commanding officer was N.H. Parsons, Lieut-Col., Commander of the 246^th Reserve, [N.S. Highlanders]. 

The unit sent two drafts to England, both of which were absorbed into the 17^th Reserve Battalion, CEF upon arrival. The first group left on March 28^th, 1917 aboard the S.S. Metagama, arriving in Liverpool on April 7, 1917. The second group left June 2, 1917 aboard the S.S. Olympic, arriving at Liverpool on June 9, 1917. On June 10, 1917 they were reunited and absorbed by the 17^th Reserve Battalion under C.R.O. 1462. Their role was to provide a reinforcing battalion for the Canadian Corps in the field. To quote the Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group: The Matrix Project, “as of October 15, 1917 the 17^th Reserve Battalion became the sole reinforcing unit of the Nova Scotia Regiment”. They made their final move from Bramshott to South Ripon on January 23, 1919, however, it appears by this point, Sidney was no longer with them.

I have very few treasures passed down to me from my ancestors, but I am incredibly blessed to have been given two Pay Books that belonged to my Great Grandfather. I like to hold them, knowing he held them too. They have also been a source of some key information in tracking his movements during WWI. In the first Pay Book it states he was transferred to the No. 2 Tunnelling Company (Engineers) C.E.F., Canadian Engineers Training on May 15, 1918. According to Library and Archives Canada this company “ceased to exist 6 July 1918: personnel to 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th Battalions, Canadian Engineers.” This information from LAC seems to expand on a note, handwritten in pencil, in Sidney’s Pay Book. Underneath where it states he was transferred, someone has written “1^st Bn. C.E.” with no date. I wonder if this was pencilled in when No. 2 Tunnelling Co’y ceased to exist, and he was transferred to the 1^st Battalion, which would line up with the information from LAC!  Also written in this Pay Book is another piece of important information: “Leave to Brussels”. It is handwritten and I had some trouble deciphering the date, but I think it reads: “Mch 2 to 4-3-1919”. Could that mean March 2 – 4, 1919? Another lead to follow up on!

 

Sidney Adams' Pay Books, 1918-1919

Unlike in the previous Pay Book, there are only entries for one day in the later one: April 14, 1919. It states his English Balce (I’m assuming “Balance”) was $340.93, his pay and allowance was $31.90, his civilian clothing allowance was $35.00 and his 1^st payments W.S.G. was $70.00. There were also some in the charges column: $9.73 (unspecified), Boat Expense Money:  $4.87, Train Expense Money: $5.00, and a cheque, No. 1446 for $458.23. His total balance was $477.83. That would be $5, 902.00 today. And a shout out to the Bank of Canada Inflation Calculator for doing the math for me on that one! 

Here is a timeline for Sidney during WWI:

December 28, 1916:          

Enlisted, was working at Reserve Mines, Sydney, NS

January 8, 1917:                 

Was approved and joined the 246^th Reserve Battalion, CEF

April 7 or June 9, 1917:     

Sailed to England

June 10, 1917:                    

246^th Reserve was absorbed into 17^th Reserve Battalion, CEF

Aug 15 – 25, 1917:           

Engaged in the Battle of Hill 70

Oct 26 – Nov 10, 1917:     

Engaged in the 2^nd Battle of Passchendaele

May 15, 1918:                    

Was transferred to No. 2 Tunnelling Company (Engineers), CEF

July 6, 1918:                        

No. 2 Tunnelling Co'y ended, transferred to 1^st Battalion, Cdn Engineers

Approx. March 1919:        

Leave to Brussels

April 26, 1919:

Board ship to sail home

I’ve read a few pages of the War Diary for the 1^st Battalion, Canadian Engineers, and although I haven’t found an entry of his battalion going to Brussels, there are a series of entries that seem to show the tail end of their time overseas, and preparing to come home:

On March 24^th they marched to Huy Station, and amongst the group was the 1^st Battalion. What followed was a detailed account of the group travelling by train, stopping along the way for tea or a hot meal. On March 26^th they arrived at Le Havre at 1590 hours and marched to the Canadian Embarkation Camp. They had a hot meal and were directed to their quarters. The following day “All men were bathed and clothing deloused”. On March 28^th they “paraded at 2030 hours with Group 23 (Winnipeg) and marched to the Docks where they embarked on the S/S Devonshire at 1145pm…Accommodation was very poor and the sea rather rough”. On March 29^th they arrived at Weymouth, travelled again and arrived at Liphook at 1615. After tea, they marched to the Canadian Corps Camp. The following day the whole group participated in a Muster Parade and documentation was carried out. From this day on the schedule seems pretty relaxed and many were given leave. On April 18^th it states they were in Bramshott, the weather was warm and bright, there was a Pay Parade and Last Certificates were signed. On April 21^st they were preparing for sailing. On April 23^rd the sailing rolls were closed. On April 24^th auditors checked all the documents, and finally on April 25^th, 1919 Arrangements were made for sailing on the 26^th. That is all the information I was able to find (for now), but it is probable that Sidney was back in Canada soon after. Wherever he landed, it appears he didn’t go back to Nova Scotia or Newfoundland for very long, if at all.

By August, Sidney had moved to Hespeler, Waterloo, Ontario, married Maggie Brown Williamson and his occupation was “Scouring at Woolen Mills”. When thinking of why he would move to Ontario instead of back to Nova Scotia or Newfoundland, I should tell you a bit about his mother, Matilda. She had gotten remarried to Elkanah Sheppard/Shepherd on January 10, 1914 in Botwood, and they had moved, first, to Grand Falls, NFLD some time prior to Sidney enlisting, and second, to Ontario in 1918. As of June 1, 1921 Matilda and Elkanah were living in Welland, ON. So the fact that he moved there and married Maggie within months of the war ending may imply that his mother was a connection in both accords.

Shortly after Sidney and Maggie married they moved from Waterloo to Hamilton. Then some time before or about 1924 they moved to Welland, ON., where Sidney helped build the Welland Canal. He eventually became Bridge Master.

They had many children, thirteen by my count, including my Grandmother. Sadly, two of their children died very young. Their son, Arthur drowned in the Welland Canal when he was 7 years old. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born with Down Syndrome and died about a year and a half later due to health complications.

Sidney’s wife, Maggie died on July 26, 1958.

Sidney died in 1978. Although I don’t have documentation for Elizabeth, Maggie or Sidney’s deaths, I learned this information from my Grandmother, and being their daughter and sister, I’m confident the information is accurate.

How do you sum up a person’s life in a few pages? You can’t. Or at least I can’t. I do hope, however, that this gives a good overview of his life, and touches on some important events in his life.

May we honour them today and hold them in our hearts always.

Happy hunting, my fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

• Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca) – Marriage Registration, 1919 & Voters List, 1949Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group “The Matrix Project” 
• Canada History (www.canadahistory.com) 
• Canada War Museum (www.warmuseum.com) 
•  Canadian Great War Project (www.canadiangreatwarproject.com)
• History of Coal Mining in Nova Scotia (www.mininghistory.ns.ca)
• Library and Archives Canada (www.bac-lac.gc.ca) – Attestation Paper, 1916; War Diaries of the First World War
• National Defence and the Canadian Forces (www.forces.gc.ca)
• Newfoundland and Labrador in the First World War (www.heritage.nf.ca)
• Newfoundland Grand Banks (www.ngb.chebucto.org)
• Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) – 246^th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders), CEF

The Risteen and Sparling Branches of My Family Tree

In my last two blog posts I’ve written about my Sabean ancestors in Nova Scotia and New England. Today, I will connect the Sabean branch to the Risteen and Sparling branches, beginning with my 4^th great grandfather, Davis Sabean, who married my 4^th great grandmother, Catherine Risteen.

Catherine was born in 1806 in Nova Scotia. Her parents are Joseph Risteen and Catherine Sparling. There are numerous records supporting that Joseph Risteen was a Loyalist who settled in New Brunswick after the American Revolution:

1.     Joseph Ristine, Wheelwright, The Pennsylvania Line. Source: Journals and Diaries of the Revolution With Lists of Officers and Soldiers, 1775-1783,

2.     “RISTINE, Joseph. Wheelwright and Pilot for the King. Came alone. Born in 1750 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died 6 August 1839 at Shelburne. Admiral Digby recommended that he receive land for services rendered. Recommended by Captain Dole.” Source: Names Submitted To Be Part Of The Port Roseway Associates Group Of United Empire Loyalists Evacuated From New York to Shelburne, Nova Scotia, 1783, globalgenealogy.com

3.     He is also listed in the Minutes Of The Proceedings Of The Port Roseway Associates 1782, globalgenealogy.com

4.     “Ristine, Joseph. Port Roseway Associate (408:48)” Source: Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867, Vol. I

5.     “Ristine, Joseph. Wheelwright; Port Roseway Associate (6:17)” Source: Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867, Vol. II

6.     “Joseph Risteen, residence about 1784, New Brunswick, Canada, Comments: Loyalists to Britain”, Source: New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920

7.     Joseph Risteen, wheelwright, origin: Pennsylvania, family: 0, servants: 0, remarks: New Brunswick. Source: Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale), Loyalist Reference Documents: Shelburne, Nova Scotia Loyalists, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

8.     Died 1839 in Carlton, New Brunswick, age 90. Source: Loyalists of American Revolution, p214

As mentioned above, Joseph Risteen was born in 1750 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and arrived in Shelburne, Nova Scotia in 1783. He and his wife, Catherine Sparling left Nova Scotia some time after 1806, to settle in New Brunswick. We know this because Catherine was born in Nova Scotia in 1806. Joseph died August 6, 1839, in Carleton County, New Brunswick. He is buried in Jacksonville Community Cemetery, Carleton Co. Also buried in the same cemetery are:

RISTEEN, Catherine, b. 1764, d. 1841 (on same headstone as Joseph)

RISTEEN, Jacob, b. 1804, d. 1844

RISTEEN, Eliza Camber, b. 1812, d. 1887 “relict of Jacob RISTEEN”

RISTEEN, Ruth A, b. Jan 1836, d. Jul 1883, “d/o Jacob”

Joseph’s wife, Catherine Sparling, was born in 1764 in New York City, New York. Her parents are Peter William Sparling and Margaret Fissell. Catherine has eight siblings:

1.     Ann Sparling, b. 13 Nov 1760, NY; m. Bartholomew Musgrave, 27 Sep 1778

2.     Mary Catherine, b. abt. 1762, NY

3.     William Peter, b. 1769, NY; m. Eleanor Leaver, 30 Oct 1791, Sydney, NS

4.     Jacob, b. 31 Oct 1770, NY

5.     Philip, b. abt. 1775; d. 1848

6.     Margaret, b. 1 Nov 1776, NY; m. Adam Moore, 14 Nov 1793; d. 29 Aug 1838

7.     George, b. 30 Jun 1782, NY; m. Ann Jefferson, 30 Jul 1811; d. 1817

8.     Margaret Ann, b. 1786, Sydney, NS; m. William Averns, Sep 1820

Catherine’s father, Peter Sparling, was born in 1732 in Ireland. He and his wife Margaret Fissell were married in 1754, in Ireland, prior to emigrating to New York. They were on board the ship “Pery”, departing from Limerick and arriving in New York in 1760. Peter was also on the list of names submitted to be part of The Port Roseway Associates group of United Empire Loyalists evacuated from New York to Shelburne, Nova Scotia 1783. It states he arrived in Shelburne with a woman and 6 children, and that he later settled in Sydney. Peter died on February 4, 1820 in Nova Scotia. He was 89 years old. His wife, Margaret, was born in Killiheen, Ireland (date unknown) and died on February 15, 1820 in North West Arm, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

The challenge for me with writing this blog is that in genealogy there is no end. There are always more records to find, more stories to suss out. I find it extremely difficult to end a post. It probably seems simple and concise (or at least that’s my goal) but in reality, there are many trails I could follow all the time, and individual stories for each name mentioned. My hope is that if you happen upon this blog and find someone you are connected to it’ll give you a springboard to discover more about your ancestor. After all, the true joy in genealogy is finding discoveries for yourself!

Until next time, happy hunting, fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

1.     New Brunswick Cemeteries, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

2.     Bio Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution, Vol. 2, p. 214

3.     Names submitted to be part of The Port Roseway Associates group of United Empire Loyalists evacuated from New York to Shelburne, Nova Scotia 1783, globalgeneaology.com

4.     Minutes Of The Proceedings Of The Port Roseway Associates 1782, globalgenealogy.com

5.     Journals and Diaries of the Revolution With Lists of Officers and Soldiers, 1775-1783

6.     Fort Havoc (Wallace Hale), Loyalist Reference Documents: Shelburne, Nova Scotia Loyalists, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

7.     Loyalists of American Revolution

8.     New York, Genealogical Records, 1675-1920

9.     Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867, Vol. I

    10.  U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s

My Sabean Ancestors In Nova Scotia, Part II: Finding Roots In Massachusetts

I have been trying to uncover information about my 4^th great grandfather’s parents to no avail. I am still stuck with the only record being his death registration, listing his parents as Jeremiah and Sarah Sabean. The other information, which is from family trees on ancestry.ca has his parents listed as Jeremiah Sabean and Margaret Lewis.

The informant on the death registration for Davis Sabean is Jacob Sabean, and on the same page in the book of recorded deaths, Jacob Sabean is also the name of the informant for Davis’ wife, Catherine, as well as an Eleanor Sabean (35yrs), Martha M Sabean (23yrs) and (blank) Sabean, a female infant. At first, I thought Jacob was the son of Davis and Catherine, but as I continued searching for more information on him it led me in a different direction. I found a marriage registration for a Jacob Sabean and Martha Maria Condon, and on the death registration for the infant Sabean, her parents are listed as Jacob and Martha Sabean. This seems to line up with the informant being this Jacob Sabean, their husband and father. However, according to Jacob and Martha’s marriage registration and their son, Elmer’s birth registration, Jacob is a Mariner/Fisherman, whereas on the infant girl’s death registration, her father’s occupation is listed as Farmer. Even so, the other information seems too strong to ignore, and I have found other ancestors who were both fishermen and farmers, so this is not out of the realm of possibility. Jacob and Martha were married Dec 7, 1867 in Parker’s Cove, Annapolis, Nova Scotia; their son, Elmer was born abt 1869 in Port Lorne, Annapolis, NS; their daughter was born and died on June 16, 1873 in Port Williams, Annapolis, NS; and Martha died June 24, 1873 in Port Williams, Annapolis, NS. According to Jacob and Martha’s marriage registration Jacob is 23 years old (therefore born about 1844), that he was born in Port Williams, Annapolis, NS, and his parents are David and Susanna. It seems likely that although this Jacob is not the son of Davis and Catherine, he and the deceased that he was the informant for are related. I hoped to link Davis and David in the hopes of confirming who Davis’ parents are through a possible sibling or a misspelling of his name, but was unable to find further information on David and Susannah.

Although I cannot confirm with records at this time who Davis’ parents are, there is one thing I am certain of through historical documentation, and that is that the Sabean line in Nova Scotia traces back to William Sabin of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. If the line is correct, William is my 9^th great grandfather. In learning about William I came across some shocking information. William Sabin was the foreman of the jury that convicted three Native Americans for killing John Sassomon in 1675. The men were hanged, which triggered the start of King Philip’s War. William’s mill was burned to the ground and his son, Nehemiah, was killed. Approximately 3,000 Native Americans and 1,000 Colonists died in the war.

William’s son, Benjamin, had a son, Jeremiah (I), who had a son Jeremiah (II), who was the Sabean ancestor that first settled in Nova Scotia.

Jeremiah Sabean Junior was born February 17, 1717 in Pomfret (formerly Woodstock), Windham County, Connecticut. He married Susanna La Vallee of Quebec, and emigrated to Argyle, Queen’s county (now Yarmouth), Nova Scotia in 1762. He was a fisherman, and in 1765 he made his way west along the Atlantic coast with Jonathan Strickland, Moses Morrell, Borden Thurber, Christopher Strickland and Robert Morrell, and they decided to stop at the mouth of the Sissiboo River. They built a log building on the west bank of the river, on the southeast side of St. Mary’s Bay. In 1766, Jeremiah crossed the Sissiboo River and settled on Lot 17, division letter R. He is also described as helping to clear Lot 18 with a mention of it being “much improved”. Along with the above information, the book A Geography and History of the County of Digby, Nova Scotia, also lists Jeremiah and Susanna’s children, who they married, and some information on their children’s children. It is here I found Jeremiah and Susanna’s son, also named Jeremiah (III) who married Margaret Lewis. So, although I haven’t found direct information linking my 4^th great grandfather, Davis, to Jeremiah III and Margaret, I now know this couple is documented in historical literature, making it more plausible that this is my ancestral line, and that Jeremiah also had a wife, Sarah, that we just can’t find further documentation for, or possibly that the informant wrote down an incorrect name for Davis’ mother on his death registration.

I am still not satisfied with the information I have found and will continue to look for more substantial documentation. However, I am very happy to have found books and records that confirm my Sabean line connects to William Sabin in Massachusetts. This is the connection leading back to England, which I look forward to following up on in the future.

Until next time, happy hunting my fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

A Geography and History of the County of Digby, Nova Scotia
A Genealogy and History of the Hute (Chute) Family in America
Soldiers In King Philip’s War
Wikipedia.org

My Sabean Ancestors in Nova Scotia

Well, it’s official. I made huge, time-consuming genealogical researching goofs (yes, more than one) while trying to put my blog post together for June. My purpose in writing a genealogy blog is to have a place where I can organize my findings in a concise, easy to read format, and my goal is to do one post per month. I started compiling my research for June’s post, which inevitably led to further research in an effort to tie up some loose ends. This turned into two weeks of reading a 700+ page history book online and carefully documenting every mention of my known ancestors. I was so happy when I completed the book. A stack of notes in hand, I was ready to write my post. One small problem: I couldn’t connect this line to my Vidito ancestors. I researched the wrong branch of my family tree! You see, I am trying to be very methodical about what I post, so I’ve decided to focus on my great grandmother, Leafy May Vidito’s line and its’ various offshoots. However, the line I ended up researching for two weeks turned out to be an offshoot of my great grandfather, George Angus Grant’s line. After much thought, in keeping with my methodical approach, I decided to shelf that information, and continue with another offshoot of the Vidito line: The Sabeans.

Well, that opened up a whole other can of worms. This line is one of the very first ones I discovered when I started doing genealogy research. At the time, I was ecstatic to have such remarkable results so early on in my research that I was careless… So, I humbly admit to two more errors that I now had to rectify: I didn’t document some of my sources AND I saved information from ancestry.ca users’ family trees on to my family tree that did not have documentation to back up their findings. Not only were these costly mistakes, but ones that I PRIDE myself on ardently avoiding. I don’t know which was worse, the fact that I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me, or the extra large slice of humble pie I was now eating. After a small pity party, realizing I wasn’t going to make the deadline for my June post, I picked myself up, dusted myself off and forged ahead. I had to meticulously go through all the information for each person, researching them AGAIN to make sure I could back up the information with hard, cold documentation, ensuring I made detailed notes as to where I found the information, and where possible, attaching the record to the appropriate person.  Much of the information could not be verified so I had to remove it. This was painful. Please learn from my mistakes. Impatience and eagerness can be your undoing. Go slow, be meticulous, WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!

Now back to this month’s topic, the Sabeans. We connect to this line through Leafy’s father, Elias Vidito (my 2^nd great grandfather). Elias married Mary Jane Sabean on June 11, 1888 in Wilmot, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. They had the following children:

Herman (1888-1965)

Maggie (1889-)

William Wilbert (1891-1966)

Ernest Willard (1892-1963)

Percy (1893-)

Milford (1894-)

Ada (1896-)

Aubrey (1897-1918)

Bessie (1899-)

Leafy May (1901-)

Eva May (1903-)

Clarence Walter (1904-)

Victoria (1909-)

Helen Mae (1911-1984)

There are two other children listed in family trees on ancestry.ca, however, I haven’t found records for them, so I did not include them above. They are Laura and Chester.

 

My 2^nd great grandmother, Mary Jane is the daughter of Ambrose Sabean and Joanna Taylor. They had the following children (including Mary Jane):

 

John (abt. 1854-)

George (abt. 1856-)

Robert C. (1858-1935)

Alexander (abt. 1858-)

Margaret Ann (1860-1940)

Matilda (abt. 1863-)

Joseph (1866-1956)

Mary Jane (1868-1947)

Idella (1868-1951)

Ambrose Jr (1872-1937)

 

Mary Jane’s father, Ambrose Sabean was born about 1836 in Clarence, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. He was a fisherman and is listed as serving as a volunteer in the 69^th Regiment of the Militia in 1868 and 1871. He married Mary Jane’s mother on March 2, 1854 in Bridgetown, Annapolis, Nova Scotia. The 1871 census shows Elias was living in Clarence, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia with Joanna, and their children. Ten years later the 1881 census shows their situation had drastically changed. In fact, I couldn’t find the family at all. After some searching I realized the family was no longer together. I found an Ambrose Sabine, 44, living in Digby, Nova Scotia with a Susan H Sabine, 28.  They are both listed as married. Also living with them is a James E Sabine, 22.

I found Joanna Sabine, 45, on the census, listed as single and living in Bridgetown with a John Blanchard, 56, widower. Also living at this residence is a younger John Blanchard, 23, and a Jane Blanchard, 20. According to the 1891 census Joanna is still living with John Blanchard, 65, widower. On this census there is a column for relationship to head of house, and she is listed as “cousin”. Others listed at this residence are: James Blanchard, 54, brother; George Rhinard, 30, cousin; Idella Rhinard, 23, wife; Joseph Rhinard, 4, son; Harry Rhinard, 4, son; Eliza Rhinard, 1, daughter; and John Blanchard, 10, son.

 

So far I have found two clear connections to the Blanchard family: Ambrose and Joanna’s daughter, Margaret, married James Blanchard, son of Nicholas and Mary Blanchard, in 1877; and their son, Joseph, married Jane Blanchard, daughter of John and Harriet Blanchard in 1886.

 

The Idella Rhinard on this record is Joanna’s daughter, twin sister of my 2^nd great grandmother Mary Jane. Her first husband was Parker Sabean (1883), and her second husband was George Rhinard (1889). On the second marriage registration she is listed as Mrs. Parker Sabens, 21 years of age and a widow. Interestingly, only her father is listed as her parent. I’m curious as to why her mother’s name is absent, especially since they are living in the same household two years later. I can only speculate what family drama may have taken place after Ambrose and Joanna’s marriage dissolved, but in any case, all these pieces come together to support the fact that it is the correct Joanna “Sabine” living with John Blanchard on the 1881 and 1891 census records. I searched through the entire 1881 census for Annapolis and couldn’t find the underage children from Ambrose and Joanna’s marriage, or for Robert, who would have been 23 at the time. Hopefully with more research I will be able to locate the children.

 

Without further documentation I am unable to say for certain when Ambrose and Joanna separated, but I did find a document that may give us insight in to why their marriage ended. When I found the birth registration for Ambrose’s next child, David, he is listed as “illegitimate” and the son of Ambrose Sabean and Sarah Jane Wilkins, “not married”. David was born November 20, 1875.

 

I haven’t found a marriage registration for Ambrose and Susan, which I was really hoping to find in order to clarify if Susan H and Sarah Jane Wilkins are the same person.  If Ambrose had an affair, which led to an illegitimate child and the end of his marriage, and then married another woman shortly after, that would take my ancestors straight into soap opera territory. Which begs the question: just how naughty have you been, Grandpa Ambrose? In searching for records for Susan H and Sarah Jane Wilkins, I came up empty, but in searching the 1871 census, there was a family just four dwellings away from Ambrose and Joanna, who had a daughter named Susie J Wilkins, age 14. There is some conflicting information on Susan’s name:

1871: Susie J Wilkins, 14 yrs (prior to marriage if this is the correct person)

1881: Susan H, 28 yrs

1891: Susan, 31 yrs

1901: J. Susie, b. Oct 15, 1857, 43 yrs

1911: Susan, b. Mar 1856, 54 yrs

I looked through the children’s birth, marriage and death records that I found on novascotiagenealogy.com,  and there is one with her middle name on it: Jane. The H as her middle initial on the 1881 census seems to be an error.

 

Ambrose and Susan’s children are:

David (1875-1950)

Linda (abt 1876-)

Solomon (1879-)

Amy (1880-)

William (1883-)

Susie (abt 1885-)

Eliza Jane (1886-)

Odessa (1889-1974)

Randolph (1891-1972)

Edith May (1893-)

Rosa (1894-1968)

Theodore (1895-1979)

Thomas (1900-)

 

According to family trees on ancestry.ca there is also an Amos (1881-), however I haven’t found any records for this person.

 

I haven’t found information confirming that David is Susan’s biological son, however, she is listed as his mother on future documents. Whether she is his biological mother or step-mother, I am unsure. I have found no records confirming that Sarah Jane Wilkins and Susan Jane Wilkins are the same person, though I suspect this is the case.

My 3^rd great grandfather, Ambrose Sabean’s parents are Davis Sabean and Catherine Risteen. Their children are:

 

Ambrose (abt 1836-)

Jacob (1839)

James  Manning (abt 1841-)

Joshua M (-1899)

Family trees on ancestry.ca have other children listed, but I have not found evidence for them. They are Mary Jane, Joseph, Matilda, Charles and John.

 

My 4^th great grandfather, Davis Sabean, was born about 1801 in Wilmot, Nova Scotia. He died April 27, 1873, age 72, in Annapolis, Nova Scotia. His parents are Jeremiah Sabean and Sarah (maiden name unknown). I have found lots of information about the Sabean family that have him listed as being born in 1798, with his parents listed as Jeremiah Sabean and Margaret Lewis. I have not been able to find any records to confirm this information, and unfortunately, the authors of the information I’ve found online haven’t given sources. So for now, I can only go with the Death Registration I’ve found, which has his parents listed as Jeremiah and Sarah Sabean. It is possible the informant gave the wrong name for the mother, but without any records to confirm or deny, I’ll have to leave it at that for now.

 

As you can see there is still a fair amount of missing, incomplete and conflicting information in this family, however, after an exhaustive search with no results, I’ll have to be content with what I have found for the time being. Hopefully I’ll have more to post on this family in the future. Until then, happy hunting fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

Birth Registrations (novascotiagenealogy.com)
Application for Registration of Birth (novascotiagenealogy.com)
Marriage Registrations (novascotiagenealogy.com)
Death Registrations (novascotiagenealogy.com)
1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, 1921 Census of Canada (ancestry.ca)
Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922 (ancestry.ca)
findagrave.com

The Marshalls of Nova Scotia: Discovering Roots in New England

I have previously written about the Vidito line of my family dating back to 1630 in France, escaping to New York in 1660 and then settling in Nova Scotia after the American Revolution. Along the way we connected with other branches, including the Barnum and Pickett lines, all of which led to my great grandmother, Leafy May Vidito. She was born in Bridgetown, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia on January 29, 1901, and married my great grandfather, George Angus Grant on March 24, 1920 in Annapolis Royal, NS. Today, I am going to begin tracing back one branch of my great grandfather, George Angus Grant’s tree, which, like my Vidito line, also connects back to Colonial America.

George was born on August 31, 1899 in Annapolis Royal, NS to his parents, Norman Grant and Bertha Early. He served in WW1 prior to marrying Leafy May Vidito. Leafy died January 8, 1989, and George died January 16, 1992. A few years ago I came across a post on a genealogy forum about the Grant family in Nova Scotia, and after I contacted the person, we found out we were second cousins! He gave me some amazing information on my great grandfather, George, including that when he retired his childhood home was up for sale so he and his daughter, Anna purchased it! He lived the remainder of his days in his childhood home and passed away at the age of 92.

George’s father, Norman Grant was born November 27, 1865 in Lawrencetown, Annapolis Co., NS. His birth registration has December 27, 1865 as his date of birth, but the 1901 census and his death record both have November 27, 1865 as his date of birth.  His parents are John Grant and Samantha Marshall. It is Samantha Marshall, my 3^rd great grandmother, that we are going to trace back today on her paternal line.

Marriage Register for John Grant and Samantha Marshall

Samantha Marshall was born August 23, 1843 in Annapolis Co., NS to her parents, Enoch Marshall and Jane Hanspiker. Samantha married John Grant on Christmas day 1864 in Harmony, Annapolis Co., NS. They had two children that I know of by documentation, Norman and Florence. Samantha’s husband, John, died November 8, 1872, just shy of 8 years after they were married. On the 1881 census Samantha is the “Head” of the house, living with her two children. By 1891 Samantha’s daughter, Florence had married James Slocomb and Samantha was living with them. Samantha died June 27, 1931 in Outram, Annapolis Co., NS. She was 87 years old when she died of stomach cancer and was buried in the Whitman Burying Ground, South Williamston, Annapolis Co., NS.



Samantha Marshall's Registration of Death

Samantha’s father, Enoch Marshall was born in 1807 in Annapolis Royal, NS to his parents, David Marshall and Elizabeth Beardsley. I have been unsuccessful in finding a death record for him, but there is an Enoch Marshall on the 1861 census living in Annapolis, NS with 3 males and 3 females in the household. There are also 2 listings for an Enoch Marshall in the City Directory in 1867 and 1869.

Enoch’s father, David Marshall was born September 17, 1786 in Clarence, Annapolis C., NS to his parents, Isaac Marshall and Mary Robbins. David married his wife, Elizabeth Beardsley on August 23, 1806. Elizabeth died of old age on August 17, 1867 in Port Williams, Annapolis Co., NS. David died on Feb 20, 1876, also of old age, and also in Port Williams, Annapolis Co., NS.

Death Register for David Marshall

David’s father, Isaac Marshall, is the first ancestor we find who connects the Nova Scotia branch of this family to the Massachusetts branch. There is some conflicting information about him, but this is what I can tell from records: Isaac was born June 10, 1748 in Ipswich, Massachusetts to his parents, William Marshall and Elizabeth Nason; he married his first wife, Mary Robbins in 1772; moved to Nova Scotia some time prior to David’s birth in 1786; and died December 6, 1824.

The conflicting information is about when Isaac moved to Nova Scotia, where he married Mary Robbins and who is great grandfather is.

In a handwritten book of marriages from ancestry.ca’s Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988, we find the record of Isaac and Mary’s marriage. It reads, “Isaac Marshall and Mary Robbins both of Walpole are married by Joshua Clap, Esq., May 6^th, 1772”.

According to the book History of the County of Annapolis, Isaac and his family had moved to Nova Scotia in 1760. He is listed as being one of four great grandsons of William Marshall (born 1595), the first immigrant of this line to come to America. The information here lines up with records I’ve found pertaining to his birth, wife, and son, David, however, from the records I have found, Isaac is not a great grandson of William Marshall. He is the son of William Marshall (1710-1797), grandson of John Marshall Jr., (1671-1713) and great grandson of John Marshall Sr., (1632-1702), and 2^nd great grandson of yet another John Marshall.

According to the book History of the County of Annapolis, William was born in 1595, was a native of Cranebrook, Kent County, England and emigrated to New England on the ship Abigail, June 17, 1635. The ship master was Robert Hackwell, and the passengers were “duly certified by the minister and the Justice of the Peace as being Conformists, and as having taken the oaths of allegiance and supremacy.” To corroborate, I checked the Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600s and there is a William Marshall, age 40 on the ship Abigail which sailed in the Spring of 1635, departing from London and arriving in Massachusetts Bay. There were also four more listings for Marshalls on the Pilgrim Ships: 1) Francis Marshall, age 30, March 16, 1635 from London, England to New England on board the ship Christian; 2) Edmund Marshall and his family, May 6, 1635 from Weymouth to Massachusetts Bay on board the ship Hopewell; 3) Jo. Marshall, age 14, July/Sept 1635 from London, England to Massachusetts Bay also on board the ship Hopewell; and 4) Thomas Marshall, July-Sept 1635 from London to Massachusetts Bay on board the ship James. The Ship Lists are incomplete, so it is possible there were others with the name Marshall who immigrated to America, of which Isaac could be a descendant.

I will have to be content with not having a clear answer on this matter since I can’t find any further documentation to connect William Marshall (b.1595) to Isaac Marshall.

So let’s get back to what I do know… Isaac’s parents are William Marshall and Elizabeth Nason. William Marshall was born July 28, 1710 in Billerica, Middlesex County, Massachusetts to his parents John Marshall Jr., and Eunice Rogers. William married Elizabeth Nason December 4, 1736 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts, and he died in Granville, Annapolis Co., NS on March 31, 1797. From this we know both Isaac and his father moved to Nova Scotia.

Marriage Register for William Marshall and Elizabeth Nason

John Marshall Jr., was born August 1, 1671 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA to his parents, John Marshall and Mary Burrage. He married Eunice Rogers December 8, 1695/6 in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. He died January 25, 1713 and is buried in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA.

John Marshall Sr., appears to be the ancestor on this line that came over from England. He was baptized March 1, 1631 in Redbourn, Hertfordshire, England, and his parents names are John and Mary Marshall. I am unsure when he immigrated to New England, but it had to be prior to November 27, 1665 because he married Mary Burrage on this date in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. He died November 5, 1702 and was buried in Billerica, Middlesex Co., MA. His headstone reads, “HERE LIES Ye BODY OF Serjeant JOHN MARSHALL AGED 70 YEARS DYED NOVEMBER Ye 5^th. 1702”. So here we learn another great piece of information: John served in the military and was a Sergeant.  

The one constant in genealogy is you are never done. For every question you find an answer to, you find more questions to be answered! So this is the best information I have AT THIS TIME on my Marshall ancestors. As I continue to research and as more documents become available hopefully I will be able to fill in some blanks and find clarification for conflicting information.

Until next time… happy hunting, my fellow gene geeks!

Sources:

1861 Census of Canada (ancestry.ca)
1881 Census of Canada (automatedgenealogy.com)
1891 Census of Canada (automatedgenealogy.com)
1901 Census of Canada (automatedgenealogy.com)
1911 Census of Canada (automatedgenealogy.com)
A Genealogy and History of the Chute Family InAmerica (1894)
American Genealogical – Biographical Index (ancestry.ca)
Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906 (ancestry.ca)
Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918 (Library and Archives Canada)
Family Data Collection – Births (ancestry.ca)
Family Data Collection – Individual Records (ancestry.ca)
History of the County of Annapolis
Massachusetts, Find A Grave Index, 1620_2013 (ancestry.ca)
Massachusetts, Marriages, 1633-1850 (ancestry.ca)
Massachusetts, Town Birth Records, 1620-1850 (ancestry.ca)
Massachusetts, Town Death Records, 1620-1850 (ancestry.ca)
Massachusetts, Town And Vital Records, 1620-1988 (ancestry.ca)
Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics

Pilgrim Ships Lists Early 1600s, compiled by Anne Stevens

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s – Current (ancestry.ca)
U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 ancestry.ca)