A frost was in the air this September evening as Cliff and I hurried with our after-supper chores of filling the wood box and getting in the kindling.
We wanted to get down to the brook before it got too dark to watch the beavers. Not a sound could be heard as father beaver swam with a poplar branch in his mouth. He could only be spotted by the "V" ripple in the water. The mother was very busy bringing up handfuls of mud to make the dam stronger. Not a movement did we make as we sat on the bank, for a sudden gesture from us, and one of them would slap the water with its tail to warn the others of danger and they would all disappear.
Speaking of beavers, Harold Davis and his wife, Florence have been working like beavers in doing research on Thomas Coates, who along with his first wife Ann Hood came to Nova Scotia with the Yorkshire Settlers in 1772. A few years later Ann died, leaving at least six children. Thomas married Elizabeth Henry and they began raising their family of nine children in the Nappan area of Nova Scotia. In 1804, they left members from the first marriage on the homestead and moved with their children to Smith Creek, Kings County, New Brunswick to live on a newly purchased one-thousand acre lot of land.
Harold has been tracing the children of Thomas Coates for several years and since retirement has been spending even more time researching. Florence has been kept busy at the computer - inputting all the data. His aim is to find and record all descendants from both marriages.
Their labor of love in finding the pieces of the puzzle has led to the publication of "Descendants of Thomas Coates from Yorkshire and his 2nd wife Elizabeth Henry" This 205-page book includes a 30-page index of 4700 names and is filled with biographical facts of births, marriages and deaths.
The children of Thomas Coates and Elizabeth Henry were: John Coates who married Margaret Price; Lemuel Coates married Elizabeth Manning; Matthew Coates married Ruth Ripley; William Coates married Harriet Harrison; Alice Coates married Charles Stockton; Margaret Coates married Gilbert Stockton; Thomas Coates married Catherine Holmes; Anna Coates married Matthew Sharpe and George Coates did not marry.
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of "Descendants of Thomas Coates from Yorkshire and his 2nd wife Elizabeth Henry" contact Harold Davis at davishf@nb.sympatico.ca.
Query 98-731
McCumber - Blair - Puddington - Appleby: I am looking for any information
on Alice M.. McCumber who was born about 1877 at Saint John, New Brunswick.
The only other information I have is that she married a Percy B. Puddington
in 1900. Percy was born a Blair but his parents, William Blair and Emily
Appleby, were both dead by the time he was 4 years old. I believe he was
raised by a family named Puddington. Alice and Percy had 2 sons born in St.
Martins: Millidge in1909 and William Murray Randall born on Oct. 15, 1910.
-Cindy Donovan, 123 Guest Drive, Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, B2N 6N9.
E-mail to sndonovan@auracom.com.
Query 98-732
Patterson - Dow: I am researching the Patterson name. My grandfather
Walter Dow Patterson was born on Nov. 19, 1918 in Elkhart, Indiana. His father,
Aaron Dow Patterson was born on Jan.12, 1873, possibly in Temple, New Brunswick
and moved to South Ben, Indiana as a child. He was the son of Archie Patterson
and Ann Isabelle Dow who had at least 4 other children: Melvina; Mary Jane;
Roland Dow and Kenneth. Some of these Pattersons went across the river to
Maine. Melvina Patterson married Nelson Grant and they lived in Maine and
had at least 4 children. My grandfather has told me that the Pattersons came
from Ireland originally and that there is a castle in Ireland that belongs
to any Patterson who can prove that he or she is a direct descendant of the
owners. I would love to be able to trace my family line back to there and
try to take my grandfather there, just to look, before he gets too old to
enjoy it. I will be glad to trade information with anyone who can help me
in finding information on Aaron Dow Patterson and his father Archie Patterson.
Any information would be so much appreciated.
-Stephanie Mead, 405 Sedgwick, Ct., Stafford, VA, 22554. E-mail to
smead68@hotmail.com or smead3857@myfamily.com.
Query 98-733
Hannabury - Martin - O'Hara - Gregory: I am looking for relations
of my paternal grandmother Matilda Helen Hannabury daughter of Thomas Hannabury
and Elizabeth Martin born in Saint John on Jun. 10, 1884. She had seven siblings:
Edward; Thomas; Herbert; Elizabeth; Louise; Esther and Marie. Some were born
in Saint John before the family moved to Chelsea. Massachusetts. Thomas Hannabury
may have been a fisherman. My grandmother had Hannabury as well as O'Hara
and Gregory cousins who may have remained in Saint John.
-Karin Sullivan, 200 Manning Street APT 27-A, Hudson, MA, 01749. E-mail
Karinsully@aol.com.
Query 98-734
Neilson: I am looking for information on a George Neilson, Jeweler
who was in business in Saint John 1820-21, to the best of my knowledge. This
gentleman was reported to be an uncle of a William Neilson, Watchmaker, Clockmaker
and Jeweler in Halifax, Nova Scotia 1818-1850. The reference I have
says William Neilson was from Belfast but I'm stuck there so I'm hoping to
make a link if I can find information on George Neilson. I would welcome
any information about this gentleman.
-Susan Casey, R. R. # 7 Bridgewater, N.S., B4V 3J5. E-mail to caseyhunt@ns.sympatico.ca
Query 98-735
Boles: I am looking for the date of death of Johanna Sheck Boles
who died about 1880-1881 in the town of Sussex, N.B. It is known she lived
there in September of 1880 by the death of her husband in Saint John. However
they were estranged since the1871 census. She was supposed to be living with
a son in Sussex.
-Mary L. Wittlock, 416 County Road 1485, Cullman, Alabama, 35058-0872.
E-mail to WCTAGALONG@aol.com.
Ruby is a genealogy buff. Readers are invited to send their New Brunswick genealogical queries to her at rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca. When E-Mailing please put Yesteryear Families in the Subject line. Please include in the query, your name and postal address as someone reading the newspaper, may have information to share with you but not have access to E-mail. Queries should be no more than 45 words in length.