A lucky family find
Hidden in a Saint John County 1871 marriage register was an array of records
- spanning 17 years.Gram took a cane whenever she went outdoors. She not only used the cane for support but it made a great finder of four-leaf clovers.
Cliff and I would stand beside her as she swept her cane back and forth among the clover leaves. Suddenly she would stop and point to her find, a four-leaf clover. Since she was unable to stoop down, we picked them up for her and took them into the house. She placed them between the pages of the family Bible to dry. She told us, "The more four-leaf clovers you collect, the luckier you will be!"
Needless to say, Cliff and I spent hours searching every clover patch. Little brother was sharper on the eye than I was and always found them first.
Dorothy Wiggs of Fredericton must have felt like she had found several four-leaf clovers as she was transcribing Register "G" of Saint John County Marriages. (Microfilm F16245). The marriages in this section were for the year 1871, but between pages 769 and 796, she found 109 marriages that had been performed by the Rev. Benjamin Gray of Trinity Anglican Church in Saint John between 1833 and 1850.
The Rev. Benjamin Gray was the rector of Trinity Church from 1825-1840 and also chaplain to the garrison in the city from 1825-1854. He died in 1854. His son, the Rev. J.D.W. Gray, had acted as his curate at Trinity from 1826-1840 and succeeded him as rector. The Rev. J.D.W. Gray died in 1868.
A mystery surrounds both the reason why the Rev. Benjamin Gray did not record the marriages in the Civil Marriage Register at the time of the ceremony and the unknown person who submitted the information (or returns) so they could be recorded in 1871.
You may find your genealogical good-luck clover as you read through this listing of 109 marriages:
Michael Holloran-Mary Gallagher, Sept. 9, 1833;
Joseph McCauley-Mary Ann Greer, Dec. 18, 1833;
John Thomas Penaligon-Eliza Lemon, Jan. 1, 1834;
William Beattie-Sarah Jackson, March 10, 1834;
Thomas Donahue-Matilda Connor, March 27, 1834;
Richard Philip Knox-Mary Collins March 31, 1834;
John Natton-Ann Elliott, May 19, 1834;
George Parks-Honora Williams May 29, 1834;
William Campbell-Elizabeth Power, June 25, 1834;
Robert Wallace-Jane Ferguson, July 2, 1834;
Moody Levett-Rhoda Rogers, July 11, 1834;
William A. Woods-Sarah McKenzie, July 24, 1834;
William McLeod-Mary McNeill, Dec. 12, 1834;
James Helford-Elizabeth Johnson, March 3, 1835;
Richard Hale-Margaret Ann Dixon, July 30, 1835;
James Hill-Martha Tapley, Aug. 27, 1835;
Matthew Short-Mary Johnson, Oct. 10, 1835;
John Thomas-Margaret Graves Nov. 10, 1835;
Joseph Longmead-Sarah Jones Nov. 25, 1835;
John Maybury-Margaret Eliza Best, Nov. 26, 1835;
Charles Crookshank-Sarah Ann Eager, Dec.12, 1835;
Thomas Hughes-Margaret Lowry, Dec. 22, 1835;
Samuel Forsyth-Harriett Bremner, Feb. 2, 1836;
William Flaherty-Charlotte Price, Feb. 9, 1836;
William G. Theal-Eliza Anne Bell, May 10, 1836;
Henry G. Bryant-Ann Garvey, May 21, 1836;
Barzillai Ansley-Mary Jane Ansley, May 25, 1836;
Andrew Coulton-Mary Scott, June 1, 1836;
Robert Mitten-Abbigail Gildard, July 6, 1836;
James Freswell-Honour Gettings, July 19, 1836;
Henry McMullin-Eliza Leonard, Aug. 21, 1837;
John Kline-Annette Shey, Oct. 21, 1837;
William Harris-Margaret Young, Nov. 29, 1837;
Charles H. Duncklee-Aurelia Warren, Jan. 8, 1838;
Patrick Bennett-Jane Carrothers, Jan. 9, 1838;
James Giggey-Elizabeth Carvell, Feb. 15, 1838;
Joseph Jones-Margaret Watson, Feb. 22, 1838;
William B. Frost-Emma Jane Spurr, Feb. 22, 1838;
Daniel Vaughan-Laleah Amelia Harding, March 14, 1838;
William Swift-Mary Ann Richards, April 1838;
Simon Flaglor-Jane Graham, Sept. 3, 1838;
Robert Wiley-Maryan Jacobs, Sept. 6, 1838;
Richard Knight-Sylvia Long, Nov. 18, 1838;
Joseph Armstrong-Maria Kenny, Aug. 8, 1839;
Michael Danihy-Honorah O'Sullivan, Aug. 10, 1839;
William Patton-Catherine McCarty, Aug. 15, 1839;
James Stokes-Mary Ann Whiston, April 30, 1840;
John McHugh-Rosa McShary, June 1, 1840;
James Hawks-Ann Morrison, July 4, 1840;
John McGowan-Mary Leckie, July 18, 1840;
Thomas Elliott Carter-Ann Cunningham, Nov. 29, 1840;
John Fitch-Jane Shanklin, Nov. 3, 1840;
Robert McCrosson-Sarah Dinsmore, 1841;
Thomas Green-Mary Clever, Sept. 27, 1841;
William Penn-Margaret McGreevy, Oct. 15, 1841;
Esan Lane-Hannah Corban, 1842;
James McConnell-Margaret Wallace, March 5, 1842;
William Paice-Ellen Gray, June 20, 1842;
John Parkinson-Ann Simpson, July 6, 1842;
John Pearson-Elizabeth McPheters, July 10, 1842;
Thomas Gregory-Avis Pine, 1843;
Alexander McLaughlin-Eliza Morrow, May 9, 1843;
Simon Fitch-Margaret Paddock, May 16, 1843;
Patrick McCristall-Mary Clarke, May 26, 1843;
John Mackay-Jane H. Partelow, June 6, 1843;
Alfred Hawkes-Mary Jane Ball, June 13, 1843;
Thomas Morgan-Catherine Simpson, June 29, 1843;
William Evans-Ann Good, June 30, 1843;
John Gillingham-Mary Splane, July 15, 1843;
John Colson-Julia Gordon, July 25, 1843;
Robert Leeson-Catherine Bean (widow), Feb. 19, 1844;
John Thomas-Sarah Sinnott, April 29, 1844;
John Anderson-Mary Ann McCulloch, Sep. 24, 1844;
John Bell-Emily Wiley, Oct. 22, 1844;
John McAlpin-Eliza Purdy, 1845;
Peter Young-Catherine Oliver, Aug. 16, 1845;
Edward Sentell-Margaret Jordan, Jan. 27, 1846;
George Coram-Ann Bond, Feb. 4, 1846;
John Warnick-Mary Ann Brown (widow), Feb. 10, 1846;
John Warnick-Mary Ann Morrison (widow) Feb. 10, 1846 (only one of these last two entries can be correct);
Robert Moore-Ann Jane Robinson, Dec. 12, 1846;
William Todd-Jane Quinn, Dec. 28, 1846;
John Lewis-Bridget Lyons, Feb. 16, 1847;
Andrew Anderson-Mary Murray, Feb. 20, 1847;
Joseph Ruddock-Alice Smith, March 3, 1847;
Thomas Crawford-Mary Ann Holder, March 4, 1847;
Edward Loaness-Ann Falvey, April 1847;
John Bell-Catherine Matthews, April 1, 1847;
William Clements-Mary Patterson, April 21, 1847;
George Harding (widower)-Elizabeth Raymond, April 29, 1847;
William Weston-Sarah Andrews, May 1, 1847;
William Bryden-Anne Jane Lynch, May 5, 1847;
Thomas Kelly-Mary Mitchell (widow), May 31, 1847;
Thomas Earle-Rhoda Belyea, June 1, 1847;
Lewis J. Burns-Amelia Doane, June 7, 1847;
John McGowan-Sophia McDonald, June 17, 1847;
Alexander Baxter-Margaret Johnston, June 18, 1847;
Edward Thomas (widower)-Ann Lockern, June 28, 1847;
John Brown-Catherine King, April 11, 1848;
William Damary-Eliza Armstrong, Sept. 28, 1848;
Nicholas (widower)-Mary McSorley, February 1949;
William Wilkinson-Mary Ellen Pearl, June 30, 1849;
William James Smith-Margaret Andrews, July 11, 1849;
William Till Jr.-Mary Bailey, Sept., 1849;
Richard Sykes-Ellen McLaughlan, Aug. 22, 1850;
Robert McLaughlan-Bridget Dorighan, Nov. 30, 1849;
William Millican (widower)-Jane Williams, Oct. 11, 1849;
Warren Coleman-Sabra Stewart, Sept. 27, 1849;
John Barry-Frances Bartlett Baird, 1840.
- Marriage Register "G", Saint John County, is on microfilm at the Saint John Free Public Library, Market Square. A printed list of the Rev. Gray's marriages that were extracted from Register "G" is available for use at the Provincial Archives in Fredericton. Register "G" has been published.
Dorothy Wiggs has completed transcribing the Registers for Saint John County and they can be purchased from: CANB Publication, P.O. Box 1204, Station "A", Fredericton, NB, E3B 5C8, Canada. For more information, E-mail provincial.archives@gnb.ca
- Query 98-515
Ritchie-Carpenter-Golding-Banks-Fisk: I am looking for information on Elizabeth Jane Ritchie (1852-1938) of Saint John. She was married to James Thomas Carpenter, who was born in 1843 at Wickham and died in 1913, the son of William Carpenter and Charity Golding. Their children were: Bertie A., born 1871; Jenny M., born 1873 and married Arthur Banks; Frank Edwin; Frederick, born 1877; Nellie C., born 1880; Georgia D., born 1882; Harold, born 1884; Hazel A., born 1885 and married Russell Fisk; Murray A., born 1891; Hilda, born 1894; Elva, born 1896; James, born 1898.
Terrence Shaw, 162 Bay St., Cobourg, Ont., K9A 1P6. E-mail to georshaw@enoreo.on.ca.
- Query 98-516
Burroughs-Granville: I am searching for the origin and parent of Ellen Burroughs who was born in 1826. On Sep. 17, 1862, she married. Thomas Bates Granville in Halifax. She died on Nov. 12, 1912. Her two sisters were Catherine and Mary. In the marriage registration it says her father, James Burroughs, was from N.B.
J. Owen Granville, 4603 33rd Ave West, Bradenton, FL,34209-6239. E-mail to JowenG@aol.com.
- Query 98-517
McDonald: Angus McDonald was born 1815 in Scotland (Skye, according to family tradition). He moved to the Miramichi from Botsford Parish in Westmorland County, N.B. He married Christina Dean on June 09, 1851 in Lyttleton Parish, Northumberland County, N.B., daughter of William (Charles) Dean and Margaret ??. Angus was a very poor man, who was receiving relief from the overseers of the poor in the 1860s. He died soon after 1871, it is said from falling on ice and impaling himself on a stake. Christina Dean attended school in Lyttleton in the early 1840s, and is said to have smoked a pipe. If anyone has information on this family, I would like them to contact me.
Jack MacDonald, 3 David Court, Quispamsis, N.B., E2E 1H8. E-mail to macdojb@nbnet.nb.ca.
- Query 98-518
Chapman-Gettis-Grant: I am looking for information on the siblings and parents of Stanley James Chapman, who was born Jan.15, 1886 in New Brunswick. Stanley's father's name was David Augustus Chapman and his mother's name was Sarah Gettis. He was married to Della Grant in Maine, USA, on Oct. 7, 1909. Stanley died in Maine on Feb.11, 1932.
Sheila Brooks, 35 Manson Avenue, Kittery, Maine, USA, 03904-1111. E-mail to brooksie@nh.ultranet.com.
- Query 98-519
Oliver-Lawrence: Mary Ann Oliver supposedly was born about 1816 in Saint John, and married William H. Lawrence. Their first child, James, was born about 1836 in L'Etete, Charlotte County, N.B. The other children were: William H. Jr. 1838; Edward 1840; Elizabeth 1842; Mary 1844 and Hiram 1849-1850. The family migrated to Eastport, Me., about 1855. On the 1860 census for Eastport, Mary is not listed. I'm not sure if she and William separated or she died. Old family stories are that she was French, as several of her children spoke French. If anyone has information on Mary Ann Oliver Lawrence or her children, I would like to hear from them.
Leanne Elliott Soden, 1 Lara Road, Lynnfield, MA, 01940. E-mail to dansoden@worldnet.att.net.
Ruby Cusack is a genealogy buff living in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Readers are invited to send their New Brunswick genealogical queries to Ruby 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.
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