The Essex Land Registry Office

In October 2020, the Ontario government ended counter services at all 54 Land Registry Offices (LROs). That means that access to valuable genealogical material (Crown patents, deeds, wills, etc.) can no longer be achieved in person and must be done online through the new OnLand / ONtario Land Registry Access portal.

SWODA (1905) Image: Essex County Registry Office, Sandwich, Ont.; The Township of Sandwich: Past and Present (1909) by Frederick Neal. Page 89

This nostalgic blog post looks back at the old days when three Askins (Col. James Askin, John Alex Askin and J. Wallace Askin) served successively for a total of eighty-three years as Essex county registrars. It is possible, in searching for your ancestors Essex county records, you have come across their names.

The Windsor Star Windsor, Ontario, Canada 12 Sep 1925, Sat  •  Page 24

In 1801, "on the third of June at 10 o,clock in the forenoon, a rider drew up before a tiny building in Sandwich, Ontario, dismounted and walking inside, laid a paper on the table."To be registered please", he said.

He had come over the trails from the British fort at Amherstburg and the paper he bore with him was one of the world's little known treaties - one of the numerous land exchanges between the British Crown and the Indian nations..."

52 Ancestors: Week 5: A Census Surprise!

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks was created by Amy Johnson Crow and is a series of weekly blogging prompts to inspire genealogists and family historians to write about an ancestor and then share it online. The theme for Week 5 is "Census".

Sept. 2017 Statistics Canada Speakers Series entitled,
"A glimpse into the past:
Using historical censuses to research Canadian families".

Back in September 2017, I attended a Statistics Canada Speakers Series entitled, "A glimpse into the past: Using historical censuses to research Canadian families". I learned a lot at this session and I reported my findings on my blog post Statistics Canada - Speaker Series - Historical Censuses .

My 2nd great-grandparents Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan

Inspired by the speakers, I decided to revisit the historic censuses of some of my Essex County, Ontario ancestors and I started with the family of Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan who were my great great grandparents.

My 2nd Great-Grandmother

Mary (Brennan) Moynahan 

Learned How To Read!

One of the most exciting discoveries that I made following my census review was learning that my 2nd great-grandmother had managed to learn how to read!

This would have been something for Mary! She fled the famine in Kerry Ireland when she was twelve years old with her parents. They emigrated to Canada in 1853 and the ability to attend school was not available to her.

My 2nd great-grandmother Mary (Brennan) Moynahan and her daughter Nellie

On the 1871 census Mary (and Jeremiah) were unable to read in 1871 and then on the 1891 census, at fifty years of age, Mary CAN read and write! This is confirmed on the later censuses where Jeremiah her husband is recorded as "unable to read or write" and Mary CAN read and write!

Mary (Brennan) and Jeremiah Moynahan's daughter (Nellie) and son (John) were well-known teachers in Essex county for many years (Nellie taught for thirty-five years and John taught for twelve years before pursuing a municipal career)

It's conceivable that Mary learned reading and writing from her children Nellie and/or John in the evenings or in the summer when school was closed and this is something about our 2nd great-grandmother Mary (Brennan) Moynahan that we would have never known if it weren't for the census records!

As I said in the comment section below, "Pioneer life being what it was (with so much work to do from dawn until dusk) I picture Mary with her handmade slate chalkboard practicing the alphabet by candlelight. That image in my mind makes me smile."

Mary's Son
Teacher: John Moynahan (1866-1933)

Essex Free Press: 25 April, 1975

Mary's Daughter

Teacher: Nellie Moynahan (1865-1940)

Source: St Mary's Church, Maidstone Ontario Centennial Book 1874-1974

Distant Cousins from the Annal-Hess Clan Part II

In this morning's inbox was an email from ancestry.ca saying that I had hints for Jemima Almina (Annal) Sutherland (1846-1920)

When I visited the ancestry.ca hints I found one that connected me to Find A Grave with photos recently added by Sandy Sutherland.

Source: Sandy Sutherland, Find A Grave

I had to check. Most of the information that I have received about the Annal-Hess branches in my family tree, I have received through the generous sharing of cousin Vicky Hess. Another distant cousin, Kim Simpson, shared information on the Simpson branch (and I wrote about this in my blog post 52 Ancestors No.31 Meeting Distant Cousins from the Annal-Hess Clan.

Distant Cousins: Annal-Hess descendants: Simpson & Sutherland branches
(Find A Grave profiles)

I was excited about the possibility of Sutherland cousins so I emailed Sandy Sutherland to ask for permission to use her Sutherland family photo (below) .

Jemima Almina (Annal) Sutherland (1846-1920)

Jemima is the older sister of my 2nd great-grandfather James Henry Allan Annal (1849-1930). She married James Sutherland (1850-1933) an only child, son of William and Barbara (Barron) Sutherland of Pomona Island, north of Scotland (better known as the Orkney mainland).

My 2nd great-grandfather
James Henry Allan Annal (1849-1930

James & Jemima Sutherland Headstone
Riverview Cemetery Wallaceburg, Ontario
Source: Sandy Sutherland, Find A Grave

Source: Vicky Hess: Wallaceburg Newspaper page 1 May 27 1920

On the photo below, Sandy Sutherland wrote,

Family photo. Jemima is seated next to her husband James. William Sutherland is standing behind her. If you can label anyone else in the photo, please do so, or let me know.

Source: Sandy Sutherland, Find A Grave

Commemorative biographical record of the county of Kent, Ontario (p 513)

Following the branches on your family tree is so important. 

In the Commemorative Biographical Record above for James Sutherland (above), detailed information is also given on my 3rd great-grandparents James and Elizabeth (Wiley) Annal of Orkney, Scotland.

This biography makes me curious:

• Why are two children: James Henry Allan (1849-1930) and Mary C. Annal (1851-1918). omitted?
• Why did all the children stay in Scotland except for sisters Jemima, Mary and their brother (my 2nd great-grandfather) James Henry Allan Annal?

Screen shot: My Annal-Wylie Family Tree on ancestry.ca

Meeting cousins like Vicky, Kim and Sandy through genealogical research has been one of the many benefits of my genealogical research. Another benefit is being able to share the information and photos with other descendants so that they know more about the story of their ancestors.

LINKS

• Commemorative biographical record of the county of Essex, Ontario : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and many of the early settled families
• Commemorative biographical record of the county of Kent, Ontario : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families (permalink) 
• Orkney Annals: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cockerline/orkney/annal.html

52 Ancestors #10: "Nellie" Moynahan: Teacher

No Story Too Small has issued a New Year's Challenge: "Have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor.”

And over at Olive Tree Geneaology, there is another enticing challenge: "In honour of Women's History Month (March 2014) I want to issue a challenge to all geneabloggers to write a  minimum of 10 blog posts this month about women who have made a difference."

So I am dedicating today's blog post to Ellen "Nellie" Moynahan. She was the first born child of Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan (born March 31, 1865). 

Nellie pictured with parents Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan
and her younger brother John

Nellie Moynahan

Nellie had five sisters and two brothers. 

Moynahan Family Tree

Nellie's own education through the 1880s indicates a high achiever finishing at the top of her class. She was also awarded "premiums of politeness and of good conduct." ! A smart young woman indeed!

4 March 1880 Essex Free Press

14 April 1881 Essex Free Press

23 June 1881 Essex Free Press

 There were perils to teaching at a one-room schoolhouse, like being thrown from your carriage on your way there in 1892!

The Amherstburg Echo: 30 December, 1892

Nellie taught school in Essex county for forty-five years 1887-1932, teaching the longest according to Thomas McCloskey, of all the Essex county teachers in the late 1880s. She taught at schools in Maidstone, Rochester and Windsor:

• In Byrnedale (in Woodslee parish)
• a school on north rear road near McGuire's
• SS. No. 7
• SS. No. 5 & 8

On the first of April 1910, The Essex Free press wrote that "Miss Nellie Moynahan deserves much credit for the careful training of her pupils taking part in the program" a play that packed the town hall to capacity and many could not get in!

1 April 1910, Essex Free Press

Nellie was living at home ("Talbot St. a mile west of the Cross") in 1913 when Jeremiah and Mary celebrated their golden anniversary.

Jeremiah (who died in 1922) and Mary (who died in 1926) sold their Maidstone farm (298 South Talbot Rd) in 1921 and moved with daughter Nellie to 432 Hall Avenue, Windsor. 

Nellie died the 20th of November 1940. Here is her obituary:

One of my goals is to research Nellie's retirement trip to England, Ireland and Italy in 1908 if possible. My father once told me a story that she had lost her purse filled with her money on board the ship.

Source: The Essex Free Press: 28 July 1978 "Seventy Years Ago"

Links

• History of Seperate Schools in Canada
• A Virtual Schoolhouse
• Report of Schools Ontario: 1875-77
• Report of Schools Ontario 1891
• Teacher's Work: School Systems of the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century
• An Historical Understanding of Key Issues Related to Catholic Education 
• Progressive Education March In Windsor - 25 Years: 1892-1910
• Early Struggles for Bilingual Schools and the French Language in the Windsor Border Region, 1851–1910

 

Source: Essex Free Press