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Topic: Introduction / looking for assistance (Read 282 times)
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cbambrick
RootsChat Extra
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Posts: 4
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hello everyone!
I am a Canadian searching my family roots and have hit a couple of
brick walls, most notably with the first in my ancestry to arrive in
Canada.
I am currently trying to track down my g+++ grandmother JANE MARY
NEE?) JOHNSTONE (born in London, 1784). She arrived in Holland
Landing, Ontario then on to Penetanguishene about 1810-12. There is a lot of family rumour about this woman: she was married to one
Thomas Johnstone (born England or Scotland in 1783) about 1805-1810, supposedly at Westminster Abbey or perhaps St. Margaret's chapel. She also appeared to have lived in the Covent Garden area and was supposedly titled and related/descended from the Earls of Darnley (possibly related to the Blighs). Of course, I am having trouble establishing this as I do not have her maiden name. (Tho the name Darnely has been passed down in my family as a middle name through the years). And unfortunately, there are no records for marriages at WA for the period 1775 to 1850. I might be able to find parish records, but I am in Ottawa which is quite a long way from the UK ;-)
I know these 'facts' because they were quoted in the Pioneer Papers of Simcoe County book. She/her husband had the first Inn/ Lodging/Hotel in Penetanguishene, right across from the Military establishment). The inn was called the Masonic Arms as her husband used to hold his masonic meetings there. I would love to substantiate this as well.
Also, she remarried a Robert Wallace as Thomas died young.
I am very curious as to why a woman of the peerage/lesser nobility
would up and take off to the wilds of Canada. How would a silk
merchant (Thomas) end up running a lodging house?
Apparently, her father was so distraught at her departure that he
refused to acknowledge her further and disinherited her (would this
wipe out any record of her?). A silver teapot set that was given to
her from a friend before she left for Canada (we still have it)
would have been worth a substantial sum, so at least some friends
were well off, but was her father really a peer or did he just have
rich friends? Her mother (so family legend says) was a lady in
Waiting to Princess/Queen Caroline. I have tried to find a list of
these ladies and trace them, but for such a wild woman, there seems to be very little about her household.
SO...Is any of this true or are Jane Mary's 'pants on fire'? (honestly, in the wilds Ontario, who is going to check Jane's stories?).
If anyone has any leads on how I can substantiate any of these
claims, I would love to know. Sorry for the rambling - it's hard to
get this all in one short paragraph.
Catherine
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cbambrick
RootsChat Extra
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Posts: 4
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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That would be wonderful!!! I can try to provide you with more precise dates if I can find them. Please feel free to email me offline at Moderator comment: email address removed. Please pass personal information by Personal Message to avoid spamming and other abuses. Thanks
Many MANY thanks!
Catherine
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« Last Edit: Sunday 09 December 07 18:30 GMT (UK) by Arranroots »
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dawnsh
RootsChat Aristocrat
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Posts: 1412
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Hi Catherine
I'm really sorry for the delay in replying but I have no good news after all.
I have tracked down a copy of the Harleian Society transcription for Westminster Abbey. No marriages at all were recorded there between 1775 and 1859.
It's a similar story for St Margarets Westminster, although there were marriages, the indexes for the time period you were asking for (1797-1812) do not contain an entry for Thomas Johnstone, there were entries for the surname variants but still no Thomas.
I have also checked the Boyds and Pallots Marriage Indexes and again found nothing.
So until we can come up with a possible surname for Jane Mary, the trail has gone, temporarily, cold.
Dawn
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.ukSherry-Paddington & Marylebone, Longhurst-Ealing & Capel, Abinger, Ewhurst & Ockley, Chandler-Chelsea |
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cbambrick
RootsChat Extra
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Posts: 4
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Thanks for your help Dawn.
I noticed the gap in the records also. Of course, we only have their 'word' that they were married at WMA and if she was anything like my mother, well "embelishment" would be a good word.
My grandmother died a few weeks ago and we have found some other details. Apparently the name was Johnson (according to the engraving on the teapot - curse that pot!) and her name may have been Mary. Her middle name may have been Jane as that is who the pot gets passed down to, but a second engraving is marked "Mary Johnson, 1813". The first says "T Johnson" - not sure if that is Thomas or her mother, because it also says it was a gift from "Anne(?) Paterson". I wonder if a Johnson married a Johnstone? LOL.
Still searching for records from the Ontario end but also I think I may subscribe to Ancestry because I have all these name variations and date possibilities. Also, now there is question as to whether she was born in 1784 or maybe born a bit later....
Anyway, thanks for everything! I'll keep on it...
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cbambrick
RootsChat Extra
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Posts: 4
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Also, her maiden name MAY have been Mounsey.
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Damn_pot.JPG