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Research in Other Countries => Canada => Topic started by: snowqueen on Friday 03 October 14 10:57 BST (UK)
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hi
Does anyone know if there are any records, particularly monumental inscriptions, online from the early 1800's for Etobicoke. I am looking for a Peacock family who I think may have emigrated from Yorkshire to Canada and possible settled around the Etobicoke region. Names include Jonathan and Philip.
Thank you
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Hello snowqueen,
You can check out the Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid (OCFA) site and also the find-a-grave site. Hope this helps,
JDC
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Hi,
Thank you for your reply. I'll try those
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You can take a look at this early directory, which does include Etobicoke. The search function was frozen when I tried it myself.
http://static.torontopubliclibrary.ca/da/pdfs/229901.pdf
1851 census shows:
Jonathan PEACOCK, labourer, b.England, 51yrs, CofE
Sarah " 17yrs b. Canada
George " 11yrs
David " 7yrs
John " 14yrs
James " 22yrs
Jonathan " 20 yrs
They are living in a log house in Etobicoke, somewhere on lots 22-40 (not sure what that means), district 2, subdistrict 407
(Library & Archives Canada)
Etobicoke is a large area, now within the City of Toronto and included many smaller villages etc.
There is a Philip PEACOCK who took up residency in Buffalo, New York, not too far away, in 1833 - Alien registration.
In 1878 we find a James PEACOCK on a relatively small piece of land in Etobicoke with what I believe is the Credit River running through it on the western edge of Etobicoke, on Concession 2, at lot 17. I would think there is a decent chance that this is the same family. See map here http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/images/maps/townshipmaps/yor-m-etobicoke.jpg
I believe they were living at what is now the intersection of highways 427 and 401, more or less.
It appears that some of them are buried at Richview and probably some at St. Phillip's. St. Phillip's is an Anglican cemetery but is further away from area of settlement. http://canadianheadstones.com/on/view.php?id=184114
You might be able to find a volunteer here who will look up cemetery transcript for you, so that you can find out if there are any that are not recorded at canadianheadstones.com . Look under "York" for Etobicoke. York is both the name of the county and an earlier name for Toronto. http://http.wightman.ca/~dkaufman/
Here is a list of the existing cemetery transcripts: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/microfilm/cemetery_york.aspx
I think you will find these articles very interesting:
http://www.heritagemississauga.com/page/Richview
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/10/31/resting_in_peace_not_at_this_graveyard.html
http://images.ourontario.ca/Partners/MPL/MPL002493967pf_0744.pdf (Death anniversary)
You might consider contacting the editor of the Etobicoke Guardian newspaper, pictured here:
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/4326513-richview-student-alexander-simmons-nominated-for-ontario-junior-citizen-of-the-year/
She has a very interesting name, and local history stories are always popular, especially as this was an original family in the area and you can add the Yorkshire connection.
See http://www.sources.com/MNN/Subscribers2/Me9329.htm
Similarly there might be some interest from the Etobicoke Historical Assoc http://www.etobicokehistorical.com/
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Here is a link to " History of Toronto and County of York ...." It mentions James Peacock born on Lot 17 Etobicoke in 1830 , second son of the family of Jonathan Peacock , one of the first settlers and a native of Helmsley , England. ( Select " Ctrl f " to open find and type Peacock in the box to find 8 references to the surname )
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01e7m/
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Well done, CB53!
Here is a marriage for the granddaughter of Jonathan the immigrant:
"Edward Heath STONEHOUSE, 25, Chatham Ont, Etobicoke,
b, farmer, s/o James STONEHOUSE & Julia HEATH, married Frances Jean
PEACOCK, 23, Etobicoke, same, s, d/o James PEACOCK & Mary DAWSON, witn:
Robt S.G. STONEHOUSE of Toronto, Ida PEACOCK of Richview, married 1 January
1896, Richview by Rev. Jas. H. STONEHOUSE." http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/CAN-ONT-YORK/2002-10/1033695776
Ida is probably a sister to Frances Jean.
Richview is an area in Etobicoke. This will make it easier to find them geographically.
Here is a photo of headstone for STONEHOUSE family, into which Frances Jean PEACOCK married. Beneath it there is info for Frances and husband - they must be on the reverse side of the headstone, which is not pictured here. http://www.canadianheadstones.com/on/view.php?id=27866 It could be that the whole family is in Richview cemetery.
It seems extremely likely that they are all buried at Richview Memorial cemetery. It is quite close to where they lived.
http://www.torontoplaques.com/Pages_PQR/Richview_Cemetery.html
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Thank you very much to everyone for their replies. I will have a look through all the information some of which relates to other families eg Stonehouse who are from the same area of Yorkshire. I have found a good candidate for the Philip Peacock I was looking for living in the US so will chase him up
Kind regards
Lyn
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It was very common, in the early days of pioneer life, for people to settle close to other families that they knew from back home- no doubt many were already intermarried in generations past.
Good luck!
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Hi Loo,
We're finding that. The problem we have is that we have the back history in Yorkshire but as they left so early for Canada - early 1800's, it's very difficult to find them once they got there. Hopefully one day the early passenger lists, burial records etc will become available.
Kind regards
Lyn
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It's very unlikely you will find him on a passenger record if you haven't already. There are none for any of my family, and there were 8 different surnames involved, between about 1830 and 1850.
There may or may not be a burial record or headstone, and it may or may not be informative. Sometimes the early "headstones" were just wooden markers, and they long ago disintegrated.
I would just start with what you have. I feel confident that the 1851 census is your family. The name is not common, and Etobicoke was not that big place in terms of population, as it was all farmland back then.
I presume you are in Britain, which makes some of the searches difficult. There will be land records at Ontario Archives, for instance, and local history books at the library.
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I have a lot to add to this old forum post. I am a direct descendant of Johnathan Peacock of Helmsley England. I have all of the Canadian heritage and family connections within Richview and Etobicoke. If "snowqueen" is still active in this forum, I'll be happy to provide some dates and connections.
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Hi,
I would be interested in information on the Peacocks, thank you.
Kind regards
Lyn
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Johnathan Peacock was 6 generations back from me, all on my maternal side.
What I know about him: Native of Helmsley, England (b. abt 1801). One of the first settlers in Etobicoke, York County, Ontario. Settled at Richview Corner. When he settled, there were no roads or other signs of civilization. Church services were conducted in rotating farm houses led by Mr. Robert Walker of Toronto who traveled about by foot. The homestead was demolished in 1968.
He married Catherine Grey (b. abt 1802, York County, Ontario)
We believe there were 4 children, 2 sons. She is not present on the 1851 Canada Census.
Their son James Peacock is my next in line ancestor.
We do not have a date of death or know of the burial site for Johnathan or Catherine.
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James Peacock (abt 1830-5 Dec 1907)
He married Mary Dawson (b. 16 Sep 1832 Grove, Berkshire[though now this is in Oxfordshire], England; d. 25 Feb 1903 York, Ontario). The Dawson's were also local farming settlers in the Richview area.
We believe they had 9 children but only 7 survived to adulthood. Children were Matthew, James "Jim" Peacock, William, Mary "Minnie" Elizabeth, Catherine "Katie" Ann, Francis "Fanny" Jane, Joseph and Ida Margaret.
Of the children I know that Fanny married Edward Heath Stonehouse (from another of the original Richview settlers. Matthew Peacock married a Mary Bailey and they had at least one son Francis James Peacock.
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Catherine "Katie" Ann Peacock (b. 29 Nov 1866, d. 7 Jan 1900) married (17 Jun 1891) Francis "Frank" James Canning (another of the original prominent Richview settlers). Frank's father was Matthew Canning who was on the Etobicoke Council for about 30 years as councillor and later as the Reeve. My Great-Great-Grandma Katie (Peacock) Canning had 5 children with Frank - Ida May, Eva Gertrude, Gladys Mary, Pearl Lillian, and F. Harold James. Sadly, Katie died about one year after baby Harold was born. Death was listed as tuberculosis. She was only 33. Frank was not in a position to care for the children himself. The children lived with surrounding extended family - Ida May lived with her Uncle Ed and Aunt Fanny Stonehouse. Pearl, Eva and Gladys lived with her Uncle Jim(Katie's brother) Peacock and Aunt Ida - this would have been the original Peacock Homestead at Richview Corner. Baby Harold went to live with his Uncle Matt Peacock (Grandson of Johnathan).
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Ida May Canning was my Great-grandmother. She married Arthur Rounding Death. They farmed the Richview area until retirement in the 1950's when they moved to Milton, Ontario. Ida and Arthur had 2 children Muriel Catharine (likely named after Katie) Death and Arthur William Harold Death. Muriel was my grandmother and one of her daughters, Grace Ellen May, is my mother.
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There are a lot of Peacock lines not directly related to me descended from Johnathan. I have not followed up on them. There are several interfamily marriages with Cannings, Deaths, and Stonehouses because of the close community. They were all part of the Richview Methodist Church (listed as "Primitive" Methodist). This was the local community center for the various families. Church life, family connections and socials have been the backbone of our families until this day.
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Whether it was peculiar to this particular community or a heritage from England, I find it interesting the number of nicknames used. Also, as was likely common, the repeating of antecedent names in the children and grandchildren. You may find some interesting connections with these Peacock descendants with some of the ancestors of Johnathan from England.
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I have no information beyond Johnathan's birthplace so if you are able to share any of the English history, I'd love to hear it.
best regards,
Steven Pipe (Norman-Death-Canning-Peacock)
Presently in Michigan, USA
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Hi Steven,
I've sent you a message
Lyn