Bartholomew BROWN of Ireland Township, Lower Canada

[mrbrown8]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for information on Bartholomew BROWN. Born about 1820 in either Scotland, Ireland, or Northern Ireland, came to Ireland Township, Lower Canada, maybe around 1824, and started farming and a family about 1845.

I have two of his obituaries here:  http://nyx.net/~cbrown/genealogy/family_brown/bartholomew_brown/bartholomew_brown_obituary.txt

His first marriage to Martha THURBER in 1847 is here:  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9JB-7JG3?i=1935&cat=2536425 
His second marriage to Julia (HALL) BARWIS in 1876 is here:    https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9JB-7VZF?i=164&cat=2536428

He received a land grant in 1862 (SW 1/2 of Lot 4 in the 7th Range), but I haven't been able to find the corresponding petition/application for this grant. I have a copy of his grant here:

   http://nyx.net/~cbrown/genealogy/family_brown/bartholomew_brown/bartholomew_brown_land_grant.png

I have checked in http://www.booksbygwen.ca/database/b but I haven't seen additional information I don't already have.

I have tried looking for notary documents in Ancestry.com, but I can only find index entries and not the images of the actual documents/notarial acts. I assume images can be obtained from Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). I can maybe use some help in knowing the process or getting tips and tricks in requesting copies of those images.

I have researched through Paul Vachon's Repertory of Births, Marriages and Burials book.

I cannot find his name in the Lower Canadian censuses of 1825 and 1831. The first census I found him mentioned is the 1861 census.

I don't know if he may have been a member of an Orange Lodge, but I don't know how I would go about finding that out either.

I don't know if he may have been influenced by A. C. Buchanan's "Megantic Experiment" of promoting colonization of Lower Canada:

  https://hssh.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/hssh/article/view/40265/36450

I have most of the information I can find about his 13 children. Links to their baptisms, marraiages, and burials from Anglican churches that I have are here:

   http://nyx.net/~cbrown/genealogy/family_brown/bartholomew_brown/bartholomew_brown_descendants.txt

I have tried to put together a timeline here:

   http://nyx.net/~cbrown/genealogy/family_brown/bartholomew_brown/bartholomew_brown_timeline.txt

I am looking for who Bartholomew's parents were, which British or Irish village or county he was born, or where he was in Quebec before his first marriage in 1847. Many thanks in advance for any hints or advice, and thank you for reading this far.   -Curtis

[polarbear]

Hello and a very warm welcome to RootsChat 

I can't really help with much but have a few comments.

I have read through all your links and the censuses and I would say you could discount a birth in Scotland. I don't recall seeing that mentioned anywhere, unless I missed something?

It is most unfortunate that his marriages were in Protestant churches and thus his parents not given. And that they are also not named on his death record. It is going to be very difficult to find his parents, I think, but I might assume the family came over as part of the Buchanan plan. If I remember correctly, places of origin are mentioned and would be possible places to start looking.

Whether he arrived in Canada in ca. 1824 (obit, I think) or 1831 (1901 census), he would have been just a child so surely must have come with parents and possible siblings. Depending on the ages of parents there may have been more children born after their arrival. Any possibilities in the BMDs you have looked through that could be traced?

You may have figured this out for yourself but you wouldn't find Bartholomew named in the 1825 and 1831 censuses b/c only the head of household was named along with just the number of other family members in said household. The same for the 1842 census.....if Bartholomew was still living at home with parents he would not be named. It is really unfortunate that the 1852 census for Megantic county did not survive. Have you looked for other Browns of a similar age in Ireland Township or nearby in 1861 who may be possible siblings and possibly traceable for any clues? I don't know if there is a traditional Irish naming pattern but might there be any clues in the names if Bartholomew's children that could be expolored?

I know you mentioned that you have looked through booksbygwen but thought I'd post this particular link as it mentions something about the Orange Lodge. And the last sentence also caught my eye in particular.

http://www.booksbygwen.ca/node/4

Well, much of this is really grasping at straws, I'm afraid.....someone else may come along with other ideas.

PB

[mrbrown8]

Hello and a very warm welcome to RootsChat 

Thank you polarbear! I'll try to respond to your questions and comments inline.

I have read through all your links and the censuses and I would say you could discount a birth in Scotland. I don't recall seeing that mentioned anywhere, unless I missed something?

The St. Johnsbury Caledonian section in my link to his obits mentions Scotland.

What has been frustrating for me is that I can't get a consistent place of birth to help focus my research on. I have to together a list of places based on documents here:

     http://nyx.net/~cbrown/genealogy/family_brown/bartholomew_brown/bartholomew_brown_birth_places.txt

The only consistent area I can find is the British Isles.

It is most unfortunate that his marriages were in Protestant churches and thus his parents not given. And that they are also not named on his death record. It is going to be very difficult to find his parents, I think, but I might assume the family came over as part of the Buchanan plan. If I remember correctly, places of origin are mentioned and would be possible places to start looking.

I want to research more about Mr. Buchanan, but I don't know where to look. I have to assume he had to keep records to some extent to report back to his superiors, something along the lines like "Dearest Honorable Sirs, This month, my Office has relocated [random number] families and supplied them with [random number] supplies." Is there a chance there might be a compiled list of families that he helped? This would have been during the British occupation, so I don't know if I should try consulting UK's National Archives or Quebec's BAnQ, or both.

Whether he arrived in Canada in ca. 1824 (obit, I think) or 1831 (1901 census), he would have been just a child so surely must have come with parents and possible siblings. Depending on the ages of parents there may have been more children born after their arrival. Any possibilities in the BMDs you have looked through that could be traced?

That's a valid point. I still have notes from Paul Vachon's Repertory book I can look back through for other Browns.

I don't want to dismiss the possibility that Bartholomew may have traveled with a different family with a different surname or even with aunts/uncles with different surnames.

The fact that parents don't seem to ever get mentioned makes me speculate something dramatic may have happened in his childhood, like an early loss of parents, an adoption, or something.

I know you mentioned that you have looked through booksbygwen but thought I'd post this particular link as it mentions something about the Orange Lodge. And the last sentence also caught my eye in particular.

http://www.booksbygwen.ca/node/4

I have not bought that one yet, and I should, but I did buy this one:

  http://www.booksbygwen.ca/node/3

I'm trying to use some of the references she used in it to further my research.

Well, much of this is really grasping at straws, I'm afraid.....someone else may come along with other ideas.

PB

Thank you polarbear for your feedback. Cheers!

[bbart]

Just in case the book you bought doesn't have this page, it might help searching for possible related Browns in the area. Note that only surnames are alphabetized; forenames are not, so keep scrolling as your fellow is in there:
http://www.booksbygwen.ca/database/b

I would have thought that the "family plot" in Maple Grove would have been where Martha and daughter Luella were buried, but I can only find them, and no other Browns. If you peruse the following links, perhaps there is some contact person that might know of cemetery records, as opposed to church records?
http://geneofun.on.ca/names/photo/1647980
http://www.interment.net/data/canada/qc/megantic/maple_anglican/index.htm
http://quebecheritageweb.com/attraction/megantic-county-heritage-trail

To search surrounding cemeteries: http://www.interment.net/can/qc/megantic.htm

In the 1900 US census, when Bartholomew was living with his son, and also on his death certificate, it states he was born in Canada.  However, the same son probably filled out both forms, and confused the township of Ireland with the country of Ireland?

You definitely have a tough one here.

[mrbrown8]

Thank you bbart for your suggestions...

Just in case the book you bought doesn't have this page, it might help searching for possible related Browns in the area. Note that only surnames are alphabetized; forenames are not, so keep scrolling as your fellow is in there:
http://www.booksbygwen.ca/database/b

I have looked through Gwen's database, there wasn't more than what I have been able to find. The information I have been crudely keeping about the sons and daughters is here:

   http://nyx.net/~cbrown/genealogy/family_brown/bartholomew_brown/bartholomew_brown_descendants.txt

I would have thought that the "family plot" in Maple Grove would have been where Martha and daughter Luella were buried, but I can only find them, and no other Browns. If you peruse the following links, perhaps there is some contact person that might know of cemetery records, as opposed to church records?
http://geneofun.on.ca/names/photo/1647980
http://www.interment.net/data/canada/qc/megantic/maple_anglican/index.htm
http://quebecheritageweb.com/attraction/megantic-county-heritage-trail

To search surrounding cemeteries: http://www.interment.net/can/qc/megantic.htm

I would also think Bartholomew should be buried with Martha. His burial record is here:

    http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/ecivil/pdf/03Q/CE305/03Q_CE305S9/1910/01/03Q_CE305S09_1910_015_P006B.pdf

This record came from the Ireland Anglican Church:

    http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/ecivil/affichage.html?serie=03Q_CE305S9

The fact I haven't really established is, is the Ireland Anglican Church the same as the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Maple Grove? I'm making a leap of faith that it is.

According to Wikipedia, the Maple Grove Heritage Foundation was given a 99 year lease to the Holy Trinity Anglican Church by the Anglican Diocese of Montreal.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Trinity_Anglican_Church_(Maple_Grove,_Quebec)

This is where my ignorance of the Anglican Church hinders me. If the Montreal Diocese gave the lease, would they have archives of this church's records? Or would the records be with the Quebec Diocese's archives? I have tried to reach out to the Quebec Diocese's Archivist only to be told that there is a new archivist in the position and that this person does not yet have knowledge of what kinds of materials there are of Eastern Township churches.

In the 1900 US census, when Bartholomew was living with his son, and also on his death certificate, it states he was born in Canada.  However, the same son probably filled out both forms, and confused the township of Ireland with the country of Ireland?

You definitely have a tough one here.

Thank you for the confirmation. Good thing I picked someone easy to research to start my genealogical education. 

[polarbear]

Hello again....

This link may answer your question about the church. It seems there was originally a small Anglican church in Maple Grove that was replaced by Holy Trinity. The church records in the Drouin Cllection seem to seamlessly go from one church to the other without an apparent name change from what I can tell. I will check again but I think the records are still labelled Maple Grove Anglican when Bartholomew Sr is buried there in 1910.

http://townshipsheritage.com/news/maple-grove-church-restores-its-stained-glass

PB

Edited to add:

I can see where it says Bartholomew is down as b. Canada in the 1910 US census, same as his son who was. It should actually be Canada French for the son b/c Canada English was usually the designation for Ontario. I too think William probably got confused about his father's birthplace.

Also, the Vermont death rcord I have found for Bartholomew says b. Ireland?

And, in case you haven't seen it, the 1901 Canada census has a birth date of 31 Oct 1920 for Bartholomew.