52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Ancestor # 22

Reuben Elijah Van Camp (1826-1888)

Reuben Elijah Van Camp was born on 7 May 1826 in Van Camp Mills, a small settlement in Mountain Township, Dundas Ontario, Canada and died in St. Thomas, Pembina, North Dakota on 17 April 1888. He is buried in the St. Thomas City Cemetery with his wife Charity. He is the son of Elijah and Catherine (Brouse) Van Camp. He married (1) Nancy Mill in Mountain on 24 Aug 1845. She was born 6 Mar 1827 in Mountain and died there 1 Sep 1853. This was one month after the birth of her fourth child so it is likely that she died of complications of this pregnancy probably a bacterial infection. He married (2) Charity Winegard in 1854 in Mountain. She was born in Sharon, Schoharie, New York in March 1833 and died in St. Thomas in 1909.

Reuben was a farmer like his father and his grandfather before him. In the 1851 census he appears with his wife Nancy and 3 children¹. In the agricultural schedule that same year², he is listed in Concession 3, lot 8 in Mountain Township with 20 acres of land. Of these 20 acres, 14 are woodland and 6 are pasture. From the woodlands, Reuben recovered 35 pounds of maple sugar. His property must have looked gorgeous in the fall. He produced hay from his pasture land and raised sheep. We know he had sheep because he reported producing 24 pounds of wool, 13 yards of fulled cloth and 3 yards of flannel.

One of the benefits of genealogy is that it allows you to explore topics you otherwise would never consider. Since I am a child of the 20^th century, I have no idea what fulled cloth is. I also wonder what the definition of flannel was in 1850. According to Wikipedia, fulling is a process used in the processing of wool cloth. It is also known as walking or tucking probably because it was originally done with human feet. Since medieval times this process has been done with water power which drove hammers against the wool in what was known as a fulling mill. The purpose of fulling is to get the oils and dirt out and to make the cloth fuller which increases its waterproof qualities. Fulling is an ancient process. The earliest known references to fulling date to Greece in the 5^th century B.C³.

Flannel⁴ is a more advanced process in preparing wool cloth for use in making fabrics. It is made from carded wool. Carded wool cloth⁵ is combed to get out the snarls and tangles and to make a soft cloth. Flannel was made from this carded wool and produced a very soft cloth that was used for bedding and nightgowns. Flannel cloth is believed to have originated in Wales in the late 17^th century.

Reuben is still in Mountain in the 1861 census⁶ but now he is married to Charity and he has 7 children. In 1871 the family has moved westward into Oxford, Grenville County⁷ and in 1881 into Montague, Lanark County⁸. He continues to be listed as a farmer. In 1882 he moved his family again and followed his kinsmen and neighbors to Pembina County, North Dakota⁹.

DNA: I have one match to a descendant of Alva and Mary (Darling) Van Camp. I have other DNA matches to Van Camps but our common ancestor is further back. I will note these matches when I do the appropriate ancestor sketch.

Children of Reuben Elijah and Nancy (Mill) Van Camp, all born in Mountain:

i. Jane Elizabeth⁹ Van Camp. b. 17 Mar 1846. Nothing further is known about her.

ii. George Edward Van Camp. b. 26 May 1848, d. 21 Nov 1937 in St. Thomas, m. 5 Jan 1871 in Mountain, Sarah Seymour, b 5 May 1847 in Canada and d. 4 Apr 1916 in St. Thomas.

iii. Phoebe Eliza Van Camp. b. 26 Jan 1851, d. 7 Jan 1916 in Merrickville, Grenville, Ontario, m. 20 Nov 1877 Sterling Francis Van Camp, b. 5 Jun 1854 in Mountain, d. 18 Mar 1938 in Merrickville.

iv. Nancy Harriet Van Camp. b. 1 Aug 1853, d. 19 Sep 1894 in Luther, Boone, Iowa, m. abt. 1883 in St. Lawrence County, New York, Nathan Burlingame, b. 1859 in New York, d. 1934 in Iowa.

Children of Reuben Elijah and Charity (Winegard) Van Camp:

v. Catherine Maria Van Camp. b. 24 Sep 1856, d. 8 Jun 1929 in Spokane, Spokane, Washington, m. 16 Jan 1877 in Merrickville, Abraham Wynne, b. 16 Oct 1849 in Montague, Lanark, Ontario, d., 1 Oct 1928 in St. Thomas.

vi. Jennet Elliott Van Camp. b. 6 Dec 1857, d. 1936 in St. Thomas, m. 20 Nov 1877 in Montague, William Francis Perrin, b. 8 Nov 1855 in Mountain, d. 26 Apr 1926 in St. Thomas.

vii. Frederick Van Camp. b. 31 Mar 1860, d. 13 Apr 1932 in St. Thomas, m. 18 Jan 1899 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Elizabeth Catherine Milligan, b. Jul 1866 in Canada, d. 1934 in St. Thomas.

viii Alva Van Camp, b. 11 Mar 1862, d. 1905 in St. Thomas, m. Mary Graham Darling in North Dakota, b. 12 May 1858 in Burgoyne, Bruce, Ontario, d. 31 Mar 1937 in Stockton, San Joaqin, California

ix Ira Van Camp, b. 22 Feb 1865, d. 26 Oct 1932 in St. Thomas. Ira served as a Sgt. In the Quarter Master Corp during the Spanish-American War.

Note: Other trees have 2 additional daughters listed for Reuben and Charity – Sarah and Zelma. I have never found any concrete evidence for these children so I have not included them in my family tree. Sarah appears in a transcription of Methodist baptisms with a birth date of 11 Mar 1862. This is Alva’s birthday. There is no mention of a baptism for Alva in these records. If he had been a twin, he should have been baptized at the same time as his sister. I personally think that Sarah was the transcriber’s best guess for the name of the infant being baptized and was really Alva.

Footnotes:

1 1851 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Dundas County, Canada West, population Schedule (A), Mountain, district 5, sub-district 36, page 35, line 15, Reuben Van Camp; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 Dec 2015), citing Library and Archives Canada, roll C_11717.

2 1851 census of Canada, population schedule (B), page 114, line 9, Reuben Van Camp.

3 “Fulling”, Wikipedia.com, (https://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/fulling : accessed 18 May 2018)

4 “Flannel”, Wikipedia.com.

5 “Carding”, Wikipedia.com.

6 1861 census of census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Dundas County, Ontario, Mountain, page 35, Reuben Van Camp; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 Dec 2015), citing Library and Archives Canada, roll C-1014.

7 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 7, sub-district E, page 3, family 11, Reuben Van Camp; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 Dec 2016), citing Library and Archives Canada, roll C-10005.

8 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, district 111, sub-district F, page 17, family 81, Reuben Van Camp; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 Dec 2016), citing Library and Archives Canada, roll C_13233.

9 Methodism in Drayton, North Dakota, 1878-1978, (Drayton, ND, 1978). p. 227.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Ancestor # 21

Catherine Shannon (1815-1891)

Catherine Shannon was born in Ireland about 1815 and died in Montague, Lanark, Ontario, Canada on 17 Dec 1891. According to some online trees, her parents were John and Elizabeth (?) Shannon. She married Edward Wynne in Beckwith, Lanark, Ontario, Canada on 2 Apr 1838ⁱ. He was born about 1812 in County Kilkenny, Ireland and died in Montague on 9 Jan 1890. He was the son of William and Mary (Benn) Wynne.

By September 1845 the family was settled on lot 5 in the second concession of Montague Township in Lanark County. Here they remained for the rest of their lives raising a family of 14 children and farming. This family was not enumerated in the 1851 census in Montague; returns for part 1 and 2 are missing. The family was enumerated in 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891ⁱⁱ.

I have inherited my great grandfather Wynne’s Bible. The inscription in the front reads, “Mr. Abraham Wynne’s Bible. Presented to him by his affectionate mother, March 17, 1876, Montague.” I am not sure but I believe this was written by Catherine. When I first got the Bible, I did not even know the name of this “affectionate mother”. I now know her name but still do not know much about her family. But DNA has produced some tantalizing leads.

My first step when I got the hint that Catherine’s parents were John and Elizabeth Shannon was to see what Shannons lived in the Lanark area in 1851. There were no Shannons recorded in Lanark County in the 1851 census. This is not surprising since several portions of this census are missing. I did find a John Shannon, 78, born in Ireland in the 1861 censusⁱⁱⁱ. He was living with Elizabeth, 79 and born in Ireland and John Shannon, 34 and born in Ireland. They are living on lot 26 in the 12 Concession in Drummond Township according to the agricultural schedule. An entry in the land record index says a John Shannon purchased the SW ½ of lot 26 from the crown on 5 Jun 1852^iv. On 3 Mar 1863 John Shannon transferred his interest in this land^v to his son, Alexander Shannon, with the stipulation that Alexander would allow his parents to live on the farm freely for their natural life and would keep his father in tobacco.

Alexander Shannon married Jane Conboy on 22 Sep 1862 in Beckwith, Lanark, Ontario^vi. His parents are listed as John and Elizabeth Shannon and his residence as Drummond. In the 1861 census of Canada he was living either next door to or with George and Jane Dowdall^vii. Jane Dowdall’s tombstone in St. John’s Anglican Cemetery in Innisville, Lanark, Ontario gives her maiden name as Shannon. Jane named her eldest daughter Elizabeth and her eldest son John. She also named a son Alexander, perhaps after her brother.

Another possible child for John and Elizabeth Shannon surfaced in my DNA results. On Ancestry I have 2 matches who have an Elizabeth Shannon married to John Dowdall in their trees; I match descendants of 2 different children. Elizabeth also was born in Ireland and died in Beckwith. Her husband, John Dowdall, is a brother of George Dowdall. Her marriage record^viii states she is a resident of Drummond and one of the witnesses was John Shannon. She named one of her daughters Catherine, perhaps after her sister.

I have assembled a possible family for Catherine Shannon as follows:

John (b. ca. 1783) and Elizabeth (b. ca. 1782) Shannon

Catherine, born about 1816

Elizabeth, born about 1818

Jane, born 1823

John, born about 1826

Alexander born about 1827

Children of Edward and Catherine (Shannon) Wynne, all born in Ontario, Canada probably in or near Montague:

1. Mary Jane³.Wynne, b. abt. 1838. Nothing else is known about her.
2. Elizabeth Wynne, b. 11 Jun 1839 in Merrickville, Grenville, Ontario, d. 31 Jul 1929 in Toronto, Ontario. She never married and was a housekeeper.
3. Wesley Wynne, b. abt. 1843. Nothing else is known about him.
4. Margaret Evaline Wynne, born 17 Feb 1845 and d. 10 Jun 1922 in North Bay, Nipissing, Ontario, m. John Atkin Thorpe on 5 Oct 1871 in Montague. He was born 11 Jun 1843, County Wexford, Ireland and d. 10 Jul 1912 in North Bay.
5. Sarah Wynne, born 2 Sep 1847, d. after 1920, m. Charles Thorpe 16 Sep 1876 in Carelton County, Ontario. Charles was born 16 Oct 1846 in Ireland and d. after 1920.
6. Abraham Wynne, born 16 Oct 1849 and d. 1 Oct 1928 in St. Thomas, Pembina, North Dakota, m. 16 Jan 1877 in Merrickville, Catherine Maria Van Camp, b. 24 Sep 1856 in Mountain, Dundas, Ontario and d. 8 Jun 1929 in Spokane, Spokane, Washington.
7. Edward Wynne, b. abt. 1851. Nothing else is known about him.
8. Catherine Wynne, b. abt 1852 and d. unk. She married on 31 Dec 1873 in Bruce County, Ontario, Lachlan Boyd, b. abt. 1847 in Ontario.
9. Jane Wynne, b. 27 Feb 1852 and d. 7 Feb 1925 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She married William Wilson, b. 1 Mar 1853 in Aberdeen, Scotland and d. 30 Sep 1926 in North Vancouver.
10. William Nathan Wynne, b. 13 Apr 1853 and d. 3 Jul 1918 in Breckinridge, Wilkin, Minnesota. He married on 9 Jan 1878 in Walkerton, Bruce, Ontario Janet McDougall, b. 16 Dec 1858 in Harriston, Wellington, Ontario and d. 14 Apr 1916 in Grafton, Walsh, North Dakota.
11. Hezekiah Howard Wynne, b. 29 Sep 1854. Nothing else is known about him.
12. Albert H. Wynne, b. 20 Apr 1857, d. 2 Mar 1914 in Carleton Place, Lanark, Ontario. He married 14 Feb 1899 in Carelton Place, Mary Ellen Dowdall, b. 17 Sep 1864 in Lanark County and d. 2 Dec 1949.
13. Alice Helena Wynne, b. 11 Mar 1862 and d. abt 1940, m. 28 Dec 1898 William Henry Dowdall, b. 12 Jul 1859 in Lanark County and d. 1947.
14. Frederick Wynne, b. 26 May 1865. Nothing else is known about him.

i “Ontario District Marriage Registers, 1801-1858”, database with images, FamilySearch.org, (http://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2C1-2LH1 : 17 March 2018), Edwd Winn and Catherine Shannon, 2 Apr 1838; citing Bathurst, Lanark, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto: FHL microfilm 1,030,051.

ii 1861 Census of Canada, Lanark County, Canada West, population Schedule, Montague, District 9, page 13, line 23, Edward Wynne; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 1 Jan 2016), citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm, roll C-1042-1043.

1871 Census of Canada, Lanark South, Ontario, population schedule, Montague, District 79, Sub-district a, Division 1, page 94, family 314, Edward Wynn; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 1 Jan 2016), citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm, roll C-10017.

1881 Census of Canada, Lanark South, Ontario, population schedule, Montague, District 111, Sub-district J, Division 1, page 21, family 101, Edward Wynne: digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 1 Jan 2016), citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm, roll C_13233.

        1891 Census of Canada, Lanark, Ontario, population schedule, Montague, District 84, Sub-district G, page 21, family 95, Catherine Wynne; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 26 Dec 2016), citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm, roll T-6349.

iii 1861 Census of Canada, Drummond, p. 36, John Shannon, Jr.

iv “Ontario Archives land record Index (ca. 1780-ca. 1920)”, Family History Library, microfiche, accessed 12 Jun 2017: entry for John Shannon, film #6330467; citing Archives of Ontario records.

v “Lanark, Ontario, Deed Books, 1800-1959”, digital images, FamilySearch.org (http://www.familysearch.org: accessed 13 May 2018), Transfer John Shannon to Alexander Shannon, book 2D, memorial 269, FHL film #200720.

vi “Ontario, Canada Marriages”, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 Jul 2017); marriage of Alexander Shannon and Jane Conboy, citing Archives of Ontario, Series MS248, Reel 9.

vii 1861 Census of Canada, Beckwith, Alexander Shannon, p. 44.

viii “Ontario, Canada Marriages”, John Dowdall and Elizabeth Shannon, reel 1.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Ancestor # 20

Edward Wynne (1812-1890)

Edward Wynne was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland probably near or at Castlecomer about 1812 and died in Montague, Lanark, Ontario, Canada on 9 Jan 1890. According to family stories, he was the son of William and Mary (Benn) Wynne, although I have no proof for this. He married Catherine Shannon in Beckwith, Lanark, Ontario, Canada on 2 Apr 1838¹. She was born about 1815 in Ireland and died in Montague on 17 Dec 1891. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (?) Shannon.

Edward’s actual birth date is not known. In the 1861 census² his age was given as 47 (birth year 1814), in 1871³ as 60 (birth year 1811) and 1881⁴ as 68 (birth year 1813). His tombstone⁵ gives his age at death as 78 making 1812 his birth year. So I have chosen to use 1812 as a good estimate.

The story in the Wynne family says William and Mary Wynne and their children left Ireland in 1818 sailing out of Sligo on the ship Ashionic and settled in Lanark County. Following the Napoleonic War and the Battle of Waterloo, prices for grain and other agricultural products dropped drastically; there were no great armies to feed any more. Land owners were losing money and many of them switched to raising livestock, notably sheep, instead of grain. They cancelled leases forcing many to leave the land and consider other means of supporting their families. This happened throughout the British Isles not just in Ireland⁶.

When the Wynne family arrived in Lanark County, they were on the frontier. Smiths Falls is on the Rideau River and was settled shortly after the American Revolution by Loyalists. Montague Township was surveyed in 1797⁷ and the surveyor took a census of the inhabitants. At that time 8 men were enumerated.

The early life of this family remains a mystery. The first record that Edward created was his marriage in 1838. On 20 Sep 1845 he recorded a land grant from the British crown in Montague Township, specifically 100 acres in lot 5 of the second concession⁸. Edward paid £60 for this land. It is likely that he had settled here and been farming it for several years before applying for his grant. He would remain on this land for the rest of his life.

This family was not enumerated in the 1851 census in Montague; returns for part 1 and 2 are missing. The family was enumerated in 1861:

Edward, born Ire., Church of England, 47, farmer, married

Catherine, born Ire., 45, married

Mary, born Can., 22; Elizabeth, 20; Wesley, 18, laborer; Jane, 17; Margaret, 16; Sarah, 14, in school; Abraham, 11, in school; Edward, 10, in school; Catherine, 9, in school; William N., 8, in school; Hezekiah, 6, in school; Albert, 4

Edward and his family were enumerated in 1871 and 1881 in the same location. Two more children were born in the 1860s for a total of 14 children.

DNA Matches

I have a few matches. Hopefully more will be forthcoming. They are:

2 second cousins

2 4^th cousins who descend from Edward’s siblings, 1 through Ann Wynne who married William James and 1 through John Wynne who married Isabella Poole

1 4^th cousin who has a hidden tree and did not respond to my inquiry. However, she matches these 2 4^th cousins as well so it is likely she descends from this line.

Children of Edward and Catherine (Shannon) Wynne, all born in Ontario, Canada probably in or near Montague:

1. Mary Jane.Wynne, b. abt. 1838. Nothing else is known about her.
2. Elizabeth Wynne, b. 11 Jun 1839 in Merrickville, Grenville, Ontario, d. 31 Jul 1929 in Toronto, Ontario. She never married and was a housekeeper.
3. Wesley Wynne, b. abt. 1843. Nothing else is known about him.
4. Margaret Evaline Wynne, born 17 Feb 1845 and d. 10 Jun 1922 in North Bay, Nipissing, Ontario, m. John Atkin Thorpe on 5 Oct 1871 in Montague. He was born 11 Jun 1843, County Wexford, Ireland and d. 10 Jul 1912 in North Bay.
5. Sarah Wynne, born 2 Sep 1847, d. after 1920, m. Charles Thorpe 16 Sep 1876 in Carelton County, Ontario. Charles was born 16 Oct 1846 in Ireland and d. after 1920.
6. Abraham Wynne, born 16 Oct 1849 and d. 1 Oct 1928 in St. Thomas, Pembina, North Dakota, m. 16 Jan 1877 in Merrickville, Catherine Maria Van Camp, b. 24 Sep 1856 in Mountain, Dundas, Ontario and d. 8 Jun 1929 in Spokane, Spokane, Washington.
7. Edward Wynne, b. abt. 1851. Nothing else is known about him.
8. Catherine Wynne, b. abt 1852 and d. unk. She married on 31 Dec 1873 in Bruce County, Ontario, Lachlan Boyd, b. abt. 1847 in Ontario.
9. Jane Wynne, b. 27 Feb 1852 and d. 7 Feb 1925 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She married William Wilson, b. 1 Mar 1853 in Aberdeen, Scotland and d. 30 Sep 1926 in North Vancouver.
10. William Nathan Wynne, b. 13 Apr 1853 and d. 3 Jul 1918 in Breckinridge, Wilkin, Minnesota. He married on 9 Jan 1878 in Walkerton, Bruce, Ontario Janet McDougall, b. 16 Dec 1858 in Harriston, Wellington, Ontario and d. 14 Apr 1916 in Grafton, Walsh, North Dakota.
11. Hezekiah Howard Wynne, b. 29 Sep 1854. Nothing else is known about him.
12. Albert H. Wynne, b. 20 Apr 1857, d. 2 Mar 1914 in Carleton Place, Lanark, Ontario. He married 14 Feb 1899 in Carelton Place, Mary Ellen Dowdall, b. 17 Sep 1864 in Lanark County and d. 2 Dec 1949.
13. Alice Helena Wynne, b. 11 Mar 1862 and d. abt 1940, m. 28 Dec 1898 William Henry Dowdall, b. 12 Jul 1859 in Lanark County and d. 1947.
14. Frederick Wynne, b. 26 May 1865. Nothing else is known about him.

1 “Ontario District Marriage Registers, 1801-1858”, database with images, FamilySearch.org, (http://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2C1-2LH1 : 17 March 2018), Edwd Winn and Catherine Shannon, 2 Apr 1838; citing Bathurst, Lanark, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto: FHL microfilm 1,030,051.

2 1861 Census of Canada, Lanark County, Canada West, population Schedule, Montague, District 9, page 13, line 23, Edward Wynne; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 1 Jan 2016), citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm, roll C-1042-1043.

3 1871 Census of Canada, Lanark South, Ontario, population schedule, Montague, District 79, Sub-district a, Division 1, page 94, family 314, Edward Wynn; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 1 Jan 2016), citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm, roll C-10017.

4 1881 Census of Canada, Lanark South, Ontario, population schedule, Montague, District 111, Sub-district J, Division 1, page 21, family 101, Edward Wynne: digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 1 Jan 2016), citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm, roll C_13233.

5 Find a Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 6 May 2018), Find a Grave Memorial No. 101333437, citing Union Cemetery, Merrickville, Leeds and Grenville, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by Patricia Casjens (contributor 46532323).

6 McGill, Jean S., A Pioneer History of the County of Lanark (T, H, Best Printing Co. Ltd, 1968), p. 4-5.

7 McGill, p. 1.

8 Land Records of Lanark County, 1802-1921, Montague Township (v. 2E), 1875-1878; FHL microfilm 200,710; Memorial No. 1128, Crown to Edward Wynne.