Patrick Sarsfield Manley (1895-1952)

Patrick Sarsfield Manley was born on Oct 4, 1895 in Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec to Edward Manley and Maggie Boylan. He was baptized in St Ignace RC Church in Coteau-du-Lac a short time later. The family lived for a few years in the Montreal area and then returned to Thorold, Ontario where Patrick grew up.

After high school Patrick attended Niagara University and was an accomplished baseball player. He graduated in 1917 and then enlisted in World War I attending Camp Rathbun for flight training and then departing for his base at Port Meadow, Oxford, England. He was posted to France in July of 1918 and went on to score 5 victories before being shot down and captured by the Germans. He was repatriated at the end of the war.

In the early 1920's he relocated to Montreal and attended McGill University, taught high school classes and worked in the advertising department of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. On Dec 10, 1925 he married Leonarda Gallagher in St Michaels RC Church in Montreal. In 1933 the family relocated to Cleveland, Ohio the hometown of Leonarda where Patrick remained until his death. He died on Oct 31, 1952 and is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Cleveland.

Parents of Patrick S Manley:
Edward Manley (1861-1928)
Margaret Boylan (1862-1928)

Children of Patrick S Manley:
Edward Arthur (1926-?)
Edith Margaret (1928-1958)
John Vincent (1930-1988)
Narda Patricia (1931-2007)
Alicia Ann (1932-2006)
Patrick Arthur (1934-2011)

View Patrick's Bio at the Aerodrome.com

Cicely Helena Manley (1893-1962)

Cicely Helena Manley was born in Morrisburg, Ontario in Aug 1893 to Edward Manley and Maggie Boylan. After a few years in the Montreal area, the family returned to Thorold, Ontario where Cicely grew up. Her birth and baptism certificates have not been located but she received her first communion on Jun 22, 1905 and was confirmed on May 12, 1907 at Holy Rosary RC Church in Thorold. For her secondary education she attended the St Catharines Collegiate Institute.

At some point she returned to Montreal and entered the nursing program at Montreal General Hospital. She practiced this profession for a time and then decided to attend Law School at McGill University, graduating with the class of 1936. She was one of very few woman in law school at that time. Quebec law did not allow women to be called to the bar until 1941 and then they had to have a BA as well as their law degree. Cicely did not have this so she appealed that rule successfully and was called to the bar in 1949. She went on to practice law as well as teach at Marianopolis College. In 1951 she earned the distinction of being the first female lawyer from the province of Quebec to plead in the Supreme Court of Canada.

On Feb 12, 1938 she married one of her fellow law students, Robert Gerard Sampson in Newport, VA. This marriage ended in divorce in 1949.

Cicely died on May 27, 1962 in a Montreal hospital. Her funeral service was held at the Ascension of Our Lord RC church in Westmount, Quebec and she is buried in Abercorn Cemetery, Brome Co, Quebec.

Parents of Cicely H. Manley:
Edward J. Manley (1854-1933)
Margaret Boylan (1857-1894)

Mary Catherine Manley (1891-Bef 1962)

Mary Catherine Manley, daughter of Edward Manley and Maggie Boylan was born in Quebec, Canada on Sep 28, 1891. She was baptized Oct 4, 1891 at St Clement RC Church in Beauharnois-Salaberry, Quebec. After her birth the family returned to Thorold, Ontario where she was confirmed at Holy Rosary RC Church on May 28, 1905.

As of 1928 she was still living at the family home at 16 Sullivan Ave. Her parents both passed away in 1928 and it appears that at some point she left Thorold and moved to Montreal, Quebec where she became a nurse.

In a 1940 Voter list she was listed as being a nurse at Douglas Mental Health University Institute at 6875 LaSalle Blvd in Montreal. Again in 1949 she was listed as a nurse at 1963 Bayle St. In 1952 she was mentioned in her brother Patrick's obituary as living in Canada and in 1962 she was mentioned in her sister Cicily's obituary as deceased.

Details of Mary Catherine's adult life have been elusive. Would still like to find where she had her education, when and where she died and where she was buried. Also a photograph would make my day!

 

Parents of Mary Catherine Manley:
Edward J. Manley (1854-1933)
Margaret Boylan (1857-1894)

Margaret Anne Manley (1888-1888/89)

Margaret Anne Manley was the first child of Edward Manley and Maggie Boylan. She was born Nov 24, 1888 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada and baptized on Dec 2, 1888 in St. Patrick's RC Church. Unfortunately she did not survive infancy and her date of death and burial place are unknown.

Parents of Margaret Anne Manley:
Edward J. Manley (1854-1933)
Margaret Boylan (1857-1894)

Margaret Frances Manley (1881-1882)

Margaret Frances Manley was the second child of Hugh Manley and Ettie Potter. She was born in Chicago, IL on Jun 4, 1881 and died on Sep 7, 1882. She is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, IL with her parents and brother Edward.

Parents of Margaret Frances Manley:
Hugh Manley (1856-1925)
Henrietta Potter (1859-1894)

Edward A. Manley (1879-1880)

Edward A. Manley was the first child of Hugh Manley and Ettie Potter. Born in Thorold, Welland Co, Ontario, Canada on the Jun 24, 1879 and baptized on Jul 16, 1879 at Holy Rosary RC Church. His Godparents were his Uncle Frank Manley and his Aunt Eliza Potter. Early in 1880 the family relocated to Chicago, IL and in the spring of that year, young Edward passed away before reaching his first birthday.

He died on Apr 19, 1880 and is buried with his parents at Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, IL.

Parents of Edward A. Manley:
Hugh Manley (1856-1925)
Henrietta Potter (1859-1894)

Ancestor Approved Award

Many thanks to Jennifer from 'On a flesh and bone foundation': An Irish History and Kim at Footsteps of the Past for sending the Ancestor Approved Award to me this week. I received this award last year when it was going around and am tickled to see it again this year. You can read about the 10 things that surprised, humbled and enlightened me about my ancestors in this post from April 2010.

Thank You Ladies!

Blog Caroling ~ Christmas Canon Rock

This is my submission for the annual Tradition of Blog Caroling hosted by my genea-friend footnoteMaven! Nothing puts me in the Christmas spirit more than non stop Christmas carols and when traditional meets rock, the result is spectacular ;) This is one of my favorites...

Trans-Siberian Orchestra ~ Christmas Canon Rock

Ken and the Fortune Teller

''There's one in every family''... In this case the ''one'' is an impulsive romantic, Kenneth Vine who was my 1st cousin 3x removed. It seems that Kenneth made headlines back in 1894 when as a young man of 21, he fell for a travelling clairvoyant/fortune teller named Madame Dunn. He made some impulsive decisions and when the family found out what he had done, the fireworks began. I can only imagine the turmoil and scandal that ensued... The following news items, chronicling the romance of Kenneth Vine and the Fortune Teller were published in the St. Catharines Standard in February, 1894.

(c) Carnivalia, 2004

'Ken and the Fortune Teller' ~ Feb 14, 1894

Rumors were rife this morning regarding Kenneth Vine, clerk in the express office of Ald. J.W. Grote. For some three weeks back, a Madame Dunn, claiming to be ''one of the greatest trance mediums in the world,'' has been in the city, and has made good money telling credulous women their fortunes and fooling many would be sports and men-about-town out of their cash, and having a good time at their expense. She put up first at the Grand Central, and there entertained the boys until Mr. Wardrobe thought it time for her to seek fresh quarters. Kenneth Vine went driving with her one afternoon, and since then it is alleged that he has been quite friendly to the medium, who is said to be a remarkably handsome woman with lots of go in her. After quitting the Grand Central she took up quarters in the Murray House, and her business continued to thrive, until last Saturday she left town, ostensibly for Niagara Falls. On Tuesday Mr. Vine went away and did not return to the office this morning at the usual hour. Almost the first thing heard on the streets was ''Ken Vine has married the fortune teller'' and it was said that an employee of the Murray House had witnessed the marriage. The greatest possible interest was taken in the matter and it was carried to the office of Ald. Grote. Suspecting that something might be wrong in the accounts, Ald. Grote went over them and found they were correct to a cent. Shortly before noon a Standard reporter met Mr. Vine on the streets on his ways to his office and asked him it were true that he had married Madame Dunn. He refused to say yes or no to the matter, and contented himself with insinuating that most people knew more than their prayers. Madame Dunn claimed to come from Denver, Col., and mentioned freely the names of many persons resident there, prominent in the business world. 

Madame Dunn Bound to Have Her Hubby' ~ Feb 16, 1894

The sensational elopement case of Mme Dunn, the handsome young clairvoyant, with young Kenneth Vine of St. Catharines, son of James Vine, a wealthy cattle and live stock broker has become quite an international affair. The couple were married here last Tuesday night by the Rev. John Crawford, pastor of the Presbyterian church. Soon after the couple left for St. Catharines. Now the bride is at the United States hotel, on the American side, and her husband, who is but a boy yet, has been coaxed back to St. Catharines by his relatives and family. Madame Dunn, the name the clairvoyant has been using is of course a nom de plume. Her marriage certificate bears the signature Baird, and her home is given as Rochester, NY. Mrs. Kenneth Vine, as her name appears on the hotel register, was interviewed today. She is a bright girl of the world, probably 22 or 23 years old. She said she was 22 years old the 19th of December last. Her family formerly lived on a farm east of Rochester. Her father is now dead, and her mother is keeping house for a brother named Lincoln, who is worth over $100,000. and the fair Berta claims to be heir to this fortune. Berta, when a girl of 7 years, developed the faculty of looking into the future through a trance medium and being of a nature delighting in excitement and adventure she started out several years ago as a travelling clairvoyant. After giving a brief history of her life, the young bride then went on to tell her troubles. ''It would look as if my husband has deserted me,'' said she. ''It's all on account of his family and relatives. They think, I suppose, that I do not come of a good family, and am a sort of an adventuress, but if they will take the trouble to enquire they will find out their mistake. Why when Kenneth went home to secure his belongings after we were married, his mother tried to shoot him, and turned the revolver on herself; his sister hung around his neck and implored him to leave me and his father said he would disown him if he went with me. His father found out that there was a law against clairvoyancy in Canada, with a year's imprisonment as a penalty, and I understand has officers watching for me to arrest me if I set foot in Canada again. So you see I am cut off from going after Kenneth. One of his uncles came over last night and succeeded in enticing him back to St. Catharines. He promised to return today but he has not arrived as yet. His uncle promised him $500 if he would leave me, and his father $500 more, so he told me. If he does not come back to me, I shall sue his father and relatives for alienating his affections. I am bound to have my Kenneth and there is a dispatch which will bring him.'' The tear-bedimmed eyes of the little fortune teller have snapped determined and the quivering lips settled into a hard determined expression. ''I wish you would correct some of the reports circulated about me. I haven't two other husbands living from whom I have never procured a divorce, and I am not even forty years old. I was never married before, and I do not want to be again, if it is going to bring me all this trouble. What am I going to do? Well, I can't tell. I shall wait here a few days, and if Kenneth does not come back I shall go home to Rochester to my uncle and take advice as to what course to pursue. 

'Kenneth Rejoins His Bride' ~ Feb 17, 1894

The sequel of the Kenneth Vine - Madame Dunn elopement is that young Vine has returned from St. Catharines and joined his bride on the American side. The couple are stopping at the United States hotel and enjoying themselves. Vine says he will never desert his wife again. He will wait for his parents' wrath to cool and contemplates going into business on the American side as an insurance broker. 

I don't know what happened next or what became of Madame Dunn but it didn't last. By 1900 Kenneth had married a young lady named Elizabeth Reynolds and went on to be a husband, father of (at least) five and a successful businessman in St. Catharines, Ontario!

This post was submitted for the 100th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia of Creative Gene... Congratulations on your 100th Edition!

My Canadian U.S. Veteran

In recognition of Memorial Day in the United States I would like to introduce you to my United States Veteran. My Dad, who served in the US Army from 1951 to 1954 even though he was a Canadian citizen living in Canada.

I don't know very much about this time in his life because it was before I was born but I know that he enlisted with his best friend and they both served their full 3 year tour of duty. A couple of years ago, I contacted his friend after many years to ask a few questions. We arranged to meet for dinner and while at the table, his friend pulled this news clipping from his wallet and gave it to me. He had been carrying it for over 50 years.

The clipping was originally from the St. Catharines Standard and says...

"Pvt. John Manley of Merritton, who recently graduated among the top five from the Dept. of the Army, finance school at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. Pvt. Manley now returns to his permanent station, Fort Campbell, Kentucky"

I contacted National Archives and Record Administration for his service records and got a very disappointing letter in return, which said in part:

"The record needed to answer your inquiry is not in our files. If the record were here on July 12, 1973, it would have been in the area that suffered the most damage in the fire on that date and may have been destroyed. The fire destroyed the major portion of records of Army military personnel for the period 1912 through 1959..."

I don't know why, but I sent another request today just to see if there is a possibility of finding something, somewhere. I'm not holding out high hopes but you never know.

Mrs. Hiscott ~ Mystery Woman

Mrs. Hiscott

This digital photo is a scan of the original held in the collection of the Niagara Historical Society Museum and is identified only as ''Mrs. Hiscott''. The question is which Mrs. Hiscott is she?

• Mary Simpson (1790-1852), 1st wife of Richard
• Martha Reed (1803-1860's), 2nd wife of Richard
• Elizabeth Ann Coleman (1804-1878), 3rd wife of Richard
• Hannah Maria Read (1828-1912), wife of James
• Elizabeth Clement (1830-1897), wife of Thomas
• Catherine Ann Depotie (1838-1928), wife of Edward

I can try researching the style of dress and bonnet that she is wearing and try to date this however these are all 19th century women so narrowing it down to one may be impossible. Unless of course someone recognizes her and can let me know who she is.

Weekend in Niagara ~ Sunday

Sunday morning, we headed to Niagara on the Lake. The short drive there from St. Catharines was spectacular. We took Lakeshore Road which has a lot of orchards along it and the trees were in full bloom. It was a sea of beautiful colors and flowers...(duh, I didn't take any pictures).

Niagara on the Lake

This photo taken from Queen's Royal Park in Niagara on the Lake, looking across the Niagara River at Fort Niagara in Youngstown, New York. This is the point where the Niagara River and Lake Ontario meet. Imagine in 1812, the Americans and British lobbing shots at each other across this river.

HISCOTT House

This is the former home of Richard HISCOTT, Sergeant in the 76th Regiment of Foot of the British Army. Richard is my 4th great-grandfather and headed one of the founding families of the town of Niagara. The house is a designated heritage property, circa 1817 and is located at 78 Prideaux Street, Niagara on the Lake. I'll go back and take another picture when the street construction is finished and the bright orange fences are gone.

St. Mark's Anglican Church and Cemetery

St. Mark's Anglican church, founded in 1792 is the oldest Anglican church in Ontario. It was the church of my HISCOTT family and the churchyard cemetery contains the graves of many of my relatives and ancestors. The church was used extensively by both the British and the Americans during the war of 1812. According to the St. Mark's website, the Americans occupied the building in 1813, dug rifle pits in the cemetery surrounding it and gutted the interior before leaving.

While walking around the cemetery in the churchyard, we spotted some prying eyes on us. This foxy little guy would take a few steps, stop and stare at us, take a few more steps, stop and stare and on and on until he finally decided to run off. I don't think I've ever seen a fox running wild before and really didn't expect to see one in the middle of a town.

Fort George National Historic Site of Canada

We decided to go on a walking tour of Fort George, a National Historic Site of Canada. The fort was built by the British between 1796 and 1799 to guard the strategic river mouth from an American invasion. This fort played a pivotal role in the War of 1812. After heavy fighting between Fort George and Fort Niagara on the American side of the river, the Americans took over and occupied the fort during the summer and fall of 1813. They eventually abandoned the fort and returned to Fort Niagara.

The fort has since been completely re-constructed to re-create it's pre-1813 appearance. The only original structure that survived the War of 1812 is the Powder Magazine. It would take several hours to tour the entire fort. It is very large and contains many buildings to go through, battlements and great views of the Niagara River. You can do it on your own or take advantage of a guided tour by staff in period costume.

Niagara Historical Society Museum

It was getting late in the day but we stoppped at the museum because there were a few items I wanted to see and take photos of. I started chatting with the curator and discovered that the items I wanted to see were in their inventory but not actually on display.

After more chatting and a pile of questions from me, he did a search on their database using my HISCOTT surname and found that they have about 80 items tied to that name, some of which were photographs. Photographs that I didn't have. I do now though *grin*. The museum has a research room so I'm going to set aside some time in the future to go there and check out these 80 items they have.

After leaving the museum, we got the phone call about Mom so we quickly headed home to get ready to go to Winnipeg.

Weekend in Niagara ~ Saturday

A few weeks ago we went back to the Niagara area for another Genealogy weekend. It was while we were there that we got the call about my mother in law being ill so things have been on hold for a while. Just wanted to share some of the things we did and saw while we were there...

Louth United Church and Maple Lawn Cemetery

Our first stop was at the Louth United Church and Maple Lawn Cemetery. This was my first visit to this church and cemetery. It is located on Third Louth Ave in St. Catharines, ON and is the final resting place of many of my maternal ancestors, particularly the HAYNES family. These are descendants of Adam HAYNES, UE and his wife, Elizabeth FROELICK who I wrote about here. Both my 3rd and 4th great-grandfather's are buried here.

The church was built in 1878 and has been in continuous operation until very recently. Apparently it has been closed due to lack of membership. Many family weddings, baptisms and funerals took place here over the past 100 years. The small graveyard behind the church is called Maple Lawn cemetery. I took a ton of photos here because there were just that many relatives. It seemed like almost everyone had a name that's in my tree.

After visiting this church, I realized that I have a collector's plate with a picture of the church on it. It belonged to my mother and it's been put away in a drawer for about 25 years because I had no idea what the significance of it was or why she had a plate with a church on it. When I returned home I got it out, dusted it off and hung it on the wall in the dining room. So now I know...

One thing I wasn't expecting to find was the gravestone of a boy who was a childhood friend. Our backyards backed on to each other and our families were good friends. I was stunned to see this so later in the day, I looked up his parents and gave them a call. I had a really nice long conversation with his Mom who I hadn't talked to since I was about 12 yrs old.

Christ Church McNab Church and Cemetery

Christ Church McNab is an Anglican church located on McNab Road at Lakeshore Rd in Niagara on the Lake. It is the burial spot of many of my HISCOTT ancestors. It is a beautiful country church surrounded by it's own cemetery. The church was built in 1853 and is still in full operation. Again, many photos were taken here and I spotted a couple of surnames posted by fellow Indiana Genea-blogger and newly discovered cousin, Tina from Gen Wish List so I shot a few for her as well.

Warner's Cemetery

Warner's Cemetery is located on Warner Road along side the Queen Elizabeth Way (a major highway) in Niagara Falls. It took us three tries to find it but we were rewarded in the end. This cemetery contains the plot of the VAN EVERY family including the grave of it's founder in Canada, McGregory VAN EVERY, UE. It is thought that McGregory's gravestone is the oldest in Ontario.

My interest in going here was twofold. First, I knew that fellow St. Louis Genea-blogger, John of TranylvanianDutch  is a direct descendant of McGregory VAN EVERY and thought he would like some more photos. Secondly, McGregory's great-grandaughter, Eliza Jane VAN EVERY married my 1st cousin 5x removed, Rev. Frederick HAYNES. The old headstones were built into the interior of this 2 foot brick wall to preserve and protect them from further damage due to the proximity of the cemetery to the highway. I think the VAN EVERY plot with it's brick wall and built in headstones is the coolest plot I've seen yet.

St. Paul Street United Church (The Silver Spire)

We stopped by the St. Paul Street United Church in downtown St. Catharines after taking a coffee break. I wanted to take a look because I have come across this church many times in my maternal research and then I realized this was the same church where my own mother was baptized. I will be doing much more research on this church in the future but for now I just wanted to get a close up look and take a few pictures.

Justina ''Jennie'' Thiessen (1925-2010)

This past week heaven got another angel. My mother-in-law Justina ''Jennie'' Thiessen passed away peacefully in the hospital in Winnipeg.

Jennie was born in Altona, Manitoba on June 28th, 1925 to Heinrich Wiebe and Elizabeth Driedger. Her parents were part of the migration of Mennonite immigrants who came from the steppes of Southern Russia, sponsored by the Canadian government to settle the southern part of Manitoba along the Red River between the US border and Winnipeg. Jennie was one of 8 children (7 girls, 1 boy) and grew up on the Wiebe farm just outside of Altona. She had a typical Mennonite education and worked on the farm with her family and took odd jobs until she was married. She was fluent in both English and the low German dialect of her ancestors. She loved to ride the horses and enjoyed the tractor so much, her Dad bought her one of her own.

While working as a waitress in Altona in 1944, Jennie met David Thiessen of nearby Rosenfeld, Manitoba, a young farm boy who had recently enlisted with the Canadian Army in the war effort. They were married on the 27th of October, 1944 just prior to David being sent off and stationed at Camp Shilo. Jennie remained at the family farm and in October of 1945 she gave birth to her first son (my husband). In 1946 David returned to civilian life and the young family moved to a house in the town of Altona where two more sons were born. Around 1950 the family headed north to the city of Winnipeg where two daughters and another son were born. They were now a family of 8.

They were a hard working family and did what they could to raise 6 children. My husband recalls that the kids would meet other kids in the city who sometimes needed some help or a place to stay and Jennie always took them in and cared for them. She loved to play the guitar and sing and dance. She had a very entrepreneurial spirit and found various ways to earn extra money for the family. She loved to buy and sell things and her outgoing personality made this easy for her. She was a natural sales woman.

Her husband David passed away on the 22nd of February, 2004. At that time Jennie sold the family home and moved into a Senior's residence where she lived until the time of her death. Jennie passed away on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at the age of 84. She is survived by 6 children, 17 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, 2 sisters and many loving nieces and nephews. My husband and I will miss her greatly. She was loving, giving, funny, feisty, and smart. I could not have asked for a better mother-in-law.

When her husband passed away 6 years ago, my husband started a tradition of calling his Mom every Sunday after dinner. We live about 1300 miles away so this was his way of giving her something consistent to look forward to and he made that call faithfully every week. It was a joy listening to these calls and hearing them laugh together. This Sunday will be the first one since she passed that he can't make that call and it just happens to fall on Mother's Day. It's going to be a tough day. Happy Mother's Day Mom, we love you. May you rest in peace ♥

Treasure Chest Thursday ~ My Fortune Cookie

My husband proposed to me (a long time ago) at a beautiful Chinese restaurant called The Mandarin. He had taken my son and I out for dinner and in between the meal and dessert he pulled a diamond ring out of his pocket and asked me if I would marry him. Of course I said yes and cried and we were all very excited about what had just happened. Eventually we settled down enough (well, I didn't) to continue our dinner with coffee and dessert, followed by the opening of our fortune cookies. On that night, in that place this was the fortune I got...

It's a keeper, just like my husband and will remain in my memory box forever!
(PS - He swears he didn't *rig* this and I believe him)


© 2010 Kindred Footprints

Treasure Chest Thursday ~ The Case of the Missing Pocket Watch

My husband who is a man of very few material wants or needs decided that he would like to bring something 'special' home for himself as a keepsake of our trip to Ireland. He finally decided on a pocket watch, and after looking at several, he found 'the one' in a little shop in Connemara in the west of Ireland. It was made by Mullingar Pewter in Westmeath Co and is embossed with an image of the Ha' Penny Bridge in Dublin.

We got home and unpacked our bags and then he realized that something was missing. His watch was not there. We searched and searched through our bags until we finally accepted the fact that it just wasn't there. He was so disappointed because this was the one memento he had to remember this trip.

Since we had last seen the watch on the bed in our hotel room in Dublin when we were packing, we decided to email the hotel to see if there was any chance it had been turned in. Much to our amazement, we received a reply that they had checked the room and had actually found it on the floor near the bed. It must have been knocked off when we were packing. About a week later my husband was ecstatic to receive a package in the mail from Ireland containing the missing pocket watch.

It was 'meant' to be his ;-)


© 2010 Kindred Footprints

Wordless Wednesday ~ Hiscott & Vine

© 2010 Kindred Footprints

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Asphyxiation by Gas

Mary Louise Hiscott (St. Mark's Anglican Cemetery, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario)

From the Hamilton Spectator
HISCOTT (Toronto, Ont.) Feb. 19, 1897 - Miss Mary Hiscott, who with her younger sister, Miss Harriett Hiscott, daughters of Major Hiscott, M.L.A. were found on Wednesday morning in their room at the Grosvener house in an apparently lifeless condition from asphyxiation by gas, died this morning about 3:30 o'clock. There is no improvement in the condition of the other Miss Hiscott.

Note: Thankfully the other Miss Hiscott DID recover from this tragedy...
The Misses Hiscott are my 1st cousins 4x removed


© 2010 Kindred Footprints

Destination: Thorold, ON

Locks 4, 5 & 6 at Thorold, Photo courtesy Welland Public Library

We set out Monday morning for a day trip to Thorold, Ontario where we were meeting a couple of cousins that I recently discovered and connected with. Thorold is the location where our Irish ancestors finally settled after leaving Ireland in the 19th century. It is located atop the Niagara Escarpment between St. Catharines and Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. It is where the ships ''climb the mountain'' on the Welland Canal to travel between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, bypassing Niagara Falls. The cousins I met are the great grandchildren of Francis J. Manley who was the youngest brother of my great grandfather, John J. Manley. I love day trips to the Niagara Peninsula because it is where I was born and raised and all of my family roots on both my mother's and father's sides are there.

Photo courtesy of LSImages on Flickr

We started at Lakeview Cemetery which is divided in two sections, the 'old' and the 'new'. When you drive in the main drive you can see the 'new' sections. If you didn't know about the 'old' section it's not likely you would ever find it. There is a small opening in a fence with what looks like a narrow road going off in the distance and ending at a forest, but if you actually take that road it leads you right into the forest which is really the 'old' cemetery. It sits right along the Welland Canal and is the most beautiful hidden gem you've ever seen. This is where most of my paternal family is. I showed them the grave of our Irish Ancestors, Edward and Margaret Manley and from there we walked around and I pointed out everyone else that is there. There are many and they are all very close together.

From there we headed over to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary RC Church. This is the church that so many of our ancestor's attended. The cornerstone was laid in 1876 but it was not consecrated and ready until 1892 in an effort to avoid debt. My ancestors would have attended this church from it's beginning and the last family funeral that was held there was in 2002 when my Aunt Mary passed. One of the original stained glass windows is dedicated to the memory of our 2x great grandmother Margaret (Dixon) Manley. Even though I didn't attend this church I can remember being there many times throughout my life for weddings, baptisms and funerals.

Church photo's courtesy of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

Our next stop was at the Thorold Museum, maintained by the volunteers of the Thorold and Beaverdams Historical Society. The museum isn't open to the public a lot so my new friend Cathy arranged to have Diane from the society meet us there. I've never had a private tour of a museum before. It was awesome. The museum is located in a house called Chestnut Hall that was originally built in 1862 for John McDonagh who had a lumber business. My ancestor Edward Manley worked for Mr. McDonagh for many years according to his obituary in 1903. This building is now a designated 'Heritage' property.

Photo courtesy of the Thorold & Beaverdams Historical Society

The rooms in the house both upstairs and down are filled with local history including household items, linens, quilts, jewelry, tools, license plates and just about every imaginable item you could think of. The walls are covered in photographs and maps. There are books and binders filled with local news articles about people and places and events. It was a family historian's dream come true. I asked if I could move in for a while ;-) We were told that there are a couple of boxes full of beautiful portrait quality photo's in the attic that are unidentified. How I wish we could identify these photos.

We ended the afternoon by gathering at a local watering hole for a drink with Cathy. Since she and my cousins are also cousins, she had some information that she wanted to share with them. It was nice to watch their enthusiasm talking about family history and getting to know each other. It's great to come from an area so rich in history.

Thanks to Cathy, Frank, Marian and Diane for another great road trip!


© 2010 Kindred Footprints

Ancestor Approved

Another award is making the rounds among the Geneablogging community. Many thanks to Southwest Arkie for passing along the "Ancestor Approved" award to me. I would send it back to you but I know you've already got it. Thanks also to Ancestors Live Here who initiated this award.

My instructions are to list ten things I have learned about any of my ancestors that has surprised, humbled, or enlightened me and to then pass the award along to ten other bloggers whom I feel are doing their ancestors proud so here goes...

1. Surprised to discover that I have a Great Grand Aunt, Mary Flynn who became a Mother Superior (Mother Monica) and founded St. Joseph's Hospital in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

2. Surprised to learn that my paternal surname, Manley was actually Munnelly before my 2x Great Grandparents came to Canada from Ireland.

3. Surprised to uncover the story of my Great Grand Uncle, Hugh Manley who died as a result of injuries he received while performing a heroic act to prevent a boiler explosion in a school full of children and that a High School in Chicago is named in his memory.

4. Humbled to learn that my 2x Great Grandparents were part of the mass exodus from Ireland during the potato famine of the 19th century and the struggles and challenges they faced.

5. Humbled to discover that I have a Great Grand Uncle, Roger Manley/Munnelly who was born and died at the immigration center known as Grosse Ile in Quebec and that his name is listed on the memorial wall with other Irish famine victims.

6. Humbled to have been able to travel to Ireland and visit the ancestral homeland of my 2x Great Grandparents in County Mayo.

7. Enlightened to learn how many Ancestor's I have that arrived in Canada as United Empire Loyalist's (UEL's) during the time of the Revolutionary War and that there might also be Patriot's from the same families.

8. Enlightened to realize that my maternal line, Vine that originated in England is almost all American and that I have cousins all across the United States from this line. Only two out of ten children settled in Canada and of course, I am descended from one of them.

9. Enlightened to learn the occupations of my male ancestors. My paternal ancestors were mainly involved in the construction and dredging projects of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Welland Canal while my maternal ancestors were largely Farmers and Butchers.

10. Enlightened to have discovered the geographic origins of many of my family lines in England. I now have several little English villages to visit spread across the United Kingdom.

I'm passing the ''Ancestor Approved'' Award to these blogs that do a phenomenal job of telling their Ancestors stories...if you're not following them yet, you should be!

1. On a Flesh and Bone Foundation: An Irish History
2. They that go down to the sea
3. Finding Our Ancestors
4. Family Stories
5. Desperately Seeking Surnames
6. Lessons From My Ancestors
7. Reconnected Roots
8. Dreaming About Home
9. Gen Wish List
10. Kinfolk News

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