Ryk Brown's Genealogy Forum

hdemunck · Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject: Stuart family in Beverly Twp.

Hi Group
I'm trying to trace the family of Elisha Stuart who passed away September 6 1895 in Burford.
His obituary from The Brantford Daily Courier of 9/13/1895 states "his parents having come to Canada from New York state about the year 1820 and settled on a farm in the township of Beverly, which at that time was a complete wilderness"
I have seen postings that claim Elisha was born in Beaverdams (Thorold), but can find no trace of his parents there
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks very much
Henri

RykBrown · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 2:10 pm Post subject:

Henri

Welcome to the group. My apologies for the long delay in replying. I just recently started a new job and I've been quite busy with that for the last couple of weeks.

I'm afraid that I do not have any information on your Elisha Stewart at present. However I do have a bit of information on other Beverly Stewarts that may help you move forward a bit.

It would be helpful if you could share more information on Elisha. When was he born? Who/when/where did he marry? Children's names, dates and places of birth? What census records have you searched? What other records have you searched? All of this would be helpful in narrowing down your Elisha. The more you can share the more I can help.

In the meantime, you may wish to check my article on Stewarts in Beverly Township found here:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rykbrown/other_stray_stewarts.htm

Scroll down to "4.1. Robert Stewart of Beverly Township". Just below him you'll see a listing of "other Stewarts in Beverly Township". At the bottom of that list you'll see:

RykBrown · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:06 pm Post subject:

Additional information I've found:

There's an article on your Elisha Stewart in Burford, found in "Illustrated Historical Atlas of the Counties of Oxford and Brant, 1876/75". This should be available in any Ontario library if you haven't already discovered it.
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There is a record of an Elisha W. Stewart, b abt 1834 in Rochester Township (presumabely NY), son of Elisha and Minerva Stewart, who married on 17 MAR 1858 in South Dumfries Township, Brant County to Emma J. Whitham b 1841 in Brantford township, daughter of W. & Ann Whitham. Bride and groom were both residing in Brantford Township at the time of the marriage.
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1851 Onandaga Township, Brant County, Ontario - Elisha Stuart, yeoman, Methodist, age 29, born 1822, Ontario, with wife ~illah Stuart, age 25, born Ontario. Children: George, 4, and Mary Jane, 2, both born Ontario. (Of note: they are found on the same census page as the Harold family and Kirkbys which I am also researching elsewhere. If you have Harolds or Kirkbys in your tree, let me know.)
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Travis Elisha Stuart, b 1865 in Canada, residing in Brantford Township, son of Elisha and Zillah Stuart, m 19 FEB 1890 in Hespler, Waterloo Alberta Maria Ellis, b 1867 in Canada, dtr of Wm E & Nancy Ellis.
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Ont. Death Reg. - Elisha Stuart, d 6 SEP 1895, age 71, occ: gentleman, born 1824 in Beverly Township, Ontario, informant George W. Stuart.
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1881 Census - Burford Township, Brant South - Elisha Stuart, age 56, b 1825 in Ontario, Methodist, Scottish, farmer, wife Zillah Stuart, 53, b 1828 in Ontario, English. Children Albert Stuart, 20, Travis Stuart, 15.
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1871 Census - Burford Township, Brant South - Elisha Stuart, 46, b 1825 in Ontario, Methodist, Scottish, Zillah Stuart, 46, b 1825 in Ontario, Methodist, English.
Children:
George, 21, b 1850 in Ontario
Jennie, 20, b 1851 "
John, 17, b 1854 "
Herman, 13, b 1858 "
Albert, 8, b 1863 "
Travis, 6, b 1865
======

George W. Stuart, age 25, res Burford, born Onandaga, farmer, son of Elisha and Lillah Stuart, m 2 DEC 1873 in Burford Twp, to Julietta Parker, age 17, res Burford, born Michigan USA, dtr of Hugh and Anne Parker. Witnessed by John Stuart, Burford, and Gussie(?) Metcalfe, Burford.
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Ryk Brown
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Descendant of...well, all of these families, except for the ones that my wife is descended from, save for the ones we share in common...Eek! I married my cousin! Embarassed

RykBrown · Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:12 pm Post subject:

From the above information it would seem your Elisha Stuart was b 1822-1824 in Beverly and married a Lillah (or Zillah) who was an English Methodist. It appears he converted to her religion as English Methodism wasn't very popular in Scotland. Their eldest son's name was George. This is important because Scottish tradition dictated that the eldest son was named after the father's father. However, the tradition broke down very quickly in the New World and lasted only a generation or two. So, if Elisha was already at least second-generation, then the naming pattern may not be reliable. And with your Elisha having married an English Methodist woman and converting, then the traditional naming pattern becomes even more unreliable.

At present Elisha does not seem to match well with any of the Beverly families I presently have records for.

Your best bet is probably the Historical Atlas article cited above.

Otherwise, that's the best I can do for now.

Ryk
_________________
Ryk Brown
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Descendant of...well, all of these families, except for the ones that my wife is descended from, save for the ones we share in common...Eek! I married my cousin! Embarassed

hdemunck · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:03 am Post subject: Elisha Stuart family

Hi Ryk
Thank you for the great effort you have made to help me
I have some of the info. you provided, but you have supplied a couple more good clues.
I would agree that a connection to Beverly Stewarts is not immediately obvious.
I can give you a few more details of what I have found out, which may help us

Some internet entries have shown Elisha to have been born Dec.2 1823 in Beaverdams (Thorold). He had a brother, Barney, that did not survive childhood. He had 2 sisters, Parmelia (Pamela b. 1816), who married Wilson Kitchen, and they apparently moved to Mayville, Michigan. Another sister, Abigail (b. 1824) married Samuel VanEvery and they also moved to Michigan.
His parents have been listed as Elihu Stuart (from where ?) and Johannah Swayze (born Beaverdams)
Nothing I have found proves this, and none of the entries provide a source. Stuart family members at present do not as yet have reliable proof of this connection
Something very odd to me is the given names. I have seen no other Stewart (Stuart) families with these Old Testament names, which may be another clue as to this families origins

I hope this helps
Best regards
Henri

RykBrown · Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 9:06 am Post subject:

Old Testament names were very popular among Methodists in the 18th and 19th centuries. That might imply that Elisha's family could have been Methodist a generation earlier than I was suggesting above.

I would still suggest the local Historical Atlas if you can get a copy from the library. And I would also suggest looking into the local Methodist church records which are probably held in the archives of the United Church of Canada. (just google it for contact info)

As my primary interest is Stewarts in Puslinch and it does not appear that your Stewarts had any connection to Puslinch I'm afraid this is as far as I can go in assisting you. I will leave your information here on the forum and perhaps someone connected to your family may find it and contact you.

Best of luck with your ongoing research.

Ryk
_________________
Ryk Brown
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Descendant of...well, all of these families, except for the ones that my wife is descended from, save for the ones we share in common...Eek! I married my cousin! Embarassed

hdemunck · Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 8:28 am Post subject: Elisha Stuart

Ryk
I have located someone with the "Atlas"
I will follow up from there
Thanks for all your help
Henri