Deathbed wills are documents that were dictated orally by a testator who was in imminent peril of death, who did not expect to make it through the night, who did not hope to see another day. There is a more technical name for them -- noncupative wills[1. See, for example, Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, Where There's … Continue reading Deathbed Wills
Thomas Hourigan and John Hourigan were born in March township on 14 September 1849, the sons of Patrick Hourigan and Ann Teevens. I have no idea whether they were identical, or fraternal, twins, but in any case, the priest who baptized the infants -- Fr. J. Ryan -- made an interesting distinction between the two:[1. … Continue reading Hourigan twins baptized
As I mentioned in my previous post, there is now a huge amount of LAC (Library and Archives Canada) material at Canadiana.org's Héritage website. This material includes 94 digitized microfilm reels of LAC's Upper Canada Sundries (RG 5 A1), 1766-1841 series. Héritage describes the series as follows: This series is part of the Civil Secretary’s Correspondence … Continue reading 1836 petition of inhabitants of Bathurst and Ottawa districts
(Or formerly of [the father's native] England, as the case may be.) This is bordering on fussy pedantry, perhaps. Or maybe it crosses that border? But genealogical research is all about paying attention to the small details. And Irish genealogy, especially, requires close attention to the small details. Given the paucity of Irish records, and … Continue reading Formerly of the father’s Irish county
John Lahey the Elder was the eldest of six known Lahey siblings who emigrated from Ballymacegan, Lorrha, Co. Tipperary to March Township, Carleton Co., Ontario in the 1820s and early 1830s. John Lahey the Elder never married; and, having no children of his own to inherit his land (100 acres at Concession 3, Lot 14, … Continue reading John Lahey the Elder’s Will
A reader is looking for information on a family who emigrated from Co. Fermanagh, Ireland to the Ottawa Valley in the early- to mid-19th century. The family name was Currie/Curry or Corry, and the forenames were Patrick, Frank, Thomas, and Christopher. They apparently left Ireland with the Lunney family who settled at Pakenham (Lanark Co., … Continue reading Currie/Curry or Corry, from Fermanagh to the Ottawa Valley
You know you're a census geek when you find yourself reading the "Nominal Return(s) of Deaths" from the Canadian census returns. The "Nominal Return of the Deaths within the last twelve months" (1871 Census of Canada, Ontario, Carleton County, Township of March) for the Township of March records twenty deaths in the township for the … Continue reading Scarlet fever deaths in March Township, 1870-1871
LAC's Upper Canada Land Petitions (1763-1865) database is an index to the petitions, with the actual (that is to say, the digitized microforms of the actual) petitions found elsewhere at the LAC site. Somewhat annoyingly, there is no direct link from the index to the digitized microforms of the actual petitions. The index to the … Continue reading “she & her infant family are left totally destitute”: the Widow Hourigan petitions the Crown (part I)
