A Challenging Upper Canada (Ontario) Puzzle

Bob S. asked about a challenging ancestor named John Smith. Since Bob's query was very long, I took bits and pieces to respond to.

I have hit a brick wall with with my 2nd great-grandfather John Smith. Based on information that I have been able to find he was born between 1817 and 1826. Most information said that he was born in Canada, but his sons death registration said that he was English. He was a widower when he married my 2nd great-grandmother, Susannah Powles(s), on Jan. 13, 1856 at Christ Church, Tyendinaga, Hastings

Bob - First let me say what terrific research you have done already on this elusive ancestor. I am sorry I can't include everything you sent me here in this blog post.

Searching Land Records

I found a property owned by John M Smith but it said it was Lot 37 in Concession III.  Think that it is the same Lot/person because of proximity but am not familiar with these records.. I also tried looking for property that John Smith indicated on 1851Census.  I think that this is my John Smith but am not positive.  He listed in column "Residence if out of Limits" as "4th Con Richm"  which I interpreted as IV Concession in Richmond, Lennox County which is adjacent to Tyendinaga.  Searching the map for Richmond, Lennox at http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/.../fro-m-richmond.jpg.  I found a J Smith listed as owning property in Concession III Lots 13 and 14 on the 1880 map.  I am not sure if we would have retained that property (if it was his).

The first thing I want to suggest re this land confusion is that you consult land records. I have written extensively about searching for land records in Ontario and you may wish to familiarize yourself with what is available for Ontario Land Records. I suggest you start with the CLRI and also the Abstract Indexes to Deeds for all these properties you have found.

The Computerized Land Record Index (aka Ontario Land Record Index) summarizes land grants of Crown Land, sales of land from Canada Company sales or leases and from Peter Robinson settlers' grants. If your ancestor settled anywhere in Ontario and he was the first time owner of Crown Land, he should be on these lists.

The Abstract Indexes to Deeds are the indexed record of every transaction on a plot of land from Crown ownership to the present day. Using the Abstract Indexes to Deeds you can check for every instance of your name of interest on that parcel of land.

There was a property dispute between Susannah's children and grandmother and Indian Department has file that mentions the property description (part of Lot 38 Con 2).  I think that I have found this on the maps linked to the OliveTree website but the location appears to be off somewhat (lot 37 Con III).  Are these the same lots just different descriptions? 

No those are not the same lot but they were close, perhaps even bordering on each other. Each farm could be quite large so conceivably the lots could touch even though they are on different concessions.  

Formulate a Working Theory

Next - I took a look at that 1851/52 census for John who was visiting other Smiths. I suggest you formulate a theory (which you will work to prove or disprove) that they are his relatives, and quite possibly close relatives such as a father (or mother) and siblings. Research each of the Smith individuals found there and try to find something that links them to John. The following articles may be of help to you.

From Theory to Fact: 30 Years in the Making

Turn a Genealogy Guess Into a Working Theory

Assumptions vs Working Theories - The Good and the Bad

Also, you no doubt noticed the "F" in the column for Place of Birth for those Smith individuals in that 1851/52 census. You didn't ask what it meant so you may already know this, but for those who do not know, here is the official explanation in instructions to census takers in 1851:

"The BIRTH PLACE of each person: you will here note that those born of Canadian Parents are to be marked with an F." [Source: http://www.prdh.umontreal.ca/census/en/uguide/enum_1852.aspx] 

Coffin Plates & Other Death Records

  [I] have what appears to be a plate from a casket or box that indicated he died on Dec. 16th, 1888, aged 71 yrs 5 months.

This is a coffin plate. These were engraved with the deceased's name and death date and sometimes with more information, then placed on top of the coffin during the funeral. After the funeral, the plate was given to the family as a memento. You can read more about coffin plates on the AncestorsAtRest website where over 450 are shown with photos.  It is very possible that John's death was not registered. Even though it was mandatory to register a death, many people did not comply as it cost money and sometimes the trip to the Registry office was too difficult to make in the winter.

I suggest you try church records for the burial information. Check the census records to find out what religion John was, then look to see what church he might have used. Then check Ontario Archives to find out if that church has any surviving records.

Summary

I feel that your best bet is to trace those other Smiths John is visiting in 1851. It will be a lot of work but I believe well worth it. Check and compare every record you can find for them, including John. Are their similarities in the names of their children? In their places of birth? These are just a few of the questions you might ask yourself.


The land records should also help - often sons received land from fathers.

Best of luck!

Have You Found an Ancestor's Coffin Plate?

May 15, 1790 Coffin Plate Manufacturer's Ad

The history of Coffin Plates or casket plates is a long but not very well documented one. Coffin plates are decorative adornments attached to the coffin that contain free genealogical information like the name and death date of the deceased.

Coffin Plate Thomas Dalton 1829

Generally made of a soft metal like lead, pewter, silver, brass, copper, zinc or tin. The different metals reflect the different functions of the plates, or the status and wealth of the deceased. For a basic funeral, a simple lead plate would be lettered with the name, date of death and often the age of the departed, and nailed to the lid of a wooden coffin. But high status people could afford a plate of a more expensive metal and elaborate design.

The oldest coffin plates that I have seen date from the 17th century (1600~1699) and were at that time reserved for people of some stature. As time went on more people were able to afford the luxury of a Coffin Plate and with the coming of the industrial revolution the cost of the plates went down so much that by the middle of the 19th century almost every family could afford to have one put on the coffin of their loved one. ^FN1

Some of Brian L. Massey's private collection of Coffin Plates

These are just the start of the over 150 coffin plates that are online on Ancestors At Rest.

Geo W Abbott 1860~1879 Found in U.S.A.
Henry M Adams 1838~1900 Found in U.S.A.
Sarah A Adams 1824~1877 Found in U.S.A.
Sophia Jane Aitcheson 1862~1904 Wellington County Ontario.
Samual Adam 1799~1874
Lucy Andrews 1790~1869
Robert Andrews 1786~1870
Lauuelina Jane Armand 1841~1866 Massachusetts.
Mary M Atherton Found in New England
Wilbert Avery 1860~1890 Found in Massachusetts.

Continue searching for your ancestor at Index to Coffin Plates

^FN1Important Note: Brian L. Massey wrote this article and more, all of which is published on his AncestorsAtRest.com website. It was taken without permission and posted verbatim on Wikipedia. Trying to get it taken down has been unsuccessful.

Where to Find Obscure Genealogy Records

How many of us search the more obvious sources, don't find what we are looking for, then are stuck not knowing where else to look for that elusive ancestor? 

Obvious sources are census records, birth records, marriage records, land records, death records, passenger lists, and newspapers. Many of these basic records are found on Ancestry.com But are there other sources we can use?

There are also naturalization records, passport records, military records, cemetery records, almshouse and poorhouse records and more. Many are found online for free, others are pay-to-view.

What Other Genealogy Records Are Out There? 

It may surprise you to know that there are many valuable genealogy records that are less well known. I'm talking about education records, medical records, institution records, tax lists and so on. But there's even another layer of overlooked records that many people miss completely. 

Here are three that I find incredibly valuable but often overlooked.


Coffin plates Find ancestors in this wonderful genealogy resource at  Ancestors at Rest in  hundreds of coffin plates listed (with photographs) 

Coffin Plate of Peter Banta died 1889

Memorial Cards & Funeral Cards Find ancestors in this wonderful genealogy resource at  Ancestors at Rest

Edith Markham Memorial Card

Ledger books, Account books, Admission Registers Ancestors at Rest has dozens of free ledger books online from N. America (mostly USA)

Ledger Book dated 1856

Coffin Plate of Patrick Dalton died 1879

Olive Tree Genealogy is sharing this coffin plate with permission of my Facebook friend Dan Lynch:

Hoping to return a found family treasure to the right descendants. 

Silver cross engraved Patrick Dalton, Died Aug 4. 1879, Aged 67 Yrs 5 Mos (Estimated birth March 1812). 

Measures approx 8x6 inches.

Dan has given me permission to add this to the collection of coffin plates on AncestorsAtRest.com

 

 

 

Got New Jersey Ancestors?

I wonder how many genealogists know about the many New Jersey records online at Olive Tree Genealogy and Ancestors At Rest

If you are looking for your New Jersey ancestors you might want to check these out:

New Jersey Church Records

* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1756-1774
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1775-1777
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1778-1779
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1780-1781
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1782-1784
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1785-1787
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1788-1789
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1790-1791
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1792-1793
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1794
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1795
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1796
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1797
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1798
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1799
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1800
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1801-1802
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1803-1804
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1805-1806
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1807-1822
* Marriages Elizabethtown, (was Essex Co.)
* Marriages in Hackensack pre 1700
* Early Settlers in Hackensack
* First Reformed Dutch Church at Montville, Morris Co., Baptisms 1786-1828
* First Reformed Dutch Church at Montville, Morris Co., Marriages 1826-1873

New Jersey Cemetery Records

* Montville Reformed Church Cemetery, Montville Twp. Morris County New Jersey:
** Surnames A to C
** Surnames D
**Surnames E to F
** Surnames G to H
**Surnames J to L
**Surnames M to N
** Surnames P
** Surnames Q to R
** Surnames S to T
**Surnames V
**Surnames W to Z
* Graveyard Records of the True Reformed Church, Montville, New Jersey on Changebridge Road Also known as the Seceder Cemetery

New Jersey Census Records

* Bergen Twp 1794 Rateable
* Town Officers Pequannock Twp. 1740-1749
* Town Officers Pequannock Twp. 1750-1759
* Pequannock Township Tax Ratables May 1778 and (February 1780)
* 1793 Militia List Wantage Twp

New Jersey Muster Rolls

* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Lt. Allen's Co. 6th Battalion
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Cpt. Shaw's Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Cpt Hopkins Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Cpt Shaw's Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers 5th Battalion Cpt. Crowell's Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers 1st Battalion Cpt. Millidge's Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Col. Barton's Co. 1st Battalion
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Cpt. Cougle's Co. 1st Battalion
* 1793 Militia List Wantage Twp

New Jersey Coffin Plates

Henry Wesp 1875~1904
John Frederick Seugling 1831~1894 Little Falls, New Jersey

New Jersey Family Bibles

Pridaux & Greville Family Bible (New Jersey)
Woodhull Family Bible 1793 - New Jersey

New Jersey Funeral Cards

FuneralCard for President James A. Garfield Died at Elberon, New Jersey 1881
Memorial Card for Henry K. Garrison, died 1924 Centerton, New Jersey
Funeral & Mourning Card of August M. Schimpff 1877 - 1892 found in Dover NJ

New Jersey Family Trees

* New Jersey Pier Family
* New Jersey Post Family

Image credit: FamilySearch.org 

Don't Overlook Alternate Genealogy Records

How many of us search the more obvious sources, then are stuck not knowing where else to look for that elusive ancestor? Obvious sources are census records, birth records, marriage records, land records, death records, passenger lists, and newspapers. 

Of course there are also  naturalization records, passport records, military records, cemetery records, etc.

It may surprise you to know that there are also many valuable genealogy records that are less well known. I'm talking about education records, medical records, institution records, tax lists and so on. But there's another layer of overlooked records that many people miss completely. 

Here are three that I find incredibly valuable but often overlooked.

• Coffin plates Find ancestors in this wonderful genealogy resource at  Ancestors at Rest in  hundreds of coffin plates listed (with photographs)
• Memorial Cards & Funeral Cards Find ancestors in this wonderful genealogy resource at  Ancestors at Rest
• Ledger books, Account books, Admission Registers Ancestors at Rest has dozens of free ledger books online from N. America (mostly USA)

What a Story I Have to Share!

Today I became the very excited owner of the coffin plate of my 2nd great grandfather, Isaac Vollick.

Isaac was born in 1832 in what was then Upper Canada (present day Ontario) and he died in 1904 in Hillsdale, Simcoe Co. Ontario. I've never found his gravestone or burial site, nor his wife's even though I know what cemetery they are in.

I hear you asking "ok what's a coffin plate and why is this a great story?"

Coffin plates were decorative adornments attached to the coffin that contain free genealogical information like the name and death date of the deceased. After the funeral service, these plates were often given to family to take home as a memorial to the deceased.

My becoming the owner of this coffin plate is an amazing story. I call it The Domino Effect, meaning everything had to fall into place, one tiny moment at a time.  Here is how it happened, step by step:

1.  Last week I realized I could not log into my website AllCensusRecords.com as I did not remember my password. No amount of searching found it so I did the usual thing - hit the "I forgot my password" link on my webhost. No problem, they email a new temporary password. But I wasn't sure what email address I had used to sign up on this host.

2. After checking my main email addresses with no luck (no response from the web host) I realized my account must be under a very old email address I haven't used in years. I rarely check mail there even though I do still have access. But off I went and yep, the password was there.

But what was even more interesting was an email, months old, from Gary French, the author of "Men of Colour: An Historical Account of the Black Settlement on Wilberforce. Street and in Oro Township, Simcoe County, Ontario 1819-1949" 

Gary was writing to me about my husband's black ancestor, Jonathan Butler, who settled in the Queen's Bush (near Waterloo Ontario) circa 1834. It seems Gary had found some evidence that pointed to Jonathan being originally from Pennsylvania. This was a very exciting lead as we had not been able to find any record of where in the USA he came from. So I quickly replied to Gary's email, hoping he was still interested and still at the same email addy.

Isaac Vollick 1831-1904

3. After a few emails back and forth, I casually mentioned in closing that I thought we had a "sort of" connection, as I knew that a son in his French family married a daughter of one of my Vollick family in Elmvale. When Gary wrote back I almost fell off my chair. This is what he said "..

I am interested in them [the Vollicks] as important settlers in the Elmvale/Orr Lake area. By coincidence, I recently purchased the coffin plate of Isaac Vollick (the one who died in 1904). macabre, but a very Victorian artifact."

 I was so excited. Not only was this MY Isaac Vollick (my great great grandpa) but my husband and I collect coffin plates! We have over 200 in our collection and my husband has put many of them online on AncestorsAtRest in hopes descendants will spot an ancestor.

4. Immediately I responded, telling Gary about our own coffin plate collection and how the coffin plate he had was for my 2nd great grandfather. Then I asked Gary to consider selling the plate to me IF and WHEN he ever decided he no longer wanted it. 

5. Gary agreed to sell it to me since I had such a strong family connection, even though he does not sell the items he finds which have some connection to Flos Township in Simcoe County. One of his missions is to find and preserve as many historical artifacts as he can for this local area. 

Coffin Plate displayed and sold as a tray

And so this morning hubby and I drove to Gary's office and the coffin plate was turned over to me to preserve and cherish. But the story does not end there. I asked Gary where he found the coffin plate and his reply gave me shivers! 

He found it in an antique store in Barrie - one which my husband and I go to frequently. The plate had been turned upside down (see photo on right) and was being sold as a tray! 

For some reason Gary picked it up and turned it over. To his surprise he realized it was actually a coffin plate for a Vollick! Since he recognized the surname and knew they settled in Elmvale he purchased it to add to his collection of historical artifacts for the area. 

And that is how I came to be the very happy and grateful owner of my great-great-grandfather's coffin plate. No doubt his widow Lydia carried it home with her and after her death most likely one of her daughters took it to her home. And so, 104 years later, the coffin plate has come to me. I will have it framed along with a photo I have of Isaac and Lydia, then in turn it will eventually go to one of my sons.

And that is what I call serendipity and an item wanting to be found.




Update: If you are interested in the Vollick family I also wrote three books on the Vollick and Follick descendants of Lambert Van Valkenburg. They are: 


From Van Valkenburg to Vollick: The Loyalist Isaac Van Valkenburg aka Vollick and his Vollick & Follick Children (Volume 1) 

From Van Valkenburg to Vollick: V. 2 Cornelius Vollick and his Follick and Vollick Descendants to 3 Generations 

From Van Valkenburg to Vollick: V. 3: The Loyalist Storm Follick and his Follick and Vollick descendants in North America

Interview With Coffin Plate Collector

Coffin Plate

Nicole of MyGraveAddiction,com just published an interview she conducted with my husband about his coffin plate collection.

Brian has been collecting coffin plates for many years and has put over 400 online at AncestorsAtRest. 

Coffin plates are a unique source of genealogical information but many researchers are not aware of their existence as a genealogy resource.

Featured Genealogy Resource: Coffin Plates (a Death Record)

Today's featured set of little-known Genealogy resources is Coffin Plates. Yes - coffin plates, also known as Casket plates, coffin plaques and casket plaques.

The history of Coffin Plates or casket plates is a long but not very well documented one. Coffin plates are decorative adornments that contain free genealogical information such as the name and death date of the deceased.

Sometimes the coffin plate was attached to the coffin and removed before burial, then given to the family to take home as a remembrance token. Other times the coffin plate was placed on top of the coffin in a stand, then given to the loved ones after the funeral.

Brian Massey of AncestorsAtRest.com has a very large collection of coffin plates online. There are over 500 individual coffin plates on Brian's website and they are all free for visitors to look for a Coffin Plate of an ancestor.

Tombstone Rubbings (again) and Coffin Plates as an Art Form

Patricia posted a comment yesterday informing me that this practice is not allowed in many cemeteries. I had no idea this was the case so please do ask the cemetery before heading out to do a tombstone rubbing.

I also want to thank my friend Howard for sending me three very helpful links regarding tombstone rubbings.

There is much good info here: http://www.gravestonestudies.org/faq.htm

Special problems in Connecticut: http://www.ctgravestones.com/Conservation/Rubbings.htm

There may be other similar things in >other states: http://www.gravestonestudies.org/resources.htm

Because tombstone rubbings are so controversial and may not be allowed, I came up with another idea of an art-genealogy activity with my grandchildren. I realize not everyone will have access to what is required for this project, but lucky me, I'm married to a man who collects the items needed!

Coffin plates. These are the decorative metal plates, often beautifully engraved with designs, which have the deceased's name and dates of birth and death. These metal plates were never meant to be attached to the coffin. They were usually propped on a stand during the funeral then given to the family of the departed person, as a memento.

In earlier years some were attached to the coffin and buried but around the 1860s it began to be popular to keep them in the family to remember the loved one who had died. Different countries have different traditions of course and not all countries used coffin plates or if they did, they did not consider them a family keepsake.

In any case, we have a fairly large collection of these beautifully decorated coffin plates. My oldest grandson has always loved sitting on the steps with his grandfather, reading the ornate script and asking questions about the individual whose coffin plate he held. Every summer they follow the same routine - out come the coffin plates that are not on display and our grandson spends a happy hour or two with Grandpa.

Some of our coffin plates are of ancestors long deceased (such as this one for John Elgie, a great uncle), but most are not family members. We do however research the names on every coffin plate we obtain, so usually we have a pretty good family history on each one. I think it will be fun and interesting to talk about the one(s) they choose - the time period it was made, the artwork and the person for whom it was made.

We will let each of the grandchildren choose a coffin plate (or plates) that they would like to rub and have framed for their wall. I think they are going to enjoy this activity, and I may even save it for a rainy day!

Coffin Plate Genealogy Inscription

Coffin plates are decorative adornments attached to the coffin that contain free genealogical information like the name and death date of the deceased. Here is the inscription from a coffin plate I spotted in an antique store in Massachusetts

Henry F. Fisk
Died May 17, 1900
age 2 days

More Coffin Plates (almost 400 now!) can be freely viewed at AncestorsAtRest.com