My Wall of Ancestors

This is my wall of ancestors. One of many. Each of the photos you see is of an ancestor - either mine or my husband's.

We intersperse them with antique paintings or prints, or wall clocks for a display that, as you can see, almost fills every inch of space!

They didn't come to us in frames (except one or two). I buy antique frames which my husband repairs if he needs to, then we have the original photos enlarged to fit. We choose a mat from the local framing shop and have it put together. Then I write on the back the details of the person, or family group, in the photo. It's our way of cherishing our ancestors, preserving family photographs, and ensuring that information on them carries on to the next generation who will welcome the photos into their protection.

Here are a few closeups of some of our ancestor photos on the wall. It was challenging to take photos due to glare from windows and height of some. I hope you are preserving and enjoying your family treasures.

 

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 15

 

This photo was taken circa 1920-1921 and shows Annie, Florence and Luella Elgie and their pet lamb at the Elgie Farm.

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 14

 

The handwriting on this photo is not Florence Elgie's writing. I suspect it is her mother Mary Louise Facey Elgie's handwriting. 

Here we have a lovely candid photo of Edith Wilford Day, Annie Edythe Elgie (1912-1979), Florence Marian Elgie (1914-1996) and Verda Luella Elgie (1917-2009 and husband's grandmother) 

Edith Wilford Day was the daughter of James Walter Wilford (1872-1942) and Annie Kilpatrick. James was the son of William Wilford and Anne MacKay and the brother of Margaret Wilford who married Samuel Facey

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 13

 

 

This photo is labelled "Ernie Elgie, Grandma Elgie (Susan Baker Elgie), Irene Elgie"

 

Susan Baker was my husband's 2nd great-grandmother. She was born in 1845 in Ontario and died in 1931 in W. Nissouri Township Ontario. She married William Elgie in 1869.

I do not know how Ernie Elgie fits into the Elgie family tree but I'm sure some of our Elgie cousins will let me know!

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 12

Grace Burrel and Warren Haves. This photo looks like it was taken in the 1920s.

I believe Warren was the son of Robert Haves and Redigon Facey. Redigon was the daughter of Samuel Facey and Margaret Wilford.

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 11

Four Generations!

My mother-in-law Helena being held by her mother Luella Elgie. Woman on right with white bow is  Helena's 2nd great grandmother Margaret Wilford Facey and the other woman is Helena's grandmother Mary Louise Facey Elgie.

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 10

 

Another great candid shot! These photos were taken in the 1920s and I love how often family members got together. It looks like they had a lot of fun too.

Here we have Sarah Trucksell, Margaret Facey, Mary Elgie (mother, meaning Mary Louise Facey Elgie, the mother of Florence Elgie who owned this album), and Aunt Edith Facey

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 9

 

What a great candid photo! It looks like these two are having fun doing the dishes. The woman, identified as Ethel Finch, is no doubt having quite a chuckle over the man, Roy Facey, wearing an apron and doing "woman's work"!

Roy Facey was born in 1890 and was the brother of my husband's great-grandmother Mary Louise Facey Elgie. I believe that Ethel is the 27 year old daughter of Hugh and Mary Finch found in the 1921 census for St. Mary's Ontario. 

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 8

 

What a great photo! You can see what it says on the reverse (image below) but I'll list the people left to right starting with the front row:

On grass: Donna Bragg, Helena Massey (my mother-in-law), Luella Conn (Helena's mother) 

Middle row seated: William Elgie  holding Roberta Bragg, Joan Elgie, Mary Louise Facey Elgie, Margaret Wilford Facey

Back row standing: Florence Elgie Hooper, Harry Elgie, Annie Elgie

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 7

This photo taken in 1916 shows William Elgie and his wife Mary Louise Facey with their children Harry (b. 1907), Anne (b. 1912) and baby Florence (b. 1914).


This photo is labelled "Miss Bradbury (Ingersoll) & Annie Edythe Elgie Mitchell"

Unfortunately we have Annie Edythe Elgie married to Robert Bragg so we cannot explain the reference to her as Mitchell.

There was one more tiny photo, which looked like it had been torn from a larger one, tucked into the plastic sleeve with the photo dated 1916.


This photo is labelled "Grandma Facey, Annie Edythe Elgie Mitchell". Grandma Facey is Margaret Wilford, wife of Samuel Facey. Annie Edythe was her granddaughter and daughter of William Elgie and Mary Louise Facey.

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 6

"Harry Elgie at Lot 24, Concession 7, East Nissouri. the Will Elgie Farm, now Harry Elgie Farm"

As near as I can tell, the Harry Elgie in this photo is Harry the son of William Elgie and Mary Louise Facey. Harry was born in E. Nissouri in 1907, and married Madge Brown in 1936.



On back of photo is this notation: "Sam and Margaret Facey. Grandpa & Grandma Facey." Underneath is a notation that seems to read "Of Anne Elgie Mitchell"

I am not sure what the second notation refers to, because I only know of two Anne Elgie women - one married Alexander Pelton, the other married Robert Bragg and was the mother of Roberta who inherited these photos from her Aunt Florence.

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 5

 

A nice photo identified as "Grandpa Facey (Samuel Facey), Mrs. Henry Haves, Mrs Haves (Granny) and Grandma Facey (Margaret Wilford)" 

Redigon Facey, a daughter of Samuel Facey and Margaret Wilford, married Robert Haves and this could be the connection.

This photo is labelled as Jennie Mary (Rennie?) and Margaret Wilford Facey

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 4

This photo is labelled "taken 1914" and the individuals are identified as "Fred & Annie (Facey) Rogers at Grandpa Facey's Farm"  The reference to Grandpa Facey refers to Samuel Facey (1857-1930), my mother-in-law's grandfather.

This photo is of my husband's great-grandparents Mary and William Elgie, and their daughters Florence (1914-1996), Annie (1912-1979) and Luella (1917-2009). Luella was my husband's grandmother. Annie married Robert Bragg and she was the mother of Roberta who passed this family treasure trove on to my husband's mother. The box was found in Florence's home after she died in 1996.

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 3

 

On this album page we have a photo identified as the silo on William Elgie's farm which was Lot 24, Concession 9, East Nissouri Ontario

On the same page in the album is this photo labelled Mary & Hugh Finch [with] daughter Ethel. Friends of Facey family at St. Mary's

A search of the 1921 census for St. Mary's finds Hugh Finch age 60, wife Mary age 48 and daughter Ethel 27 years old, along with son William 19 and daughter Irma age 10 . Based on the appearance of Hugh and Mary in this photo, and their clothing, I am fairly certain this photo was taken in the mid 1920s which means the young girl identified as Ethel cannot be correct. I suspect this is their daughter Irma who is age 10 in the 1921 census. 

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 2

 

This is a lovely casual outdoor photo probably taken in the early 1920s at William Facey's farm. William aka Will (1884-1958) was the brother of Mary Louise Facey Elgie. He was married to Edith Wiseman and we see the name Edith on the reverse of the photo.

On the reverse we find identifications but it is challenging to know what names go with what individual. 

Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album p 1

One of the items that was in the treasure trove of family memories from my husband's great grandmother was a 1960s style blue photo album. But inside were photos dating back to the 1920s.

Inside the front cover is a wealth of written information giving the history of Will Elgie's farm, beginning in 1834 with its purchase from the Canada Company. Because the writing was difficult to read, I converted the photo I took to make it slightly easier on the eyes. 















The first page of the blue Mary Facey Elgie Photo Album contains two photos. Sam Facey, who died in 1930, is in the top photo so that helps date it to circa 1920s.

On the reverse of this photo is written  

"Sam Facey   William (son)   Margaret Facey

Springbank"

Sam Facey was my husband's 2nd great-grandfather. Sam was born 11 Jan 1857 in Ingersoll Ontario. In 1879 he married Margaret (Maggie) Wilford, who was born in Dereham Township. Oxford County Ontario in 1859. 

Sam's parents Edmund Facey and Mary Little, were born in Cornwall England and immigrated to Canada in 1852. Margaret's father, William Wilford was born in Cheshire England. Her mother Anne McKay was born in Scotland. William and Annie were married in Oxford County Ontario in 1857.