Tidbits and Tall Tales

From: Bill Galloway

Generation 1:
Elizabeth McCulloch (surname is unclear on the document), married William Laurie and they had a daughter Mary, who was born 1847. William Laurie was an agricultural labourer.
William Galloway, also an agricultural labourer married Jane, an Irish lady, who was born circa 1816.  They had a son, David born about 1853.

Generation 2:
David Galloway married Mary from above.  They were married on 28th July 1871. Note that he was 6 years younger than she. By this time, his father, William, and Mary's father, also William were both dead.  I have a copy of their marriage entry (page 6 in the Parish of Kirkmaiden marriages, entry number 11).  It is from here that I see Mary's
mother's maiden name  to be Elizabeth McCulloch. The witnesses included
a name which looks like David McCutchan.
I think that Mary already had a son, Robert born 1869.  Since she also went by the name Mary Laurie McDonald, it is possible that this son was by a liaison with a McDonald.  The marriage entry records her as a spinster. I do not have proof of Robert's parentage.
After the marriage, Jane was born on 13th October 1871 in Inch, Wigtownshire, in the Galloway area of Scotland. I am awaiting documentation on that birth.
The family emigrated to Canada, probably around 1872, but possibly as late as early 1874.  It's unlikely they would have gone at the onset of winter in 1871, especially with a new baby. They took 2 Janes with them; their daughter Jane, and David's Mother Jane, the Irish lady, and Robert.

The Galloway children following were born in Canada; Mary Elizabeth (circa 1874), William (July 7, 1875); Anna (circa 1878); John Laurels (March 01, 1871 in Huntley Ontario); Rebecca born 3rd October 1880. The William of July 7, 1875 is my GrandFather.
Wee Rebecca died within months. Her birth is registered as 032441 in the Schedule A births Dundas county, division of Iroquois.
At this time, the family seemed to have lived in the village of Iroquois in Dundas County, Ontario.  There is a Knox Iroquois church there today, and since they were Presbyterian, I wonder if they might have worshipped there.
We know that the family also moved back to Scotland some time after Rebecca died in 1880, and I would guess it would have to be 1881 spring at the earliest.

William Galloway (born July 1875) married Catherine Bruce on December 20th 1898 in Hutcheson,  Glasgow. He became an architect and  formed his own company, Thompson
Moir and Galloway. He spent much of his professional life in Accra, West Africa. Their home was in Giffnock, Glasgow.
Mary Elizabeth Galloway married Kenneth Sinclair.
John Laurels Galloway married Lilian Fanny Lamont.  He became a missionary and eventually died in Portuguese Macau.

Generation 3:
William Galloway and Catherine Bruce had 4 children: Anna Ross, David Bruce, William Gordon and Alexander Leslie (born 1911, Glasgow). He is my father.
Anna Ross married Clifford Cunningham. They were both dentists and saw extensive service in Nigeria.

Generation 4:
Alexander Leslie Galloway married Charma Lockhart Rae Whyte in Glasgow, 1938.
They had two children, and I am the younger of them.

I have other information on some of the branches of the family, and some ancestry on my mother, Charma Lockhart Rae Whyte, and a little on my grandmother Catherine Bruce.  She came from Caithness area.

This information is freely shared. It is not for sale.  In the above, I have tried to indicate when I have proof and when I am merely making an intelligent guess. Please be cognisant that all geneological research is subject to a certain error rate. Spellings change, and children may not be genetically related to one or both parents who raised them. If
you become aware of errors in the above, or have doubts, please do pass them back to me.

(Dr) Bill Galloway, Canada
(wrgallo@ibm.net)


From: Bob Parks

Here is a news article kept in the family.  Newspaper unknown probably in Greenville, MA, USA

From an old newspaper article (Ca. July 14, 1902) it says:

"Greenville folk got another surprise a few days ago when Albert N. MILLER who was thought to be a confirmed bachelor, brought to that section a bride.  Miller, who is  connected with a boat building concern, is known by nearly everyone in Greenville.

He left home a few days ago ostensibly to visit relatives at Ogdensburg N.Y., where he lived until a few years ago.

When only a boy while on a trip to Iroquois, Canada, he met Miss Louise Bolte of that city. He fell in love with her, but in view of the fact that Miss Bolte was only about 14 years old and he was a little more than a year older, the wedding was deferred.  Miss Bolte reciprocated Miller's feelings and she promised to wait for him.  Miller has prospered since and last week, without saying anything to his Greenville friends, he went to Canada to claim his bride.

The ceremony was performed by Rev. S. N. SUMMERVILLE. Mr and Mrs William Bolte, parents of the bride, were present.

The couple spent two days at Niagara Falls and then came to this city.  They are now visiting at Boulevard and Linden Avenue.

Last night Mr. and Mrs Miller gave a party in celebration of the event.  Many prominent Greenville people were present."
 

Albert Noble MILLER was b. 1 Jun, 1879, d. 13 Nov, 1949,
Louise Jane (BOLTE) Miller, b. 14 Jul, 1880, d.1.Dec, 1974

If anyone can locate the marriage cetificate and/or any info on their parents it would be appreciated.

Bob Parks and Jacqueline (Miller) Parks


From: Gail Spanier

This is taken from the same Dundas Co newspaper (name unknown) as the bear attack story
and is also written in the 1940's about life in pioneer days.

Courtships Often Began at Wake. Interesting Story of Pioneers

Corpses for Many Years were "Laid Out" on Boards. Coffins Often Not Ready Till Just Before the Funeral Procession Was Ready To Start.  "Criers" Were Feature of All Works.

Nowadays when a person dies nobody sees the deceased till the undertaker has done his work and the deceased is lying in his or her coffin.
According to Mr Henry Carson, a person in the pioneer days was not placed in the coffin till just before the funeral was ready to start.
When a person died, he or she was placed on a wide board and kept shrouded till the funeral.  It often happened that the board was a community board and was used in the case of adult deaths.
The reason the board was used for the corpse was that the coffin had to be made, and making of the coffin sometimes took time.  Coffins were made either by the family or kind neighbors.  The coffins were usually made from pine boards, but sometimes from hardwood.  Sometimes they were painted
black or grey and sometimes they were covered with black cloth or black cotton.
The coffins seldom had interior decorations.

As To Wakes

In the districts around Crysler, Cannamore and Chesterville, where there were quite a few Irish Catholic settlers, the wakes usually lasted two nights.  Both Catholics and Protestants, however, attended the wakes.
The "criers" were always features of the wakes.  People who heard a real good crier could never forget what they heard.  The criers were weird in the extreme and very hard to describe.
But while the cries were weird, the wakes were not gloomy.  At every wake tobacco and clay pipes were provided by the family, and a liberal amount of whiskey as well.  Mr. Carson says he had heard of cases where courtships which ended in marriage, were started at wakes.
Many a young man has fallen in love with a girl at a wake and walked home with her.


From: Marie C. Schroeder

I have a "tidbit".....I noticed this Cook family from Ontario in an 1897 SW Minn. biography of Norman J. Cook a farmer living in Brown County, Minn.
None are my relatives, but I thought this info might be useful to someone so am sending it.

William A. Cook ("of English descent") and Sally (Casselian) Cook ("of German descent"). Wm. was a lumberman.  Sally was a member of the Lutheran Church. William and Sally were the parents of: Catherine, Caroline, Maria, Daniel, John, Norman J. (born Feb 24, 1847 in Williamsburg) and George, all living in 1897. Two deceased children, Simon died at age 51 and Sarah at age 18.
Norman enlisted in "British" army in 1866. He moved to the US in 1867, to Wis, later to Minn.
Norman married Mary Keegon in 1878 in Minn.

NOTE: I have NO other info on these people (NO dates, locations, spouses, ancestors or descendants) but would forward the complete biography.
Also, I have found errors in other biog. from this book so take it for clues, not definitive source.

This is also posted on the "COOK" GenForum site.  Marie


From: Gail Spanier

One of the families in my direct line (through my paternal grandmother) is the
SMITH family of Mountain Township who were originally from Aberdeenshire
in Scotland: John Smith (1750 -1817) and his wife Janet and their son Peter
Smith (1791-1871) and his wife Electa (1791 - 1841).  The following is a
story  that appeared in an Ontario newspaper (name of the paper is unknown)
sometime in the 1940's. The actual events are said to have taken place in
the1840's.....it would seem that life was tough for humans and bears alike a
hundred and fifty years ago!

 Wife Fought Bear With Torch; Bravely Saved Husband's Life

Story from Mountain Which Shows That Pioneers Had Plenty of Thrills, Even if
They Did Not have Plenty of Amusement. Bear Knocked Ladder Down
Caused Spill.

In the days of the pioneers" life was real, life was earnest."  The pioneers did
not have much amusement, but believe us, they had plenty of thrills.  Take for
example the story of the night adventure of John Smith of Mountain, with a
bear.
The incident about to be told happened in the 40's. John Smith had made a
small clearance around his home and had a corn patch among other things.  The
bears took a fancy to Mr. Smith's corn.
One night, with perhaps lack of discretion, or knowledge of bears, John Smith
walked boldly into into his corn patch with his muzzle loader, to wait for the
bear.
Suddenly a bear cub broke into the corn.  Not seeing the cub's mother, Mr.
Smith decided to capture the cub.  He laid down his gun and fell on the cub.  The cub squealed.

                      Cub's Mother Came

In half a minute the she-bear was on Smith's back and was tearing him for fair.
Mr. Smith yelled for help.  Mrs. Smith, who was sitting up awaiting her
husband's return, heard the cry.  With the fearlessness of the pioneer wife, she
grabbed a brand from the fireplace and started to the rescue.  The fire, poked
into the bear's face was too much for her; she beat a retreat.  The husband was
helped into the house, and his wounds treated.

                        Made a Ladder

Mr. Smith felt humiliated and swore to get even with that she-bear.
The next day,  though feeling pretty sore, he made a ladder from tree boughs.
That night he set the ladder up against a tree near the house and sat in the rungs.

                       Brought Torches

In due time the she-bear came, and it so happened that the tree was in the
bear's line of approach.  Whether from accident or design the bear knocked the
ladder down and Mr. Smith was thrown to the ground.  He shouted for help.
This time Mrs. Smith was ready with a couple of gum-soaked pine branches.
These she lighted at the hearth fire and sallied out.  The gum-soaked pine
branches acted as torches.  Mr. Smith saw a bear about 10 fet from him. he
bear fell-dead. The slugs from the muzzle-loader had done their work.
In the morning Mr. Smith found that it was the she-bear he had killed.  He was
avenged.

                        Made Scaffold

A couple of days later, Mr. Smith's son, Peter (who had been away) returned.
He announced his intention of getting the he-bear.  He did not, however, take
the chances his father had taken, but built a scaffold, or safety platform near the
route the bears usually took.

                       Waited For Bear

The night the scaffold was completed son Peter lay down on it and waited for
the bear.  By the light of the stars he could be seen shuffling along.  When the
bear passed the scaffold the muzzle of Peter Smith's gun was close.  The shot
set fire to the bear's hair.  The bear, mortally wounded, ran into the corn field
instead of the bush, and there fell.
For a time the Smiths were not troubled with bear depredations.


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