Black Sheep Canadian Ancestors

Do you call a person a black sheep if they took part in a riot? My fourth great grandfather, Johan Niclaus Stoeber (Stiver) took part in "a riot" before coming to Canada.

In 1792, the Stoeber family left what is now Germany, as part of a group that left Europe under the leadership of William Berczy to come to America. They were to get about 23 acres of land (20 acres of woodland and 3 of pasture) in the land of the Genesee "for six years as tenants bound to deliver half the crop, with the right of preemption, at a 10 percent discount after the expiraton of the agreement. Funds for the passage as well as for supplies were forwarded to them by the [Genesee] Association and were to be repaid during the following six years."

The men worked at cutting the Williamson Road (named for Charles Williamson who built the Benjamin Patterson Inn at Painted Post, New York). The settlers endured many hardships.

Berczy and Williamson did not get along. On 28 July 1793, Williamson, it is reported, made three demands that Berczy would not accept
1. the settlers should accept Williamson as the leader
2. the contracts should be changed
3. the settlers should draw two or three months supply of beef, or pork, and flour.

Reluctantly, Berczy let Williamson speak to the settlers. The settlers refused to accept Williamson as their leader.

"Williamson then threatened to cut off their support. At this, they became angry and started hurling questions at Williamson: where were the promised mills and our church?" Berczy was able to quieten the settlers and Williamson promised them oxen.

29 July 1793 - Day of the Riot
A doctor, who had been hired by Williamson to spread rumours about Berczy, amongst the German settlers, told the settlers that Williamson was willing to forgive all their debts if they left the country. When the settlers asked Williamson about this, he said it was untrue. The doctor took back what he said, but the settlers "gave the doctor a few good blows." Williamson withdrew his offer of oxen, but this angered the settlers so they took oxen out of his barns in Williamsburg.

In August while Berczy and four of the men were in New York, Ontario County officials arrested "the most 'unruly' of the settlers . . . and put them in the Canandaigua jail to await trial. With the aid of the German Society, Berczy was able to get an injunction that "forbade Williamson from further troubling Berczy or his settlers."

The Trial - 30 October 1793

Fifteen of the settlers were tried.

The indictment:

with force and arms to wit with clubs and guns, with an intention to disturb the peace of the said people at the Town of Genesee, unlawfully riotously and routously assembled and met together and being so assembled together in and upon one Charles Williamson, then and there being in the peace of God and the people of the State of New York, made an assault on him the said Charles Williamson and him then and there did evilly treat and other wrongs then and there did to the said Charles Williamson to the great damage of the said Charles Williamson and against the peace of God and the people of the State of New York and their dignity.

The men named as "perpetrators of this 'evil deed' included Johan Nielas Staver" who would be my fourth great grandfather. They were found guilty and given a light fine, which, it is said they were able to pay off by working for the people of Canandaigua.

The "Berczy Settlers" left the area the following spring and headed to Upper Canada after working out a deal with Lord Graves Simcoe.

As far as I know, this was John Stiver's only confrontation with the law.

Information about the above is from the booklet, The Land of the Genesee : retracing the route of the Berczy Settler Ancestors by way of the Williamson Road, 1792-1794, Williamsport, Penn to Markham, Ont., October 23-26, 1996 : Background Booklet prepared by Bob Shank and Lorne Smith.

To learn more about the Markham Berczy Settlers, visit the website

Wordless Wednesday

photo by Janet Iles 2009 (on one of the side roads not far from home)

Uncle, Uncle - I have seven

Uncle, Uncle - do I have uncles? I certainly do. I will introduce each of them and share a couple of special remembrances of each of them. I can't name a favourite as honestly, I can't say one is a favourite over the others.


Ladies first -- so I will start with my mother's brothers. She had two brothers - Everett and Ross.


Everett was the first boy in the family. He married a Manitoulin Island girl and they moved to Southern Ontario -- living in Owen Sound, Collingwood and Kitchener. Our family visited them regularly. My nephew looks very much like his great uncle. When I was doing my practice work at the Kitchener Public Library, I stayed with them.


Ross was born next. He lived all his life on the Manitoulin. He had a dairy farm and was the AI technician so he was well known as he travelled to different farms. He was also good at calling square dances and he loved to tell jokes.


Now my dad had five brothers. Clarence was the eldest boy. Clarence was employed at the Empire Stove that later became Moffats. The company was taken over by Graham Bell Enameling for a brief period, and it was with this firm that he moved to Streetsville, Ontario. Clarence had a beautiful tenor voice and often sang solos.


Next came Wilf. Wilf was a butcher and worked for my dad in his supermarkets. Wilf had a great bass voice and he too sang solos.


After my dad came Cliff. Cliff is the only one still living. Cliff worked in the produce department and I worked alongside him during my high school years.


Next came Emmanuel Kenneth (known by the family as Manny). Manny worked in the Insurance field for many years and he moved away from this area. He returned to this area and worked in Trust companies.


One special remembrance of Manny happened in January 1982. We were headed out on a trip the same day he was so, he travelled to Toronto with us. We were headed to Antigua. After a wonderful trip, we were ready to head home. We left the airport hotel on the Sunday morning and headed north. At Orangeville, the road was closed. What should we do? Let's go across to Highway 6 and try coming home that way.



We arrived in Durham. Manny was sitting in the front seat with my dad. We stopped for a few minutes. Sure, we can see well enough to continue. We didn't get far out of town, when we were stopped. The road was closed. We were told to follow a car back to town where they would find all the stranded people places to stay for the night. We lucked out and were able to stay with friends. Uncle Manny got to experience this adventure with us.


The youngest was Bill. He lived in Owen Sound but he didn't work for my dad. He had a great sense of humour. He was a bread man for many years and worked later as a school custodian and was well loved by the teachers and students.


So that is my short introduction to each of my special uncles. (This does not include my uncles by marriage. - perhaps, I will introduce them to you some day.)

Bound for Mom Milepost #4 The World is Not Flat

My mom began the first years of her life living on the largest freshwater island in the world, Manitoulin Island. I do not know how often she had the chance to leave The Island (often referred to in this manner) before she left to come to Owen Sound to take her C-special at the high school here.

As a family, we travelled to different places in Canada and the United States on family vacations. While we were still in high school, she and my dad had the opportunity to take some very special trips with others who owned IGA supermarkets. Now, let me see if I can remember some of the places they travelled to -- Hawaii, Las Vegas, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Aruba . . . These trips were well deserved as they both worked long hours.

After their retirement, I also got to tag along on some of their trips -- Cuba, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic, England . . .

My mother and I took several very special trips together after my dad's passing. We travelled to Newfoundland, visited a couple of Caribbean Islands, took a Rhine Cruise and went to Oberammergau for the Passion Play, took a cruise on the Danube with stops in some interesting countries and, of course, we went back to Manitoulin.

My mother enjoyed the trips she took. She enjoyed the anticipation and the planning for the trip, the trip itself and remembering the trips through the pictures in the photo albums. My mother kept a travel diary. Her detailed descriptions of each day, including the food that was eaten, bring to life her trips. My mother knew the world wasn't flat and she was thankful that she had the opportunity to expand her horizons through travel.

Easter 1949

Easter 1949 (April 17) - Marion with Nancy and Bob Iles

Happy Easter

Smile for the Camera - A Noble Life - William G Iles

William George Iles, photo above taken during World War I, place and date unknown from the photograph album "Army Pictures" of Harold B. Iles, in the possession of Janet Iles

I haven chosen my paternal grandfather for a portrait of a noble life. I was very fortunate that in the early years of my life, my family lived right across the road from my grandparents.

Born in Naunton, Gloucestershire, England on 1 February 1885, he was the eldest son of George Iles and Emily Pugh. Because of the nature of his father's work as a bone and rag man, hawker and later a grocery carter, the family moved many times as found in the birth registrations of William's siblings and the census records. By 1900, the family was living in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, where William's baby sister Lily was born.

William was employed with the railways in England. In 1903, he married Emily Lily Dudley. He emigrated in 1905 from Birmingham England, with his wife and young daughter, May, his mother and siblings. It is believed that his father had come to Canada the previous year.

In World War I, William served his country with the 58th Canadian Infantry Battalion in France as a bandsman and a stretcher bearer. He left his young family to go overseas.

William was employed as a nickle-plater with the Empire Stove and Furniture company in Owen Sound for 45 years. Last year, I was talking to someone who had worked with my grandfather. My grandfather became a foreman and he was remembered as being a kind person

William began playing cornet as a boy of 14 in England and he soon joined a Salvation Army Band. When he came to Canada, he reorganized the Salvation Army Band in Owen Sound. He was its leader. He also took over leadership of the Legion Band that eventually became the Owen Sound City band. It is through his work with the brass bands in the city, he became best known. He taught many young people how to play a brass instrument.

Bound for Mom Milepost #3 - Driving Lessons

Driving Lessons: along every mile with Mom there was usually a lesson or something to be learned – whether it was obvious to you then or now. Collect her “Momisms,” her favorite sayings, her tips and tricks – all the neat stuff she gave you so you’d make your own journey safely.

It is hard to pinpoint the things that I learned from my mom.

Mother is always right. I learned that on a trip when she was telling me how to remember which towels were hers on the rod. "Mother is always right."

She taught me that I had to be careful using a knife when I cut food. I have a challenge it seems in using knives and I was known to cut a finger once in awhile while helping in the kitchen, never really seriously, just enough to get out of the job. I remember cutting my thumb when preparing cabbages at the store before putting them on the counter. I had a scar from that for a long time.

When I forget to close a kitchen cupboard door, I can hear her reminder.

I think I learned from my mom, not just from her words, but her actions.

When at the grocery store, sort your food into produce, meat, canned goods as you put them on the checkout. In the old days before scanners that was important for the cashier (I speak from experience.) Now it is important as I remind the cashier and my packer that I don't always unload all my groceries when I get home so I want to be able to identify the cold food so they go in the refrigerator and the freezer.

It is important to be at church on Sunday morning even if you had a late night. (The doesn't happen very often these days.) Just because you babysat on Saturday night and got home late, it wasn't a reason not to be up for church.

She taught me the importance of being kind and trying to see different people's points of view.

I wonder how my siblings would answer this question?

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - I thought it was spring

April 7, 2009

This is what it looked like on April 5, 2009

photos by Janet Iles

Writing things out

I read an interesting article on Copyblogger by guest poster Dave Navarro that got me thinking. The topic had nothing to do with genealogy. -- "How To Get Great Copywriters to Mentor You For Free". In a nutshell, he promoted the idea of writing out by hand, preferably, writing styles etc. that you like.

When you read someone else’s copy, you might say to yourself “I need to use that style,” or “I’d never write like that,” but you’re only doing a superficial analysis (and you’re prone to distraction, to boot). But when you write by hand, you slow down. You engage the part of your brain that creates, not just the part that takes in the sights, and it changes your perspective.

He goes on to describe how writing it out will "challenge your muscle memory".


Now how does that apply to genealogy?

I thought of a couple of ways.

Transcribing a document - When you take the time to write it out (or type out if you don't have readable handwriting) you are

• concentrating on each word
• learning the standard wording of typical documents of that type

Learning how to write family histories or case studies. The point is not to copy someone's work in your articles/books etc. but to improve your writing as outlined above

As you hand write (print) names on a family tree (in pencil of course as you will likely make changes), you are concentrating on the names, dates and places.

The 5th standard in the genealogical proof standard is "a soundly reasoned, coherently written conclusion." When we write things out, we are thinking things through.

We learn by different ways. We may favour one over the other but generally it is helpful to learn by multiple means. Writing by hand is tactile/physical/kinesthetic learning. As I prepare to teach a night school course on genealogy at the end of April, I want to keep in mind all the various ways people learn so that we have variety and to give the students time to write things out.

Do you think it helps to write things out?

Love Family ca 1902

This photo shows my grandfather, great-grandparents and my great great grandparents and some of my great aunts.

The photo is a precious one and was part of the Margaret Love collection. The original photo is very faint now. It is in sepia tones but the above was scanned as black and white. It is mounted on cardboard. The inscription on the back is "our house at home when Grace was small about 1902". Grace was born 21 August 1898. She is the one in the arms of my grandfather on the right. I think she looks younger than 3 so the photo may have been taken earlier than 1902.

On the photos, someone, likely Margaret, has placed an initial on each person. These markings are faint.

The photo shows from left to right.

James Love (1852-1914), Elizabeth Fields Love (nee Robinson) (1859-1932), [my great grandparents]

in front Margaret Love (1896-1979)

Laura Love (1888-1975)

John Robinson (1828? - 1905), Jane Robinson (nee Fields) (1829-?) [my great great grandparents]

Ethel Love (1891-1957)

Cora Love (1881-1972) She marries in 1903

John Thomas Love (1884-1961) [my paternal grandfather]

and in his arms Grace Love (1898-1971)

In the background, is most likely Josias Hopkins who was to marry Cora Love. There is a letter J on him that I hadn't noticed until today.

James and Elizabeth Love had also four other children who died quite young.

Bound for Mom Milepost #2 - Roadside Cafe

My mom was a good cook. I don't think I would call her a gourmet cook but food was always tasty and of course, prepared with love. I can't recall any disasters in the cooking department.

My mom had a number of recipe books. -- Special is the one with the handwritten notes by her sister. She had church cookbooks, sold as fundraisers. Several she received as hostess gifts when we had billets stay during conferences. When our church put together cookbooks from favourite recipes submitted by the women of the church, my mom would have hers included. I can't find the one that was well used.

I did find one with just recipes for soups 'n stews. She submitted "Pumpkin Soup" and one called "Supper Soup" that featured Italian sweet sausage. In a tiny booklet with just cookie recipes, hers was called "Secrets"

Secrets
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup butter
4 Tbsp coconut
pinch of salt
34 arrowroot cookies
24 coloured miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup red & green cherries

Mix together sugar, eggs, butter, coconut and salt. Cook until thick, then cool. Crush arrowroot cookies. Mix with marshmallows, nuts, cherries and add to cooled mixture. Put in greased 8 x 8 pan and refrigerate.

When you look at cookbooks from your own church and/or community, the names bring back memories of the person who provided their favourites.

In the collection are several from the local Salvation Army, some from Manitoulin Island, Shallow Lake, Waterloo, etc.

She also cut out recipes from magazines and gathered them together in binders.

Roast beef or pork were served on alternating Saturdays when I grew up. In the latter years, mom had a number of delicious ways to serve chicken and fish.

Mom regularly served the hot meal at noon. When I was working, even if she had been down at the church in the morning, she'd be home in time to get a meal ready. As I got out of the car, I would often hear the beep, beep of the microwave as something was given the last minute warm up.

My nephews and niece enjoyed my mom's cooking too. As they left the table, you would always hear, "Thanks Grandma."

Do I ever miss my mom and her cooking!