52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2019: Week 1 - Firsts

Until I started researching my family history, I had no idea that any of my ancestors came to Canada before 1900. My grandparents, William Iles and Emily Lillian "Lil" Iles, nee Dudley, came to Canada in 1905. I didn't even know the year when I first started but I did know that they were both born in England, as was their first child, my aunt May. I knew my great-grandparents, George Iles and wife Emily Iles, nee Pugh, also came to Canada. It turns out that they didn't come together. The children came with their mother also in 1905. The passenger record shows that they knew that they were coming to Owen Sound. George came earlier but I have yet to find a passenger record for him.

Further research led to discovering when others came from England or Scotland. But who were the first of my ancestors to come to Canada? 

In 1993, I learned that my Stöber [Stoeber], later going by Stiver, arrived as part of a group in 1794 under the leadership of William Berczy. They settled in Markham Township, York County, Ontario. It was because of what I learned in the book, Markham, 1794-1900, I was able to make the connection.  The discovery of the group, the Markham Berczy Settlers Association, allowed me to learn more about their story. These ancestors had not come from either England or Scotland. They had left in 1792 what would become Germany.

Until you start to study your family history, you may not know who were your first ancestors to arrive in the country where you reside. 

© 2019 Janet Iles