Articles of Interest
                  from past newsletters

Family History

A Brief History of William & Elizabeth Winfield

by Charles M. Coulter

This article first appeared in the November 1988 newsletter, Volume 4 - Number 2

William W. Winfield and his wife Elizabeth Kay Winfield brought their family to Hunphrey Township in the District of Parry Sound around 1868. They settled lot 25 in the 9th and 10th Concessions at Port Cockburn. They had previously farmed at Vachell in Georgina Township. William and Elizabeth married in 1855.
William was born in England and was one of seven children. He and his family came to Canada in 1832. His father was John Winfield born c 1791 and his mother was Catherine Dunn Winfield born c 1800. William's brother and sisters are shown below:

1. James Winfield born 1821 m Mary RAE born 1816 lived in Sunderland.
2. Charles Winfield born 1822 m Mary KAY lived in Vachell.
3. George Winfield born 1825 m Catherine STEVENSON lived in Vachell
4. Julianne Winfield born 1828 m Henry SALABURY lived Georgina
5. Sarah Winfield born 1832 m James LYONS lived Georgina
6. Agnes Winfield born 1835 m George Henry THAYER lived Georgina

William and Elizabeth had nine children living on the farme in Hunphrey Township as confirmed by the census 1871 and 1881.

1. Mary Ann Winfield born 1858 m Henry James DRURY
2. Joseph Winfield born 1859
3. Martha Winfield born 1862
4. Sarah Corthen born 1864
5. Edith Winfield born 1866 m 1. CRONK 2.Sandy LELOWN
6. Elizabeth Winfield born 1867
7. William Winfield born 1875
8. Ellen Winfield born 1878
9. Frederick Winfield born 1881 died 1900 (19 yrs 4 mos)

William and Elizabeth lived to old age and are buried in Hillcrest Cemetery in Parry Sound.

At present considerable effort is being made to locate descendants of the Winfield children as a part of an extensive research program now in progress. We would like to update this family with names and addresses of the descendants to the present day. These efforts are being coordinated by Mr. Charles M. Coulter, 1736 Woods Drive, Arlington, Texas, 76010. Much information is available on request. We would hope as a result of this brief history, that enough descendants can be found to keep this family alive.

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Our Scattered Family

by Lily Corson

This article first appeared in the November 1988 newsletter, Volume 4 - Number 2

William Henry CORSON married Cordelia COMFORT December 13, 1842 in Grimsby Township, Lincoln County, Ontario. Both were born in Gainsborough Township, Lincoln County. He February 20, 1824 and she May 1, 1826. They are buried in Bexley Township, Victoria County.

There were 12 children born to this marriage. The first, a son, was William Adolphus born October 19, 1843. He married Mary Ann McMasters 9b Jan. 5, 1843, d Aug.26, 1896 on December 20, 1864. She is buried Mt. Hope Cemetery, Brighton. Family tradition has Capt. Billy, as he was known, drowning in Lake Erie. The date recieved from a relative was 1909. Apparently there were 3 children of this marriage.

Next child we have as "Marie", b November 7, 1845.We knew nothing more of her until a researcher happened to see an entry in the Lincoln County Marriages. It reads:
- "Elizabeth McCourson". All the other data was correct.
She married Ealkney DINGMAN. Then no more was known until while searching the 1881 census the family was located in Muskoka Township in the District of Muskoka. The listing was:

DINGMAN, Ealkney              38    Ont. E.Meth    German    labourer
                        Maria              35
             Louis Welling             15 baker
                   Wilbert L.            12
                     Nancy J.            10
                    Louisa C.              6
                    Robert C.             4
                       Herbert              1
DINGMAN, Louis Franklin    22

I would appreciate any further information on this family. We have tried for years to find "our roots". William Henry was called a cousin of the family of Rev. Robert Corson the saddlebag preacher of early days but where he fitted in no one seems to know. He is not mentioned in the wills of any known relatives which we have located. But then wills are often very partial. Lately I have found that a son of Rev. Robert was married and had a daughter, yet no mention of her has ever been made in family records.

The other ten children all married and moved away. One went to British Columbia, another to Spokane, Washington, others settled in Toronto while some remained in Bexley Township in Victoria County. Even stranger, if true, is the fact that one member is buried in a Lindsay, Ontario Cemetery while his tombstone is in Bexley!

I am related through marriage to the 10th child, Benjamen and would like to find more relatives so we can put the family tree together. The first CORSON we have record of is Daniel Corson (1863, Sussex Co. N.J. USA) -1849 (Brantford Ont.) His wife was Rebecca LAWRASON (Larrison in the States)

I have the Larrison chart, but nothing for Daniel-no marriage date, and nothing on Rebecca. They came to Canada with the Nathaniel Pettit group and were related. This would be about 1787. They settled in Clinton Township Lincoln County. Two sons and a Daniel (father? son) served in the War of 1812 - 1814.

The book, "Father Corson" is a record of the life and gospel labours of Rev. Robert Corson, a son of Daniel and Rebecca. We can find six children. One of them, Esther, married a Timothy WOOD on September 22, 1807. If anyone can help I would appreciate it very much. Also, if anyone wants to share information I will be happy to do so.

Lily Corson, P.O. Box 41, Plenty, Saskatchewan SOL 2RO.

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McLennan Family

by Reeta Lightburn

This article first appeared in the November 1988 newsletter, Volume 4 - Number 2

I have been told that 9 McLennan brothers migrated to Canada from the Highlands of Scotland in the 1840's. Roderick, born about 1818 in Inverness, Scotland, was one of these brothers. In about 1847 he married Eliza Jane FOSTER, born January 8, 1830 in Yorkshire, England. Roderick lived in Whitchurch Township, York County from 1856 till 1860 and again from 1878 until his death, April 5, 1882 according to land records and his death certificate. Eliza Jane died in Huntsville, Ontario September 1, 1913 aged 83 yrs. Roderick and Eliza had 9 children: Donald, John, Mary, Catherine (my grandmother), William, Margaret (Maggie), Eliza Jane Flora and Ellen.

• Donald was born c 1848 and may have lived in Bracebridge.
• John, born c 1851 and his wife Mary McKAY lived in or near Huntsville where Mary died July 1912. They had several children some of whom were Maud, Kate, Roderick Alexander and Angus. One of the girls married into the PLOWRIGHT family. John died in (Orillia July 26, 1934.
• Mary
• Catherine, my grandmother was born July 17, 1856 in Whitchurch Townihip. She married Robert N. POOLE in 1871. They lived in Midhurst where their family of 10 were born. Mary Jane, William J., Annie, Ada, Addie, Margaret ( my mother), George, Martha, Robert and Laurie. Catherine McLennan Poole died November 6, 1936 and is buried in Midhurts Pioneer Cemetery.
• William , the 5th child of Roderick and Eliza Jane Foster was born July 19, 1859 in Whitchurch Township. On October 12, 1880 he married Jane HARMON of King Township, York County. Their children were: Eva May, Sarah Ada, Bertha, Kenneth, Elsie Rae and Marjery. According to William's death certificate he died September 27, 1942 in Newmarket. Their daughter Elsie Rae married Hedley HINTON (son of John & Alice Hinton). They lived in Huntsville where their- children were born: Kenneth, Elsie Jean, Phyllis Evelyn, Margaret Shirley and Jane Jacqueline.
• Margaret married a FOSTER and lived in Aurora. - Eliza Jane Lyd born April 4, 1868 married John FINES and lived in Newmarket.
• Flora married Fred FOSTER and they made their home in Orillia.
• Ellen married Thomas PETTIT and they lived in Toronto.

I would like to contact descendants of Roderick and Eliza Jane McLennan who may still be living in Ontario and in particular in the Huntsville area.

Reeta, Lightburn, 7958 Taulbut Street, Mission, B.C. V2V 3W7.