Doug's Photos at Large
Grandparents (paternal) (2)
This is another picture of my paternal grandparents, Stanley and his wife Susannah (nee Tarzwell).
The Tarzwells
My earliest ancestor to come to Canada was a man by the name of Jesse Tarzwell. Jesse had been in the English army and was a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). It is said that Jesse was wounded at the Battle of Waterloo, and after being wounded at Waterloo, had stayed on in the English army for a time as a Chaplain before immigrating to Canada as a combination farmer and Minister. Since the Battle of Waterloo occurred in 1815, I would estimate that Jesse and his wife arrived in Canada about 1818. They settled near the town of Erin Ontario, in Erin Township.
Note: Between 1783 and 1826 certain classes of immigrants received free grants of land from the government of Upper Canada (as Ontario was then known). These classes of immigrants were the United Empire Loyalists and their children, and also the English veterans of the Napoleonic Wars. I do know that Jesse received a land grant and also that the requests for the grants of land are still kept by the National Archives; so someday I may get around to checking my arrival estimate of 1818 for Jesse and his family.
The Wheelers
Slightly after the Tarzwell family came to Canada another family came from England to Erin Township and settled on a farm near the Tarzwells. This was the Wheeler family.
I am not quite certain why the Wheeler family came to Canada but it is said that they were quite wealthy when they emigrated and in fact they were supposed to be related to British royalty. I am not quite sure of this relationship but it was supposed to have been something like the great grandparents of Queen Victoria’s also being great great ancestors of mine. Of course I tell you this with great humility. I well remember father telling me not to tell anybody about this when I was younger because “people will think we’re crazy”.
Unfortunately, the Wheeler family did not stay wealthy very long. In those days you pretty much had to carry your wealth with you, and when they emigrated the Wheeler family was in a shipwreck in the St. Lawrence in which they lost their wealth and were in the position of having to start over again when they arrived in Erin Township.
In any case it happened that three of Jesse Tarzwell's sons married three of the Wheeler family's daughters. Through my paternal grandmother Susannah and my father, I am a descendant of one of these Tarzwell-Wheeler marriages.
When I was younger I recall going to Tarzwell-Wheeler reunions. The organizer of these reunions was invariably Uncle Jimmie Tarzwell and after he passed on circa 1990, there were no more reunions.
Grandparents (paternal) (2)
This is another picture of my paternal grandparents, Stanley and his wife Susannah (nee Tarzwell).
The Tarzwells
My earliest ancestor to come to Canada was a man by the name of Jesse Tarzwell. Jesse had been in the English army and was a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). It is said that Jesse was wounded at the Battle of Waterloo, and after being wounded at Waterloo, had stayed on in the English army for a time as a Chaplain before immigrating to Canada as a combination farmer and Minister. Since the Battle of Waterloo occurred in 1815, I would estimate that Jesse and his wife arrived in Canada about 1818. They settled near the town of Erin Ontario, in Erin Township.
Note: Between 1783 and 1826 certain classes of immigrants received free grants of land from the government of Upper Canada (as Ontario was then known). These classes of immigrants were the United Empire Loyalists and their children, and also the English veterans of the Napoleonic Wars. I do know that Jesse received a land grant and also that the requests for the grants of land are still kept by the National Archives; so someday I may get around to checking my arrival estimate of 1818 for Jesse and his family.
The Wheelers
Slightly after the Tarzwell family came to Canada another family came from England to Erin Township and settled on a farm near the Tarzwells. This was the Wheeler family.
I am not quite certain why the Wheeler family came to Canada but it is said that they were quite wealthy when they emigrated and in fact they were supposed to be related to British royalty. I am not quite sure of this relationship but it was supposed to have been something like the great grandparents of Queen Victoria’s also being great great ancestors of mine. Of course I tell you this with great humility. I well remember father telling me not to tell anybody about this when I was younger because “people will think we’re crazy”.
Unfortunately, the Wheeler family did not stay wealthy very long. In those days you pretty much had to carry your wealth with you, and when they emigrated the Wheeler family was in a shipwreck in the St. Lawrence in which they lost their wealth and were in the position of having to start over again when they arrived in Erin Township.
In any case it happened that three of Jesse Tarzwell's sons married three of the Wheeler family's daughters. Through my paternal grandmother Susannah and my father, I am a descendant of one of these Tarzwell-Wheeler marriages.
When I was younger I recall going to Tarzwell-Wheeler reunions. The organizer of these reunions was invariably Uncle Jimmie Tarzwell and after he passed on circa 1990, there were no more reunions.