ROBERT BRYDGES UK4 1795 - 1873 1 c1 source Earl Brydges Family History
FATHER: Robert Brydges UK3
MOTHER: Mary Ann Read
MARRIED:
#1 Esther ?
#2 Ann Shaw 1802 -1879 b Aylsuar, Norfolk, England d Ramsay Twp.
only child of Samuel Jeffery Shaw & Sarah Cook
married Oct. 7, 1833, Redgrave, England
CHILDREN: (1'st marriage)
(2'nd marriage)
9 Amelia Brydges (no proof of this --see Ann Brydges)
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THE ARRIVAL OF THE BRYDGES FAMILY TO THE ALMONTE AREA, RAMSAY TOWNSHIP,
LANARK COUNTY, ONTARIO, CANADA, IN THE 1830's
Robert Brydges Sr., (UK4) , his wife Ann, and Robert's son by his first wife Esther, arrived in Canada in 1834 or 1835. It is not known where they lived for the first few years. Many Lanark County Settlers arrived at and lived in Lanark Village, after
disembarking at Prescott and proceeding via Brockville to Lanark. Robert Brydges, when he first arrived, worked for a John Gemmill, who had come to Canada in 1821 to Lanark Village and who had moved to the 8'th Line of Ramsay. It appears that Robert Brydges and his family lived in this area for the first few years. His son Samuel, as soon as he was able, worked for a Mr. Nicholson on the 8'th Line, John Gemmill had much to do with land grants or land sales and settlement in Ramsay in the Almonte area.
Robert Brydges eventually settled on lot 11 West, concession 12, Ramsay; the deed reads as follows:
Lot 11 West, concession 12, Ramsay --- April 16, 1856
from James Dunlop Gemmill, esquire, deviscee of the late John Gemmill, to Robert Brydges, yeoman, 100 acres (most of us
remember this property as the Galvin farm, across the road from Cecil Brydges's farm)
Note "devisee" apparently meant a person acting for a will or estate.
The records show that this property was probated in 1850, and that Robert Brydges its first owner in 1856.
The fact that the land was probated means that John Gemmill had a vested interest in it and wanted it legally registered in his name, or that he had died and his executor wanted to settle the estate. Since Robert Brydges worked originally for John Gemmill, he may very well have been living on this Gemmill lot as an employee for many years before he got the deed to it, and many years earlier than I had first supposed.
Robert's son Samuel's obituary says that he (Samuel) "went with his father to the farm now occupied by Mr. James Galvin
(lot 12 east, concession 12 Ramsay). Later he (Samuel) bought the property (lot 12 east, concession 12 Ramsay) Later he (Samuel) bought the property (lot 12 east, concession 12) upon which he spent his whole life, and shortly afterwards was married to Ann Richardson (1847).
Now, if we back-track from 1847, Robert Brydges Sr. could have been on his farm property as early as 1840, and Samuel could have been on his farm, also a Gemmill property, lot 12 east, concession 12, by the year 1845. This oroperty was also
probated in 1850 and then deeded to Samuel in 1856. This part of Ramsay was being opened up just before and after 1840, first by Irish Settlers. An example is Thomas Madden, who obtained the deed to his farm, lot 11 east, concession 12, in 1840. This farm lies across the road from Robert Brydges.
The McKinlay farm, across the road from Robert Brydges, was deeded in 1835.
These dates make more sense. We know that Robert Sr, and his wife Ann had 6 of their children baptized in March 1852, at
the house, and on the same day, Samuel and his wife Ann had 1 child baptized at their house, same clergyman. With the
two houses located on farms that cornered each other, this would be a convenient arrangement. This was also 4 years before either family had the deeds to the properties. It appears reasonable to assume that Robert Brydges and his family were probably only 5 or 6 years in Canada before settling on a permanent location.
It is indeed a disappointment that the Ramsay census records for 1841 and 1851 no longer exist. No doubt they contained the answers to many of our unanswered questions.
PROOF THAT ROBERT BRYDGES SR. AND HIS WIFE ANN SHAW BRYDGES WERE THE FIRST PIORNEER SETTLERS TO
LIVE ON LOT 11, WEST HALF, CONCESSION 12, RAMSAY
The photocopy of a document Registert record this explanation is taken from the official Registry Office record for the
west half of lot 11, concession 12, Ramsay, consisting of 100 acres.
The top entry on the left side shows that this property was patented by the crown in 1827. The second line shows it
was deeded on April 16, 1856 to James Gemmill, acting for John Gemmill (who had been acting as the land agent for
the Crown, likely from 1827, the patent date, and who had died before 1856). On the same day, April 16, 1856,
the 100 acres were deeded to Robert Brydges Sr. and his wife Ann. In other words, Robert Sr. and his wife Ann were
the first piorneer settlers to own this property, having lived on it for several years prior to obtaining the deed, as
mentioned at the top of this page.
The entry on line 8 of registry record dated June 24, 1871, shows the transaction when Robert Sr. sold the farm to his
son Robert Jr.
THE HOUSE AND BARNS OF ROBERT BRYDGES SR.
ON LOT 11, WEST HALF, CONCESSION 12, RAMSAY
The following is a reconstructed family listing for Robert Brydges and his first wife Esther ----, and his second
wife Ann Shaw:
NAME BIRTHPLACE DATE SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Robert Brydges England 1795 Calculated from the Church record of his death
Esther Brydges England unknown Her name obtained from Samuel's (son) baptism record
Samuel Brydges England 1825 Redgrave parish records & Canadian census.
Ann Brydges England 1802 " "
Franses Brydges Canada 1838 Canadian Anglican Church baptism records
Sarah Brydges Canada 1840 "
Hannah Brydges Canada 1842 "
Robert Brydges Canada 1843 "
William Brydges Canada 1845 "
Louisa Brydges Canada 1846 "
It is possible that two more girls belong to this family. They fit into the interval between Robert and Ann's marriage in 1833
and the birth of Frances in 1838. The confirmation records for St. James Church, Carleton Place, in 1852, included
Amelia Brydges, age 19, and Ann Brydges, age 17. That would make Amelia's birth in 1834, and Anne's in 1836. There is
no proof for this conjecture.
Robert Brydges and Ann Shaw were married in October 1833, and the baptismal record shows their first daughter Frances
was born in 1838. That is four and a half years after the marriage, an unlikely, though not impossible, lapse of time in
pioneer days between marriage and the arrival of the first child.
There is no further record available about Amelia, but there is more information about the marriage and family of an
Ann Brydges. We do have a marriage for an Ann Brydges, who may be the oldest child of Robert Brydgesand Ann Shaw,
but we have no proof. Ann Brydges married John McGregor, October 25, 1853, in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Almonte. The witnesses were John Bryson and Peter McGregor.
John McGregor died Sept. 7, 1865, age 35 years. Ann Brydges, his wife, died Nov. 18, 1875, age 43 years. Their daughter,
Sarah Ann, died Dec. 22, 1870, age 10 years. All three are buried in the Auld Kirk Cemetery, Almonte, and there is a white
marker with the above information. A son Peter was born in 1859, but there is no information about him.
The fact that this Ann was married in St. Andrew's , as were Frances, Hannah and Lucy Brydges, adds a little support to the
possibility that she was their sister.
ANN BRYDGES Other Information source LateMrs. Lowry book (List of Early Settlers)
age 34 , wife of John Richardson, died Nov. 6, 1876. She was buried in the Presbyterian
Cemetery in Ramsay, possibly the Auld Kirk. She is almost exactly the same age as the
Ann I have described above (Robert & Ann's family, and who married a McGregor. We
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1861 and 1871 CANADIAN CENSUS RECORDS:
NAME BIRTHPLACE AGE_____________
1861 1871 1881
Robert Brydges England 66 77 The 1881
Ann Brydges England 65 71 records
Hannah Canada 17 -- are too
Robert " 15 26 faded
William " 14 25 to be
Louisa " 12 -- read
John " -- 9
*Jennet " -- 26
* Jennet was Janet McKinlay, who married Robert, January, 1871.
From this list only Hannah, Robert, William and Louisa can be counted as children of Robert and Ann. John is
obviously not the child of Ann. who would be 62 when John was born.
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ANGLICAN CHURCH RECORDS FOR THE MISSION OF CARLETON PLACE, serving old ST. GEORGE'S IN RAMSAY AND ALMONTE
(From the Archives, 71 Bronson Ave., Ottawa)
The records show the following house baptisms for Robert and Ann Brydges, done by the Rev. Alex Pyne of Carleton Place.
The location of the house is not mentioned.
CHILD'S NAME BIRTHDATE DATE CHRISTENED
Frances March 1, 1838 March 1852
Sarah February, 1840 "
Hannah September, 1842 "
Robert May 6, 1843 "
William February 13, 1845 "
Lucy August 11, 1846 "
Lucy is likely Louisa of the census record. In the Church record she is shown as the child of
Samuel and Ann, not of Robert and Ann. This is an error in recording, as her marriage record
later shows. A total of 9 children were baptized in the two households on the same day. Also,
Samuel and Ann were not married until 1847.
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THE FOLLOWING IS A RECONSTRUCTED FAMILY LIATING FOR ROBERT AND HIS FIRST WIFE ESTHER
AND HIS SECOND WIFE ANN SHAW
NAME BIRTHPLACE DATE SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Robert Brydges England 1795 Calculated from the Church
record of his death.
Esther Brydges (1'st wife) England unknown Her name obtained from son
Samuel's baptism record
for Redgrave Parish.
Samuel Brydges (son) England 1825 Redgrave Parish records and
Canadian census.
Ann Brydges England 1802 Parish of Aylsham records and
Canadian census.
(their children)
Frances Canada 1838 Canadian Anglican Church records
Sarah " 1840 "
Hannah " 1842 "
Robert " 1843 "
William " 1845 "
Louisa " 1846 "
It is possible that two more girls belong to this family, They fit into the interval between Robert and Ann's
marriage in 1833 and the birth of Frances in 1838. The confirmation records for St. James Church,
Carleton Place, in 1852, include Amelia Brydges, age 19, and Anne Brydges, age 17. That would make
Amelia's birth in 1834 and Anne's in 1836. There is no proof for this conjecture.
Robert Brydges and Ann Shaw were married in October 1833, and the baptismal record shows their
first daughter Frances was born in 1838. That is four and a half years after the marriage, an unlikely.
though not impossible, lapse of time in pioneer days between marriage and the arrival of the first child.
There is no further record available about Amelia, but there is more information about the marriage and
-
The following is a reconstructed family listing for Robert and his first wife Esther -----, and his second wife Ann Shaw
