Week 8: Migration

 

Migration

Like many people in Canada and the United States, ancestors migrated from somewhere to the New World.  It is just a matter of when, where from and where to.  And of course, once in the New World, migration may have taken place further inland.  Maybe for the sense of adventure, but in most cases would have been because of the belief of a better future with cheaper land than what was available at the time they arrived.

The migration of my German Schell ancestors from the Mohawk Valley area of New York state to the Markham area of Upper Canada around 1800 is fairly well documented.  Another well documented branch are the Van Hornes who are part of the Dutch families that established New Amsterdam (aka New York City).

My Irish Allen ancestors migrated from Liverpool England to Quebec City and on to the Mono Township area of Upper Canada in 1831.  The most recent immigrant family would be my grandmother Gertrude Georgina with her parents (John Cooper & Annie Kyte) and most of her siblings in 1902.  They also sailed from Liverpool to Quebec City and then on to the Toronto area to settle in Mimico.  Her eldest brother Albert had emigrated the previous year through Ellis Island enroute to an uncle in Oil City, Pennsylvania.  By 1906, he was living in the Toronto area as well.

My great-great-grandfather James Mumberson, supposedly, emigrated from England in 1857.  I have not yet located that documentation, but have found records that he entered Canada from Buffalo, New York aboard a ship in March 1858.  His parents and siblings remained in England.

The migration that has given me the most to ponder about over the years has been my Bates ancestors.  Thomas Edward Bates and his wife Isabella Margaret (nee Greer) emigrated from Ireland to Canada in 1846.  Thomas did not arrive as he died enroute and was buried at sea.  So Isabella arrived in Canada as a widow with 2 year old son William.  I have not yet been able to find their ship manifest to verify where they landed – I would assume Quebec City like other ancestors.   But not long after they would have landed, Isabella gave birth to son Thomas Edward in Kingston, Canada West.  So not only was she widowed enroute with a toddler, she was also pregnant. 

By the 1861 census, Isabella was remarried (to Robert McKee), living in Mulmur Township, Simcoe County, Canada West without either of her sons.  The two sons were also living in Mulmur Township, but with their maternal grandparents William John and Martha (nee Charleton) Greer.  As I have yet to locate a manifest of the ship to Canada, I can only assume that Isabella and her family had been emigrating with her parents.  If this was the case, at least she had family members to rely on when tragedy struck.

Although my ancestors came from various parts of Europe, and some with a detour via the states of New York and Pennsylvania, they ended up in either Simcoe or York Counties of Upper Canada/Canada West/Ontario.  Later generations continued to migrate to Michigan and beyond in the United States as well as the Canadian western provinces.  But the majority of my branches have remained in the Simcoe County (or Muskoka which was original part of Simcoe) of Ontario.

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