Alexander Jeffrey CAMBIE and Elizabeth POSTON
Ireland to Quebec to Ottawa

April 23, 2006:

Hi Al Lewis

I can't tell you how pleased I was to find your website today.  

My maternal great-grandfather, Alexander Jeffrey Cambie, was born in Ireland about 1835.  
He emigrated to Quebec (date unknown) and married Elizabeth Poston there on June 05, 1866.  
According to census information, he was in the civil service, and later on, chief clerk 
and patent clerk with the Department of Agriculture. Through part of your website, 
http://www.bytown.net/timesott.htm, I discover their 1866 marriage announcement in the 
Ottawa Times.  This was so moving to me as their history has been predictably 
not personal at all.  

I know very little about this part of my family and would love to learn more.  Please 
advise on how to do this via your website.

Janet
_______________________

Here is the Alexander Cambie family in the 1881 Census:

1881 Census Place:	Wellington Ward, Ottawa, Carleton, Ontario, Canada
	Source:	FHL Film 1375865  NAC C-13229  Dist 105  SubDist A  Div 2  Page 126  Family 605
	Sex	Marr	Age	Origin	Birthplace
Alexander J. CAMBIE	M	M	46	Irish	Ireland
	Occ:	Civil Service	Religion:	Church of England	
Elizabeth CAMBIE	F	M	36	English	Quebec
			Religion:	Church of England	
Henry W. CAMBIE	M		13	Irish	Ontario
			Religion:	Church of England	
Charles CAMBIE	M		10	Irish	Quebec
			Religion:	Church of England	
Sussan CAMBIE	F		8	Irish	Ontario
			Religion:	Church of England	
David CAMBIE	M		7	Irish	Ontario
			Religion:	Church of England	
Sarah A. CAMBIE	F		5	Irish	Ontario
			Religion:	Church of England	
Alexander J. CAMBIE	M		3	Irish	Ontario
			Religion:	Church of England	
Eilean CAMBIE	F		1	Irish	Quebec
			Religion:	Church of England	
George R. MAYOR	M		25	Irish	Ontario
	Occ:	Civil Service	Religion:	Church of England	
Jane WRIGHT	F		35	English	Ontario
	Occ:	Servant	Religion:	Church of England
New April 26, 2006: Hi Al Thank you very much for setting up the Cambie webpage on your website. I have some more secondary sources for Cambie and thought perhaps the website should have them so no one else has to search for these ones in particular, or at least knows where to go to look. As far as I can see, Alexander J. Cambie worked in Ottawa although I notice a few of his children were born in Quebec. I wonder about this; did he clerk both in Ontario and Quebec? Was he a clerk who contracted himself out, so to speak? Was this the system back then? I haven't been able to find anything about his death but his wife (maybe a widow at the move to BC, certainly later in BC) and some of their grown-up children moved out to Vancouver, BC., including my maternal grandfather, David Cambie. 1) From The Ottawa Times, 1860's and 1870's...http://www.bytown.net/timesott.htm MARRIAGES - APRIL TO JUNE INCLUSIVE, 1866. Quebec, June 6, Alex J. Cambie, Patent Clerk, Dept of Agriculture, to Lizzie, eldest daughter of William Poston, Quebec. 2) Cambie, Alexander J. Event : Living Year : 1871 Place : Ottawa Province of record source : Ontario County of record source : Carleton Comments : Chief clerk & patent clerk. Source : Lovell's Canadian Dominion Directory for 1871. Publisher : John Lovell Publication place : Montreal Volume/Page(s) : 586 3) 1901 Census BC 39 63 Cambie Elizabeth F Head W Feb 1845 66 1901 40 63 Cambie Alexander M Son S Oct 1877 34 1901 41 63 Cambie George M Son S Aug 1891 30 1901 42 63 Hong Chang M Domestic S Apr 1902 9 1901 4) Cambie, Mrs. A. J. Event : Living Year : 1901 Place : Vancouver Province of record source : British Columbia County of record source : City of Vancouver Comments : Widow. Source : Henderson's British Columbia Gazetteer and Directory and Mining Companies for 1900-1901. Volume/Page(s) : 777 5) Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, BC Community Services Elizabeth J. Cambie d. May 25, 1928 http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/NONMARKEtOPERATIONS/MOUNTAINVIEW/burials/ca.htm ... Janet ________________________ At the time of Confederation in 1867, some Civil Servants from the provincial capitals were just transferred to Ottawa to work on federal matters. This is probably the case with Alexander Cambie. ... Al
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