Painting by Ruth McMillan in 1976
Shows the Head of the Rideau Canal Locks in Ottawa, Canada in 1893
__________________________________________________________________

March 8, 2013:

Al,   The H.W. CRAM shown on the map of Ramsay Township at Concession XI, lot 7 
is a descendant of the CRAM family who emigrated from Perthshire, Scotland to 
Beckwith Township in 1818 and 1820.  This family played a major role in Beckwith. 
Township, Carleton Place and Ramsay  Township in the 19th. century.  Today 
Carleton Place has an active 'twinning' relationship with Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland 
with frequent exchange visits by youths between the two places.

Please do add the CRAM info to your web pages, but it would be of more or equal interest 
to readers in Carleton Place and Beckwith Township as well as to Ramsay Township.

Henry W. was just one of a very large family.  I can spot two CRAMs on the 1879 map
which you put on the Carleton Place page on November 4, 2010.  The parents of the 
CRAM clan were Peter CRAM and Janet KEY - their names are often used as the oldest 
members of the group.  Howard Morton Brown mentions them frequently in his book 
"Founded on a Rock", and he put a handwritten genealogy of the family in the North 
Lanark Museum at Appleton in 1977.  I have a photocopy of this 32-page document 
and I will use it extensively in what is sent to you. 
 
The ones up the Gatineau Valley were part of this family and moved up the Gatineau 
from Lanark County (in one census they stated that they were of Irish origin; probably 
because they were fairly uneducated farmers and were amongst many Irish). Some of these Crams
are buried in a cemetery in Aylwin, Quebec.
 
There is another much smaller group of CRAMs in Renfrew County and, although they 
too came from Scotland (Glasgow), it is fairly well established that they are not related.
 
I have a great deal of info and photos regarding the history of the CRAMs in Lanark County 
(Ontario) which I'd be happy to share with your readers.  Will send it to you in bite-sized 
pieces as time permits.  Their story has not been widely told.

Cheers,
  
Ian White 


March 13, 2013:

Al,
 
On July 21, 1818 John CRAM, his wife Isabella and 3 year old daughter Mary 
embarked on the Brig 'Curlew'  at Greenock, Scotland, having left Comrie, 
Perthshire in search of a better life in Lanark County, Upper Canada.  After an 
arduous journey they arrived in the newly surveyed forest frontier of Beckwith 
Township and eventually were granted land on Concession 10, lot 20W where 
they realized that with hard work they could own land and be farmers with a 
future.  This was something they could never hope to achieve in the Scotland 
of that time.
 
John soon got word back to his parents and siblings in the Comrie area.  They 
lost no time in getting on the Brig 'Ben Lomond' in 1820 to follow John and 
his family.  The family patriarch Peter CRAM and his wife Janet KEY were 
accompanied by sons James, Duncan and Peter who were each old enough 
to qualify for land grants.  Sons David and Daniel had not yet reached the 
age to qualify for land.  Daughters Janet and Margaret soon married in 
Beckwith.
 
About 20 years after their arrivals in Upper Canada the Beckwith assessments 
listed the family's holdings as :-
 
Peter Cram, sr.          Concession 11    lot 21 W
John Cram                Concession 10    lot 20 W
James Cram               Concession 11    lot 20 W
Duncan Cram              Concession 12    lot 21
Peter Cram, jr           Concession 12    lot13 W
David Cram               Concession 11    lot 20 E
Daniel Cram              Concession 12    lot 19 E (Glen Isle)
 
These lands were all farms close to the young villages of Carleton Place and Appleton.

Ian White


March 30, 2013:

Hi Al,

A few notable CRAMs :-

John F. CRAM (1833 to 1915) was a Wool Puller of Carleton Place, co-owner, with his brother Peter, of a tanning operation 
in the Tesky / Teskey mill complex (see photo and write-ups) at Appleton, a Carleton Place 
Councillor for 12 years, Reeve for three years, a School Trustee for 12 years, and President of the Reform Association.

David CRAM (1848 to 1902) is shown in a photo in the Carleton Place Town Hall as a member of the first Carleton Place Town 
Council in 1890-1892.  
He went on to be the Mayor in 1895.

Albert E. CRAM (1867 to 1929) was Mayor of Carleton Place in 1909 and 1910.  He was a Wool Dealer and Manufacturer.

Donald J. CRAM (1919 to 2001) was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1987.  He was born in Vermont, USA, 
the son of William Moffatt CRAM (1869 to 1923) born in Lanark County, Ontario;  the grandson of  Isaac CRAM 
(1844 to 1923) also born in Lanark, and the great-grandson of James CRAM. 

(1799 to 1885) who was one of the pioneers who migrated from Perthshire, Scotland to Lanark County in 1820. 

... Ian White


 November 16, 2015:

There have been some conversations about the Cram family in the Facebook Group "Renfrew County Genealogy".

Here is my contribution, from the records of Our Lady of the Angels RC Church at Brudenell:

Source: Drouin records at ancestry.ca

August 5th 1891 We the undersigned, Parish Priest of Brudenell, baptized Margaret born July 23rd of the lawful marriage of 
George Jeffery and Elizabeth Cram. The sponsors were
  John O'Grady and Elizabeth Kirwin / Kerwin. James MacCormac, P.P. 
  (In the margin:  Oct 28th 1914 Margaret Jeffery was married to Daniel Holly in St. Marys Church, Brudenell)

Dec 27th 1896 We the undersigned, Parish Priest, baptized Daniel Francis Born on the twenty-fourth day of last November 
of the lawful marriage of George Jeffery and Isabella Cram. The sponsors were Daniel Smith and Mary Devine. 
Francis L. French, P.P. 

April 30th 1906 Whereas after a dispensation of one bann had been granted by virtue of faculties given us by 
Rt. Rev. N.Z.Lorrain, Bishop of Pembroke and whereas after twice publishing the banns of marriage 
no impediment was found nor objection made we the undersigned received the mutual consent to marriage of Peter Jeffery 
son of George Jeffery and Isabella Cram on the one part and Lizzie Cull daughter of Thomas Cull and Penelope Mackay 
on the other part and gave them the nuptial blessing in the presence of William Jeffery and Winifred Cull. 
Frank L. French, P.P. 

Also, Barry Cram has an interesting web site at http://cram.bravesites.com/scottish-ancestry

... Allan Lewis