May 8, 2007:

Note: These are my direct ancestors. This page is a work in progress. 
I do have a complete (8 generation) listing of my line, as well as a lot
of info regarding families related to us in the 1800's. If we're related, e-mail me.
As I researched this surname in the Ottawa area, I came to realize that by
far the most common surname was Byrne / Burns among the early settlers. They were
of both Catholic and Protestant religions. The Catholic Burns families
outnumber both early Murphy and Kelly families by far (the two most common Irish 
surnames). If an early settler was not a Byrne / Burns, then he may well have
married one.
... Al	

Death Certificates of Lawrence Burns / Byrnes, (My GGGrandfather ... Al)
and his brother, Terrence Burns

Lawrence (Larry) died on February 19, 1879, aged 74
Terence (Terry) died on May 16, 1886, aged 82
Thanks to Anne Burgess for copies of these death certificates

    
Lawrence and Terence are both buried at Our Lady of the Visitation Parish Cemetery at
South Gloucester (formerly known as St. Mary's). The grave markers are no longer there.

From which county in Ireland did this Byrne / Burns family come?
I have narrowed this down to two likely places of origin in Ireland:
(1) County Cork -- I believe that Lawrence came to Canada in 1823, the same year
    of arrival of the Peter Robinson Settlers. He was not one of the Peter Robinson
    settlers but may have known some of them back in Ireland. In 1823, he would 
    have been 18 years old and looking for adventure.

(2) County Wicklow / Wexford / Carlow -- the border area where these three counties
    intersect in southeast Ireland. Oral tradition in our family states that our
first Burns ancestor to arrive in Canada first settled close to the St. Lawrence
River and had a military connection. If this is true, then Lawrence's father,
believed to be James Byrne, was probably involved in the 1798 Rebellion. 
There are many Byrnes families who came to the hinterland of Prescott, Kingston
and Napanee areas in the early 1820's. Lawrence may have been one of them and
he came to Bytown (Ottawa) c. 1827 to work on building the Rideau Canal. At any
rate, Lawrence Burns was in Bytown and was a member of the Nepean Militia here
in 1828. 

In 1831, Lawrence married Margaret DOYLE at Notre Dame Cathedral on Sussex Drive in 
downtown Bytown. This Doyle family later settled in Osgoode Township -- many
of them came from County Wexford.

10 Jul 1831    
After one publication of banns, marriage of Lawrence Burns, labourer, and 
Margaret Doyle, both from Bytown  
Witnesses: Patrick Slaven and John Walsh 
Angus McDonell, Priest
(my GreatGreatGrandparents ... AL)


			
	1  	Lawrence Burns	1805 - 1879 born Ireland, died Osgoode Township
.		+ Margaret Doyle	- died (in childbirth?) in 1845

......	2  	Terence Burns	1832 - ?
27 May 1832    Baptism of Terence, 1 wk. Old, son of Lawrence Byrnes and 
Margaret Doyle
(GGGrandparents)    
Witnesses: Michael Doutney / Downey? and Margaret Winn M. Lalor, P.
(Terence may have died young)

......	2  	James Burns	1833 - 1907 (buried at Our Lady of the Visitation)
27 Oct 1833, Notre Dame Cathedral
Birth of my Great Grandfather ... Al
Baptism of James, son of Lawrence Burns and Margaret Doyle
Witnesses: Terence Burns (brother of Lawrence) & Mary Bergin / Berrigan
J. Cullen, Priest

..........		+Annie Robb 	Presbyterian, b. Aberdeen, Scotland 1851, died Ottawa 1927
..............	3  	Mary Jane Burns	1873 - ?  (called Jennie)
..................		+Stephen Starr	
..............	3  	Lawrence Burns	1875 - ? Picture of Lawrence (Larry the Trapper)
..................		+ Bridget Ann McCabe	
..............	3  	James Henry Burns	1877 - 1948
..................		+Elizabeth Harney 	
..............	3  	John George Burns	 1880 - 1952 (My Grandfather ... Al)
..................		+Catherine Theresa Christopher	 1885 - 1957 (My Grandmother ... Al)
..............	3  	Margaret Burns	1882 - 1942
..................		+William Kearney	1883 - 1980
..............	3  	Michael Burns	1884 -
..................		+Mamie McCurrie	
..............	3  	Nellie Burns	1885 -
..................		+Perry Bryson	
..............	3  	Terence Burns	1888 - (see e-mail from Vic Burns, dated August 27, 2004)
..................		 + (1) Helen Ryan
..................       + (2) Rose Ann Belanger	
..............	3  	William Burns	1889 - 1955
..................		+Catherine Wrinn	
..............	3  	Charlotte Isabelle Burns	1891 -
..................		+Stanley McCormick	
..............	3  	Ethel Burns	1895 -
..................		+Calvin Hyndman	

......	2  	Ann Burns	1835 - 1836

In 1835, the same year as Ann was born, Lawrence Burns and Margaret Doyle
bought 200 acres of land in Gloucester Township on the Bowesville Road. They 
purchased this land from the Canada Company.

......	2  	Mary Burns	1837 - 1915
..........		+John Sullivan	1818 - 1881
..............	3  	Jeremiah Sullivan	1863 - 1944
..............	3  	Michael Sullivan	1863 -
..................		+Elizabeth Unknown	1860 -
..............	3  	Julia Sullivan	1865 -
..............	3  	Margaret Sullivan	1869 - 1921
..............	3  	John Sullivan	1871 -
..............	3  	Elizabeth Sullivan	1874 - 1944
..............	3  	Ann Sullivan	1877 -
..............	3  	Ellen Bridget Sullivan	1880 -
......	2  	Michael Burns and Mary Sullivan
..............	3  	Margaret Burns	1872 - 1951
..............	3  	Michael L. Burns	1878 -
..............	3  	John J. Burns	1880 -
......	2  	John Burns	1843 -
......	2  	Helen Burns	1845 -
		*2nd Wife of Lawrence Burns: 
    	+ Bridget Jordan	
......	2  	Michael Burns	1847 -
......	2  	Ann Burns	1855 - 1856
......	2  	Timothy Burns	1847 - 1918
......	2  	Lawrence Burns	1850 - 1920
..........		+Margaret McDonald	1878 - 1935 from Glengarry County via Carlsbad Springs
..............	3  	JOSEPH Timothy Burns	1914 - 1986
..................		+Anna Mary Downey	
..............	3  	Florence Burns	1918 -
..................		+Norman Butler

Another element of confusion enters the picture when another Burns family,
James Burns and Elizabeth Walsh, settled on Lot 11, Concession 3, Osgoode
about 1850. This family bought land from the Lawrence Burns family and
became next-door-neighbours. This family came to Canada twenty years later than
my GGGrandparents and used very similar naming patterns. Lawrence Burns came
to Canada in 1823. James Burns (m. Elizabeth Walsh) came to Canada during 
the famine years, 1847-1852. Had these two Burns families been related back
in Ireland? See James Burns and Elizabeth Walsh.
	
August 27, 2004:
Hi  My name is Victor Burns and I live in Long Sault, Ontario. I have recently 
taken an interest in searching out the family tree and ran some name on the internet. 
My great grandparents were James Burns and Anne Robb who lived in Manotick Station, 
Osgoode Township and I believe they are buried in the church graveyard in South 
Gloucester.
In reading your e-mails I came across James Burns married to Ann Robb and it states 
they had 11 children. My grandfather was Terry and I was only aware of one brother 
William so the other nine children are unknown to me. I am unsure of my grand father's 
birthdate however he was 72 years of age when he died on July 30, 1960 making his 
year of birth 1888. He started with the Ottawa Transportation Commission as a 
trolley car driver in 1912 and retired from there in 1959. He drove the last 
streetcar off the streets of Ottawa. He was married to Helen Ryan in Osgoode Township 
and they had five children. Helen Ryan died giving birth to the fifth child in 1922. 
Terry then married Rose Ann Belanger date unknown. 
My father Lawrence Burns was born in 1913 and had a brother Harold, sisters Margerite, 
Doris and Eileen. All are now deceased.
I believe we are talking about the same people as my grandfather Terry lived at 
55 Louisa St. in Ottawa and this is mentioned in your e-mail.
I believe the farm owned by James and Anne was located on the Manotick Station Rd 
and was the first farm on the left after you go over the railroad tracks just south 
of Regional Rd. 8. 
 
It would appear we are all talking about the same family and if possible I would like 
to learn more about the family and where my great grandparents came from and their 
parents. If interested please contact me at mburns5@cogeco.ca.   
Thank You
... Victor Burns
May 17, 2007:
Here are Lawrence and Terrence, next door neighbours in the 1851 Agricultural Census
for Osgoode Township. Lawrence and his family have 100 acres. Terrence (single)
has 50 acres.

 March 5, 2008:
Hi Al:  Here's the birth info for Michael Burns son of Lawrence Burns & 
Marguerite Doyle of Buckingham.
I've also seen another Lawrence Burns married to a Tompkins, their 
records are from St Stephen Anglican Church Buckingham.
My husband has ancestors from the Buckingham area, Justus Smith came 
from Montreal area and maybe the USA prior to that.
talk soon
... Susan
(Susan and Tammy are sorting out the connection to Lawrence Burns and Ellen Cunningham).
______________________________

Thanks to Susan for sending in the following birth record for Michael Burns, born
August 25, 1839 and baptized December 1 in 1839 at Buckingham. Two of the children
of Lawrence and Margaret were baptized in Quebec, my GreatGrandfather, James Burns
was baptized at Chelsea, and his brother Michael was baptized at Buckingham. Lawrence
worked in the shanties in the winter.

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