Patrick MELVIN
also Thomas STANLEY and Eliza Jane MELVIN
Concession 7, Lot 29, Osgoode Township, 200 acres
(South of Metcalfe Village)
May 30, 2003:
1881 Census Place: Osgoode, Russell, Ontario, Canada
Source: FHL Film 1375865 NAC C-13229 Dist 104 SubDist G Div 2 Page 59 Family 260
Sex Marr Age Origin Birthplace
Thomas MELVIN M M 40 Irish Ontario
Occ: Farmer Religion: Church of England
Maria MELVIN F M 28 Irish Ontario
Religion: Church of England
Mary MELVIN F 2 Irish Ontario
Religion: Church of England
Cathrine MELVIN F 1 Irish Ontario
Religion: Church of England
Born: Aug; 8/12
Mary MELVIN F W 75 Irish Ireland
Religion: Church of England
The widow, Mary Melvin aged 75 was the second wife of Patrick Melvin, deceased.
The records of the family are at Notre Dame prior to 1855 when they were
Catholic, later switching to Church of England, possibly at the time of
her daughter's (Eliza Jane) marriage to Thomas STANLEY.
August 25, 2003:
Some records regarding the Melvin family from Notre Dame church in Bytown, 1825-1825,
as transcribed by Ellen Paul:
12 Aug 1831
Baptism of Catherine, 10 days old, daughter of Patrick Melvin and Cecilia
McDermott from the Township of Osgoode
Witnesses: Thomas Nesdal (Neville?) and Mary Gallagher
18 Jun 1833
Baptism of Bridget, daughter of Patrick Melvin and Sisley McDermott
Octave Nadeau & Rose Rice (wife of a Casserly, I think ... Al)
30 Oct 1835
Baptism of Ellen, born 25 Sept of the marriage of Patrick Melvin and Celia McDermott
Thomas Golden & Mary Roua-- (Rowan?)
3 Mar 1836
Osgoode Baptism of Jane, aged 14 mos. old of unknown parents
Witnesses: Patrick Melvin and Cecilia Melvin (nee McDermott)
15 Jul 1837
Burial in Osgoode of Cecilia McDermott, wife of Patrick Melvin, aged 35 yrs.
(probably died in childbirth - see next entry, same date.
15 Jul 1837
Osgoode Baptism of Cecilia, born the 3rd of the marriage of Patrick Melvin and Cecilia McDermott
Mrs. Archibald & Mr. McDonell
The widower, Patrick Melvin, having a young family and a farm to look after, remarried quickly.
This was usual in an era of large families and high mortality rates. See next entry:
23 Oct 1837
After two procalamations of banns, marriage of Patrick Melvin of the Township of Osgoode and Mary
Sasseville (sp?) late from Ireland
John Kealy, his wife others
11 Sep 1838
Baptism of Margaret, aged 7 wks. daughter of Patrick Melvin and Mary Saperville (Thurson?)
John Kealy & wife
(Someone e-mailed me a while back stating that she thought the surname of Patrick's second wife
may have been Thurson ... Al)
7 Jan 1840
After two publications of banns, marriage of John Farnile / Fermoyle?,
tailor, (occ) to Ellen Melvin now living in Osgoode
Charles Rowan, Mrs. Corcoran, Patrick Melvin & others
(this Ellen is probably Patrick's daughter from his first marriage. Ellen, born
in 1835 would now be 15 - young, but not an uncommon age for women to marry in 1840)
2 Apr 1840
Baptism of Ann, daughter of Patrick Melvin and Mary Saperville (Thurson or Serson? see September 7, 2003))
John Ring & Catherine Tobin
31 Mar 1841
Baptism of Thomas, born the 13th of the marriage of Patrick Melvin and Mary Sasseville
John Palmer & wife
(Finally, a son, who later took over the farm).
25 Nov 1842
Baptism of Sarah, aged 6 mos., daughter of Patrick Melvin, farmer, and Mary Sassfield of Osgoode
Peter Plant & Alice Prendergast
5 Mar 1844
Baptism of John, born 15 January last of the marriage of Patrick Melvin, farmer of
Osgoode, and Mary Sassfield
Charles Rowan & Mary Toomey
11 Mar 1844
Ceremonies of baptism for Ann, born 29 December last and baptized privately 3 or 4
days later, daughter of John Melvin, labourer and resident of Russell, and Ann McDonnell
Charlotte Goodchue / Goodhue?
(Is John Melvin a relation of Patrick Melvin?)
18 Jun 1845
Baptism of Edward, born 24 March of the marriage of John Moran and Catherine Carlin of Osgoode
Witnesses: Patrick Melvin & Eliza Palmer
19 Jun 1845
Baptism of Elizabeth Jane, born 13 June of the marriage of Patrick Melvin and Mary Sasseville of Osgoode
John Moran & Catherine Carlin
22 Sep 1847
Baptism of James, born June 8 of the marriage of Patrick Melvin and Mary Sasseville of Osgoode
_____________________________________________________________
also posted on August 25, 2003:
Dear Mr. Lewis,
I have just seen your notice about Patrick Melvin and his TWO wives. I was
curious about the change of religion. Now it's explained. I am a direct descendant
of Patrick and Mary Sasseville by way of their daughter Eliza Jane, who married
Thomas Stanley from Russell Township. Eliza Jane's and Thomas's portraits hang
in our home normally. They were my great-grandparents. Are you a relative too, then?
The rest of my lineage:
Mary Jane Stanley marries John Nelson.
Helen Nelson marries Bertrum Tolton.
I am their son,
Cameron Tolton
I'd appreciate any further info you may have about the Irish background of Patrick
and Mary Melvin. I have none.
Sincerely,
Cameron.
__________________________
more from Cameron:
Dear Al Lewis,
Thanks so much for your rapid reply. And thank you for the added information.
Thomas Melvin was Patrick Melvin's eldest son and the head of the household by 1879.
Yes, please add my e-mail address as a contact. The families from Eastern Ontario I
have been researching are Nelson, Stanley, Melvin, Olmstead and Foster. The last name
interests me because Anne Foster was married to my gg grandfather, Abram Olmstead
(a brother of the famous Sarah who married BOTH Philemon Wright Jr. and Nicholas
Sparks (sequentially...) All I know of Anne Foster is that she was born in
Ireland in 1801 and died in Ottawa and had many children whose names I do have.
Do your records show anything else about a Foster family?
The first time that I ever heard a maiden name for Mrs. Mary Melvin was when
I ran across it in your entry - which I found through GOOGLE. Only later
the same evening did I find with joy your Bytown or Bust full site. The Sasseville
name does sound a bit peculiar, but on what grounds could we assume it was Thurson?
Maybe some tombstone holds the answer.
Next spring I hope to get to your area and explore cemeteries at Metcalfe, Bearbrook
and North Russell. This is the first season that I have had time to go about
genealogical research seriously. It's nice being near the Ontario Archives and the
Robarts Library and the United Church Archives. But it would be better to be in Eastern Ont.
I only wish I did know Patrick Melvin's county in Ireland. An aunt once mentioned somewhere
around Limerick - but I'm not sure. I don't know the county either of the protestant
Thomas Stanley (a settler in Russell Township by the 1860s).
Thanks again for your help.
Cameron Tolton.
September 7, 2003:
Hello Al,
Not Thurson for Mrs. Mary Melvin, Patrick's widow. But SERSON instead.
That's the name that is recorded as carved on her gravestone in the Trinity Anglican
Church Cemetery, Bearbrook Parish. Now why does the Notre Dame Register keep recrding
variations of Sasseville? One of the sons of Patrick and Mary has Serson as his
middle name,,,,, More detective work for us? Which name is right?
Cheers,
Cameron.
________________________
also posted on September 7, 2003:
Hi Cameron:
There was a Serson family who were in the Ottawa area very early.
See http://entrenet.com/tal/serson.html
The Notre Dame records are somewhat unreliable before 1855 (which are the only records I
have on disk). Ellen Paul has done a tremendous job of transcribing the records from 1825-1855.
The original records are hard to read and are only accessible to the public via microfilm.
Many of the early Irish Catholics were illiterate and unable to supply a correct spelling,
but the priests could handle the common names like Murphy and Kelly. Beyond such names
the spelling is creative. I've seen my own ancestors name spelled at O'Byrne, Byrne,
Byrnes, Burns, Burn and Berne.
The Irish priests had trouble with French surnames; the French priests had trouble with
Irish (and English) names. In the early Catholic community here, Gaelic was common.
Add a smattering of Latin to some of the early records, and it creates a real challenge.
I'll be in the Bearbrook neighbourhood within the next few weeks and will have a look
for the tombstone. I have relatives buried there as well.
Thanks again for this!
... Al
October 10, 2003:
Here's the MELVIN stone at Trinity Anglican Church, Bearbrook, Ontario.
(Cumberland Township, I think).
January 3, 2003:
Hi Al,
Your photograph of the Melvin monument - on which some designer managed to conceal
all valuable information for researchers like ourselves - is interesting. I guess
there are several Melvin monuments there.
The inscription I recorded from the reel in the Ontario Archives reads: "In memory
of Mary Serson, wife of the late P. Melvin, died Sept. 12, 1891, aged 86 yrs. and 2
months. native of County BYBH (?), Ireland."
This raises several questions. For instance, if the P. Melvin is really our Patrick
Melvin, where is HE buried? Or what did the person who prepared the script for the
monument mean by Mary's county? There is no BYBH, I believe. And, if, as the
transcriber's question mark suggests, the years have faded the correct name of
the county, what was originally carved that looks like BYBH now?
Patrick and Mary's daughter, Eliza Jane Melvin, gets mention in the Stanley
family entry in Wendell M. Stanley's book on Russell, FROM SWAMP AND SHANTY (1988)
and her offspring appear also in the Kincaid and Stevenson entries. A copy of the
book can be found in the Robarts Library at the University of Toronto.
All the best,
Cameron.
______________________________
Hi Cameron:
Next weekend I'll have another look in the cemetery. If I remember correctly,
the marker in the photo on the web site just contains the name "Melvin" and there
are several smaller stones embedded flat on the ground. The smaller stones contain
the names and dates of the children - I think.
If there is not too much snow, I'll have a look.
Another stone from that cemetery is at www.bytown.net/birchtom.htm
(click here).
Someone in this area has a web site for the history of the SERSON family. Have
you seen it? I forget where it is now but would like to put a link to it from
my site, if it's not already there.
County BYBH? I have no idea. The only Irish counties containing four
letters are Cork, Mayo and Down. Mayo was almost exclusively Catholic, Down
had a Protestant majority and Cork was mostly Catholic but contained a
fairly large Protestant gentry.
... Al
June 10, 2004:
Dear Cameron and Al;
Quote:
"One of the sons of Patrick and Mary has Serson as his middle name,,,,," Cameron Tolton
Hello my name is Patti and I am a descendant of John Serson Melvin son of
Patrick and Mary Melvin. John married Jane Hodgson in 1866. John was born on
January 14 1844 Metcalfe, Ontario Canada. He and Jane had eleven children;
I am a descendant of their daughter Rachel Emma Melvin. She is my Great Grandmother
on my fathers side of the family.
I am a bit confused as to Mary’s (Patrick’s Wife) last name though… Is it Serson
(which makes sense to me) or is it Sasseville? Where did the Sasseville name come
from? I did not have any of this on Patrick or Mary before finding your site through
a Google search. Any info would help to enlighten things for me.
Thank you for all you have given,
Patti
Descendants of John Serson Melvin
(thanks to Patti for the following)
1 John Serson Melvin
+ Jane Hodgson
~~ 2 Mary Elizabeth Melvin
~~~~ + John Larmour
~~ 2 Thomas James Melvin
~~~~ + Mary Larmour
~~ *2nd Wife of Thomas James Melvin:
~~~~ + Letitia Sheldrick
~~ 2 Frederick William Melvin
~~~~ + Emma
~~ *2nd Wife of Frederick William Melvin:
~~~~ + Ella Sullivan
~~ 2 Elizabeth Jane Melvin
~~~~ + Frederick Alexander Grant
~~ *2nd Husband of Elizabeth Jane Melvin:
~~~~ + William Newson
~~ 2 Rachel Emma Melvin
~~~~ + Richard James Moffatt
~~ 2 Sarah Amanda Melvin
~~~~ + George Savage
~~ 2 John Hardy Melvin
~~~~ + Isilda Myrtle Merrell
~~ 2 Howard Joseph Melvin
~~~~ + Elweda Olsen
~~ 2 Nellie Ruth Melvin
~~~~ + Robert Samuel Nichol
~~ 2 Muriel Beartrice Melvin
~~~~ + Thomas Edward Griffith
~~ 2 Ivan Melvin
~~~~ + Laura Savage
August 14, 2005:
February 27, 2006:
Mr. Lewis; I appreciate your prompt reply. Patrick Melvin was my great/great
grandfather. His son John, my great grandfather, his son Frederick, my
grandfather. Frederick had three children- Muriel, Hadley
and Allen. I would be pleased to provide any information that
I have to others who may be interested in tracing the family. Please feel
free to add my e-mail address as a contact. Thank you;
Frederick Allen Melvin
e-mail: the.melvins@shaw.ca
January 17, 2007:
Thanks for the connection....
I have the Nellie Melvin (daughter of John and Jane) connecting into my Nichols line!
If anyone is looking for information on the McKennas / Nichols / Taman / Hare lines,
let me know.
... Kathy (mdkarod@comcast.net).
March 1, 2007:
Kathy:
I have not taken the time to see what you are looking for on the Bytown or Bust site...but
did note your message:
January 17, 2007:
Thanks for the connection....
I have the Nellie Melvin (daughter of John and Jane) connecting into my Nichols line!
If anyone is looking for information on the McKennas / Nichols / Taman / Hare lines,
let me know.
Just thought I would mention that Joseph TAMAN and Mary Jane HARE were my gg grandparents. I am
connected through their eldest son John.
If you would like to discuss further, please get in touch.
Judy
jascott@quickclic.net
E-mail Cameron Tolton, Patti, Allen Melvin, Kathy, Judy and Al Lewis
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