January 25, 2008:

Hi All,   
I am very new at researching family history and I cannot find out the maiden name of 
my great-great-great grandmother. Having studied your information on the web about 
the history of Richmond and surrounding areas, I was wondering if any of you could 
help? Here are the details I have: 

Sarah Unknown married James Pack (Private, 37th Regiment of Foot) in 1820.

She is listed in the 1851 census as 50 yrs of age and born in Ireland. 

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated as I only get back to 
visit (research) about once a year!

Thank you for your time, 

... Kirk Peck
_____________________________

Hi Kirk:  You did not supply much info for us to work with.  In checking Al Lewis' 
site, Bytown or Bust, I note that James Pack is included in the list of military 
disbandments on Al's site which was so generously donated by Alexa Pritchard i.e. 
James Pack Private,  37th W1/2 No 23 in the 11th Concession  Goulbourn
 
It would seem that James Pack received the West Half of Lot no 23, 11th Concession, 
I am assuming Goulbourn twp. which is located in the Stittsville, Ontario area.  
If you have additional info that you wish to share with us, we may be able to provide 
you with more information.
 
RB 'Bob' Sample
_____________________________

Good morning, Kirk and Robert:
 
Thanks for your e-mails regarding James Pack, an early settler in Goulbourn Township.
 
I think that Robert is correct. James Pack / Peck settled in part of what is the 
village of Stittsville now. There is a Jonathan Pack Street in Stittsville today. 
This may have been part of the original Pack farm.
 
On the attached map from Stittsville in 1879, you will see part of the original Pack 
farm (upper left corner).
 
Do you mind if I add your e-mail, including the map of Stittsville, to our web site? 
We may hear from other researchers who may have a record of Sarah's maiden name. 
Please let me know.
 
... Al Lewis
____________________________

Bob & Al,          
Thanks for the prompt replies. There are indeed ‘many’ Pecks across the river in 
Quebec (Danford, Pontiac - where my family currently is)! It was this line that 
was traced back to James Peck (Pack) and provided to me by an Aunt of mine. Alexa 
Pritchard is a name that sounds familiar; she may have supplied it to my family. 

The reason that James Pack does not appear in the 1891 census (I believe) is because 
he died 2 Aug 1874 and was buried (as PECK) at St. Thomas Anglican Cemetery in 
Stanley Corners. See picture at Scot Naylor's site at:  http://www3.sympatico.ca/scott.naylor/Graves/NewIndex/GraveMarker1.HTM

The only other information I have relating to James Pack (which I don’t know if 
it will help track the mysterious “Sarah”) is:

1.         James parents: Moses Pack and Ruth Pound who married 23 July 1786 in Hursley, 
Hampshire England.

2.         Child of James and Sarah Pack:            

Thomas Henry Peck (Pack) b. 29 Mar 1827 bap. 17 Jun 1827 at March Township, St.John’s 
Richmond Ont. Married Elizabeth (Eliza) Spearman 2 Jul 1850 at St. John’s Richmond Ont.

3.         Child of Thomas and Eliza Peck:

            Joseph Peck b. Jan 1865 (in Ont) bap. 11 Nov 1905 (in Danford, Pontiac County, Que.). 
			Married Mary Matilda Taylor 25 Mar 1894 at St. Peters, Cawood Quebec.

The information above indicates the transition from Ontario to Quebec for my family 
where most still reside. 

As stated above, I cannot claim this information as my own however, please feel free 
to include my name and email to your website as you see fit. 

Thank you,

Kirk
(Robert Sample has sent some census records for the Peck / Pack family ... Al)
________________________

This map of Stittsville in 1879 shows the Pack farm (upper left corner). 
Source: Belden's Atlas of Carleton County



Other names on the map are William McCurdy, William Alexander, Robert Cherry,
John Rose, James Lewis, G.A. Burrows and William Denison. Mrs. Argue has the store 
at the corner of Stittsville Main Street and Abbott Street, across from the Railway 
Station. At one time (maybe in 1879, this was a Temperance Hotel). The initials "J.S." 
on the corner of the Pack farm may be Jackson Stitt, the founder of Stittsville.
... Al
January 26, 2008:

Wild hunch, who is this?: "The initials "J.S." on the edge
of the Pack farm may be Jackson Stitt, the founder of Stittsville."

I'd look very carefully at the Stitt family!  Wouldn't it be logical to provide your 
old father-in-law a piece of land nearby?  Guessing that Sarah may have been a Stitt..... 
good hunting.

... Alexa Pritchard
 January 27, 2008:
My 2˘ worth again: Not everyone had choice lots to settle on in the Richmond area, 
nor were they all farmers but what else are they to do in the wilderness? They needed 
to eat. Also by the second generation there was little space to expand to. (Most of 
my gang left for Iowa for that very reason.) I think if you do some digging you'll 
find the William McCurdy line in Kazabazua / Danford (1950s).  Other soldier's 
descendants Peck and Gabie families moved up the Gatineau from the Richmond / Huntley 
area for the logging boom. (1850's?) Others followed such as Heney and Milford ....
many many more that I can't think of now.  A grandson of William Shea moved up there in 1900.

Kirk, if you want to know more about your Pack family you'll find Edie Sage has 
recorded an amazing amount.  Hopefully she donated her books to the library in 
Danford village before she died last year. Or is that the aunt you were referring to?

By the way it has only been in the last 40-50 yrs that the gang at Danford / Aylwin / 
Kazabazua became Peck...prior to that they were Pack. The pronunciation varies to 
this day with the older folks.

One Percy Peck treated soldiers of the 41st in Quebec City in 1799 and became quite 
exhausted himself. (War Office records Kew, England, also available on film at the 
National Archives in Ottawa) I included part of his report in my latest book 
"Family Friends and Neighbours of Sgt. William Shea". Percy is a name the Peck's of 
Danford used in the last 70 yrs. Coincidence?  Maybe not. 

Where were Sarah and James married in 1820? 

... Alexa

 
E-mail Kirk Peck, Robert Sample, Alexa Pritchard and Al Lewis



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