(and cemeteries in Marlborough Township)
By Jan Gorman:
Al,
I appreciate your offer of putting information on your site regarding
Henry Purdy and Mary McAuley. The following information which gives the first
couple of generations.
The information below is a compilation of contributions by several folks,
and not all of it has been proven by me. There are three of us researchers
that go back to Henry, another pair go back to William (info on William not
included), and another who is trying to get back far enough to claim Robert
or James as an ancestor !
We researchers are planning on organizing a Purdy family reunion in 2002.
My gg'grandfather Henry Purdy: It is believed he and his wife Mary
McAuley emigrated to Canada circa 1832 and settled in Goulbourn Township. It
is believed that he had brothers William (who settled in Gloucester
Township), Robert, and possibly a James plus a sister Mary Ann who married a
James Burrows in Christ Church, Bytown 17 Nov 1834.
Henry was a member of the Church of Scotland, but converted to his wife's
Roman Catholic faith in 1872. His wife died between 1871 and 1881. The
baptisms of all but the two oldest children are found in the records of St.
Philips R.C. Church, Richmond.
Canadian records all show the Gorman surname as just that; however, after
the Gormans arrived in North Dakota, they decided that O'Gorman was the
"proper" way to spell the name. I have used the version of the name they
used as adults and when they died. Baptisms of all of the Gorman children are
found in the records of St. Philips R.C. Church, Richmond. Thomas Gorman and
his wife Mary Purdy were living with her parents in 1851; but in 1861 were in
Montague Township, Lanark Co.
So, my saying the children were born in Carleton Co is really a reflection of
where they were baptized.
1 Henry Purdy b: Abt. 1806 in Ireland d: 14 April 1881 in Goulbourn
Twp., Carleton County, ON
. +Mary McAuley b: Abt. 1806 in Ireland d: Bef. 1881 in Goulbourn
Twp., Carleton County, ON m: Abt. 1830 (probably in Ireland)
...... 2 Mary Purdy b: Abt. 1831 in Ireland d: 12 February 1916 in Grand
Forks, ND (emigrated to ND 1881 with husband and most of family)
.......... +Thomas O'Gorman b: Abt. 1827 in Ireland d: 01 October
1921 in Grand Forks, ND
.............. 3 Elizabeth O'Gorman b: 11 December 1850 in Carleton
County, ON, Canada d: 1924 in Grand Forks, ND
.................. +Mike Lynch - no issue
.............. 3 Mary O'Gorman b: 01 April 1853 in Carleton County, ON,
Canada d: 09 April 1942 in Grand Forks, North Dakota - never married
.............. 3 Thomas P. Gorman b: 05 August 1855 in Carleton County,
ON, Canada d: 23 February 1928 in Havre, MT
.................. +Elizabeth Irene Brander b: 18 September 1867 in Grey
County, ON, Canada d: 1957 in Eureka, Montana m: 30 March 1887 Minot, ND
.............. 3 Margaret Mary Gorman b: 23 October 1857 in Richmond,
ON d: 16 January 1946 in Moorhead, MN
.................. +Edward Gorman b: 11 July 1860 in Canada d: 21
December 1913 in Moorhead, MN m: 29 October 1884 Grand Forks, ND
.............. 3 James O'Gorman b: 12 February 1860 in Carleton County,
ON, Canada d: 1924 in Grand Forks, ND - never married
.............. 3 Charlotte O'Gorman b: 07 June 1862 in Carleton County,
ON, Canada d: 1942 in Grand Forks, North Dakota - never married
.............. 3 Ellen Mary O'Gorman b: 27 April 1864 in Carleton County,
ON, Canada
.............. 3 Charlotte Ann O'Gorman b: 20 April 1865 in Carleton
County, ON, Canada
.............. 3 Henry Charles O'Gorman b: 17 September 1867 in Carleton
County, ON, Canada d: 03 April 1948 in Grand Forks, ND - never married
.............. 3 John Joseph O'Gorman b: 20 March 1870 in Carleton
County, Ontario, Canada d: 23 February 1936 in Caledonia Township, Traill
County, ND
.................. +Mary Catherine Kirkey b: 21 July 1879 in Canada d: 02
August 1953 in Hillsboro, North Dakota m: 15 November 1913
.............. 3 Rose O'Gorman b: 04 November 1874 in Carleton County,
ON, Canada d: 19 August 1951 in Grand Forks, North Dakota - never married
...... 2 Charlotte Purdy b: 1834 in Goulbourn Twp., Carleton County, ON
d: 21 April 1886 in Carleton County, ON, Canada
.......... +John Cosgrove b: 1819 d: 05 October 1901 m: 08 July 1857
.............. 3 Roxanna Cosgrove b: 31 October 1857
.................. +James Cosgrove m: 17 April 1883
.............. 3 Margaret Cosgrove b: 06 January 1859
.............. 3 Mary Cosgrove b: 05 August 1860
.............. 3 Ellen Jane Cosgrove b: 26 December 1864 d: 1949
.................. +Hugh O'Connor b: 1864 d: 1931 m: Abt. 1890
.............. 3 Eliva Jane Cosgrove b: 05 January 1867
.............. 3 Charlotte Ann Cosgrove b: 08 March 1870
...... 2 Henry Purdy b: 1835 in Goulbourn Twp., Carleton County, ON
.......... +Mary O'Neil b: Abt. 1837 d: 11 March 1918 in
Goulbourne, Carleton County, ON
.............. 3 Joanna Purdy b: 26 December 1858
.................. +Thomas Brown b: in Quyon
.............. 3 Cornelius Purdy b: 20 September 1861 d: 1938
.................. +Sarah O'Neil b: 21 October 1873 d: 21 January
1914 m: 08 November 1897
.............. 3 Charles Purdy b: 27 January 1863
.............. 3 Robert Purdy b: 20 December 1864 d: 22 January 1905 in
Tupper Lake, NY
.................. +Mary Guiney b: 19 June 1861 in South Colton, NY d: 04
December 1942 in Tupper Lake, NY m: 1894
.............. 3 Eliva Agnes Purdy b: 27 April 1866
.............. 3 Margaret Agnes Purdy b: 04 January 1868 d: 16 October
1892
.............. 3 Mary Ann Purdy b: 02 September 1868 in Goulbourne, ON
d: 13 June 1928 in Nepean, ON
.................. +Henry L. Graham b: Abt. 1868 d: 25 March 1924 in
Ottawa, ON m: Abt. 1888
.............. 3 Jeremiah James Purdy b: 21 December 1870
.................. +Mary L. Hogan b: 1871 m: 25 April 1899
.............. 3 Elizabeth Purdy b: Unknown
.................. +John Leigh m: 30 March 1896
...... 2 Robert Purdy b: 10 February 1838 in Carleton County, Ontario,
Canada d: Bef. 1846
...... 2 Charles Purdy b: 03 June 1840 in Goulbourn Twp., Carleton
County, ON d: 05 February 1917 in Carleton County, Ontario, Canada
.......... +Catherine Mary Whelan b: 1849 d: 08 November 1914 m: 17
April 1872
.............. 3 Edward Austin Purdy b: 17 January 1874 d: 15 September
1874
.............. 3 Henry Joseph Purdy b: 1876 d: 1966
.................. +Honoria McKenna b: 1877 d: 1976 m: 09 February
1904
.............. 3 Ellen Mary Purdy b: 16 May 1878 d: 29 November 1902
.............. 3 Helena Charlotte Purdy b: 24 June 1880 d: 1939
.................. +Michael Barry d: 1939 in Ottawa, ON m: 09
April 1907
.............. 3 John Sylvester Purdy b: 15 September 1882 d: 04 May
1910
.............. 3 Charles Edward Purdy b: 16 December 1886
.............. 3 Ann Theresa Purdy b: 09 January 1889 d: August 1970
.................. +Thom Lyng m: 28 April 1915
...... 2 Elizabeth Purdy b: 29 December 1844
...... 2 Robert Paul Purdy b: 15 June 1846 in Carleton County, Ontario,
Canada (emigrated circa 1880 to ND)
.......... +Mary Ellen Ann O'Brien
.............. 3 Mary Caroline Purdy b: 05 September 1874
.............. 3 John Henry Purdy b: 09 October 1876
.............. 3 William Joseph Purdy b: 01 December 1878
.............. 3 Helena Purdy b: 1880 in Grand Forks, ND
.............. 3 Harry Purdy b: 22 August 1881 in Grand Forks, ND
.............. 3 Ethel Ann Purdy b: 22 August 1881 in Grand Forks, ND
d: 22 December 1954 in ID
.................. +Warren R. Bullock m: 07 July 1898
...... 2 Elizabelle? Purdy b: Abt. 1852
Any questions ? Jan Gorman
Al,
In the book, "Who's Where, A Guide to the Cemetaries of Rideau Township"
Jim Kennedy, published by Township of Rideau History Committee in 1980, there
is a write-up on the Dwyer Hill Pioneer Roman Catholic Burial Ground
(Abandoned) near Dwyer Hill Station. Con 9, parts of lots 22 and 23,
Marlborough Township
This article was written by Dr. George NEVILLE and appeared in the Ottawa
Branch, OGS, periodical "Branch News" Vol 7, Number 3, March 1975.
Do you know if any further studies have appeared regarding this cemetary
? Do you know if any efforts have ever been undertaken to "restore" or at
least to mark where this cemetary existed ? It just seems so sad that it
has been allowed to go unnoticed and basically unrecorded.
Thanks in advance.
Jan Gorman
Hi Al,
Yes, St. Clare's R.C. Church is right there on Dwyer Hill Road, and the
cemetary is adjacent to the church. Was out there at the beginning of June.
Lots of Purdys buried there, along with folks that they married into....such
as Cosgroves, etc. However, no headstone for my gggrandparents Henry PURDY
and Mary McCAULEY. Headstones for many of their children, though. They lived
very nearby on Purdy Road (which deadends on Dwyer Hill Rd and is almost just
across from the church) along with several other Purdys. Some Purdys still
live there, but I haven't met them - another trip.
Do you have access to the book I cited ?? From that 1975 description you
need directions to find the cemetery -- which are given in the article. I
could type them up and send if you don't have access to the cemetary listing
book. Let me know.
Jan GORMAN
Researching GORMAN, PURDY, BRISLIN / BRISLAN, and affiliated O'BRIEN,
O'NEIL, DRISCOLL lines, in Carleton (Marlborough and Goulbourn), Lanark
(Montague), and Grenville Counties. (added Grenville after this past summer's
trip)
And more from Jan:
Al:
If it was this bad 25 years ago, one wonders if anything is even visible today.
I copied all the directions out---even though I am sure you know how to
get to Dwyer Hill Road and St. Clares. Jan
Directions to the abandoned cemetary -- from Dr. Neville's 1974 visit --
he said he visited the site in the company of Mr. W.W. (Elwin) Vaughan and
his wife of Richmond. The author noted that it had been 13 years since Elwin
Vaghan had last visited the site, and some difficulty was encountered in
locating the area due to reforestation and abundant overgrowth.
"The cemetery is reached from Richmond by proceeding along the 4th line
Road towards Prospect. On reaching the Dwyer Hill Road about 7 miles west of
Richmond, one turns south on the Dwyer Hill Road passing St. Clare R.C.
Church and Cemetery on the east side, and proceeds until arriving at the
Dwyer Hill Station road (now O'Neil Road) whereupon one proceeds east for a
distance of about half a mile to a level crossing of C.N.R tracks. Less than
a quarter of a mile further east, one takes a left turn onto a small side
road which leads to a convenient rocky plateau for parking just south of the
tracks. One can then walk into a reforested area first along the remaining
portion of the side road before encountering an old bush trail to the
north-east which tends to parallel a hydro-electric transmission line. This
bush trail becomes part of the Rideau Trail, and at a junction a subsidiary
trail forking to the left, and denoted by a large orange arrow below the
usual trangular Rideau Trail marking, indicates the direction to be followed.
Along this subsidiary trail and off to the right hand side, it is necessary
to maintain a sharp look-out for a row of blackened and lichen-covered stones
(approximately 2 feet wide and 8 inches height) intergrown with white cedars.
At one point this rock pile is distinguished by the appearance of a square
corner in its deposition. This arrangement demarcates one corner of the old
abandoned cemetery which is so thickly overgrown with cedar and elm as to be
virtually unrecognizable except by the alerted and observant viewer.
Undoubedly, many have passed on this portion of the Rideau Trail without
knowing what history lies concentrated within 10 yards of the trail."
Later, the author notes that the cemetery appears to be on parts of Lots
22 and 23 owned in 1863 by T. HAGGARTY and James HANRAHAN, respectively. "As
remains of an old cedar line fence may be seen near parts of the cemetery, it
would appear that the cemetery straddled the line of Lots 22 and 23 near
their southern boundary."
... Jan Gorman
Jan:
I'll try to get a picture of this cemetery this fall and will post it on this page.
... Al (see info posted on August 5, 2004)
See also Dennis O'Neil and Mary Driscoll
August 5, 2004:
Note: Steve Baker has sent along the directions to the pioneer cemetery.
He's also sent some photographs. See the web page for the
Dwyer Hill Pioneer Roman Catholic Burial Ground.
August 31, 2004:
See The Purdy's of Carleton County by Bill Pierson.
September 6, 2008:
New e-mail for Steve Baker incorporated in the list below.
Send Email to Jan Gorman, Steve Baker, Bill Pierson and Al Lewis
Back to Bytown or Bust - History and Genealogy in the Ottawa, Canada area
