Robert Jerry and Sarah Harriet Smith

For some reason I always thought that people in the “olden days” didn’t move much. Well, Robert Jerry and Sarah “Harriet” Smith moved around a lot. This, of course is coming from someone who lived in the same spot for the first 19 years of her life then moved 7 times in the next 20 years, but travel is so much easier now. Perhaps Robert and Harriet were restless or just looking for something better. Bethel Miller writes that at one point after they moved to Crozier, Rainy River, Ontario Robert
“wanted to sell everything …and trek back east but grandma [Harriet] said he could go if he wanted but she had enough of moving and was going to stay here.”

They stayed the rest of their lives in Crozier and were buried in the St. Mary’s cemetery until erosion made it necessary for their remains to be moved to the Riverview cemetery. (still moving)

Robert was born in Pickering, Ontario in about 1843. Somewhere between 1861 and 1871 his parents, William and Hannah, moved to St Vincent Township in Grey County, Ontario. Hannah died  in St. Vincent Township in 1878 and their youngest daughter, 4 year old Amelia, died about 2 months later. Within 3 years William moved back to Pickering to live with his oldest daughter, Elizabeth.

It was most likely in St. Vincent Township that Robert met Harriet. Her family had moved to St. Vincent prior to 1851. I haven’t been able to find a record of their marriage but they would have married about 1866 or 1867.

Here is where they lived (all in Ontario, Canada):
1879 - St. Vincent Township, Grey County - Robert and Harriet had a son, Robert, there that year.
1881 - Gosfield Township, Essex County - Robert's older brothers William and James lived here. They are in Essex on the 1881 census. Their son, Justin, died in Gosfield in 1881 and a Grandad Jerry (Herbert was born there in 1882.)
1884 - Scarboro, Ontario -  their son, Edward, died here.  Robert’s father died in February of 1883 so they may have been in Scarboro because of that. Or they may have been with relatives there. Robert had a sister, Elizabeth, living in Pickering and I think that some of his mother’s (Hannah Jerry nee Clark) relatives lived in the area.
1894 - St. Vincent Township - the census shows them living here again.
1900 - Crozier, Rainy River Distict -  Harriet`s sister, Ellen Mulherne, was already there when they came.  Grandma says ``They came to Rat Portage (Dryden) by train and down the Lake to the Woods and Rainy River to Roddick.`` Some of their descendants still live in this area.


Please contact me if you think we're related, if you have more information, or if you'd like to find out where I found this information.


Tara Shymanski Genealogy Research
"digging up your family tree"


Popular posts from this blog

Giving Up a Dream

Image
My Great Grandad Jerry had a goal. He wanted to be a farmer on his own land. His grandfather, William Jerry and his wife Hannah, moved from Norfolk, England to Pickering, Ontario, Canada in the 1830s. They moved to a country where they could afford to purchase land rather than working as an agricultural labourer. Herbert Jerry (holding gun) with parents and 3 brothers   Grandad Jerry’s proper name was James Herbert Jerry, but everyone called him Herb. He grew up in a family that was very poor. They needed money so badly, that according to the story that my grandmother told me, when he turned 11 he was hired out to work on the farm of Mr. James Ballard. On his first day of work Mr. Ballard sent him home and told him not to return until his ripped and torn pants were replaced. The sight of Grandad in is ragged clothes had brought blushes to Mr. Ballard's daughters. The family was so desperate for money that his mother and sisters stayed up all night hand sewing him a new pair of pa
Read more

Henry Alexander Miller 1876-1948

Image
Henry Miller Henry Alexander Miller is my father's grandfather. His obituary calls him Harry but since every other record refers to him as Henry that’s what I’ll call him . He was born to Thomas and Catherine Miller (nee Young) on April 9, 1876 in Kinloss, Bruce County, Ontario . Henry was the 10th of 12 children. One wonders if his mother had much energy left to raise him after having so many children. In fact Thomas and Catherine were so busy with their farm and kids that they sent a neighbour to register Henry’s birth. He registered the name incorrectly, telling the registrar the baby’s name was Alexander instead of Henry Alexander. He got the parents' names right so I was able to identify him. By the time Henry was born Bruce County, Ontario was settled and had many amenities like a grist mill and store to make life easier. As a child Henry would have had many farm chores to do so working hard was instilled in him at an early age.  When he was ready to move
Read more

Pictures of Bethel Miller (nee Jerry) and a never before seen one of Joan Miller (nee Dunn)

Image
Hey everyone, I've been focussed on researching and haven't bothered to post anything. Which is my downfall in family history, I like to research but hate to write about it.  I thought today I'd post some pictures of grandma and mom..sorry no writing but once I get the Jerry's organized I'll write again. Here are some pictures of Grandma Sitting on the bridge over Lavallee River I'm not sure where this one was taken. This is a picture I love. It didn't scan very well. It's the one Beth Caldwell took of her for the newspaper article. Gram is 88 in this picture.  Here is the picture of Mom. The back of the picture says Betty, Jack, and Joan children of Buster and Gwen Harrison at Clelland House in Brower with Opal Clelland. I'm sure we have a picture of Kippy where he looks exactly like Jack.
Read more