EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 1

Is to serve as a communicator for researching and tracing the families of the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Thank you for your interest in our newsletter.

The ETQC e-letter is published twice a year to inform our readers of sources that are available for research in the Eastern Townships.

It is hoped to help our readers to be more aware of the collections that are already published or will be published in the near future.

Your feedback is appreciated so we know if we can make a difference in the search for your Eastern Township Ancestors.

Different families will be featured from different counties and when possible

a picture will be included in the ETQC e-letter .

For more information contact Laverne Aitchison

OUR GOAL

EASTERN TWP OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR

Inside this issue:

MEGANTIC COUNTY 2

TOWNSHIPPERS’ DAY—BROME, QUEBEC 3

TWP HERITAGE WEBMAGAZINE—

KNOWLTON RESTORATION

4

St. Lambert: A Train of Thought 5

BOOTH FAMILIES 8

ETQC PUBLICATIONS 12

GENEALOGY WEBSITES 13

Number 12 Spring 2015

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 2

ME-

Number 12 Spring 2015

PLEASE NOTE:

There was no 2014 Fall issue of the ETQC

MEGANTIC COUNTY Sources: http://brazoriaroots.com/pi1598.htm

Gwen Rawlings Barry, A History of Megantic County, Downhomers of Quebec's Eastern Townships, Evans Books, 1999, p. 2.

Megantic, a county in southern Quebec, is

surrounded by the counties of Beauce, Frontenac,

Wolfe, Arthabaska, and Lotbinière. The name is

derived from the Abnaki word Namesokanjik,

meaning "where they preserve fish." The county

is traversed by the Canadian National and Quebec

Central Railways; and contains important asbestos

deposits. County town, Inverness. Pop. 40,357 [in

1948]

In 1792, after the conquest, the British

government undertook in Quebec the cutting of

the virgin lands located at the south of the French

lands along the Valley of the St. Lawrence. They

wanted to prepare the grounds for the colonists of

England, of Ireland and of Scotland, all faithful to

the British crown. The cutting of the grounds

started along the American border, went up

gradually towards the north and joined the Megantic County in about 1796. The land surveying of

the Eastern Townships was finished in 1796 and was made official on August 30, 1802. The

surface thus registered represented 12,000 square miles. It was divided into 92 cantons of about 10

square miles each and they were divided into 320 batches of 200 acres. These Abenakis hunting

grounds consequently became the Eastern Townships. Megantic County was divided into 9

municipalities: Leeds, Inverness, Ireland, Halifax, Broughton, Nelson, Somerset, Thetford and

Tring. In 1861, Tring was no longer part of the Megantic County, and later, Somerset became part

of the Arthabaska County. Broughton was transferred a little later to the Beauce County. As of

1940 what remained in the Megantic County was definitively redrawn and annexed to the new area

of the Bois-Francs, from the base of the Appalachians to the Valley of the St. Lawrence.

MEGANTIC COUNTY

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 3

TOWNSHIPPERS’ DAY

Number 12 Spring 2015

GUINDON REUNION Sept 11-13, 2015

LAVAL, QUEBEC

For more information go to the Guindon Reunion Website http://www.guindon.myevent.com/

HAMMOND ONTARIO — GUINDON FAMILY REUNION 2000

Source: http://www.tday.ca/town-brome-lake-brome-village-host-townshippers-day-2015-2/

BROME, January 29, 2015 – Townshippers’ Association is proud to announce that Brome Village

and the Town of Brome Lake are joining forces to host the 36th edition of Townshippers’ Day on

Saturday, September 12, 2015, at the Brome Fairgrounds.

Townshippers’ Day, affectionately dubbed T-Day, is an annual celebration of the creativity,

heritage, and vitality of the English-speaking community of the historical Eastern Townships. Since

1979, this bilingual cultural festival and information fair has brought the Anglophone and

Francophone communities in the region together through dance and music, arts and crafts, activities

and food.

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 4

Published on Townships Heritage WebMagazine

(http://townshipsheritage.com)

UPDATE: Paul Holland Knowlton House

Restoration Project, December 2014 Author: Kevin Armstrong --December 11, 2014.

The old Knowlton house being lowered onto its new foundation. (Photo - Matthew Farfan)

On October 17 2014, the Paul Holland Knowlton House was

successfully moved to its current location on the grounds of the

Brome County Museum (BCHS). The Knowlton House, one of the

oldest log buildings in the Eastern Townships (dating back to the

early 1800s) was previously located at the Knowlton Golf Club,

where it risked demolition. Now, as it settles into its new home,

priorities regarding the Knowlton House are focused squarely on

restoring the historic log house for its upcoming 200th anniversary

in 2015.

The restoration project aims to return the Paul Holland Knowlton House to its appearance as it was

in 1815. It will showcase the contributions of town founder Paul Holland Knowlton (1787-1863). A

man of marked influence, Knowlton was a key figure in establishing the first major town structures

– a sawmill, a store, and a gristmill – of what would eventually become the town of Knowlton. Paul

Holland Knowlton’s subsequent service as a soldier and a politician provide us with a wealth of

stories to commemorate.

Fundraising for this project is now in a transitional period. The Paul Holland Knowlton House

Committee is in charge of fundraising. Emphasis is currently being placed on collecting donations.

Interested donors can contribute to the project through the museum’s website:

http://www.bromemuseum.com/donate-to-the-project [2].

The Brome County Museum, while hosting the Knowlton House on its own property, lacks the

funds to afford the $120,000 restoration – which is why fundraising is so important. All proceeds

from donations are being channelled directly to a dedicated PHK House Fund held by the BCHS.

Approximately $50,000 has been raised towards the restoration, and fundraising projects for 2015

are currently in the works. With more exposure, fundraising activities may be more successful.

In November and December 2014, a permanent roof was installed on the Knowlton House in

anticipation of the coming winter season. On December 9, windows were ordered in the hope that

they will be installed before Christmas. Work on the restoration of the house is proceeding at a

steady pace, and local contractors are confident that the project will be completed as early as July

2015. (another source) https://paulhollandknowlton.wordpress.com/

QUEBEC HERITAGE WEB

Number 12 Spring 2015

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 5

The Canadian Railroad Historical Society has launched the book,

St. Lambert: A Train of Thought, by Lorne Perry.

New book documents history of railroading in Saint-Lambert, Quebec Source: http://genealogyalacarte.ca/?p=6715 Posted on December 11, 2014 by Gail Dever

The book helps readers relive the glory days of steam railroading in

St. Lambert, a south shore suburb of Montreal, through the

Depression, and to the end of steam in 1959.

The 123-page hard-cover book contains text and hundreds of photos

and illustrations.

The following description is from a promotional flyer about the

book.

The story starts with an historical overview, the age of steam and

trolley, and ends with a look at the changes over the last 50+ years.

In the 1950s St. Lambert was a beehive of CNR rail activity. Some 80 to 100 passenger and freight trains, light engines and transfers a day polished the rails; CNR steam and early diesel trains were

augmented with Central Vermont steam and oil electrics and Rutland Railroad passenger trains.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Montreal & Southern Counties electric interurban railroad had its main

office and carbarn in St. Lambert. The M&SC offered frequent service to Montreal and to towns to the

east, such as Marieville and Granby.

The local scene around St. Lambert had many similarities to dozens of important railway locations acros

Canada, but also featured its own special characteristics and events. The role of the railways in this

suburb of Montreal is well described in order to situate their position in the social fabric of the

community. Times have changed over the years but the trains still rumble through.

The book costs about $55 and is also available in French, Saint-Lambert : Train de vie. Inside each book

is a 50-minute DVD that contains four narrated short 16mm films.

Copies of the book are available from the Canadian Railroad Historical Society by sending a cheque or

credit card information to: CRHA, 110 Saint-Pierre Street, Saint-Constant, Quebec J5A 1G7. Contact the

society for exact price and shipping at info@exporail.org. Or you may order by phone at 450-638-1522

ext 244. Copies are also available to purchase in person at the Exporail, the Canadian Railway

Museum’s gift shop.

Genealogy à la carte Number 12 Spring 2015

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 6

Quebec, Montreal & Southern Railway Source: http://www.canada-rail.com/quebec/railways/QS.html#.VMrOYz8tE5g

Grand Trunk Railway From the mid to late 19th century, the British-owned Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) dominated the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The GTR arrived in the mid 1850s with the opening of a much-

needed line between Montreal and Toronto. By 1859, it stretched as far west as Sarnia, and as far east as Portland, Maine in the US. The GTR was owned by a group of private British investors and operated out of London. To raise capital, the railway issued bonds which came attached with annual interest payments. Initially revenue was poor and the railway was often cash strapped. In 1861, the situation was so dire that the government lent the GTR $15 million to cover

serious shortfalls. It appears much of the GTR's planning was driven by shareholder concerns. The directors chose to play it safe by sticking with established routes that ran adjacent to major waterways. Growth was focused on immediate sources of revenue, rather than on building for the future. The federal government had other

obligations. As a condition of BC's entry into confederation, the government was committed to build a rail line between central Canada (Ontario and Quebec) and BC. The GTR was approached and turned the offer down flat. The company preferred to lay down tracks where the traffic was already flowing. To fulfill its obligations to BC, the government was forced to enact legislation that led to the creation of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The Quebec, Montreal & Southern Railway (QMS&R) was an American-owned line that

operated from 1906 to 1929. The QMS&R began in 1890 as the East Richelieu Valley Railway

(ERVR). It was chartered to build a line from Saint Hyacinthe to Lacolle. In 1895 the ERVR

was purchased by the United Counties Railway which had recently opened lines from Iberville

to Saint Hyacinthe and Saint Hyacinthe to Bellevue Junction. Although the acquisition was

mutually beneficial, United Counties continued operating the ERVR as a separate entity. In

1898 the ERVR expanded from Iberville to Noyan. In 1900, it was purchased by the Rutland

Railroad and renamed the Quebec Southern Railway (QSR). The United Counties Railway was

then merged into the QSR. In 1902 a new section was opened from Saint-François-du-Lac to

Pierreville. In 1894 a second railway, the South Shore Railway (SSR) was beginning to take

shape The SSR was originally created to build a line from Valleyfield to Lévis and it grew

quickly. By 1900 it had acquired the Montreal & Sorel Railway Railway, the Great Eastern

Railway and the Montreal & Atlantic Railway line that ran from Sorel to Yamaska Est.

The Delaware and Hudson Railroad (D&HRR), eager to expand in Quebec had its eye on both

the QSR and SSR. Beginning in 1903 the D&HRR began purchasing interests in both railways.

In 1905 DH took full ownership of the SSR, followed by the QSR in 1906. The two railways

were then merged to form the Quebec, Montreal & Southern Railway (QM&SR), which was

operated as a subsidiary of D&HRR. Further extensions under D&HRR ownership included

Pierreville to Nicolet and the Saint-Grégoire Junction to Fortierville.

Quebec, Montreal & Southern Railway

Number 12 Spring 2015

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 7

Daniel B. Parkinson Update to “UP TO RAWDON” http://www.uptorawdon.com/index.html#order

FIND A GRAVE

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi

What is Find A Grave?

Find a Grave's mission is to find, record and present

final disposition information from around the world

as a virtual cemetery experience.

Memorial contributions to Find A Grave must fulfill

that mission - registration of the final disposition.

If the memorial contribution corresponds with only

the main mission, then the memorial fulfills its

purpose as part of Find A Grave's mission.

Find a Grave memorials may contain rich content

including pictures, biographies and more specific

information. Members can leave remembrances via

'virtual flowers' on the memorials they visit,

completing the virtual cemetery experience.

Find A Grave is a resource for anyone in finding the

final disposition of family, friends, and 'famous'

individuals.

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS BOOKS

Number 12 Spring 2015

What is Up To Rawdon?

Published in two parts, it is a distillation of years

of research into the early history of Rawdon

Township, Quebec. Check the Book index (now

searchable)

above - the chapters are alphabetically arranged

by family name and include most of the original

Protestant and some of the Catholic settlers. Part

Two completes the inventory of families and has

chapters on origin and emigration, church and

school and other topics. Available from lulu.com

in soft cover and in e-book (PDF) formats. See

below for ordering information and a book

overview.

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 8

John Rudolphus Booth 1827—1925 Source:

J. R. Booth was born on a farm at Lowes near Waterloo (Shefford County) in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. April 05, 1827. His parents, John and Eleanor Rowley Booth, Irish immigrants, had a number of children (variously reported as 5, 6 and 8). J. R. Booth left the family farm at the age of 21 and got a job as a carpenter with the Central Vermont Railroad. In 1852 he married Rosalinda Cooke and moved to the Ottawa valley. His first business venture was a machine shop in Hull, Quebec which later burned down. After first working as a carpenter by day, and making shingles by night for the Wright family he opened a successful shingle factory, accumulating enough money to lease (and then buy) a small

sawmill near the Chaudière Falls. He established his own lumber company and won the contract to supply wood for the Parliament buildings at the new Canadian capital in Ottawa, Ontario, selected by Queen Victoria in 1858. He became a lumber king and railway baron. One of his granddaughter's, Lois Frances Booth, married Count Erik of

Denmark and had two children. John R. Booth and wife Rosalinda are buried at Beachwood

Cemetery in Ottawa, Canada He died Dec 8, 1925 at the age of 98 years.

BOOTH FAMILY

Number 12 Spring 2015

Marilyn Davis davismarilyn@axion.ca

Thank you so much Marilyn for all the work on transcribing the information from the cemeteries for all of us

who live too far away to visit these cemeteries. It is much appreciated. You didn’t give up and took the time to

find the death record for us below. The Booth Families lived in the Waterloo/Granby, Quebec area.

JAMES BOOTH FAMILY

James Hill Booth and Mary Ramsey children: Eliza A. Booth, Leroy Booth, Frederick W. Booth, Albert E. Booth, Levi Booth, Minnie Booth, Sara Booth

Registration # 351176 1 1894 Mary M, Female, Married to James H Booth, 65 years 4 mos 10 days old,

died of Phthisis Pulmonalis, died in Chicopee, Mass, , Father; John Ramsey, Mother Eliza Taylor.

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 9

Thanks to Ethel Dessert paulethel.dessert@comcast.net for her contributions to the ETQC

The father Robert's parent's are Robert Booth from County Leitrim, Ireland and Ann Hill. The

mother Eliza Ellen's parent's are Thomas H. Booth and Frances Hill. There might be some sort of

relationships there with the Booth's or Hill's, but I know there were different Booth families that

came to Quebec.

ROBERT BOOTH FAMILY

Back Row: Merrill Francis, Archer Harrison, Marvin Thomas, and Herbert Robert.

Front Row: Walter Hill, Eliza Ellen (mother), Bertha Eleanor, Robert (father), and Lillian.

Number 12 Spring 2015

ETQC QUERIES—BOOTH FAMILY

WILLIAM BOOTH FAMILY

William E Booth

B 1853 Montreal d 1918

Wife: Eliza Ellen Jones

B 1857 d 1905

Children:

Nellie b 1880

Bertha b 1885

Wallace b 1887

Ethel b 1889

Grace b 1896

Left to right: William E. Booth, Bertha, Grace (sitting), Wallace, Ethel, Eliza Ellen Jones, and Nellie

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 10

QUEBEC FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY HTTP://WWW.QFHS.CA/

The Quebec Family History Society is the largest English-language

genealogical society in Quebec.

CONTACT: Joan Benoit at 514-695-1502 or qfhs@bellnet.ca.

Featured Resources for Members

Scottish Churches of Lower Canada and Quebec. The latest research guides from Jacques

Gagné are now available in the Members section. Having difficulty finding the village where your

ancestors lived? Not sure which church to look for? Take a look at these helpful guides.

The Quebec Land Grants Index is now available online, with special thanks to Sharon Callaghan

for a detailed explanation and research process. See Sharon's article on the Quebec Land Grants

(Township System) in the Members section.

If your ancestors lived in Quebec City, explore the Norma Lee Collection.

Available in the Members section: CompuTree from the Summer 2013 issue of Connections

where all the links are live, for your convenience

The Eastern Townships Resource Centre (ETRC) http://www.etrc.ca/home.html

is a resource centre for the study of the Eastern Townships with a special focus on the English-

speaking community.

For further information on the Eastern Townships Research Centre,

Jody Robinson Archivist may be reached at (819) 822-9600, ext. 2261,

or at etrc2@ubishops.ca. Website www.etrc.ca

The ETRC does not charge entry, membership, or research fees.

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS RESOURCES

Number 12 Spring 2015

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 11

Number 12 Spring 2015

LEGACY GENEALOGY CRUISE

LEGACY GENEALOGY CRUISE http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/CruiseInfo_2015.asp

We heard your requests and booked a sailing

during the summer so our School Teachers can

attend and our families can come with us. (And

don’t forget those Grandchildren.) This awe

inspiring ship is so packed with fun and amenities

that while you are attending Genealogy classes

your family can have a safe and memorable

theme park type adventure throughout the entire

ship. Enjoy genealogy classes with:

*Lisa Louise Cooke

*Steve Salisbury

*Geoff Rasmussan

*Dave Berdan

*Ken McGinnis

Genealogy Software

There are dozens of different types of genealogical programs and applications available. Each has its strengths and

weaknesses. Some are easy to learn; others are difficult. About the only thing all experienced genealogists who use

computers agree on is that there is no one program that will do everything for everyone.

Genealogy programs will help you keep track of your ancestry. There are a variety of programs available for the

different computers. How do you know which one will serve your purposes?

Compare features

Read the reviews and comments by others

Download and test free demo

Among the best and most popular genealogy software programs

(in alphabetical order, not ranking) are the following:

Regardless of which genealogy program you select most programs have GEDCOM capabilities

WHAT IS A GEDCOM? It is a file format, developed by the Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-Day Saints (LDS) to provide a flexible and uniform format for exchanging computerized genealogical data.

GEDCOM is an acronym for Genealogical Data COMunication. A GEDCOM file ends with the extension of *.ged

Check out Dick Eastman’s site to review different genealogy programs

http://blog.eogn.com/2014/08/10/genealogy-software-review-rootsmagic/

Ancestral Quest Brother's Keeper

Family Tree Maker Legacy

Lifelines (Unix) The Master Genealogist (TMG)

Reunion (Macintosh) RootsMagic

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 12

PUBLICATIONS Number 12 Spring 2015

DANIEL B. PARKINSON—AUTHOR of UP TO RAWDON http://uptorawdon.com/ This book in two parts is the result of the author’s years of research into the early history of Rawdon Town- ship, Lower Canada where his ancestors settled 1824-1832. It includes most of the immigrants settling there before 1852.

NEIL BROADHURST - AUTHOR broadhurst@shaw.ca

Protestant Marriages of the District of Bedford, QC 1804-1879

KATHLEEN BROCK – AUTHOR http://www.qfhs.ca/forsale.php?scid=5

Protestant Births & Baptisms, Shefford County, Quebec 1880-1899 $35.00

Protestant Marriage Index, Shefford County, Quebec 1880-1899 $40.00

Protestant Death & Burial Index, Shefford County, Quebec 1880-1899 $40.00

COLBY CURTIS MUSEUM/STANSTEAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY

http://www.colbycurtis.ca/index_eng.html

1825 Census, Stanstead County $10.00

1861 Census for Stanstead Township and Stanstead Plain $25.00

Marriage Contracts/Contrat de marriage from/de 1840-1950 at/a Stanstead - $20.00

Stanstead Historical Society

Sherbrooke Daily Record Vital Statistics, Vol. 1 & 2, 1897-1906 – Elane Wilson Price

Stanstead County Vital Statistics, Vol. I-II, 1845-1963 – Elizabeth Brock Tilton & Wilson Varies

Forest and Clearings – The History of Stanstead County, reprint – H.B. Hubbard $38.00

Wills/Les Testaments – from/de 1840-1950 – at/a Stanstead $20.00

MATTHEW FARFAN - AUTHOR mf@qahn.org

On Lake and River - stunning bilingual book (208) pages on the history of the Eastern Townships $36.70

Cemetery Heritage in Quebec $12.00

SHARON OSGOOD NORTON - AUTHOR

https://sites.google.com/site/granbynewspaperextracts/

Granby & Eastern Townships Newspaper Extract 1855 - 1910 $40.00

We have included a listing of available books for sale. For ordering purposes, a contact has been

provided next to the publisher’s name. Please be sure to ask about shipping and handling.

The editor of this newsletter is not responsible for orders.

EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF QUEBEC CONNECTOR page 13

is designed to provide a window on to Eastern Townships history, serve as

a guide to our region's heritage, past and present.

http://townshipsheritage.com/

THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS RESOURCE CENTRE http://www.etrc.ca/home.html

For further information on the Eastern Townships Resource Centre, Jody Robinson may be

reached at (819) 822-9600, ext. 2261, or at etrc2@ubishops.ca. Website www.etrc.ca

The ETRC does not charge entry, membership, or research fees.

Marlene Simmons Website http://quebecroots.weebly.com/

· My specialty is the English speaking Protestants of Quebec; I’m not as strong for French-Canadian records. Those French-Canadian records which I do have are largely concentrated in the counties of Brome, Missisquoi and Shefford.

Pam Waugh Website http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~qceastwn/

· Genealogists researching the English speaking Protestant families in the Eastern Townships

will find there is a wealth of information available. Church records, cemetery inscriptions,

census records, etc. are available through a variety of sources. Counties Covered:

Arthabaska, Brome, Compton, Drummond, Megantic, Missisquoi, Richmond, Shefford,

Sherbrooke, Stanstead and Wolfe.

RESEARCHING YOUR "ANGLO" ROOTS IN MONTREAL

· http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~qcmtl-w/

Canadian Genealogy and History Links

· http://www.islandnet.com/~cghl/region.php?cat=Quebec

Global Genealogy

· http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/canada/quebec/searchable-pq.htm

Searchable Online Data Quebec, Canada Genealogy & History

Links to the Eastern Townships of Quebec

· http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9917/lketgen.htm

· http://www.genealogie.org/club/sgce/accueile.htm

· http://www.interment.net/can/qc/index.htm

Eastern Townships of Quebec Genealogy Websites:

Number 12 Spring 2015