Agnes Paterson (1863 - 1944)

Ancestors

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Biography

Agnes Paterson is born in Oxford County, Canada West on November 28, 1863 [1][5]. Her parents are James A. Paterson (1829-1905) and Isabella Elizabeth Moir (1839-1908). Her father is descended from Scottish settlers in Scarborough Township, northeast of Toronto, who, in 1820, had cleared the land at the southeast corner of what is now Finch Avenue and Kennedy Road, Toronto. Her mother was born in the United States and she, too, is descended from Scottish immigrants to the United States who had landed in 1830 in New York and then found their way to Upper Canada. Shortly after Agnes’s parents were married in 1858, they move from Scarborough Township to a farm in North Oxford Township, Oxford County. The farm is on the Thamesford Gravel Road, running between Ingersoll and Thamesford. This is roughly half way between Woodstock and London, Ontario, on the north side of the Thames River.

Agnes shows up in the 1871 census as an eight-year old girl living with her family on the farm in Oxford North [2] She is also there in the 1881 census as an 18-year old [3]; and in the 1891 census as a 28-year old [4] and, still, in the 1901 census when she is 39-years old [5].

She has not been found in the 1911 census. In the 1916 census records, she is living with her brother’s family on a farm in Alberta [6]. The farm is near the town of Spondin which is east of Red Dear, about 265 kilometres northeast of Calgary or about 290 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. And this is the last record of Agnes that we have found until her death in 1944. She is buried in the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery with two of her brothers (Thomas Leonard and William Arnold) [7].

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Sources

[1] The 1968 Paterson family tree by Marjorie Paterson: shows Agnes as the third child of James Paterson and Isabel Moir.

[2] 1871 census, Ontario, Oxford South, 13, Oxford North, 9, pg 10, household 33: James Patterson (sic) (41) – a farmer, Isabella (31) born in US, Andrew (12), Richard A (10), Agnes (8), James ? (5), John L (1) The family is Presbyterian and “Scotch.” [to check: the name “Oxford South” in the census record probably means the southern half of Oxford County. The family lived in the Township of Oxford North that was in the County of Oxford.]

[3] 1881 census, Ontario, Oxford South 165, Oxford North, Div no 2, pg 8, household 36: James A Patterson (sic) (52) – farmer, Isabella (42), Andrew (22) – a miller, Richard (20) –school teacher, Agnes (18), James H (15) (?) farmers son (?), John (11), Thomas (9), Ernest (6), The family is C Pres & “Scotch” , the 4 youngest are in school.

[4] 1891 census, Ontario, Oxford South, 105, Oxford North, 70, pg 13, household 70: James A Patterson (61) - father born England [incorrect], mother born Scotland, Pres, farmer; Elizabeth (52) born in US, father born Scot, mother born Scot; Allen (30) – high school teacher; Agnes (28); James H (25) – machinist; John (21) law student; Leonard (?) T (19) Pub school but also a wage earner (?); Ernest (16); William A (9).

[5] 1901 census, Ontario, 102 Oxford South, North Oxford Twp, pg 5, family #55: James Paterson (71), born June 8, 1829, farmer; Isabella E. (62), born Feb 22, 1839; Agnes (39), born Nov 28, 1861; Ernest (26), born Nov 17, 1874, farmer; Arnold (19), born June 29, 1881. All residents were born in Ont except Isabella who was born in the US. All residents are labelled “Scotch” and their religion is Presbyterian.

[6] 1916 census, Alberta, Battle River, pg 1 (Ernest Paterson is the census taker): Ernest Paterson (41), farmer; Anna Irene Paterson (32), wife; Leonard Ernest Paterson (6), son; Allan Moir Paterson (3), son; Agnes Paterson (53), sister (sister of Ernest’s) The family lives in township 33, range 11, west 4th meridian. It looks as if the township is named [? Hiram #304] There is also one 18-year old “servant” in the house [?John Quast?] All the Paterson’s were born in Ontario except Allan Moir who was born in Alberta. The servant was born in Russia. The religion of the family is Presbyterian and their racial or tribal origin is “Scotch.”

[7] Ingersoll Rural Cemetery: headstone: “Thomas Leonard Paterson, 1871-1892 / William Arnold Paterson, 1881-1904 / Agnes, 1863-1944”

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Fred Nix for creating Paterson-746 on 20 Sep 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Fred and others. The current biography was written by Fred Paterson Nix on April 19, 2014.