Lawrence Robert Jackson (1863 - 1933)

Born 19 May 1863 in Orillia, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 12 Feb 1933 at age 69 in Orillia, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Fred Nix [send private message]

Biography

Lawrence Robert Jackson is born on May 19, 1863, probably in Orillia, Canada West, the son of Hannah Paterson (1821-1902) and John Jackson (c1811>1891) [1][6]. Lawrence’s mother was born in Scarborough Township (now a part of Toronto) and his father was born in Scotland. Canada west will become the province of Ontario in 1867. At some point Lawrence’s parents move approximately 100 kilometres north to the relatively new village of Orillia which sits at the narrows where Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching meet (The Narrows). This move takes place prior to 1861 as the family is found in Orillia in the 1861 census records [2].

In the 1871 census, Lawrence is seven years old living with his parents and four siblings in Orillia [3]. He is still there at 18-years old in the 1881 census [4]. In the 1891 census, he is found in Scarborough, as a farm labourer, working on the farm of a second cousin –Archibald Paterson [5].

At some point – probably 1892 or 1893 – Lawrence marries Mary Scott (c1864-1946). She was born in Scotland and came to Canada in 1888. And, of significance to this story, her mother’s maiden name was “Rennie.” Gordon Rennie, in Ontario, is Lawrence’s uncle. So it is quite likely that Mary Scott is some distant cousin or cousin-in-law to Lawrence,

Lawrence and Mary have five children:

• William Scott Jackson 1894-1973 + (1922) Olive Irene Miller 1893-1967

• John Gordon Jackson 1896-1984 + (1926) Hilda May Foulkes c1904-1992

• Laurence Robert Jackson 1901-1976 + Christena Margaret Symington 1911-1977

• James Rennie Jackson 1906-1977

• Benjamin Arthur Jackson 1908-?

After Lawrence and Mary are married, one or both of them travel back to Scotland. This is known because their first child, William, is born in Scotland in 1894. It is also known that Mary (“Mrs. L.R. Jackson”) sails to Scotland and back in 1905 and, on the return voyage, she is accompanied by, among others, a 21-year old Nellie Rennie [7]. (Again, this connection with the Rennie family.)

In the1901 census records, Lawrence and Mary are living on a farm in Mara Township, Ontario County [6]. The farm is probably close to the village of Upptergrove. The record shows they have two children. Mara Township, which no longer exists, was just east of Orillia, on the other side of the narrows separating Lake Simcoe from Lake Couchiching and Upptergrove is very close to Orillia -- in today’s geography it is almost one contiguous urban area. Mara is now a part of the new Ramara Township which was formed in 1994. Lawrence and Mary are still on the farm in the 1911 census and now they have five children [8], In the 1921 census, there are now only four children left at home on the farm with Lawrence and Mary [9].

Lawrence dies on February 12, 1933 in Orillia [10]. It is not known where he is buried (some of his children are buried in the cemetery at Atherley which would have been close to the family farm, but no headstones for Lawrence or Mary have yet been discovered). Mary dies in 1946.

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Sources

[1] The 1968 Paterson family tree by Marjorie Paterson shows Lawrence as the 6th child of Hannaha Paterson and John Jackson. It shows his spouse as Mary Scott, and it shows five children: (1) William + Olive Miller;, (2) John, (3) Robert, (4) Rennie & (5) Benjamin

[2] 1861 census, Ontario, Simcoe, Orillia, pg 4, lines 4-10: John Jackson (50), born in Scotland, mill wright; Hannah [shown as Mrs John] (40), born in Canada; William [shown as “Wm”] (14); Margaret (10); Sarah (7); Violet (4); John P (1). The religion is shown as “F.C”. It is almost impossible to read but it looks as if they live in a 1.5 story house and that there are two families living there. If this is correct, the other family is a 25-yr old James Read or Bead and his 20-yr old wife [name not legible]

[3] 1871 census, Ontario, Simcoe North, 42, Orillia, pg 21, household #77: Lawrence (7) is living with this family: John Jackson (60) - a millwright; Hannah P (49); Margaret (19); Sarah (16); Violet (13); John (10).

[4] 1881 census, Ontario, Simcoe North 139, Orillia, pg 70, household #325: Lawrence (18) is living with his family: John Jackson (70); Hannah (59); Margaret (29); Violet (24).

[5] 1891 census, Ontario, York East, 130, Scarborough, pg 58, household #304; Lawrence Jackson (25), farm labourer, is living with: Arch Patterson (sic) (31) & Mary (27) , born Ont, her father in Eng, her mother in Scotland. Archibald Paterson is the son of John Archibald Paterson & Joanna Glendinning. Mary, is Mary Chester. Arch & Mary were married in 1890.

[6] 1901 census, Ontario, 97 Ontario North, Mara, H-3, pg 14-15, household #135: Laurence Jackson (37), born in Ont May 19, 1863, famer; Mary (36), born in Scotland Apr 14, 1865; William S. (6), born [?in Scotland] Oct 1, 1894; John G. (4), born in Ont Sept 21, 1896. The family members are labelled “Scotch.” The record shows that Mary came to Canada in 1888.

[7] 1905 voyage to/from Scotland: this information is from http://www.ramarahistoricalsociety.net/modules/TNG/showmap.php?cemeteryID=3&tree=

[8] 1911 census, Ontario, Ontario North, 103, Mara Township, pg 3-4, household #27:: Laurcence (or Lawrence?) Jackson (48) b May 1863, farmer; Mary (47), b in Scotland in April 1864; William (16) b in Scotland in Oct 1894; John (14) b in Ont in Oct 1897; Bert (9) b in Ont in Oct 1901; Rennie (4) b in Ont in Aug 1906; Benjamin (3) b in Ont in March 1908. The record seems to indicate that the son, William, was born in Scotland and then came to Canada in 1894 (the year he was born). It also seems to show that the family lived in lot #25. If correct (the writing is difficult to read), this puts the farm quite close to Orillia, probably just north or south of Upptergrove.

[9] 1921 census, 108 Ontario North, Mara Township, pg 6, family #57: [name difficult to read} Lawrence Jackson (58); Mary (58): Willie (26); ?? [name not legible but might be “Bertie”] (20); Rennie (15) ; Ben (13). The family owns their own 6-room brick house. All residents except Mary and Willie were born in Ontario. Mary and Willie were born in Scotland. The residents are all labelled “Scotch” and their religion is Presbyterian. Lawrence and the 2 oldest boys are shown as farmers. Mary came to Canada in 1888.

[10] "Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JKXN-5VM : accessed 5 January 2015), Hannah Patterson in entry for Lawrence Robert Jackson, 12 Feb 1933; citing Orillia, , Ontario, 029801, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 2,358,844. The record shows that Lawrence Robert Jackson died on Feb 12, 1933 in Orillia. It names his parents as Hannah Patterson (sic) & John Jackson.

Footnotes

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Fred Nix for creating Jackson-8293 on 28 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Fred and others. The current (revised) biography was written by Fred Nix on Oct 19, 2017. Fred and Lawrence are second cousins three times removed.