Charity (Lewis) Burley (1837 - 1919)

Born 2 Apr 1837 in Sophiasburgh, Prince Edward, Upper Canada

Ancestors

Wife of William Burley — married 1 Sep 1862 in Hastings, Canada West

Descendants

Died 20 Oct 1919 at age 82 in Kenora, Kenora District, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Lorraine Nagle [send private message] and Bob Burley [send private message]

Biography

Charity Lewis was born on April 2, 1837 in Sophiasburg, Upper Canada; to parents John Lewis and Mary (Richardson) Lewis. Charity, along with her three sisters, were baptized on September 19th, 1848 in Madoc, Ontario.^[1]

Charity appeared on the 1851 Census ^[2] at the age of 15 with her family in Madoc, Ontario. She had three sisters and one brother. The family remained in Madoc, and were listed on the 1861 Census.^[3] Charity's mother, Mary, was widowed and her brother Isaiah was working as a farmer. Charity was listed as a member of the household in the 1861 census, but marked as "Absent". However there was also a "Charty Lewis" recorded in Sidney, Hastings, Ontario, who was the same age as our Charity Lewis. She was in the "Hickett?" Residence, but why she was there is unknown. ^[4]

Charity married William Burley , son of Abner and Lovina Burley, on Sep 1, 1862 in Hastings, Ontario, Canada. At the time of the marriage Charity's age was given as 25 and her residence was in Madoc.

The marriage was witnessed by her sister, Eva Lewis, and her brother-in-law Henry Leed who was her sister Rachel's husband, both of Madoc. The marriage was performed by Aaron D. Miller of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. ^[5]

Children;

• Lucinda Burley b. 12 Apr 1884 m. John Coulter
• John Thomas Burley b. abt. 1867 d. 26 Feb 1890
• Robert James Burley b. 30 Sept 1869 m. Ethel Jean Hutcheson
• Mary Anne Burley b. 26 Dec 1873 d. 31 Jan 1942
• Malcolm Burley b. 12 Mar 1874 m. Caroline Charlotte Alcock
• Lydia Margaret Burley b. 4 May 1878 m. Neil William Walter
• Joseph Henry Burley b. 22 Mar 1880 m. Edna May McDonald

In the 1871 Census Charity, her husband William and three children were living in Mulmur Township. Charity's origins were noted as Dutch and William's origins as English.^[6]

In 1881 Charity was 45, her husband William was 63 and they had seven children. They were living in Nottawasaga Township. Charity gave her origins as French while her husband was recorded as English. ^[7]

Charity was recorded as Head of the household on the 1891 Census. She was living in Sunnindale, North Simcoe. Her husband had passed away sometime between 1881 and 1891, her marital status was noted as Widowed. Charity also lost her son John Thomas Burley in 1890 to influenza. Her two oldest surviving sons were working as mining labourers.^[8]

On the 1901 Census Charity was living with her family in the Town of Rat Portage, in Algoma District. There are 4 children left in the household. The three boys were working as miners and Lydia had a job as a Servant. Mary is no longer in the household as she was residing in the Fry residence in Toronto as a servant. And Lucinda was married and was in her own household. ^[9]

Charity was living as a Widow in the home of her son, Robert in 1911. They were located in the Town of Kenora, Thunder Bay and Rainy River District. Also in the household was her daughter Mary. Her other daughter, Lydia was listed just below her on the census, as wife to Neil Walter. ^[10]

Charity died on the 20th of October,1919 as reported by her son Robert. Her place of birth was given as Madoc Township and only her father's name was recorded. She was 81 years of age. Charity was buried in plot 17E-39-2 in the Lake of the Woods Cemetery in Kenora, Kenora District, Ontario, Canada.^[11][12]

Research Notes

Charity's Ancestry

There has always been a family story told about my great great grandfather, William Burley and depending on who you talked to, this story was told about William's father Abner too! The rumor was he brought a woman back from the United States as a wife, and claimed she was of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. But some members of the family believe that she was really of indigenous ancestry, which had been covered up.

The children of William and Charity had dark complexions and strong features and that was often remarked on. One story that I heard from my mother was that one of the boys in particular was often spoken to in the Cree language by indigenous people who thought he was Cree. While that may have happened to that one boy, the following is what we now know about Charity Lewis's ancestry.

Williams wife Charity, in the 1871 census, did give her origins as Dutch which seemed to support the family rumor. She is the only one to do that. However after much research we know that Charity's maternal grandparents, Thomas Richardson and Eve Benson were of American and Dutch descent. Both families were United Empire Loyalists that resettled in Canada.

Charity's maternal grandmother, Eva (Bense) Richardson, was the daughter of Mattheus Benson and Marytje Berden, who were New Netherland descendants from Bergen, New Jersey.

Charity's great grandfather, Mattheus Johannesz (Bensen) Benson, came from New Jersey, and before that his family were in Schenectady and Albany, New York. His ancestor, Sampson Bensingh , came from Sweden to Amsterdam. Sampson married a Nederlands woman, Tryntie van Rechter. His son, Derrick (Benson) Bentsen made the voyage to North America, settling in New York State.

Charity's great grandmother Maria (Berden) Benson lived in Bergen, New Jersey. Her great great grandfather, Jan (Berden) Berdan, was originally from the Nederlands (Holland). He immigrated to New Jersey in the late 1600's.

On her fathers side, the Richardson's were from Connecticut and are solidly American for quite a ways back. In fact you can trace the Richardson line from Connecticut to Massachusetts, and then to Thomas Richardson born in Hertfordshire, England. He came to North America during the Great Puritan Migration.

Thomas Richardson's great great Grandfather, Ezekiel Richardson, married Elizabeth Swan who's mother was a granddaughter of Degory Priest, a passenger on the The Mayflower!

If anyone could be said to have married a woman of Dutch descent from the States, and brought her to Canada, it would be Thomas Richardson, Charity's grandfather!

Charity also gives her origins as French in the 1881 Census, which is more likely pointing to her fathers side considering his last name was Lewis or Louis.

John Lewis's family could have been from Quebec, or from France originally or he could have been American, we just don't know. Charity's paternal grandparents, Stephen Lewis and Elizabeth (Monterpa) Lewis are a bit of a mystery, there is some evidence that points to the family being in New York State prior to Canada.

The maiden name of Monterpa, we think, is strongly French in origin though more research on Charity's grandparents on her father's side is needed.

And of course Charity's husband, William Burley, has proven to be a complete brick wall, we have no idea where he came from or where and exactly when he died. After a decade of searching he is still a mystery!

Author Lorraine Nagle

Sources

1. ↑ "Wesleyan Methodist Baptismal Register, 1825-1910",
   Bower-McBurney Genealogy, Home,
   Transcript, Record, (accessed 2023-04-29),
   Lewis, Charity, Image: 1/546.jpg, Father: John, Mother: Mary, Residence: Madoc, Born: Sophiaburg,1837-04-02, Baptized: 1848-09-19 in Madoc, Minister: Tethles, Rev.
2. ↑ "1851 Census of Canada", Library and Archives Canada,
   LAC Record, accessed 2023-11-26,
   Lewis, Charity, Age: 15, Birth: 1836, Item ID number: 23256057, Province: Canada West (Ontario), Dist.# 15: Hastings (county), Sub-Dist.# 127, 126, 125: Tudor, Elzevir and Madoc, Pg: 11, Line 34, Microfilm: C-11727, Ref: RG 31, Image number: e002353035
3. ↑ "1861 Census of Canada", Library and Archives Canada,
   LAC Record, accessed 2023-11-26,
   Lewis, Charaty, Age: 23, Birth: 1838, Item ID number: 45990893, Province: Canada West (Ontario), District name: Hastings, District number: 15, Sub-district name: Madoc, Sub-district number: 10, Reference: RG31 - Statistics Canada, Page number: 72, Line number: 42, Microfilm: C-1033, Image number: 4108078_00217
4. ↑ "1861 Census of Canada", Library and Archives Canada,
   LAC Record, accessed 2023-11-26,
   Lewis, Charty, 24, Birth: 1837, Item ID number: 45994825, Province: Canada West (Ontario), District Name: Hastings, Sub-District, Name: Sidney, Page Number: 9, Line Number: 8, Microfilm: C-1033, Image number: 4108078_00585
5. ↑ "Ontario, County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869", database with images,
   FamilySearch Record, (accessed 17 March 2018),
   William Burley and Charity Lewis, 01 Sep 1862; citing Hastings, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,030,057.
6. ↑ "1871 Census of Canada", Library and Archives Canada,
   LAC Record, accessed 2023-11-26,
   Burley, Charity, Age: 34, Birth: 1837, Item ID number: 40982361, Province: Ontario, Dist.# 41: Simcoe South, District Number: 41, Sub-Dist.# d: Mulmur, Pg: 13, Line: 5, Microfilm: C-9960, Ref: RG31 Statistics Canada, Image number: 4396753_00609
7. ↑ "1881 Census of Canada", Library and Archives Canada,
   LAC Record, accessed 2023-11-26,
   Burley, Charity, Age: 45, Birth: 1836, Item ID number: 19684997, Province: Ontario, Dist.# 139: Simcoe North, Sub-District Name.# A, Pg: 13-14, Line 24, Microfilm: C-13250, Ref: RG31 - Statistics Canada, Image number: e008185328
8. ↑ "1891 Census of Canada", Library and Archives Canada,
   LAC Record, accessed 2023-11-26,
   Burley, Charity, Age: 53, Birth: 1838, Item ID number: 26559167, Province: Ontario, Dist.# 117: Simcoe North, Sub-Dist.# G: Sunnidale, Pg: 6-7, Microfilm: T-6369, Ref: RG31 - Statistics Canada, Image number: 30953_148171-00031
9. ↑ "1901 Census of Canada", Library and Archives Canada,
   LAC Record, accessed 2023-11-26,
   Burley, Charity, Age: 63, Birth: 1837, Item ID number: 35235704, Province: Ontario, Dist.# 44: Algoma, Sub-Dist.# N2: Rat Portage (Town), Pg: 19, Line 27, Microfilm: T-6458, Ref: RG31 - Statistics Canada, Image number: z000050201
10. ↑ "1911 Census of Canada", Library and Archives Canada,
    LAC Record, accessed 2023-11-26,
    Burberg, Charley, Age: 73, Birth: 1838, Item ID number:14026802, Province: Ontario, Dist.# 123: Thunder Bay and Rainy River, Sub-Dist.#78: Kenora, Pg: 6, Line 30, Microfilm: T-20399, Ref: RG31, Statistics Canada, Image number: e002023372
11. ↑ "Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947", database with images,
    FamilySearch Record, (accessed 27 April 2019),
    Charity Burley, 20 Oct 1919; citing Ontario, p 78 cn 16836, Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,862,964.
12. ↑ "Find A Grave", database and images,
    Find A Grave: Memorial #150174632, (accessed 25 May 2019), Charity Burley (1838–20 Oct 1919), citing Lake Of The Woods Cemetery, Kenora, Kenora District, Ontario, Canada ; Maintained by JAS (contributor 47879709)

See Also;

• "1851 Census of Canada Transcript", Source: Automated Genealogy, online database, Transcript

• "1901 Census of Canada Transcript", Source: Automated Genealogy, online database, Transcript