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JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

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gnstill
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JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by gnstill » Sat Mar 24, 2012 10:26 am

New Family Page: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Please post queries and comments about this family hereunder.

Kennedy/Thomas
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Location: Richmond, BC

Re: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by Kennedy/Thomas » Sat Mar 24, 2012 4:01 pm

Re: In January of 1868 daughter Mary STEVENSON was born at Swan River to Mary MAWAIS. That same year daughter Caroline STEVENSON was born to Elizabeth DANIEL in Red River.

I have some Stevenson's on my family documents for my grandmother's paternal side, however, I think that many of her ancestors were actually Indian and had family structures more like Indians ie. marrying a brother's wife if he died. St. Boniface archives(1990) recommended following leads on a Thaddeus Cochrane and a blank Stevenson as possible parents to Betsy Cochrane who was my grandmother's grandmother. Betsy Cochrane's husband Louis Simard Sr. got scrip and there are four names next to question about his wife's name before marriage. The names were Betsy Cochrane, Betsy Tadiesse, Thaddeus Cochrane and low and behold possibly Marry or a Fanny but Stevenson is for sure. Betsy was recorded later with Louis and all the correct children in 1901 census after her name was changed along with her husbands to Seymour from Simard to sound more British as the story goes. Betsy was Cree and had limited English skills-her kids too. Betsy is said to have died in between 1901-1910 before her son charles married Margaret Kennedy-sister to Agnes Kennedy in the other post on James Shand. Betsy apparently was a member of Fisher River and their are stories my grandmother told of Hollow Water and the people under the water, maybe it was Hole River because she moved around.

gnstill
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Re: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by gnstill » Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:59 am

I am intrigued by your knowledge of many of the same families that I am researching. You must be a genealogy enthusiast like myself. Are you perchance a grandson of Richard HARDER who married Isabelle (probably SIMARD or SEYMOUR)?

Your mention of the THADDEUS name is particularly interesting to me because my niece married a grandson of Oliver MONKMAN and Josephine THADDEUS who I believe was a sister of a Florence THADDEUS who married a Horace COCHRANE. Do you have any knowledge about these people?

Kennedy/Thomas
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Location: Richmond, BC

Re: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by Kennedy/Thomas » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:57 am

I know that some Stevenson's lived next door to the Kennedy's in the 1881 Census and some Stevenson's were next to some [Cochrane's for the 1901 census for Fisher River were Betsy Cochrane apparently got commutation in 1893(recorded as Elizabeth Betsy Seymour) on www.collectionscanada.gc.ca website]. Louis Simard/Seymour Sr. and John George Kennedy likely new each other from working in the mills up around Moose Creek or Moose Lake because the Winnipeg Free Press in 1965 did a bit on Louis who is said to have married an Indian named Betsey sometime back when he worked in the mill(logging). They could have introduced their son and daughter to each other for marriage; meaning Charles Simard to Betsy Cochrane-married 1910 in Peguis. My grandma knew and remembered all the families according to my aunt. My grandma also knew the Indian stories for the Hollow Water, Black River and surrounding area of Manigotagan which is where she lived before she ever came to Winnipeg as a young lady to marry my grandfather Deitrich Harder(Mennonite). I believe she had good relations with the Horace/Florence Cochrane, William/Mary Ann Thomas and Alexander/Margaret Dennet generation. Do you think that Horace was named or otherwise influenced by those Cochrane priests John or Henry or maybe William's people? I think that Alexander Kennedy might have been baptized too because I have doubts he is closely linked to the famous Captain Kennedy family.
My grandma Isabelle is resting at Brookside Cemetery now next to my grandpa as of 1987 and 1994. You would be surprised at how little some of my aunts and the few remaining second cousins/aunts know about the family. I still remember my grandma talking about the medicine people she used to say were sodo Cree or sounded like that but was really Saulteaux. She also said we were Ojibway though, yeah both. Richard was my uncle he never finished school at the British Provincial School For Boys. My grandma always said that back then introductions for marriage were common and sometimes cousins got married in her family just not too close probably second cousins or adopted cousins. She also said that the family was extremely religious whatever that meant she wasn't and didn't expect us to be. I don't know if Tadiesse shows up for Thaddeus because Louis was French or because of the dominance of French speakers for a period in the Red River Settlement. I know Thaddeus is rare and hard to find. The vital stats website for Manitoba only show one for all life events combined so thanks for that info.

Kennedy/Thomas
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Location: Richmond, BC

Re: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by Kennedy/Thomas » Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:26 pm

Sorry in the last post I did on John Stevenson it was Charles Simard and Margaret Kennedy who would have got introduced to each other for marriage by their respective fathers and not Charles Simard to Betsy as I put. Betsy was Charles's mother.

Kennedy/Thomas
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Re: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by Kennedy/Thomas » Mon Mar 26, 2012 5:00 pm

I think that an obituary I found on Passages website published by the Winnipeg Free Press shows that there was likely a move toward being more British and changing or assigning surnames that sound more British for a period in Manitoba history that included the Red River Settlement. Textual records on ourspace.uregina.ca and Lambair.com websites describing a John George Kennedy as being taught by John Cochrane illustrates that there was influence and Maybe match making going on to a certain extent anyway. Here is the obituary and interestingly it shows that James Thaddeus had a brother Horace with the last name Cochrane.
JAMES THADDEUS

JAMES GORDON THADDEUS On August 13, 2000, at his residence, James Gordon Thaddeus passed away at the age of 70. He was predeceased by his parents Mary Jane and Alex Thaddeus; one sister Florence Cochrane; two brothers, Richard Thaddeus and Horace Cochrane. He is survived by one sister Josephine Monkman, brother Colin Cochrane, sister-in-law Eileen Daniels and numerous nieces and nephews. Jimmy was a fisherman on Lake Winnipeg before his retirement as well as working in several different northern Hydro camps. Funeral service will be held on Thursday, August 17, at the United Church in Fisher River, at 2:00 p.m. Rest in peace, Uncle Jim Arrangements in care of Fisher Funeral Home.

As published in the Winnipeg Free Press on August 17, 2000

James Thaddeus was located in Fisher River where I know other Thaddeus's, Cochrane's and Stevenson's exist in numbers. My aunts cousin, a Cruse I believe with a maiden name Thomas married a Stevenson probably 20-40 years ago and got status with a reserve which might have been Fisher River. I don't know yet about this Stevenson family but I could look into it a bit. They could be from the John Stevenson or Elizabeth Stevenson mentioned in the link from the first post on John Stevenson.

Brenda
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Re: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by Brenda » Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:54 pm

John Stevenson that had been married to Mary Mawais is my family line. Their daughter Sara that married Frederick Fischer would be my gr-gr-grandmother. Now let me tell you even from this site one can see that there is a lot of drama with as per this site John apprently leaves Mary Mawais for Elizabeth Daniel and they have a whole line of children that would be my grandmothers great uncles. Until today our family did not know that John left Sara. At the time, when I seen that Mary had only 3 children this did make me curious as typically the families were larger back then. When I was researching years ago I was told that Mary Mawais was likely supposed to be Monias from Cross Lake, MB. Curiously, Mary and Sara have caused my family a lot confusion. What I had learned from a talking with Stevenson's on a reserve in Saskatchewan is that there were 3 Stevenson brothers that had come from Manitoba and became part of various First Nation communities. Mary's disappearance was likely due to the fact that she became member of the Key Indian Reserve. More shockingly I grew up beside that reserve and had no idea. I have several contacts at these communties so I will contact them to follow that lead.

John's children from Mary are the only children I knew of until today. The research on this site about Adam is consistent to what I have learned about him. But I learned way more detail here so I am excited. The sister Mary I will likely look into last. But Sara is a real mysterious. Her marriage to the Indian Agent Frederick Fischer is what I have from family. Frederick Fischer is listed historically as one of Manitoba's prominent men. I have found him in Sir John A. McDonald's papers. He is also listed in several Claim documents. The history on him is very interesting! The main street in The Pas (Fischer Avenue) is named after him. When he was dying the premier of MB at the time flew to go get him. So back to Sara, as a family we know they had two children named Alfred and Laura. Little bits and pieces of oral history and a telegraph lead me to think that she left Frederick and married another man from a First Nation by Regina. Alfred retained his father's name and was raised by him but Laura was raised on a Reserve and went to school in Fort Qu'appelle. Due to some unfortunate circumstances she ended leaving and marrying a white man - Lars Johnson. Because he only agreed to marry her if she had no contact with the reserve we have several large gaps. Even in her name - was it Laura or Angelique. Other family members say Sara died and Fred married one of her sisters. I am not sure if I believe that this is what happened. Sara is my mystery. And now that I know Swampy John Stevenson's parents name I will be able to continue researching the Stevenson's. I have heard that the Stevenson's on the First Nation communities around Kamsack have had issues within the communities because they say that the Stevenson's weren't full blooded Indians. Thus, these Stevenson descendants have been made fun of due to their "blood hair and colored eyes". When I ran into a potential family member from the reserve she refused to talk to me because of the "colored eyes" that I had that were like the Stevenson's. The Stevenson's did not like to acknowledge that they were not full blooded and in fact may have been more Scottish than they wanted to admit.

The above is the Coles notes version I have tlots of little bits of information and stories I have heard. But if anyone has any information about the Daniel Family or has heard of or knows anything about Mary, Sara or Adam I would love to exchange ideas.

gnstill
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Re: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by gnstill » Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:48 am

Welcome to the Forum Brenda!

As a new registrant I recommend that you read the intro at the following link to learn more about me and about how things work on my website: RED RIVER ANCESTRY HOME

Regarding Fred FISCHER:
I am familiar with the background about Frederick (I have many notes about him). I would like to know more about your grandparents, Laura FISHCHER & Lars JOHNSON. Could you tell us more about them; when and where were they were born and who Lars’ parents were, etc?

Regarding the DANIEL genealogy: I have lots of stuff about these folks. Elizabeth who married John STEVENSON was of course a daughter of Jane ROSS & James DANIEL (born c1825), a half-breed voyageur who settled in St Clements Parish, Red River around 1840. They had four children that I am aware of as follows:
1. 1844 JACOB DANIEL (m. Harriet ROSE)
2. 1848 ELIZABETH DANIEL (m. John “Swampy John” STEVENSON)
3. 1850 JAMES DANIEL (m. Sarah ROSE)
4. 1853 JOHN DANIEL

Of particular interest in this family is the Sarah ROSE who married Swampy John’s brother-in-law, James DANIEL. Her name being Sarah, and the fact that they were closely associated rouses my curiosity.

Brenda
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Re: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by Brenda » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:52 pm

If you have additional information on my gr-gr grandfather Frederick I would love to see it if it was possible. Just to see if it is more than some of the stuff I know. My focus has largely been on him because he was easier to find information and the Sara mystery has gotten discouraging. I am hoping to learn more about the Daniel side as like I said in my post we had no idea that John Stevenson did what he did. Laura has also caused mystery. I have a oral account of why she left the reserve and why she had no contact with the Stevenson 's after her marriage to Lars. But this information is a little more private to my family as her children are still alive.

Finding a birth document for Laura has been impossible. By some accounts she went by Fischer before she married Lars and others say she went as Stevenson. Her birth/baptismal records were at St.Phillips which burnt down and then I attempted to go through the Grey Nuns which I am told is who ran the Residential school in Fort Qu'appelle. There are pictures of her with family members from the local reserve where I believe Sara ended up. The year of Laura's birth is unknown as we have been unable to locate a birth document. I have heard rumors that someone in my family found her as Stevenson but the last name was spelled wrong. I have not confirmed this as of yet. And still some speculation around her name - the name Angelique/Angelina keeps popping up and my mother goes by Angelina.

Laura and Lars Johnson lived in Norquay, SK (I grew up at Pelly which is next door). Lars was Norwegian and his roots are from around that Sturgis/Precville area in Saskatchewan. He owned and ran a livery stable. This is how he had contact with Laura as he traded horses with the Stevenson's on the reserve. My mom said that Grandma Laura did not talk about her background. There is only one family account of her mother coming to visit and she spoke Cree. Additional information/documents/etc...are hard to get out of family members (her children are my great aunts and uncles, and my grandma) due to the fact they had a very rough time growing up in that community with their background being of Indian bloodlines. They all left that area immediately upon reaching an age where they could. Apparently the community was very racist towards them. In my search for Sara I started looking at names of Laura's children - Orville, Jigs, Gilbert, Albert, Helen, Agnes, Olive, Norman, and Lars. I have spoken to a Stevenson descendent who has similar names in hers - this individual says that when Sara left Frederick she married a Thomas Anaquod. She said she heard that Stevenson family members used to sneak to her house to see her. She also said the Anaquod family from a reserve by Regina has similar names. She even had an Uncle Jigs. This I also have not had the opportunity to confirm and the Elder that I needed to speak with passed away last year. I am told he carried all the knowledge that I am seeking. I was going to go to the reserve as this same individual said that Sara is buried on the reserve.

gnstill
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Re: JOHN STEVENSON (1840-1932)

Post by gnstill » Thu Oct 25, 2012 5:34 am

Brenda: I’m sorry but I’m going to have to put all of this on hold for a while. I’ll try to get back to you when I get more time.

I have been extremely busy lately handling other queries. I’d love to work with you to present a Family Page for Fred FISCHER, but I’m just too busy at the present time handling previous queries and requests from other people. I have a growing priority list of requests, many from people who have made donations and I owe my focus of attention to them first. Doing conscientious reviews and research can be very time consuming as I’m sure you know.

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