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Elizabeth Betsy Seymour Nee Cochrane(dob 1871)

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Kennedy/Thomas
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Location: Richmond, BC

Elizabeth Betsy Seymour Nee Cochrane(dob 1871)

Post by Kennedy/Thomas » Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:44 pm

Married Louis Simard/Seymour. Some think that Louis and Betsy never really got married but we know that a man who states he got married under oath to an Indian did get married. Louis Simard/Seymour with family in Quebec and money coming in from beyond would be at the forefront of mineral exploration in early Manitoba history. The name simard has it's roots in old Normandy and inland close to the border of Spain where the De Les Simardes-family of royalty balanced the books so to speak. France was spear-heading the mining industry in Manitoba and there are letters to prove that Louis Simard/Seymour was their man in Manitoba. Although scrip was supposed to end in 1885, the Canadian government in talks with France, Us and Britain mysteriously extended the time limit to attain scrip and/land. Note currency improved during this time and many of the half-breeds ended up trading a fancy paper in for peanuts literally because the good land was taken or in Treaty process. Louis focused on the mining and his adventurer genes kicked in once again.

The Simard family like the original Kennedy family(Captain Kennedy) was looking for profits in Manitoba. Louis on the other hand was looking with his heart. In the Winnipeg Newspaper Archives, louis is stated to have been well liked/loved by the early settlers of Manitoba and he married an Indian named Betsy. Betsy Cochrane was Cree and taught all her kids how to speak it too as per census records. Louis working with other like minded individuals at the time wanted their own mines to succeed. Louis's claims included The Big Chief, Ketchener(Eclipse) and The San Antonio/Bisset area shafts.

Louis and Betsy Simard/Seymour had Louis Jr. and Charles 1884-1885 respectively. Daughter Mary got baptized in 1886 at Bad Throat River(Manigotagan) where son Charles would later raise his own family.
Louis along with Betsy lived all around the area at different times while Louis worked to support her and the kids-he had careers in Logging/Portaging, Fishing and a finale in mining before he died.

Betsy as per her husband was a Fisher River Band member who got scrip(1893) because she didn't need to depend on the Indian reserve system that was getting a 50 pound bag of flour from the government up to recently, a decade or two ago. The family flourished and their children were born and raised with French and Cree values that did not fall under French imperialism or Cree antagonism of the time. The family was Catholic on the books most of the time and Cree at home especially when Louis was on leave exploring his Manitoba surroundings as he did as a young single man.

Kennedy/Thomas
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Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2012 6:11 am
Location: Richmond, BC

Re: Elizabeth Betsy Seymour Nee Cochrane(dob 1871)

Post by Kennedy/Thomas » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:04 am

General Notes and Comments on the first Simard/Seymour's of Manigotagan

Growing up I was always told that I was a French Metis but I never really believed that as my grandfather was from a strict Mennonite upbringing and my grandmother only spoke French sometimes. My grandparents lived in Winnipeg so English was of course their main language. Since both of my grandparents tried to teach me their own language and my own mother spoke English not to mention my grandmother would occasionally speak Cree I was a kid in a linguistic school at age 3. Both my grandparents died while I was too young to be fluent in French, German or Cree. My grandmother could be overheard speaking French on the phone which made me more confused when she would switch back to English after hanging up. I know that my grandfather always liked those French people and made sure to invite them to my grandmother's funeral in 1987. Some of the Simard's showed up with their kids/grand kids.
I conducted a phone interview in the late 90's to check on how some of my grandmother's family up in Manigotagan were doing. I reached a middle aged man with his mother at home. I asked him to translate for me and ask his mother if she knew Isabelle Simard, my grandmother. He asked her and after she paused momentarily she said she remembered coming to the funeral. I should have taken better notes at the time ie written but the story-teller in me knew that it was just the beginning of a lifetime of events both major and subtle which would allow me to create an image of my family.
There was a genuine Metis influence in the young man I spoke with who's father was not a Simard coincidentally. However, 20 some odd years later he is no doubt a member of the vibrant Metis community in Seymourville. I know from watching a television documentary on Seymourville that they have adopted both Scottish and French sides of the Metis influence; namely the types of dances of both sets of ancestors.
I know that the name Simard appears as early as the 1600's in Quebec if not earlier and in Manitoba by around the 1800's at the latest. The Simard's who started the town of Seymourville, Frank Sr. and Wilfred are direct relatives of my great great grandfather Louis Simard, birth date est. 1855. I believe that the old lady(Simard) I interviewed with her son as translator said that Frank Sr. and Wilfred were Louis's nephews. They were close like that regardless of exact relationship. All these men changed their name from Simard to Seymour to sound more British as the story goes, but some couldn't resist reverting back to the Simard name when the pressure was off them to conform.
Some other related Simard's who apparently, “went that way” as per a descendent of the Simard's in this family who went to more French towns such as La Broquerie and Tache to name a couple claim they are not Metis but this could very from family to family obviously. Manigotagan and area is where some of the 'other' Simard's where at including my great grandfather Charles Simard birth reg. 1885-1888. Charles was a hunter/trapper in the area. There are still people living this way up there. Wilfred Simard wrote a biography about his life in Seymourville which is close to Manigotagan, the place where he was before he went to Seymourville in 1935. This is right around when my great grandfather Charles, Wilfred and Frank's cousin died after getting sick. They all trapped together and traded their furs at the Manigotagan general store est. 1910-1935 to the Swain family. At this time another surname was known in the area. I am not sure who their ancestors were but there were Kennedy's-Ross Kennedy who knew the Swains based on what a family member told me. It could be that he knew of the Swains who's older generation knew of the Simard's. It is still unclear what the exact connection is there.
My great great grandfather Louis Simard married an Indian named Betsy as indicated in a 1965 newspaper article on him. I also know from my own research that she was Elizabeth Betsy Cochrane who's parents were no doubt Cree(mixed) baptized by the church to get the name Cochrane. Anyhow she became Elizabeth Betsy Seymour and had numerous children with Louis. They tended to be drawn as were other family members to the Manigotagan area.

wsink2
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Re: Elizabeth Betsy Seymour Nee Cochrane(dob 1871)

Post by wsink2 » Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:40 pm

The following information was based on the treaty paylists for Norway House, Fisher River and Fort Alexander, as well as the federal censuses between 1881 and 1921.

Thadeus Okewakahpo (Cochrane)
Born: ?, the son of Maria Okewakahpo
Married: At some time before 1856 to Jeanne Appitayossin (Stevenson)
Died: 1880 in Fisher River Reserve, Manitoba

Jeanne Appitayossin (Stevenson)
Born 1846, the daughter of Appitayossin and Kawkanais Appitayossin
Married: A second time 12 Jan 1885 in Bull's Head, Manitoba to Charles Laund, born 1853 in Northwest Territoties
Died: 5 June 1918 Fort Alexander, Manitoba

Thadeus Okewakahpo was a member of the Norway House band from 1875 to 1877. In 1877 he relocated with his family to Fisher River and was a member of the Fisher River band until his deathin 1880. Shortly before his death he was baptized and possibly given the Christian name of Thadeus Cochrane.

Jeanne Appitayossin was a member of the Norway House band from 1875 to 1877. In 1877 she relocated with her husband and family to Fisher River and was a member of the Fisher River band until 1882. In 1885 she was married to Charles Laund and she became a member of the Fort Alexander band.

Children:

Note: in 1879 Thadeus Okewakahpo and his wife Jeanne had 2 sons and 6 daughters.

1. Peter Okewakapo
In 1876 he was married and they had 1 son

2. Bethsay Cochrane
Born: 1856 York Factory, Hudson Bay
Married: 3 Feb 1884 in Fort Alexander, Manitoba to Louis Simard
Died: Aug 1906 in Maniigotagan, Manitoba
Buried: 30 Mar 1907 Fort Alexander, Manitoba

3. Flora Cochrane
Born: June 1871
Baptized: 14 Jan 1890 Fort Alexander, Manitoba
Married: 14 Jan 1901 in Fort Alexander, Manitoba to F. Dufresne
Died: 14 Sep 1912 in Manigotagan, Manitoba

4. Maria Cochrane
Born: Feb 1878
Baptized: 14 Jan 1890 in Fort Alexander, Manitoba
Married: 10 Jan 1898 to Jean Baptiste Swampy
5. Daughter
Married: 1881 to O was see ku chi now of Island Band

6. Daughter
Married 1893 to Louis Assinibines

gnstill
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Re: Elizabeth Betsy Seymour Nee Cochrane(dob 1871)

Post by gnstill » Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:06 pm

Census 1911: Selkirk ((#22), SD-57, pg 9, (Fisher River), HH-106: Peter THADIUS, Cree, age 35 (b-1876), wife Jennie, age 40 (b-1871).
Census 1916: Fisher River Reserve. pg 2, HH-21: Peter OO-KE-MA-KI-POW, Cree fisherman; age 55 (b-1861); wife Jeanne, age 65 (b-1851). Nearby (HH-23) we have Mary Jane & Alex THADDEUS (age 24), almost certain to be Peter’s son.

The following death dates are from Manitoba Vital Stats:
On July 25, 1936 Thaddeus Peter WAKEMOWKAPOW died in the Fisher River Reserve, age 80.
On Jan 18, 1938 Eugenia THADDEUS died in the Fisher River Reserve, age 85.

Kennedy/Thomas
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Re: Elizabeth Betsy Seymour Nee Cochrane(dob 1871)

Post by Kennedy/Thomas » Thu Feb 26, 2015 3:55 pm

I'd say that's them, from Betsy to her parents(Thaddeus Cochrane and Jane Stevenson) or probably Tadius Courchene and Jeanne Stephanson when the French were influencing them. And Betsy's grandparents the Oh Ima Kahpo(head of household) and his wife of the Appitayossins. Strangely the Tadius is Old French for church worker ie. someone working at the church or towards nunnery or priesthood and Appitayossin sounds a bit like the word for Creator that spread from the Dakota peoples(from South of the border to North of the border into Manitoba - check out the site - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitakuye_Oyasin.

gnstill
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Re: Elizabeth Betsy Seymour Nee Cochrane(dob 1871)

Post by gnstill » Fri Feb 27, 2015 12:22 pm

Warren: Please check this link:

LOUIS SIMARD (1855-1920)

We need your comments under THAT Topic.

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