2nd Generation: John Brett & Ann Elliott

John Brett and his wife, Ann Elliott, are buried at Rose Hill Cemetery on the outskirts of Amherstburg, their plots located near the front of the cemetery on Alma Street.

John & Ann Brett - Tombstones - Rose Hill Cemetery

John’s sun-bleached headstone is worn almost smooth by time and weather. It leans against a tree that grows at the head of the plot, as if it had been disgorged by the tree’s roots. Today it is nearly impossible to read the stone, but many years ago a close and patient examination revealed the following inscription:

John Brett

Died

December 27, 1880

AE 55 years

Birth in Ballisadare

County of Sligo

Ireland

Below this inscription is a verse that can no longer be deciphered. At the top of the stone is the Masonic symbol.

Ann Brett’s headstone is also worn nearly smooth and lies flat on the ground, knocked over many years ago and now embedded in the earth. It reads as follows:

Ann

Beloved wife of

John Brett

died Sept. 1, 1878

AE 46 years

1 month & 5 days

 

She was a tender mother here

And in her life the Lord did fear.

We trust our loss will be her gain

And that with Christ she’s gone to reign.

 

From these inscriptions, it is possible to suggest a birth year of 1825 for John Brett and an actual birth date of July 27, 1832 for Ann. (Although Ann’s death record lists her age as 48, making her birth year 1830, while the 1860 US census and the 1871 Ontario census suggest a birth year of 1834.)

The listing for Richard R. Brett in the Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex, Ont., 1905, identifies 1826 as John Brett’s birth year. Although this may be correct, a mathematical calculation from the information given on his tombstone suggests that he was born in 1825, or if born in 1826 his date of birth was between December 28 and 31. Without official birth records or church records, it is impossible to pinpoint an accurate date. His death record does not provide a date of birth.

John Brett’s Arrival in Canada

The Commemorative Biographical Record states that John Brett came to Canada in early manhood. A search of ship passenger lists has not been very successful. Although ship captains were supposed to record the names of passengers, the practice was not universally implemented and women and children were not always listed. In a compilation of records of alien’s declarations entitled Philadelphia Naturalization Records, a John Brett is listed as arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1840. At 15 years of age, John Brett would indeed have been in early manhood. Women were not included in this particular listing.

It is difficult to know whether this John Brett is the right person. Although his sister Mary spent time in Philadelphia where three of her four sons lived, John Brett was never associated with that city in any written record.

We also know that John’s older sister Cecelia was with him on the voyage. Aunt Elaine (Brett) Cascadden always maintained that the two came over together, but Cecelia Rose’s death notice in the Essex Free Press (dated June 2, 1916), provides further information:

When 20 years of age she came to Canada with her brother, the late John Brett, of Amherstburg, and sister Mrs. Catharine Nelson, of Belleville, they settling near Ottawa.

Cecelia was born in 1821. The three siblings therefore came to Canada around 1841, about four years before the potato famine occurred. Cecelia was 20, John 15 or 16, and Catharine about 12 years old.

Given that the two sisters married men from the Ottawa area (Cecelia to Uriah Rose and Catharine to William Buell Nelson), it is more likely that John, Cecelia and Catharine arrived in Toronto (then called York), not Philadelphia.

Ann Elliott’s Arrival in Canada

Ann Elliott’s father, James Elliott, was a Private in the 34th Regiment of Foot, an infantry regiment of the British Army that was posted to Ireland in the mid-1820s. In 1833, the regiment was reassigned to Halifax, Nova Scotia. James Elliott would have joined the 34th Regiment when it was stationed in Galway, Ireland. His eldest child, Ann, was born there on 27 July 1832 (see Ann’s death record for details). James and Mary Elliott, along with their infant daughter, would have made the voyage to Canada in 1833 along with the 1st Battalion of the 34th.

In Canada, the regiment was garrisoned at Halifax until 1838. When the regiment was transferred that year to Fort Malden, to help quell the Upper Canada Rebellion, James and Mary would have been traveling with 6-year-old Ann and 3-year-old Richard.

For more on James and Mary Elliott, please see the blog post In-Laws: James and Mary Elliott.

Marriage

An unverified note in the Marsh Collection’s file on Richard Elliott (Ann’s brother) indicates that John Brett arrived in Toronto around 1845 and that he married in Toronto. No records confirming these facts have been found.

Based on the birth date of his oldest child, Cecelia (b. 3 April 1858), it is fair to suggest a marriage year of about 1857, if not earlier. John would have been about 31 years old and Ann about 25.

Occupation

We know that John Brett was a shoemaker. He probably learned the trade in Ireland, as his brother George asks in his letter of Sept. 23, 1874 how John is circumstanced, “is it by the trade or otherwise.”

American Shoe Store - Brett & Elliott proprietors

The Commemorative Biographical Record states the following:

He was a shoemaker and followed his calling in Toronto, State of Iowa, York Village, County of Haldimand, and later in Amherstburg, County of Essex, where he lived from 1865 until his death in 1880.

Between the time of his arrival in Canada and his first appearance in the census, John most likely plied his trade in Toronto, York Village and Haldimand County (which encompasses Cayuga, Caledonia, Dunnville and Hagersville).

The first mention of John Brett in a census occurs in the U.S. federal census for 1860. He is listed as a shoemaker living in Clinton, Iowa, with his wife Ann and two children – 2-year-old Cecelia and 6-month-old Catharine, both born in Clinton. A young shoemaker named James Rogers and a 65-year-old woman named Mary Noonen, possibly Ann’s mother, were also residing with the young family.

The facts suggest that John and Ann moved the family from Clinton, Iowa to Amherstburg much earlier than 1865 (as indicated in the Commemorative Biographical Record). Their daughter Cecelia’s obituary states that she was born in Clinton, Iowa (1858), but moved to Amherstburg at the age of 4. The best evidence that the family had moved by September 1861 comes in the form of a church record from Christ Church in Amherstburg, which lists the birth of daughter Jane on Sept. 9, 1861.

In the 1871 census for Amherstburg, John Brett is once again listed as a shoemaker.

In consecutive issues of the Amherstburg Echo in late 1874, ads for the American Shoe Store on Dalhousie Street, “next door to the Customs House” (now Gordon House), list Brett and Elliott as proprietors. John Brett and his brother-in-law, Richard Elliott, were partners in this venture until John’s death in 1880.

Political Aspirations

John Brett’s political career appears to have begun in 1875 when, as the Essex Record for 8 January 1875 shows, he was elected councillor for the town of Amherstburg. (The Essex Record was Windsor’s weekly newspaper at the time, providing good coverage of county news including the annual election results.) Election results for 1876 make no mention of John Brett (Essex Record, Dec. 31, 1875). It is not clear whether he chose not to run for office in 1876 or was defeated and therefore not mentioned).

The election results for 1877 show that John Brett was elected deputy reeve of Amherstburg and thus also became a county councillor. The following year, the Record  for January 3, 1878 reported that Brett, the incumbent, was nominated for the position of deputy reeve, along with three other candidates. On January 10, 1878, the Record reported that John Brett was defeated by Mr. Crimmins. The defeat brought to an end John Brett’s political career. The death of his wife in 1878 and his own failing health probably contributed to his decision not to run in 1879 and 1880.

Early Deaths

With six children between the ages of 7 and 15 still at home, John Brett must have found life to be particularly difficult when Ann died of consumption (now called tuberculosis) in 1878. His own health would take a turn shortly thereafter. In December 1880, at the age of 54, John died of paralysis, perhaps the result of a stroke.

John Brett & Ann Elliott’s Children

John Brett and Ann Elliott had nine children, the first two born in Clinton, Iowa, and the remainder born in Amherstburg.

Cecelia Mary Brett

Born on 3 April 1858 in Clinton, Iowa, Cecelia was to prove herself exceedingly capable of handling family crises.

At the age of 19, she married Eccles James Gott on 19 March 1878. Less than six months later, her mother, Ann Elliott, died of consumption. Two years later, in December 1880, her father passed away, leaving six children under the age of 18. Celia, now the mother of one with another on the way, took in at least four of her siblings: John Elliott, 17, who was identified as a person of “unsound mind” in the 1881 census; William James, 16; George Meuberry, 13; and Elizabeth Ann, 10. The youngest sibling, Minnie Maud, 9, was not identified in the 1881 census as living with the Gotts, but it is likely that Celia also cared for Minnie as she appears in the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census returns as a member of the Gott family.

Cecelia went on to have five children: Charles, Edith, John, Eccles James, and Stanley. The youngest, Stanley George, was born in 1888, just four years before his father died prematurely of cirrhosis of the kidney, a condition he had endured for twelve years. In 1892, Celia was left to raise five children ranging in age from four to twelve.

Notable among Celia’s children was her son, Eccles James Gott, named after his father. Eccles Gott was the Conservative MP for Essex South in 1925, 1926 and 1930. He ran unsuccessfully in 1935. The entry for Eccles James Gott in Men of Achievement: Essex County, 1927 provides a good account of how his mother influenced his life.

Catharine Brett

Based on an entry in the 1860 US federal census, we know that Catharine was born in December 1859 in Clinton, Iowa. An entry in the Christ Church records, however, records her death on 2 December 1863 in Amherstburg. She did not live beyond her fourth birthday.

Jane Brett

According to Christ Church records, Jane was born on 9 September 1861 in Amherstburg. She was baptized on 29 May 1862 and may have lived longer but did not live beyond infancy.

John Elliott Brett

Born on 15 April 1863, John Elliott Brett was identified as a person of “unsound mind” in the 1881 census. Aunt Elaine (Brett) Cascadden said that he died young, but no official record of his death has yet been found. He was 15 when his mother died and 17 on the death of his father. He then went to live with his sister, Cecelia Gott.

William James Brett

Born on 18 November 1864, “Bill” Brett lost his mother at age 14 and his father at 16. After his parents died, he and at least four other siblings went to live with his sister, Cecelia Gott.

On 5 June 1888, Bill married Etta May Pulford of Ruthven. He worked as a clerk in a grocery store and later in sales for the National Biscuit Co. of Detroit for 36 years.

By the 1891 census Bill and Etta were living in Amherstburg, but moved to Windsor some time before 1901. They remained in Windsor thereafter. Bill became very involved with the Oddfellows

Bill and Etta had four children: Ada Leah Brett (b. 1889, d. 1933, married Royal Moore); John Alexander (see below); Josephine Brett (b. 16 July 1893, married Stafford Payne); and William Alfred Pulford Brett (b. 3 September 1910, became a doctor, was living in Cobourg at the time of Bill’s death).

Bill’s son John Alexander Brett was born on 24 February 1892 in Ruthven. On 9 September 1916, at the age of 24, he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Serial No. 1045296. He was a Private in the 15th Battalion of the 1st Central Ontario Regiment which operated in France and Flanders (Belgium) during World War One. When the village of Sains-les-Marquion in France was captured on 27 September 1918, John A. was there. His military burial record says that he was killed in action: “This soldier was instantly killed by an heavy enemy shell, during operations in the vicinity of Keith Wood.”

On the following day, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade established a new cemetery, the Sains-Les-Marquion British Cemetery. It contains 255 WWI burials. John Alexander Brett is buried in Plot 1, Row B, Grave #24.

George Meuberry Brett

Born on 19 February 1867, George M. Brett was 11 when his mother died and 13 when he lost his father. He was among the siblings that went to live with their older sister, Cecelia Gott.

By 1891, George had moved out and was boarding in the Sinasac home in Anderdon Township. He is listed as a telephone operator. On 18 July 1900, the day of his marriage to Nellie Grant Lock, George was employed in Welland, Ontario, as a railway station agent. Over the course of his career, George worked for the Michigan Central Railway Co. as an agent in Welland and moved to Essex by 1911.

George and Nellie had one son, George Brett, born in 1904, who became a lawyer and practiced in Leamington.

For more on George Meuberry Brett, see his obituary.

Richard Ruddy Brett

My great-grandfather, Richard Ruddy Brett, was born on 17 April 1869 in Amherstburg. He was named after Richard Ruddy, his aunt Catherine Elliott’s husband who passed away young, probably in 1868 or 1869, just before R.R. Brett was born.

R.R. Brett was 9 when his mother died and 11 when his father died. Unlike the rest of his siblings who went to live with their eldest sister Cecelia, R.R. was taken in by his uncle, Richard Elliott, who at that time had one daughter (see 1881 census). The Elliott family would grow to five children by 1891.

As an adult, Richard Ruddy Brett was generally called “Bert”. Although he started out as a teacher, by the 1890s he was working as a printer at the Amherstburg Echo. In 1896 he purchased the Essex Free Press with a partner, W.H. Auld. Together they ran the newspaper and commercial printing operation until Auld’s death in 1932.

In 1893, Richard Ruddy Brett married Frances Lillian Roberts. They had seven children, one of whom died in infancy.

Watch for a future posting dedicated specifically to Richard Ruddy Brett and Frances Lillian Roberts.

Elizabeth Ann Brett

Elizabeth Brett or “Lizzie” was born in March of 1870, either on March 15 (1901 census) or March 24 (Christ Church birth record). In the 1871 census she is identified as “Ann Jane” but this changes to “Elizabeth Ann” in subsequent records.

Lizzie was 7 when her mother died and 10 when her father died. She was among the siblings that went to live with their older sister, Cecelia Gott.

Elizabeth did not marry until she was 36 years old. On 22 August 1906 she married Benjamin Drake, then 55, and moved to Detroit. In 1909, her only son, John Francis Drake (“Jack”), was born. He would predecease her in 1929 at the age of 20 (see her obituary).

Minnie Maud Brett

The youngest member of the family was born on 18 September 1871. She was 7 years old when her mother died and 9 when her father died. Although the 1881 census return for Eccles J. and Cecelia Gott does not list Minnie, it is likely that she was among the siblings who went to live with them. In the census returns for 1891, 1901 and 1911 she appears as a member of Cecelia’s household. In addition, her obituary says that she made her home with her eldest sister ever since the death of her parents.

Minnie Brett was a lifelong employee of Bell Canada. She went to work for Bell in 1889, first as an operator, and in 1901 was appointed local manager, a position she held until her health began to fail and she accepted early retirement in May 1927.

Minnie Brett was well known in Amherstburg and is remembered to this day for her work with Bell Telephone.

In-Laws: James & Mary Elliott

The Elliott family figures dominantly in the Brett family history and provides some very interesting details about the family connection to Amherstburg.

From burial records for Christ Church (Anglican) in Amherstburg (available through the Marsh Collection), we know that James Elliott died on March 17, 1840, age 35. His birth year is therefore about 1805. From these records, we also know that he was born in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Ireland and was a Private in the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot in the British Army.

Co. Fermanagh is part of Northern Ireland, located in Ulster, not far from the Brett homeland in Co. Sligo.

The 34th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment in the British Army that was established in 1702. In 1824, the regiment was posted to Ireland for several years, but was moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1833. James Elliott would have joined the 34th Regiment when it was stationed in Galway, Ireland. His eldest child, Ann, was born there on 27 July 1832 (see Ann’s death record for details). James and Mary Elliott, along with their infant daughter, would have made the voyage to Canada in 1833 along with the 1st Battalion of the 34th.

In Canada, the regiment was garrisoned at Halifax until 1838. James and Mary’s second child, Richard, was born there in August 1835.  When the regiment was ordered in 1838 to move from Halifax to Fort Malden in Amherstburg, Upper Canada, James and Mary would have been traveling with 6-year-old Ann and 3-year-old Richard.

Their youngest child, Catherine, was born in New Brunswick, possibly Saint John, in 1838 or 1840 (there is some inconsistency on this point). If Catherine was born in 1838, her mother may have given birth during the six-week trek from Halifax to Amherstburg. The 1901 census lists her birthdate as June 8, albeit in 1841. Given that census returns are frequently riddled with inaccuracies, it is possible that Catherine was born on June 8, during the march west, but in the year 1838, not 1841.

If, on the other hand, she was born in 1840, then it’s likely that her mother, now pregnant, headed back east after James’s death. Most of the census records (1871, 1881 and 1911) favour the 1840 birth year, but none of the records indicate a move to New Brunswick after James’ death. Efforts to locate Mary Elliott (nee Taylor) after her husband’s death have been unsuccessful.

The Rebellion

In late 1837, insurrections aimed at breaking the elitist form of colonial government began, first in Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) and shortly thereafter in Upper Canada (present-day Ontario). The self-styled “patriots” were unsuccessful in their initial attempts and escaped to the United States, where they rallied support from American sympathizers.

In Toronto, journalist William Lyon MacKenzie received most of the attention. The publisher of the Colonial Advocate was considered a radical for advocating a democratic system of government (resembling the American model) and for attacking aristocratic officials dubbed “The Family Compact” in his newspaper. Although the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837-38 is most often associated with MacKenzie, much of the rebel threat occurred along the US-Canadian frontier, including four attacks along the Detroit River.

Fort Malden was abandoned and in a sad state of disrepair in late 1837. After the War of 1812, the British considered Fort Malden to be of little strategic consequence to the defence of Upper Canada. In May 1835, they decided to close the fort and the last troops left on Sept. 1, 1836. The town’s written history, Amherstburg 1796-1996: The New Town on the Garrison Grounds (page 27), provides the following description:

When rebellion broke out in Upper Canada in early December of 1837, Fort Malden was a dilapidated hulk. The deserted post’s ramparts were in disrepair and there were no cannon guarding its bastions. Not only were the existing structures in a sorry state, there was simply not enough room to house the assorted volunteer companies and Essex Militia which mustered in Amherstburg. Temporary housing was acquired in town, but the lack of adequate arms and supplies for the militia was not resolved before the first rebel strike.

Although various accounts of the rebellions found on the Internet state that the 34th Regiment was engaged in putting down rebellions at Pelee Island, Fighting Island and the Battle of Windsor, these accounts are exaggerated or erroneous.

In January 1838 there were no regular troops at Fort Malden. When a group of patriots attempted to seize Bois Blanc Island in the Detroit River, it was the local militia that responded, using rifles and muskets alone to fire on the schooner Anne, which had been hijacked by the patriots at Detroit. When the helmsman was wounded, the Anne drifted downstream and grounded at Elliott’s Point (named for Matthew Elliott, a founder of Amherstburg, but not a relative). The schooner was filled with stores of ammunition and three cannon, which were confiscated by the Essex Militia for use at Fort Malden.

According to Amherstburg 1796-1996: The New Town on the Garrison Grounds, the patriot attack at Bois Blanc spurred the British military commander in Upper Canada to move the 24th, 32nd and 83rd Regiments, plus a detachment of the Royal Artillery, to Fort Malden. The 34th Regiment was still garrisoned at Halifax.

The second rebel attack occurred on February 24, 1838 when a group of patriots crossed the frozen Detroit River and attempted to occupy Fighting Island. Lieutenant-Colonel Maitland of the 24^th Regiment responded quickly and the rebels fled back to Michigan.

The third attack was perhaps the most spectacular. On February 26, a large patriot force (400-600) set off from Sandusky, Ohio, marching across the frozen surface of Lake Erie to occupy Pelee Island. The fleeing islanders arrived at Fort Malden to warn the garrison. Lt. Col. Maitland sent a force of about 400 on an overnight march along the lakeshore and across to the island on March 1. The 32nd and 83rd Regiments, militiamen, native scouts and a troop of militia cavalry participated in the routing of the patriots. The Battle of Pelee Island was the largest action fought in Essex County during the rebellion. The rebel losses included 11 dead, 40 wounded and 11 taken prisoner by the British.

The patriot rebels appeared to be deterred from further actions for many months. By June 1838, the British had once again withdrawn their garrison from Fort Malden. Intense lobbying by the local people, however, helped to convince the British that having an armed presence at the fort was critical. Five hundred soldiers of the 34th Regiment arrived at Fort Malden at the end of July 1838. James Elliott and his family were among these new arrivals.

According to Amherstburg 1796-1996 (page 29), the 34th Regiment was principally responsible for renovating the fort:

Prior to the Battle of Windsor, British military authorities gave Sir Richard Airey, commanding officer of the 34th Regiment, orders to improve facilities at Fort Malden. From July 1838 until his regiment left Fort Malden in 1840, Airey directed a massive building programme which completely revitalized the post.

The British constructed at least eight new buildings inside the fort. A great emphasis was placed on living quarters for the greatly expanded garrison. Contractors erected two 2-storey wooden frame barracks which accommodated 400 troops. Each of these buildings received a new cookhouse. The officers received a new brick barrack with eight rooms on the first floor for themselves and room on the second for their servants. The Royal Engineers supervised the construction of a new guardhouse just inside the fort’s gate, new prisoner cells and quarters for senior non-commissioned officers.

The fortifications of Fort Malden and Bois Blanc Island were much improved under Airey’s direction. Troops from the 34th deepened and widened the ditch surrounding the fort. They also added a nine-foot-high wooden palisade to the bottom of the ditch. Ramparts and bastions were repaired. Airey ensured that firing platforms and cannon were added to each of the fort’s bastions. On Bois Blanc the British built three blockhouses and a picket house. These fortifications on the island provided Fort Malden an outer line of defense from the west.

By the end of the rebellion and the departure of Airey’s troops, Fort Malden had been transformed from a derelict installation into a credible military post; yet the fort’s importance was only temporary and the coming years would see its denouement.

The final patriot attack along the Detroit River frontier occurred on December 4, 1838, when 400 rebels crossed from Detroit to Windsor and captured the garrison there. The Essex Militia led by Colonel John Prince held off the rebels between Windsor and Sandwich. The Illustrated Historical Atlas of the Counties of Essex & Kent reports that when news of the attack arrived at Fort Malden, 60 wagons of regulars and militia (10 men per wagon) were dispatched. It is probable that James Elliott was among them. By the time the 34th Regiment arrived at Windsor most of the insurgents had re-crossed to Detroit, except 26 who were taken prisoner.

The Children of James & Mary Elliott

Wives and children accompanied soldiers on their postings and lived in the barracks during this time. From July 1838 to James Elliott’s death on March 17, 1840, the barracks at Fort Malden (possibly the one remaining barracks building open to visitors today) would have been home to James and Mary Elliott and their three children:

Ann Elliott

Born 27 July 1832 in Galway, Ireland, Ann would have been about a year old when her parents embarked on their voyage to Canada. She would have turned 6 during the wholesale movement of the 34th Regiment from Halifax to Fort Malden. She was not yet 8 when her father died of unknown causes. Ann does not appear in the records again until July 1860 (US federal census return) when, at age 28, she is married to John Brett and living in Clinton, Iowa, with two children – Cecelia, 2, and 6-month-old Catherine who would not live beyond her third birthday. Also living with them is a 65-year-old woman by the name of Mary Noonen. It is possible that Ann’s mother, Mary Taylor, remarried after her father’s death. Based on the Iowa census information, this Mary would have been born in 1895 and would have been 10 years older than James.

The Elliott file in the Marsh Collection in Amherstburg contains a note on the Bretts, stating that John Brett married Ann Elliott in Toronto, but no record confirming this has been found. It is likely that they married in the early to mid-1850s. By 1857 they had moved to Clinton, Iowa, where they remained for about five years.

Ann Elliott died at the age of 48 of consumption (tuberculosis). Her husband John Brett died two years later at the age of 54, leaving several young children. Watch for a future posting dedicated specifically to John Brett and Ann Elliott.

Richard Elliott

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Aug 22, 1835 (source: 1901 census) or possibly Aug 15, 1835 (source: Obituary, A’burg Echo), Richard Elliott worked as a shoemaker for much of his life, partnering with his brother-in-law John Brett as proprietors of the American Shoe Store, Dalhousie Street, Amherstburg. In 1896, Richard Elliot became the caretaker of the custom building, a position he held until his death on 23 May 1905.

According to the obituaries that appeared in the Amherstburg Echo and the Essex Free Press, Richard Elliott took an early interest in military affairs and was color-sergeant in the Essex Rifles, a company of volunteers that were called up during the Fenian Raid of 1866. He received a veteran’s medal and a deed for a grant of 160 acres in New Ontario.

Richard was married twice. His first wife, Elizabeth McGuire, died in 1873, within a year of their marriage. At the age of 40, he married Eliza Haynes, 20, of Amherstburg, originally of Coventry, England. Together they had five children: Mary Eliza (1878-1942), Richard William (1881-1942), James H. (1883-1935), Eva (b. 1887), and George Walter (b. 1891).

When his sister Ann passed away in 1878, followed by her husband John only two years later, Richard Elliott took his nephew, Richard Ruddy Brett, my great-grandfather, into his family and raised him alongside his own children. R.R. Brett appears in the Richard Elliott household in both the 1881 and 1891 census records.

Catherine Elliott

Catherine was born in New Brunswick in 1838 or 1840. There is some inconsistency on this point; the 1901 census lists her birthdate as June 8, 1841, which is too late in time after her father’s death, while the 1911 census records her birth date as Nov. 1840. The early censuses, 1871 and 1881, both show her birth year as 1840, while the 1891 census lists it as 1838.

In any case, Catherine was the youngest of the siblings.

In his obituary (Amherstburg Echo), Richard Elliott is reported to have lived in Toronto and Haldimand County in his youth before moving to Iowa in the late 1850s and then to Amherstburg in 1861. Given her youth, Catherine likely accompanied her siblings as they moved around, but the facts show that she put down roots in Haldimand County (Brantford) at an early age and made it her permanent home. At the time of the 1871 census, Catherine was about 31 years old, living in Haldimand County, and widowed with three young children, Eva 10, Joseph 8, and Richard 3 (identified in the earlier censuses as Robert, but then as Richard by 1891). Richard Elliott’s obituary identifies Catherine as “Mrs. Richard Ruddy, of Brantford.”

The name “Richard Ruddy” was passed on to my great-grandfather, Richard Ruddy Brett, and to three successive generations. But its origins date back to about 1860 when Catherine Elliott married Richard Ruddy. He died young, probably in 1868 or 1869, just before R.R. Brett was born on April 17, 1869. In naming her next child Richard Ruddy, Ann Elliott was paying tribute to her sister’s late husband.

Unanswered Questions

Although we know quite a bit about James Elliott, we know very little about his wife, Mary. She is identified by her maiden name, Taylor, in some notes located in the Elliott folder at the Marsh Collection. After her husband’s early death at the age of 35, Mary was left to raise three young children on her own and she may have remarried a man named Noonen, but we have no records to confirm this.

We also don’t know how James died, whether it was health or work related. A review of military records may yield more information.

We are fortunate, however, to have records and artifacts from the 34th Regiment on display at Fort Malden National Historic Site. As the last regiment to populate the fort, the 34th is well remembered to this day.

1st Generation: Jasper Brett & Celia Meuberry (Mowberry)

When the Harper government announced the end of the long-form census in Canada a few years ago, historians and genealogists were among those who vocally opposed such a move. Their arguments ultimately fell on deaf ears. It’s fair to suggest that none of the Members of Parliament who voted in favour of scrapping the long-form census had ever experienced the frustration of tracing ancestors in Ireland. Had they done so they would have learned some important lessons about collecting and preserving history.

The facts surrounding the destruction of official 19th century census returns in Ireland are a bit muddled, but all we really need to know is that they no longer exist. The returns from 1821-91 were destroyed at different points in time, the last two sets (1881 and 1891) meeting their fate as recently as 1918. Whether their destruction was occasioned by a literal bureaucratic interpretation of the law at the time or by the heartless destruction of Irish history that some have suggested, the fact is that they simply no longer exist and Irish descendants are left with few clues to go on in trying to make proper family connections.

Fortunately, we do have a few.

Births and Marriages

 Aunt Elaine (Brett) Cascadden (God bless her!) always maintained that John Brett’s father was named Jasper and his mother was a Meuberry. Confirmation of this information is found in a listing of the marriage license bonds issued in 1812 for the Diocese of Killala and Achonry, Co. Sligo. Jasper Brett and Celia Mowberry acquired a marriage licence in that year. Although there is no official documentation connecting Jasper Brett and Celia Mowberry to their children (for example, birth registrations), we know that both of their names were passed down, Jasper to Edward George Jasper Brett four generations later, Cecelia for several successive generations of daughters, and Mooberry or Meuberry to John Brett’s son, George Meuberry.

Determining the birth years of Jasper Brett and Celia Mowberry is an exercise in estimation. We have no official documentation (birth or death records) that would confirm these dates, so we have to estimate. If we assume that they married in early adulthood, as most people of that era did, then we can assume that both Jasper and Celia were born around 1790, making them about 22 years old on the day of their wedding.

Unfortunately, I’ve had no luck locating death records for either Jasper or Celia, but I am willing to speculate that they had both passed away by 1874, the date on which their son George began corresponding with his brother John, our great-great-grandfather. (Be sure to read the George Brett letters included here. They are an excellent source of information.). There is no mention of Jasper or Celia anywhere in the five letters that were passed down to Aunt Elaine, which, given the thoroughness of George’s accounting of people, supports my speculation.

Landholdings

George Brett’s letters to John are very helpful for identifying family members (which I’ll get to shortly), and equally helpful for identifying property that the family owned. An inquiry made to the County Sligo Heritage and Genealogy Society many years ago also proved to be helpful. From an entry in the Tithe Applotment Book for 1825, we know that a Jasper Brett held land in the townland of Moymlough. (The Tithe Applotment Book listed property valuations for taxation purposes. Landholders paid taxes to the Church of Ireland, the established church until 1869.)

From his letters, we know that Jasper’s son George, a livestock farmer, moved from the townland of Mumlaugh (Moymlough) to the townland of Cornabby, Balinacarrow, Ballymote in 1861. The 1858 Griffith Valuations lists George Brett as the lessee of 68 acres of land in the townland of Moymlough, Parish of Killoran. He appears to have retained the leasehold on the land in Moymlough when he moved to Cornabby. From his letters, we know that, as of 1874, George held 64 acres of land in Ballymote, the 68 acres in Moymlough, and a large farm in County Mayo.

The practice of male primogeniture, whereby the firstborn male inherited the land and estate of his father to the exclusion of younger siblings, was widespread in Ireland. Evidence suggests that George Brett, as the eldest sibling, may have inherited his father’s property – probably the 68 acres in Moymlough. According to his letter of Feb. 23, 1876, George refused his younger brother Patt’s request that he hand over Moymlough.

Immigration

The fact that all of George’s siblings but one immigrated to North America is not unique in Irish history. About 3.5 million people left Ireland between 1815 and 1855. Without much of an industrial base, Ireland provided few jobs for younger siblings in its agrarian countryside.

To make matters worse, the rural population subsisted primarily on a single crop – the potato. When a fungus started to destroy the crop and subsequently brought on several years of famine (1845-1852), the exodus to the New World intensified.

The Commemorative Biographical Record entry for Jasper’s grandson, Richard Ruddy Brett, states that his father, John Brett, came to Canada in early manhood. A search of ship passenger lists has not been very fruitful. Although ship captains were supposed to record the names of passengers, the practice was not universally implemented and women and children were not always listed. In a compilation of records of alien’s declarations entitled Philadelphia Naturalization Records, a John Brett is listed as arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1840. At 15 years of age, John Brett would indeed have been in early manhood. Women were not included in this particular listing.

It is difficult to know whether this John Brett is the right person. Although his sister Mary spent time in Philadelphia where three of her four sons lived, John Brett was never associated with that city in any written record.

We also know that John’s older sister Cecelia (Rose) was with him on the voyage. Aunt Elaine always maintained that the two came over together, but Cecelia Rose’s death notice in the Essex Free Press (dated June 2, 1916), provides further information:

 When 20 years of age she came to Canada with her brother, the late John Brett, of Amherstburg, and sister Mrs. Catharine Nelson, of Belleville, they settling near Ottawa.

Cecelia was born in 1821. The three siblings therefore came to Canada around 1841, before the Great Famine hit. Given that the two sisters married men from the Ottawa area (Cecelia married Uriah Rose of the Ottawa area and subsequently moved to Essex County, while Catharine married William Buell Nelson and lived in the Belleville area), it is more likely that John, Cecelia and Catharine arrived in Toronto (then called York), not Philadelphia.

It is unknown when Jane and Mary left Ireland or where they arrived.

Jasper & Celia’s Children:

Jasper Brett and Celia Meuberry had seven children, all them born in Co. Sligo. At the time of George Brett’s correspondence, he asked repeatedly about all of his siblings in Canada and provided information on those who remained behind. From these letters and additional research into specific siblings, we know the following:

George

Born about 1812. Died 12 May 1899 (Tobercurry, Co. Sligo). Buried in Rathbarron Church of Ireland Cemetery, Coolaney. Married a woman named Isabella (born about 1816; died 23 Apr 1887).

Recently, I was fortunate to receive an interesting scrap of information about George Brett. A genealogist who is researching the family line of Henry Brett of Rosemont, Ontario, shared part of a letter written in November 1877 by Henry’s brother Patrick (from Cloonarara, Sligo) to Henry’s son after his death.

There are scarce any of the old neighbours to be had that lived in your time; they are nearly all gone and a young race sprung up in their place. Sure it is nothing but the course of nature. I may say I have no real friend in Ireland but George Brett, Son to Jasper Brett a man whom your Father loved dearly. G Brett lives in opulence on a large farm near Ballinacarrow and has two other large farms and possesses of an immense Stock of Cattle of all kinds.

George was married to a woman named Isabella and from his letters we know that they had six children: Celia who married a man by the name of Hamilton; a son named Mooberry who was born around 1844 and held 228 acres in County Mayo at his death on 14 August 1866; a daughter named Mary born around 1850; a son Robert born around 1852/3 (identified in cemetery records as Robert of Thornill, died 1918, Tobercurry); a son John born around 1858; and a daughter Catherine born around 1864 (died 1918, Tobercurry). Information received from the County Sligo Heritage and Genealogy Society indicates that George’s son John and daughter Catherine were residing in Ballynacarrow with a nephew and two servants as of the 1901 census. A headstone has been found for George and his wife. Their daughter Catherine and son Robert are buried in the same cemetery plot, together with their brother John and his wife.

Jane

What little we know about Jane is found in George Brett’s letter of June 16, 1875. In that letter, George asks about Jane and her husband Thomas Clark, who George appears to know. George writes to John: “You said you expected to pay Jane & Thos Clark a visit this summer. If so ask them to write to me & let me (k)now how they are going on & how many in family they have. I suppose age is beginning to pray a little on Tom for he is older than I am.” There is no clue in the letters to tell us where Jane and Thomas Clark live, but they are most certainly in North America and are probably close in age to George.

Mary

Our knowledge of Mary comes entirely from George’s letters. Mary married William Sadler (sometimes spelled Sadlur), also of Co. Sligo, and they had four sons and three daughters: George, who retired from the police and lived in Derry; three younger sons, one named James, all of whom immigrated to Philadelphia; and three daughters, the second eldest of them married to a man named Monson to whom Mary gave their 22-acre farm (perhaps because the law required it).

In his letter of September 23, 1874, George reports that Mary and William are living in Croughau, six miles above Boyle.

In his final letter to John (dated June 11, 1878), George reports as follows:

I have to tell you that sister Mary, her soninlaw & family are gone to Philadelphia. They did not let me [k]now anything of their moves until a few days before they left. There is now only her eldest son & eldest daughter in this country. They never write to me & I don’t [k]now why as I never gave them any cause to complain of me, always happy to see them when they came to my place & treat them with as much kindness as I could.

Cecelia

Born about 1821, Co. Sligo. Died 28 May 1916, Gosfield North. Buried Cottam Cemetery. Married Uriah James Rose on 15 June 1847 at Smith’s Falls, Ontario. Uriah Rose was born in March 1821 (in Wolford Twp., Leeds & Grenville Co., near Ottawa) and died in Gosfield North on 27 February 1895. William Nelson, soon to be Catherine Brett’s husband, was a witness at Cecelia and Uriah Rose’s wedding.

Cecelia and Uriah Rose had four children: John Alexander 1849-1934; Ellen J. 1851-1911; George Henry 1855-1942; and Ina Rose b. 1864.

Uriah Rose is remembered for opening the first livery stable in the hamlet of Essex Centre around 1874, before the railway was extended to Windsor, the electric railway was built and horseless vehicles were invented. He operated his business for 35 years.

Cecelia Rose’s death notice provides additional details.

John

Born about 1825 in Ballisadare, Co. Sligo. Died 27 Dec 1880, Amherstburg, Ontario. Buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, Amherstburg. Married Ann Elliott, born 27 Jul 1832, died 1 Sep 1878, Amherstburg. Buried Rose Hill Cemetery, Amherstburg.

John Brett is our ancestor. Watch for a future posting dedicated specifically to John Brett.

Catherine

Born on 15 Dec 1829, Co. Sligo. Died 16 Apr 1920, Belleville, Ontario. Buried Belleville Cemetery. Married William Buell Nelson on 1 Jan 1849 in Johnstown, Ontario, near Ottawa. William Nelson was born 11 Sep 1826 (in Brockville, Ont.) and died in Belleville on 29 Nov 1897.

Catherine and William Nelson had nine children: Cecelia, John, Samuel, Mary Jane, Martha, Annie, William, Catherine, and Jasper. Note the repetition of the names “Cecelia” and “Jasper”.

Census returns show that the Nelsons remained in the Belleville area well into the 20th century. Upon her death, Catherine Nelson had been living at the same address for over 50 years.

Patrick

What little we know about Patrick is found in George’s letters to John. Suffice it to say he doesn’t make a good impression on his brother.

“As for Patt the Boy he is not in America but at home. He came home this time six years with £60 and remained until he spend this, most of it in drinking & sporting, then went off again to the states, and remained there with uncle Christy’s son in law at Brickmaking until he made up sixty more & started for home again & Began the old trade again. So I had to get rid of him again. He then went to live with Charles Brett of Aconry & stopt there until he fell in fashion with his servant girl & was going to get married to her but was prevented by uncle Patt’s two sons. He now stops with young Patt, taking an odd spree.” – Sept 23, 1874 letter

“As for brother Patt, I fear he will never do much good. He lives with uncle Patt’s son. I believe he has nearly his money spent in drink. He does not come near us attal because I would not countenance his folly in the course he was pursuing. He lived with Charly Brett a while & fell in love with his servant maid, a papist. He was put off that & remains an old bachelor. Still Jim Sadler did not care much about seeing him. He said he was ashamed of him when he called to see him on his way coming home as he passed through Philadelphia. I heard lately that he intends to return to America. He did not spake to me the last time I met him. He is angry with me because I would not give him Mumlaugh.” – Feb 23, 1876 letter

 “Brother Patt is still in Scotland. I am told he is going on well & keeping steady & sober & in constant employment. He never writes to me.” – June 11, 1878 letter

Why they never wrote

Having read George Brett’s letters a multitude of times, I am struck by how often he mentions that his siblings haven’t replied to his letters. I am also intrigued by the types of questions he poses to John and the types of basic personal information he provides in his first letter, dated Sept. 23, 1874. George provides basic information about his property and his family in a fashion that suggests he’s not been in touch with his brother for a very long time, possibly as far back as the time of John’s departure from Ireland in 1841. George inquires about John’s occupation (“Is it by the trade or otherwise you are going on” possibly referring to John’s occupation as shoemaker). He’s not really sure about John’s age (“I believe your age is about 49 years. I would get your age from the Church registry but the Clergyman is at present in England.”). It’s as if George has initiated contact with a brother who may have been a bit reluctant to reply (his first letter begins with “After your very long silence…”).

Perhaps staying in touch with relatives was not as easy in the mid-1800s as it is today. Perhaps the mail system was unreliable or maybe transatlantic postage was too expensive. Illiteracy was a widespread problem as well. I don’t really know if any of those things played a factor in what I suspect was a 30-year silence between brothers, but I would speculate that, for the average Irish immigrant, staying in touch was just a bit too painful. Knowing that you’d never have enough money to return to the old country and that there was no place for you there even if you did would be a big disincentive. And… if your brother inherited the family farm and grew to live in “opulence,” as the letter writer above suggests, while you and your siblings were tossed across the stormy seas to an unknown land and an uncertain future, perhaps staying connected to your people in Ireland wouldn’t seem like a priority.

When you first start delving into your family history it’s all about names, dates, and pedigree charts… connecting one generation to the next in neat, linear order. But after a while, after you’ve collected a multitude of names and dates and interesting facts, and after you’ve started to piece the family puzzle back together… that’s when the names become people and the people become personalities, and the personalities jump off the page and start to populate your mind with ideas about who they were, the times they lived in, and the hardships they endured. It’s the stories behind the facts that I find so interesting.

Doire Uan: Wood of the Lambs

In North America we say “I live in Essex County.” But if Essex County were located in Ireland we’d say “I live in County Essex.” I can’t explain why the word order is reversed, but I suspect that everyone who has done genealogical research of Irish ancestors from this side of the pond has noted that curiosity. In the case of the Brett family of Co. Essex (Ontario), there’s much to ponder about Co. Sligo (Ireland) and the Bretts who have made it into the history books.

The name Brett is of Norman origin, meaning “of Brittany.” A region in the northwest of France, Brittany is directly south of and separated from England by the English Channel. Historically, Brittany was considered to be one of the seven Celtic nations (the others being Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, Cornwall, and Galicia).

It is believed that the Bretts arrived in Ireland following the Anglo-Norman Invasion of 1169-1172, during the reign of Henry II. Norman lords controlled the island for a time, but many assimilated into Irish culture over the next 200-300 years. The area under English control eventually shrank to a territory called “The Pale” – stretching from Dublin to Dundalk on the eastern coast. The Bretts are described as “Palesmen from County Louth” in Mary O’Dowd’s book Early Modern Sligo 1568-1688: Power, Politics and Land. This made them “Old English” in the eyes of the native Gaelic lords.

O’Dowd also reports that the Bretts arrived in Sligo in 1610 with their relatives, the Taaffes, who became the largest landlords in Co. Sligo by 1633-1635. Sir William Taaffe’s first wife, Elizabeth, was the daughter of Sir William Brett of Tullough, in Fingall, north of Dublin.

The Brett patriarch who arrived in Sligo in 1610 was named Jasper Brett. He lived at Rathdoony, just above Ballymote, and he built a fortified dwelling – perhaps a castle or maybe a fortified manor house – at Derroon (Doire Uan, meaning “the wood of the lambs”).  The remains of that property have been identified, along with ancient burial mounds located on the nearby hills. During times of war and civil unrest – and there were many during the 1600s –  fortified properties gave added protection.

On a map of Derroon and the surrounding area, you will find place names that are significant to the Bretts of the 19th century – places like Ballinacarrow, Ballymote and Moymlough. This suggests that the descendants of Jasper Brett remained in the same small region of Co. Sligo for over 250 years, despite all the troubles that they were to encounter.

Brett historian Bill McGee quotes J.C. MacDonagh’s History of Ballymote and Emlaghfad  as follows:

Jasper Brett, the founder of the family, lived at Rathdooney, and afterwards built the fortified dwelling, now a ruin, at Deroon. He was High Sheriff during the years 1627-28, and again in the year 1635.

The High Sheriff held the highest position in the county, acting as the king’s representative on administrative and judicial matters. McGee notes that the High Sheriff in Ireland was tasked primarily with collecting the king’s revenues for the Exchequer in Dublin, including fines, fees, and rents. He presided over the county court, summoned juries, levied fines and delivered prisoners. McGee writes: “The sheriff was frequently obliged to defend the county in time of war, and, when necessary, to enforce writs by calling on the aid of the posse.” The appointment appears to have been made annually. Jasper Brett held the position of High Sheriff for three years – 1627, 1628 and 1635.

Other Bretts receive brief mention in the history books, but before I share that information I think it’s important to understand the political and religious conditions that existed in England, especially during the Tudor and Stuart reigns.

It is fair to suggest that political ties and tribal loyalties motivated the Bretts to move to Ireland during the Anglo-Norman Invasion. For almost 500 years they lived in the Pale (the area from Dublin to Dundalk on the east coast), benefiting from the protection that being “Old English” and being loyal to the Crown bestowed.

The Protestant Reformation would change all that. In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenberg. Among other things, Luther and his supporters were opposed to the Catholic church’s practice of selling indulgences for the forgiveness of sins.

Initially Luther’s movement was confined to parts of Europe and King Henry VIII of England (1509-1547) voiced his opposition to it. Raised a devout Roman Catholic, Henry had no use for Protestantism until he wanted a divorce from his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. When the Catholic church refused his request, he established the Church of England and became the head of that church.

The Bretts, like most Old English families of the Catholic faith, would have started to feel uneasy around this time, torn between the widespread acceptance of the Pope’s authority in Ireland and their allegiance to the English monarchy. To make matters worse, Henry was declared King of Ireland after a failed rebellion there. British interest in the small Celtic nation intensified.

For the next hundred years or so, religions fell in and out of favour depending on the views of the reigning monarch. Loyal subjects were motivated to adopt whichever religion was in favour at a particular point in time to avoid imprisonment, torture and execution. The Bretts appear to have held to their Catholic faith throughout the reigns of several Protestant and one Catholic ruler:

The Bretts may have been uneasy about their faith during the years of the Tudor dynasty, but their concerns would multiply exponentially during the 1600s and the Stuart reign.

In 1609, Stuart King James I began the systematic colonization of Ulster, the northernmost province of Ireland. The Ulster Plantation scheme was designed to populate the region with Protestants (about half of them Scottish) to prevent further rebellion. In this most Gaelic part of Ireland, a group of chieftains led by Hugh O’Neill had rebelled against the imposition of English rule but had lost the Nine Years War by 1603. Their lands were seized and the “Plantation of Ulster” began.

The historic antagonism between Catholics/Protestants and Irish/British sympathizers in Ireland finds its origins in this time.

When Charles I succeeded his father on the throne, Anglicanism remained the approved religion. But the king’s marriage to a French Catholic raised concerns. On the one hand, Protestants feared that the king’s children would be raised in the Catholic faith, which rendered the future of Protestantism uncertain. On the other hand, Catholics hoped for religious tolerance and petitioned the king for full rights in society and freedom of religion. They even agreed to have their taxes raised in exchange for these rights and freedoms. King Charles eventually agreed to their demands, but after the levies were implemented in 1630 he postponed the fulfillment of his promises.

The political position of the “Old English” lords was becoming increasingly precarious. Loyalty to the Crown, even though it had been demonstrated for centuries, was no longer viewed as sufficient proof of fidelity without conversion to Protestantism. Many of the Old English now spoke the Irish language, patronized the Irish culture and had married Gaelic women. They continued to be staunchly Catholic.

Like most of the Irish Catholic upper class, the Bretts would not have been ideologically opposed to Charles I’s sovereignty over Ireland, but they would have rightly feared the loss of their lands and their social position in Irish society.

In 1640-41, King Charles sent Thomas Wentworth to Co. Roscommon and Co. Sligo to check land titles with a view to raising revenue. When Wentworth started to confiscate the lands of Old English families it became clear that the British intended to expand the colonization (or plantation) of Ireland, a fear that had been festering for almost 40 years.

The Irish Rebellion of 1641 started in Ulster but quickly spread throughout Ireland. The Old English in the Province of Connaught (which included Co. Sligo) were slow to join but rallied to the cause about six months in. Most of the bloodiest violence occurred in Ulster, with both sides suffering great losses. This rebellion marked the beginning of the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland that continued down to the 20th century.

Near Dublin, the Lords of the Pale organized a rebel force and gave notice of their grievances to the king on 17 March 1642. In response, King Charles sent a large army to suppress the rebellion. Only a few short months later Charles was forced to withdraw his troops from Ireland when civil war broke out in England. King Charles’s woes in England multiplied and kept him at bay until his execution in 1649.

What happened to the Bretts during this time is unknown, but we do know that their circumstances did not improve under Cromwell’s rule.

After Charles I was put to death, Parliament invited the Puritan Oliver Cromwell (1649-1658), followed by his son Richard (1658-1660), to rule as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth. Oliver passionately disliked Irish Catholics, while his son passionately disliked ruling the country. During the Cromwellian period, the Old English in Co. Sligo, including the Bretts and the Taaffes, openly opposed the Puritans. If the Bretts and the Taaffes had not been dispossessed of their lands during Charles’ reign, they most certainly were relieved of them now. Land ownership passed mostly to Protestant settlers and Cromwellian soldiers.

In 1660, things started to improve for the Old English. Parliament invited Charles II (1660-1685) to return from exile. This period is known as “The Restoration.” The history books tell us that the Taaffes were re-granted their lands, probably because Theobald Taaffe, was a favourite in Charles II’s court. The king made Taaffe the first Earl of Carlingford and restored his lands. Bill McGee says that the Bretts and others seem to have managed these lands until they were sold in the 1750s. It is unknown what happened to the Brett property at Derroon.

In 1662-63, a Mr. Brett assisted in making a survey of the town of Sligo. Around the same time, a John Brett of Sligo served as a Member of Parliament in the Irish Parliament of Charles II and as an assessor for the province of Connaught. Although British law prevented Catholics from holding high official positions, it did not yet prevent them from working in important positions or holding public office.

During the short reign of James II (1685-1688), the final Stuart king and the last Catholic monarch of England, a resurgence of Catholicism occurred. James II, the son of Charles I and his French Catholic wife, had converted to Catholicism after the Restoration and his reign brought with it new turmoil. An uprising against James was ultimately crushed.

In short order James II managed to alienate the British nobles. First he held treason trials called “The Bloody Assizes” and sent many rebels to their deaths. He then produced a Catholic heir. Fearing for the future, leading nobles called upon William III of Orange (1688-1702) to invade England and claim the crown with his wife Mary (James’ daughter). This William did. James initially fled to France, but in 1689 he arrived in Ireland where he enjoyed strong support. In The Irish and Anglo-Irish Gentry When Cromwell Came to Ireland, John O’Hart reports that five Bretts fought for James. The deposed king’s forces skirmished with Williamite supporters, but the Jacobites (James’s supporters) were ultimately defeated at the Battle of the Boyne. James fled to France where he died in 1701.

The Treaty of Limerick was signed on July 1, 1690. It permitted Catholics to practice their religion but forbid them from owning land. A series of punitive laws soon followed that prevented Catholics from having guns, holding political office, or receiving an education unless it was in the Protestant faith. Many Irish converted to Anglicanism to avoid the Penal Laws.

The 1700s brought consistent and widespread Protestant rule to England, Ireland and Scotland.

Although the first Bretts in Essex County were Protestant in religion, starting with John Brett (1825-1880), there is no historical evidence that points to a conversion from Catholicism. It is interesting to note, however, that John Brett’s older brother George is buried in a Protestant cemetery, the Rathbarron Church of Ireland Graveyard located in Coolaney, Co. Sligo.

Aside from religion, questions about land ownership or land management cannot be easily answered. We know that a Jasper Brett owned land in the townland of Moymlough in 1825. An entry in the Title Applotment Book for that year (which listed property valuations for taxation purposes) includes a listing for Jasper Brett.

[NOTE: A “townland” was the smallest division of land in Ireland, but it could vary in size from a single acre or less to several thousand acres. Five to thirty townlands were grouped together to form a civil parish. Civil parishes were grouped into baronies. A number of baronies were grouped together to form a county. Because the 19^th century Irish census returns were destroyed, land and property records have become quite valuable as a means of identifying where Irish ancestors lived in the mid-1800s.]

We also know that our ancestor, John Brett, had an older brother named George who was a livestock farmer. From letters written by George to his brother John in the mid-1870s, we know that George moved from the townland of Mumlaugh (Moymlough) to the townland of Cornabby, Balinacarrow, Ballymote in 1861. The 1858 Griffith Valuations lists George Brett as the lessee of 68 acres of land in the townland of Moymlough, Parish of Killoran. He appears to have retained the leasehold on the land in Moymlough when he moved to Cornabby. From his letters, we know that, as of 1874, George held 64 acres of land in Ballymote, the 68 acres in Moymlough, and a large farm in County Mayo.

As land rights were key to economic wellness, it is likely that the Bretts converted to Protestantism some time after the Treaty of Limerick, possibly as early as 1690 or perhaps much more recently. We really have no way of knowing.

What we do know is that land ownership in Ireland continued to be fraught with problems. The practice of male primogeniture, whereby the firstborn male inherited the land and estate of his father to the exclusion of younger siblings, left many young Irish adults with few options. They could stay on the land, remain unmarried and work without pay, or they could emigrate to another country. The plight of unmarried women was particularly grim.

Evidence suggests that George Brett, as the eldest sibling, inherited his father Jasper Brett’s property. The fact that all of George’s siblings but one emigrated to North America is not unique to the family. About 3.5 million people left Ireland between 1815 and 1855.

By that time, memories of Doire Uan (Derroon) had probably become quite faint, if not forgotten.

Acknowledgements: I am very grateful to Bill McGee of Nepean who has done all of the Ontario Bretts a great service by researching the Brett family exhaustively. Although forging connections between the Essex County Bretts and other Ontario Brett families has been difficult, I continue to have some hope that someone will crack the code eventually. For more from Bill McGee, visit http://www3.sympatico.ca/wfmcgee/Brett/

Living in the Past

Study the past if you would define the future. 

                                                                       – Confucius

I’m living in the past again!

For over 30 years I’ve been collecting news clippings, census data, photographs, official records and miscellaneous items as part of a sometimes sporadic, sometimes intense research project focused on my family history. The Brett branch of the family set the wheels in motion.

The project started in the late 1970s when Aunt Elaine (Brett) Cascadden agreed to tell me about changes in the town of Essex over the course of her lifetime so that I could do a high school history assignment. After we finished talking about things like the Great Depression and the two World Wars she’d lived through, our conversations turned to family history. We spent many hours pouring over boxes of memorabilia that Aunt Elaine had collected – news clippings, funeral cards, marriage invitations, sympathy and birthday cards, and letters. In the days before easy access to photocopiers my options for reproducing some of these items were limited. So I did the thing that I knew best… I copied it all down by hand. And I took pages and pages of notes about everyone and everything Aunt Elaine mentioned.

When I had exhausted Aunt Elaine’s resources I turned to my next project – a thorough review of the old bound annual volumes of The Essex Free Press. Under the watchful eye of Uncle Ken Brett, then publisher of the town’s weekly community newspaper, I spent day after day standing at the slate layout tables, reading one issue of the paper after another, and taking meticulous notes about all the Brett relatives and ancestors mentioned. Photocopying was still a few years off, so I recorded the date of the paper and the page on which a particular item appeared. I had no idea then how useful my notes would be until my dad, Wilber Brett, the third generation owner of the newspaper, decided to send the backfiles to be microfilmed. In the 1990s the town’s public library purchased a copy of the microfilm and made the Free Press available using a microfilm reader with photocopy capability. Using the library’s resources I was able to locate all of the clippings and make copies.

I also had no idea then that I would become the publisher of that newspaper from 2004 to May 2011, or that I would marry a systems librarian, Art Rhyno, who would spearhead a large newspaper digitization project in Essex County. Local history and genealogical research has become so much easier since our historic community newspapers (The Essex Free Press, The Kingsville Reporter, The Leamington Post and The Amherstburg Echo) have been made searchable and freely available over the Internet (http://ink.ourontario.ca). It’s still a work in progress but I’m proud to have been part of the movement to provide open access to important historical resources for our community.

Today my children accuse me of asking too many questions. I have to believe that it’s just a phase in their development and that some day they will understand and appreciate that very little of their family history would have survived into this century had someone not asked questions and recorded the answers. That’s not to say that all the questions have been answered – indeed, there are many details I have yet to sort out – but I’m much further along in my information gathering than I was in the 1970s and I hope that the blog entries that are to follow do justice to our past.