Agnes Fotheringham

Agnes seems to have had a child, Jane, with someone surnamed Stuart, in 1850. In 1852 she married William James Greaves, a native of Nottinghamshire. They emigrated to Canada and William James was working as a labourer in Cherry Creek, Simcoe County, in the late 1850s. The couple’s son, William James, was born there. William James (the father) died in the late 1850s, and Agnes remarried, her second husband being the much older Moses Richardson. Moses and Agnes moved to Draper township in Muskoka in the 1860s.

A curious story is told of Moses and Agnes by McMurray (pages 37 - 39), published in 1871 but said to have been written down some years earlier. Moses and Agnes are said to have gone into the woods in search of lost cattle, and gotten lost themselves. After more than a day, Moses recommended to Agnes that she take his knife and slice off part of the calf of his leg to eat. Agnes replied that she would rather die. The couple were found by a search party after more than 48 hours.

Events

Date of Birth: 19 November 1821.

Place of Birth: Coulter, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The baptism record gives the date of birth. The place is given in the 1851 census. The censuses and other documents generally give ages implying she was a few years younger.

Date of Baptism: 24 December, 1821.

Place of Baptism: Peebles, Peeblesshire, Scotland.

The baptism is recorded in the parish register.

Date of Death: 21 August 1894.

Place of Death: Draper township, Muskoka, Ontario, Canada.

The Ontario death registration records the death.

Relationships

Father: James Fotheringham (born 1793).

Mother: Elizabeth Goodfellow (about 1801 - 1850).

These parents are given in Agnes’s baptism registration. Agnes is mentioned in the will of her father’s brother John Fothringham: “To Mrs Agnes Fothringham or Grieve my niece widow of Robert [sic] Grieve Mason residing at Cherry Creek Canada West…”

Spouse: William James Greaves (1815 - about 1859). Married July 1852 in Peebles, Peeblesshire.

The marriage is given in the marriage register.

Spouse: Moses Richardson (about 1792 - 1879).

This marriage is implied by the 1871, 1881, and 1891 censuses, as well as Agnes’s death registration.

Children (by an unknown Stuart):

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)

Jeannetta Greaves (Stuart) (28 August 1850 - 13 December 1913) married (1) George Brewster 13 April 1865 in Innisfil, Simcoe, Canada West; married (2) William Ashdown.

Children (by William James Greaves):

William James Greaves (24 September 1858 - 1 March 1926) married (1) Frances Alderman 22 September 1879 in Uffington, Muskoka; married (2) Hattie Hoskings 12 March 1919 in Muskoka.

Evidence

Agnes Fotheringham’s baptism registration (Peebles, Peeblesshire)

Agnes Fotheringham daughter of James Fotheringham Candlemaker in Peebles and of Elizabeth Goodfellow his wife was born on 19th November and baptized on the 24th Dec 1821 by the Rev’d Robert Buchanan, Minr of Peebles.

1841 census (Peebles)

High St:

-Jas Fotheringham, 45, Agr Lab

-Elizabeth Fotheringham, 35

-Agness Fotheringham, 15

-James Fotheringham, 12

-Mary Fotheringham, 7

1851 Census (Edinburgh)

Edinburgh St John, Riddles Close 322 Lawn Market

James Fotheringham; Head; Widower; 58; born Lanark, Lanarkshire; Candlemaker Journeyman

Agnes Fotheringham; Daughter; Unmarried; 25; born Coulter, Lanarkshire; servant

Mary Anne Fotheringham; Daughter; Unmarried; 17; born Peebles, Peeblesshire; Dress Makers Mistress

Margaret Miller; Lodger; Unmarried; 21; born Edinburgh, Midlothian; Dress Makers Mistress

Jane Stuart; Grand Daughter; 6 Mo; born Edinburgh, Midlothian; Candle Makers Daur

Agness Richardson’s death registration

Name and Surname of Deceased: Agness Richardson

When Died: August 21st 1894

Sex - Male or Female: Female

Age: 65 years

Rank or Profession: Farmer

Where Born: Scotland

Certified Cause of Death and duration of Illness: General wasting of the Constitution 4 months

Name of Physician: Dr Topp Bracebridge

Signature, Description and Residence of Informant: John Crozier Lot 26 Con 7 Draper

When Registered: Sept.r 29th A.D 1894

Religious Denomination of Deceased: Presbyterian

Signature of Registrar: David Cairns

References

Agnes Fotheringham baptism registration, Peebles, Peeblesshire parish register. FHL film 1067921.

Jas Fotheringham household, 1841 census of Scotland, Piece 768, Book/Folio 4; Page 17.

James Fotheringham household, 1851 census of Scotland, Piece 685, Folio 47, Page 2; indexed on Findmypast.co.uk (accessed 29 March 2014).

James Grieve - Agnes Fothringham marriage registration, Peebles, Peeblesshire parish register. FHL film 1067921.

Moses Richardson household, 1871 census of Canada. Ontario; Muskoka (district 85); Draper, Ryde, Oakley (sub-district h); page 15, line number 6; digital image, Library and Archives Canada, Censuses (accessed 29 March 2014), citing LAC microfilm C-10023.

A digital image can be viewed here: http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/1871/jpg/4396312_00133.jpg

George Bruster household, 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, Muskoka (district 131), Oakley and Ryde and Draper (subdistrict H), page 5, family 20; Library and Archives Canada, Censuses (accessed 9 March 2014), citing LAC microfilm C-13243

A digital image can be viewed here: http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e338/e008443516.jpg

William James Greaves household, 1891 census of Canada. Ontario, Ontario North (district 100), sub-district E, family number 151; digital image, Library and Archives Canada, Censuses (accessed 29 March 2014), citing reference: RG31, item number 2239710.

A digital image can be viewed here: http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1891/jpg/30953_148159-00660.jpg

Agness Richardson, Ontario death registration No. 011451, Draper township, Muskoka, page 127; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 29 March 2014) citing Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Deaths 1869 - 1938. MS 935 reel 72. A digital image can be viewed at FamilySearch:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6M3-225

McMurray, Thomas. The Free Grant Lands of Canada. (Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada: The Northern Advocate, 1871).