The Family of Thomas Wells and Mary Foley

For the past while I've been spending my time helping others in their genealogy and family history research, whether on Facebook or at the Ottawa Public Library Local History & Genealogy Drop-In Club (now a virtual weekly event due to COVID-19). However, I figure I might actually take some time to apply some of the things I've written about in this blog.

I decided I'd start work on the line of Thomas Wells, and Mary Foley, my 3rd great grandparents. So what do I know about Thomas and Mary's family based on my earlier research from 2013?

Thomas Wells

• born between 1814 and 1831 in Ireland^1,2,3,4,5,6
• immigrated to Canada about 1849
• by 4 April 1881 he is a widower and resides in Manitoba³
• died 9 May 1907 due to bronchitis in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada^6,7
• buried in Teulon, Manitoba, Canada^6,7

Mary Foley

• born about 1835 in Upper Canada^1,2
• died before 4 April 1881³

Thomas and Mary

• married about 1855¹
• children:
• James (about 1855-?)¹
• Eliza Ann (1856-1947)¹
• Margaret Jane (about 1858-?)¹
• unknown male (about 1859-before 2 Apr 1871)²
• Isabella (about 1862-?)²
• Ellen (about 1863-?)²
• Thomas, Jr. (about 1865-?)²
• John Wellington (about 1867-?)²
• William Henry Wells (about 1869-?)²

As you can see, there are a lot of gaps and uncertainties. So where am I going to start?

How about putting Thomas on the ground? I know from the 1861 census of Canada West that he is in Blanshard Township, Perth County, Canada West¹. But where in that township? For that I need to go back to my post A Challenge: 1861 Census of Canada - Agricultural Schedule and follow my own instructions. About 20 minutes later I found him listed:

1861 census of Canada West, Perth County, Township of Blanshard, p 84 - Agricultural schedule - extract for Thomas Wells.

There is he is found residing at Concession WB Lot p19. I have no idea what that meant but it is a start.

Next it was over to Ontario Land Registry Access site. For assistance in researching that site I made use of Cindi's My Moynahan Genealogy Blog and her excellent series of posts, especially Part II: OnLand Records: Historical Books: Abstract / Parcel Register Book to find the right book.

While browsing the Historical Abstract/Parcel Register book list for Blanshard in Perth County I came across West Boundary; Concession. I think the mystery of WB is answered. So I delved into that digitized set of records. A few minutes of flipping through the pages I came to Lot 19.

Onland Abstract/Parcel Register Book - Perth (44), Blanshard Township, Book 176, image 99 - West Boundary, Lot 19 - extract: Canada Company to Thomas Wells.

It seems that Thomas received 100 acres of land from the Canada Company on 27 Jan 1859. On 2 March 1859 Thomas sold 50 acres of that land to William Quinn. I think that explains the p19. He is living on part of lot 19 in 1861.

Can I find additional details about the land transfer from the Canada Company to Thomas?

On FamilySearch I came across "Land records of Perth County, 1847-1953" in their catalogue. Even better, I can view the digitized microfilm images from home. Unfortunately the index for Blanshard township only starts around 1866 but Thomas received the land in 1859. Not a problem, just go to the "Blanshard Township, v. C (1274-2103) 1859-1862" microfilm and hope that there is an index...and there is! From the index I learned that instrument number 1338 concerned the transaction between the Canada Company and Thomas Wells.

FHL 0169829, image 67 - Grant and Release from Canada Company to Thomas Wells, Perth County, Blanchard Township, No. 1338.

I found that Thomas paid 100 pounds, 16 shillings, and 3 pence for the 100 acres. On the next page it recorded that he sold the 50 acres for 206 pounds and 5 shillings. Not a bad bit of profit for Thomas and his wife Mary.

On 20 September 1871 he sells his land to William Arksey for $1,255.62. At that time, Mary, Thomas' wife, is still alive.

In his will⁸ written on 23 April 1906, Thomas mentions land in Manitoba described as follows:

"North East Quarter of Section Four, Township Eighteen Range Three, West of the first principal Meridian in the Province of Manitoba"

I found the entry for that property in the Land Grants of Western Canada, 1870-1930 database on the Library and Archives Canada web site. Unfortunately, the microfilm with the image of the grant is one that hasn't been digitized. Following the instructions on the LAC site I've submitted a request to have the reel digitized and put on the Héritage site.

Where to next?

I have several questions I want answered:

• Who are the parents of Thomas and the parents of Mary?
• Naming patterns of the children might help here
• Can I locate a better approximation for the birth year for Thomas?
• Depending on the records examined it is currently a wide range.
• 1871 and 1881 censuses seem to agree it is about 1821
• His death registration puts it about 1823
• 1861, 1891, and 1901 are the outliers (both high and low)
• When did Mary die?
• She was alive when the land was sold in September 1871 but dead by the 1881 census
• Can I find Thomas in the 1906 census of the Prairie Provinces of Canada?
• What happened to the children of Thomas and Mary?

At this point, I think I will follow the various branches of Thomas' and Mary's family. I'll be checking various census enumerations, birth, marriage, and death indexes and records, along with online newspaper collections, plus whatever other documents I can think of. I already have undertaken that process for their daughter Eliza Ann, my 2nd great-grandmother. Hopefully I can fill in some of the blanks I have for this family.

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1. 1861 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Canada West, Perth County, p. 13 [stamped 76],  household of ___mas Wells; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 Apr 2013); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm C-1064-1065.
2. 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 29, sub-district A-3, p. 24, dwelling 79, family 79, household of Thomas Wells; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 Apr 2013); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm C-9938. 
3. 1881 census of Canada, Manitoba, district 185, sub-district d-2, p. 5, dwelling 24, family 26, household of Thomas Wells; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Apr 2013); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm C-13283.
4. 1891 census of Canada, Manitoba, district 6, sub-district Rockwood North, p. 25, family 108, household of Thomas Wells; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 Apr 2013); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6293.
5. 1901 census of Canada, Manitoba, district 11, sub-district H-10, p. 2, dwelling 17, family 17, household of William H. Wells; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 Apr 2013); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6435.
6. Manitoba Vital Statistics, Deaths,   1907,004554, Thomas Wells; Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency, Winnipeg.
7. "Obituary for Thomas Wells," (Winnipeg) Winnipeg Free Press, 13 May 1907, p. 5, col. 6.
8. "Manitoba Probate Records, 1871-1930," database and images, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : accessed 25 Apr 2013), Thomas Wells, Eastern Judical District, file 4863.