10 John Henry Hedley & Margaret Johnston
Chapter 10
Generation (iii)John Henry Hedley (1838-1910)
and m1 Margaret Florence Johnston (1847-1887)
m2 Ann (Young) Alexander (1852-1932)
 Pedigree
 Descendancy

        John Henry Hedley was born on Lot 18, Concession 4 of March Township, Carleton County on Nov. 4, 1838 according to notes attributed to his sister, Ann. This date is consistent with the 1851 March Twp. and the 1871 Kinloss Twp. censuses which list John as 13 and 33 respectively and William as 14 and 34; however, John Henry's death certificate states Oct. 14, 1839 as his birthdate, a date without support other than on his funeral card. The 1901 census for Greenock Twp. lists Nov. 4, 1840 as John H.'s birthdate, the year consistent with the 1881 census for Wawanosh and the marriage certificate for his second marriage. A third possibility, 1841,  is suggested in the marriage certificate for his first marriage and in the 1891 census for Greenock Twp.      March Township

        John Henry was the second of fifteen children born to Nicholas Hedley and Jane McBride, who were among the first settlers in the Ottawa Valley. Sometime during the period 1854-1861, when John Henry would have been 16 to 23 years old, his parents uprooted their large family from March Township and moved to the newly surveyed Township of Wawanosh, Huron County.

Margaret Florence Johnston was born in 1847 in Clinquacousy Township, York County. Sometime before 1861 Margaret moved with her parents to Ashfield Township, Huron County. The 1861 census shows James Johnston, age 62, and his wife Martha, 59, both born in Ireland, Ashfield farmers, living in a log house with three children all born in Upper Canada: Samuel 15, Margaret 14 and Elizabeth 8.

 
MARRIAGE OCTOBER 31, 1866 CHURCH OF ENGLAND, 
DUNGANNON, HURON CO.
GROOM:   John Henry Hedley, 25
Residence: Ashfield, born  in Ottawa 
Parents:   Nicholas and Jane
BRIDE:  Margaret Johnston, 19
Residence: Ashfield, born in Clinquacousy
Parents:  James and Martha
Witnesses:     Hugh McCroaty, Ashfield and Anne E. Irwin, Ashfield
Clergyman:     Wm. Daunt, Church of England , Diocese of Huron
John Henry and Margaret settled in Kinloss Township. Their first child, William Samuel, was born Feb. 16, 1868 at "Grey Ox", Kinloss Twp. Emma was born Nov. 4, 1870. Kinloss Township

The 1871 Census shows John Henry  the owner of Lots 17-18 on Concession 5  with 100 acres in total, 10 acres improved, 5 in pasture, 6 in garden/orchard and 14 acres in wheat (20 bushels), 39 bu. of barley, 120 bu. of oats, 50 bu. of peas, 20 bu. of carrots, 100 bu. of potatoes (3/4 acres), 400 bu. of turnips and one acre in hay (1 ton):
                    John, 33, b. in Ont., Ch. of Eng., English origin
                    Margaret, 22, b. in Ont., Ch. of Eng., Irish origin
                    William, 3 b. in Ont.
                    Emmie, 6/12, (Sept.) b. in Ont.
John Henry (Harry) was born Sept. 26, 1873. Martha Jane (Jen) was born Jan. 11, 1875, Robert Wesley James (Wes) was born July 15, 1877 on Concession 6, Kinloss Township and Margaret Florence (Maggie) was born May 30, 1880.

On March 2, 1874, according to Land Registry Records, John H. Hedley bought Lot 8 on Concession 5 of Kinloss (Lucknow P.O.) This is also the address listed for John Headley in the 1880 Historical Atlas of Grey and Bruce Counties (H. Belden & Co.) It was near "Grey Ox", at the intersection of the 'Lucknow Road' and the 3rd & 4th Concession of Kinloss.

However, the Assessment Roles for Kinloss Twp. (1871-5) show John Hadly/Hedley farming
100 acres on Lot 10, Concession  6, School Section # 6, with 40 acres cleared. The 1876 Directory for the County of Bruce also lists Jno Hedley at this location. Since the property is close to his Concession 5 property, John Henry may have been farming both properties.

The 1881 Census for Kinloss Township shows John, 41, and "Margret", 33, with six children: William 13, Emmey 10, John 8, Martha 6, Wesley 3, and "Margret" 1. The three eldest children are attending school. It is puzzling that "Margret" appears on this census as she was not born until 1883. Perhaps Lillian was originally named Margaret. It was Lillian who was born July 6, 1879, two years younger than Wesley.

Sometime after Albert's birth, in October 1844 John Henry decided to move his family of 8 children to Greenock Township, and in 1886 he bought Lot 32 Concession 6 of Greenock for $3,850. Two months later, on March 11, 1886, John Henry and Margaret's ninth child, Alice was born.

Fourteen months after Alice's birth, Margaret Hedley died of a heart attach at age 39, on May 29, 1887. She was buried in South Kinloss Cemetery, Lucknow. John was left alone to care for nine children ranging in ages from one to nineteen years.   South Kinloss Cemetery

Ann Alexander was a young widow living in Greenock Township, the daughter of Irish parents, Simon and Sarah Young, who lived in Biddulph Township, Middlesex County before moving to Lot 33, Concession 7 Kincardine Township. Ann, born in 1852, had married Edward Alexander of Kincardine Township on March 30, 1875 at the Anglican Church of the Messiah, Kincardine and had a son Edwin George, born in Nov. 1885.

In the 1881 Census for Greenock Township Ann Alexander is 26, a widow, born in Scotland of Irish origin. George is 5, born in Ontario and of Irish origin.  Ann and George were residing with Henry and Sarah Alexander and their three children: Sarah Ann 12, Roena (Rowene) 3 and Henetta (Henrietta) 2. A year and a half after Margaret's death John Henry and Ann Alexander were married.

 
MARRIAGE OCTOBER 18, 1888  AT THE BRIDE'S HOME IN GREENOCK 
GROOM:   John Henry Hedley, 48
Residence: Greenock Twp.
Birthplace: March Twp.
Yeoman, Widower
Anglican 
Parents:   Nicholas and Jane
BRIDE:  Ann Alexander, 35
Residence: Greenock Twp.
Birthplace: Biddulph Twp.
Widow
Anglican
Parents:  Simon and Sarah Young
Witnesses:     Wm. and Harriett Young, Kincardine Twp.
The following year, 1889, John Henry mortgaged his farm, on Lot 32, Concession 6, Greenock Township, for $1400 at 6% interest to build a new house which was completed in 1893 (from Greenock Township History 1856-1981)                 House, Lot 32, Conc. 6

The 1891 Census for Greenock shows John, 50 and Ann, 35 with all nine of John Henry's children:
                William 23
                Emma 20
                John 17
                Margaret 16
                Robert 13
                Lillie 11
                Florence 8
                Albert 7
                Allice 4

Alice is on both the Greenock and Ashfield Census for 1891:

                -Brown, John, 44, b. in Ireland,
                 birthplace of father Ireland, bp. of mother Ontario, Methodist, farmer
                -Elizabeth, 35, wife, b. in Ont.
                 bp. of father Ireland, bp. of mother Ont. Methodist
                -Alice, 5, daughter, b. in Ont.
                 bp. of father Ireland, bp. of mother Ont., Methodist
                -Johnston, Martha, 81, widow, b. in Ireland,
                  bp. of father Ireland, bp. of mother Ireland
Apparently John and Lizzie (Johnston) Brown (Margaret's sister) were providing a home for Martha, the mother of Lizzie and Margaret, as well as for five-year-old Alice, the youngest of Margaret and John Henry's children.

Confirmation records for St. Mathews Anglican Church in Kingarf show Margaret Florence 14, Wes 19, William 29, and Catherine (his wife) 27 were confirmed in May 1897

The 1901 Census for Greenock Township shows John H. 60, b. Nov. 4, 1840 and Ann 46, b. Nov. 5, 1854, with four children still at home:
                        Martha J., 25, b. Jan. 11, 1875
                        Robert W., 23, b. July 15, 1877
                        Lillie A., 21, b. July 6, 1879
                        Albert E., 17, b. Oct. 15, 1887
Lillian also appears in the 1901 Census for Kincardine as "Lilly Hedley, age 21, born
July 16, 1872 in Ontario, race English, nationality Canadian, religion Church of England,
employment girl servant at the Royal Hotel."

The three eldest children were already married . Margaret (Maggie) would have been 22 and probably working outside the home. Alice would have been 19 and possibly working or living with her aunt, Lizzie Brown of Ashfield.

John Henry and Ann retired to Kincardine in 1908, two years before John Henry died of enlargement of the prostate and nephritis. His birthdate on the Ont. Reg. of Death was Oct. 14,1839. He was buried in South Kinloss Cemetery, Lucknow:

 
JOHN H. HEDLEY, Kincardine
died June 30, 1910, age 70 years and 7 months, will leave his late residence on Queen Street, North, proceeding to Grand Trunk Railway and will be taken to Lucknow for internment  service at 12:30
Ann Hedley lived until age 80. She died in 1932 and is buried in Kincardine Cemetery with her son Edwin G. Alexander and his wife Florence and their two children, Nellie and Greta.


   The Nine Children of John Henry Hedley and Margaret Florence Johnston


William Samuel
Hedley

 

b. Feb.16, 1868, Kinloss Twp.; m. Catherine McLean (1869-1949) Nov. 25, 1891, St. Matthews Anglican, Kingarf; farmed in  Kincardine Twp. Con. 5; Five children (Fred, Lizzie, Minnie, Jack & Ed); d. Mar. 31, 1931, age 63;  Kincardine Cemetery
Emma Hedley
 

 

b. Nov. 4, 1870, Kinloss Twp.; m. Thomas Splan (1869-1957) June 9 (or July 11) 1896, St. John’s Anglican rectory, Bervie; farmed in Greenock, later moved to B.C.; no children; d. Dec. 2, 1921, age 51 in B.C.; Thomas (and possibly Emma) b. in Kincardine Cemetery
John Henry
(Harry) Hedley
 
 

 

b. Sept. 26, 1873, Kinloss Twp.; m. Catherine (Annie) Campbell (1873-1962) Feb. 26, 1896 in Chesley;  tinsmith, Kincardine, farmer near Clarksburg, Grey Co.,  hardware store proprietor in Thornbury, factory worker in Oshawa; 12 children (Cyril or Carlyle, Trefina, Ethel, David, Edwin, Garfield, Orlando, Orville, Janet, Helen, Carman, Meldrum); d. March, 1923 (heart attack) age 50; St. Johns Cem. Norway, Toronto
Martha Jane
(Jen) Hedley

 

b. Jan. 11, 1875, Kinloss Twp.; m. William John McDonald (1868-1942) April 15, 1903, St. Matthews Anglican, Kingarf; farmed in Greenock Twp. retired to Kincardine; Four sons (Allister, Bill, Grant & Jack); d. 1953, age 78; Cem. Unknown
Robert Wesley
James (Wes) 
Hedley
 

 

b. July 15, 1877, Kinloss Twp.Con. 6; m. Martha Gibson (1878-1955) Jan. 21, 1903 St. Matthews Anglican, Kingarf; farmer & drover in Greenock Con. 6, Lot 6, retired 1943 to Glammis, then home of daugter Marrietta after 1955.  Four surviving children (Mervyn, Marrietta, Charles & Clarence); d. Jan. 23, 1977 at Brucelea Haven, Walkerton, age 99; South Kinloss Cem.
Lillian A. 
Hedley

 

b. July 6, 1879, Kinloss Twp.; m. John A. W. Gray (1880-1941) Oct. 7, 1903, St. Matthews Anglican, Kingarf; Kincardine Twp., Con. 7, (Bervie) (stone mason); Three surviving children (Mary, Melvin & James); d.1927, age 48; Kincardine Cem.
Margaret Florence 
(Maggie) Hedley

 

b. May 23 (or May 30), 1883, Kinloss Twp, Con. 6; m. Jonathan Atkinson (1878-1931) March 5, 1902, St. John’s Anglican rectory, Bervie, farmed in Kincardine Twp. (Millarton, Durham Rd.); One child (Olive); d. Jan. 2, 1923 (heart failure) age 39;  Kincardine Cem.
Albert Edwin
(Ab) Hedley

 

b. Oct. 7, 1884, Kinloss Twp. Con. 6; m. Harriet Chadbourn (1886-1972) May 30, 1906, St. Mathews Anglican, Kingarf; farmed in Greenock Twp. Con 7, Lot 32; Four children (Orville, Mabel, Jack & Bert); d. May 11, 1941 (probably heart failure) age 56; Kincardine Cem.
Alice Hedley
 

 

 b. March 11, 1886, Kinloss Twp. Con. 6; m. William John McKenzie (1877-1943) Oct. 19, 1904, Lucknow Presbyterian; farmed Kinloss Twp. Con. 10, then moved to Kincardine (3 years) & Lucknow; No children; d. Aug. 19, 1976 at Brucelea Haven, Walkerton, age 90; Greenhills Cem., Lucknow

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