Chapter 4,5
(generation iii)
Nicholas
Hedley (1834-1889)
and Christina Grierson (1830-1897)
Nicholas Hedley was the fifth of
the fourteen children of John Hedley II and Margaret Grierson. Nicholas
was no doubt named after his 20-year-old uncle Nicholas Hedley who
had come to March Township, Carleton County from Northumberland,
England with his parents John and Frances Hedley as a five year
old in 1819. When young Nicholas, son of John and
Margaret, was born, about 1834, in Torbolton Township, Carleton
County, he had four older brothers and sisters. At the time of the
1842 Canadian Census for Torbolton Twp., when Nicholas was
eight, the family of two adults and nine children were living on
100 acres, producing wheat, oats, pease, potatoes, and maple
sugar. They had 17 cattle, 4 horses, 24 sheep, and 5 hogs. In
addition, they had produced, in the previous year, 90 yards
of cloth and 67 pounds of wool . No doubt the older children
contributed to the productivity of the family.
The 1851 Census shows parents John and
Margaret with a family of thirteen children. Nicholas, 17,
and his two older brothers were listed as labourers and the four
children between 7 and 17 were attending
school. The eldest, John, age 25, was born in Huntley Twp.,
Carleton Co. Thomas, 22, the third child, was born in March Twp.,
Carleton Co. All the other children were born in Torbolton Twp. Their
mother, Margaret Grierson, born in Scotland, was listed as
Presbyterian, but her husband John and all of the children were
designated as adherents of the Church of England.
1851 Census for
Torbolton Twp., Carleton Co., Ontario
Hedley John, 47, farmer, b. in England, Church of England
Margaret, 44, b. in Scotland, Presbyterian
John, 25, labourer, b. in Huntley Twp.
Ann, 23, b. in Torbolton Twp.
Thomas, 22, labourer, b. in March Twp.
Nicholas, 17, labourer, b. in Torbolton Twp.
James Wm, 15, attending school
William, 13, attending school
Alexander, 13, attending school
Edwin Albert, 9, attending school
Victoria, 7
Elizabeth F., 5
George Nelson, 3
Robert R., 1
(18-year-old Margaret is missing from this census)
Ten years later, on the 1861 census,
the seven oldest children, including Nicholas, were no longer
living at home. On June 5, 1860 Nicholas
Hedley married Christina
Grierson, born June 16, 1830 in Scotland, daughter of
Lieutenant James Grierson and Margaret Ferguson (both born
in Scotland) and sister of John Hay Grierson who had married
Nicholas' sister Ann (Chap. 4,2). Nicholas, age 26, and Christina,
age 30, were married June 5, 1860 in Fitzroy. A witness at the
marriage was Victoria Hedley, Nicholas' 15-year-old sister. Nicholas
and Christina farmed on Lot.7, Con.2 of Torbolton Twp.,
Dunrobin post office (Carleton County Directory, 1868 and
Belden Historical Atlas, 1879). Their farm was located not far
from that of Christina's brother and sister-in-law, John Hedley III and
Anna Amelia Hedley at Woodlawn.
1861
Census for Torbolton Twp., Carleton Co., Ontario
Hedley, Nicholas, 25,
farmer, b. in Upper Canada, married in 1860, Church of Scotland, log
house dwelling
Christina, 29, b. in Upper Canada, married 1860, Church of
Scotland, log house
1871
Census for Torbolton Twp., Carleton
Co., Ontario
Hedley, Nicholas, 35
Chrisiana, 33
Margaret, 9
Mary Jane, 7
John, 6
Victoria, 4
James, 2
During the next decade Nicholas and
Christine had another son, Gilbert, but lost their four-year-old
son, James:
1881
Census for Torbolton Twp., Carleton Co., Ontario
Headley, Nich, 40, farmer, b. in Ont., English Origin, C.
Presbyterian
Christiana, 45, b. in
Ont., Scottish Origin, C. Presbyterian
Margt., 20, b. in Ont., English Origin, C. Presbyterian
Mary, 17, b. in Ont., English Origin, C. Presbyterian
John, 16, b. in Ont., English Origin, C. Presbyterian
Victorie, 12, b. in Ont., English Origin, C. Presbyterian
Gilbert, 9, b. in
Ont., English Origin, C. Presbyterian
Nicholas Hedley died at age 54 in
1889. Christina died eight years later at age 67 "of paralysis" on
Nov.11, 1897 at Lot 21, Concession 4, Torbolton; death reported by John
Hedley, brother-in-law (Death registration).
Nicholas Hedley and Christina
Grierson had six children
(gen.iv):
1 - Margaret
Elizabeth Hedley, born 1862 in Torbolton Twp., died of
consumption at age 21
on Sept. 5, 1882; Presbyterian farmer's daughter (Ont. Death
Registration).
2 - John George Hedley, born Dec.
14, 1863 in Torbolton Twp., was married at age 38 to his
first cousin Clara Hedley,
age 28, b. Dec.12, 1875 in Torbolton Twp., daughter of John
Hedley III and Anna Amelia Wheeler (Chap. 4.1). John
George and Clara were married
Sept. 2, 1901 in Ottawa. John George
Hedley, "retired gentleman," died of "angina pectoris
(heart blockage)" on Sept. 8, 1931 at age 67
years and 8 months. His death occurred at
Birch Street, Westford, Nepean Twp., Carleton Co; burial Beechwood
Cemetery, Carleton,
Ottawa. Clara died 25 years later, in 1956, at age
83.
John George and Clara Hedley had four children (gen.v):
(1) Clifford
Alexander Hedley b.1902 in Ottawa; d. 1995 at age 93.
(2) Flossie
Amelia Hedley b.1904 in Ottawa; d. 1919 at age 15.
(3) Hiram 'Wilbur'
Hedley, b. Sept. 1907; d. at age 2 1/2 of measles and pneumonia
at Smith Falls, Lanark.
Wilbur's grave
is in the Cemetery of
St. Thomas the Apostle
in Woodlawn,
Torbolton.
(4) Helen
Christina Hedley b. 1912; d. 1972; married Allan Harvey
Stotts,
who was born in 1910. Helen and Allan Harvey Stotts had one child
(gen.vi):
[1] Barbara Elaine Stotts
3 - Mary Jane Hedley
was born abt. 1864 in Torbolton Twp.
(1871 and 1881 census)
4 - Victoria
Elizabeth Hedley, the third daughter of Nicholas and
Christina, was b. in 1868.
Victoria died at age 15 of "scrofula" (tuberculosis
of the lymphatic glands, especially
of the neck) on Oct. 29, 1883.
5 - James Grierson Hedley, the second son of
Nicholas and Christina, was born bt.1869.
James died at age 4 of "worms feaver" on Oct. 8, 1874. His death
was registered by his
father Nicholas Hedley.
6 - Gilbert Hedley was
born abt.1872 in Torbolton Twp. (1881 census)