THE FAULKNER FAMILY - CANADA PROJECT 150

In 2017 the Ontario Genealogical Society asked their members for stories about the families who lived in Canada at the time of confederation in 1867.  I thought it was a good idea and decided to write about each family unit. This is the last family of my project

FAULKNER FAMILY

My great great grandparents William Faulkner (1815-bef 1901) and Annie Jane/Hannah Crosby (1819 - 1876) were both born in Ireland, possibly Dublin.  They emigrated to Canada between 1847 and 1849, probably due to the Irish Famine with their 2 sons John Crosby and George Lewis and settled in Ontario.

William and Annie Jane had at least 7 children. John Crosby was born in Dublin in 1844 and George Lewis in 1845.  According to a Family Bible, their next son Ford was born in either 1847 or 1849 (the date has been overwritten) and he was born in Toronto, Ontario

By 1850 the family had moved to Simcoe County, as their son William Joseph was born in Tecumseh, Simcoe County, Ontario on July 1, 1850 and baptised on 18 May 1851.  More children followed, Mary Jane born 1852, Henrietta born 1853 and Annie Margaret born 1855.

Annie Margaret  Faulkner Fawcett (1855-1939)

Ford Faulkner (abt 1847-1929), my great grandfather

Mary Jane Faulkner Rowe (1852-1909)  Photographer John Crosby Faulkner, Mary Jane's brother.

William was a tailor   According to the book entitled Governor Simcoe Slept Here by the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local Historical Association, Volume 1 and 2, William Faulkner was the first tailor in the village of Newton Robinson.  Newton Robinson is a village about 50 miles north of Toronto, in Simcoe County.

A partial transcript of the book:
William Faulkner was the first tailor in the village.  About the year 1852, a building was erected immediately north of the Chantler Store.  William Faulkner occupied it as a dwelling and tailor shop.

Faulkner bought lot "E", built a house and operated a tailor business until 1868,  when he sold the property to John Merrick.   George Ogilvie and J. M. McClean were successful tailors during prosperous years.

The tailor shop stood where the present Women's Institute Hall (Orange Hall ) is now located

Another book from Simcoe County also mentions the Faulkners as being established in Newton Robinson around the same time:   Newton Robinson: A History of the United Church and the Community 1841-1987 by Bernice Merrick Ellis writes that a new church in the Bradford Circuit, Wesley Chapel appears in the June 1849 - 1850 annual report. 

The Latimer's corners log church appears under its own name for the first time.  There can be no doubt that is what it was.  The subscribers are familiar Newton Robinson Church names.....

The Village itself had been formally christened Newton Robinson in the year 1848.

 In the Missionary lists of the next few years more names that would be well known appeared, including......Wm. and Hanna Falkner.....

Certainly William and Annie Jane were in the village of Newton Robinson as William Faulkner, tailor,  is listed in the 1869 Gazetteer for the area.  According to the 1871 Census they lived in Tecumseth and William's occupation was tailor.

Sadly Annie Jane died in 1876 and by that time William and Annie were back living in Toronto.  After Annie's death William seemed to move around to be near his children.  In 1877 he was living in Fordwich, Huron near his daughter Mary Jane Rowe and son Ford.  He was living with Mary Jane and her family according to the 1881 census.

By the time the 1891 census was taken, William had moved to the Muskoka, Parry Sound, Ontario, area to be near his sons John Crosby, photographer and William Joseph, baker who both had businesses in the area.

What happened to William after that remains a mystery.  I haven't located a death certificate, and William doesn't seem to appear on the 1901 Census.  Several researchers have listed his death as January 28, 1896, but further investigation reveals that death certificate is for an Annie Jane Faulkner a farmer's wife. Did he move to North Dakota, USA to be near his daughter Annie Margaret Fawcett?

Annie Jane's burial location is unknown as well.  Are they buried together somewhere in Ontario?