K.H. Lester

Family/Spouse: G.W. Clarke. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. T.S. Clarke
2. G.M. Clarke
3. G.A. Clarke
4. K.G. Clarke

Notes:

~Nov 16, 2002 Conversation with Gordon Barker
" I knew your Dad before your Mom did. He worked for my Uncle, James Belyea when he first came to this part of the country" (uncle of the Jamie Belyea that I knew)

This story was pieced together from records of various forms. Stories, pictures, letters, legal documents and receipts that R.G. kept, were some of the material. There were boxes of items necessary for income tax purposes!

Roy Gilbert Lester was born Tuesday, 23 October 1906 at Nauwidgewauk, New Brunswick the son of Humphrey Lester and Harriet Wood. He had a sister Mary who was just under 3 and a brother William who was 1 ½ when he was born. Not much is known about his early life although in a letter to Agnes, Grandmother Harriet said that he liked to climb trees and the higher the better. He later had 2 younger sisters, Laura 1 ½ years younger, Mildred 3 years younger and 2 younger brothers, Harold 8 years younger and Allen 11 years younger.

He went to elementary school in Nauwidgewauk which was about 2 miles away. He told us that when he was in school the Canadian school year was finished at the end of June but in the U.S. the school year finished at the end of May. Very annoyingly the American cousins used to come to visit before he was finished the year. These cousins would likely have been the Carson family, Millie who was 9 years older, Walter who was about 6 years older and Lester who was about 4 years older or any of his Uncle Allen Lester’s family of 9 children ages 9 years older to 11 years younger. The U.S. cousins all lived in or near Boston, USA.
Roy went to Hampton Consolidated High School a distance of about 6 miles away where he did very well academically, competing in math with Mabel Bannerman who sometimes had just as good marks. His interests at that time were in sports, especially track and football. He won a mile race in a provincial meet and was given a medal for a record time. This record stood for many years. While he was going to school he was also working for Harry Henderson, who had a dairy farm on Darlings Island. At this time he developed a life long friendship with Barney Henderson, Harry’s son.
He graduated in 1925 from Hampton Consolidated High School.
He then went on to Wolfville, Nova Scotia to Acadia University where he had a scholarship in the year 1925-1926. He could not afford to remain there so he left for the west, probably in the fall of 1926. His nick-name in the west was Pete and the story is that when he came west he was with someone from N.B. who knew his family and thought the Roy reminded him of Uncle Peter and so called Roy “Pete”. It stuck.

He told us that he came to the Saskatchewan town of Unity to work on a Power installation and was there for some time as he played ball with the Unity Cardinals. We have not been able to document this.
By 1930 he was in Calgary working near Shepard, possibly for Bill Sutherland. He went to the Provincial Institute of Technology in 1931 through 1933, taking two years of a three year Electrical Engineering program where again he did very well academically. He was living at 101 5th Ave E in Calgary and later at 911 16th Ave N W. During this time he became interested in Social Credit politics and in Winnie Christofferson who was from Milo.
In about 1934 he went to work for John MacKenzie where he met Agnes Mackenzie. Exit any interest in Winnie.
He purchased a car in 1935 for $90, a 1927 Chev Serial Number 184751 which was licensed for the following three years.
Also in 1935 he finally wrote to his parents to let them know where he was. Letters were exchanged and he decided to go home in the fall of 1937 for a month. He and Agnes were an “item” at that time and were waiting till they had money enough to get married.
They were married December 14, 1938 and began farming the N.E. quarter of section 26 township 23 range 28 west of the 4th . This section had been homesteaded by Robinson Laycock and later purchased by John and Kate MacKenzie. It had a few buildings on it. There was a one-room shack later to become a garage, a good well and a barn.
In order to farm he needed a tractor. He bought an Allis Chalmers Rumley for $1350 on September 18, 1939. He was share cropping the land with John and Kate MacKenzie, his in-laws. He sold his first crop October 6 1939.
The shack needed to be heated and so he bought 9600 Lbs. of coal in November 1939.
In December 1939 exactly one year to the day after they were married, Katherine Harriet Lester arrived. The Grace Maternity Hospital received $35 for this delivery. The doctor and the Associate Clinic also received $35.
One of father’s priorities as the family expanded was a house, which he built himself with the help of Wilson Glover. He bought the material from Revelstoke Sawmill company. R.G. and Agnes started farming with a pig operation but in 1940 one of the carcasses was condemned for T.B. He decided a gradual change to dairy was in order. At first they shipped cream only, milking the ten cows by hand. The cream separator was kept in the well-house where it was cool in the summer and could be kept warm enough in the winter. Agnes had chickens and shipped eggs. They built a large hen house to accommodate the flock. On March 29, 1940 they shipped 5 ½ dozen eggs ranging from grade A large to eggs with cracks.
At this time refrigeration was a problem and there were no freezers so meat was kept in a commercial food locker. One of these was Merchants Cold Storage Co. at 348 11th Avenue W. where the Roy and Agnes had their meat. Other places that they shopped were MacLeods and Ashdown’s Hardware.
Calgary was close enough that they went in once a week. It was an all day affair with lunch (dinner as it was usually referred to) at a restaurant on 8th avenue at about 2nd street east. R.G. liked to order breaded veal cutlets. Most people also shopped the Eaton’s catalogue and Agnes was no different.
You had to apply each year to renew your drivers licence. There were numerous questions about your physical ability to drive and the fee was $1.00 in 1940.
In February 1941 R.G. started to think about building a new barn. He drew up plans and wrote to various lumber companies for prices.
R.G. was still raising registered hogs and shipped ten of them March 27th 1941. They were also still shipping eggs to Swifts. They had started grocery shopping at William’s Brothers, a department store that they patronized for many years. The grocery department was not self- serve. You took your list up to a counter and told the clerk what you wanted. He would then gather the items and pack them in a box. String and paper were used to tie up some items. You would then stop at the butcher shop and let the butcher know what you wanted and he would cut it right there on the spot.
In the fall of 1941 R.G. received a licence to operate a threshing machine from the Department of Agriculture.
1942 saw the War progressing with both of Roy’s younger brothers overseas. As a farmer he was perhaps better off than some as he could buy some of the essential items such as fuel and tires. However all these things were rationed and ration books were issued to every person in a household even the babies.
In April 1943 R.G. entered into an agreement with M.D Carlyle, a neighbor for crop share. Rationing was still in place. Since R.G. was not a drinker, and some of those he did business with were, he usually used his liquor coupons to buy liquor for others.
At this time, he was dealing with Oughton Brothers, a fuel supplier. Gasoline cost $0.18 per gallon. Highways were being paved and tractors were being banned as many of them still had steel wheels and they would chew up pavement. You needed to get a permit to take a tractor on the highway which R.G did July 14th to allow him to haul home a combine.
He was still shipping cream and Oct. 4 received $4.76 for 29 lbs of cream.
Late in 1943 Fred Woods died. He was the Western Irrigation District agent at one time. He had retired from W.I.D. and had obtained land to farm just to the north of the ditch rider place. Mrs. Woods had an auction and it was held Nov 16 1943. The weather was nice and R.G. went, taking a couple of children ( I remember it!) who he left in the truck. The cars and trucks were lined up for quite a ways. After all the goods were sold off R. G. made an arrangement with Mrs. Woods to farm her land.. Mrs. Woods then moved to the city and lived just off 16th Ave. behind Balmoral School. After she died R.G. farmed it for the daughters. He farmed it for the next 30 or more years, finally purchasing it. Telephones were installed in the country side and R G’ s phone number was 91-3511. Grocery shopping in 1944 was still done at Williams Brothers where bread sold at 6 loaves for $0.54.
Recreation in the summer time was a soft ball league. There were teams at Chestermere, which RG played for and Shepherd, Indus, Dalemead and Langdon. Games were very much a family affair and I am sure most people went for the socialization and friendly rivalry. The evening after a ball game always ended with an ice-cream cone or soft drink at the local store of the home team. RG was a catcher for the Chestermere team, and the fact that he had to squat while playing (as well as squatting to milk cows) meant that his knees bothered him a great deal in later years. He also had a finger tip which was permanently bent, probably broken, when he caught a ball the wrong way. He used to oil his catcher’s mitt with neats foot oil. As a child I always wondered what kind of animal had a neats foot was.
Hand milking was not the most efficient way of producing milk and cream and a 32 volt electric system was put in. The house was wired for lights at the same time. A gasoline powered generator was the basis of the system.
John R. Munro Oil & Refining was where RG was getting purple gasoline at $0.15 per gallon. This business later became Hub Oil Company. At the same time Oughton Brothers was selling regular bronze fuel also at $0.15 per gallon.
In February of 1945, Roy got word of his Mother’s death. Although he would like to have gone home there was no question of this in the wartime travel conditions that existed.
The same year in August the Dominion Bureau of Statistics conducted a survey of farming information. RG reported that he was milking 10 cows and had produced 6800 lbs. of milk of which 300 lbs. had been consumed at home. He had purchased purebred Jersey cows that produced very rich milk. Some jars were almost half cream when allowed to sit overnight. The dairy was paying a premium for this milk.
In February 1946 he got word of the death of his father almost exactly a year after his mother. Again he could not, because of family responsibilities, go home.
In the summer of 1948 RG was at the Holy Cross Hospital as he had emergency appendectomy. Agnes was very worried about this, as her best friend’s husband and witness at their wedding had died from a burst appendix only a year or so before. She was not only worried but had small children and cows which had to be milked each day. The hired man of the day, Allan Trout, was there and she helped out when she could. RG was in the hospital 10 days and then was cautioned not to do any heavy work for some time. This right in the middle of haying season. Regardless of the Dr.’s warning he was out doing the haying before long. As a result of the incident they decided that if his brother Allen would move west it would be a good thing as he had worked on a dairy farm and had some experience. RG sent the invitation and started to build a house for him. However it was Harold, his wife and baby daughter who came west.
Renfrew Motors was charging $2.00 to change the oil in 1948 and the M.D. of Conrich #44 was requiring $68.00 in taxes.
The years 1948 to 1952 were very wet years and sloughs never dried up. As a result there were hundreds of ducks in the area. They had water and grain from crops which could not be harvested because of wet conditions. If you wanted to eliminate them out of season you needed to get a permit from the Province, which RG did in the fall of 1948. The City of Calgary issued licences for milk producers and cost $1.00.
The Income tax levy was based on an income of $1094.69 for 1948. R.G. paid $202.00 to the income Tax Department.
Harold H Lester received $110 in wages for the month of October that year.
J.E Love & Sons Feed Supplies sold R.G. 2 cans, probably 45 gallons each, of molasses for $39.00. This was used as a feed supplement with the chop. The cattle liked it and we would lick fingers also. As far as I could tell it was the same stuff that Agnes had in the house.
George MacLean Auction was where RG purchased a weed sprayer for $132.50. Technology was changing and farming ideas of how to do things were changing as well. Weed spraying was becoming common practice.
MacLean Auctions were also the place to dispose of bull calves. Bull calves can not make milk so there is no point in keeping them on a dairy farm.
Ed Wenstrom’s Garage in Langdon was where R.G. purchased oil and baler twine. Langdon was getting to be much easier to get to than driving into Calgary. He sold oil for 7 qts oil for $2.45.
R.G. sold 11320 lbs straw to Kelvin Grove Farms in 1950. (We are not sure why as this was a Land Developer and not a farm?)
A Tax notice for $220.00 from the MD of Conrich was received. The MD was still in smaller units and had not yet formed the very large Rockyview MD.

About that time R.G. had enough farm help that he could take some time away from the farm. He got together with a neighbor, George Rae and the two families traveled to B.C to Dutch Creek for a fishing holiday. Both families look back on this time with enjoyment. We lived in small cabins and everybody caught fish. R.G. had a pair of hip waders and could go out in the water. The water was swift running and the banks were rocky in some places. One needed to be careful. Helen Rae slipped one summer and R.G. filled his hip waders helping her out. We had to purchase a Non resident anglers licence at the Dutch Creek fishing camp operated by the Davis. Mrs. Davies was a likeable lady and sold milk and bread in her store as well and fishing gear including maggots for bait.
The City of Calgary required that milk producers get Business licence each year which cost $10.00.
In 1952, a particularly wet year, the Red River in Manitoba flooded, causing a great deal of damage. R.G. issued cheque to the Manitoba Flood Relief fund for $25.00. Since there was so much water around,
In 1952 the Province started a program of hail suppression by cloud seeding and this seemed to cause more hail than it prevented. Agnes was heard to say that she hoped they would take their suppression somewhere else. There was also insurance for farmers against hail damage to their crops.
By 1953, R.G. was shipping milk to the Union Dairy. Union Milk sent out slips with each cheque indicating quantity and quality of milk shipped. There were 10011 lbs. shipped in June with no bad quality milk.
Agnes was still selling eggs to Swifts. She had the “help” of children to feed, water and gather the eggs. On the 30th of July 1954 she shipped 14 dozen eggs and received $3.18 At that time a Licence as a milk producer was required from the provincial government. In April 1954 Jack MacKenzie died very suddenly. R.G. took over farming the MacKenzie lands. He also made accommodation for Kate MacKenzie who was to live with her daughter Agnes in the summers.

The W.I.D. was charging $13.25 per year for water rights. Now it is about $700 per year. Income Tax Assessed in 1954 was $145.20. In August of 1954 R.G. wrote a cheque to Renfrew motors for $2250. It was probably a new car or truck but we are not sure which one. The only “new” vehicle at that time was a ’55 International pickup.
One of the men who worked for R.G was Joe Ashmore, first as a farm laborer and then renovating the house that had been Kate Mackenzie’s. He issued a Statement of hours, at $1.50 per hour. His trade was a carpenter and R.G and Agnes had decided to renovate Kate’s house as it was bigger and would be better for having Kate there in the summers. Another of the men who worked for R.G. was George Hennigar. He had worked for Hogsons dairy before coming to R.G. They had shown cattle at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, so George persuaded R.G. to do the same. Cattle were entered in the show in 1955. The entry fee for dairy cattle was $4.50 for class #0483.

R.G. bought 3”x 6’ pine posts at $.49 each, 225 for $110.25 from Canada Creosoting. The pasture lands had been fenced many years before and although cedar posts last a long time they eventually do deteriorate and need to be replaced.
In 1956 R.G. paid $201.39 to the Income Tax Department..
Business establishments each carried their own printed cheques and persons could use them to buy goods. You would have to put the bank name and numbers on them. This was the days before much fraud was done. R.G. wrote such a cheque to Williams Bros.for $10.36 on July 31 1956. Dr. Gorrell charged $2.00 for an eye test for Katherine that year. W.I.D. was still charging $13.25 for water rights.
The MD was now Rockyview and the tax assessment for 1957 was $127.50.
In the summer of 1957 R.G. went to a shoot at Kimberly B.C, leaving.the family at home. While he was away the train ran into a group of cows which had gone onto the right-of-way when fences had been left down. We have letters from lawyers and CNR regarding accident killing cattle
Calgary Car Land sold R.G a new car in 1957. They offer a new car, a blue 1957 Chrysler Windsor, with all the bells and whistles for $3359.00 plus trade-in.
The Animal Clinic was charging $15.00 to make a call to see a cow.

In 1958 R.G’s cousin Edna Howe came from her home in Florida to visit. She really thought this was the wild west, especially after the very mild mannered horse she was given to ride actually bounced/bucked a couple of times. She then went to New Brunswick where her father was living and showed movies of her visit to the folks “back home”. John Lister wrote to R.G. “ Well Roy old dear, Edna was here and told me you had a lovely ranch. I would give a lot to see you… Edna showed me a lot of pictures of your Barn and house….you have a lovely lot of Jerseys cows.”

RG’s cousin Hazel Wood came for a visit at this time and Agnes took her and the Teepee trailer to Banff on a short visit.
At this time RG had run for public office and was a counselor in the MD of Rockyview. He over saw such things as road grading and snow removal. He was on call to his constituents at all times and received many such calls. He had never been particularly gracious on the phone but now he had to be. The common statement was “ It’s that Hamilton woman again!”.
At about this time Union Milk would no longer pay a premium for Jersey milk so RG switched to Holsteins as they produced a good deal more milk per cow.

About this time RG’s sister Mildred and Mary decided to come west to visit. They came by Greyhound bus, a trip of about 5 days. Aunt Mildred spent the time here sewing for RG’s granddaughters.
Also about this time Agnes persuaded R.G to go to Hawaii. They flew Wardair, a charter company and toured around the islands of that state. They also visited Bessie Woods who had lived there for many years.
The next year 1970 RG bought a 27’ 5th wheel holiday trailer and they spent the holidays in Arizona with their friends, the Daigs.
On February 14th 1972, RG and Agnes lost son Roy in an airplane accident. This was devastating to them. RG decided that they could no longer farm the way they had and he sold a good portion of the land he had acquired as well as the diary business.
RG continued to work for the MD as building inspector until about 1975. At that point he needed to get a birth certificate for Pension purposes. He sent to New Brunswick and received a surprise when it came back as he had thought the year of his birth was 1909 and it was actually 1906. That same year he traveled to Halifax for a Municipal Conference. He took time when he was there to go to New Brunswick and visited the places and people who were still there that he knew as a child. He combined all this with the Reunion of Hampton High School. He then retired from the MD.
In April of 1989 Agnes was hospitalized with Alzheimer’s Disease. The family realized that RG was having some difficulty with memory as well after she went into the hospital. He had a heart problem requiring regular medication and was having some difficulty remembering to take it as it was directed. In March of 1991 RG had heart attack, and was directed by the doctor not to drive. This led to the need for different accommodation and he went briefly to Rockyview Lodge at Crossfield. He was not happy there and the family took him home. As he could not stay at home alone he agreed to go to Cedars Villa, a seniors lodge in Calgary. He was there about a year and a half when it was evident that he needed more care than they could give him. He then went to Bethany Care Nursing home where he passed away in June of 1994 at the age of 89.

Roy married Agnes Mackenzie on 14 Dec 1938 in Saint.Michaels and All Angels Anglican Church, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Agnes (daughter of John Mackenzie and Kate Goldie Hewitson Lindsay) was born on 29 Jun 1909 in Rock Creek, British Columbia, Canada; died on 4 Aug 1998 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; was buried on 8 Aug 1998 in Rockyview Garden of Peace Cemetery, Alberta, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

-Education: Skye Hill, R.B.Bennett, Janet schools to grade 8
Mount Royal College business school, Royal Conservatory of Music
-Occupation: full time mother,
-Interests: curling, gardening

Notes:

Education: reported "going to school" on 1881 census Occupation: farmer,( had part of one leg removed in a threshing accident)
Statement of death particulars - obtained 25 May 1992
- date of death = 26 Feb 1946
- cause of death = not recorded
- burial = Hammond River
- informant - Mrs. James Buckley, daughter
- father = William Lester, birthplace = England
- mother = ? Saunders, birthplace = NB

Marriage certificate
- wittness were John o Lester and Pearl Wood
- minister was W O Raymond, rector of St. Mary's Church

"Thomas E. Gilbert Tisdale, who was the Dutch vice-consul 1872-1875 and was also consul for Panama. He was a well known merchant in Saint John and was also involved with insurance and was for some time Deputy Water Sheriff and Secretary of the Saint John Agricultural Society." a quote from a Ruby Cusack column - I wonder if this is the surce for Humphrey's name?

Humphrey Gilbert Tisdale Lester was born on Sunday 29 Jul 1877 in Nauwigewauk, New Brunswick. No church or civil record of Humphrey’s birth or christening has been found. Thomas E. Gilbert Tisdale, who was the Dutch vice-consul 1872-1875 and was a well known merchant in Saint John may have been the source for Humphrey’s name as his mother was of Dutch decent.

Humphrey married Harriet Isabella Wood on 26 Nov 1902 in St Mary's Church, St. John County, N. B. Harriet was known as Hattie. She was the daughter of Charles Jacob Wood and Jane Augusta Baxter. The witnesses were John O. Lester, brother of the groom and Pearl Wood, sister of the bride. The minister was W. O. Raymond, rector of St. Mary's Church, Simmonds Parish, St. John County, N.B.

The Kings County News of January 7 1897 reports

"Robert Wood lotteried a fine driving sleigh on Monday evening. Humphrey Lester held the fortunate number."

Since Robert was Harriet's Uncle, did Humphrey use the sleigh to court her?

Humphrey was a farmer and owned 40 acres of land that he had purchased from his cousin James Shaw Saunders. He had part of one leg amputated as a result of a threshing accident

Humphrey died on Tuesday 26 Feb 1946 in Nauwigewauk, N.B., almost exactly one year after his wife died. He was 69 years of age. The cause of death was myocarditis, epicardial haemorrhage. He was also suffering from Potts disease of the Spine, which is a form of tuberculosis. He was buried in Hammond River Anglican Cemetery, Hammond River, Kings County, New Brunswick.

Humphrey married Harriet Isabella Wood on 26 Nov 1902 in Saint Mary's Church, Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada. Harriet (daughter of Charles Jacob Wood and Jane Augusta Baxter) was born on 10 Nov 1882 in Otter Lake, Simmonds Parish, St. John County, New Brunswick; died on 20 Feb 1945 in Nauwigewauk, Kings County, New Brundswick, Canada; was buried in Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Hammond River, Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

She was talented in the art of rug making according to son R G

Notes:

"John was only two when his father died. He would have learned early to work hard. When he was about 16/17 he went to New York to work for a florist one spring. When he was about 18 he went west on a harvest excursion to Manitoba. He stayed that winter to help the farmer he had worked for cut and skid logs. In the spring he filed for a homestead but when fall came he could not face another winter in Manitoba. He then went to Vancouver and worked taring the roof of the BC Sugar Refinery. After this he went to work hauling supplies to a lumber camp on Bowen Island with a barge and oxen. He then heard that his brother Ken was in the boundary country of BC and went to Greenwood to join him. They then went to Westbridge and built a stopping house. He met Grandmother at Rock Creek and they lived at the stopping house for a couple of years. They bought a farm on the Kettle River and spent a year clearing land. An irrigation company bought it from them the following year. John spent some time doing other jobs including a summer at Stewart Lake building a fish hatchery for the government. They then mover to Alberta where they farmed for the next 43 years."
quote from Agnes MacKenzie 1967

1901 Census Dist, Yale & Cariboo Sub Dist, Yale (east) J-12 page 5
John McKenzie head

Name: John Mackenzie
Gender: Male
Age: 45y
Estimated birth year: 1871
Birth place: Nova Scotia
Marital status: Married
Racial or tribal origin: Scotch
Relationship to head-of-household: Self
Immigration year:
Military service location:
Residence: 24, 28, W4
Province: Alberta
District number and name: 34 Calgary East
Sub district number: 04
Page: 19
Household id: 216
Line number: 1
Digital GS number: 4363977
Image number: 00372
LAC film number: T-21948
Collection: Canada Census 1916

John married Kate Goldie Hewitson Lindsay on 19 Nov 1902 in Westbridge, British Columbia, Canada. Kate (daughter of John Lindsay and Agnes McQueen) was born on 19 Mar 1870 in Westover, Wentworth County, Ontario, Canada; died on 6 Apr 1967 in Osooyos, British Columbia, Canada; was buried in Queens Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Kate took her first airplane ride in 1955, at the age of 85.

Notes:

William Boyd Lester was born on Monday, 29 March 1824. The census report of 1901 was the only source for the date of his birth. The census reports of 1871, 1881, 1891and 1901 listed him as born in New Brunswick but many of the sons and daughters death records indicate that their father was born in England. A family story is that William’s father (also a William) was injured butchering an animal for food while on board ship coming to Canada. The father later died and was buried on land. William’s grandson Roy thought it was Halifax but it was probably Saint John since there is a port with lots of ships coming from various places and this is where the family lived in later years. There is a newspaper record of a William Lester, cartman, dying in September of 1824 in St. John, N.B.

The family story said that the wife/mother was left with three small children, and there is a further record from the Saint John County Marriage Register of an Elizabeth Lester, widow, marrying a William McCarter in 16 February, 1826

These folks could be William’s parents. It may be that if this is the case much of our William’s early history is lost since he would only have been five months old when his father died. We are therefore left with the questions about who his father was and perhaps how the father came to be in Canada. There is also some question as to the spelling of the name. We know that the Elizabeth Lester mentioned was not literate as she signed the marriage record with an x, so she may not have been certain how the name was spelled. Another researcher feels that it could have been Leister or Lister. In the death record of his son Peter, the informant was his daughter Emma Carson. She lists her father as William B Leister. His son John and family always went by Lister. In an e-mail in April 2003 researcher Jeanine Grant Lister gave information about William’s possible parents. Her source was a letter from Ida Medora Lister (her grandmother) written 11 August 1999 in which she (Ida) stated her father James Albert Lister told her that his grandfather Samuel’s (and possibly William’s) father was an officer with the Royal British Navy. This is yet to be verified but would be in the time period 1805-1815, or about the time that the British Navy was blockading the Atlantic. Many Navy personnel jumped ship because of dreadful conditions. Could it be that William Sr. was one of these?

William married Edna Ann Saunders of Kings County N.B. the daughter of George Saunders and Amy Keirstead on Thursday 22 March 1855 in Trinity Anglican Church Kingston, Kings County, New Brunswick by the Reverend Wm E. Scovil. Trinity is the oldest Anglican Church in New Brunswick.

William Lester indicated that he was from Saint John and Edna indicated that she was from Hampton so why they decided to marry in Kingston is some what curious, although the first child William Edward was baptized there also.

Saunders and Keirsteads were both Loyalist families. The witnesses to the marriage were Harmonius Saunders, a brother of the bride and Sarah Ann Hampton (later to be Harmonius wife). William was a few days short of 31 when he married Edna.

They started their married life in Kings County, residing on a farm across the Gondola Point Road from Harmonius Saunders and just down the road from Edna’s father George Saunders. The piece of land now situated on what is now called Meenans Cove Rd. contained about 40 acres and had been given to Edna by her father George Saunders by will when he died in 1857. They sold it in 1887 to Edna’s nephew George T. Saunders.

They may have moved by 1871 since the address given to the Lovell Directories that year is Hammond River, Hampton, Kings County a distance of perhaps 3 miles. William and Edna had ten children, five sons and five daughters. The first son, William Edward, died when he was only twenty-three of pneumonia. The family story is that the oldest son was always named William and that seems to be the case in many of the families.

Information from the 1871 Census Schedules 2-9 indicates that William Lester owned Lot 2 at Hampton, Kings County consisting of 30 acres of which 10 were improved and 20 were in pasture. He had 1 house, 1 barn, 2 carriages or sleighs, 2 wagons or sleds and 1 boat. He had no animals that year. He had 2 plows, and 1 horse rake. He had harvested 230 bushels oats, 15 bushels peas, 1 1/2 bushels beans, 100 bushels buckwheat, 1 1/2 acres of potatoes, 20 bushels turnips and 10 bushels beets. He had 40 acres of hay and 1 fathom of nets. He had cut 7 cords of firewood. By 1884 William was supplementing his farm and fishing income by employment as a railway section man.

From the Kings County Record Newspaper of July 23 1896, Nauwidgewauk Notes we read the following:

"On Monday night, the 13th, we had an unwelcome visitor in the shape of a miniature cyclone which caused great damaged to crops and property. Thunder and lightening, rain and hail as well as a strong wind were features, but the leading one was the hail storm, the hail stones being as large as hen's eggs (fact). In some houses as many as sixty window panes were broken, cut down potatoes, corn, peas, oats and even grass was destroyed; trees were stripped of their branches and H. Hill lost a 30x40 barn which was carried from the foundation and scattered over the field. The track of the cyclone was a quarter of a mile in width and in it very little crop remains to pay the farmer for his springs work."

There is no family story of this event but was William's home or farm in the path of this storm?

Charles married Edna Anne Saunders on 22 Mar 1855 in Trinity Anglican, Kingston, Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. Edna (daughter of George Saunders and Amy Shaw Kierstede) was born on 15 Mar 1832 in Hampton, Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada; was christened on 14 Oct 1832 in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada; died on 19 Feb 1905 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.; was buried in Rothsay, New Brunswick, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

!
Information obtained from LDS records Jan 1992
Birthday from census records(1901) would be 1834.

December 30 1904 Kings County Record
p.6
"Mrs Wm Lister and her son Peter left on Monday for Boston to visit friends and spend Christmas."

Oct 5 2003 Parish register from NB Name - Edny Analinda

Feb 7, 2010
Massachusetts Vital Record Index
Lister Edna A. (Saunders) Boston year 1905 volume 7 page 512 type Death

Certified copies of birth, death, and marriage records$3 each. Staff can do limited research to locate vital records requested by mail. No more than five certificates may be ordered at a time, and a separate check or money order for $3 should be enclosed for each certificate. Checks for names not found will be returned. Name, date of event, and place of event (or the best information you have) are needed to locate records. Please include your name, telephone number, and mailing address on all requests. Orders for certified copies are filled in the order received.

Notes:

Charles Jacob Wood was born Tuesday, 5 April 1859 in St John County, New Brunswick, the seventh child of Charles Henry Wood and Esther Knight. He had eight brothers and two sisters. The earliest record of him is the 1861 Census of Upham Parish, Kings County. His father was a shoemaker and he and four of his brothers also became shoemakers.
By 1871 when Charles was 13, the Census Schedules 4 and 5 showed his father having the following - 1 (one) acre of land, which produced 1 bushel each peas, beans, and corn, and 50 bushels potatoes. He had one horse, 1 milch cow and produced 100 lbs. of butter. From this information one could conclude that they lived in a small village and income was derived from sources other than farming.

Family Story has it that after the four sons became shoemakers, all the shoemakers quarreled so they all set up separate shops. By 1881 many of the family are living on their own. Charles, (calling himself Jacob frequently for the rest of his life, presumably to distinguish himself from his father) is living with his brother Peter and sister Harriet (Hattie) in a separate residence.

Charles married Jane Augusta Baxter, daughter of John Baxter and Amanda E Blakeney on Monday 28 Nov 1881 in Saint John, New Brunswick. They had ten children – three sons and seven daughters. Charles’ wife Jennie died in 1908 of consumption. At the time that Charles wife died they had young children. His neighbour, Elizabeth Blatchford, who had lost her husband, also had young children. They decided to marry and by the 1911 Census were living at #10 Short Street St. John with 5 young ladies, Ethel Blatchford age 19, Alice Blatchford age 17, Fannie Blatchford age 15, Hazel Blatchford age 13 and Kathleen Wood age 12. Charles made the wedding shoes for his son-in-law to be Humphrey Lester, when his daughter Harriett married in 1902. Humphrey had the audacity to complain that the shoes leaked when he stood in a puddle. ( family story from R.G.L.)

Charles died at 3:15 AM Sunday, 28 Jan 1923. He was 59 years old. The cause of death was listed as Myocarditis which he had had for six years. He is buried in the Wesleyan Methodist Burial Ground, Saint. John. He does not have a headstone.

Information found on 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 Census

Charles married Jane Augusta Baxter on 28 Nov 1881 in Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada. Jane (daughter of John Baxter and Amanda E Blakeney) was born on 29 Jan 1861 in Upper Loch Lomond, Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada; died on 24 Dec 1908 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada; was buried in Upper Loch Lomond Cemetery, Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

cause of death was consumption
person recording the death statement was G A Chamberlin whose relationship was not recorded.
Address at death was 24 Brussell Street, Saint John.
Source of mid name is birth index for NB RS 141 A2-2

1881 Canadian census lists family
Household:

Notes:

12th OF 12 children, a fisherman and a farmer, came to Canada before marriage
Information about dates came from grave marker.

George married Jane McKenzie on 21 Aug 1856 in Caribou River, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Jane (daughter of Alexander Mackenzie and Christina MacQuarrie) was born on 19 Aug 1839 in Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada; died in Dec 1919 in Malagash, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada; was buried in Mackenzie Cemetery, Malagash, Nova Scotia, CAnada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

1891 Census Canada
Nova Scotia, Cumberland Co, Malagash
9th April, 1891 page 10
McKenzie, Mrs George - 51- W head - born NS - Scotland - Scotland
" , ASlexander 32 - W - S
" , Barbara 26 - S - D
" , John 20 - S S
next page
McKenzie, George 17 - S - S
" , Kenneth 23 - S - S

Notes:

1901 Census - living on Lot 33 Concession 33
also living on Lot 33 Concession George S. Sparks

John married Agnes McQueen on 15 Jan 1868 in Kirkwall, Wentworth County, Ontario, Canada. Agnes (daughter of James McQueen and Catherine Goldie Hewitson) was born on 18 Dec 1842 in Kirkwall, Wentworth County, Ontario, Canada; died on 15 Mar 1926 in Freelton, Wentworth County, Ontario, Canada; was buried in 1926 in Strabane United Church Cemetery, Wentworth County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

lived on the farm at Westover until 1917, when they moved to Freelton.