A lucky family find

Hidden in a Saint John County 1871 marriage register was an array of records
- spanning 17 years.

Gram took a cane whenever she went outdoors. She not only used the cane for support but it made a great finder of four-leaf clovers.

Cliff and I would stand beside her as she swept her cane back and forth among the clover leaves. Suddenly she would stop and point to her find, a four-leaf clover. Since she was unable to stoop down, we picked them up for her and took them into the house. She placed them between the pages of the family Bible to dry. She told us, "The more four-leaf clovers you collect, the luckier you will be!"

Needless to say, Cliff and I spent hours searching every clover patch. Little brother was sharper on the eye than I was and always found them first.

Dorothy Wiggs of Fredericton must have felt like she had found several four-leaf clovers as she was transcribing Register "G" of Saint John County Marriages. (Microfilm F16245). The marriages in this section were for the year 1871, but between pages 769 and 796, she found 109 marriages that had been performed by the Rev. Benjamin Gray of Trinity Anglican Church in Saint John between 1833 and 1850.

The Rev. Benjamin Gray was the rector of Trinity Church from 1825-1840 and also chaplain to the garrison in the city from 1825-1854. He died in 1854. His son, the Rev. J.D.W. Gray, had acted as his curate at Trinity from 1826-1840 and succeeded him as rector. The Rev. J.D.W. Gray died in 1868.

A mystery surrounds both the reason why the Rev. Benjamin Gray did not record the marriages in the Civil Marriage Register at the time of the ceremony and the unknown person who submitted the information (or returns) so they could be recorded in 1871.

 You may find your genealogical good-luck clover as you read through this listing of 109 marriages:

Michael Holloran-Mary Gallagher, Sept. 9, 1833;

Joseph McCauley-Mary Ann Greer, Dec. 18, 1833;

John Thomas Penaligon-Eliza Lemon, Jan. 1, 1834;

William Beattie-Sarah Jackson, March 10, 1834;

Thomas Donahue-Matilda Connor, March 27, 1834;

Richard Philip Knox-Mary Collins March 31, 1834;

John Natton-Ann Elliott, May 19, 1834;

George Parks-Honora Williams May 29, 1834;

William Campbell-Elizabeth Power, June 25, 1834;

Robert Wallace-Jane Ferguson, July 2, 1834;

Moody Levett-Rhoda Rogers, July 11, 1834;

William A. Woods-Sarah McKenzie, July 24, 1834;

William McLeod-Mary McNeill, Dec. 12, 1834;

James Helford-Elizabeth Johnson, March 3, 1835;

Richard Hale-Margaret Ann Dixon, July 30, 1835;

James Hill-Martha Tapley, Aug. 27, 1835;

Matthew Short-Mary Johnson, Oct. 10, 1835;

John Thomas-Margaret Graves Nov. 10, 1835;

Joseph Longmead-Sarah Jones Nov. 25, 1835;

John Maybury-Margaret Eliza Best, Nov. 26, 1835;

Charles Crookshank-Sarah Ann Eager, Dec.12, 1835;

Thomas Hughes-Margaret Lowry, Dec. 22, 1835;

Samuel Forsyth-Harriett Bremner, Feb. 2, 1836;

William Flaherty-Charlotte Price, Feb. 9, 1836;

William G. Theal-Eliza Anne Bell, May 10, 1836;

Henry G. Bryant-Ann Garvey, May 21, 1836;

Barzillai Ansley-Mary Jane Ansley, May 25, 1836;

Andrew Coulton-Mary Scott, June 1, 1836;

Robert Mitten-Abbigail Gildard, July 6, 1836;

James Freswell-Honour Gettings, July 19, 1836;

Henry McMullin-Eliza Leonard, Aug. 21, 1837;

John Kline-Annette Shey, Oct. 21, 1837;

William Harris-Margaret Young, Nov. 29, 1837;

Charles H. Duncklee-Aurelia Warren, Jan. 8, 1838;

Patrick Bennett-Jane Carrothers, Jan. 9, 1838;

James Giggey-Elizabeth Carvell, Feb. 15, 1838;

Joseph Jones-Margaret Watson, Feb. 22, 1838;

William B. Frost-Emma Jane Spurr, Feb. 22, 1838;

Daniel Vaughan-Laleah Amelia Harding, March 14, 1838;

William Swift-Mary Ann Richards, April 1838;

Simon Flaglor-Jane Graham, Sept. 3, 1838;

Robert Wiley-Maryan Jacobs, Sept. 6, 1838;

Richard Knight-Sylvia Long, Nov. 18, 1838;

Joseph Armstrong-Maria Kenny, Aug. 8, 1839;

Michael Danihy-Honorah O'Sullivan, Aug. 10, 1839;

William Patton-Catherine McCarty, Aug. 15, 1839;

James Stokes-Mary Ann Whiston, April 30, 1840;

John McHugh-Rosa McShary, June 1, 1840;

James Hawks-Ann Morrison, July 4, 1840;

John McGowan-Mary Leckie, July 18, 1840;

Thomas Elliott Carter-Ann Cunningham, Nov. 29, 1840;

John Fitch-Jane Shanklin, Nov. 3, 1840;

Robert McCrosson-Sarah Dinsmore, 1841;

Thomas Green-Mary Clever, Sept. 27, 1841;

William Penn-Margaret McGreevy, Oct. 15, 1841;

Esan Lane-Hannah Corban, 1842;

James McConnell-Margaret Wallace, March 5, 1842;

William Paice-Ellen Gray, June 20, 1842;

John Parkinson-Ann Simpson, July 6, 1842;

John Pearson-Elizabeth McPheters, July 10, 1842;

Thomas Gregory-Avis Pine, 1843;

Alexander McLaughlin-Eliza Morrow, May 9, 1843;

Simon Fitch-Margaret Paddock, May 16, 1843;

Patrick McCristall-Mary Clarke, May 26, 1843;

John Mackay-Jane H. Partelow, June 6, 1843;

Alfred Hawkes-Mary Jane Ball, June 13, 1843;

Thomas Morgan-Catherine Simpson, June 29, 1843;

William Evans-Ann Good, June 30, 1843;

John Gillingham-Mary Splane, July 15, 1843;

John Colson-Julia Gordon, July 25, 1843;

Robert Leeson-Catherine Bean (widow), Feb. 19, 1844;

John Thomas-Sarah Sinnott, April 29, 1844;

John Anderson-Mary Ann McCulloch, Sep. 24, 1844;

John Bell-Emily Wiley, Oct. 22, 1844;

John McAlpin-Eliza Purdy, 1845;

Peter Young-Catherine Oliver, Aug. 16, 1845;

Edward Sentell-Margaret Jordan, Jan. 27, 1846;

George Coram-Ann Bond, Feb. 4, 1846;

John Warnick-Mary Ann Brown (widow), Feb. 10, 1846;

John Warnick-Mary Ann Morrison (widow) Feb. 10, 1846 (only one of these last two entries can be correct);

Robert Moore-Ann Jane Robinson, Dec. 12, 1846;

William Todd-Jane Quinn, Dec. 28, 1846;

John Lewis-Bridget Lyons, Feb. 16, 1847;

Andrew Anderson-Mary Murray, Feb. 20, 1847;

Joseph Ruddock-Alice Smith, March 3, 1847;

Thomas Crawford-Mary Ann Holder, March 4, 1847;

Edward Loaness-Ann Falvey, April 1847;

John Bell-Catherine Matthews, April 1, 1847;

William Clements-Mary Patterson, April 21, 1847;

George Harding (widower)-Elizabeth Raymond, April 29, 1847;

William Weston-Sarah Andrews, May 1, 1847;

William Bryden-Anne Jane Lynch, May 5, 1847;

Thomas Kelly-Mary Mitchell (widow), May 31, 1847;

Thomas Earle-Rhoda Belyea, June 1, 1847;

Lewis J. Burns-Amelia Doane, June 7, 1847;

John McGowan-Sophia McDonald, June 17, 1847;

Alexander Baxter-Margaret Johnston, June 18, 1847;

Edward Thomas (widower)-Ann Lockern, June 28, 1847;

John Brown-Catherine King, April 11, 1848;

William Damary-Eliza Armstrong, Sept. 28, 1848;

Nicholas (widower)-Mary McSorley, February 1949;

William Wilkinson-Mary Ellen Pearl, June 30, 1849;

William James Smith-Margaret Andrews, July 11, 1849;

William Till Jr.-Mary Bailey, Sept., 1849;

Richard Sykes-Ellen McLaughlan, Aug. 22, 1850;

Robert McLaughlan-Bridget Dorighan, Nov. 30, 1849;

William Millican (widower)-Jane Williams, Oct. 11, 1849;

Warren Coleman-Sabra Stewart, Sept. 27, 1849;

John Barry-Frances Bartlett Baird, 1840.
 

- Marriage Register "G", Saint John County, is on microfilm at the Saint John Free Public Library, Market Square. A printed list of the Rev. Gray's marriages that were extracted from Register "G" is available for use at the Provincial Archives in Fredericton. Register "G" has been published.

Dorothy Wiggs has completed transcribing the Registers for Saint John County and they can be purchased from: CANB Publication, P.O. Box 1204, Station "A", Fredericton, NB, E3B 5C8, Canada. For more information, E-mail provincial.archives@gnb.ca  


Ruby Cusack is a genealogy buff living in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Readers are invited to send their New Brunswick genealogical queries to Ruby at rmcusack@nbnet.nb.ca. When E-Mailing please put Yesteryear Families in the Subject line. Please include in the query, your name and postal address as someone reading the newspaper, may have information to share with you but not have access to E-mail. Queries should be no more than 45 words in length.

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