Dedicated to the Tennants and Grawbargers who settled the Ottawa Valley in the 1850's.
The Grawbargers sailed to New Amsterdam (New York) in 1710 or so on the "Elizabeth". Some of their family members (Andrew Grawbarger) migrated northward as loyalists to the British Crown in the late 1700s or early 1800s.
The Tennants sailed to Canada in June 1820 on the "Commerce" out of Greenock Scotland and Dublin Ireland . They originally settled in Lanark Township in Lanark County Ontario and subsequently spread throughout Canada and the USA.
Meeting up in the Wilberforce Township area (near Killaloe) in the 1850s the Tennants and Grawbargers became fast friends and intermarried quite extensively.
Moving northwest into the Petawawa area together in the 1870s they founded the "Tennant Settlement" on what is now part of the Petawawa Military Base. Being bought out by the Military in 1906 some moved into nearby Chalk River while others made the trek to the Restoule/Golden Valley area and others rode the rails to Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.
Their story of hard toil and heavy burdens marked them as they set down roots and pioneered the Lanark area in the early 1800s. Finding strength in each other and through their fantastic familial relationships as their descendants married other pioneers, the Tennants and their extensive families spread out from Lanark to explore whole new homesteads and occupations.
Thomas Tennant and Ann Hill would be proud of the varied and broad legacy of their descendants. Their heart-wrenching decision to sail to a new world would in a few short decades after their death, ultimately be rewarded with their progeny weaving themselves into and becoming a part of the very essence of Canada.
Their never ending spirit lead their descendants to become explorers, clergy and pastors, shanty-men, hunters, trappers, doctors, farmers, scientists, administrators, lawyers, railroaders, soldiers, writers, educators, paramedics, morticians, elected officials, police officers, firefighters, sports enthusiasts and entrepreneurs of the day.
More Grawbarger and Tennant Connections
Thomas Grawbarger and Sarah Jane Tennant
Thomas Grawbarger 1859-1926 (son of Andrew Grawbarger and Sarah Jane Tennant) married Sarah Jane Tennant 1867-1941 (no not his mother!!). Sarah Jane or "Jennie" as she was known was the daughter of Thomas Tennant and Mary Ann Grawbarger. "Jennie" was also affectionately called "Grandma Crowbar". A picture of them later in life is above.
Thomas and "Jennie" had four sons and three daughters. The daughters were Mary (1881-1961), Margaret Anne (1898-1963) and Sarah Jane "Sadie" (1895-1969). Mary Grawbarger or "Grandma MacDonald" as she was affectionately known married Alfred MacDonald 
(see blog post elsewhere) on October 31, 1900 when she was 16 years old. Alfred was 24 when he married Mary. Mary, whose mother was a Tennant (see above regarding Jennie) was a kind soul and always had a joke or story for every occasion. Alfred was a stern business like man who farmed his whole life. Every now and then he would act as a hunting guide for dignitaries. One of those who hired him was General A.G.L. McNaughton. 
General McNaughton (on the left) commanded the expeditionary force that the Canadian government sent to England in 1940 during World War 2.
Margaret Anne (Maggie) Grawbarger married Charles Newman Kenyon in 1914. Charlie came from Mill Shoals in Illinois USA. Like her sister Mary, Maggie was also 16 when she got married to Charles. Charles' family was living in Elm Creek Manitoba and he went to Winnipeg on March 13, 1916 and joined the 221st Overseas Battalion of the Candian Expeditionary Force. He also served in the 78th Battalion. The photo below is from Charles and Maggie's wedding day in 1914.
After the 1st World War Charles and Maggie moved to Elm Creek Manitoba where he bought land from the S.S. Board until 1928. He moved to Badger, Manitoba shortly after and from there to Piney, Manitoba in May 1934. Cox Family Notes state Newman returned home from the First World War with shrapnel in his leg and hand.
While living around Piney, Newman was digging a well that collapsed and killed him. Chester, his son remembers this.."that he was watching his father dig the well and he told him to get away, seconds later the well caved in." (From Grawbarger/McConnell Family Tree by Corinne Grawbarger.
Sadie Grawbarger (1895-1969) married twice. She was married to George Boyd (8 August 1912 in Winnipeg) and also to Harvey 
Thibideau (23 May 1921 in Woodridge near Piney Manitoba). Let me know if you can help out with more information about Sadie and her first husband George.
The photo on the left is of Sadie and her first husband George Boyd.
(see blog post elsewhere) on October 31, 1900 when she was 16 years old. Alfred was 24 when he married Mary. Mary, whose mother was a Tennant (see above regarding Jennie) was a kind soul and always had a joke or story for every occasion. Alfred was a stern business like man who farmed his whole life. Every now and then he would act as a hunting guide for dignitaries. One of those who hired him was General A.G.L. McNaughton. 
Thibideau (23 May 1921 in Woodridge near Piney Manitoba). Let me know if you can help out with more information about Sadie and her first husband George. 
3 comments:
Hi there Doug!
Thanks for making this blog, it's great to see others keeping track of the family history. :)
I am a granddaughter of Jane Grawbarger, whose parents were Lilly Anne Clarke {Jack Clarke & Isabel Tennant} and William Grawbarger {Andrew Grawbarger & Sarah Jane Tennant}.
Keep up the great work! :)
Laurel
very cool site... i am the great granddaughter of Issac and Augusta.. nice to learn a bit more about the family.. thanks!!
hi, i actually can probably help you shed more light on sadie.. if you can email me, i can put you in touch with my aunt... she knows alot about the family.. my email address is jerickson1973@gmail.com
Post a Comment