James Newman West Flamborough Township, Wentworth County, Ontario

James Newman was born in Manningford Abbots, Wiltshire, England, 10 January 1813 and baptized 13 January. He was the ('illegitimate') son of Thomas Stratton and Sarah Newman. (The parish record has him under the name 'Newman' whereas the record sent to the Bishop (Bishop's Transcript) lists it under Stratton.)

A Baptist in religious persuasion, James died at Pleasantville, a hamlet at the juncture of the Old York Road and the Old Guelph Road, east of Dundas in West Flamborough Township, Wentworth County, Ontario, on the 22nd of February, 1884. He is buried in the Old Hopkins Cemetery, on the south side of the Old York Road, Dundas (the ravine is about 100 yards east of the Old Guelph Road). The cemetery is also called the Grove Cemetery. The Newman stone is still there, but the other Hopkins stones have been gathered and placed in a pyramid-like wall. The whole cemetery has been cleaned up considerably since I first found it among weeds and grasses and lilaacs in the early 1980's.

James was married to Ann Hayes (born ca 1818, England) who died on 11 November, 1905. She too is buried in the Old Hopkins Cemetery - the last interment before it fell into disuse and became quite overgrown, the stones broken and scattered. In her later years Ann Hayes was known as 'blind Grandma' and was remembered by my aunt, Hazel Almas, whom I talked to shortly before her death.

Originally a Methodist (as per the 1851 Norfolk Co. Ontario Census), James Newman became a Baptist, as was his brother-in-law, James Hayes and perhaps influenced also by his natural father, who had become a Baptist as well. (cf. 1881 Census where Ann is listed as 'Church of England' and the children all: Cdn Methodist).

James Newman
Death Date: 22 Feb 1884
Death Location: Wentworth
Estimated birth year: abt 1812
Birth Location: England

The children of James Newman and Ann Hayes were:

1. Jane Newman - born August 1843, England; died 4 October 1874; buried in Old Hopkins Cemetery; married David Almas (1840-1867) in 1861.

2. James Newman - born Ontario (cf 1881 Census) 16 July, 1854; died in West Flamborough, 16 March, 1908; married Isabella Elliot (1856-1939).

3. Sarah N. Newman - born Ontario, ca 1855. She was 6 in 1861 Census of Norfolk Co., Townsend Twp; 30 in 1881 Census of Wentworth North (b 1851?) She is listed as a Methodist.

4. Avis(or Eavis) Madilda Newman - born 16 July, 1860, Townsend Township, Norfolk County. ON; died 21 June, 1935; buried St. Matthew's (Aldershot), Burlington, ON; marred William Stewart Harmer. In the 1861 Census of Norfolk County, she is living with her parents in Townsend Township. She is age 20 in the 1881 Census and 30 in the 1891 Census.

Ann Hayes
died of cancer of the breast (10 yrs)
res. Con. 1, Lot 27 West Flamborough, Wentworth Co.,
J. O. McGregor, MD

 

See Newman Family; Almas Family; Harmer Family