William ⁸ BIGELOW

(wil8fam.jpg) Picture taken in Manistee, MI; Sept 1886;
Back Row: daughters Margaret, Mary Maude, and Alice;
Front Row: Alexander, Mother Margaret (Blair) holding Mathew Everard, William George,
and Father William holding Gertrude.

15336.575 William ⁸ BIGELOW, son of George ⁷ ( Cornelius ⁶ , Paul ⁵, Cornelius ⁴, Samuel ³, Samuel ², John¹) and Margaret (KERR/CARR) BIGELOW, was born at Chatham township, Argenteuil, Quebec on 16 June 1843 according to family record. He was a little less than two years of age when his father died - his mother later married Robert Farley. According to family records, he was married to Margaret Blair who was daughter of George and Jane (McFadyen) Blair on 2 September 1869. She was born in Chatham on 29 February 1852 and they resided some years there. About 1881, they moved to MI living at Filer city, Manistee co., but returned to Quebec 5 years later due to the declining health of his mother. William was a volunteer in the Boer War and died at The Gore on 24 March 1915, a widower. Margaret had died on 03 July 1909.

Children of William and Margaret (Blair) Bigelow, the five oldest born at Chatham:

15336.5751 Alice Jane, b 20 Aug 1872; d 19 April 1936 The Gore; m 12 May 1897 James Greig; 5 children.

15336.5752 Margaret Ellen, b 14 Jan 1874; d 18 Aug 1970; unm.

15336.5753 Mary Maud, 'Minnie', b 28 May 1876; d 13 May 1906 The Gore; m 11 June 1892 at Papineauville to Andrew Davis; res. The Gore; 3 sons.

15336.5754 William George, b 13 April 1879; d 16 Aug 1948 Denver, CO; m (1) Iola Hill and (2) 27 Dec 1916 Ellen Pilkaer; res. CO, NY and Alberta; no children.

15336.5755 Alexander, b 11 Sept 1880; d______ ; m 05 Dec 1906 Bessie Amelia Estella Taylor; he had been a professional boxer in his youth and later a bus driver; no children.

15336.5756 Ethel Gertrude, b 13 May 1883 Manistee co., MI.; d 25 Feb 1980 Toronto; m 24 June 1903 Percy Weston; res. Montreal and Thurso, Quebec; 5 children.

15336.5757 Mathew Everard, "Ed', b 04 July 1886 Manistee co., MI; d 10 May 1975 Crossfield, Alberta; m 03 April 1916 Emma Barnes; 13 children.

15336.5758 Violet Ann, b 03 July 1891 Thc Gore, Quebec; d 10 July 1948; m 14 June 1912 Charles MacLaren; 2 children.

15336.5759 Myrtle Ward, b 26 April 1893 The Gore; living 1979; m 08 April 1915 Nelson Weston; res. Montreal, Thurso; 3 children.

There was a foster son: Melburn, b _ April 1907; d 27 Dec 1973 Buckingham; m 18 Nov 1931 Gertrude Edna McKenzie; a life long farmer at The Gore, near Thurso; 6 children.

Sources:
Bigelow Society,The Bigelow Family Genealogy, Vol II, pg 367;
Family knowledge;
an interesting family Bible now lost, provided by a daughter.
Family records; an interesting family Bible, not lost, provided by a daughter; e-mail from Lois & Alan Martin (loal@telus.net) 28 Dec 2000, "9th generation-William & Jane Bigelow".While some information did not agree with what we had, she had said that if immediate family information indicated differently.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/6625/bigelow.html
Forge, The Bigelow Society Quarterly; Vol 12, No 3 (below); July 1983, p 42 pic^;

William of Thurso, Quebec ....      A goodly number of our. Canadian cousins descend from Cornelius ⁶ , Paul ⁵, Cornelius ⁴, Samuel ³, Samuel ², John¹) Bigelow and his fourteen children, several of whom have been featured in Forge over the past eight years. Cornelius' seventh son, George Bigelow, was a farmer and logger in Chatham township, Argenteuil county, Quebec. George drowned in the spring of 1845, leaving a young family (see Forge, Vol. 9, No. 3, p 57).
George's youngest child, William 8 Bigelow, was born 16 June 1843 near Grenville, Quebec. He was but two years old at his father's death, and was raised by a stepfather. Family tradition holds that William was briefly in the militia against the Fenian raids in the 1860's, and that his gun was handed down in the family until at least 1970.
     William was married on 2 September 1869 at Calumet, Quebec, to Margaret Blair, daughter of George jr. and Jane (McFadyen) Blair. She was born 29 February 1852 at Calumet. They farmed and logged in Chatham township for a number of years, while five children were born to them.
     With this family, William and Margaret moved to Manistee county, Michigan, renting a cousin's house on Dale Avenue. There is some question as to whether this was in the city of Manistee om the now-defunct logging town of Filer City. William was a sawmill worker and earned a good living for that era. While in Manistee, two more children were born. At the baptism of their seventh child, the family was photographed, as is shown on the cover of this Forge. On the back of the picture is written "Bigelow, 1020 Dale Ave., Manistee."
     About this time, his step-father being deceased, William was called back to Canada by his mother's increasing infirmities. She had been living at The Gore, Papineau county, with daughter Jane(Bigelow) Purdy. William bought a 200-acre farm near the village of Thurso,and settled down to family responsibilities, including two more children and the care of his mother and mother-in-law.
     William died on the farm on 24 March 1915, his wife Margaret having died 3 July 1909 of heart disease. From 1906 on, several of the sons and a daughter caught the lure of the prairie provinces,and were engaged in occupations in Alberta.

Children of William and Margaret (Blair) Bigelow:

i Alice Jane, born 20 Aug 1872 Chatham township} died 19 April 1936 Thurso; married 12 May 1897 James Greig. 5 children.

ii Margaret Ellen, born 14 Jan 1874 Chatham township; died 20 Aug 1970 The Gore; lived on family homestead. 1 son. Before her death, she copied Bible inscriptions for a niece, thus preserving family records.

iii Mary Maud, called Minnie, born 28 May 1876 Chatham township; died 13 May 1906 The Gore; married 11 June 1892(at Papineauville) to Andrew Davis. 3 sons, the two who survived infancy being raised by her sister Margaret.

iv William George, born 12 April 1879 Chatham township; died 6 Oct 1948 Denver, CO; married (1)Iola Hill, and (2)27 Dec 1916 Ellen Pilkaer. No issue. A colorful man, George was an entrepreneur--he moved to Alberta as a young man, had tried several occupations. At various times he lived in New York City and manufactured horse liniment; was a miner at Ouray, Colorado under the name Grizzly Bear Mines; and manufactured liniment in Denver. This last business was still in existence in the 1950's,and was run by his wife's sister, Leona Pilkaer.

v Alexander, born 11 Sept 1880 Chatham township; unknown deathdate and place; married 5 Dec 1906 Bessie Amelia Estella Taylor, who spoke of herself as "the little woman with the BIG name". Alexander also had a colorful career. At times he was a professional boxer, delivered mail by dogteam in Canada, ran a taxicab service, and when last heard from, he was an auto mechanic in California. No issue.

vi Ethel Gertrude, born 13 May 1883 Manistee county, MI; died 28 Feb 1980 Toronto, Ont; married 24 June 1903 Percy Westoni lived Montreal and Thurso. 5 children.

vii Mathew Everard, born 4 July 1886 Manistee county, MI; died 10 May 1975 Calgary, Alta; married 3 Apr 1916 Emma Barnes. 13 children. Lived in Calgary a number of years, then farmed at Sundre, Alta 32 years, retiring finally to Crossfield, Alta. Known as Ed, he(like his sister Maggie) was interested in family history, and through the efforts of his children, we have added many pages to the family history.

viii Violet Anne, born 3 July 1891 Turso, Papineau, Que; died 10 July 1948; married 14 June 1912 Charles MacLaren. 2 children.

ix Myrtle Ward, born 26 April 1893 Thurso; living there 1982; married 8 Apr 1915 Nelson Weston; lived Montreal and Thurso. 3 children.

Sources: Church records of Argenteuil and Papineau counties,Que; obituaries from various sources; Bible records as contributed by Florence Bigelow Walker; Denver Public Library; personal acquaintance and correspondence with family members and descendants. Photo courtesy of Florence(Bigelow) Walker, Crossfield, Alta.

Subject: bigelowscalgaryalberta
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 20:00:13 GMT
From: Phyllis Bigelow lilady70@telusplanet.net
My name is Phyllis Bigelow and I am from the family side of John, Samuel, Samuel, Cornelius, Paul, Cornelius, George, William, Everard, who was my grandfather.
I would like very much to join the Society and receive information of my family.
I know there was a forge with them in it.
Please return some information if possible.
My Aunt Florence of Crossfield, Alberta is the one that keeps track of our family tree here.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Bigelow

Rod Bigelow (Roger Jon¹² BIGELOW)

P.O. Box 13
Dannemora, N.Y. 12929

< rodbigelow@netzero.net >

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William ⁸ BIGELOW