The Gordons of Wapella Saskatchewan. Canada

William Gordon was born about 1825 in Braade Clonleigh Donegal near Strabane He married Margaret McAskie on 1st December 1864 in Drumlegagh Church Ardstraw Co Tyrone.  Margaret was born in 1826 and was the daughter of John McAskie and Betty Gordon of Whitehouse, Ardstraw, Co Tyrone - my great great grandparents.

He leased land - in Braade Co Donegal - we think - but he lost it due to a bad co-signed loan for a friend.

A William Gordon of Braade was confirmed by Bishop of Derry on Sunday 20 July 1873 - No. 32.

Courtesy of Lonely Planet

They emigrated to Canada in 1884. They homesteaded in Wapella Saskatchewan, Canada.

He died on 3 January 1887 and she died about 1889 in Wapella Saskatchewan.

He died in a snow storm while going for a doctor for a lady giving birth to a baby. She died of a broken heart - not used to such harsh conditions

They were buried on their own land in Saskatchewan and now there is nothing remaining of the site and the land has changed hands a number of times. There were no civil records for Saskatewan before 1895

William and Margaret had the following children:-

John,   Ida May ,     Mary Jane,          William,     James.

Ida May married Mr Carson from Tisdale, Saskatchewan

Mary Jane, known as Minnie, 1868-1955 married William Fry in Canada. She had a boarding house in Winnipeg. He died young. She moved to Los Angeles, California, USA and died in Los Angeles(19) in 1955


Children were Irene Marian, Beth, Herbert Walker and Dorothy Fry.

Irene Marian married Mr Gross - she died 1954 in Los Angeles(19). Beth 1904-1961 Los Angeles,  Herbert Walker died 1986 in San Diego. Dorothy Fry never married. She looked after her mother, Minnie, who was injured in an Auto accident and was rather frail. Dorothy Fry died in 1964 in Los Angeles (70).

James, known as Jim, was born 11 March 1872 in Ireland. He married 1st) Jessie Tudge in 1900 - later died in childbirth 2nd)   Margaret Blair Barnard in 1908 - his housekeeper

Click to enlarge

James and Jessie had 3 children:-  Margaret Elizabeth     Ethel May    James William    

Margaret Elizabeth (1902-93) married Gordon Percival Wilkinson in 1931. 
Ethel May (1904-84) married Mr Davies.
James William (1906-) married Hazel Della Ealey in 1936. She was born 1905 and died 15 Sep 2006

I am in touch with descendants in Cardston Alberta

James and Margaret Blair had a daughter Jean Marion (1909-81) who married Gordon Harold Ealey 1903-1988 and lived in Saskatchewan.

James William Gordon	Margaret Blair Barnard with one of the children she delivered in Wapella	Wedding Jim Gordon and Hazel Della Ealey	Jim and Hazel Della Gordon  homesteading at Rose Prairie BC in 1966	Jean Marion Gordon	Wedding Gordon Harold Ealey and Jean Marion Gordon
			Hazel Della Ealey's father William John with his 5 sisters and a brother in law

Gordon was the brother of Hazel Della who married James William Gordon. Jean Marion died in 1981

I am in touch with descendants in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Margaret Blair Barnard's family came from Scotland. Her parents were   John Barnard and Jane Bennet who married in Coalsnaughton Tillicoultry on 08 Nov 1872

I have contact with Margaret's descendants in Alberta Canada 

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