Elizabeth Davey and Joseph Gonyou in Ontario, Canada
Can someone please confirm this information for me, or comment on it-(specifically regarding the Somers-Palmateer-Parks connection for SARAH) who has done extensive research on this particular Parks and/or Palmateer line?
In my files I had a Sarah Jane or Sarah Elizabeth SOMERS who was married to Samuel Manson Parks. I have conflicting dates of birth for her- but she was born about 1835 at Thurlow in Hastings County.
Her first husband Samuel was the son of David Parks and Cynthia Varty. Samuel Manson Parks was born 1831 and died in 1879. I have names of seven children for him and his wife Sarah SOMERS, all born between 1857 and 1875. Sarah's maiden name "Somers" is confirmed in marriage and death records of her children.
On the 1881 census six of their children are living @ South Fredericksburgh with eldest son Byard Parks as the head of household. I had made a notation in my files that asked "where was their mother?" I do believe she was the "Sarah Parks" who married John Benson Palmateer on January 5, 1881.
The marriage reg. states her parents to be "David and Sarah Parks" but I have never been able to identify them, and no wonder....if my theory is correct here, John Benson Palmateer married Sarah Somers Parks, the widow of Samuel Manson Parks. On that marriage reg. it was stated that "Sarah Parks" was a widow, and that at the time of her marriage, she was residing in South Fredericksburgh- which makes sense, that's where several of her children were still living in 1881.
I am piecing together Lennox and Addington County Gonyou family history of which the SOMERS family is part....and I have a printed document which stated that Sarah Somers, daughter of Elizabeth Davey and her second husband Daniel Nathan Somers, "married John Palmateer". Again despite extensive searching I could not find this couple but I do believe I have found them in John Benson Palmateer and his wife Sarah (the widow Parks). The year of death for (both) Sarah widow of Samuel Manson Parks, and Sarah widow of John Benson Palmateer is 1921.
The death registration for widowed Sarah Palmateer (she died January 21, 1921) was filed at Tyendinaga in Hastings County; although this is where she was living when she died, she was to be buried at Tamworth. The informant for her death was her grand-son Perry Parks, (son of Byard Parks and Catherine Clute) who was living at Deseronto. He did not know the names of her parents or her date of birth or where she was born.
If I am correct then, Sarah Elizabeth Somers married first Samuel Manson Parks, and then John Benson Palmateer. I do not think she had any children with John B. Palmateer. The name of Sarah's father was Daniel Nathan Somers, and all we know is that his first wife was a "Miss Parks". Does anyone know who she was? I have no idea if she (Miss Parks/Mrs. Daniel Somers) died and that is why Daniel re-married to Elizabeth Davey, OR if this unknown woman ALSO re-married to someone else. Is there any chance that Deborah Amanda Parks was Daniel's first wife? Deborah A. Parks married William Martin Aylesworth in 1842 when she was already 27 years old. (One of Daniel Somers' daughters is a Deborah Somers.)
I have the names of a possible six daughters (there may be only four daughters, the names I have may be alternate given names) for Daniel Somers and his wife (Miss Parks)- but so far no marriage or death info for any of them which will tell me who their mother is. In 1851 four daughters are with Daniel and his second wife Elizabeth Davey at Thurlow in Hastings County. What makes this all very fascinating is that Elizabeth Davey was first married to a Joseph GONYOU, confirmed by the same printed document that I mentioned above. She and Joseph had five Gonyou children and I have accounted for all five in year 1851 and beyond, their marriages, names of children, right to their deaths.
Here again, however, I do not know what happened to the Joseph Gonyou who was first married to Elizabeth Davey. On the 1881 census in Ontario, I can identify THREE Joseph Gonyou's all born about the same time: Joseph born about 1815 in Ontario who married Jane Thompson and lived in Sheffield Township; the Joseph born about 1815 in Quebec who lived at Kaladar and was married to Hester Favreau; and a third Joseph Gonyou born about 1808 in Quebec, who was living alone in 1881 also at Kaladar. One of these three Joseph's was most likely the first husband of Elizabeth Davey and the father of the five Gonyou children whose files I am working on, but I have no clue which one......The Gonyou children were born to this Joseph and Elizabeth (nee Davey) between 1832 and 1843. Jane Thompson married her Joseph Gonyou about 1844, their first son Richard was born about 1845. The Joseph Gonyou who married Hester Favreau did so in April 1845 in Quebec, so most likely not him. (But where was he from about 1830 to 1845?) And I know nothing about that third Joseph who was living in Kaladar- I do think he was married, but have not sorted out to whom, and whether he had children, etc.
Also I cannot find a death registration for Elizabeth Davey Gonyou Somers- the printed document says she died in 1886, so there should be a death reg. She was living in Sheffield in 1881 with her 29 year old son Wellington Somers and her 18 year old daughter Adelia whose other given name was Lily. Wellington is listed as being married but I am sure he was either separated from a first wife or was a widower. He re-married in 1885 to Catherine Delonghery. So I assume that Elizabeth Davey Gonyou Somers died with surname Somers, and most likely in Sheffield. Does anyone know where and when she died, and is buried?
Still lots of loose ends here, so if anyone has any answers for me, (or more questions) please contact me.
Thanks from Nora