Charles De Blaquiere

ID # 6397, (1819-1869)
Pedigree
BirthCharles De Blaquiere was born on 7 November 1819 at London, England. 
BaptismHe was baptized on 29 November 1819 at St. Mary, St. Marylebone Rd., London, England. 
MarriageHe married Agnes Briggs Smith on 1 September 1848 at Paris, Dumfries Twp., Gore District, Canada West.
The first record that we have of Charles de Blaquiere's marriage to Agnes is to be found in William D. Reid's Marriage Notices of Ontario, Hunterdon House, Lambertville, New Jersey, 1980. Page 319 quotes extracts from the Toronto Globe edition of 13 September, 1848. This tells that on the 1st instant (September 1st) at Guelph (see note below) C. De Blaquiere married Agness, widow of the late William Lawson. The marriage ceremony was performed by Rev. Mr. Ruttan.

The clergyman was Rev. Charles Ruttan, an Anglican minister, who was at St. James Church in Paris between 1848 and 1855.

Agness' surname is spelled with a double 'S'.

The above statement that the couple was married in Guelph is an error, probably confused with another marriage in the newspaper's brief list that was held in Guelph.

The Globe extraction does not show Agnes' maiden name, but we may say that her full name was Agnes Briggs Smith. See Agnes' main notes.

The Toronto Globe's edition of Wednesday, September 13, 1848, is available to Toronto library card holders via Proquest which has the Globe's archives. This in fact tells that the couple was married at Paris. This makes sense, for in the land transaction contracted between William Lawson, Agnes' first husband, and Andrew Toshack Smith (probably Agnes' father) as well as William Smart Light, in which part of the deal was that Lawson marry Agnes, Andrew Toshack Smith is said to be of Dumfries Township where Paris is located.
 
MarriageHe married Caroline Dora Bettridge, daughter of William Craddock Bettridge and Mary Hounsfield, on 10 April 1865 at Oxford County, Canada West.
MS248 reel 12, Vol. 50, page 22
Oxford County Marriage Register

Extracted from a list of marriages solemnized by Anglican clergy and reported by the bride's father, William Bettridge. The officiant for this marriage being A. Palmer. The list is for the year ending December 31, A.D. 1865.

Chas. de Blaquiere, 46, born England, residing Woodstock. Parents Hon. P. B. de Blaquiere and Eliza de Blaquiere.
C. Dora Bettridge, 25, born Canada, residing Woodstock. Parents Wm. and Mary Bettridge.
Witness Edw'd Ambrose, Woodstock
On Apr. 10, 1865, by A. Palmer.

We will note here that the witness, Edward Ambrose, is almost certainly the Edward Ambrose who is buried in Old St. Paul's Anglican Cemetery, Woodstock. The cemetery transcription (see notes under Charles De Blaquiere) shows his death on October 11, 1865, at age 31. He was 'manager of the Gore Bank, in this place'.
 
DeathHe died on 14 July 1869 at Woodstock, Oxford County, Ontario, at age 49. 
BurialHe was buried on 16 July 1869 at Old St. Paul's Anglican Cemetery, Woodstock, Ontario. 
NoteFamilysearch has a database, transcription only, England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. This shows Charles de Blaquiere, Christening date of 29 Nov 1819, Christeing place Saint Mary - St Marylebone Road, St. Marylebone, London, England.
Birth date Nov. 7 1819.
Parents Peter Boyle de Blaquiere and Eliza.

Charles' date of birth shown above, Nov. 7, 1819, agrees with that shown on his gravestone in Old St. Paul's Cemetery in Woodstock, Oxford County, Ontario.

We first find Charles and his first wife Agnes in Burford Township in Brant County as of the 1851 census (begun in January of 1852). There, the family name is shown as de Blackie. Charles is 32 and Agnes is 26. They are both born in England and members of the English Church. He is shown as a lumberer, though an examination of the statistical pages tells that he has a sawmill. With the couple are children Mary A., born born in Canada West, age 5; Peter H., age 3; Agnes, age 2. There are apparently servants and laborers in the household, but we may note that two young women are present who may at some remove be family members. One is Catherine Sutton, age 26, born England, and the other Elizabeth Walker, age 23, born Canada West. We do not have a maiden name for Agnes, wife of Charles. It is possible, however, that one of the young women present in this census may be Agnes' sister. No proof for this has been found. (See notes for Agnes. Her maiden name, Smith, has been found.)

Canada post office information, as presented by Library & Archives Canada, tells that Charles de Blaquiere was postmaster at Woodstock from 1853 to his death in July of 1869. Charles and Agnes are shown with their proper name de Blaquiere as being in Blandford Township of Oxford County as of the 1861 census. Since Blandford had within its borders a substantial portion of the town of Woodstock, this is probably not an inconsistency.

(We may note here that Burford Township was a part of the old Brock District which also included most of the townships that became Oxford County. When the county system came into being, Burford was hived off from its old demographic relationships and became a part of Brant County.)

The 1861 census in Blandford shows children Peter and Agnes still with the household. Also present are sons William age 5 and Charles age 3. Such information as we have for young Charles presents its own problems. See notes under his name.

Death reg. 002519 Woodstock, Oxford Co.
Charles De Blaquiere died 14 July 1869. Age 49. Postmaster. Born London, England. Episcopalian.
Cause of death dropsy 10 days.
Physician Dr. Turquand.
Informant N. De Blaquiere, esq., Woodstock.

(The initial of the informant, 'N', is rather ill-written, but comparing the entry clerk's handwriting across several pages, it does seem to be a letter N. It's tempting to make a letter H out of it, for Henry de Blaquiere, Charles' brother, was in the area, or may have attended his funeral, but the letter H is frequently written by the clerk and it seems that 'N' is intended. Of course the clerk is transcribing handwriting on information he has been handed, so anything is possible.)

Some notes here relating to Old St. Paul's Anglican Cemetery:

A transcription for this cemetery may be found at the Archives of Ontario on microfilm MS451 reel 55. It is essentially in four parts. The first part is an index, the second is the transcription of the surviving gravestones. This was done in 1985 by the Oxford County branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. The third part is a transcription of the plaques that were installed at a central location. Examining the plaque transcriptions it becomes evident that there are burials in this cemetery for which the original gravestones have not survived. The fourth part of the work is a transcription of the burial book. This provides us with dates of burial. The pages of the transcription are not numbered. The sections and stones are numbered.

The transcription of the gravestones for Old St. Paul's indicates that Charles de Blaquiere is buried with William and Mary Bettridge. He is described as their son-in-law and his dates of birth and death are November 7, 1819 - July 4, 1869.

See marriage notes for Charles and Agnes as well as notes for wife Agnes, the widow of William Lawson. The burial records for Old St. Paul's in Woodstock show a burial for Emily Laura de Blaquiere, age 6 mos. This burial is dated Sept. 6, 1838. While possibly a daughter of Charles by a previous marriage, it seems unlikely given that Charles would have been very young to have been married. There is no doubt a family relationship of the child to Charles, but for the present what this might be eludes us.

The 1862 Oxford County Gazetteer shows Charles de Blaquiere, postmaster, living on Dundas Street in Woodstock. Also on the same street and shown as a gentleman is a Henry de Blaquiere. Henry does has not been found in the 1861 cesus. It may be that Henry is living with Charles and family at the time.

In the 1852 Oxford County Gazetteer and beginning on page 105 we have some information relating to the officers of the local militia. The 2nd Oxford Regiment has as lieutenants William Lawson and H. de Blaquiere. Their commissions date from 1838.

The 3rd regiment, drawn from the Township of Zorra, shows a P. B. de Blaquiere (Peter Boyle de Blaquiere). Unusually, his commission shows from 1815 and will relate to his army commission. He is the father of Charles and probably the father of Henry.

Page 108 shows a list of Oxford militia officers dating from 1 June 1852. This includes Henry de Blaquiere, commission dating from 1847. He is with the 3rd Battalion drawn from the two Zorras. Henry's commission with this unit dates from 1847. Wiliam Lawson appears here as well, his commission dating from May 12, 1847. Of course, William was dead a month later and therefor not actually with the Battalion in 1852.

The above military history may be of some use if the de Blaquieres are expanded in this tree, but, for the moment, the point is that we have information here that is missing from censuses. 

Children of Charles De Blaquiere and Agnes Briggs Smith
Last Edited9 Dec 2022