Mary Meyer
ID # 6833, (1845-1884)
| Father | Ludwig G. Meyer (1810-1886) |
| Mother | Adolphine Thornton (1815-1883) |
| Birth | Mary Meyer was born in 1845 at Harpurhey. |
| Marriage | She married William Hespeler, son of Johann Georg Hespeler and Anna Barbara Wick, on 15 December 1874 at Seaforth, Huron County, Ontario. Mrge reg. 002961-75 Seaforth, Huro Co. Wm. Hespeler, 43, widower, Emigrant agent. Lutheran. Born Carlsbad, Baden, residing Fort Garrie. Parents George John Hespeler and Anna Barbara Hespeler. Mary Meyer, 28, spinster, Church of England. Born Harpurhey, residing Seaforth. Parents Ludwig G. Meyer and Adolphine Meyer. Witnesses H. W. C. Meyer, Miss M. Gouinlock, Dr. Gouinlock, and Miss Meyer, all (apparently) of Seaforth. On December 15th, 1874, at Seaforth, by Rev. W. Lafferty Mills. The clerk's handwriting for the above registration would indicate that the clergyman's name was Rev. W. Bafferty Mills. We have a bit more information, however, that is to be found in The Early Ontario Newspaper Transcription Series, The Huron Papers, Vol. 12, The Clinton New Era, April 1874 - September 1875, compiled by W. Craig Burtch, Global Heritage Press, 2012, page 6. The Thursday, December 17, 1874, edition of the Clinton New Era quotes the following marriage notice. This shows the marriage of William Hespeler of Fort Garry to Mary, the eldest daughter of Ludwig Meyer, at Thornton Hall, the residence of the bride's father. This is interesting, for Ludwig's wife (Mary's mother), Adolphine, was a Thornton. |
| Death | She died on 10 February 1884 at Strasburg, Alsace. |
| Burial | She was buried on 13 February 1884 at Freiburg, Baden, Germany. |
| Note | Mary's place of birth is shown on her marriage registration as Harpurhey. This sits on the border of Tuckersmith and McKillop Townships in Huron County. As the family farm was on lot 32 of the 1st concession of McKillop, a glance at the maps of the two townships would indicate that it is probably more accurate to say that she was born near Harpurhey. For the moment a birth year of 1845 is shown for Mary. This is approximate, but, in particular, is based on her age as of the 1851 census, really taken in January of 1852, and which asked, what is your age as of your next birthday. She is shown as age 7, presumeably as of her next birthday, so 1845 is probably her birth year. William Hespeler's biography, which appears in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography as presented by Archives & Library Canada (LAC), shows the marriage of William and Mary as being on December 15, 1874 (correct) and shows her year of death as 1883 (actually 1884). William had interests in Germany that included family, apparently business, but he was also an immigration agent. This took him to Germany on at least a few occasions and as it turns out, his second wife, Mary Meyer, died there as well and is buried in Freiburg as is his first wife Mary Keachie. Mary Meyer Hespeler's burial is to be found in a transcription-only database as presented by Ancestry entitled Baden, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1502-1985: It tells that Mary Hespeler, age 39, died 10 Feb 1884 and was buried on 13 Feb 1884, in Freiburg, Baden (Baden-Wurttemberg). Spouse Wilhelm Hespeler. This is shown as being in the parish of Freiburg and the page number is 393,394. Mary's death is specifically dated, but the actual place not mentioned, though she probably died in Freiburg. The biograph tells that there were no children but William's second or third wives. |
| Last Edited | 9 Sep 2019 |