Mary Hannah Easterbrook
ID # 7439, (1856-1918)
| Father | George Easterbrook (1822-1903) |
| Mother | Mary Youart (1825-1856) |
| Birth | Mary Hannah Easterbrook was born on 19 February 1856 at Nassagaweya Twp., Halton Co., Canada West. |
| Marriage | She married William Allan Bell on 24 March 1874 at Nassagaweya Twp., Halton Co., Ontario. Mrge reg. 003734-74 Nassagaweya Twp., Halton Co. William Allan Bell, 23, bachelor, farmer, Presbyterian. Born and residing Nassagaweya. Parents Thomas and Rachael Bell. Mary Hannah Easterbrook, 18, spinster, Methodist. Born and residing Nassagaweya. Parents George and Mary Easterbrook. Witnesses George Stranger and John Diamond, both of Nassagaweya. On 1st December, 1874, at Nassagaweya, by Thos. L. Wilkinson, minister. |
| Death | She died on 5 March 1918 at Acton, Halton County, Ontario, at age 62. |
| Burial | She was buried on 7 March 1918 at Fairview Cemetery, Acton, Ontario. |
| Note | We find Mary Hannah Easterbrook shown as the daughter of George and Mary Easterbrook on her marriage registration. She married William Allan Bell in 1874 in Nassagaweya and she is shown as being born in this township as well as residing there. The witnesses to her marriage were George Stranger and John Diamond, both of Nassagaweya. She does not appear with her father and step mother in the 1861 census, but we may safely say that she is Maryann Easterbrook, age 5, in the 1861 census, shown with John Diamond, age 30, and his wife Jane, in Nassagaweya, in 1861. By the time of the 1871 census, Mary Easterbrook is with George Stranger and his wife Ann, who, according to the diary of Henry Husband, were childless and enjoyed having young people with them. She appears there with Thomas Diamond and William Husband. There is probably more to the story than the snapshots presented by the two census years, which, afterall, were ten years apart. It does, however, suggest that there was a close relationship between Mary Hannah and the Stranger and Diamond families when almost certainly the witness George Stranger, who was childless, was present at her marriage as well as John Diamond, perhaps both, to a degree, father figures in her life. The 1901 census in Nassagaweya Township shows the birth date of Mary H. Bell as February 19, 1856. The Halton-Peel branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has transcribed the gravestones in the Ebenezer Church Cemetery and this tells us that the date of death of Mary Youart Easterbrook, Mary Hannah's mother, was February 28, 1856, some nine days after daughter Mary's birth. John Diamond died in 1906. His wife Jane is next to be found with Mary Hannah and William Bell in the 1911 census. Mary Hannah died in 1918 at Acton where her son Jeremiah Bell resided. Jane Diamond appears in the home of Jeremiah as of the 1921 census and Jane's death occurred in her 100th year at Jeremiah's in December of 1921. And here, the Acton Free Press, morning edition of December 22, 1921, page 1, has a story to tell. An excellent obituary for Jane Diamond is given. This tells that she was born in Devonshire, England, and came to Canada shortly after her marriage and that she and her husband settled in Nassagaweya. She was with Mrs. Easterbrook, Mary Hannah's mother, when Mary Hannah was born. Mrs. Easterbrook lived but a few days thereafter, and Jane Diamond took Mary home and raised her as her own. After John Diamond's death, Mary Hannah took Jane into her own home. They were eventually with Mary's son Jeremiah Bell. Jeremiah saw to Jane for her few remaining days. Access to the above news story is to be found via halinet.on.ca Death reg. 018721-18 Acton, Halton Co. Mary Bell died Marth 5th, 1918, at Acton. Age 62 years, 15 days. Place of birth Nassagaweya Tp., Halton Co. Widow. Father George Easterbrook. Physician Dr. J. A. McNiven. Informant J. Bell, Acton. Halinet provides access to an obituary that appeared in the Acton Free Press, 7 March, 1918, page 2. This tells that the funeral was the same afternoon as the edition of the newspaper. |
Child of Mary Hannah Easterbrook and William Allan Bell |
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| Last Edited | 13 Oct 2019 |