Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Benjamin Bigford

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Descendants of Benjamin Bigford

Generation No. 3

3. WILLIAM⁴ BIGFORD (JOHN WILLIAM³, BENJAMIN², BENJAMIN¹) was born November 15, 1851. He married BARBARA. She was born October 14, 1865.

Children of WILLIAM BIGFORD and BARBARA are:

	i.		B. M.⁵ BIGFORD, b. August 3, 1880.
	ii.		E. MAY BIGFORD, b. April 19, 1885.

4. MARY ELIZABETH⁴ BIGFORD (JOHN WILLIAM³, BENJAMIN², BENJAMIN¹) was born April 22, 1858, and died 1939. She married ? MONTGOMERY.

Children of MARY BIGFORD and ? MONTGOMERY are:

	i.		JOHN⁵ MONTGOMERY.
	ii.		WILLIAM MONTGOMERY.

5. JOHN WESLEY⁴ BIGFORD (JOHN WILLIAM³, BENJAMIN², BENJAMIN¹) was born September 7, 1861 in Merrickville, Ontario, Canada, and died October 13, 1944 in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. He married (1) MARGARET ANNE CARLIN April 2, 1883, daughter of WILLIAM CARLIN and MARY. She was born December 28, 1862 in Prescott, Grenville Co., Ontario, Canada, and died March 15, 1905 in Sourisford, Manitoba, Canada. He married (2) MARGARET SNOWDON Aft. 1905. She was born 1867, and died January 25, 1944 in Merrickville, Ontario, Canada.

Notes for JOHN WESLEY BIGFORD:
[Frankie1.FTW]

            JOHN WESLEY BIGFORD

      John Wesley Bigford was born in Merrickville, Ontario on the 7 September 1861. He married Margaret Anne Carlin on 24 December 1883 (Born 28 December 1862 Prescott, Grenville County, Ontario). They had ten children, Violet Pearl (1884), William John (1886), Mariez (Mary) (1888), Elizabeth Louise (1890), Florence (1891), Susan (1983), Albert Carlin (1897), Margaret Thelma (1900), Anna Edith ( 1901) and Margaret (1904). Information gathered from Anna Edith Wilson's Family Bible. All the children where born in Ontario except for the youngest, Margaret, who was born on the homestead at Sourisford, Manitoba. John Wesley Bigford was a tinsmith by trade - this was indicated in the 1891 Canada Census.

      Late in 1901 or early 1902, the Bigford family ventured West to Manitoba to take up farming. The farm was situated at S.E. 1/4 Section 33, Township 2, Range 27 West of the Principal Meridian in the Province of Manitoba (County of Arthur). John Bigford was recorded living in Swift Current, Saskatchewan at the time he purchased this property from the Railway Co. The Certificate of Title (source document) was dated 4 July 1907 - he had worked and lived on the farm since 1902. Information gathered from the Snyder Family History Book indicates that the C.J. Snyder purchased the Bigford farm in 1952. The Certificate of Title(s) (source document) passed from John Wesley Bigford to The Toronto General Trusts Corporation (Executors of Will) the 23 August 1945 then to Anna Edith (Bigford) Wilson 12 June 1946. Anna sold the property to Clifford John Snyder on 18 December 1952. Today the property belongs to Clifford Snyder, Junior. The area, now called Pearsons Corner, is in a valley at the corner/intersection of Highway 3 and Highway 83S, South of Melita, Manitoba. The Snyder Family History Book also indicated that Mrs Snyder was a mid-wife and that they lived just south of the Bigford farm. Mrs Snyder helped deliver Margaret Bigford in 1904. Cliff (Jnr) said "All he remembers about the old place was the little mud house which disappeared around 1960." Sourisford is now called Coulter Park.

      Shortly after the death of his wife, John took his family to Swift Current, in 1906 or 1907. John was the postmaster at Bigford, Saskatchewan. The Bigford School District was also name after him. The homestead was situated at the N.W. 1/4 Section 32, Township 13, Range 11, West of the 3rd Meridian in the Province of Saskatchewan (Source document- Title Grant dated 2 November 1910), South East of Wymark near Vanguard, approximately 35 miles from Swift Current. He also purchased the N.E. 1/4 Section 31, Township 13, Range 11 which was immediately West of the homestead (Source-Land Title Grant dated 11 December 1912).

      The raising of the younger children was left to Elizabeth until she married George W. Stinson on 13 November 1907. The youngest, Margaret, went to live with her oldest sister Violet and her husband Samual Edmun Hartry in Swift Current. They eventually adopted her (unproven)

      John Wesley Bigford remarried Margaret Snowdon, widow of Joseph Henry Hare, in 1913. From all accounts she was a very strict step-mother, she believed that children were reared to work the land and clean the house.

      John Wesley Bigford must have had thoughts of returning to Melita to live because he purchased two cemetery plots there in 1915 which are still registered to him.

      John moved to Swift Current about 1915. He returned to Merrickville, Ontario, with wife Margaret, to live sometime around 1935. She passed away on 25 Jan 1944 just prior to him. They owned a home at Lot 152, St. Lawrence Street, Merrickville, which was sold to Mrs W.E. Nicholson upon his death in 1944. He passed away in Ontario Hospital, Woodstock, Ontario on 13 October 1944. They are both buried at Andrew's Cemetery, Bishop's Mills, Ontario. Funeral services where held by Lincoln Mills Funeral Home and his tombstone was purchased from Kinkaid Monuments of Merrickville.

Death certificate stated he was married at the time of death but he really was a widower as his wife died earlier that year.

Notes for MARGARET ANNE CARLIN:
[Frankie1.FTW]

                  MARGARET ANN CARLIN

      Margaret Anne (Carlin) Bigford was of French Canadian decent. Her parents lived in Ontario most of the time but it is noted that the two youngest Carlin children were born in the United States. The Carlin family is noted in the 1891 Canada Census. She is the eldest child and had two brothers and one sister. Will Carlin, who married Kate and had two children, Will (Jnr) and Florence. Her second brother was Peter Carlin and her sister was Susan. Source from family picture taken 1901/2 which shows both the Carlin families and the Bigford family). Her parents must have passed away in Ontario.

      Margaret Anne Carlin passed away at Sourisford on 15 March 1905 (Source - Death Information from R.M. Officer, Melita, Manitoba., Roberta Walker). She was 42 years old. Her place of rest is not shown, it could be on the homestead.

More About MARGARET ANNE CARLIN:
Baptism: 1891, Census Oxford Twp, Leeds&Gren. Ont F1411568
Cemetary Infor.: 1901, Census, Oxford Twp, Leed&Grenville, Ont F1411568

More About JOHN BIGFORD and MARGARET CARLIN:
Marriage: April 2, 1883
Marriage Fact: December 24, 1883, #006372 Ontario marriages 1873-195

More About MARGARET SNOWDON:
Cemetary Infor.: Andrew's Cemetery, Bishop's Mills, Ontario, Canada

More About JOHN BIGFORD and MARGARET SNOWDON:
Marriage: Aft. 1905

Children of JOHN BIGFORD and MARGARET CARLIN are:

7.	i.	VIOLET PEARL⁵ BIGFORD, b. August 25, 1884, Oxford Twp, Grenville Co., Ontario, Canada; d. November 15, 1974, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
8.	ii.	WILLIAM JOHN BIGFORD, b. September 19, 1886, Leeds & Grenville Co., Ontario, Canada; d. 1964, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.
9.	iii.	MARY BIGFORD, b. July 2, 1888, Leeds & Grenville Co., Ontario, Canada; d. Abt. 1955, Shining Bank District, Alberta, Canada.
10.	iv.	ELIZABETH LOUISA BIGFORD, b. June 7, 1890, Merrickville, Ontario, Canada; d. March 11, 1979, Athabasca, Alberta, Canada.
	v.	FLORENCE BIGFORD, b. June 20, 1891, OXFORD TWP, GRENVILLE C0., ONTARIO, CANADA; d. September 7, 1891, OXFORD TWP, GRENVILLE CO., ONTARIO, CANADA.

More About FLORENCE BIGFORD:
Baptism: 1891, Vital Stats F1411568

11.	vi.		SUSAN BIGFORD, b. April 17, 1894, Leeds & Grenville Co., Ontario, Canada; d. May 13, 1992, Merritt, British Columbia, Canada.
	vii.		ALBERT CARLIN BIGFORD, b. August 6, 1897, Oxford twp, Leeds & Grenville Co., Ontario, Canada; d. February 18, 1979, Tonowanda, New York, USA; m. (1) ELLEN GRIMM; b. Franklin, Pennsylvania, USA; m. (2) ELLEN GRIMM; b. Franklin, Pennsylvania, USA.

Notes for ALBERT CARLIN BIGFORD:
[Frankie1.FTW]

Albert Carlin Bigford was the youngest son of John Wesley Bigford and Margaret Anne Carlin. He was born on the 6 August 1897, Oxford Township, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario, Canada.
Albert was the only member of the family who moved to the United States to live. He and his wife, Ellen Booth (first married name) along with her four children lived in North Tonawanda, New York.
Albert was a very kind man who was loved by all the family. He was so well liked that several of his siblings named their son after him. Albert passed away in Tonawanda on 18 February 1979.

viii.

MARGARET THELMA BIGFORD, b. June 17, 1900, Oxford twp, Leeds & Grenville Co., Ontario, Canada; d. August 2, 1900, Oxford twp, Leeds & Grenville Co., Ontario, Canada.

More About MARGARET THELMA BIGFORD:
Baptism: 1900, Vital Stats F015615

12.	ix.		ANNA EDITH BIGFORD, b. August 1, 1901, Oxford twp, Leeds & Grenville Co., Ontario, Canada; d. July 20, 1970, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada.
13.	x.		MARGARET BIGFORD, b. March 12, 1904, Sourisford, Manitoba, Canada; d. February 25, 1994, Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada.

6. BENJAMIN⁴ BIGFORD (JOHN WILLIAM³, BENJAMIN², BENJAMIN¹) was born July 3, 1869 in Oxford Twp, Grenville Co, Ontario, Canada, and died 1939. He married BERTHA JANE LAFAVOR. She was born May 3, 1876 in Ontario, Canada.

Notes for BENJAMIN BIGFORD:
[Frankie1.FTW]

1901 Census Ontario, Oxford Twp, family 90 Page 8 Film T06478
Benjamin (32) was a farmer, Methodist, origin Ireland,
Bertha Jane (24) of French origin

Children of BENJAMIN BIGFORD and BERTHA LAFAVOR are:

14.	i.		EVERETT MERIT⁵ BIGFORD, b. October 27, 1903; d. October 5, 1973.
15.	ii.		OSBORN BIGFORD, d. August 1983.

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