"What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet."

first of all a special thanks to William Shakespeare for the title .... not from one of your more cheerier tales, but good none the less.

I grew up considering myself a "Watson" ..... now that being said, Watson is my Mother's maiden name, so TECHNICALLY I'm only part watson.   Now not only did I spend a large part of my childhood with my Watson Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts and cousins, but with my family if you have Watson blood, you're a Watson (we do tend to be a wee bit clannish).    now the question is .... should we REALLY be Watsons ??!!     without meaning to ruin the end of the story, the answer is "no".

ok, it started in Scotland back in the 1800s (well actually it started in Ireland, but that's another story, and possibly another bone of contention within the family ... dont tell a proud Scottish family they actually have more history in Ireland !!).  

the first reference to my 2xGreat-Grandmother, Mary Chalmers Watson was in the 1851 Scotland Census, as a 12 year old girl living in Queensferry, West Lothian with her parents (James & Helen Watson) her brother John (14) and sister Martha (8).    I wonder back to that wee Irish girl, now living in Scotland, can she even imagine the impact she will have on so many lives, how she will be challenged but revered and honoured by the son she is going to have in the future, and that she will be "remembered" by her ancestor 112 years after her death.

let's jump ahead 10 years, to the 1961 Scottish census .... Mary Watson  is now 22 and  although the address has changed (13 Kirk Street, Glasgow), she's still living with her Parents .... a husband Richard Malloy (21) and a son James Malloy !!    

I know very little about Richard Malloy, other than he died 21 January 1869 .... leaving Mary with potentially 6 children !!!

• John 1859-1914
• Archibald 1861-?
• Jeanie 1863-?
• James Watson 1865-?
• Archibald 1867-?
• Helen 1868-1916

10 years later and it's 1871, Mary is still living at 13 Kirk Street.   I cant find any record of her parents I'm assuming that they have passed away by this time, but she has 2 of her children living with her, John (11) and Ellen (9).    it's interesting that her name in this census is her married name of Maloy, not Watson like it was in the previous census where she was living with her parents and (I assume) her husband.

on March 19th, 1873, Mary Watson-Malloy gave birth to a son ... but there's a catch .... who is the Father, and where is he.    why dont we let my Great-Grandfather tell you, in his own words ...

My parents were never married, through an unfortunate circumstance which arose prior to my birth. My father, Henry Downie by name, stone mason by trade, Roman Catholic by religion, met my mother while he was a member of the Eastern Division Glasgow Police Force. My Mother was a widow at the time.

Her deceased husband being one by the name of Richard Maloy, a dyer by trade, who died at a premature age of tubercular trouble of the lungs, after living a short and uneventful life. (This disease is the workers’ heritage.) He left her nothing but a sad heart and three children, two boys and one girl. The eldest, John Maloy, dying at 54 years of age, the next, Ellen Malloy, dying at about 48 years of age, and the last, Richard, dying about one year old.

Needless to say, when Father and Mother met, it was a love match. Locks, bolts or bars cannot keep love back. Neither can religion. Love laughs at all things, and so they loved like a true son and daughter of old Adam and Eve. I don’t want to condemn Father for leaving Mother when her great sorrow was coming on her. Maybe he regretted it. Maybe he was sorry. Maybe he was pained. Maybe he suffered. God knows, who knows. I just want to think kindly of him.

In the month of February, a month before I was born, Father was working at his trade in scaffolding, quite a few feet from the ground, when one day the man working next to him started quarrelling with him. Blows were struck, the man was knocked off the scaffold, which resulted in his death some time after. My Father had to flee the country going to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. We never saw him again. My Mother only heard of him casually through his parents. It is said that he sent money again and again to Mother, but she never got it. His parents being Roman Catholics were very angry at Mother, because she was a Protestant. So, I never knew the touch of a Dad’s hand on my head or a kiss of a Dad’s lips or a hug or a Dad’s voice saying ‘sonny mine’.

so, my Great-Grandfather was named for his Father, but kept his Mother's maiden name for his own .... Henry Downie Watson.    In order to appease the Downie family, my Great-Grandfather was baptised in a Roman Catholic Church, although it doesnt seemed to have done anything to help with the realtionship between the Watsons and the Downies (and I'm sure it didnt impress the Watson clan at the time at all !!)

as a side note, Mary Chalmers Watson-Malloy did marry again, in 1882 to William Killin, so the name on her death certificate is Mary Killin, but it shows her as the widow of Richard Malloy and widow/wife of William Killin.

Henry Downie Watson had a son, Robert McCracken, who had a Daughter, who had ME :)

so ... now the $64,000 question is ..... am I a "Watson", or a "Downie" .... OR, does is really matter.   it's odd to think that something you are so proud of being, you only are because of a freak accident that happened 139 years ago.

NHL Lockout ... but you cant, Hockey is in my blood !!!

well, maybe not in my blood, but definitely in my family's DNA !    I come from a hockey family.   If we were home on a Saturday night, then hockey was on the TV... me cheering on the Habs, while my Dad cheered on the Leafs (booooo, hisssss).    I remember my Dad telling me that, Al Arbour, who played with Detriot, Chicago, Toronto and St Louis was a distant cousin.    I dont think my Dad knew exactly how, but I thought it was pretty cool none the less .... well, it turns out our family ties to hockey and the NHL goes even deeper than that !!

My Dad's Mother was an Arbour.   My 7th Great-Grandfather, Michel Arbour (1647-1699) emigrated from Normandie France to Neuville Quebec in 1671.   That same year he married Marie-Catherine Constatineau in Quebec.  

Skipping ahead a few generations, in 1883/84, my 2nd Great-Grandfather, Joseph Magloire Arbour (1845-1924) brought his wife Leocadie Cartier dit Robert (1850-1926) and children to Simcoe County in Ontario.   My Great-Grandfather, William Joseph Arbour (1884-1965) was the first of their children born in Ontario.   They settled in Victoria Harbour, where my Grandmother was eventually born.

Althought many of my ancestors stayed in Quebec, some decided to join family members in Ontario.   My 3rd Great-GrandUncle, Narcisse Arbour (1874-?) was one of the family that also ended up settling in Victoria Harbour.   Narcisse Arbour married Marie Jean Laforge (1877-) after arriving in Ontario, and hey had a son Joseph Amos Arbour (1895-1943), my 1st Cousin 4x removed.

Joseph Amos Arbour, or Amos "Butch" Arbour, as he came to be known as, was an original member of the NHL.

Amos Arbour came by his nickname obviously enough. "Butch" was a butcher by trade, while playing two seasons for the National Hockey Assoiation and six seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Hamilton Tigers and Toronto St Patricks.   Butch was a member of the 1916 Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens team.

Born in Victoria Harbour, Ontario way back in 1895, Arbour first arrived on the big league hockey scene back in 1915 when he joined the Montreal Canadiens. This was back when there was no such thing as the NHL. Instead, the Canadiens were part of the NHA - National Hockey Association - the forerunner to the NHL.

Butch, a 5'8" 160lb left winger, played 20 games with the Habs that season, scoring 5 goals. He seemed to be hitting his stride with linemates Goldie Prodgers and Louis Berlinquette when World War I interrupted his career. Even though his commitments to the Canadian military prevented him from playing with the Habs, he continued playing in the NHA while stationed in southern Ontario. Arbour scored an impressive 13 goals in 10 games with the Toronto 228th Battalion entry in the league.

There is no statistical evidence to suggest Arbour played at all during the 1917-18 season, possibly because he was in Europe fighting in the war. He eventually resurfaced, playing a single game of the 1918-19 season back with the Habs now of the NHL.

Arbour's best big league season came in 1919-20 when he scored 21 goals in 22 games with the Habs. He would play another season in Montreal before being traded with Cully Wilson and Harry Mummery to Hamilton for the infamous Sprague Cleghorn. Arbour played two seasons in Hamilton and a final season with the Toronto St. Pats in 1923-24 before retiring and returning to his meat counter.

His NHL totals were 52 goals and 20 assists in 113 games. In the NHA he scored 19 goals and 3 assists in 30 games.

start at the beginning .... how it all began

I have always had a strong sense of "family", I'm not sure if it's an "only child" thing or it's just the way I was raised.   My Mum and I have always had a good/close relationship (the teen years, being typical, should probably be excluded from this statment), like the one that she had with her Mum.   I have been blessed with a wonderful daughter, and for the most part, we have followed in the same tradition, and also have a close relationship.

My growing up was all about "being a Watson".   Yes, I'm a REID (and I'm VERY proud of my Father's family history, and you'll see why in later blogs), but I'm a Watson, thru and thru.    

That being said, my interest in family history all started because of my Maternal Grandmother's family.   I remember my Grandmother speaking a wee bit about her parents, about her sadness regarding her Mother passing just weeks before my Mum was born (I couldnt even consider my Mum not watching my daughter growing up and being part of her life !!!), and about her Uncle Alex (her Mother's Brother).  I remember her sister from when I was young, and my Grandmother mentioning that there was a sibling (sister Hazel) that died at birth (or very young).    BUT, the stories that really got me interested in family history were:

• her Maternal Grandmother was a Tallman.   The Tallmans were United Empire Loyalists who settled in the Beamsville area, and "some how" we were related to Tallman Brass/Bronze.  Unfortunately she had lost contact with the Tallman side of the family.
• her Father was Samuel Ira Elliott, and thru his side ... apparently our Elliotts wer connected to (in some way) Pierre Elliott Trudeau's Mother (a rumour that I have yet to prove)
• Samuel Ira Elliott's mother was Sarah Urquhart .... I was always told that her family were connected (in some way) to Urquhart Castle in Scotland (a rumour that I have yet to prove)
• AND thru the Elliott side of the family .... we were related to Laura Secord !!!!   OMG, as a child that was AWESOME (not that as a child I really cared and her and the cow hiking thru the forest to save the British troops from the hords of "un-Godly Americans" .... but she had an ICE CREAM Shoppe !!!!)

Laura Secord ... my how-ever-many-times great Aunt/Cousin!    Now, the kicker was, my Grandmother had absolutely NO idea HOW we were related to her, just that we were.     This was confirmed to me when we had a couple of Elliott reunions in Smithville (where my Grandmother's Father was born & raised).   

One of my favourite memories of growing up was meeting and the many times I got to just sit and listen to my Great-Aunt Bertie talk about her life.   OMG, what a pip !!!!    Aunt Bertie, was my Great-Grandfather's "baby" sister, born in 1882.   I remember her 90th birthday party, that was held in the house that she was born in !!!   (which, unfortunately is no longer in the family).     She was amazing!!    She told me about the "secret passage" and told me to go find it (it came out in a TV room where many of us kids ended up hanging out).    I remember Aunt Bertie coming into the kitchen where all the Ladies were preparing lunch, she looked at me and said "do you know this is where I was born?".  "Yes, Aunt Bertie, I know", I said.   "NO", said Aunt Bertie, "THIS is where I was born!  This room used to be my Mum's bedroom".     my first thought was "ICK", LOL.     Aunt Bertie then took me upstairs, where we sat together on a window seat of a bedroom.    She sat me down, patted my hand and told me how this was her bedroom, and as a girl she would sit on this same window seat doing her homework, watching the carriages drive up and down the street.   She would watch for her Dad to come home from work.   I swear, I could see it all in my mind when I sat there with her !!    Aunt Bertie was an amazing person to talk to, I could listen to her stories for ever.   I think she knew that I was truly interested in listening to her, and I had a special place in her heart (as she will always have in mine)

The one thing Aunt Bertie did do, was confirm that there was REALLY a connection to Laura Secord !   BANG, there it was !!! (unfortunately, I never thought to ask HOW .... aww, the sharp mind of a child).  One day, an Elliott cousin and her husband stopped by to visit with my parents.    They brought with them a few "Secord" items, that Aunt Bertie wanted me to have.    it was a pair of candle sticks, a candle snuffer and a tray to put the snuffer on.    the one candle stick had been damage/repaired at one time (I've always pictured "Great-Aunt Laura" bashing some Yankee Soldier over the head as she makes her escape with the cow ..... but it probably just fell off a mantle or shelf at some point, but either way, these family items will ALWAYS be cherrished by me).      The last time I saw Aunt Bertie, she had moved in with her Daughter, and her GrandDaughter, as she was over 100 and needed a wee bit more supervision.     it was an amazing visit, as frail as she may have been, and maybe even a wee bit forgetful (but who isn't, for heaven's sake, dont ever ask me what I had for breakfast today !!), she was still filled with amzaing stories of her life !!     Just before leaving she took me into to her bedroom and gave me a mantle clock.    It was very plain/simple, but I thought it was the most beatiful clock I had ever seen.    At the time I was playing the violin, which Aunt Bertie also played when she was young.    She told me, she wished she had her violin to give me, but wanted me to have the clock instead ...... OMG, I was walking on air !!   Unfortunately, my Parents didn't seem to agree, and wouldnt let me accept the clock from Aunt Bertie.   Aunt Bertie was the top of 5 living generations, I wasn't even a "grandchild", I was her brother's g-granddaughter .... there were so many other ahead of me.   Also, as my parents explained at the time, she was getting very "generous" with visitors, and there was the concern that she's was going to give everything away (and not to those that were truly in line for them).      As much as I understood, I was still devistated, and will always carry this wee bit of sadness and hurt with me.    I know that as many family members were ahead of me,  part of me wonders if the person that finally ended up with this little clock really appreciated it (and where is it now).  

OK ...... enough reminiscing, back to Laura Secord!!    Of course, as I was raised, thus I shall raise my daughter .... who grew up being taught that she is related to Laura Secord (and yes, she often asked why we didnt get free ice cream).     it was back when my Daughter was in Grade-2 (or 3), and was in Brownies, she had to do a geanology project for School/Brownies.    The obvious choice was let's find out link to Laura Secord ... AND, we did !!!

The good news:

• we have a definitely link, on our family tree, from "us" --> Laura Secord

The bad news:

• to say there's no blood relationship would be an understatment !!!

so, here's the scoop ..... my Great-Aunt Bertie was married to George Warrender.   George's Mother was Maria UPPER (1857-?).   Maria's Mother was Phebe SECORD (1839-1884).  Phebe's Father was George SECORD (1801/6-1881).  George's Brother was James B Secord (1773-1841) .... who married Laura Ingersoll (1775-1868) !!!!!

so, basically .... my Great-Aunt married a man, who's Great-Grandfather's BROTHER Married Laura Ingersoll-Secord.     GOOD, now we all see how I'm (not) related to Laura Ingersoll-Secord ... but it made a good story growing up and it got my Mum, myself and my Daughter hooked on family tree research and "cemetery stomping" :-)   The rest as they say .... is history.