Amy Johnson Crow, on her blog No Story Too Small, has challenged her fellow bloggers to post 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. This is week nine.
My great-great grandmother Jane Summerville was born around 1851 in Sharon, Ontario. She was the fifth child born to Christopher Summerville and Elizabeth Humphries and the second Jane. Her older sister had been born about 6 years earlier in Co. Fermanagh, Ireland, but died soon after the voyage to Canada in 1846.
On the 1851 census, the family is shown as living in East Gwillimbury, Ontario. Christopher (32), Elizabeth (33), John (10) and Ann (8) were all born in Ireland. Hugh (3) and Jane (1) were born once the family had settled in Ontario. Christopher was a labourer.
The 1861 census shows Christopher (42), Elizabeth (43), living in a 2-storey frame house with Ann (17), Hugh (12), Jane (10), Elizabeth (6), Christopher (4) and Mary (3).
In 1871, the family was still in East Gwillimbury. Christopher (50) and Elizabeth (52) were at home with Jane (20), Christopher (14) and Mary (13). At the time, Jane was listed as a seamstress.
On June 9, 1874, Jane married Harrison Thomas. On May 25, 1875, Gertrude Ethel Thomas, my great-grandmother, is born to Harrison and Jane. Three years later, on April 10, 1878 another daughter joins the family, Maud Evelyn.
Sadly, Harrison passed away from consumption on December 5, 1878. He was soon followed by Maud on March 30, 1879. Following Harrison’s death, Jane’s sister Mary came to stay with Jane and Gertrude. And when Jane’s sister-in-law Artimitia Summerville died in 1879, the two went to live Jane’s brother John and John’s son, Herbert.
In 1881, Jane (28) is found in her brother John’s (39) home with daughter Gertrude (7) and her nephew Herbert (13).
Jane passed away on June 9, 1884, leaving the nine-year old Gertrude an orphan.
Jane is buried with her husband Harrison in the Sharon Burying Ground.
