Two of my 3x great grandparents are Thomas Routledge (born on or before 25 Jul 1763 Broderigg, Bewcastle) and Elizabeth Routledge (born on or before 27 Aug 1763 Raw, Bewcastle). The dates are their baptismal dates. Thomas and Elizabeth were married 23 Jun 1785 at Bewcastle and their witnesses were: George Routledge (Elizabeth's father) and Leonard Potts. They were married by Licence (perhaps because they were second cousins once removed. Thomas and Elizabeth had 10 children: Margaret (b 1786 Antonstown, Bewcastle), Henry (b 1787 Antonstown, Bewcastle), Grace (b 1789 Antonstown, Bewcastle), George (b 1792 Parkhead, Bewcastle), William (b 1795 Parkhead, Bewcastle), Thomas (b 1798 Parkhead, Bewcastle), Allan and Elizabeth Mary Ann (b 1804 Parkhead, Bewcastle), and Joseph (b 1808 Parkhead, Bewcastle). Grace married George Arthur Kennedy 14 Jun 1810 at Bewcastle and they had four sons born there: Robert (b 1812 Nookhouse, d 1816), George (b 1813), Thomas (b 1815 Nookhouse, d 1817) and Robert (b 1818 Nookhouse).
The entire family including Grace and her husband and children emigrated to Canada in the summer of 1818 and they are known to be settled in London Township, Middlesex County, Ontario by the late fall of 1818. Elizabeth Mary Ann is my ancestor (2x great grandmother) and she married Robert Gray (b 3 Nov 1810 Etton Yorkshire) in 1835 in London, Ontario, Canada.
George (b 1792) wrote a letter back to his friend Archibald Armstrong in 1837 and a transcript can be found here:
Copy of a letter to Mr. Archibald Armstrong, Parknook, Bewcastle sent in care of the Inn Keeper, Bush Inn, Brampton, Cumberland (and received there 5 April 1837).
London Jan 16th 1837
Mr. Archibald Armstrong
I take this opportunity of writing to you a few lines to let you know how we are all
going on in this part of America, I wrote to you once or twice before but I never got
any answer, we are all in good health at present thanks be to God for that blessing,
hoping that these few lines will find you and your family all in the same state. First
I shall give an assessment of the times, our markets and the price of farming stock
and all kinds of produce and the price of land also take notice, what I shall name to
you in value shall all be sterling money and meashures the old Carlisle bushel that
was when we left the country, land within 6 or 7 miles of the town of London can be
bought for about 24 shillings per acre uncleared all the timber thereon, and a
cleared up farm of 100 acres with 50 acres of that cleared off fit for cultivation
can be bought for about 350 pounds so any man that can come here with a little money
he can see how he may be suited, there is not the chance now to get land that there
was when we came to this country, land has got to be more valueable on account of the
great advancement of the population in this part, my old companion I am sorry to
inform you how unfortunate you were in not coming to this country when you were in the
notion of coming at the time when we came you might have had today as much property
as I have and perhaps more; the general price of good horses is from 20 to 30 pounds.
Last spring I sold a horse two years old for 20 pounds about the same time my brother
Thos sold a horse three years old likely for the saddle for upwards of 30 pounds the
price of a yoke of oxen is about 17 pounds milke cows from 5 to 7 pounds a peice, and
sheep will average about 12 shillings a peice, beef 3d per pounds Mutton about the same
pork 4d - 6d per stone butter 9cents per pound tallow 8d, wheat 16s per bushel barly 10s
rye 13s peas 12s Indian corn 12s oats 5s potatoes 5s per bushel apples 4s - 6s per
bushel whisky 2s Brandy 7s Rum 5s Wine 7s per gallon.
We live about 6 miles from the town of London which is the county town and city of
London. I have 400 Acres of land 300 Acres of it lies all adjoining and about 70 acres
of it well cleared and in a good state of cultivation and one hundred acres lyes
within 4 miles of the town and a good clearing upon it which I have a farmer lives upon
it, any man that comes here that is not of ability to buy land there are farms to be let
for 7 to 10s per acre yearly for the cleared land that is fit for cultivation, I have
a pair of good draught horses and a yoke of oxen which I keep for working the place I
live on, I Keep 6 milk cows and 14 head of young cattle a flock of sheep and a good
brood mare, and the taxes I pay for all I pocess land and stock is only 13s6d yearly, we
can feed the best of beef and summer our milk cows in the woods clear of all costs we
have great priveliges here that you have not in Bewcastle or no other part in England
and we understand that times is always getting worse in England, I now shall tell you
the alterations of Families that was from Bewcastle Deaths weddings etc Roby Summers
died three years ago last agust, my mother died two years ago lass pet. My brother Allan
died one year ago last October I expect you have heard of myself being married to Jane
Summers 15 years past last July and we have 6 children living and one dead all boys but
one my sister Margret and Mary is both married to men both from Yorkshire there is none
of the lads married but myself they all have a great deale of land and other property,
my father has a hanson Estate of land he lives on within 3 miles of the town, Geo.
Kennedy has 200 acres of land and is doing very well we all got 100 acres of land a
piece and what any of has more we have bought since from government, James Nixon is
doing well he has plenty of land stock and chickens. Roby Summers family has a good deal
of land and other property old Peggy John Thos. And Mary lives together Robert and Betty
is married and lives at their own homes, Mary is a widow and in short I can safely say
that all the old neighbours from Bewcastle and other parts are doing well and has great
plenty of almost everything and is all well contented in coming to this country as they
can bring up their famelys with great plenty and lives well much better than they
could have done in England, times has been a great deal better this last 18 months
than they were some time back Farming stock and produce has brought a good prices
and money has been more plentifully you may judge from this, 4 years ago John Elliot
and Sibby came to this part and when they came here they had nothing they borrowed
the money to buy a yoke of oxen to work the farm which they rented and now they have
great plenty both German stock 6 cows 2 yoke of oxen and 10 or 12 head of young
cattle and a good mare they have 9 children, Henery’s best respects to you and your
wife and so do we all and remember us to your brothers Wm. And Robt. I have often
lamented that Wm. Did not come to this country he would have done well no doubt but
he would have got rich, you will show this with all our respects to our friends
John and Richd. Routledge likewise to John Dodgson of Roantrees and they may expect
two letters in a short time we will be glad to hear from you with all the news you
can afford us you shall hear more particulars in those letters that I have not
mentioned here, in short I must conclude I am and still will remain your most
affectionate Geo. Routledge.
Adress George Routledge London county of Middlesex and District of London Upper Canada
[The spelling and punctuation are as the original letter; not mistakes by the typist!]
The letter was given to me by Mr. Andrew Ewart (a 4th cousin of my father, the late William Harrison Armstrong) in case it was of any useful connection with my family research. Unfortunately the Armstrong is not one of my relations as far as I know but the letter contained so much fascinating information, both from a social history point of view as well as containing a number of names that might be the ancestors of other Cumbria FHS members that I thought it might be worth printing in the next newsletter.
Sally Ramshaw
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I do not know if this letter was published in the Cumbria Journal as I have only been a member since 2007. I did publish it in Families, journal of the Ontario Genealogical Society in February 2008.
I will continue in the next blog with the parents of Thomas and Elizabeth Routledge.
Elizabeth Kipp (http://ca.geocities.com/kippeeb@rogers.com/)