Lanark County Women –Deborah B KERFOOT

Deborah B KERFOOT (William⁵, George⁴, William³, George², Thomas¹).

Deborah was born on 8 Oct 1853 in Montague Township, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. Christened on 27 Dec 1853 in Wesleyan Methodist, Montague Township, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada. Deborah died in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, USA, on 27 Jul 1923; she was 69- 71. Buried about 1923 in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, USA.

Her middle name is very likely Brownlee.

Deborah was unmarried and was 16 years of age when her widowed father moved westward to Warwick Tp., Lambton Co., Ontario, Canada and took up land there. A year or two afterwards she moved to the nearby village of Watford where she learned the trade of dressmaking. When her father sold his farm in the fall of 1882, and retired to Watford with his two sons, she kept house for them again which was typical for an unmarried daughter.

After William’s death in April, 1883 she and the two boys moved to Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. where she still kept house for them. She spent her summers at the farm home of Eliza and John Morris and never married. After brother Richard’s marriage in 1891, she trained as a Deaconess in the Deaconess Home and Training School where she served for the remained of her working life. Deborah became a deaconess (an order or sisterhood dedicated to caring for the sick or poor, social duties as teaching or missionary work) non ordained ministry for women in the early Protestant church. Deborah and 11 other women were boarders at the place. Most of her adult life was spent at Detroit, Michigan. She spent her last years at a rest home for missionaries and deaconesses at Ocean City, New Jersey, where she died.

Residence

1900 • Detroit Ward 2, Wayne, Michigan, USA

From another researcher: Her mother died when she was a child. The following anecdote illustrates her childhood in the middle of the last century as well as the bonds that developed between her and her sister Eliza. There was not enough room at the table for everyone to sit down at once and the three girls had to take turns eating. Deborah who was older persuaded the two younger girls that it would be the same if they waited and let Deborah go first every time. Then the two younger girls who were close could eat together. When Deborah went to Watford to learn dressmaking Lydia and Eliza had to do all the housework including making all the meals. This continued until Lydia was married. When she died at an early age (34) she left a husband and three small children.

Birth

8 October 1853 • Montague Township, Lanark, Ontario Canada

Parents William Kerfoot and Mary Brownlee.

Death

3 June 1923 • Ocean Grove, Monmouth, New Jersey, United States

Deborah remained single, died age 69 years 7 months 25 days. According to reports where these women (deaconess) are buried in Ashbury Park is isolated, run down and rarely used or visited now. It will take great effort to restore.

Lanark County Genealogical SocietyPage Liked · January 5, 2015 · 2015 brings another interesting year of activity to LCGS,
Our recent acquisitions of the 1830’s KERFOOT FAMILY BIBLE, which includes marriage notices, family photos, searched family history is a great addition or our research resources. The bible has a interesting background it was left outside a church Thrift Shop in Victoria, BC to sell in a Vintage Sale. There is quite a bit of information including about 20 pictures, a tintype photo, death notices,. Recorded in the bible or copies of event includes
MARRIAGES
Marriage of Richard Kerfoot to Mary Ann Millikinn both of Lanark, Co. 7 May 1863 at Smith Falls/ Minister Robert Brewster, Methodist Minister Witnesses: Robert Kerfoot and Elizabeth Foster

BIRTHS
Richard Kerfoot, born Beckwith, 16 April 1838; Mary Ann Millikin , South Elmsley, 22 July 1839

One of the volunteers, Noreen Nash, undertook to locate family descendants and reached out to LCGS in hope to locate family members.

Mothell Parish Families Desiring to leave to go to Upper Canada 1817 – 1818– Names

1817

Emigrants from Counties Carlow & Wexford to Canada. By 1817 there was a post war recession and Irish crops were failing. Soldiers returning from the Napoleonic wars on the European mainland were flooding the labour market. There had been a war in North America between the Americans and the Canadians (1812-14). The English government offered free land to settlers (preferrably with military experience) to defend Canada from the Americans.
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With Hugh Masson’s (related to the Willoughby’s) notes in brackets.

Coolcullen

1. GRIFFITH, Widow, Lewis, Elizabeth?, Jane1, Catherine, James, Jane2 , Mary,

2. GRIFFITH, Richard, Sarah, William, John, Lewis, Richard

3. PRESCOTT, Richard, Mary, Lewis

4. JAMES, Thomas, ?, Anne, Catherine, Jacob, Thomas, religion RC

5. PIELOW, name missing, Sally, Dinah, Elizabeth

6. SMYTH, John, Molly, Mary, Sally

7. KIRFOOT, William , Elizabeth, Jane, Thomas, Samuel, Eliza, [this KERFOOT family settled Con 4 lot 25 Beckwith Twp. Lanark Co.

8. GRIFFITH, Henry, Catherine

9. LETT, John, –olly, Martha, 3 more unscrambled names,[ this family was one to move with some of the Willoughbys to Lambton Co.]

10. STONE, William, Susanne, John, Eliza, Jane, William , George,

11. FLEMING, John, Betty, Jane, William ,Richard, Dorah,

12. WARD, John, Anne, Ellen, Mary died,

13. WARD, Luke, Betty, Richard, John Anne,

14. GORDON, Samuel, Mary, John, Samuel,

15. KIERFOOT, George Senior, Jane, Jane Foxstone servant,[ George KERFOOT was known to come but died at Nepean’s Point 1819 before rest got to Beckwith]

16. MORRIS, Joseph, Sarah, Susan, Jane, James, Mary,

17. MORRIS, William, Jane, Henry, James Mary, Joseph? Betty?, Jane, Ellen,

18. WILLOUGHBY, George, Anne, [nee Kerfoot], MaryAnn, Peggy, Alley, William, Thomas, Richard [I descend from Mary Ann]

19. GRIFFITH, John, Mary, Betty, Sally, Anne, Peggy, Jane, May, John, Betty Gregg= servant

20. Missing

21. PENDER, Widow, Mary, Samuel, John, Mary Langford=servant

22. LANGFORD, Widow died Oct. 1817, George, Sally Joseph, William, Richard,

23. STACEY/ STEACY William, Allie/Sally/Alice, Sally, Joseph, Annie, Betty, Jane,

24. BRADLEY Samuel, Betty, Isaac, John, [Samuel will be related to the Kerfoots via Wm’s wife Elizabeth. Records indicate she was Elizabeth Bradley, the widow Wilson before her marriage to Wm Kerfoot. Sam might be a son of Eliz]

25. BASSETT, Edward, Mary, John, Peggy, Thomas, William, Edward? Bassett? Michael Leach/Leech apprentice, Sally Bradley, gone to America 1817, family emigrated to America, probably Canada in 1817,

26. BRADLEY William, ..ea perhaps Jane Shea noted in burial Register Mothel ,Shea Bradley Coolcullen died of fever Oct 12th buried Coolcullen, ..illy, Betty, Henry, John, Alley, Thomas, Samuel,

27. SCARF James Anne, Enoch, Joseph, John, Becham,[Scarfs are found throughout Carleton Co. Scarf family is being traced by Barbara Hadden]

28. RATHWILE/ Rathwell/Rothwell, Edward, Jane and Jane FENNEL[Rothwell is the spelling used in the Tithe applotment book 1824 for Prospect church Coolcullen. Ireland and in land records for Con 4 lot 26 Beckwith Twp.1880]

29. ROSE Widow, Joseph, Betty, James, and James servant

30. KEAYS/ KEYES/ Keys Thomas, Mary,

Mary left 1818 ,Mary Married William ??, William left 1818 William married Mary??, Jane, Mary or May, Elizabeth, Richard

31. KIERFOOT/KERFOOT George, Deborah, William,

32. EUSTACE William, Catherine, left 1817

33. GARLAND Thomas, Jane, Elizabeth, Thomas, Nicholas, Anne

34. ALCOCK, Thomas, Dorah, Mary, Thomas, Joseph, Mary, Francis [Alcocks settled near Kerfoots on Con 4 at Prospect, Beckwith Twp. Peter Light is tracing some of these]

35. TRISTRASSE??, Thomas, Catherine, Patrick, Mary, Thomas, Adam, family left 1817

36. SHIRLEY Basil, Jane, Ellen Morris servant [see families 16 & 17 Shirleys married into Willoughby, some Shirleys stayed in Ireland]

Knockalane

1. GRIFFITH Thomas, Susan, Mary, Anne, Rachel, Francis, Sally, Thomas, Susanna, Esther,

2. JACKSON Robert, Mary, Hannah, Sally, Mary, Robert,

3. LUCAS Widow, Robert, Sally,

4. TOOLE, James, Susan, Robert, Sally [might be POOLE as Pooles settled on Con 4 near Prospect, Beckwith Twp. Lanark Co along with Alcock, Willoughby, Kerfoot]

5. DUCK / AUCK / HUCK William? Margaret? Jonathan married to Anne, Richard

6. SAUNDERS, …?, Margaret, Thomas, John, Margaret, Jane, Martha,

7. SAUNDERS Widow, George, Ellen, James, Nath, Bridget, Betty, Mary, Jane Joseph,

8. PRESCOTT Widow, Henry married ? Mary, Mary, William

9. SAUNDERS William, Anne, Anne,

10. LEECH /Leach/Leich George, [see family 25 Bassett]