William Fitzpatrick– Carleton Place Fenian Soldier — Clippings and Information

Name	William Fitzpatrick
Sex	Male
Age	11 years
Event Date	1851 Census
Event Place	Nepean, Carleton, Ontario, Canada
Event Place (Original)	Nepean, Carleton County, Canada West (Ontario)
Sub-District	Nepean
Sub-District Number	31
District Number	4
Event Type	Census
Birth Date	1840
Birth Year (Estimated)	1840
Birthplace	Carleton Place
Line Number	3
Page Number	87

DetailSource

Name	William Fitzpatrick
Gender	Male
Baptism Age	0
Event Type	Baptism
Birth Date	1840
Baptism Date	8 Nov 1840
Baptism Place	Ontario, Canada
Father	William Fitzpatrick
Mother	Ellen Cernil

The Photographer

George E. Willis studio in Carleton Place. He operated on Bridge Street and was a member of the Willis family whose log home stands today at the western end of Lake Avenue. George was a photographer, musician and bandmaster, who died in Vancouver in 1940 , aged 96 while living with his son Stephen T. Willis of Ottawa business college fame.

“The names of George Willis, Senior and Junior, appear with sixty others on the roll of the Carleton Place Loyal Village Guards which mustered in 1837 and 1838 at the time of the Upper Canada Rebellion and “Patriot War,” and again with that of Catin Willis in the St. James Church monster petition of November 1846 for maintaining tenure of the Church’s clergy reserve land in Ramsay against claims of Hugh Bolton and others”.- Howard Morton Brown–Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

The Carleton Place Rifle Company numbering more than 50 men were formed in 1862 to protect Canada during the Fenian Raids. They replaced the ill-equipped and untrained Village Guard and were composed entirely of volunteer soldiers. It was officially designated the Carleton Place Volunteer Militia Rifle company and later they went on to Brockville to fight the Fenians. Captain James Poole and Lieutenant Brown commanded.

R. Bell, Carleton Place*
S. Roche ,
J. Rosamond, Almonte*
J. McLaughlin, (carpenter)
Ed. Morphy, jr., Wellington Co*
W. B. Ramsay
Thos. Morphy
P. Cram, jr.
H. Willis
J. Bond, Almonte*
Wm. Burgess
E. Rosamond
Jas. Morphy, sr.
H. Fitzpatrick , Duncanville*
Dun. McKenzie
J. Weathers,
Andrew Fitzpatrick
J. Lake , jr.
David Morphy
H. Boulton
S. Acheson
Ewen McEwen
Wm. Fitzpatrick
Peter Comrie, Lanark Township*

Wm. Dougherty, jr.
D. McLean, jr.
Alex. McLaren
N. Lavallee
John Morphy
John McEwen
L. Schofield
Jas. Duncan
Nich. O’Neil
D. Pattie
Jos. Dougherty, Carleton Place*
J. Graham
Adam Beck
Dan Cram, Carleton Place*
M. Nolan
J. Kerr
J. McRostie
Allan McDonald
Mich. Dunn
E. Tweedy
D. Stewart
Robt. McLaren
John Sumner
Jas. Bell, Perth*

Colin McLaren
Jos. Dougherty, sr.
Jas. Coleman, jr.
Wm. Coleman
Robt. Johnson
Geo. Willis, jr.
Geo. Willis, sr.
John Rorison
John McLean
Alex. McLean
Jacob McFadden
Nich. Tomlinson
Wm. Henry, Braeside*

My Opinion and only mine 🙂

Through all the back and forth my story is: that William who was born in Carleton Place but grew up in Bells Corners might have been rejected from the Carleton Blazers and went back to his birth place to join the Canadian Rifle Company to help fight the Fenians. His father William Fitzpatrick was from Brocka, Kildellig, Queen’s Co., Ireland and emmigrated to Carleton Place as there was family living in the area. This is not to be confused with another Fitzpatrick who lived in Beckwith and seemed to make a living of housing those who came from Ireland to work on his farm. William and his wife went to live with his son in law and daughter in Belleville for the rest of their lives.

On the 5th of April. October 4, 1866, the Civil Service Rifle Company was merged into a new Civil Service Regime. After the first Fenian Raid in 1866, the old 43rd maintained its organization. In 1868, a brass band of 24 pieces was organized. The same year the regiment first went into camp at the rifle ranges, furnishing their own tents and equipments. The regiment was called out for active service May 25, 1870, and did garrison duty at Prescott with the Ottawa Field Battery and the 56th Battalion until relieved in the following July, when the 43rd returned to Ottawa, where the regiment was entertained to a civic dinner, and highly complimented by Sir George E. Cartier, then Minister of Militia, on its very fine appearance. Altogether the Fenian Raids had the effect of greatly stimulating the military spirit in the Ottawa district, and while all the enthusiasm was not very enduring, the impetus given to the volunteer movement during these stirring years has not been altogether without some enduring and satisfactory results.

By militia general order of March 27, the Civil Service Rifles were attached to the Ottawa provisional battalion under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Wily. The composition of this battalion w as follows: No. 1, Bell’s Corners Cnmpan), No. 2. Argenteull Rangers, lsi Co. No. 3. Ottawa Rifles. 2nd Co, No. 4, Buckingham Infantry Co. No. ft. Ottawa Rlflrs. 1st Co. No. (!, Ottawa Rifles, 3rd Co. No. 7, Civil Service Rifles

Read-Samuel Hawkshaw- Carleton Place–Carleton Blazers of Bells Corners

Name:	William Fitzpatrick
Gender:	Male
Marital status:	Married
Race or Tribe:	Irish
Nationality:	Canadian
Age:	70
Birth Date:	Nov 1840
Birth Place:	Ontario
Census Year:	1911
Relation to Head of House:	Father-in-law
Province:	Ontario
District:	Hastings West
District Number:	80
Sub-District:	28 – Belleville
Sub-District Number:	28
Place of Habitation:	Church St
Religion:	Roman Catholic
Occupation:	none NG
Other Occupation:	NG
Can Read:	Yes
Can Write:	Yes
Language:	E
Family Number:	377
Household Members:	NameAgeRelationshipBernard L Black32HeadMagaret J Black30WifeAlfonzo Black5SonMurray Black10SonMargret Black3DaughterLawrney Black1SonWilliam Fitzpatrick70Father-in-lawMargaret Fitzpatrick70Mother-in-lawFrank Fitzpatrick32Brother-in-law