Joseph Geary, Born in Northchurch, Hertford, England and Christened May 14, 1826, emigrated from Kent England to Canada. In the year 1871, he was 45 years old, and he lived in Ontario, Northumberland, Seymore Twp., Campbellford village, where he died and was buried on Feb 2, 1879 at the age of 53 years. His religious affiliate was the Church of England, his trade, farming. He met and married Rachel Emmalau, a Canadian girl, born in 1828, from French Canadian parents, also from Seymor Twp. Rachel gave him seven children: Isabelle in 1851, Joseph L. in 1855, Alice in 1856, Alfred in 1857, Haiti in 1858, Gilbert (My Grandfather) in 1862, and finally, Jessie born in 1869.

In 1873, Isabelle, now 22 years old, met and married a 25 year old man named George Washburn, born in Canada in 1851, whose father was from Vermont, and his mother from Canada. The next year, 1874, they had their first child, George Jr. In the year 1876, 11 years after the American Civil War, the two George's, Isabelle and her brother Joseph left Canada and came to the village of Sanford Michigan, near Midland. In 1877 Alfred was born to the Washburn's and in September of 1879 Edward was born.

In the summer of 1877, Alice Geary and her brother Alfred left Canada and came to North Bradley Michigan. Alice was 21 and Alfred was 20 years old. North Bradley is a little over six miles NW of Sanford. Alfred worked as a lumberman, and was lionized by Grace Hooper in her book, "Pioneer Notes". Alice went to work in the local hotel, owned by William Babcock, father of Leslie F. Babcock, who was to be the future husband of Alice Geary. He was a farmer on section 9, and acting postmaster at North Bradley. He was born May 19, 1855, in Grant Co. Wis. He was "the son of William and Angelina R. (Converse) Babcock. His father was born Feb 11 1818, in the State of New York, of English ancestry. The mother was born Sept. 10, 1824, in Cayuga Co. NY and is also of English ancestry. William sr., from 1849 to 1874 moved all around the western states attempting all kinds of short lived business ventures. He built a hotel in North Bradley in 1874, and then died. The family continued to operate it until 1878." By August 9, 1878 she was married to Leslie F. Babcock, the very same year the hotel went out of business, and the next year her Father Joseph died, Feb.2, 1879. In the summer of 1879 Rachel, Gilbert, Haiti and Jessie reached North Bradley. In the late fall or early spring of 1800, Rachel, Alfred, Gilbert and Jessie head north to Antrim County, and so did the Washburns.

In the 1800 census, Midland County, Geneva township, Buttonville Village we find Leslie and Alice living with Leslie's mother, Angelina. Alice and Angelina are both listed as "home keepers" and Leslie as a laborer and a deputy sheriff. No Children were shown in the census.

In the 1894 census, Midland County, Jerome Township, Village of Sanford, we find Joseph V. Geary again. He is now a hoopmaker living in the village of Sanford. He is now 39 years old and states he has been in Michigan for 18 years, or since 1876. He is married to a Michigan born girl named Frances M. 33 years old, born in 1860 and whose parents are both from England. They were married in 1881, three years after Alice and Leslie. In this census, their first child, Edith, born in 1882 was 12 years old, Lester was 10 years old, being born in 1884, and the youngest, Sarah, 7 years old was born in 1887, two years after the civil war.

Back in Antrim County, Kearney Township, Bellaire, on June 19, 1900 census, we find Gilbert with his own family. Rachel had moved back to live with Alice and Leslie. Alfred, now married to Florence Swift in 1881, had left Antrim County and eventually ended up in Kalkaska County, in Rapid City. Gilbert, now a farmer, 37 years old, born Jan. 2, 1863 and a Michigan resident for 21 years, had met and married a Michigan born girl, Evaline Patrick, whose parents were Canadians of Scotch decent. This girl, my Grandmother, was born April 2, 1868, and in 1900 was 31 years old. They had been married for nineteen years. Gilbert was 18 and Evaline 15 when they married and by now she had given birth to five children, two of them had died. She would give birth to two more, and then herself die of pneumonia while giving birth to her final, stillborn child, George. The oldest child was Franklin Foster, born April 14, 1885, now 15 yr., which Evaline had when she was 17 years old. Next My Father, Earl J., born March 26, 1889, 11 years old. Then, Hazel Lula, Born August 31, 1896, four years old. Evaline being 30 years old. Cecil was born in 1908, and Vera was born in 1909, and Evaline died May 29 of that year, due to birth complications, at the age of 41.

In the 1920 census we find Gilbert, age 57, a Farmer, living alone with his Son Cecil, who is now 12 years old. Vera is 11 but is not shown to be in her father's residence in this census.

Rachel Geary dies in 1904, age 76, and is buried in Midland County, Geneva (Union) township cemetery, where Alice, 1853-1934 and Leslie, 1853-1939 are also laid to rest.

Joseph V. is also dead. He died in 1903, was buried then dug up (and transferred to Midland County, Old Jerome Township Cemetery, Sexton addition). Lying near him is a tombstone marked Geary, no date. In the same cemetery is his wife, Frances M. Geary, "Mother". 1860 - 1945. Near her is a Leslie Geary, Mar 25 1884 - Mar 21 1903. Do not know who this is. No records exist

This is as accurate as my ability to make it so. Corrections with proof welcome.
F.J.G.

The name Geary has Irish Roots. The Sept of O'Gara, (O'Gadra in Gaelic,) have a common decent with the O'Hara's until the tenth century, the O'Gara'an occupying the territory to south of Leyney Co. By the 13th century they had taken the eastern part of a small barony in Mayo Co., near the modern city of Charlestown. By the 14th century the Jordens had driven them out. By the 16th century a branch of the O'Gara's migrated to West Munster, (a group of counties in southern Ireland), and here the name became differently Anglicized and, disguised under the synonym "Geary" and is still common in Counties Limerick and Kerry, (another form is Guiry). From Ireland, many immigrated to England, this branch of the Sept to just north of London.

The Gaelic meaning of the word O'Gadra is "Hound". The Germanic derivation of Geri means spear. The English from Ge (a) ry means "fickle or capricious".

With thanks to Fred Geary
for contributing the story of the Geary Migrations
to the Antrim County web site. I am sorry, but we've lost email contact with Mr. Geary so am not able to direct you to him.

What I wanted to correct were the parents of Joseph Vincent Geary married to Rachel Emmalau. I have his parents as Joseph Vincent Geary (whom I call senior) and Isabella McArthur, both born in England. This Joseph Vincent Geary senior was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and sied in Crow Bay, Northunberland County on 13 March 1844 (Source: The Church Records, The Ontario Register, 1780's-1870's). I explain below how I determined the correct name of Joseph Vincent junior's parents.

I also wanted to correct the likely place of marriage of Joseph Vincent Geary junior's wedding to Rachel Emmalau. Rachel was from Amherst Island where her parents still lived until about 1864 at which time they moved to Seymour Twp. Northunberland County, On. where it appears Joseph Vincent and Rachel were already living on Crow Bay. Both Joseph Vincent Geary junior and Rachel were found in Ernestown (aka Bath), Lennox and Addington County, On. in the 1851 census, so it's likely they married there. Ernestown or Bath is just across a narrow strip of water from Amherst Island. (Source: 1851-52 census for Canada West, Addington County, Earnestown Twp, part 1, page 49) I speculate that they were married in the Anglican Church there as Joseph Vincent was of Anglican faith and all the children were raised in that denomination. I have no access to the Ernestown church records for that period. Since their oldest child, Isabella was born in 1851 per the above census, it follows that they must have married either in 1849 or 1850.

I show the place of birth for Joseph Vincent who was married to Rachel as simply "England" based on the 1851 and 1861 censuses in Addington and Northumberland counties respectively. I think that Fred Geary showed Joseph Vincent junior's place of birth as Northchurch, Hertfordshire, England from data he took off the IGI on the Internet. IGI also shows that Joseph Vincent's father as Daniel Geary and Suzannah which Fred uses in his Family web site. But I believe that this refers to another Joseph Vivcent unless the unknown author to that data simply speculated.

However, my data shows Joseph Vincent junior (married to Rachel) as the son of Joseph Vincent Geary, Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and Isabella McArthur. Note that a son of Joseph Vincent and Rachel is christened Alfred MCARTHUR, probably in memory of the child's grandmother (and of course J.V. and Rachel's first daughter was named Isabella also in memory of his mother).

Here are my notes in connection with the above:

From microfilm: MS 693 reel 159, page 225, March 16, 1835, 2 lots to Joseph Vincent GEARY, Lot #17, Concession:# 9 ,200 acres; part of Lot #18, Concession #9, 169 acres, Seymour Township. under Remarks: it says : Lieut., Royal Navy:

"On or about Sept. 30, 1850 Geary Sr. died & his son got his father's land. At that time Geary Jr. stated that he was living in (Residence) the Village of Bath, in Lennox & Addington County. This instrument was registered on Feb. 17, 1852. Geary Jr. was listed as the only son of the Late Joseph Vincent Geary. There was no Will or Letters of Administration, they just transferred the land to his son Joseph Vincent Geary, husband of Rachel Emlaw".

Abraham AMLAW bought the farm next to him on April 7, 1864". (End of message from Jacques)

According to the Geary Family Migration - Antrim County, MI on the web, Joseph Vincent's parents were Daniel and Susannah Geary. The writer does not say where he got that info, and he cannot be contacted, but it probably came from the IGI. I knew that Joseph Vincent and Rachel did not marry in Campbellford as the web site says. That lead me to question the accuracy of the info contained therein. That is because according to information I picked up in The Ontario Register, 1780's-1870's, Deaths Notices of Ontario, The Church, Toronto, there was a Joseph Vincent Geary, R.N. Lieutenant who lived on Crow Bay, Seymour East, with his wife Isabella McArthur. In a notice appearing on 29 March, 1844, Joseph Vincent died at the age of 51 on 3 March, 1844, while his wife, Isabella McArthur, in a notice appearing on 14 Jan., 1843 in Brockville, died on Wednesday, 21 December, 1842 at the age of 45. That is quite a coincidence: The Jos. V. Geary who died in 1844 had the same given names as the Jos. V. who married Rachel, and he also lived on Crow Bay, Seymour East, just like the former. Both Gearys were sailors, which is another coincidence. In 1842, Joseph V. junior would have been 18 yrs old, thus Isabella would have been old enough to be his mother. The incorrect parents were confirmed by Jacques from his search of the land records per the above.

According to family history, Abraham Amlaw or Emlaw (actually, it's Emmalaua) the name is more commonly spelled was Rachel's twin brother. Since we don't have either Rachel's or Abraham's birth record, that is speculation, but it seems they were indeed siblings.

One last correction, Joseph Vincent Geray junior died in Campbellford, Northumberland County, on 2 February, 1877, not on the same date in 1879. (Source: Ontario Archives, MS 935 reel #16, reg'n No.10108, year:1877)

I leave it up to you to add what you think would be of interest to those who might be interested in that Geary Family web site.

Additional notes added from Mr. Watters from correspondence received from Jacques Potvin, of Toronto Ontario:

"His Father was Joseph Vincent Geary, Lieut, Royal Navy. He received two pieces of land in 1835 in Seymour Township, Northumberland County , Upper Canada. Back then this was part of Newcastle District.

From microfilm: MS 693 reel 159, page 225, March 16, 1835, 2 lots to Joseph Vincent GEARY, Lot #17, Concession:# 9 ,200 acres; part of Lot #18, Concession #9, 169 acres, Seymour Township. under Remarks: it says : Lieut., Royal Navy (Note: This refers to Joseph Vincent Geary, senior): "On or about Sept. 30, 1850 Geary Sr. died & his son got his father's land. At that time Geary Jr. stated that he was living in (Residence) the Village of Bath, in Lennox & Addington County. This instrument was registed on Feb. 17, 1852. Geary Jr. was listed as the only son of the Late Joseph Vincent Geary. There was no Will or Letters of Administration, they just transferred the land to his son Joseph Vincent Geary, husband of Rachel Emlaw".

Abraham AMLAW bought the farm next to him on April 7, 1864". (End of message from Jacques).