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From Bryan Prince re Shadd STone and Family Hi John, I do recall having seen Abraham D. Shadd's stone that you mention. It reminded me of the cover of Rev. King's. He was indeed the father of Mary Ann Shadd - and about 11 others. He had a remarkable history in the U.S. and Canada. One of his sons became the Speaker of the House in Mississippi after the Civil War. One son and daughter-in-law worked on the plantation of Jefferson Davis ( president of the Confederacy). I find that fascinating. Davis and his brother allowed the blacks to run the place.
His wife's name was Harriet Purnell Shadd.
It also seems to me that there was a second, more traditional stone for Abraham D. Shadd. Perhaps it had a masonic symbol on it, but I am not certain of that.
Another interesting note - there was a family cemetery on Abraham Shadd's farm on the 7th line in Raleigh. I always wondered which family members were buried there - and why Abraham was not. His farm is down the road from my parent's home where I was raised and 3 different generations of people who farmed that land, as well as some Shadd descendants told me about the tombstones that were moved to the fence row. My son and I have tried to find them but they seem to have disappeared.
Cheers, Bryan
Also from Bryan Hi John,
The Shadd family were never enslaved - being descended from a German mercenary soldier, Hans Schad, who came to North America to fight in the French and Indian wars. He was wounded and, according to family lore that appears to be reliable, was nursed back to health by a black woman and her daughter. He then married the daughter and all of the further generations descend from them.
I have pasted a story about Abraham Shadd below. Note there are a couple of errors (he was Raleigh councillor but I do not believe he was the first black man to hold elected office in Canada; after serving in the Civil War his son Abraham W. Shadd returned to the U.S. to live out his life, etc) but this gives you a bit of an idea about him.
Shadd, Abraham Doras (1801-1882) Back to Online Encyclopedia Index Canadian Postal Stamp of Abraham D. Shadd Canadian Postal Stamp of Abraham D. Shadd
Abraham Doras Shadd, the first Afro-Canadian to hold public office, was born in Wilmington, Delaware on March 2, 1801. He was the grandson of a white German soldier from Hesse Kassel, Germany and a free black woman. Shadd was free born and earned a respectable living as a shoemaker, supporting his wife and thirteen children. His passion, however, was obtaining civil rights for African Americans and later Afro-Canadians and he devoted his life to the abolitionist movement which sought the immediate end of slavery.
Although he favored abolition, Shadd opposed the African Colonization Society because it proposed to send African Americans to Liberia. He believed instead that the future for blacks was in North America and argued that education, thrift, and hard work would enable African Americans to achieve equality.
By the late 1820s Shadd was a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad from his homes in Wilmington, Delaware and later West Chester, Pennsylvania. From those homes fugitive slaves would travel the "railroad" to freedom in Canada. Shadd hid escaping slaves and provided them with food, clothing, and guidance as they made their way north. He also continued his public activities on behalf of abolition. He was a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society headquartered in Philadelphia and in 1833 he was elected President of the National Convention for the Improvement of Free People of Colour.
In the early 1850s Shadd moved his family to southern Ontario’s North Buxton area where they joined many of the families he had helped guide to freedom. In 1859, at the age of 58, he became the first black man to serve in Canadian public office when he was elected Counselor of Raleigh, Ontario.
Four of Shadd's children became prominent in their own right. Mary Ann Shadd (1823-1893), an educator, journalist, and lawyer, was the first black woman in North America to publish a newspaper. I.D. Shadd, after the Civil War, returned to the United States and served as a member of the Mississippi Legislature between 1871 and 1874; Abraham W. Shadd, a graduate of Harvard Law School, became a prominent attorney in North Buxton and Emaline Shadd was one of the first women appointed to the faculty of Howard University in Washington, D.C.
In 1994, the road that traverses the heart of North Buxton was renamed A.D. Shadd Road in his honour. In February 2009, Canada Post honoured Abraham Doras Shadd with a commemorative stamp.
From Les... Daily Planet Oct 6th 1913 describes opening of St A's Mortuary. So since it was opened the day before, it is almost certain it was opened at a service beginning at 3 pm on Oct 5th 1913. The Cruicifixion Monument at the entry way (Huge statues of Christ, Mary, etc) was dedicated at the same time. It was unlikely to sit a long time before dedication. Months, but not years.
O'connor
Wow...thanks, John for posting these. Seems as if Chuck is digging deep. Sends chills as I have not seen the site since we buried Mom and Dad's ashes...in 2005. Kathleen Doris was born, according to my Nan...Agnes Armstrong but swallowed the placenta and died within a day of birth. Clifford, was my Grampa O'Connor's brother. And Chuck if you are reading this, tell me more....
Richard O'Connor Hi John. Thanks to Doug for the pictures of the family plot. Have no fear, I am not the 'Richard' on the stone, though I am sure there are many who wish it was true!. That is my Great grand father. No, not even the second one (Richard Voile my grand father buried in Salmon Arm) But I am Richard the Third (there is a joke in there somewhere I'm sure) Clifford, you and your Dad knew as did 'Moose' and most of the old crowd around Ridgetown. He was the local 'character' .... OK the town drunk. He was shacked up (common law) with a women in Ridgetown who lived in a tar paper house with a white picket fence. Kathleen was my twin sister (Maureen) but died a few days after she was born. I can't remember if there is something on the back side of the large stone or not but will check it out. I found the stones way in the back of Sherman more interesting and would like to do more research on them. Like · · See friendship · 13 hours ago ·
John Skakel I believe that the area at back of Sherman will be on soon. The part way back is a totally different cemetery. It is Catholic and is "Old St Paul's". Even now I believe still has a different caretaker. However, I think that Doug has some work to finish yet photographing it. Right now he is finishing off the huge one at Ridgetown to get it on the web site. I fully expect Old St Paul's soon after but as mentioned I always do everything to avoid making it look like I am pressuring in any way. Though it was me who asked him to post this one soon, just because of it's history. I am going to be finishing a tiny bit of historical research on this tomorrow morning if all goes well. Some fascinating stuff here. Like about where the Protestant and Catholic Cems join was an old barn with names carved in it by soldiers in 1812. Sherman's farm was right there, and was palisaded. Not to keep out humans but to keep out the large bears around here. Strong ties too with Fairfield, and Tecumseh and all of that! The olde Thames has some very fascinating history indeed and it is all almost forgotten!
Richard O'Connor The story of the old barn seams to ring true to something I heard a long time ago. Seams the barn I heard of was used as a sort of hospital in 1812 and the unfortunate were buried near it. Also there was a musket and stuff found hidden behind a board in the loft. The information on the family plot is a bit off. The 'Richard' there is my Great Great Grandfather. I have stumbled onto a site that was connected with my Great Great Great Grandfather James O'Connor that has let me trace the family back to Mallow County Cork Ireland. It has the ship my ancestors sailed on and lists his occupation a blacksmith. Cool! I have emailed the author and am now in correspondence with her.More Latter
John Skakel If the "Find a stone" area for Sherman was finished, then that would be a fantastic place to put all of your family information that you know of. You just have to put it under a line in one spot so people know where it comes from. However, I've no idea when or IF that will be done. I do my best here but there are hundreds of hours of typing for me to do just to keep up with site maintenance as the site is so big now let alone catch up. It gets kind of disheartening some times. I keep hearing of these seniors complaining that they have nothing to do yet a fair number just won't do anything volunteer wise! However, the text for your plot will be on soon at least so that much is now done. Maybe as soon as tomorrow. However, that is pretty much a replay of the important parts from the stone. I am though hoping to have a historical site for Sherman on within maybe a week. Of all cemeteries around here Sherman probably deserves more than any to have historical recognition and I hope to get the info for that tomorrow from them. By the way, this is what a Find a Stone page would look like. This one is about 2/3 of the main Ward for Old St A's. Just click any name to see the page. http://ckcemeteries.ca/StAwiki/index.php?n=Main.BlockOMonumentsIndex