Page 54 - La Généalogie retrouver ses ancêtres

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48

Western District Marriages
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1\IARRIAGE REGISTER OF THE WESTERN DISTRICT haps in persona! family records. The opening pages of Mar ri age

COl\Il\IENCING IN 1796 Register A consist almost entirely of the recording of these

earlier marriages. The first such entry is presented here rather
The marriage records here pr esented are now preserved in fully as an example of this kind of record. Subsequent entr ies

the Archives of the Hiram Walker Museum in the Francois Baby are given in brief extract but with full genealogical par ticulars
preserved.
House, Windsor. The r ecords were originally kept in the old

court house of the Western District at Sandwich (now Windsor)
but became neglected by the officiais in charge and were nearly

destroyed in a disastrous flood. The late George Macdonald of
I, William Macomb of Detroit, merchant, do solemnly swear
Windsor salvaged the records and, fortunately for genealogists

added them tohis collection. He was a distinguished antiquarian ' in the presence of Almighty God that I did publicly intermarry
and he formed a remarkable collection of documents and manu- ' with Sarah Drino at Detroit aforesaid on the eighteenth day of
July One Thousand seven hundred and eighty, and that the re is
scripts. Present day his torians and genealogists owe him a great
living issue of the said marriage: John l\Iacomb born on the
debt for res cuing papers which otherwise would have met certain
first day of May one thousand sevenhundred and eighty two; Ann
destruction. His collection was subsequently acquired by, and is Macomb born on the fifteenth day of February One thousand s even
housed in, the Hiram Walker Museum.
hundred and eighty five; Catherine Macomb born on the thir tieth
T~e. Francois Baby House is a pleasant and interesting place day of October One thousand seven hundred and eighty six; \Vill-
to n~tt, and genealogists and historians will find the library and iam Macomb born on the twenty seventh day of March One thous-

archtves housed there very useful. The Curator, Mr. R. Allan and seven hundred and eighty eight; Sarah Macomb born on the
Douglas, and his fellow staff-member, Dorothy Francis (Mrs. twenty first day of April One thousand seven hundred and eighty

Lf.E.h): were ext~emely helpful and considerate in the preparation nine; Jane Macomb born on the seventh day of April One thousand
o t 1s transcnpt.
seven hundred and ninety one; David Macomb born on the thir tieth
The marrtage records we d day of October One thousand seven hundred and ninety three: and
Clerk of the Peac f th r~ r:cor ed over the years by the
e or e Dtstrwt in tw · t Eliza Macomb born on the fifth day of January One thousand
later period, gene raU after 1 30 o reg1s ers. For the seven hundred and ninety five. (signed) Wm Macomb.
made by the clergym y d . ~ • sorne of the actual returns
en an JUstices of th Then follows the oath of Sarah l\Iacomb to the same effect as
served. A few _ but nl e peace are also pre-
o Y very few - of th the above. Following this is the affidavit of Angus ~Iackintosh
entered into the r egister b t ese returns were not
Esquire, J.P. of the Western District, that on 17 February 1796
s
dicated in the transcript h, u such records Will be clearly in-
Th . ere presented he administered an oath at Detroit to William and Sarah l\Iacomb
e regis ter of marri ages was . of Detroit "to the effect herein before set forth."
serve records of mar . started in 1796 not only to pre-
1 riages perfor d f
a soto r ecord and "mak . me rom that time on but Oath of Walter Roe of Detroit, barrister at law. on 16 February
1
. e va Id" marr· . ,
emmzed previous to that t· lages Wh1ch had been sol- 1796 at Detroit before William Harffy, Esq., J. P. that he mar-
District who Wished could g l~ef Such of the inhabitants of the ried at Detroit 1st March 1790 Ann Laughton, and that there are
scribed oaths re garding not ~nl et ore a ~agis trate and make pre- living children: John James Roe born 25 Nov 1792 and William

but regarding the children b y he partiCulars oftheir marriage Roe born 1 Feb 1795. This was followed by the oath of Ann Roe.
sorne f ·1· orn of the un·
. ami les the re are recor lon as Well. Th us, for Then is recorded the marriage certificate: "I do hereby certify
certamly Would not have been ded marriages and births which to have joined Walter Roe of Detroit Esq. barrister and attorney
preserved oth .
erw1se except per- at law in the holy bonds of matrimony to l\Iiss Ann Laughton of