I hope you find it helpful, or at least interesting. I hope to be able to meet some of you when we travel east this summer.

Bill

28 March 2002

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Bill, this is a letter I wrote to Donna Arnold Snezek, Bessie Hunter Arnold's daughter. - Darlene

12 November 2001

I want to share with you our shared ancestry.

The Buchanan Family Tree Book begins by stating that Andrew and Jane (Long) Buchanan came to Canada from Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland in 1847 with their family of seven sons and one daughter; Robert, Charles, James, William, Andrew, Samuel, John and Jane.

You are actually a descendent of the 3rd son James and the 7th son John.

First I will relate on JAMES BUCHANAN. He was born circa 1823 in Omaugh, County Tyrone, Ireland. He was then around 24 years old when the Buchanan's came to Canada in October 1847. He remained a bachelor in Elma Township, Perth County, Ontario until 1857 when he married Elizabeth "Bessie" Glenn in Elma, Perth Co., Ontario. From this marriage their children were: Mary Jane "Jennie" born 1858; Andrew Charles born 1860 and Margaret "Maggie" Matilda born 7 July 1862.

According to "Granny Gilberts" Elizabeth "Bessie" Glenn Buchanan Gilberts obituary (she died 10 Aug 1936) says James Buchanan was supposed "to have died 4 years later" meaning 4 years after their marriage. Family lore has always said he went to the Klondike and did not return for 25 years. The lore also includes the story of what happened to their son Andrew Charles.

James Buchanan is supposed to have sent his son "home" but en route he died by drowning in a B.C. river. "Bessie" et all knew of this accident, but James Buchanan did not know until he came to Neepawa. Nothing is known of when or how for sure Andrew Charles died or where he is buried. Also nothing is known for sure of what James Buchanan did in B.C. in the years 1862 - 1884. A note of news I found in the Neepawa Canadian dated 24th July 1884 states "James Buchanan arrived from Yale, B.C. on horseback". So that certainly becomes fact. In old age Hazel (Buchanan) Griffith had related to her granddaughter Karen (Milne) Lambert that her grandfather James Buchanan returned when her brother Stanley Buchanan was a baby. In fact, it was actually just months before her mother (Margaret Matilda Buchanan Tibbetts Buchanan), whom he had never known, gave birth to her first child, my grandfather, John James "Johnny" Buchanan born 29 September 1884.

In conversation with Mavis Johnstone Buchanan (widow of Robert Edward "Bob"), "Danny" Buchanan, a grandson of "Maggie" Matilda, Mavis relates this story as follows. A knock came to the door of Margaret "Maggie" Matilda and her husband Robert J. "Red Bob" Buchanan at their farm 1 1/2 miles north of Neepawa. The man standing there said "Hello Maggie, do you know who I am?" The reply was "Yes Father, I do, come in I've been expecting you." He remained with their family until his death at age 77 on 7 April 1900. He is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Neepawa, MB. There is no headstone.

James Buchanan, as colourful and mysterious as I thought he was, does not hold a candle to his wife ELIZABETH "BESSIE" GLENN BUCHANAN. Recounting her life in her obituary of Tuesday August 11, 1936 in the Neepawa Press: Elizabeth "Bessie" Glenn was born 17 April 1841 in Omaugh, County Tyrone, Ireland also. At age 3 with her family settled in Stratford, Ontario and later moved west. In the 1851 Census records for Stratford I cannot find her in a family unit so I cannot relate as to who her parents are or her siblings. So there is a gap in her life as well. However, at age 17 in 1857 she married James Buchanan aged 34 at Elma, Perth County, Ontario. To repeat myself she and James Buchanan's family are: Mary Jane "Jennie"; Andrew Charles and Margaret "Maggie" Matilda in the years 1858 to July 1862. "Bessie" (Glenn) Buchanan disappears again until I found her recently in the l880 U.S. Census in Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan (just across the river from Sarnia, Ont.).This was a huge unexpected surprise. In that 1880 U.S. Census record, Elizabeth "Bessie" (Glenn) Buchanan is now married to Henry Gilberds who is age 40 and "Bessie" who is age 38. None of the Buchanan children are with her. As fact, Mary Jane "Jennie" Buchanan at age 18 married, 17 Sept 1879, James Keating age 28, son of John and Lillie-Ann (Mayberry) Keating; Andrew Charles, nothing factual known and the youngest, our great-grandmother Margaret "Maggie" Matilda was found in the 1880 U.S. Census in Valley, Iowa age 18 married to Harvey Tibbetts, age 29, her first husband. As far as I know, all of Elizabeth "Bessie" (Glenn) Buchanan Gilberds descendents referred to her as "Granny Gilberts" I always knew that the name was not just "Gilbert" but had to have the "S" on the end. A few years ago, when I wanted to know just where she and Henry Gilberts were buried in Riverside Cemetery, I went to the town office to inquire. No GILBERTS buried there but they told me there was an Elizabeth and Henry GILBERDS buried. I have assumed until this major find that the town had made a big mistake. There are no headstones in Neepawa Cemetery marking their graves. Anyway, as I resumed my search (Nov 2001) to find "Bessie" married to Henry Gilberts in Ontario we decided to look in the newly released indexed 1880 U.S. Census. Of course nothing with a "T" showed up until I remembered by what name they were buried. With a "D" bingo! There they were.

Now I can tell you the rest of the story -- At about the same time 1858 - 1863 that James Buchanan and "Bessie" (Glenn) Buchanan were married and living at Elma, Perth Co., Ont., Henry Gilberds of Linwood, New York State, son of Thomas and Ester Gilberds came to Alma, Ont. to be around his uncle Henry and aunt Catherine Gilberds and their daughter Mary. Henry Gilberds at age 22 in 1862 married 7 April 1862 Margaret McCaulley age 18 of Mornington, W. Flamborough, Ontario, daughter of John and Marion McCaulley. Henry and Margaret Gilberds had a daughter Aurilla born in 1863 or 1864. Margaret (McCaulley) Gilberds must have died having Aurilla or another baby. By this time, James Buchanan is gone and one would assume Henry Gilberds and "Bessie" (Glenn) Buchanan married around l869. I have not found a marriage to date so it might be that she actually knew James Buchanan was really still alive and just assumed the Gilberds name or perhaps she had James Buchanan declared legally dead after a certain period. I don't know for sure at this point. But I have had the thought that if James Buchanan left after 1862 and "Maggie" Matilda never knew him then how did he get his 14 year old son to be with him?. Maybe they just divorced.

At any rate, "Bessie" and Henry have their first child Ann E. Gilberds in 1869 or 1870 depending in what month she was born. Then William Henry born 1870-1871; Ida M. born 1871 or 1872; and last Lilly M. born 1876 or t~77. These children were all born in Michigan. So "Bessie" and Henry must have gone to Michigan with his daughter Aurilla shortly after they were married or whatever and before the birth of Ann E. "Annie" in 1869 or 1870.

Again there is a big gap in "Bessie's" life, the years from 1880 to 1911 until they arrive in the town of Neepawa around 1911.

According to "Granny Gilberts" obituary, there is mention of them living in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Nothing is known about those places that are included in the 20 missed years before coming to Neepawa. However, in August 1901, the Neepawa Press stated, "Mrs. Gilberts who had been visiting at the home of R.J. Buchanan for several days returned to her home in the city". In the Neepawa Register dated 24 March 1902 it reads, "Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Gilberts of Silver Creek who were on their way home from the East made a brief call on Sam Buchanan". "Bessie's" oldest daughter, Mary Jane "Jennie", known to us as "Aunt Jennie Keating" and her husband James Keating and their family lived at Silver Creek, MB. It is close to Russell, MB. The Keatings farmed up there with a bunch of other Keating relatives and they died there. Descendents still live up there today. Aunt "Jennie" and James Keating's family were: Elizabeth, John, George, William-Andrew, Earl & Mina (twins), Glenn and Lillian.

Supposedly Andrew Charles Buchanan, her son, drowned at age 14 in B.C.. "Bessie's"' youngest daughter Margaret "Maggie" Matilda also had married Harvey Tibbetts before I found them in the 1880 U.S. Census. They were farming in Apri4 1880. I had been told he was a minister, perhaps he was only a lay minister. After April 1880 but before mid-year 1883 Harvey Tibbetts dies. On 10 Dec 1883 Margaret "Maggie" Matilda Tibbetts married her 1st cousin Robert "Red Bob" Buchanan, son of her uncle John and Isabella (Watson) Buchanan. "Red Bob" and "Maggie" Matilda, as I refer to them, (our great-grandparents) family were: John James "Johnny"; Isabel "Bella"; William Russell "Russ"; Elizabeth Jane "Lizzie"; Percy Douglas "Doug"; Stanley H. "Stanley"; Hazel Margaret "Hazel" or "Hade";.and Edward Robert "Eddie".

Of the Gilberds children: Nothing is known of Henry's daughter Aurilla or of Henry and "Bessies" daughters, Ida M. or Lilly M.. I do have a picture of "Granny Gilberts" with her three daughters; one of Henry and "Bessie" and their grandson "Lee"; one of "Annie" by herself and one picture of their son William H. "Billie" Gilberds with his Keating cousins.

Ann E. "Annie" came to Neepawa as an adult. She arrived as "Annie" Findlay and in 1930 in Neepawa married Franklin "Frank" Grasby, a widower with a very large grown family. After his death she returned to Ontario to presumably be with her Findlay children.

William Henry "Billie" Gilberds ended up in Neepawa too about 1911. He was working in Winnipeg on the Shoal Lake aqueduct to Winnipeg when he died of natural causes 21 July 1916. He is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Neepawa. He has no headstone. "Billie's" son Henry Lee "Lee" Gilberds married a Margaret Lord, presumed from Neepawa or district. On 7 March 1915 at age 20 years. she died and is also buried in Riverside Cemetery, Neepawa with no headstone. Henry and "Bessie", their son "Billie" and their grandson "Lee's" wife Margaret are buried together in four plots. Not really having a time frame for "Lee", I do know he worked for Guinn Memorials. In talking to Bill Guinn he said, "Lee" left town for about 10 years. He came back after WWII and married a lady by the name of "Pat". He left again in the 1950's." No more is known.

Now JOHN BUCHANAN. He was the 7th son of Andrew and Jane (Long) Buchanan. He was born 1 November 1831 in Omaugh, County Tyrone, Ireland and at age 17 came to Canada in 1847 with his parents and the rest of his siblings. His brothers, Robert, Charles, James, William, Andrew, Samuel and his only sister Jane. Around 1855, in Ontario, John Buchanan married Isabella Watson. She was born in Prescott, Ont. on 12 Jan 1837 to James Sr. and Elizabeth (Linnen) Watson, originally from Scotland. Her family, or some part of it, must have moved to the Elma area, Perth Co., Ont. because her sister Mary Watson married John's brother Samuel. John Buchanan's only sister Jane married their brother James Watson Jr. John

cont'd

[There appears to have been more to the original letter, but the version given to me ends here. - Bill Buchanan]