A Canadian Terhune Family
Margaret M. Church Letter thanks to John O. (Jack) Brown
American Generation
West to BC
Main Surnames
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I have put my comments in blue. The *(numbers) are also mine to make it easier to identify the individuals) . A few people have been trying to figure out who Matilda's parents were. One part of this letter definately points to Michael Terhune (b. 1796). The rest of the letter, however, seems to not support that conclusion. If anyone has any other information on Matilda, please email me. stu911 at mac dot com.
This letter was written by Margaret M. Church (1892-?) daughter of David Church (1850-?) and Elizabeth Brown (1862-?) to her 1st Cousin, Mrs. Howard Brightman (Matilda ‚Tilly‚ May Brown) (1914-2002) do David Johnson Brown (1875-1939) and Annie Laura Brown (1876-1958).
Howard Sydney Brightman (1914-1997) Tilly's Husband sent it in 1974 to my Father, John William Brown (1909-1979).They were very good friends.
I have made no corrections for spelling, capitalization or punctuation.
John O. (Jack) Brown
The letter ///
1959 MacKay Ave.
North Vancouver, B.C.
V7P 2M8
Jan. 6th 1974
Dear Tilly,
Your letter was a delightful surprise. I was thinking of you about a week before your letter came.I was wondering if you had recovered from the lye burns to your throat without permenent injuries to the vocal cords.Mother *1 told me about the accident many years ago.She was quite concerned about it.
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Several of grandmothers *2 children married first cousins Aunt Jessie *3 and aunt Emma *4 married their first cousins, brothers (Fen Terhune *5 and his brother *6 ) they came from Moose Brook. There father *6A was grandma's brother. This person is Michael Terhune bc 1836 Tennycape d. 6 Jun 1912. Unfortunately, information below causes problems with this conclusion) Uncle Dave *7 and aunt Annie *8 were cousins, Aunt Lilly *9 and Uncle Lafe *10 were cousins.
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I had a large book giving the genealogy of the Church family. Grandma Brown gave me a lot of information about her ancestors. I loved the stories of her childhood.
Her father's ancestors were Dutch and lived in New Amsterdam (Now New York). (this part is true for Terhune) Her Mother, Great Grandma Terhune *11, Married a Mr. Bigney when her first husband died.The Bigney family lived across the bay from Hants County.Great grandma's Mother *12 was and Acadian.That would be back in the 1700‚ Grandma told me her great grandma *13 was part French and part Indian. (Bigney) (I have no record of any of this. There is a Bigney/Marshall occurence here.)
Grandma Brown *2 often spoke of her childhood days.She told me her father *14 built the Tea Warf which later got its name where the yank rebels dumped the large boxes of tea off the warf when the sailors unloaded it from the ship.(this is loosly based on the T-wharf story that got it's name from its shape and not the Boston Tea Party. Also, this wharf was built in the 1700s long before Matilda's father, whoever he was, was born. The writer might be talking more about the Brown T-wharf connection than Terhune. She got her education in Boston (This would not refer to any Terhune children in NS in the 1830s) and was better educated than people her age. There were no public Schools in Nova Scotia in those days. She was a great reader and often read aload to grandfather *15. She was a remarkable person. She spun the yarn then wove the yarn into beautiful material from which she made jackets and shirts for grandfather *15 and her Sons *16. I loved watching her weave on that big loom she had upstairs in that unfinished room. She would always hum and sometimes sing the words whenever she was spinning or weaving. I know now that there was perfic rhythm in her every movement. I can still hear the clicks of the loom. Once when I was about five years old grandma was weaving plaid material and singing a very sad song, ‚The Drunkards Dream.‚ I was sitting on a small box - watching her weave. I felt so sad I had tears running down my cheeks. I turned around on the box so that grandma would not see the tears. Then wiped them off with my pinafore. I have been looking for years for that song and the melody. She taught me how to tap out time with my foot.
I wish I could tell you more about the Browns.Aunt Mary *17 and Uncle John *18 were wonderful people. I loved them both. My grandfather Brown *15 was a sailor in his young days. I don''t know if Uncle John went to sea or not. Aunt Sally Macllean *19 was her sister. Her farm was on one side of grandfather's farm; Uncle John's on the other side; Next was Leazer Raffs *20 farm. His mother *21 was a Sister.Those four little farms prove that grandfathers parents divided the farm up among their children.That is the way they did such things in the early days. They also had a sister called Aunt Margaret *22.She and her husband *23 lived up beyond Noel.I don't think I ever saw her.
You should be able to get information from old records at the Windsor court house. Even in the 1700's property had to be registered.I would like to spend a day or two going through it myself.The records would be most interesting.
King George III, through his agent or governor, allotted large track of land to settlers in Nova Scotia. Down through the years each section was sub-divided for every generation until they got too small to divide.There is a set of twelve books called ‚ Great Stories of Canada They are written by various writers. I read them all last year and intend to read them all again.You can get them from your local library. You will love them. Have the librarian give you the Nova Scotia one to read first. During the time of Saling Ships N. S. was tops in every thing.Then came the Steamers and poor N .S. lost her prosperity and her young folks started leaving for the West and for the States.
My fingers are getting stiff. I should have used my typewriter. I think better when I write with a pen but at times my glasses blur and I can't see.
Do write, dear, and let me know what you dig up at the courthouse. Tell me about all the people there. I was just past 14 when I left and I'm 83 or will be April 29th. I live alone and take care of the house and grounds. It keeps me from getting old. I enjoy playing my piano and my large electronic organ which I bought a few months ago. It is really a church organ. I read a lot. This last four or five years I have done quite a bit playing my tenor and descant recorders (ancient wind instruments) Sometimes I play in groups. This past year I have stopped going out to recorder Meeting Nights. I live alone and timid about leaving the house alone at nights. There have been too many breakins the past two years.
I have been trying to think of Aunt Mary's *17 (?) Maiden name. I have a faint recollection that her father *24 (?) was Methodist minister, but I'm not sure. I think her people lived in Maitland.
My fingers are getting stiff so I must stop.
Thanks for your lovely Christmas card.
Kindest regards to you and your family.
Margaret
P. S. my husband passed away a few years ago.
SJT I have added names below
Margaret Morris Church (b.29 Apr 1891 Tennycape) dau of David and Mary Elizabeth (Brown) Church.
*1 Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) Brown Church (24 Dec 1861-9 Mar 1952) Marr Aug 28 1883 David Church 32. When Mary Elizabeth died, her death certificate (Mar 9, 1952) (ref 29) shows her father to be Benjamine Brown and her mother's maiden name was Matilda MARSHALL ! So, she might not be a Terhune daughter at all!
*2 Matilda Terhune Brown (1832- 1912) Grandmother on Church side was Latitia Parker wife of Edward Church.
*3 Jessie Morris Brown Terhune (1873-?)
*4 Emma F. Brown Terhune (1878-?)
*5 Robert Fenwick Terhune (1867-28 Jan 1922)
*6 David Alexander/Addison Terhune (1873-21 Nov 1924)
*6A Michael Terhune (1836-6 Jun 1912).Based upon their birth dates, Michael was actually a 1/2 brother of Matilda. His mother was Rebecca Reid; Matilda's was Elizabeth Vance.
*7 David Johnson Brown (1875-1939)
*8 Annie Laura Brown (1876-1958)
*9 Lillie Matilda Brown (1880-1926)
*10 Lafayette McLellan (1874-1960)
*11 This would be Elizabeth Vance Terhune (1803-1830) Michael's first wife. Her parents were Patrick (1772-28 Sept 1841) and Anne Fulton (1774-30 Apr 1847) Vance. There is no Bigney surname with any of the Terhune's in Nova Scotia. and I have not found one on the Brown side either?? There is a Bigney here.
*12 unknown
*13 unknown
*14 unknown
*15 Benjamin Brown (1833-1918)
*16 George W. Brown (1855-?) probably not a son of Matilda
Charles B. Brown (1864-?)
Arthur Benjamin Brown (1866-?)
Harry S. Brown (1867-?)
Edward Fulton Brown (1870-?)
David Johnson Brown (1875-1939)
*17 Mary (aka Libbie) Cordelia Harvie Brown (1835-1918)
*18 John William Brown (1829-1905)
*19 Sarah (aka Sally) Margaret Brown McClellan (1840-1914)
*20 David Eleazor Rolfe (1849-1932)
*21 Catherine Brown Rolfe (1829-1891)
*22 Margaret Brown McLellan (1825-?)
*23 Joseph McLellan (?-?)
*24 Archibald Harvie (1796-1884)
