Genealogy of Theodorah Lovell and William Meikle, Montreal & Lachute Quebec, and Wolford Ontario

CHARLES DOBIE : GENEALOGY
LOVELL & MEIKLE

ROBERT LOVELL and JANE BEASLY


Updated January 23, 2014

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Researching our Lovell connection has been extremely difficult. Our great-grandfather, John Lovell Meikle stated in the 1891 census that his mother had been born in England, so I assumed that this fact was cast in stone. However our uncle George Dobie insisted we were related to the Lovells of Montreal so I thought I would give them a whirl -- it's a lot easier researching Montreal than England, at least in Smith's Falls.

This is the only case where I've had to hire professional researchers. It wasn't a lack of information that was the problem, but TOO MUCH information!

There were several Lovell families in Montreal in the early 1800's, including the well-known printers and publishers. Since the Lovell publishing company specialized in city directories, voters' lists, etc., any searches on the internet produce thousands of hits, almost all dealing with books "published by John Lovell, Montreal".

Luckily, the Encyclopedia of Canadian Biography (see the on-line biography of John Lovell the publisher) says his parents were Robert Lovell and Jane Beasly, and that he was the eldest of many siblings. Only one of his brother's names is mentioned in this biography, but also mentioned is the name of a brother-in-law and business partner, John Gibson. (Also see a short autobiography writen by John Lovell in 1892).

At the Quebec Archives a researcher found the baptismal record for our great-grandfather John Lovell Meikle (QNA film #128.55, folio 23). The witnesses to the baptism were John Meikle and John Lovell. The same researcher also found an index to Protestant baptisms in Montreal, listing Theodora Lovell (among many other Lovells), baptized in 1822, and in a marriage index, the marriage of Theodorah Lovell to William Meikle in 1847. So I sent to the Quebec Archives for copies of the original records -- parents of Theodorah were given as "Robert Lovell of Montreal, Farmer, and of Jane Beasly his wife". Witnesses were William Ball, Theodorah Miller, and Flora Lovell. Witnesses at her marriage were John Gibson (bingo!), Robert Lovell and John Lovell.

Then another researcher found Theodorah's last will and testament as well as her death notice in the Montreal Gazette (Nov. 7, 1849, page 3). She did not die in Lachute as I had supposed, but in Wolford, Ontario, probably in Burritt's Rapids. I hadn't known that she and William Meikle had moved to Wolford that early -- I had supposed he had moved there after her death.

So now I will try to find her grave as well as find out if her will was filed in the land registry office in Wolford Twp. I have no idea why it was in the Quebec Archives, but I'm sure it will become clear in time.

Descendants of Robert Lovell and Jane Beasly


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