JAMES BROWNLEE Sr. (Lot 8, Concession 6, Marlborough township) James Brownlee Sr. and his wife, Margaret Hill, were early settlers in Marlborough township, Carleton county, Ontario. The Christian Guardian (Weslyan Methodist) of May 20, 1846 reported their marriage by Rev. Benjamin Nankeville, a saddle-bag minister who had married David McCurdy and Sarah Montgomery on the same day, and probably at the same place. "By the same, May 7th, Mr. James Brownlee to Miss Margaret Hill, both of Goulbourne". The place was likely the old Weslyan Methodist Shillington chapel which was then located on the fifth concession of Goulbourne township, close by the location of the now-closed Shillington cemetery. The chapel has been moved more than once and it's shell now sits beside the Jock River a short distance above Munster. Margaret is said to have been a daughter of James and Mary Hill of Goulbourn township; their graves are in the Munster cemetery, in that township. When she died on January 4, 1910 at the age of 85, Margaret s obituary reported that she had been born in County Cavan, Ireland and came to Canada when she was a few weeks old. (The 1901 census recorded her date of immigration as 1823 but if she was 85 when she died in 1910, she would have been born in 1825). The Hill family settled on the 6th line of Goulbourne. After their marriage, James and Margaret settled on lot 8, concession 6 of Marlborough township. Obituaries of James Sr. and Margaret (Hill) Brownlee: Kemptville Weekly Advance February 4, 1897. Mr. Brownlee For over half a century Mr. Brownlee has been a prominent resident of Marlborough township. He was of the sturdy stock born on the little emerald isle and when 20 years of age he came to this country alone and cast his lot among strangers with the exception of a senior brother who came out a couple of years previous. Mr. Brownlee was a man of sterling character, joined the Methodist church early in life, possessed a good memory and kept posted in all the leading questions of the day. Last May he and his aged companion celebrated their golden wedding and everything then indicated many more years of happy union. But La Grippe seized hold of the aged man and he lasted only about a week, departing this life on Saturday last at the age of 76. Their family consists of one son, James, who lives on the homestead, and five daughters. The high esteem in which Mr. Brownlee was held was attested by the very large attendance at the funeral on Thursday afternoon. Rev. Mr. Richardson, pastor, conducted the service and the choir rendered appropriate music.
Kemptville Weekly Advance, January 13, 1910; Mrs. James Brownlee of. It is our sad duty this week to chronicle the death of Mrs. Jas. Brownlee who, after an illness of short duration died Tuesday Jan. 4th at the ripe old age of 85. Deceased whose maiden name was Margaret Hill., was born in the county of Cavan, Ireland. When a few weeks old she with her parents crossed over from Ireland and settled on the sixth line of Goulbourne. After her marriage to Jas Brownlee who predeceased her thirteen years ago, she removed from Goulbourne to where she has been a resident ever since. One son and five daughters survive her, Jas. H. on the old homestead; Mrs. Robt. Nixon, Crystal City, Man.; Mrs. Wm. Johnston, Rouleau, Sask.; Mrs. T. Donnelly, Indian Head, Man.; Mrs. Milton Montgomery and Miss Susie at. The cortege was the longest seen in this community for some time. The funeral service was conducted by the Rev. L. Conley after which the remains were interred in the cemetery. James died on January 28, 1897 at the age of 76 years, ten months so that he was born about March 1820. His obituary says that he came to Canada from Ireland when he was twenty years old and that he had been a resident of Marlborough for over fifty years.. An older brother had come out a couple of years before. James and Margaret celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on May 7, 1896. Both are buried in the cemetery. Their family consisted of: Mary Jane 08/02/1847- / /1928` m. Wm. Johnston (1840-1921) Eliza 30/07/1849- / /1869 Ann Barbara 17/01/1852- m. Robert Nixon James H. - / /1933 m. Christianna McDiarmid Susan Montgomery Susan 19/10/1859- / /1916 Margaret 19/04/1864- m. Thomas Edward Donnelly Lydia 30/08/1868- / /1951 m. Milton Montgomery (1861-1935) Margaret's obituary listed the children who were alive in 1910 as: James H. on the family farm at Mrs. Robert Nixon Crystal City, Manitoba Ann Barbara Mrs. Wm. Johnston Rouleau, Saskatchewan Mary Jane Mrs. T. Donnelly Indian Head, Manitoba Margaret Isabella Mrs. Milton Montgomery Lydia Susie (spinster)
Mary Jane s birth was recorded in a Wesleyan Methodist baptismal register as February 8, 1847. According to her stone in the cemetery she died in 1928. As well, from the stone we know that her husband, William Johnston, was born in 1840 and died in 1921. William was born in Ireland (almost certainly in County Leitrim), the son of Adam and Jane Johnston who occupied lot 6, concession 6, Marlborough township. The 1901 census reports that he immigrated in 1845, as did his siblings Thomas, Robert, Eliza (who married Thomas Pollock) and Mary. William and Mary Jane occupied the rear 1/2 of lot 6, concession 6, until at least 1893. In the 1901 census they were reported to be living, ages 60 and 54, in North Gower village. With them were Ernest, Homer, Albert H. and William's sister, Mary. Although there is no information as to when they went west, the obit of Mary Janes's mother indicates that they were in Rouleau in 1910. Still, they were both buried in the cemetery so it may be that they returned before their deaths. The children of this marriage were: Eliza Emeline October 3, 1869 died July 7, 1898 (28) Margaret Jane c1870 married Tom How, Rouleau Barbara Ann November 14, 1876 died March 13, 1894 (21) William J. March 3, 1876 to Rouleau in 1899 married Minnie Mains Annie M. 1878 died October 9, 1897 (19) Ernest` 1882 to Rouleau in 1901 married Jessie Hill John Homer 1885 to Rouleau in 1901 Albert H. c1887 Eliza: According to the Weslyan Methodist baptismal registers, Eliza was born on July 30, 1849. The family resided in Marlborough township and she was baptised there. She died on May 18, 1869 at the age of 19 years, 9 months and 18 days producing a one-year discrepancy in the dates. She was buried with her parents and sister, Susie, in the cemetery. Nothing more is known of her. Ann Barbara: According to the Weslyan Methodist baptismal registers Ann Barbara was born on January 17, 1852. Unlike Eliza, although she was baptised in Marlborough township, the family was said to be resident in Goulbourne township. This is quite possible since it was not until the assessment roll of 1851 (1842 to 1850 are lost)
that James Jr appeared in connection with lot 8, concession 6. Still they were said to be Marlborough residents when Eliza was baptised. Barbara Ann married Robert Nixon. A review of the Marlborough 1871 census locates Robert Nixon, age 24, born in Ireland, with his parents John and Ellen, on lot 13, concession 6, not far from the Brownlee farm on lot 8. Neither he nor Barbara Ann were in the 1881 census but many residents of Marlborough and Goulbourne had moved to Manitoba before the 1881 census was taken. In the cemetery the grave sites of James, Margaret, Susie and Eliza Brownlee (#45), that of children of T.E. and M.I. Donnelly (#46) and of a son of J. and E. Nixon (#47) are adjacent. James H. was said to have been 79 years old when he died on October 5, 1933, That is, he was born about 1854. The Weslyan Methodist registers record the baptism of "Joseph", the son of James and Margaret Brownlee of Marlborough. His date of birth was July 12, 1854. It is likely that this is the baptism of James and that the entry was in error. James H. married twice, first to Christianna McDiarmid who died on October 15, 1893, aged 36 years, 9 months, and then to Susan E. Montgomery, who died on November 24, 1930 at the age of 75 years. A Lanark county marriage register records the marriage of James Brownlee, 26, yeoman, of Marlborough township., born in Marlborough township, the son of James Brownlee and Margaret Hill, to Christena McDiarmid, 24, of Beckwith township., born in Beckwith township, daughter of Peter McDiarmid and Janet McIntosh, witnesess: Noble Hill Trimble of Essex township, Ontario, and Kate Blythe McDiarmid of Beckwith township, 4 Jan 1882 at Beckwith township. Susan Montgomery was a neighbour, the daughter of William G. Montgomery and the granddaughter of Gabriel Montgomery a native of the townland of Swanlinbar, parish of Kinawley, County Cavan. Her mother was Sarah McCordick, an Irish emigrant from the same place. Her brother, Milton, married James' sister Lydia. There were no children of the second marriage. The children of James and Christianna were: John Wilbert: married Janie Hill Margaret Jane (Nettie): married Harvey Macartney. William: Delmer James: married Lulu Code. Eliza Christianna: married Amos Halfpenny Margaret: was born on April 4, 1864 and christened Margaret Isabella. She married Thomas Edward Donnelly, the son of Thomas Jr. and the grandson of Thomas Sr. who was the original settler on lot 1, concession 9, Marlborough township. An earlier settler was John Hill who was located on lot 4, concession 9, at least from
1825. He was employed on the Rideau Canal construction and in 1829 reported that his townland was 'Swaddlenbar' (i.e. Swanlinbar) a town in County Cavan on the border of County Fermanagh, and that he had a brothers-in-law, Thomas Donnelly, residing at Swanlinbar, Cavan. Thomas Donnelly Sr. located on lot 1, concession 9, as early as 1838. Susan: did not marry. When she died on February 1, 1916, at the home of her sister Mrs. Milton (Lydia) Montgomery she was 55 years old. Lydia: married Milton B. Montgomery, the son of William G. and the grandson of Gabriel who had emigrated from the parish of Swanlinbar, County Cavan, Ireland, by 1826 and who was one of the respondents to a questionaire directed to the workers on the Rideau Canal in 1829. Lydia (1868-1951) and Milton (1861-1935) are buried in the cemetery. Their children were two sons, Merton E. (1902-1976) and Everett ( - ).