I'm Back With a Vengeance!

I really haven't had the chance to update the blog in over two months. It wasn't that I had nothing to say, it's just that my focus turned to trying to solve a few of the mysteries that lie within my family history.
The major mystery is what happened to my 4th great grandfather, Squire R. Harris. On the left, in yellow, is where Squire R. Harris lived from about 1834 through to 1863. Squire was a Yeoman, which was a member of the local militia who owned land as a result of his gentrified position (i.e., received land as part of his clerical position or military service). He was a gentleman farmer, who had servants and farmhands to take care of his small estate. In the 1862 Gazetteer of Oxford County, Squire R. is said to occupy lot 16 of the Broken Front Concession, which lies to the south of Thames River near Centerville in West Oxford Township.
So, the mystery lies in the question of Squire's date and location of death. It has been suggested that he died in 1865 in the nearby town of Ingersoll. By 1871, his widow, Elizabeth Jane, nee Van Amburgh, had married another prosperous Yeoman, Eli Harris, the father James Harris, famous for the Mammoth Cheese. It is unclear why she decided to marry another Harris. She then emigrated to Michigan, with most of her children, except for my 3rd great grandfather, James William Harris, who moved to Walsingham Township in Norfolk County.
Taking all of the facts into consideration, Squire R. Harris most likely died in Oxford County. He may have died in Michigan, maybe scouting land to move his family to, but this is a long shot. Over a year ago, I searched the wills at the archives of the Oxford Historical Society. I didn't find much, but intend to return soon.
Well, I guess that's it for now. I have much more to talk about, but it will have to wait until next time!

When It Rains, It Pours

Since my last post, it had been pretty quiet. Then, in a matter of 48 hours, everything changed.
First, I got in contact with Deb Glover, UE. She has been researching the Glover family, whom Sarah Ann Glover (1838-1915) is a member of. She is my great great great grandmother, who married Frederick Cline (1830-1896) and subsequently had my great great grandmother (and twin), Alfretta Amelia Cline (1861-1941).
Unlike most of my research, I had used another researcher's information to fill out the Cline branch. This researcher is well known in Norfolk County, so I will not give his name here. Fortunately, there are some researchers out there that do make sure their research is valid and accurate - Deb is one of them. She let me know that my suspicions were correct. My Cline branch was incorrect!
I had looked at the 1852 and 1861 Census of Upper Canada and found a Clement and Catherine Cline as heads of the household that my Frederick Cline lived in. This was in discordance to LPS's "research" that said Frederick and Olive (Nunn) Cline were his parents. Deb put the final nail in the coffin on that matter - her research was conclusive in the fact that Frederick's parents were Clement Cline and Catherine Powers.
So, I have been working furiously this weekend getting the Cline branched researched. On Thursday night, I was browsing the Norfolk County message board and came across a thread titled, "James Harris shooting in 1876 - newspaper article?" About three months prior, I had come across a death record for James Harris, born about 1828 in Upper Canada, who was shot by Constable McKay "endeavouring to make him prisoner." I had then pulled the newspaper article in the Simcoe Reformer. None of the information, except for the name, birth date and location of the shooting, led me to conclusively identify the man as my great great great grandfather, James William Harris. So, I put it in my Ancestry shoebox.
The thread, though, showed that I was right to suspect the man being my ggg grandfather. Jim McCallum and Helen Bingleman commented that this was my ggg grandfather and had both historical and familial proof positive to the identity of James Harris.
So, guess what? I have another avenue to research! Jim sent me some information - 50 pages - to pour over. I have to send some information back soon. He also sent a picture of my great grandparents, Robert Henry Mudford (1884-1976) and Stella Harris (1891-1950). My mother is flabbergasted - Stella (Harris) Mudford looks uncannily like Stella Ruth (Dedrick) Shelly! I guess the namesake was a good choice!