Joseph Culbert and Eliza Dempster

It’s said that the shock of JOSEPH CULBERT'S death sent Eliza (Dempster) Culbert to an early grave. She died just four days after her husband.

Photo courtesy of Blake Maxfield

Joseph Culbert, the son of John Culbert and Mary Ward, was born at Lot 19, Concession 2 on the Culbert homestead in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario. We know his birthday is October 14^th but sources vary as to his year of birth, ranging from 1848 to 1850. He was born after his older brother, Thomas Culbert and before his younger brother, Richard Culbert.

Aside from what I’ve found through official documents, I haven’t found any stories about Joseph’s life. This is the only photo I have of Joseph...

The photo above is taken from this group photo c1865 with his siblings, parents, and grandmother...

Joseph Culbert, back row, second from right.

If anyone has a better photo of Joseph or more details about his life, please contact me.  
UPDATE: Click here for a group photo of Joseph Culbert and his daughters.  

In 1876, Joseph married Elizabeth “Eliza” Dempster of Adelaide Township. Eliza was the daughter of Irish immigrants, Robert Dempster and Elizabeth “Eliza” Shields.

Six years earlier in 1870, Joseph’s brother Thomas Culbert married Eliza Dempter’s older sister, Letitia Dempster. Joseph Culbert and Eliza Dempster (not yet married) were the witnesses at Thomas and Letitia's wedding. So this is a case of two brothers who married two sisters.

Ten months after Joseph and Eliza’s wedding, the first of their eight children was born.

In the early years of their marriage, Joseph and Eliza lived on the Main Street of Awmik. You’d be forgiven for not recognizing that name even if you grew up in Biddulph Township. Awmik (an indigenous name for “beaver”) was once the name for the south end of the tiny village of Granton. Granton's a name you'll recognize. That's where Joseph's brother, Thomas Culbert owned and operated the Central Hotel that was frequented by the Donnellys.

By 1879, Joseph had moved back near the place of his birth, almost directly across from the Culbert homestead. His parents, John Culbert and Mary Ward lived at Lot 19, Concession 2, Biddulph Township, and Joseph purchased 100 acres at Lot 20, Concession 3.

In 1889, Joseph’s brother, Thomas Culbert sold the Central Hotel and moved to London. Joseph took a turn as proprietor of the hotel but I have no records of the dates he owned and operated the establishment.

For reasons I don’t know, Joseph sold his property in Biddulph in 1891 and moved with his family to Adelaide Township; the part of Middlesex County where his wife was born and raised.

The Joseph Culbert family lived on the east half of Lot 1, Concession 2, Adelaide Township until the late 1890s.

By 1901, they’d moved again. The 1901 census shows Joseph and family in Plympton Township, Lambton County at lot 20, concession 13. I don’t know what motivated Joseph to move but we know he had an uncle, Richard Culbert (John Culbert’s brother) who moved to Plympton Township many years earlier.

Plympton Township in Lambton County, at least 50 miles (80 km) away from the Culbert homestead near Lucan. If you set out in a straight line from London, Plympton Township would be directly west.

I know nothing about Joseph’s comings and goings after this until 1911 when the Census shows Joseph and Eliza still living in Plympton Township. By this time, all their children had grown and left home.

Again, I have no record of the next ten years until 1921. The Census shows Joseph and Eliza, both in their 70s living on Albert Street in the community of Forest in Lambton County.

On 4 January 1929, Joseph Culbert died of uremia (a kidney condition) and an enlarged prostate. His death certificate says he was 80 years old. Four days later on January 8^th his wife, Eliza died. No cause of death was given on her death certificate but family lore says she died from the shock of Joseph’s death.

Joseph and Eliza are buried in Beechwood Cemetery in Forest, Ontario.

I’ve had very little luck trying to find the living descendants of Joseph Culbert. I’d like to know more about Joseph so his story can be told more descriptively than just the basics I’ve documented in this blog post.

I’ve managed to find some details about some of Joseph’s (now deceased) descendants such as his children and grandchildren so I’ll be writing about them in future posts. 

In the meantime, here’s a brief summary about Joseph Culbert’s children:

Mary LAURETTA Culbert (also known as Lollie) married James ARDEAU Isaac and they had 3 children: Irma Robena “Ruby” Culbert, Harvey James Culbert, and Edith Elizabeth Culbert.

Elizabeth Jane “Jennie” Culbert married Jordan McGillicuddy and they lived in Lambton County. They had 3 children: Orville Laverne McGillicuddy, Franklin Eusebius “Frank” McGillicuddy, and Lloyd McGillicuddy.

Cora Letitia Culbert married John Casper “Cap” Howard. They lived in Lucan and didn’t have children.

Sarah Frances “Florence” Culbert married James Walter Bryce and they lived in London, Ontario. They had a daughter, June Bryce.

Bertha Jane Culbert married John George EDMUND Meyer and they had a son, Robert Meyer.

Edna May Culbert married Ernest James Bannister and they lived in Lambton County. They had 2 children: Marion FLORENCE Bannister and Garnet Chester Bannister.

John CHESTER Culbert married Marie McHugh and they lived in Calgary, Alberta. They had 2 children: Maurice Culbert and John Chester “Jack” Culbert.

Willie Anson Culbert was Joseph’s last child, born in 1893. Other than his birth certificate, no other records have yet been found.

If you’re a descendant of Joseph Culbert and Eliza Dempster, please contact me at this email address...

Joseph Culbert’s Family Tree

Ancestors:

John Culbert & Mary Ward (parents)

Descendants (Children):

Mary Lauretta (Culbert) Isaac

Elizabeth Jane “Jennie” (Culbert) McGillicuddy

Cora Letitia (Culbert) Howard

Sarah Frances “Florence” (Culbert) Bryce

Bertha Jane (Culbert) Meyer

Edna May (Culbert) Bannister

John Chester Culbert

Willie Anson Culbert