 |
| Heather and Jason Garrett at the Guinness Brewery in Ireland. |
Jason says,...
"I was born May 3, 1970 at St. Joseph’s hospital in London, Ontario, Canada to parents John Garrett and Dana Elizabeth (Culbert) Garrett.
Our family moved around Southern Ontario while I was growing up – starting in the ghost town of Silverwood (one concession south of Birr) before moving to nearby Ilderton in time for me to start elementary school.
We later lived in Goderich, Owen Sound and Chatham by the time I was done high school. I was then off to London to attend the University of Western Ontario, where I graduated in 1992 with a degree in Geography (Urban Planning.)
In 1995, I met my wife, Heather Beare. A few years later, I started working at Union Gas (now Enbridge) where I’ve been employed for almost 22 years.
I lived in Chatham (again) for about nine years before moving back to London while still commuting the 100 km down to Chatham daily (I’m saving a good deal on gas during this pandemic!).
Heather and I enjoy cottaging at our place in Pike Bay on the Bruce Peninsula – it’s like having a family compound with my sister Kathy, brother-in-law Ed, and nieces, Jaime & Megan right next door to us.
We had planned a quiet get-together this year for my 50th, but will settle for something ‘virtual’ until the current situation changes!"
Thank you, Jason! Now back to your blog author (Jason's aunt, Mary Jane Culbert.)
Jason mentioned that his first home was in the ghost town of Silverwood, one concession south of Birr, Ontario. Silverwood was located around the intersection of Highway #4 and Concession 12 (also known as Richmond Street and Twelve Mile Road.) Back in in the mid-1800s, Highway #4 (Richmond Street) was known as the Proof Line.
Thanks to Jennifer Grainger's excellent book, "Vanished Villages of Middlesex,"[1] we know that Silverwood supported various businesses including a blacksmith, a gristmill, three distillieries and three hotels. However, just up the road Birr had a general store and a post office which Silverwood lacked. Birr continued to thrive while Silverwood reverted to farmland and the community vanished.
Birr is about mid-way between Lucan and London. If you've ever driven Highway #4 between Lucan and London, you'll recognize Legg's historic General Store...
 |
| Legg's General Store in Birr, Ontario on Highway #4 (Richmond Street) between Lucan and London. This store is just a little north of Jason's childhood home, as you're heading toward Lucan. |
Jason's childhood house was located just south of Birr, as you're heading towards London...
 |
| Jason's childhood home is in the distance at the far right of this photo, behind a tree. It's located on Twelve Mile Road (Concession 12) near the corner of Highway #4 (Richmond Street.) Medway Creek runs under the bridge. |
 |
| Photo taken in 1971 on the property of Jason's childhood home in the ghost town of Silverwood on Twelve Mile Road (Concession 12) just south of Birr. You can see Highway #4 in the distance. Left to right: Jason's maternal grandmother, Mary Elizabeth (Patrick) Culbert; baby Jason Garrett, and Jason's aunt, Mary Jane Culbert. |
Jason has double the Culbert genes than most of the rest of you, and here's why. Have a look at his family tree...
 |
| Jason Garrett's family tree. This chart shows his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and 2xgreat-grandparents on both his paternal side and his maternal side. Look at the list on the far right (his 2xgreat-grandparents.) Do you notice the repetition of a certain surname? Click on the image to enlarge it. |
Jason has Culberts on his mother's side of the family AND on his father's side of the family! Most of us can only claim Culberts on one side or the other but not both sides.
The Culberts on Jason's mother's side go back to John Culbert and Mary Ward, who need no introduction to our readers.
The chart above only shows back as far as Jason's 2xgreat-grandparents. The next two images show Jason's 3xgreat-grandparents.
John Culbert (as shown below) is Jason's 3xgreat-grandfather on his mother's side.
William Culbert (as shown below) is Jason's 3xgreat-grandfather on his father's side.
William Culbert (Jason's 3xgreat-grandfather on his paternal side) married Margaret Emily Lewis. Coincidentally, William and Margaret were from Birr, Tipperary, Ireland; and Jason's first childhood home was in Birr, Ontario, Canada.
So how are Jason's two 3xgreat-grandfathers, John Culbert & William Culbert related? We don't know.
William Culbert and John Culbert were close in age so there's a possibility they were brothers. If that's the case, it means that Jason's 3xgreat-grandfathers on both sides of his family were brothers! That would also mean that Jason's mother and father are 4th cousins. However, I can't be sure of the relationship yet between the two Culbert families so I'm getting ahead of myself.
In any case, it makes Jason's DNA fascinating to work with, and gives me extra clues that I need in my family history research. Thanks for taking the Ancestry DNA test, Jason!
Below is Jason's lineage from both his mother's and his father's sides of the family, with Culbert surnames highlighted in green.
Jason William Garrett's Family Tree (Maternal side):
Ancestors:
John Culbert & Mary Ward (3xgreat-grandparents)
Richard Culbert & Jane Eleanor Fairhall (2xgreat-grandparents)
Myron Culbert & Effie Pearl Taylor (great-grandparents)
Milward Taylor "Mel" Culbert & Mary Elizabeth Patrick (grandparents)
John William Garrett & Dana Elizabeth Culbert (parents)
Jason William Garrett's Family Tree (Paternal side):
Ancestors:
William Culbert & Margaret Emily Lewis (3xgreat-grandparents)
Sarah Culbert & James Scott (2xgreat-grandparents)
Sarah Ellen Amanda Scott & Alexander Alfred Garrett (great-grandparents)
William Willard Garrett & Sara Alice Coleman (grandparents)
John William Garrett & Dana Elizabeth Culbert (parents)
Footnotes:
[1] Jennifer Grainger, Vanished Villages of Middlesex. Toronto: Natural Heritage Books, 2002, 138.
No comments:
Post a Comment