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The Descendants of John Gorrill 1824-1906 of Cascumpec

A work in progress

Compiled by George Edward Hart - [email protected]

John¹ Gorrill, the third child and second son of John^A Gorrill and Sarah Brooke, was baptized at Bradworthy, North Devon, 24 October 1824, according to the parish register of St. John Church. He was born 25 September of that year, according to this fact given to the 1901 census taker. His father, a cordwainer, and mother, Sarah Brooke, moved to Kilkhampton, in the northern neck of Cornwall, with him and his older brother and sister, William and Catherine. There John and Sarah had three more children, Richard, Humphrey and Elizabeth Grace, who died in West Putford at one year of age. Sarah died shortly after the birth of her sixth child in her 34^th year. John was seven years old when his mother died and ten when his father married Susanna Sargent.

In about 1845 he emigrated with his brothers William and Richard to Prince Edward Island. Humphrey came five years later. John became a shipyards worker and then a sawmill operator at Bideford and Port Hill. In the 1860�s he operated a circular sawmill at Bloomfield (Vanier Park) and then a water mill for John Yeo at Cascumpec, a combined saw and grist mill. This was a time when a farm had to be hacked and stumped from the virgin forest. The Meacham Atlas of 1880 shows John Gorrill owning about 130 acres in Cascumpec, Lot 6. Two years later John had to pay a school tax of $6.61 cents on his 270 acres. John died 20 October 1906.

John married Eleanor F. Ellis, known as Zena, born 28 July 1840, daughter of George Ellis and Bridget MacArthur and granddaughter of William Ellis the pioneer shipbuilder. Being about fifteen years younger than John, she outlived him nearly twenty years. They are buried in the cemetery of St. Luke's Anglican Church, Woodstock, PEI (Lot 6 Centre 3 Stone 4).

John¹ (John^A) Gorrill and his wife Eleanor �Zena� Ellis had seven children:

1. Eleanor (�Ellie�) Ellis² Gorrill, born 28 July1860(?), baptized 17 Feb. 1860
2. Sarah Catherine Annie² Gorrill, born 10 October 1862, baptized 7 Nov. 1862
3. Isabella Priscilla Ida² Gorrill, born 24 December 1865, baptized 22 Feb. 1866
4. Maria Lilla Normandy² Gorrill, born 1 February 1868, baptized 27 Feb. 1868
5. Elizabeth Lavinia (�Rose�)² Gorrill, born 7 February 1870, bp. 24 Mar. 1870
6. John Yeo Serjeant² Gorrill, born 27 October, 1872, baptized 1 Nov. 1872

VII. George Richard Walter² Gorrill, born 17 August 1875, baptized 12 Sept. 1875

All baptized by the Rev. R. W. Dyer at St. Peter�s Anglican Church, Alberton

1. Eleanor (Ellie)² Gorrill (John¹), the eldest child of John Gorrill and Eleanor Ellis, was born 28 July 1860, according to the baptismal record made at St. Peter�s Anglican Church in Alberton by the Rev. R. W. Dyer, who showed that the baptism took place 17 February 1860. Either the birth date or the baptismal date is out a year. Eleanor married George Alvin Leard at St Peter�s Anglican Church, Alberton, on 29 December 1880. Alvin was born 11 June 1860 at Bedeque, Prince County, and was one of six children of Lewis Samuel Leard, a cheesemaker of Tryon, and Sarah Brewer Clark. �Black Lewis� died at the age of forty-two on 12 March 1877. In the 1881 census Sarah was living with her son George Alvin and his wife, Eleanor Gorrill, at St. Eleanor�s in the family home but in November of that year she married a cousin, James Leard Lea, in Lot 17.

George Alvin�s grandparents were John �Creek� Leard and Margaret Muttart and his great grandparents were John �Johnny Brick� Leard and Jane Lord and his great great grandparents were Samuel Leard and Margaret Rogers, who came to PEI from Ireland in 1768.

George Alvin Leard and Eleanor and their children moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1887. She is recorded in the 1920 census there as "Ellenor Leard", a widow of 54 years born in Canada and naturalized in 1895. Living with her were her son Lloyd, 28 and single, and three roomers aged 20, 63 and 80. In the 1930 census Eleanor, a widow of 65 years, was still living at 15 Meach Road in Cambridge. With her was her nephew Robert Gorrill, 29, single, a clerk in the office of a general store.

1. 1. Lily³ Leard (Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill), daughter of Alvin Leard and Eleanor Gorrill, died young

2. Alymer Joseph³ Leard (Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill), born about 1883 in St. Eleanor�s, Lot 17, to Alvin Leard and Eleanor Gorrill. He married Catherine Frances McGurk at Cambridge, her hometown, 24 May 1904. She was born 7 October 1879 to John W. McGurk and Catherine Kenney, both from the Irish Free State. In the 1920 census Alymer and Catherine with their six children and her mother, then 69, were renting a home at 28 Prospect Street in Somerville, MA. He was a teamster. In the 1930 census the three oldest, Edwin, Harold and Alymer, Jr., were out of the rented home at 23 Murdock Street and there were four children left: Warren, 21; George, 16, driver of a grocery wagon; Eleanor, 11; and John, 8. Alymer was a chauffeur for an oil company.

(1)Edwin Lewis⁴ Leard (Alymer³ Leard Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill) was born 14 February 1905 in Somerville. He married 27 February 1927 Catherine Louise Costigan, born at Malden, MA, 23 January 1908, daughter of Leo B. Costigan and Ella A. Randall. Edwin and Catherine later divorced. He was killed in World War Two on 7 September 1943. She died at Long Beach, California, 2 November 1959

1. Catherine Louise Leard, born at Somerville 10 February 1923; died at San Diego 10 April, 1989
2. Lorraine Ella Leard, born 5 May 1929; died at San Diego 15 July 1987. She married Raymond Grant Mounts, of Ohio. They had three sons and a daughter, Catherine, who died young.
3. (Living) Leard married Brigitte M. Booker of Paris, France. They had three daughters and a son.
4. (Living) Leard, a quality assurance engineer now living in Tustin, California, married Mrs. Joanne Marie Paull, 1936-1991, daughter of Robert and Rita Ruth Seib of Ohio.

1. Harold F.⁴ Leard (Alymer³ Leard Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill), 9 November 1906-March 1978, married Helen T. ____

They had two sons, The second son had a son and a daughter.

2. Alymer Joseph⁴ Leard, Jr. (Alymer³ Leard Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill) , born in Somerville, MA, in 1909; killed in an explosion
3. Warren⁴ Leard (Alymer³ Leard Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill) , born in Somerville, recorded as living with his father and mother, Alymer and Catherine, at 28 Prospect Street, Somerville, MA, in the 1920 census and unemployed, living with his parents at 23 Murdock Street, in the 1930 census. No further trace through Family Search.
4. George⁴ Leard (Alymer³ Leard Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill), 30 March 1912-July 1982 at Billerica, MA. The living members of three following generations are withheld.
5. (Living daughter)⁴ Leard (Alymer³ Leard Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill), born at Somerville in 1919, was 4 months old in the 1920 census and 11 in the 1930 census; married ___ ___.
6. John⁴ Leard (Alymer³ Leard Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill), 29 August 1921-January 1985. He appears, 8 years old, in the 1930 census with his parents at 23 Murdock Street, Somerville.

1. Lloyd W.³ Leard (Eleanor² John¹ Gorrill), a son of Alvin Leard and Eleanor Gorrill, was born about 1891 in Cambridge, MA. He was unmarried and living with his mother, Eleanor, in a rented home at 15 Meacham Road, Cambridge, at the time of the 1920 census. He was a chauffeur for a private family. That same year he married Dora M. Soper, a 23 �year-old former Newfoundlander. In the 1930 census they were living in a rented home at 51 Fairfield Street, Cambridge, with their nine-year-old son and her brother Llewllyn Soper, 31, a shipper in a warehouse. Lloyd was now a taxi driver.

(1)Living son, born about 1921

1. Sarah Catherine Annie² Gorrill (John¹), a daughter of John Gorrill and Eleanor Ellis, was born 10 October 1862 at Western Road, Lot 5, and was baptized in the Anglican Church, Alberton 7 November 1862. Sarah married at Cascumpec 17 February 1884 Joseph Christopher Metherall, who was born 16 April 1862 to Thomas Metherall (1821-1893) and Jane Gard (1824-1917). Christopher died in 1947 and Sarah died in 1953. They are all buried in the Metherall family plot in the Cascumpec United cemetery.

1. Ella Ethel³ Metherall (Sarah Jane² John¹ Gorrill), born 3 May 1885, married 1 September 1909 Henry Gard (1884-1929), son of William Gard and Eliza Dickieson. Residence: Mill River. No issue.
2. Hattie Rose³ Metherall (Sarah Jane² John¹ Gorrill), 14 July 1887-1951, married Edward Clark, Jr.

1. son⁴ Clark married Marilyn ______

1. a. daughter⁵ Clark
2. (2) son⁴ Clark married Winnie ______
3. a. daughter⁵ Clark
4. b. daughter⁵ Clark
5. c. son⁵ Clark
6. d. daughter⁵ Clark

1. Thomas R.³ Metherall (Sarah Jane² John¹ Gorrill), died 1 November 1891, age 2 months
2. Florence³ Metherall (Sarah Jane² John¹ Gorrill), 6 April 1893-1976, married Robert Hunter, who was born 30 October 1889 to Allen and Maggie Hunter on a farm in Lot 5.

1. daughter⁴ Hunter married ____ Horne, son of Robert Horne

1. son⁵ Horne married Sheryl _____
2. son⁵ Horne married ______ Smallman

1. son⁶ Horne
2. son⁶ Horne

1. daughter⁵ Horne
2. daughter⁵ Horne

1. John Sargent³ Metherall (Sarah Jane² John¹ Gorrill), 8 July 1898-1969, married Mahala Horne, no children
2. Mable Fielding³ Metherall (Sarah Jane² John¹ Gorrill), born 12 July 1901, married Fred MacRae, who died in 1968

1. Joyce Addie⁴ MacRae died at the age of six months

3. Isabella Priscilla Ida �Bell�² Gorrill (John¹) was born 24 December 1865 to John Gorrill and Eleanor Ellis and was baptized 22 February 1866 at the Anglican Church in Alberton.. She married Herbert Huestis, who was born.10 June 1866; she later married (ii) Jean Obrey. She died in May of 1926.

1. Alvin³ Huestis (Ida Bell² John¹ Gorrill), born 21 January 1887, married Jessie Ellis, daughter of Robert Ellis and Harriet Rayner. No children
2. Lulu³ Huestis (Ida Bell² John¹ Gorrill), born 13 December 1888, married in 1912 Armstrong Rayner (about 1887-1912) son of Joseph Rayner (about 1845-1913) and Ann Miller (1849-1927) and grandson of John Rayner and Sarah Ann Simmons. Armstrong died six weeks after the marriage at the age of 25.

1. daughter⁴ Rayner married ____ Dystant: residence Moncton

Lulu married Nelson Palmer, born about 1873, and lived in Freeland.

2. daughter⁴ Palmer married ____ Grigg

a. daughter⁵ Grigg

3. daughter⁴ Palmer married _____ Smith
4. son⁴ Palmer married _____ Boyles, Conway, PEI

1. daughter⁵ Palmer married ____ Ellis

1. daughter⁶ Ellis

1. Percy³ Huestis (Ida Bell² John¹ Gorrill), born 1 December 1890, went to the United States? Not found in U.S. census
2. Pearle³ Huestis (Ida Bell² John¹ Gorrill), born 13 March 1900, married Denzil (variously spelled: Dansel, Densil) Tuplin, who was born 3 September 1895 to James C. Tuplin, born 14 August 1871, a lighthouse keeper of Lot 4, and his wife Caroline Williams. After her husband died, Pearl married James Igo

(1) son⁴ Tuplin

3. Maria Lilla Normandy² Gorrill (John¹) was born at Yeo�s Mills, Western Road, Lot 5, on 1 February 1868 to John Gorrill and Eleanor Ellis and was baptized in the Anglican Church in Alberton on the 27^th of that month. Lilla Gorrill and John Dougherty, born 25 August 1855, were married at Alberton 18 July 1886 by Rev. Elliot MacKenzie. John was a son of William Dougherty ( 27 December 1814-1902) and Maria Craswell, who was born 17 May 1824. He died at the age of 53 on 9 September 1911. Lily died 27 November 1953 in Saskatoon. They are buried in the Bloomfield United Cemetery, 6/1/28.

1. Ella Violetta Pearl³ Dougherty (Maria Lily² John¹ Gorrill), single, born 29 October 1887, died at Summerside 18 February 1977
2. Olive May Dougherty (Maria Lily² John¹ Gorrill), born 1 November 1894, died 1898, single
3. Zena Dougherty (Maria Lily² John¹ Gorrill), born 11 January 1893, died at Summerside 15 July 1980, single

3. Elizabeth Lavinia �Rose�² Gorrill (John¹), a daughter of John Gorrill and Eleanor Ellis, was born at Western Road, Lot 5, 7 March 1870 and was baptized in the family�s church in Alberton on the 24^th of that month. She married Christopher N. Proudfoot, who was born about 1872, a son of Christopher Cairns Proudfoot (1831-8 April 1890), who came as an infant from Scotland in the Isabella in 1832 and married Elizabeth Brown in New Glasgow, PEI, 20 January 1864. Elizabeth Brown was born about 1842 in Scotland and died 20 February 1876 in New Glasgow. Christopher Cairns Proudfoot then married Mary Jane Cairns (1850-1924). The children of Christopher N. Proudfoot and Rose Gorrill were:

1. daughter³ Proudfoot (Rose² John¹ Gorrill) married ____ Connor
2. son³ Proudfoot (Rose² John¹ Gorrill) married _____ Merritt
3. son³ Proudfoor (Rose² John¹ Gorrill) married ____ Warren
4. son³ Proudfoot (Rose² John¹ Gorrill)

3. John Yeo Serjeant². Gorrill (John¹) was born at Western Road, Lot 5, 27 October 1872 and was baptized in the Anglican Church in Alberton 1 November 1872. John, a carpenter, married Amy Noble, who was born in 1880. He went to live in Somerville, Massachusetts in 1892 (1920 U.S. census). He died in 1948.

1. Maude³ Gorrill (John M.² John¹) married Les Phillips
2. Olive³ Gorrill (John M.² John¹), born 1899 married Robert Eldridge
3. Frances³ Gorrill (John M.² John¹), born 1903 married Herbert Erickson
4. son³ Gorrill (John M.² John¹), born 1918 married Ann _____

7. George Richard Walter² Gorrill, the first of two sons of John Gorrill and Eleanor Ellis, was born 17 August 1875 at Cascumpec Village, the new name of Western Road, and was baptized 12 September of that year. Walter married Flora Jane (Janie) Hardy, 16 October 1872-1940, a seamstress, daughter of Robert Hardy (1849-1929) and Margaret Metherall (1849-1934). At the time of the 1901 census Walter and Jane and their three children were living in the Gorrill homestead in Unionvale with his elderly father and mother and he was doing most of the farm work. Walter and his family later moved to O�Leary, where he farmed and sold farm machinery. Walter died in 1954. He and Jane are buried in Bloomfield United Cemetery.

1. John Lloyd³ Gorrill (Walter² John¹), 12 July 1897-1987, married Mildred Stavert; Summerside

1. daughter⁴ Gorrill married _____ Thomas; London, Ontario

1. son⁵ Thomas
2. daughter⁵ Thomas
3. son⁵ Thomas

1. daughter⁴ Gorrill married _____ Timmerman; California

1. son⁵ Timmerman, California) married
2. son⁵ Timmerman, Denver ) with
3. son⁵ Timmerman; California) children

1. son⁴ Gorrill married _____ Buell

1. son⁵ Gorrill, chartered accountant, Dartmouth
2. son⁵ Gorrill, engineer, Whitby, Ontario
3. daughter⁵ Gorrill, B.A., Acadia

1. Margaret Lilly³ Gorrill (Walter² John¹), born 8 January 1899, married Harry Adams, born 26 April 1897 to Jonathan Adams and Maria Wedlock

1. Lloyd Douglas⁴ Adams died in infancy

(2) son⁴ Adams married _____ Ellis, of Knutsford

1. son⁵ Adams married _____ Cooke
2. daughter⁵ Adams married _____ MacNeill
3. Glen⁵ Adams, died at 7 months
4. daughter⁵ Adams

(3) son⁴ Adams married ______ Webb

1. daughter⁵ Adams
2. son⁵ Adams married ______ Carruthers

1. Robert³ Gorrill (Walter² John¹), 26 June 1900-1968, moved to USA. In the 1930 US census he is recorded as living with his aunt Eleanor Gorrill Leard: "Robert Gorrill, nephew, age 29, single, came to USA in 1926, clerk office store, living at 31 Meacham St., Cambridge, Mass." He married Elizabeth Barry.

1. daughter⁴ Gorrill married _____ MacNelville; USA

1. son⁵ MacNelville
2. daughter⁵ MacNelville
3. son⁵ MacNelville

(2) son⁴ Gorrill married Valerie _____ USA

a. son⁵ Gorrill

1. son⁵ Gorrill

1. Heber³ Gorrill and
2. Gordon³ Gorrill (Walter² John¹), twins, died in early infancy

Sources: PEI census of 1881, 1891 and 1901

United States census of 1920 and 1930

Climbing the Hill: A History of Birch Hill, Lots 13 and 14

Notes by Mrs. William J. Dennis, née Ada Ruth Gorrill

Notes by John Lloyd Gorrill, Jr. (Jack), C.A.

Waldron Leard�s "The Descendants of Samuel Leard and Margaret Rogers"

Reports by Francis Alymer Leard

Master Name Index, PEI Archives

Meacham Atlas 1880

Karen (Gordon) Allan�s "Descendants of Christopher Metherall"

Gary Carroll�s "The Descendants of James Proudfoot and Janet Cairns"

Eileen Oulton�s Charts of the Gorrill Families

The compiler welcomes any corrections and added information.