My name is John Dawson French. I live in Kamloops, British Columbia. I am 56 years old. I am searching for a French Connection…Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Although I have little family information, I’m hopeful that someone out there will recognize these names and contact me.
Generation 1…William French (Head Inn, Randalton) (Derry, Ireland)
Married a woman of Castle Dawson (Nobility)
Generation 2…A son named John French (Immigrated in 1818? From Ireland?)
Generation 3…We know of at least 2 sons of John
Possibly one son named George?
And another son named Richard b. Aug 31, 1810
This Richard (born Aug.31, 1810 died 1873) we think married in ONTARIO
He married Mary Williamson (born 1806 died 1897)
Here is a list of Richard and Mary’s children
Generation 4…
Charles 1835 – 1864
Jane 1837 – 1913
John 1838 – 1903
Joane? 1840 – 1903
Richard 1843 – 1903
James 1845 died in infancy
William 1846 – 1881
James 1848 - 1914
Joseph 1850 – 1901
Mary 1853 died in infancy
Thomas 1854 – 1915
Mary 1857 – 1906
Albert 1860 – 1930 born in Toronto?
This Albert is my Grandfather
Albert and a buddy came out west…the story is that they unloaded Railcars for 50cents a piece and on their way out west they came upon the NWMP who were chasing Louis Riel.
Albert married Florence Field in Vancouver, BC
She was from Calgary (Florence died Oct. 30, 1940 of Cancer.)
Albert was in the import/export business of some sort
Albert apparently shot himself after the stock market crash… because he had lost everything
Page 2
Albert and Florence had 2 sons
One was named John (Jack) Frederick French
John was a member of the Provincial Police (Retired in Comox) Married to Winifred. Jack and Winifred APPARENTLY HAD NO CHILDREN
And Albert and Florence’s other son was named
Richard Dawson French b. August 16, 1902 or 1903 in Vancouver, BC
This Richard married Joan Louise Ruggles b. 1918 or 1919(Joan was from St. Helena California…immigrated to Vancouver, BC with her Mother met and married my father in Van.)
Richard and Joan are my parents
They had 2 children:
Barbara Joan French (my sister)
John Dawson French (myself)
I remember my Dad telling me that (in his younger days) he was in Chicago and saw Al Capone in a public washroom. It had frightened him to be standing beside the mobster.
My Dad worked for the Columbia Coast Mission Fleet. He was an Engineer on one of the boats that serviced the small coastal villages up and down the coast of British Columbia. My Mother was a secretary for the company and that’s how they met.
In the late 1950’s we took a family vacation back East and I remember my parents looking up relatives in the Toronto area.
Our parents were killed in an auto accident in 1965
I was 17 years old when I lost my parents …my sister Barb and I don’t know who or were are relatives are?
As kids we heard stories about being related to George Arthur French, who was First Commissioner of the NWMP at the time of the Louis Riel chase and maybe a nephew of Albert’s? (I think I was told that George was apparently let go later from the NWMP and so he then traveled to Australia?)
I remember being told that C.H. French was a relative of my Father’s. C.H. French was somehow involved in the fur trade. I found C.H. French on the internet and discovered he is a Former Canadian Fur Trade Commissioner and had over 40 years of service (years of service 1891 – 1930)
I do not know how I’m related to these French’s, only that I remember my parents speaking of them.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
I’d love to trace my roots. My sister and I have many family photos and numerous keepsakes, but we have no one to ask about our ascendants.
Thank you for your help.
Regards,
John Dawson French
Email: johndawsonfrench@hotmail.com
