The Gordons of Wapella Saskatchewan. Canada

William Gordon was born about 1825 in Braade Clonleigh Donegal near Strabane He married Margaret McAskie on 1st December 1864 in Drumlegagh Church Ardstraw Co Tyrone.  Margaret was born in 1826 and was the daughter of John McAskie and Betty Gordon of Whitehouse, Ardstraw, Co Tyrone - my great great grandparents.

He leased land - in Braade Co Donegal - we think - but he lost it due to a bad co-signed loan for a friend.

Courtesy of Lonely Planet

They emigrated to Canada - arrived on 12 June 1883 in Halifax on the Grecian. They homesteaded in Wapella Saskatchewan, Canada.

He died on 3 January 1887 and she died about 1895 in Wapella Saskatchewan. The land was transferred to their son James.

He died in a snow storm while going for a doctor for a lady giving birth to a baby. She died of a broken heart - not used to such harsh conditions

They were buried on their own land in Saskatchewan and now there is nothing remaining of the site and the land has changed hands a number of times. There were no civil records for Saskatewan before 1895

William and Margaret had the following children:-

John,   Ida May ,     Mary Jane,          William,     James.

Mary Jane, known as Minnie, 1868-1955 married William Fry 1854-1929 in Canada. She had a boarding house in Winnipeg.  She moved to Los Angeles, California, USA and died in Los Angeles(19) in 1955


Children were 1 Mary Margaretha, 2 William Gordon, 3 Clarence, 4 Irene Marian, 5 Beth Ethel, 6 Dorothy Gordon, 7 Herbert Walker

Irene Marian married Mr Gross - she died 1954 in Los Angeles(19). Beth 1904-1961 Los Angeles,  Herbert Walker died 1986 in San Diego. Dorothy Fry never married. She looked after her mother, Minnie, who was injured in an Auto accident and was rather frail. Dorothy Fry died in 1964 in Los Angeles (70).

James, known as Jim, was born 11 March 1872 in Ireland. He married
1st) Jessie Tudge in 1900 - later died in childbirth  
2nd)  Margaret Blair Barnard in 1908 - his housekeeper

Click to enlarge

James and Jessie had 3 children:-  Margaret Elizabeth     Ethel May    James William    

Margaret Elizabeth (1902-93) married Gordon Percival Wilkinson in 1931. 
Ethel May (1904-84) married Walter Davies. He was born in Wales, UK and his father was a barrister.
James William (1906-) married Hazel Della Ealey in 1936. She was born 1905 and died 15 Sep 2006. Their son was Keith Allen 1937-1991. He died in East St. John, British Columbia

James and Margaret Blair had a daughter Jean Marion (1909-81) who married Gordon Harold Ealey 1903-1988 and lived in Saskatchewan.

James William Gordon	Margaret Blair Barnard with one of the children she delivered in Wapella	Wedding Jim Gordon and Hazel Della Ealey	Jim and Hazel Della Gordon  homesteading at Rose Prairie BC in 1966	Jean Marion Gordon	Wedding Gordon Harold Ealey and Jean Marion Gordon
			Hazel Della Ealey's father William John with his 5 sisters and a brother in law

Gordon was the brother of Hazel Della who married James William Gordon. Jean Marion died in 1981

Margaret Blair Barnard's family came from Scotland. Her parents were   John Barnard and Jane Bennet who married in Coalsnaughton Tillicoultry on 08 Nov 1872

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