Thomas,
This is incredible! I need time to absorb this and deconstruct each piece.
I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the time you must have taken to research and put this together for me. THANK YOU!
This really has my mind going. Could my GILBERT have been the same GILBERT in Case 12? His family name, prior to escaping slavery, was Kelly. Those 2 women could easily have been his sisters. I know that at least one of them did escape and was seen in Plymouth, NH in the 1850 timeframe, but we lose track of her after that.
From the way the narrative reads, as written by my GrGrGrandfather (Amos's brother), Amos first went to Halifax, then St John, then Fredericton. So it makes sense that we may not find Amos in NB right away on his arrival into Canada.
I did locate the marriage and death certificates of one of his daughters, Laura Amanda, and it does show us that she was born in St John.
Amos' wife's maiden name was Campbell.
Here is what I found today:
Amos Gilbert
Amos Married Jessie Campbell (date, location unknown), her parents were John and Sarah Cambbell of St John. Jessie was born in St John.
Daughters: Laura Amanda Gilbert & Melvina?? Gilbert (hard to read)
https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=...Laura Married John William McAuliffe, Furniture Varnisher, Married in: Halifax County, July 4, 1873 – Age listed as 20
Laura and John had at least one child before John died.
Later:
Laura Married William B. Thomas May 11, 1882 in Halifax her age is listed as 24 (she must have been at least 29 if Amos died in 1853).
Laura is listed as Laura Gilbert on this marriage cert – so she returned to her maiden name before marrying William Thomas.
See here:
https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=...Laura Died March 29, 1929
See Death Cert Here:
https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=...Sister: Melvina Gilbert?? (hard to read the handwriting)
Amos Died – per Oliver’s Narrative – 1853, Fredericton, NB of Cholera
Jessie then married Preacher + ”Health Doctor” Nelson Hugo Reed, Dec 13, 1872
Nelson Hugo Reed was British, per his death cert
Nelson Hugo Reed was a resident of Bear River, NS and was born in Bear River
Nelson Hugo Reed died 1928 in Shelburne, Shelburne County at age 88 and is Buried at Pine Grove Cemetery on Sept 13, 1928
Nelson Hugo Reed lived in Shelburne for 45 years prior to his death – he is listed as a widower on his death cert
I cannot locate Melvina - other than seeing her name listed as a witness on Laura's marriage record.
However, Oliver (my GrGrGrandfather) wrote that one daughetr was in Halifax and the other was in Troy, NY....so finding Melvina may take some work.