Chaudiere Falls Drownings
Hello,
I'm looking for information on the drowning accident in 1815 that took the lives of Benjamin Moore, William Wright, Asa Young, and Adam Romain at Chaudiere Falls near Hull, Quebec. Any help would be great.
Thank you,
Gary Dempsey Washington, DC
|
Re: Chaudiere Falls Drownings
There's a recounting of the episode in this standard reference book on the early settlement of Hull / Aylmer & Bytown:
"Pioneers of the Upper Ottawa & The Humours of the Valley" (combined in 1 volume) by Anson GARD, Global Heritage Press (1999) ISBN 1-804378-28-8
If you're in the Ottawa / Hull area, you can easily find this book in either the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library or the Centrepointe Branch.
Regards, Michael Ross Murphy
|
Re: Chaudiere Falls Drownings
Benjamin Moore was the brother of my greatX4 grandfather, Job Moore. Rather than go through all the sketchy details I have on the drownings, please let me know what in particular you want to know about the incident. (Apparently they were trying to "go over" the falls in a boat, Niagara-style.) Incidentally, you mentioned that an Adam Romain also drowned in the incident. I don't have that name in any of my information about the drownings, but Benjamin Moore's nephew, my great X 3 grandfather John Moore, married a woman named Elmire Romain in Hull in 1844. Her grandfather, about whom little is known, was an Adam Romain. Please let me know what you need to know about the Chaudiere Falls drownings and tell me anything you know about Adam Romain.
|
Re: Chaudiere Falls Drownings
The drownings took place in 1815. There is an account of this incident in "Pioneers of the Upper Ottawa" by Anson Gard (Global Heritage Press 1999, ISBN 1-804378-28-8) that was originally published in 1906.
Quotation: "Benjamin, the son mentioned elsewhere as having drowned 'with Wm. Wright and likewise Asa Young', at the Chaudiere. James McConnell mentioned above as having married Sarah Moore, was the one in the song as having been 'preserved, for he swam safe to shore'. "
The song lyrics are to be found in "Lumbering Songs from the Northern Woods" by Edith Fowke, NC Press, Toronto (1985) ISBN 0-920053-51-3. It could be easily overlooked since the song lyrics refer to the Grand River rather than the Ottawa River (the Ottawa was called the Grand River in this era) .
Michael Ross Murphy (Ottawa, Canada)
|
Re: Chaudiere Falls Drownings
Is there any information about Wm. Wright. I am looking for a Wm. Wright of Buckingham, P.Q. who married Elizabeth Fern. Their son George m. Mary Mulvihill in 1853 in Old Chelsea, P.Q. There are so many Wm. Wright and George Wright's that it is very confusing to try to find them.
|
Re: Chaudiere Falls Drownings
I don't have any additional information on William Wright. Perhaps his wife's name was "Finn" rather than "Fern". There were Finns and Mulvihills in the Chelsea-Hull area at the time. I have the record of the marriage of John Finn of Orrstown to Julia Mulvihill in Martindale QC on June 20, 1805. The William Wright who drowned at Chaudiere Falls in 1815 might well have been from the same area.
|
Re: Chaudiere Falls Drownings
Ffamily lore states that George's family was very much against him marrying Catholic Mary Mulvihill and his brothers had promised that they would do away with him if he did contract this marriage. He did and apparently in the late 1850's they did do away with him. It is terribly difficult to find anything on both William and son George............ George and Mary who married in August 1853 in St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Old Chelsea had four children-------William, Julia Ann(my greatgrandmother, Ellen and John before George disappeared. I though there might be a chance that Wm from the Chaudiere Drowning might have been William Sr.'s father but the years do not coincide because George is supposed to have been born in 1829. The Wrights were in the Hawkesbury and Buckingham area. They attended St. Stephen's (same name different religion)Anglican Church in Buckingham, P.Q. Thank you for reading me and any help anyone might be able to give would be most sincerely appreciated.My grandmother always said that she was the greatgranddaughter of Philomen Wright but haven't been able to prove that either. Regards, Rose Marie Baskin
|
Re: Chaudiere Falls Drownings
My new e-mail address is jnr@cogeco.ca. I'm Still interested in any information on the Chaudiere Falls drownings of 1815. John Levesque
|
Re: Chaudiere Falls Drownings
This is my new email address as of June 2006. I'm still very interested in any information on Adam Romain and a drowning incident at the Little Chaudiere Rapids ca. 1815.
|
Re: Chaudiere Falls Drownings
Hello John, Did you get the info you were looking for about the drownings? If so will you share info on Andre. Looking for collaboration/documentation that Adam Romain is same person as Andre Romain.
|