The question of British citizenship for Canadians can be confusing. Until 1947, Canadians were British citizens, and I believe Canadian passports reflected that they were British subjects until 1982. However, being a British citizen does not necessarily mean being English and includes Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx and some Irish as well as Australians, Canadians, etc. People in what is now the eastern United States of America were fundamentally British citizens until 1783. The Loyalists were usually Americans whose families had been in North America for 150-years or more, but they preferred their hard-won rights under English laws as opposed to taking any chance with their radical, republican neighbours. My mother’s family were originally Welsh, and, in census records from 1851 to 1921, indicated themselves as such although I doubt if any have seen Wales since the 1500s. What one finds in census records may reflect more a sentiment than a fact.
Alexander Bennett (ca. OCT1838-16FEB1903), was apparently born in Fredericton, York Co., New Brunswick, and, therefore, was technically English (or British), and likely of English ancestry. The concept of a Canadian citizenship developed shortly after his death. The USA still considered, for many years after (and technically were correct) Canada to be a part of England as far as citizenship was concerned.
Alexander Bennet (14) was in Douglas Parish, York Co., NB, working for a “Millman”, Thomas A. Bickwith. The only other persons in York Co. who may have been related were Adam (60) and Maria (56) Bennet in Fredericton with Maria (13). Adam was described as ‘Scotch’ and as having arrived in NB in 1825. Nearby were an Irish couple, Thomas (23) and Grace (20) Bennet having arrived in 1846. There was Amelia Bennet (25), working for John Medley, Anglican Bishop of Fredericton who arrived in 1845 (both of them) when John oversaw the building of the cathedral and became the first bishop. This prompted the creation of Fredericton as a city in 1848 although it did not have a sufficient population. Queen Victoria was not going to have a cathedral of HER church in anything but a city. A widow, Jemima Bennet (55) and her son, John (10), in Kingsclear Parish, York Co., NB, in 1851, were of African descent.
Adam Bennet was b. Kincardine, Scotland ca. 1791-2, and d. Fredericton 1APR1869. A daughter was Mrs. John McCausland. This was Lucretia Ann Bennett (b. ca. 1829) who m. 29AUG1849 John McCausland. Another, eldest, daughter, Jane, m. Fredericton 28OCT1841 Wm Cleaveland of Sheffield Parish, Sunbury Co., NB. This last suggests two things. If born after 1825 (as Adam’s wife, Maria, was native to NB) she was very young when married or Adam was married before arriving in NB, that wife died and he remarried Maria. The York County Marriage Registers may be informative. Maria E., Jr. m. 1870 James A. S. Mott. In 1882 they went to Winnipeg however he (13OCT1842-15MAY1897) and Maria Elizabeth (d. 27DEC1910) are buried together in Fernhill Cemetery, Saint John.
Alexander Bennett later lived in Canterbury Parish, York Co., NB. He was there when he m. 22SEP1859 Eliza, widow of Daniel Grant. Canterbury Parish was part of Dumfries Parish until 1855. In 1851, Daniel (30) and Eliza Ann (Gray) (28) Grant were Irish but b. in NB. Although given as ‘Miss Jane’ Gray in a wedding announcement, death records of her sons by Daniel Wesley Grant give her forename as Eliza. Alexander, by 1875, was a justice-of-the-Peace in Canterbury Parish for York Co. He also kept the New Brunswick Hotel.
A curious reference is that to ‘Francis’ Crowley, widow of Thomas Crowley, b. Ireland, who died in Canterbury Station 31AUG1878 age 84-years at the home of her grandson, John Bennett. Thomas (54) and Frances (52) Crowley were apparently newlyweds in the City of Saint John in 1851, both Irish, he a teacher arrived 1836 and she arrived 1839. I do not find John in York Co. in 1881, and Alex (43) is still married to Eliza Ann (56). A John Bennett (b. Scotland ca. 1824) was superintendent of schools in Fredericton, in 1871, with a wife, Helen (b. NB ca. 1834). In Canterbury Parish in 1871, Alexander ‘Bennet’ was age 32, and Eliza A. was age 45. Eliza A. d. 16AUG1883 age 58 years.
The simplest, and most likely conclusion is that Alexander Bennett was a son of Adam and Maria Bennett, with Adam from Scotland. Alexander would have been a native New Brunswicker, but a British citizen.
Thomas.