FROM THE SCRAPBOOK
March, 1998
By Dr. Bill Randall
Fifteen kilometers west from the railway tracks in Harvey, Route #3 makes a right angled turn south, and that corner is known as Thomas’ corner.
I thought you might be interested in knowing a bit about the history of the Thomas family.
Alfred Thomas was born the 27th of January, 1820 in Pwllypant, Wales. He was the fourth son of Joseph Thomas and his wife Harriott Brown. At the age of 12 Alfred left his family and it uncertain where he lived or what he did. He may have been a sailor, for in 1849 he was in Saint John, New Brunswick, with a longtime friend, John Reynolds, who according to his tombstone in Harvey, is said to have been a native of Prussia. Alfred and John married sisters, Alfred marrying on May 25, 1850, Margaret Dundas. Margaret was born July 1, 1830 in Fremanagh, Ireland. Her sister Barbara married John Reynolds. A younger brother, Thomas Dundas married Janet Marshall who came from Scotland as a child with the Gasses. Margaret, Barbara and Thomas had a younger sister Elizabeth Dundas who never married and was affectionally known as Aunt Bessie, where she lived with her family until the time of her death. She may have been a schoolteacher.
The source of my material for this item was a text written by George Ernest Morrison from a copy of the history made by Rena Thomas, and made available to me by Keith Reynolds of Alberta.
The Morrison story groups together the families of Alfred and Margaret Thomas, John and Barbara Reynolds, and Thomas and Janet Dundas, and is for me, a bit confusing. I will therefore deal with the descendants of Alfred and Margaret Thomas.
Sometime between 1856 and 1859, the John Reynolds family and the Alfred Thomas family moved from Saint John to land grant homesteads in the Gass Settlement Area. (Now known as Murray Road.) They brought with them John and Alfred’s brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
They settled on Land Grants of 100 acres each. This land had been previously granted to and relinquished by George Brown. The grant to Alfred Thomas was identified as “E of 93 SE of SE Magaguadavic River” and was granted in 1865/05/02. The grant to John Reynolds was identified as “Lot 95 east of NE branch of the Magaguadavic River.”
At that time the other inhabitants of this area were Joseph Gass, George Brown, N. Gass, Thomas Gass and J Lister. Would George Brown be related to Harriott wife of Joseph Thomas, mother of Alfred?
In 1867 both Thomas and Reynolds sold these lands to George Brown and received new grants on the other side of the river and a bit north. The Reynolds lot was #98 and was only partly located in the Manners Sutton Parish, the larger portion being in Prince William Parish. It is believed to have been near where the railroad and dam exist today. The Thomas grant was located south of the Reynolds grant in an area now known as Thomas’ Corners. It is shown on the cadastral map as lot #102.
Between these two lots was lot number 99 granted to Thomas Davidson, lot number 100 granted to John and Alfred’s brother-in-law, Thomas ()uncles and lot number 101 was grant to Joseph Thomas, son of Alfred Thomas.
Lot #98 has no record of transfer and was likely left in the Reynolds family.
Lot #99 was sold by Thomas Davidson to William Little on 2 April 1886.
Lot #100 has the following lot transactions recorded, first sold by Thomas and Janet Dundas to Wm Little on 7 Sep 1868, supposed to be 200 acres. This transaction was likely never carried out. Secondly on the death of Thomas Dundas, his heirs transferred the property to his Widow, Janet. She later married Nathan Moshier. This lot was subsequently sold by Nathan
Moshier and his wife to William John Reynolds on 12 May 1885,100 acres. This is presumed to be the “home-place” of the present Reynolds descendants.
Lot #101 was sold by Joseph Thomas to Alfred Thomas who later deeded it to Michael Embleton.
Lot #102 was divided up with a small portion in the corner between the Reynolds road and the Fredericton road being sold to the local school board to provide for a school site.
Alfred Thomas acquired the deed to Lot #102 in 1868. Alfred and Margaret’s family
consisted of (1) Harriet, born 1852 in Saint John, died 1861 in Harvey; (2) Joseph Edward born May 25,1853, married Mary Dundas; (3) William John Thomas born Saint John, August 28,1855, died 1861 in Harvey; (4) Alfred Jr. born May 14,1857 in Saint John, married Myrna Vail in 1889; (5) Mary Elizabeth Thomas born March 18,1858 in Harvey, married Michael Embleton; (6) Richard Thomas was born Sept. 27,1860 and married Ellen Little; (7) Barbara Thomas was born Sept. 4, 1863 in Harvey and married William Lister; (8) Margaret Thomas was born February 8,1869 in Harvey and married Furbur Rogerson and secondly she was married to Warren Davis.
Third generation Thomas’ are known and were generally located in York or Charlotte County. More detailed information about these families is available.
However it does become family clear where the name Thomas’ Corner came from.
I’m sure you’ve heard me lament that so many of the old timers have passed away that I have difficulty finding sources of local history — well this month I found a new local old timer who helped me with this article – Nicky Gillespie. When I can find old timers as young as this one, I still have hope.
Source: Rev. Bill Randall’s “From The Scrapbook Vol. One.”
