Thomas Dempsey and Mary Roe

Thomas Dempsey and Mary Roe

Thomas Dempsey
2nd Great Grandfather
b. 1796, Ballymena, Antrim, Northern Ireland
d. October 8, 1874, Inverness, Megantic Co, Quebec

Mary Roe
2nd Great Grandmother
b. 1797, Antrim, Northern Ireland
d. May 15, 1875, Inverness, Megantic Co, Quebec

Thomas Dempsey and likely two brothers came from Northern Ireland with their families to farm in Inverness, Quebec sometime around 1830 (1901 Canadian Census for son James). His parent's names are unknown. They were Protestant and members of one sect or another of the Church of Scotland.

Parish records are not online in Northern Ireland. Searches must be done and paid for through the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) at about $50 each. The Canada Census provides much information on the Dempseys. Unfortunately fire destroyed the 1851 Canada Census record for Megantic County in Quebec.

Search for William Dempsey (Great Grandfather) Parents

William Dempsey (Great Grandfather), born ) October 15, 1833 in Quebec (Canada 1901 Census), moved from Inverness, Quebec to a farm next to the farm of Joshua Stuart Snyder (Grandfather) near Cloyne, Ontario. He first shows up in the Canada 1961 Census.

There is no known record of his birth or death but he is likely buried in the Dempsey Cemetery in Barrie, Ontario near his son George Dempsey and son-in-law Joshua Snyder. There is a grave next to them but the name is illegible. George's headstone has the family name on the bottom which may indicate a family plot.

Looking through the Census data for William Dempsey, in the Canada 1861 Census there is a Maria McGregor born 1821 in the USA and her son Charles born 1844 in the USA. There are two marriage registry entries for Maria in Chicopee, Hampden, Massachusetts. She marries Charles McGregor from Glasgow, Scotland on September 23, 1853. Her name is listed as Maria Carr and her birthplace is Burlington on Grand Isle, Vermont. Her parents are listed as Thomas and Mary Dempsey from Inverness, Canada East. It is also listed as her second marriage.

On the same page is listed the marriage of James Dempsey 26 to Hannah Dunn 27. James was born in Lisnahunshin, Portglenone, Antrim, Northern Ireland. His parents are also Thomas and Mary Dempsey from Inverness, Canada East.

Maria also appears in the 1850 United States Census in Chicopee, Hampden, Massachusetts as Maria Carr 29 born in Vermont. She is with two sons, Joseph Carr 5 born Canada and James Carr 0 born Massachusetts. Also present is Catharine Dempsey 24 born Ireland.

There is a Thomas Dempsey in the 1820 United States Census - Burlington, Chittenden, Vermont - Foreigner not Naturalized which would match Maria's birthplace.

Now we have siblings Maria, James and Catherine.

From the DNA analysis, there is 4th cousin, Deborah M Menor-Burke, who is descended from Maria's son Charles McGregor. This means we share the same 3rd great grandparents, Thomas Dempsey and Mary Roe which means William Dempsey is their son and Maria is his sister.

The objection to this is raised on the web site http://www.booksbygwen.ca/database/d -
DEMPSEY THOMAS b 1796 Ballymena, Co. Antrim, IRELAND, d 1874, Presbyterian, m in 1819 in Ireland to MARY ROE b 1797 IRELAND Co Antrim d 1875. Settled 7th Range Inverness. Children:>

  • William b 1819 at Larne, Co Antrim, Ireland, C of S, d 1898 in Monteith, Ontario, m Mary McKibbon b c 1815 in Ireland, d 1899 at Monteith. Lived Inverness Tp

  • James b 1824 IRELAND, FC m Hannah Dunn b 1826 Ireland, C of S. They lived in Inverness Tsp.

  • Thomas b 1836 LC, d 1918, FC m in 1859 to Jane Dempsey b1834 in IRELAND, d 1914. They lived Inverness Tp.

  • Nancy b 1836, d 1878 and buried St Andrews Presbyterian, Inverness Tp.

The William Dempsey that is listed here was probably because in the Canada 1861 Census there is a William Dempsey on a farm next to that of Thomas Dempsey and Mary Roe. Also, this William Dempsey dies in Sifton, Manitoba not Monteith, Ontario. He was also born in Ireland. Our William was born in Quebec according to the Census records. This William is more likely the nephew of Thomas.

These are most likely the children of Thomas Dempsey and Mary Roe -

  • Maria Dempsey b 1821 Grand Isle, Vermont

  • Catherine Dempsey b 01 Oct 1826 Ireland, d 04 Jun 1919 Inverness, Megantic Co, Quebec

  • James Dempsey b 1827 Lisnahunshin, Portglenone, Antrim, Northern Ireland, d 27 Apr 1924 Tisdale, Saskatchewan

  • William Dempsey b 15 Oct 1833 Inverness, Megantic Co, Quebec

  • Nancy Dempsey b 1836, d 14 Aug 1878 Inverness, Megantic Co, Quebec

  • Thomas Dempsey b 11 May 1839 Inverness, Megantic Co, Quebec, d 24 Dec 1918 Inverness, Megantic Co, Quebec

A common name in the descendants of Thomas Dempsey and Mary Roe is “Varner”. The name turns up rarely in other related Dempsey lines, except possibly as naming a child after an older relative. This would indicate the name likely derives from the Roe line, perhaps Mary Roe's father.

The 1891 Christmas Cup

Stuart Verner Snyder was given a silver cup for Christmas in 1891, the year of his birth from namesakes, William Alexander Verner and William Echlin Stuart. William Alexander Verner was the son-in-law of William Echlin Stuart who was the Assistant Deputy-Chief of the Toronto Police.

Although I cannot find a family relationship, maybe that is where the name Varner comes into the Dempsey line. Mary Jane Dempsey's brother George also worked for the Toronto Police .

Dempseys and Snyders

William Dempsey, moved from Inverness, Quebec to a farm next to the farm of Joshua Stuart Snyder near Cloyne, Ontario. Joshua had moved from Ernesttown to Cloyne with his father Charles Stuart Snyder and brothers Billings Hartman Snyder and Levi Dammon Snyder to set up a sawmill. Charles eventually returned to Ernesttown; Joshua and his brothers stayed on.

Joshua had three children with his first wife, Norilla Henderson: Annie Bernice Snyder, Stuart Proctor Snider and Walter Charles Snyder. After Norilla died, Joshua married William Dempsey's daughter, Mary Jane Dempsey. Mary Jane already had one son, Otto Lionel Dempsey, at the time of the marriage. His father is not known but possibly could be Joshua?

Joshua and Mary Jane had a son Stuart Verner Snyder. After Joshua died, Mary Jane married Nelson Byron McBride. Ray Snyder always referred to Nelson's son Fred Clare McBride and his wife Elsie Hurley as Uncle Fred and Aunt Elsie.

Later, the McBrides and Stuart and Stuart's half brother, Charles Snyder, apply for and obtain homesteads near Morris, Saskatchewan on adjacent quarters. These farms turn out to be a few miles south of the homesteads of Stuart's future wife, Jenny Lee's family and her two uncles. Otto lived and worked in town at a lumberyard.

During this time, Mary Jane's younger sister, Rachael Alice Mabel Dempsey and her husband George Bishop sold the farm in Cloyne, Ontario and along with Mary Jane's younger brother, Samuel Edmund Dempsey, obtained homesteads near Edgerton, Alberta. Later the McBride and Snyder families would also move to farms nearby.

Stuart became involved in politics in Edgerton and Wainwright and at one time was Reeve of the county of Vale.