Family History Friday - Andrew Backus

When compiling information about a person from the past, you sometimes get overwhelmed with all the dates that may or may not be important to telling their story.  I am consistently finding dates that fit into the biographies of the people associated with Backus-Page House Museum and surrounding area.  I've found it helpful to open up a Word document and start a timeline for each of them.

I thought I'd share with you the current timeline for Andrew Backus. There will be many duplicates between Andrew and his wife, Mary Jane's, timelines since they share children, family, and residence.  Her timeline was posted last week.  If you have information that can be added please post a comment or send me an email at info@backuspagehouse.ca
Happy History!
Angela Bobier
Cultural Manager

Biography of Andrew Backus

1812    January 1 in Dunwich Twp.  Lot 13 Concession 10

1814    Log house of Stephen and Anne (Storey) Backus was looted during War of 1812.

1814    Brother Joseph Backus born

1816    September 28 Brother Thomas Backus born

1816    The Year Without Summer (weather anomaly due to volcano eruption)

1818    June 28  Sister Mary backus born

1820    April 16 Thomas BACKUS, born Sept. 28, 1816, bap Apr. 16, 1820, son of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Leslie PATTERSON, John PEARCE, Elizabeth & Sarah STEWART  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1820        April 18 Mary BACKUS, born June 28, 1818, bap Apr. 18, 1820, dau of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Leslie PATTERSON, John PEARCE, Elizabeth & Sarah STEWART  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1821        May 22 Sister Olivia Backus born

1822    The first school was held in the home of John Pearce in 1822 – The first teacher was Thomas Gardener.

1822    June 26 Olivia BACKUS, born May 22, 1821, bap. June 26, 1822; dau of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Walter STORY, Mary STEWART & Elizabeth STEWART  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1823    Sister Sarah Anne Backus born

1823    September 8  Sarah Ann BACKUS, bap Sept. 8, 1824, dau of Stephen & Anne; sponsors William PEARCE, Frances PEARCE & Catherine PEARCE  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1824    John Miles Farlane kept school in a house on Lot 11 Concession 11, this was located on one side of the settlement and the people felt that the school should be more centralized and so erected a school on the corner of the Backus land.

1825    Brother Stephen Jr. Backus born

1825    June 21  Stephen BACKUS, bap June 21, 1825, son of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Walter STORY, Leslie PEARCE, Elizabeth & Sarah STEWART  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1825    Stephen and Anne (Storey) Backus built west section of house.

1827    Brother Robert Backus born

1827    August 21 Robert BACKUS, bap Aug. 21, 1827, son of Stephen & Anne  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1827    August 21 Andrew Backus confirmed by Lord Bishop of Quebec in Dunwich Twp

1829    Brother Henry Backus born

1831    January 19 Sister Hannah Backus born

1831    January 30 Hannah BACKUS, born Jan. 19, 1831, bap Jan. 30, 1831, dau of Stephen & Anne; sponsors Walter PATTERSON, Hannah PATTERSON and Mary Anne PEARCE [note - surname is incorrectly spelled "BECKIS" in register]  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1832    October 29  Brother Walter Backus born

1832    November 18  Walter BACKUS, born Oct. 29, 1832, bap Nov. 18, 1832, son of Stephen & Anne, sponsors John PEARCE, William PEARCE, Frances PEARCE  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1833  The school on the Backus land fell into decay and seeing the need for a new school, the settlers got together in 1833, organized a bee and a log schoolhouse was erected on land donated by James Conn. The schoolhouse was completed in 1835. The older children and youths went to St. Thomas to further their education.

1838    Andrew was given his grandmother’s property; he would eventually build the Backus-Page House here

1839  May 2  Married            to Mary Jane Hamilton in Dunwich Twp Andrew aged 27 Mary Jane 23

1839    Stephen Backus, Andrew’s father, gave him 125 acres of land

1840 November 5 Daughter Eliza Ann Backus                      

1842 February 2 Son Walter Backus Born

1842  March 20  Walter BACKUS, born Feb. 2, 1842, bap Mar. 20, 1842, son of Andrew & Mary, sponsors Joseph BACKUS, Sally BACKUS & Stephen BACKUS  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1842    Grandmother Mary Storey died

1843    March 4 Daughter Mary Jane Born

1843    April 9  Mary Jane BACKUS, born Mar. 4, 1843, bap Apr. 9, 1843, dau of Andrew & Mary Jane; sponsors William PEARCE, Olivia BACKUS & Mary MOREHOUSE  Baptisms by Rectors of the Anglican Church in St. Thomas

1844    February 15 Brother Henry Storey Backus Died

1844    February 23 and 25  Eliza Ann and Walter Died

1844    December Son Stephen Alexander Backus Born

1846    Son William Henry Backus Born

1848    Son Andrew Storey Backus Born

1848    Robert Morris was hired to build the east section of the Stephen Backus House

1850    June Daughter Sarah Ann Backus Born

1850    Andrew employs Robert Morris to help him built the house

1851    June 13 Family eat their first meal in house.

Wills of Elgin County 1846-1852  Estate of John Pearce – Andrew Backus was one of 3 witnesses. 

1852    August late Son Robert John Backus Born

1852    September 10 Robert John Backus Died

1853    The Tyrconnell Wharf and Harbour Company began. Andrew and his family did not invest

1854    Daughter Katherine Elizabeth Born

1857    April  Anne Storey, Andrew’s mother Died

1858    Amelia Olivia Victoria            Born

1859    Infant daughter born

1859    Infant daughter died

1860    Sister Olivia Died

1860    Brother Walter Died

1861    April  Andrew bought shares in the Dunwich Pier Company for $20 a share

1862    Elizabeth Hamilton, Mary Jane’s mother, died

1862    Son Arthur Edmond Backus Born

1862    Arthur Edmond Backus Died at 10 days old

1864    Sister Hannah Died

1865    November  Stephen Backus, Andrew’s father, died

1871    Sarah Ann Backus married Thomas Leslie Pearce

1874    Mary Jane Backus married John R. Gow

1877    March 1  William Henry Backus married Euphemia Buchanan at St. Thomas

1878    Stephen Alexander Backus married Francis Morrish

1879    Amelia Olivia Victoria Backus married Thomas C. Humphries

1880    Andrew Storey Backus, a local farmer, married Eliza Ann Potticary

1883    Alexander Hamilton, Mary Jane’s father, died

1884    Sister Sarah Anne Died

1885  March 22 Andrew Backus died and left the farm to his son, Andrew Storey Backus.