The Missing Pieces
Challenges and Questions....
I have been able to find a good deal of family information on the Internet (see the links page), but this source has its limitations. The indexes and records have all been transcribed by a truly dedicated group of people who are often limited to recording a "best guess" at names in particular. Some of the early census takers had abysmal handwriting. I found additional information by searching for common misspellings (and some less common) for Brownbridge and other family names. Perhaps the most bizarre misspelling I encountered was 'Tauney Chelia' for Fanny Chellew. This may explain why some of the following information is missing.
....William (1814 - 1877)
We don't know much about the first Canadian William's history and to make matters more complicated, William Brownbridge was a very common name then. So there are lots of unanswered questions: Who were the first William's parents? Was he from Masham, Yorkshire in England? When and why did he come to Canada?
The first records of a William Brownbridge in the Elizabethtown area appear in 1840 and census records indicate all the children were born in Canada. When did he and Elizabeth marry? Where are they buried? Perhaps in Gosford cemetery or Sandy Hill in North Augusta, but there are no headstones or records for them there.
...."Mattie" Martha A (1861 - ?)
The last verifiable record for Mattie is from the 1881 census. She and William (the 2nd) were living with their sister, Fanny (Brownbridge) Chellew and her son, Thomas on the family farm. A One World Family Tree record for a Levi Spencer Bacon (born: 1852, Rossie, New York) has her listed as the third of his 4 wives. Is this correct? Did she die before 1900 as I can not find her on the 1900 US or 1901 Canadian census?
....William (the 2nd) (1864 - after 1911)
The marriage record for William and Laura Kerr indicates the he was a widower. Who was his first wife? I have not found a death record for him. Where and when did he die? The family farm was owned by Brownbridges until the 1950s (possibly even into the 1970s). What happened to his son, William E "Carmen"? Did Carmen marry and have children? Who is William Robert? (from the land records)?
....The other William
The Rosetown cemetery records list two William Brownbridges. One is William Lanson (spelled 'Lansing' in their records) and the other is William L. This other William is buried in the oldest part of the cemetery (2-4-W1) with no marker. Who is he? Perhaps a child of William Lanson and Emily.
....Richard (1847 - after 1911)
We believe that Richard's wife, Christy (Christianne), probably moved west to live with her children in Rosetown, Saskatchewan. She is buried in the Rosetown cemetery, but there is no headstone or cemetery record for Richard. Where and when did he die? Where is he buried?