Thomas Boyle Family tree - and side branches

Notes for George Alfred FORSYTH


Barb has him born in 1848.

There is a G. Forsythe listed in the 1851/1852 census in Lanark County, Pakenham Township at age 5, along with a 1 year old brother, J. Forsythe. It appears that they are living with R. and N. Dickson (from Ireland), and their kids. This concurs with his marriage registration, which says he was born in Lanark, and was 23 at the time of his marriage. He was a lumberer at the time, living in Washago. They are listed as being married in “Manse-Orillia”, but I am not sure what the “Manse” is referring to. Witneses to the wedding were John C. Marshall (Esther’s brother-in-law) and Mary Robertson of Washago. They were married by Reverend John Gray.

I have found a military history for him (Milwaukee United States National Homes For Disabled Volunteer Soldiers) that shows he was injured while fighting in the USA while he was still young. Under “Military History”, it states that he was in E Company, 141 Illinois Infantry as a Private, enlisting May 18, 1864 in Elgin, Illinois (Barb has found that he was joined by “S.H. Hunter”, and being discharged October 10, 1864 in Chicago (by Lt. Horr), so he was in the Civil War). Barb also found a record saying that he was residing in Roscoe, Winnebago County, Illinois at the time. He was 18, 5’8”, with light hair, gray eyes and single at the time. Aside from showing various medical ailments (rheumatism, cariac hyperhphic dlatiation, arterio sclerosis, hypertrophy of prostate), it also mentions that he lost his right eye at this time. Under “Domestic History”, it mentions that he was born in Canada, 5’11”, blue eyed, with grey hair (when he was 62, so this was written around 1907), and that he was a married carpenter living in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to his wife Hester. Under “Home History” (this is “old soldiers home”), it mentions that rhe eceived a pension of $12, starting Dec. 23, 1908, and the “date of discharge and transfer” was Aug 1910. “Cause of Discharge” is listed as “dishonorable”. I am not sure what this means.

However, the home he was assigned to (in Wisconsin), is where he shows up in the 1910 census, listed as a “member”, under the head of Irish born Patrick H Murphy.

There seems to be a lot of references to Forsyth (no ‘e’), so spelling may be wrong. There also does not seem to be a George Forsyth in the 1900 census (where Hattie (Hester) showed up), so he may have already headed to the “old solidiers home” by this time (or he was just away at the time). The June 1900 Grand Forks, North Dakota census has the family down there, so they may have been in the midst of moving.

In the 1881 census for Selkirk, District 183, Sub-district Winnipeg (C), page 58 has him as a carpenter, with Hattie, John, Jane and Maggie.

There is homestead registration to a George Forsythe and his heirs, dated Oct. 22, 1885 (Twp 2, Rge 20, W1, south 1/2 of section 36), that may be him. (http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e113/e002810509.jpg)

US census for Grand Forks, ND for 1900 has their marriage year estimated as 1872, and that they immigrated in 1886. Jane Forsythe is not with them, so I presume that she was married by this time. He is listed as a carpenter (same as he was in 1881 Manitoba census).

I have found a Pension file for him, but it shows his middle inital as “A”, not “D”. It has two filings - October 11, 1897 under “invalid”, and then another for October 8, 1917 for “widow”. Both were filed from North Dakota.



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Tuesday, March 28, 2023