Log In | Register for a User Account

The first Brownbridge in Canada is a bit of a mystery. Sometime in the mid 1830s a young fellow named William Brownbridge emigrated from England to the wilds of Canada near Brockville Ontario. He most likely came from Yorkshire or Durham, but I have not been able to confirm his family roots in England. Family legend says he was a remittance man, which has given me a couple of possible leads, but nothing I can prove at this point. Around 1836 he married Elizabeth Metcalf, daughter of the Rev Robert Metcalf and Elizabeth (nee Craddock) Metcalf. The Metcalf family had emigrated from the village of Ilton in Yorkshire to Canada in 1834, drawn most likely by the promise of financial opportunity and religious freedom. They settled around the town of North Augusta in Ontario.

William and Elizabeth (Metcalf) Brownbridge Family

William and Elizabeth (Nan) had a large family of 9 daughters and 3 sons. All lived to adulthood. Several daughters married into long established local families and have long lines of descendants (see the Surnames list). Elizabeth (b. 1838) married B L Putnam, Frances (b. 1839) married W H Chellew, Mary Ann (b. 1841) married Joseph Edwards, Victoria (b. 1846) married George Kidd, Josephine (b. 1851) married T H Wickware, and Ganimede (b. 1855) married J H Brundage (it appears they both died young). Destamony (b. 1859) married first Alex Greer (died 1884) and then Samuel Marshall. Martha (b. 1860) had a short, unhappy marriage to a fellow who did not treat her well and later married an American, George Matteson. The youngest daughter Florence (b. 1865) was only eight when her mother died of consumption and was raised by her aunt, Ann (Metcalf) Keeler. She married Thomas Doran, but died young (also of consumption) and had no children.

Of the three sons, only Richard's line has carried on the Brownbridge name. The eldest brother, Albert (b. 1843) lived a tragic life. He and his wife, Fanny McBratney lost both of their sons as infants. Only one of their four daughters lived beyond 32 and had children. Albert, who died at 43 of consumption, their youngest daughter and both sons are all buried in Gosford cemetery, very near the William Brownbridge family farm.

The youngest brother, William Robert (b. 1862) was married four times. First to Lizzie (died about 1899), then in 1900 to Laura Kerr (died 1917). They had one son, Carmen Elson (b.1901). In 1919, William married Lucia (Matteson) Talbot, the daughter of his sister Martha's second husband, George. Lucia died in 1926, but it appears they were living apart before then. In 1930 he married Jennie (Kearney) Kenville.

William Robert and Laura's son, Carmen Elson Brownbridge married Eva Major in 1928 and they had one daughter, Mary Joanne. Mary died in a terrible railway crossing accident along with her husband and 14 year old daughter. A 16 year old son who was not with them at the time of the accident became a fireman. He passed away in 2015.

Elizabeth died in 1873, aged 54, after being ill with consumption for 4 years. William died four years later at 63 of heart trouble. I have found no burial records or headstones for them, but they are probably buried in Gosford cemetery.

Richard and Christianne (Wallace) Brownbridge Family

The picture above is most likely of Richard and Christie's five oldest children taken late 1880 or early 1881. Back: Albert Wellington (12), Lawrence Tracy (5), John Duncan (11), William Lanson (7). Front: on Albert's lap, Richard Wallace (1) and Josephine (almost 3) sitting.

Three more children were born after this: Goldie Belle (1883), Nellie (1885) and Norman Claude (1888). The majority of the current living Brownbridges are descended from either William, Lawrence or Richard.

Albert (died young around 1895), John, and Nellie had no children. Josephine's daughters had no children and neither did Goldie's daughters. Norman Claude's daughter, Jacqueline (Paulson) had one son.