"History isn’t a myth-making discipline, it’s a myth-busting discipline ..."

Sir Richard Evans FBA

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Port Coquitlam

Looking into Port Coquitlam's history I came across three books:

History of Port Coquitlam by Edith D. Chambers, B.A. Thompson, 1973.

Port Coquitlam: City of Rivers and Mountains, Debbie Caron, Beth McWilliam, Dhorea Ryon and Diane Rogers, City of Port Coquitlam,1988

Port Coquitlam: Where Rails Meets Rivers, by Chuck Davis, Harbour Publish,2000.

For historians the 1988 publication by the City of Port Coquitlam is the best choice.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Brodie (work notes) IV

Headstone inscription Shoal Lake (MN)

S270 Brodie Janet (Dickson) (Beattie) BRODIE / March 15, 1842-December 21, 191(5)?/ Born in Gattonside Scotland / Died Whonnock, BC / Wife of John BRODIE / Mother of John J. D. Beattie. Note: Janet died in 1914

S270 John James Dickson BEATTIE / Killed in Shoal Lake / March 7, 1907 / 23 years. Question: What killed him? ANSWER: John Beattie, "assistant station agent" was run over while coupling cars. (Manitoba Free Press, 8 March 1907)

James Beattie, aged 60, died Rapid City, Manitoba (fairly close to Shoal Lake) dated 12th June 1886. Question: is this Janet's first husband?

Cheer family

Unfortunately the name of the Hawaiian ancestor of the Cheer (or Chier)family is still unknown. At one point I felt that it could be Keea (also Keea, Kia or Kea) or perhaps also Ohier. But that is all just guessing. I thought Keea, because the ancestor of the Whonnock Cheers and perhaps all Cheer descendants is mentioned as named: "Keaho" Cheer; he was married to Catherine or Katherine Cheer (1831-1888).

Many Cheers lived on the Whonnock Reserve and on the reserves at the Stave River, a few miles east from here. Charles Miller writes extensively about Harry and "Rose" Cheer.

My notes show three sons of Keaho and Katherine Cheer: Daniel (b.1851-1929), Joseph (b. Abt 1858) and Thomas (b. 1863). Of course there may have been other children, including daughters.

I think that the settling of Cheers on the Whonnock Reserve started with son Daniel, who was enumerated in 1891 at the Whonnock Reserve with his wife Mary Samiate and their children: William, Henry (Harry), John, Alex and Ida. Absent according to one informant was perhaps another son called Jack, but he could also be the same as John.

In the 1901 Census Daniel and Mary are still listed with all the children mentioned in 1891 with the exception of Alex. John, William and Henry were then married: William with two children: William and Phillip.

Henry (alias Harry) Cheer married Anny Harry from Nooksack WA in 1898. She died in 1930. Cheers at Whonnock Reserve in 1930 shown in a Census Book of the Indian Agent are Edith, Ray, Clarence, Katherine, Johnny, Peter and Angeline -- all children of Henry. Since the 1950s none of the Cheer descendants lives on the Whonnock Reserve.

Unravelling the Cheer family is not easy. The 1911 Census enumeration of the Whonnock Reserve shows more complexities and confusion with yet other Cheers.