Archibald Livingston of Lobo Township, Middlesex Cty.Ontario

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi David,

That is exciting news. In a month or more you should likely be contacted with the results.

See my earlier message from July of 2011 which I think helps to verify what the historian said in 1896 about your ancestor Archibald Livington serving with the Royal Corps.
I am sorry I forgot in the past we did find out quite a bit about the Royal Corps and it seem though they were formed during the Napoleonic War some of them evidently did come to Canada. I am not aware of the details of this but looking back at posting to you some years back there is info regarding the Royal Corps in Quebec apparently they I had forgotten about and perhaps needs some further research because as you can see there definitely seems to have been a historic connection between Grenville and some other neighbouring places in Quebec and this Royal Corps worth further research and exploration. Check this old post from me to you.

Postby Canadian Livingstone » Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:02 am

Hi David,

]If by some miracle I turn out to beright then your ancestor Archibald Livingston's grandfather Archibald Livingston of the Royal Staff Corps is likely connected to the Royal Staff Corps which were formed in the early 1800's during the Napoleonic Wars. The Royal Staff Corps were involved with the defence of South eastern England in the 1804 1805 period to prevent invasion by the French. They also I think were later involved in the Peninsula War. By the 1820's I think they were in British North America in Lower Canada. What is interesting is that the ROyal Staff corps built the Lachine Canal and Grenville Canal. They also had some involvement I think in the construction of St. Mathews Anglican Church in Grenville in 1832. Perhaps Archibald's grandfather was still in the Royal Staff Corps at this time in Grenville,Argenteiul Quebec. I would think by the 1830's Archibald would be getting old and would be long since retired from the Military but he definitely was likely serving with during the Napoleonic War and perhaps for a time in Quebec. I found out there were definitely Scots serving in the Royal Staff Corps. It not all clear to me yet but I think the Royal Staff Corps served as army engineers. Two companies of the Royal Staff Corps were sent under the command of a Henry Du Vernet in 1819 with the purpose of constructing canal along the Ottawa River one of which was the Grenville Canal. I suspect from what you found out that Archibald's grandfather was one of them that came out in 1819. There appears to be some detailed info out there on this Henry DuVernet. Makes sense that Archibald the eldest son was named after his grandfather.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi David,

As an update to the 2011 post and to the 1896 history which suggests that your ancestor Archibald Livingston was apparently one of the 100 soldiers that came over from Britain with the Royal Staff Corps which apparently arrived in early 1800's and built the Carillon and Grenville Canals. Here is more detailed info regarding that British A Corps and their work on these canals in Quebec.

http://www.thefullwiki.org/Grenville,_Quebec

http://www.thefullwiki.org/Carillon_Canal


http://grenville.ca/la-ville/canal/

regards,

Donald

[david.livingstone]

Interesting: In your post from Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:02am:

... They also had some involvement I think in the construction of St. Mathews Anglican Church in Grenville in 1832. Perhaps Archibald's grandfather was still in the Royal Staff Corps at this time in Grenville,Argenteiul Quebec ...

I stumbled on this tonight: https://www.ancestry.ie/boards/localiti ... .1/mb.ashx

There are a few RSC members mentioned in the St. Matthew's Anglican Church Cemetery transcription, published by the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

The short section on the Royal Staff Corps says "Members of the Royal Staff Corps who remained in Grenville after the construction of the Grenville-Carillon Canal and were buried in this cemetery: Thos. Collins #52 (stone #), John Lockley #68, Thomas Taylor #28 Other members of the Royal Staff Corps who remained in Genville and who have descendants buried in this cemetery: Nathaniel Boyd, Thomas Foreman, Joseph Hambly, George Hopper, Andrew Kerr, Archibald Livingstone, David Reeves." The endnotes say that George Hopper, from Ireland, is buried beneath St. Matthew's Church. Actually, I think the church is gone, now.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi David,

Apparently the Royal Staff Corps involved with the canal, wintered in the Montreal area because of the weather and then in the Spring to continue construction. Evidently it took them a long time to complete the Grenville Canal. Years if I understood correctly. The point is I looked for an Archibald Livingston between 1819 and 1830 in the early records and found one in the St. Laurent suburb of Montreal with what looks like a wife and 2 boys and 2 girls in the 1825 Lower Canada (Quebec) Census. This could also be a Archibald Livingston who later resided in Beauharnois County. So probably there were only two Archibald Livingtons in Quebec in the 1819 to 1830 period I just don't for sure which one is the one in the 1825 Census.

One other thing. There were two main groups involved with the Grenville canal that may have been Scottish. You have Royal Staff Corps and also the stone masons some them of Mull, Argyll origins and whatever other workers are employed to work with the Royal Staff corps on this project. All the info we have seen so far seems to indicate that your ancestor Archibald Livingston was in the Royal Staff Corps and not one of the stone workers working on the Grenville Canal. There was a gentleman named Patrick Mason who ancestor served with the Royal Staff Corps who did a lot research on his ancestor and the Grenville Canal project and located whatever information has survived.

I see the Robert Legget book on the Ottawa River Canals published in 1988 is still available in used copies. The 1979 Ontario Genealogical Society Publicaton that has St. Matthews Church, Grenville Quebec cemetery info you mentioned may be out of print but the O GS library probably has a copy. I have not found a used copy as yet.

regards,

Donald

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi David,

Interestingly enough there was briefly a third Livingston residing in Grenville Township. Hugh Livingston b. abt. 1815 or 1816 in Scotland married Catharine McVicar b. abt. 1814 daughter of Grenville Township settler Hugh McVicar on Nov 11, 1845 and were married by William Maur minister of Grenville and Chatham. He and Catharine appear in the 1851/52 Census in Grenville Township. At that time Hugh Livingston and family was located at Con. 5 Lot 14 100 acre farm. Hugh Livingston died sometime between 1851 and 1861. Catharine McVicar Livingston died Feb. 21, 1883 age 68. Her Father Hugh McVicar was born 1778 died April 23, 1857 and mother was Agnes Ann Campbell b. 1787 d. Dec. 20, 1869 and they are all buried in the Scotch Road Cemetery in Grenville Township. No information on whether Hugh was a young son of Archibald so can't say who his father or mother was. He was born in Scotland.

regards,

Donald