Having traveled this July to Hillsborough, New Brunswick, to attend the Steeves250 celebration, I will focus my next 3 posts on my 3 sets of Steeves 4th great grandparents :
"Squire" George Steeves and Martha Smith
Jacob Steeves and Eleanor Bleakney
and
Christian Steeves and Christianna Jones
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| Steeves House Museum during the Steeves250 celebration (July 2016) |
My fourth great grandfather, George Steeves, was born most probably in Hillsborough, New Brunswick, on December 1, 1785, the fifth child of Jacob Steeves and Anna Catherina Lutz, and their fourth son. He was the grandson of Heinrich Stief and Regina Stahlecker, who settled in Moncton, and later in Hillsborough, in 1766. The Steeves250 celebration this summer commemorated Heinrich and Regina's arrival in Canada, 250 years ago, from Philadelphia, having begun their long journey in Germany.
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| Map showing Hillsborough, Moncton, and the Petitcodiac River |
My fourth great grandmother, Martha Smith, was also born, probably in Hillsborough, on June 18, 1788, the daughter of Charles Smith and Suzanne Govang. She was the granddaughter of James Smith, an Irishman who had been one of the first settlers of Hillsborough in 1770.
Together, George and Martha Steeves, as was common in farming families of this era and locale, had 11 children in quick succession, probably all born in Hillsborough:
Mary, b. 1813
Ann, b. 1814
Caroline, b. 1816
Albert D., b. 1818
Rachel, b. 1820
George William, b. 1822
Martha, b. 1824
Catherine, b. 1825
Susan, b. 1827
James Jacob, b. 1830
and
Permilia Jane, b. 1834
With eight daughters and three sons, with one son never marrying, and another having only daughters, George hardly contributed to furthering the family name. Not to worry; there were plenty of other Steeves family members to do so.
George came to be known in his later years as "Squire" George. Although there has been the suggestion that he was a schoolmaster, it is more likely that he may have handled legal matters for the Steeves clan. Whether he had the training to do so, however, is in doubt. The title may have been bestowed simply because of his stature, physical or by reputation, in Hillsborough.
Martha died on June 6, 1839. Five years after her death, the widower George married Elizabeth Smith, the eldest daughter of my fourth great grandparents, Robert Smith and Hannah Veckle Beck (more on them in a future post!). George died on May 16, 1870, and his second wife, Elizabeth, died exactly one year later, on May 16, 1871.
George and his two wives, Martha and Elizabeth, are buried in the Hillsborough Pioneer Cemetery, right in the heart of Hillsborough, next to the First Hillsborough United Baptist Church. Hence, Find A Grave designates the burial ground as the First Hillsborough United Baptist Church Cemetery.
Martha died on June 6, 1839. Five years after her death, the widower George married Elizabeth Smith, the eldest daughter of my fourth great grandparents, Robert Smith and Hannah Veckle Beck (more on them in a future post!). George died on May 16, 1870, and his second wife, Elizabeth, died exactly one year later, on May 16, 1871.
George and his two wives, Martha and Elizabeth, are buried in the Hillsborough Pioneer Cemetery, right in the heart of Hillsborough, next to the First Hillsborough United Baptist Church. Hence, Find A Grave designates the burial ground as the First Hillsborough United Baptist Church Cemetery.
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| Hillsborough Pioneer Cemetery during Steeves250 |
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| Hillsborough Pioneer Cemetery during Steeves250 |
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| Headstone of Martha Smith Steeves |
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| Close-up of Martha's Headstone |
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| Monument to George and 2d wife Elizabeth |
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| Close-up of George and Elizabeth's monument |
Sources:
Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 24 Aug 2016), memorial page for George Steeves (1784-1870), Find A Grave Memorial no. 142780831, citing First Hillsborough United Baptist Church Cemetery, Hillsborough, Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 24 Aug 2016), memorial page for Martha Steves (1788-1839), Find A Grave Memorial no. 142772904, citing First Hillsborough United Baptist Church Cemetery, Hillsborough, Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Find A Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 24 Aug 2016), memorial page for Elizabeth Steeves (1793-1871), Find A Grave Memorial no. 142780888, citing First Hillsborough United Baptist Church Cemetery, Hillsborough, Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Wright, Esther Clark. Samphire Greens: The Story of the Steeves. 2d ed. (Hillsborough, NB: The Steeves Family Inc., 2001).
