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In 1989, I made the decision to research the ancestry of our family. My initial plan was to leave a Legacy for our children and grandchildren---and the generations, to follow. On the surface, this sounded "simple" as there were many elderly family members to provide me with information. Within months, I began to realize the depth of the task which I had undertaken.
My husband, Mervin Edward Horan, is a descendant of John McKay and Mary Favell---and a descendant of James Anderson and Mary Saulteaux. Their wives were of aboriginal descent. Both of these men, and their sons, were servants of the Hudson's Bay Company. They served at many posts in the James Bay Area, New South Wales, Rupert's Land, the North West Territories, as well as Upper and Lower Canada. Their children intermarried with other fur trade families, who lived in the Red River Settlement.
My searches were leading me on a journey into the past. I was bringing the past into the present; and, in the process my research was bringing "those who had gone before" back to life. It was as if an invisible hand had opened a door, to the past, and allowed me to enter. Something, or someone, seemed to be guiding me in my research.
I began to question if the Creator had planned my journey for me. With each book I opened, history was revealed to me. I learned about the history of Canada, and its people. I began to understand that, my planned Legacy into the Past was not exclusively for our immediate family. It had to be shared with others, also; because, it was the story of their ancestors too.
The list of names began to grow before me: Anderson, Adams, Amyotte, Arcand, Bunn, Bates, Beddome, Bird, Bremner, Belanger, Campbell, Christie, Desmarais, Favell, Fidler, Grant, Hambleton, Hodgson, Hunter, Inkster, Isbister, Johnson, Johnstone, Kip, Kipling, Logan, Linklater, McBeath, McCorrister, McCloy, McKay, McKenzie, Nault, Ouellette, Peterson, Piche, Primeau, Parenteau, Robertson, Richard, Sanderson, Saunders, Smith, Tanner,Thomas, Trottier, Unrau, Vandal, Wells, Wills, Young, Zaraska.
There may be errors in my documentation; if there were not, I would not be human. I apologize for any errors or omissions; and request that you contact me in regards to the same. On the same token, I am open to exchanging information with others.
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