Home > Canada > Ontario > Lanark County > Beckwith > Dewar Cemetery > Robert Prestley

Robert Prestley

Birth	:	1815 County Wexford, Ireland
Death	:	15 May 1890 Ashton, Ottawa Municipality, Ontario, Canada
Burial	:	Dewar Cemetery, Beckwith, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate	:	45.1325500, -76.0333900
Description	:	From Motabower Townland, County Wexford, Ireland. In 1839, the tenant list of the massive Coolattin Estate in Co. Wicklow, Ireland (owned by Lord Earl Fitzwilliam) listed Robert, age 24, farmer, living with his wife (Susan, age 25), father Joseph (age 67), and 1 male child (his son, Joseph). In 1847, Robert and his wife Susan were again on the tenant list of the Coolattin Estate, along with their children Joseph, Henry, William, and Rachel (ages 2-9), and Robert's sister Henrietta. It was the time of the Great Famine in Ireland (1845-1849), with mass starvation and tenants unable to... Read More	From Motabower Townland, County Wexford, Ireland. In 1839, the tenant list of the massive Coolattin Estate in Co. Wicklow, Ireland (owned by Lord Earl Fitzwilliam) listed Robert, age 24, farmer, living with his wife (Susan, age 25), father Joseph (age 67), and 1 male child (his son, Joseph). In 1847, Robert and his wife Susan were again on the tenant list of the Coolattin Estate, along with their children Joseph, Henry, William, and Rachel (ages 2-9), and Robert's sister Henrietta. It was the time of the Great Famine in Ireland (1845-1849), with mass starvation and tenants unable to pay rent. While other landowners simply evicted these tenants, the progressive Lord Fitzwilliam offered to pay the ship passage fees for any of his tenant families to immigrate to Canada, in a program later called the Estate Clearances. Almost 6000 of his tenants left for Canada between 1847-1956, and Robert, Susan & their children were among the first to leave, in 1847. With voyages lasting up to 3 months, cholera and typhus easily spread in the cramped and unsanitary conditions, leading to death rates of 20-50%, and earning them the name of 'coffin ships'. Susan was one of the many who died, near the end of their voyage. Stories say that Robert refused to let her body be thrown overboard (as was the custom), and so it was kept until they arrived at Grosse Isle, Quebec, and buried in the cemetery there. (Grosse Isle/Island was both an overwhelmed immigration entry point to Quebec City, and quarantine station meant to curb the spread of cholera, typhus and smallpox.) Robert and the children survived, and continued west, settling in Ashton, Ontario. He married his 2nd wife, Priscilla Stanzel, that same year (in September 1847) at St James Anglican Church, Carleton Place. During the Fenian Raids (1866-1871), Robert volunteered for the Canadian militia and helped repel them. The Fenian Brotherhood were Irish patriots living in the northern United States; they tried to take Canadian territory by force, believing they could trade it with Britain (who ruled Ireland at the time) to regain Ireland's independence. Spellings of the family surname now include Prestley, Priestley, Pressley and Presley in various descendant lines; this may have been due to some early illiteracy, with the spelling left to the interpretation of whoever recorded it (whether on a document or a headstone). For the earliest generations in Canada, including Robert's children, a single person could have so many spelling variations recorded that it is sometimes difficult to determine exactly when a particular spelling solidified into that used by their descendants today. [H. Presley]

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Robert Prestley's memorial?
Robert Prestley's memorial is located at: Dewar Cemetery, Beckwith, Lanark County, Canada.
When did Robert Prestley death?
Robert Prestley death on 15 May 1890 in Ashton, Ottawa Municipality, Ontario, Canada
Where are the coordinates of the Robert Prestley's memorial?
Latitude: 45.1325500
Longitude: -76.0333900

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Children

Robert Pressley

(1852 - 1926)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Dewar Cemetery
Beckwith, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1325500, -76.0333900

2. Kennedy Cemetery
Beckwith, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1324920, -76.0344890

3. Christ Church Anglican Cemetery
Ashton, Ottawa Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1582110, -76.0307590

4. United Cemeteries
Beckwith, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1410550, -76.0799730

5. Prospect United Church Cemetery
Prospect, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.0973820, -75.9824840

6. Saint Augustine's Anglican Cemetery
Prospect, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1016510, -75.9751260

7. Baird Family Plot
Carleton Place, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1659683, -76.1214453

8. Munster Union Cemetery
Munster, Ottawa Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1663400, -75.9397700

9. Morphy Family Burying Ground
Carleton Place, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1383090, -76.1465250

10. Willis Family Cemetery
Carleton Place, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1317640, -76.1508170

11. St. Clare's Roman Catholic Cemetery
Ottawa, Ottawa Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1067760, -75.9215970

12. Saint James Cemetery
Carleton Place, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1571400, -76.1472900

13. Franktown Public Cemetery
Franktown, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.0494280, -76.0551910

14. Shillington Cemetery
Munster, Ottawa Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1629900, -75.9177800

15. Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery
Beckwith, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.1288890, -76.1716670

16. Dwyer Hill Pioneer Catholic Cemetery
Dwyer Hill, Ottawa Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 45.0899140, -75.8969100

17. Sinclair Pioneer Cemetery
Carleton Place, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.0689030, -76.1891210

18. Tennyson-McGregor Cemetery
Drummond, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.0364720, -76.1603360

19. Wesleyan Methodist Cemetery
Mississippi Mills, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.2081040, -76.1889840

20. Saint Thomas Anglican Cemetery
Stanley Corners, Ottawa Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 45.2342200, -75.9058100

21. Saint Marys Roman Catholic Cemetery
Almonte, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.2119800, -76.1931000

22. Stittsville United Church Cemetery
Stittsville, Ottawa Municipality, Canada
Coordinate: 45.2483230, -75.9122510

23. Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery Old
Almonte, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.2449920, -76.1645940

24. Christ Church Pioneer Cemetery
Montague, Lanark County, Canada
Coordinate: 45.0025270, -75.9364830