In 1851 “immigrant ancestor” George Cotnam (1828-1895) of County Cavan, Ireland m. Catherine “Katie” Lee (1825-1897) in Quebec City. Stories of land, up the Ottawa River Valley, coming available for settlers to homestead were rife amongst the new arrivals. In Quebec City and Montreal the government land agents were busy dealing with incoming shiploads of willing buyers.
George Cotnam and Catherine Lee’s union and its descendants was set out in a 1956 Pembroke Observer newspaper article written by Lorna Cotnam and Evelyn Moore Price, which has been submitted to this entry by Verla Collins Robinson.
Allumette Island is one of two large islands in Pontiac County, Quebec, the other being Calumet Island downstream, which are located in the Ottawa River to the west and the east of Westmeath Township. These large islands were formed when the river channel divided to take its course around outcrops of harder Precambrian Shield in the Laurentian Upland. Like so many other families from Allumette Island, the Cotnam frequently traveled across the Ottawa River to Westmeath Township and Pembroke Townships in Ontario to do business, socialize and attend church.
George Cotnam and Catherine Lee raised a family of seven:
- William Cotnam (185_- ) married Eleanor Smyth (1856- ) of Greenwood in 1878. Eleanor was the daughter of James Smyth (1825-1877) and Jane Watson (1826-1887). See SMYTH entry. He was a talented carpenter and worked on the building of the Perretton Methodist Church. They settled on a farm on Westmeath Road on South 1/2 Lot 15, Concession 1.
The children of William and Eleanor were:
i. George Andrew Cotnam (1879-1969) m. Mary Jane Graham (1881-1979) in 1905 in Greenwood Church. 1969 George Cotnam Death. Mary Jane was a noted seamstress and the daughter of Robert Graham (1855-1922) and Sarah Ellen Wilson (1862-1946) also from Greenwood. 1979 Mary Jane Graham Cotnam Death. See GRAHAM entry.
Luckily George took time in 1958 to set down his memories of his childhood and adult life. He, like so many others of that era, worked in the lumber camps as well as farming. Take the time to read: 1958 George Cotnam’s Memoir.
a) George “Delmer” Cotnam (1906-1980) m. Martha Jane “Beulah” Kenny (1907-1997), daughter of Joseph Kenny (1871-1952) m. Emily Hamelin Moore (1876-1965) from Beachburg Road. See KENNY entry.
I. Lorna Dawn Cotnam (1936-
II. Kenny D. Cotnam (1937-
b) Mary Evna Cotnam (1909-1980) m. Russell Thomas Collins (1906-1983); son of Thomas Henry and Mary Collins of Beachburg. See COLLINS entry. 1980 Mary Evna Cotnam Collins Death
c) Robert Graham Cotnam (1912-1986) m. Elizabeth Fern McClelland (1919-1981), daughter of Gordon McClelland and Elizabeth McGonegal of Perretton. 1981 Fern Cotnam Death See MCCLELLAND entry.
I. Murray G. Cotnam (1940- ) inherited and continued to farm the Cotnam homestead in Perretton.
II. Brian Cotnam (1945-
d) Graham Cotnam
e) Elizabeth Cotnam
ii. Sarah Jane Cotnam (1880-1972) m. James Carnegie (1873-1948), son of Daniel Carnegie (1825-1892) and Sarah Fraser. See CARNEGIE entry.
iii. Emma Lulyla Cotnam (1885- ) m. James “Jim” Brennan.
iv. Wiliam (1887- ) m. Minnie Jackson. 1970 William Cotnam Death. In 1966 the couple celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Their children were:
a) Harold Clinton Cotnam who died in service in World War II, was killed on October 31, 1941. He was a sergeant and pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force and is buried in Bristol, UK.
b) Keitha Cotnam m. Lawrence McKay
2. Mary Ann Cotnam (1853-1929) was born on Allumette Island, and she m. Lemuel Whitmore (1954- ), son of William Whitmore and Jane ___, another Wesleyan Methodist family that had homesteaded on Allumette Island. 1878 Lemuel and Mary Ann marriage. They married in December 28th of 1878. See WHITMORE entry. Both are buried at Greenwood Cemetery.
3. George Walter Cotnam (1855-1940) m. Emily Margaret “Maggie” Marshall and is buried in Cobden, ON. Children:
i. Eva Cotnam
ii. Ida Cotnam m. Russell Boyle
iii. Ira Delbert “I.D.” Cotnam, MD, was a well known physician in the Pembroke area and also served as a Member of Parliament for the area.
Ira Delbert or “I.D.” Cotnam (19 December 1883 – 25 February 1966) was a Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Pontiac County, Quebec and became a physician. Cotnam attended secondary school at Pembroke Collegiate Institute, then proceeded to Queen’s University where he received his medical degree (MD, CM). His postgraduate work was conducted at hospitals in New York, Chicago and London. Queen’s University awarded him with a gold medal in surgery. He was first elected to Parliament at the Renfrew North riding in the 1925 general election, winning over Liberal incumbent Matthew McKay after an unsuccessful campaign there in the 1921 election. He was re-elected in 1926 federal election and 1930 federal election. During the decade when Cotnam held Renfrew North, he was challenged by McKay in each election. In the 1935 election, McKay defeated Cotnam to win back the riding. Cotnam made two further unsuccessful attempts to win the seat in 1949 and 1953, when he campaigned as a Progressive Conservative. From House of Commons bio.
4. Margaret Jane “Maggie” Cotnam (1858-1950), also born on Allumette, m. Hugh Fraser (1852- ), son of Robert Fraser and Hannah Curry. 1889 Double Wedding Hugh & Maggie and Tom and Lizzie. They had no children. She is buried in Pembroke, Ontario.
5. Ann Elizabeth “Lizzie” Cotnam (1864-1956) m. Tom Fraser (1959-1945), son of Richard Fraser and Jane Armstrong. In 1889 the sisters Lizzie and Maggie had a double wedding marrying Fraser Cousins. 1889 Double Wedding Hugh & Maggie and Tom and Lizzie, Lizzie and Tom had two daughters: Hazel Fraser (1901-1993) m. Lawrence Bromley, and Inez Fraser (1896-1973).
6. Robert “Bob” Cotnam m. Emily Emma Thrasher (1886-1955), daughter of George Thrasher (1822-1901) and Mary Mangan (182_-1911). 1885 Cotnam Thrasher Marriage. See THRASHER entry.
i. Georgina Cotnam (1886-1972)
ii. John Edward Cotnam (1888-
iii. William Herbert Cotnam (1890-1925)
iv. Carl Vinton Cotnam (1892-
v. Catharine Lee Cotnam (1894-
vi. Robert Arthur Cotnam (1896-1902)
vii. James Welland Cotnam (1899-
viii. George Frederick Cotnam (1901-1999)
ix. Henry Alexander Cotnam (1903-1987)
x. Robert Earl Cotnam (1906-1982)
xi. Mary Evelyn Cotnam (1909-2010)
7. John James “Jack” Cotnam (1867-1847) m. Christina Patterson (1867-1951), daughter of John Jack Patterson and Jane Henderson. 1889 John & Christina Marriage.
i. Pearl Cotnam
ii. Pansae Cotnam m. Lawrence Edward Neville, (1902- ) son of Michael Neville & Helena Kelly. 1921 Pansae & Lawrence marriage. Pansae’s occupation in 1921 Census was a bookkeeper.
iii. Lawrence Clifford Cotnam (1890- ) m. Ada Pearl Burgess (1893- ), daughter of George Albert Burgess.
iv. George Charles “Leslie” Cotnam (1893- ). His son Royden Cotnam served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II and died in 1943.