“During their sojourn there, John was stolen by Indians, and some time elapsed, before his discovery. Then the Indians could not be induced to give him up, but promised to take him home for a visit once a year. When, however, they finally released him, he procured employment as a mail-carrier for the Hudson Bay Fur Company, – his route being from Fort Coulonge to Fort William.”
The John of this excerpt from the Myrtle Bromley History 1939, is the second son of the Immigrant Ancestor James Sr. and Margaret Madden Bromley. It is the sort of event, (which took place in Prescott County), that makes one wish that John had written his autobiography – what tales could he tell, – tales of a frontiersman. Unfortunately he died young as the result of a fall.
The Bromley Family of Westmeath Township
One of the earliest English-Irish families to come to what would become Westmeath Township, was the Bromley family. James Bromley Sr. (1788-1852) and his wife Margaret Madden (1790-1865) acquired the land on the northeast corner of the Bromley Line (Con. 2) and Malloy Road intersection. Their grown sons would also take up land along this trail through the wilderness, soon to be known as the Bromley Line.
“James Bromley Sr. was born in England in 1788, the son of a British Army Officer who was also called James. Due to the death of his mother, he was raised by an aunt (a sister of his father) who was married to a Revenue Officer in Ireland and he became a member of the Irish Water Guards of County Wicklow, Ireland. He Married Margaret Madden of Ireland and they had eight children.
“In 1827, James Bromley Sr. landed with his wife and family in Ottawa, then Bytown, and from there they went to Plantagenet on the Nation River in Prescott County, where they farmed until 1837 when they moved to the Westmeath area and took up several farms on what is now the Bromley Line. Mr. and Mrs. Bromley donated an acre of cleared land for the first school. No trace remains of the first home which was on a knoll north of the School but James’ second home still stands on the farm presently owned by Arthur Bromley, a great-great grandson.
“James Bromley Senior was kicked by a horse while passing a neighbour on the Bromley Line. He was on his way to visit his new grandson, John Gardner Bromley. This resulted in his death on April 1st, 1852 in his 64th year. Both he and his wife are buried in the northwestern corner of the Westmeath Cemetery. ” -from Bromley History, Myrtle Bromley, 1939.
Of their family of eight children, three would die at a young age. The children of James Sr. (1788-1852) and Margaret Madden (1790- ) Bromley were:
1. Henry Bromley m. Mary Anne Richardson Their children were: Catherine, Anne, Margaret Jane, Emily, John Gardner (- would take over his Uncle John’s farm, which was neighbouring his Father’s), Jemima, James Henry and Frederick William.
2. John Bromley (1815-1842) – died unmarried at age 27; he was the little boy taken by the Indians. Having employment from the Hudson Bay Company was common for the time and place, considering that the Company of Adventurers had a post on Coulonge Lake of the Ottawa River, just to the north of Bromley Line. See Hudson Bay Company Post. His sudden death from a fall must have struck the family hard.
3. Edward Bromley m. Sarah Holmes Their children were: John, Thomas, William Henry, Edwin, James Holmes, David , Samuel, Elizabeth, Mary Jane, and Sarah Margaret.
4. William Bromley m. (1) Eliza Brownlee. This was the first of two Brownlee marriages to a Bromley. Their children: Margaret, John Hatton, James, Joseph, Anne, Catherine, Mary, William Moses. Son William Bromley Jr. m. Margaret Winters Hennessey and their children were Peter Hennessy and William (Bill) Moses Hennessy.
William then m. (2) Jane Hillman and later (3) a Miss Livingston.
5. Margaret Bromley m. Thomas Brownlee. The second Brownlee marriage to a Bromley. Their children: Ann, Margaret Jane, Catherine, Sarah, Mary, ___, Hugh Edward Brownlee.
6. James Bromley Jr. m. Elizabeth Larmour. John Edward Bromley ( – this son John Edward Bromley with his wife Jennie Brownlee would own Grandfather James Sr. property); Margaret Ann; Alexander; Thomas; Henry; Joseph and James Larmour Bromley.
7. Thomas Bromley died at age 11 years.
8. Catherine Bromley died at age 4 years.
For the 1973 Bromley Reunion, a Bromley Family Tree was compiled by Dawn Bromley Anderson and others. Laid end-to-end all the branches are displayed. 1973 Reunion BROMLEY Family Tree. The Family Tree has charts for each branch. 248 clan members attended the reunion: Bromley Reunion.
Various members of the family are mentioned in this Westmeath Loyal Orange Lodge summary:
There is a second complete BROMLEY-FAMILY-Genealogy, prepared by Linda Gervais Bromley, which sets out the Family’s generations in detail. This document was relied on heavily for this entry. The family branches that still have descendants living in Westmeath Township are presented here below. If greater detail is desired, please refer to the Genealogy document.
Many of the photos used in this entry were scanned from the Bromley picture album now held by Keith and Hazel Bromley. Keith is the great-great-grandson of James Bromley and Margaret Madden; the grandson of James Bromley Jr. and Elizabeth Larmour. That family branch continues to live and farm, on the original Bromley homesteaded land at the corner of Bromley Line and Malloy Road. Keith’s generous loan of these photographs is greatly appreciated.
We have set out the surviving branches in birth order.
1. Henry Bromley and Mary Ann Richardson
(Eldest child of James Sr. and Margaret Madden Bromley) This excerpt from Myrtle Bromley’s 1939 History:
”Henry died at his homestead on July 4th, 1902, in his 92 year, his wife (Mary Ann Richardson), having predeceased him on Sept. 12th, 1892. Their son James Henry and his wife formerly, Elizabeth A. Griffith, succeeded to the homestead. The original dwelling house of log construction, – the first on Bromley Line, – was destroyed by fire in 1880, and replaced by the brick house still standing which is now the home of the latter’s son, Harry G. Bromley.
“One of the original barns, built of hewn logs, dovetailed at the ends, still remains to tell the tale of a mighty forest of long ago.”
The brick farm house at the south-east corner of the Wright Road and Bromley Line intersection, is still a handsome, well-maintained home.
The Children of Harry Bromley (1810- ) and Mary Ann Richardson (1818- ) are:
1. Annie Bromley (1846- ) m. Charles Stinson
2. Margaret Bromley (1848- )
3. Emily Bromley (1850-1938)
4. John Gardner Bromley (1852-1946) m. (1) Margaret Ross and had two daughters Katie Bromley & Margaret Bromley. John was widowed in his 40’s and after farming became a rural mail driver. He remarried to (2) Elizabeth Ellen “Nellie” Farrell (1872- ).
This excerpt from Myrtle Bromley’s 1939 History:
“John, the second son of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr. was born in the County of Wicklow, Ireland, in 1815. He died on July 15th, 1842, as a result of injuries received in a fall. He was 27 years of age, and unmarried. His tombstone is one of the oldest in the Cemetery at Westmeath, Ontario. ( NOTE: This is the boy taken by the Algonquin in Prescott County and would go on to work for the Hudson Bay Company.)
His nephew, John Gardner Bromley, (Henry’s oldest son) succeeded to his homestead adjoining Henry’s. After the death of John Gardner’s wife, formerly Margaret Ross, he married Helen Farrnell and their second son William is now owner of the property.”
John Gardner, son of Henry and Elizabeth Griffith and grandson of John Sr., would farm his Uncle John’s land after John’s death at age 27. This farm sits to the adjacent east of his father’s place on the south side of the Bromley Line.
The children of John Gardner Bromley and Ellen Farnell Bromley:
i. William Gardner Bromley m. (1) Olive Duff Bromley. Bromley-Olive-Duff-and-William-Garner Their children: Eric Bromley-Eric , Dorothy, Ruth and Joan. William’s second marriage to (2) Tessie Hein.
ii. Lincoln Bromley
iii. Orville Bromley
iv. Joseph Bromley
v. Reggie Bromley
vi. Olive Bromley
vii. Charlotte Bromley m. ___O’Brien
5. James Henry Bromley ( -1936) m. Elizabeth Ann Griffith. BromleyElizabethGriffith1936. Elizabeth Ann was the daughter of the School Teacher John Griffith at S.S. #3 , Bromley Line, when it was held in a log schoolhouse. This couple took over his parent’s farm at the Bromley Line and Wright Road corner.
A Mrs. J. H. Bromley endorsed the use of “Baby’s Own Tablets” in 1929, treating her four children with the product. BromleyEndorsement1929. This might have been Elizabeth Griffith Bromley.
The children of James Henry & Elizabeth were:
i. Henry (Harry) Bromley m. (1) Laura Spotswood; their children Clemence and Harold. Harry’s second marriage to (2) Letta Comrie Bromley Bromley Letta Comrie, Bromley, Harry & Letta 50th. Clemence m. Lucy Rose Hammond Bromley,LucyRoseHammond1942.
ii. Myrtle Bromley (1887-1966) – the author of the Bromley History 1939 manuscript. This document sets out the whole of the Westmeath Township Bromley clan and is presented in its entirety at the end of this entry. She would also battle the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis.
iii. Hazel Bromley (1899-1988) m. Lorne Elliott (1895-1954) son of Andrew Elliott an Marguerite Shields. See ELLIOTT entry.
iv. Pearl Bromley m. Rodney Bryce.
Bromley women were all committed members of the Westmeath Women’s Institute and they published their contributed recipes in 1914 in a “Westmeath Women’s Institute Cookbook” which has been listed in a new bibliography of Canadian Cookbooks. Bromley Culinary Landmarks.
2. Edward Bromley and Sarah Holmes
(Third-born child of James Bromley Sr. and Margaret Madden) From Myrtle Bromley History 1939:
“Edward, the third son of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr. married Sarah Holmes, and their family consisted of the following members: John, Thomas, William Henry, Edwin, James Holmes, David, Samuel, Elizabeth (Mrs. George Collins), Mary Jane (1st Mrs. Beach, 2nd Mrs. Harris), and Sarah Margaret (Mrs. Ferguson Healey).
Their son David and his wife, formerly Mary Gordon, succeeded to the homestead, and they in turn were succeeded by their son, Milton, who lives in the original house of his Grandfather, – the only homestead in use as a dwelling house at the present time, however, it has been remodeled.”
Edward Bromley (1821-1901) m. Sarah Holmes (1822-1913). Ancestry.ca record Edward as being born in 1814 in Wicklow, Irelandand died 1893 in Ontario.
On Boxing Day of 1913 Sarah died of pneumonia just 3 months shy of her 92nd birthday. The death registration filed by Dr. Bradley shows that she and her brother-in-law James both died on the exact same day of the same illness; he at age 89. 1913 Sarah’s & John’s death reg. Her parents names are not listed on the Registration.
The children of Edward and Sarah were:
1. John Bromley (1845-1921) m. (1) Catherine Johnson (1846-1907) born in Quebec. On the 1901 Census for Pembroke John is incorrectly listed as an Irishman. Catherine died of cancer in 1907 and John remarried in 1913 to a Pembroke widow named (2) Sarah Ann Tubb Noyes when they were both in their 60s. 1913 John & Sarah Tubb Noyes Marriage. John’s occupation is listed as a lumberman. Sarah was an Englishwoman from Oxfordshire, England. The children of John and Catherine were:
i. Frances Elizabeth Bromley (1875-1960)
ii. William Henry Johnson Bromley (1875-1950) He married Margaret Ellen May Poitras (1875-1934) and they settled in Pembroke, Ont. 1916 William Henry’s ServiceDoc. As a 43 year old married lumberman he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1916.
iii. Mary Bromley (1878-
iv. John E. Bromley (1879-
2. Thomas Bromley (1847- ) m. Jane “Janney” Hill, in Beachburg in 1877. Jennie was the widowed daughter of Thomas and Jane McCabe and was living in Ross Township when they were married at Beachburg’s Methodist Church. Jane McCabe’s first marriage in 1871 was to a Ross Township teamster Thomas Hill. Jane’s two marriages: Marriages of Jane McCabe Hill Bromley
With Thomas Hill, Janney had three little boys in quick succession. Her second husband raised them as his own and these sons used the Bromley surname throughout their lives. [Note: for purposes of this entry only, the hyphenated surname Hill-Bromley is used for clarity.]
Alexa Pritchard, a descendant of this branch of the Bromleys, has generously submitted some information to this entry.
The children of Thomas and Jane “Janney” McCabe Hill Bromley were:
i. Thomas Hill-Bromley (1874- ) married Sarah Mildred Mary Teevans (1882- ) in 1907. From Alexa Pritchard: – Record of Marriage at Pembroke, #24 in 1907, of Hill, Thomas, 33 yrs, Nov 19, 1907, Hotel Keeper, son of Hill, Thomas & McCabe, Jane. Catholic (he converted before marriage, Nov 17th) to Teevans, Mildred, 25 yrs Pembroke, daughter of Teevans, Bernard & Mangnan, Jane.
ii. Robert Hill-Bromley 1874 1874 Robert Hill Birth
iii. James Hill-Bromley 1876
iv. Mabelle Bromley (1879- ) was working as a telephone operator on the 1901 Census. Mabelle married Gordon Phillips (b Dec 29, 1879), on Sept 26, 1902, son of Charles Philips and Hattie Francis. 1902 Mabel & Philippe Marriage. He was a portrait painter and hotel keeper of the Canada Atlantic Hotel in Cobalt. Together they had a son, Earl Gordon Rallery Phillips (1904- ) in Cobalt, Ontario.
v. Edward “Ned” Bromley (1882 -1952) was a WWI vet joining at the beginning of the war in 1914 in Kingston.
Edward listed his mother Mrs. Thomas Bromley as next of kin on his military paperwork and she was living in Cobalt at the time. 1914 Edward’s Attestation Paper. The 21st Division saw some dreadful action during the Great War and Ned’s stone in York Cemetery notes his contribution. Notes on the 21st Division C E F.
Ned also worked as a scaler in the lumber industry. He married a Charette woman from Camtroke ON and there was a child, Doris – unconfirmed.
vi. William Henry Bromley (1884- ) outside of Pembroke in Stafford Twp, Renfrew County. William was a jeweller.
vii. Calvin McCabe Bromley (1888-1970) died Dec 22, 1970 at the age of 82, in the Baptist Home, White Rock BC. Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery, Surry BC. Calvin married Caroline Kelo (1890-1985) on May 8, 1914 at Port Arthur, ON. Caroline was born in Wilberforce Twp, Renfrew County, ON, the daughter of German-born William Kelo (1861-1919), and Augusta Markus. Caroline died May 17, 1985 at the age of 94, in White Rock BC.
3. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bromley (1849 –1886) m. Joshua Collins (1856-1944), left Canada and settled in Minnesota, USA. They had six children before her early death at age 37. See COLLINS entry.
4. William Henry Bromley (1851
5. Edwin Bromley (1853-
6. Mary Jane Bromley (1855- ) m. (1) ____ Beach; (2) ____ Harris
7. James Holmes Bromley (1857- ) m. Catherine Marin Carswell (1865- ). In the 1901 Census for Pembroke, two children are in the household: Etta M. Bromley 15 and James C.A. Bromley 13.
8. David Bromley (1860-1932) m. Mary Elizabeth Gordon (1870- ) in Westmeath in December of 1888, the daughter of Robert Gordon (1840- ) and Mary McBride (1842- ) . 1888 David& MaryMarriage. The Gordon’s were also a Westmeath family with the parents born in Ireland and emigrating during the Great Famine to settle in Ross Township. See GORDON entry. David and Mary’s home, on a knoll well in from the Bromley Line, is now occupied by Great-great-grandson Andrew and his family with this Century Farm now into its fifth generation.
This photo shows such a striking resemblance between the gentleman and David and Sarah’s male descendants that we have included it in the hope someone will confirm this identification.
The children of David Bromley and Mary Elizabeth Gordon Bromley were:
i. Milton Estcourt Bromley (1894-1979) m. Susan “Susie” Ann Anderson (1906-1963) Bromley-Milton-and-Susan-Anderson-Bromley.
Their children are: David Allan Bromley Allen Bromley (1926-2005) BromleyA, Robert Izett (Bob) Bromley (1932-1994) , Ronald Milton Bromley (1933-1988), John Bromley, and only daughter Dawn Bromley. David’s grandson Bob and his wife Nellie Desjardins, assumed the farm from his father Milton. Milton and Susie’s many grandchildren are still very active in the Westmeath community.
ii. Retta McBride Bromley (1896- m. _____ Armstrong.
iii. Leonard Bromley who died at age 9 of diphtheria.
9. Samuel Bromley m. Almira Brush Tennant in 1886 in Pembroke. He was listed as a mill owner. 1886 Sam & Almira Marriage.
10. Sarah Margaret Bromley m. Ferguson Healey
3. William Moses Bromley and (1) Eliza Brownlee; (2)Miss Livingston;
(3) Margaret Winters
(Fourth- born and 3rd surviving child of James Bromley Sr. and Margaret Madden)
Two of James Bromley Sr. sons, William and Alexander, married two Brownlee daughters Eliza and Margaret. Their sister Margaret would marry Thomas Brownlee. See BROWNLEE entry.
The children of William Moses Bromley (1822- ) and (1) Eliza Brownlee (1823-1852) were:
From left: John Hatton Bromley, James Bromley and William Moses Bromley standing at right with hand on Joe Bromley sitting.
1. Margaret Bromley m. Thomas Richardson,
2. John Hatton Bromley
3. James Bromley
4. Joseph Bromley,
5. Elizabeth Anne Bromley m. Patrick McCagherty, the son of Patrick McCagherty Sr. and Elizabeth “Eliza” Edmunson. Anne and Patrick would farm on the Con. 2, Bromley Line, beside her family’s farms and raise a large family. See MCCAUGHERTY entry.
6. Catherine Bromley (1851- ) m. John Howard (about 1844 possibly in Fitzroy), on 13 Jan 1868. Catherine was 17 and he was the son of Joseph Howard and Eliza Darin. The Howard family were also Westmeath farmers. The young couple would live in Chatham, ON.
7. Mary Bromley m. John Rose,
8. William Edward Bromley (1851-1852) died as infant.
9. Peter Bromley
10. William (Bill) Moses Bromley m. Margaret Winters.
4. Margaret Jane Bromley and Thomas Claude Brownlee
(Fifth child and only surviving daughter of James Bromley Sr. and Margaret Madden.) Margaret Bromley m. Tom Brownlee (1824-1898) in 1844. Tom was the son of Joseph Brownlee (1799-1841) and Anne Susannah Richardson (1799-1859) from Claredon Township, Pontiac County, Lower Canada. See BROWNLEE entry.
5. James Bromley Jr. and Elizabeth Larmour
(Sixth-born child of James Bromley Sr. and Margaret Madden.) From the Myrtle Bromley History 1939:
“James, (the fifth son of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr.) married Elizabeth Larmour, and they had a family of 7 sons and 1 daughters namely: William, John Edward, Margaret Ann (Mrs. John Malloy), Alexander, Thomas, Henry, Joseph and James Larmour.
“Their son Alexander and his wife, formerly Margaret Brownlee, succeeded to the homestead. The original house has been used as a granary, since the erection of a brick one, in which their son Garnet resides.”
– From Bromley Genealogy: JAMES (JR.) BROMLEY was born Nov 1824 in County Wicklow, Ireland, and died 26 Dec 1913 in Westmeath, Ont.. He married ELIZABETH LARMOUR Abt. 1854. She was born 09 Jan 1832 in Plantagenet, Ont., and died 28 July 1919 and is buried in Westmeath Union Cemetery. James died on the same date as his sister-in-law Sarah. 1913 Sarah’s & John’s death reg. Continuing the connections between the Bromley and Brownlee families; two sons of James Jr. would marry Brownlee women.
These Bromley’s lived in the Village of Westmeath and were hotel-keepers to the passing teamsters and travellers of the mid-1800s. Incoming settlers, lumbermen, and the shipping of goods for the lumber trade, created a booming economy at the time.
Hotels for the travellers and stabling for the horses were needed. Westmeath sat at the top of the Paquette Rapids and all goods had to be portaged around the rapids down to Spotswoods and calmer waters.
Children of JAMES BROMLEY JR. and ELIZABETH LARMOUR are:
i. MARGARET ANN BROMLEY, b. 25 Nov 1854; d. 1934; m. JOHN MALLOY.
ii. MARY BROMLEY, b. 10 Jun 1853; d. 01 Jul 1853.
iii. JAMES LARMOUR BROMLEY, b. 1858; d. 26 Aug 1874
iv. JOHN EDWARD BROMLEY, b. 1860; d. 18 Apr 1930 Bromley,JohnEdward1930 m. Mary Jane “Jennie” Brownlee (1871-1954) of Shawville, Pontiac County, Quebec. See BROWNLEE entry. John was the postmaster of the Bromley Line Post Office and the president of the Bromley Line Telephone Company. Later both entities were incorporated into larger area post office and telephone companies in 1928. Jennie’s widowed elderly father Joseph Brownlee Jr. lived with them and died in Westmeath.
The children of John E and Jennie Bromley are:
a. Mabel Florence Bromley (1889-1974) m. Jacob McMullen and after his death Florence moved to Ottawa. McMullen, FlorenceBromley. See MCMULLEN entry.
b. Margaret Elizabeth Bromley (1893- ) m. Eric McLean Ross in 1919 and lived out her years in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. 1988);
c. Graham Clarence Bromley (1896- ) m. Minnie Webster in Peterborough, Ontario in 1916 and served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in WWI.
d. Mae Bromley (1896- ) m. John “Jack” Hennessy, also from a local family. See HENNESSY entry.
e. Mildred Mary Bromley (1897-
f. Violet Sara Ray Bromley (1900-1959)
g. Joseph James Bromley (193-1986)
v. ALEXANDER BROMLEY, b. 01 Nov 1862, Westmeath Township; d. 16 Aug 1931, Westmeath, Ont. would marry Margurite Elizabeth Brownlee (1872-1967) Bromley,MargaretEBrownlee.
This branch of the Bromley Family, following the children of Alexander and Margaret is well researched and documented starting on Page 4, #12 of : BROMLEY-FAMILY-Genealogy.
In the 1911 Census the family homestead on Lot 5 Con. 2 CLF hosted a busy household with seven children and their grandparents James and Elizabeth.
The children of Alex and Margaret are:
1.James “Jim” Larmour Bromley (1893-1947) m. Gertrude Ada McPhee (1893- ) in Sudbury District in 1907. 1907 Jim & Gertrude Marriage. He was listed as an “operator” – perhaps in lumbering or mining.
2.Arthur Garnet Bromley (1896-1990) m. Jessie Bulmer (1903-1994). Bromley-J-G. Garnet Bromley War Service. Their children are: i. Keith Bromley m. Hazel Davidson; ii. Arthur (Art) Bromley m. (1) Carol Leason – and (2) Linda Gervais; iii. Marion Elizabeth Bromley (1929-1996); iv. Joan Margaret Bromley (1931-2003) m. Donald Garnet Hogg (1927-1982).
Art’s son David Bromley and his family, still reside on the Malloy Road homestead. Jessie taught at the Bromley Line School and elsewhere in the area. In later years Garnet & Jessie lived in the brick house on Malloy Road just north of the Bromley Line corner.
3.Margaret Ann Bromley (1898-1969)
4.Laura Bromley
5.Matilda “Tilly” Bromley (1903- 1961) m. William Mowat Wilson (1891-1955)
Wilson-Bromley stone, Burk’s Falls Cemetery. Photo from Ancestry.ca.
6. Edith Alexandra Bromley (1905-1987) m. Robert Leslie Mason (1906-1983) living in Cambridge, ON. Leslie was the son of Elizabeth Blackwell and Samuel Mason. See BLACKWELL entry.
vi. THOMAS ARTHUR BROMLEY, (1871-1951) m. Robina Cobb (1875-1970), daughter of John Cobb (1814-1896) and Mary Ann Carmichael (1836-1916) of Mansfield, Pontiac County, Quebec. 1899 Thomas&Robina Marriage. They were married in the Fort Coulonge Presbyterian Church.
Thomas (Tom) was a saw-mill labourer in the 1901 Census. By 1911 Thomas had his own family and was married to Robina. They were Free Church adherents living in Mansfield & Pontefract Township of Pontiac County, Quebec, on opposite shore of the Ottawa River from Westmeath Township. Thomas worked in the lumbering business for many years.
1911 Census for East Algoma lists Thomas and Robina’s children Arthur and Kenneth and moth-in-law Mary Ann Cobb
The family lived in McCormick Ward, Sudbury, Nipissing District. Tom’s occupation in the 1921 is listed as “Line Chief”; sons were Arthur Bromley (1901- ) and Kenneth James Bromley (1904-1983) m. Bessie Maud Smith. In 1940 Voter’s List for Algoma East, Webbwood section, he was listed as a “scaler”.
Sons of Tom & Robina Bromley
Arthur Bromley 1907 and Kenneth Bromley 1905.
vii. WILLIAM BROMLEY, b. 1869; d. 11 Jan 1899, at age 30 yrs. having caught pneumonia while suffering from quinsy ; buried in Westmeath Union Cemetery. Bromley,William1899. William’s funeral rites became a cause for “considerable unpleasantness” in the small congregation of St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Westmeath Village, and its rector Rev. Mr. Peck. 1899 The Ottawa Journal.
viii. HENRY BROMLEY, (1874- ) m. Susanna A. Moxam (1880- ), a schoolteacher from Hastings County. 1902 Henry& Susanna Marriage. They settled in the Detroit, Michigan area.
ix. JOSEPH JAMES BROMLEY, b. 1880; d. 06 Nov 1901, buried in Westmeath Union Cemetery. He died at 30 years of age after being hit by a train.
A History of The Bromleys’ and The Westmeath Area
Compiled by Myrtle Bromley, 1939
The Pioneers of Bromley Line
Resting peacefully beneath the sod in the United Cemetery which overlooks the Ottawa River at Westmeath, Ontario, Canada are the last remains of James Bromley, Sr. and his wife, formerly Margaret Madden, and their sons Henry and John, the first settlers on what has been long known as “Bromley Line”. Not long after settling, Henry and John were joined by their parents (mentioned above) and the rest of the family, namely: Edward, William Margaret, James and Thomas. They too, are sleeping in the land of their adoption. One daughter, Catherine, aged 4 years, died. And the third generation have all passed on, with the exception of the following: Samuel Bromley, Pembroke, Ontario, Mrs. F. Healy, Ottawa, Ontario, Peter Bromley, British Columbia, Wm. Moses Sumas, Washington, U.S.A., Thomas Bromley, Webbwood Ontario and Henry Bromley, London, Ontario. Thus, nearly three generations of pioneers have crossed the Great Divide.
Now let me carry your thoughts across the ocean, to the British Isles, for there, James Bromley Sr. of Canada, first saw the light of Day. He was born in 1788, in England, a son of James Bromley (an officer in the British Army), whose wife died after the birth of James. He had a sister married to a Revenue Officer in Ireland, to whom he gave his son, James, to raise. When he became of age, he joined the Irish Water Guards of County Wicklow, Ireland – a police force, to keep smugglers from landing. He married Margaret Madden of Ireland, and they had eight children, namely: Henry, John, Edward, William, Margaret, James, Thomas and Catherine.
Henry, the eldest, was born in the Parish of Kilbride, County of Wicklow, Ireland, on March 1st, 1811, and when about 16 years old, accompanied his parents and the rest of the family to Canada, arriving at Bytown, (now the City of Ottawa) before the construction of the Rideau Canal. Later, the family moved to Plantagenet, on the Nation River, County of Prescott, where they farmed for several years. During their sojourn there, John was stolen by Indians, and some time elapsed, before his discovery. Then the Indians could not be induced to give him up, but promised to take him home for a visit once a year. When, however, they finally released him, he procured employment as a mail-carrier for the Hudson Bay Fur Company, – his route being from Fort Coulonge to Fort William. In June 1835, Henry and John accompanied their Father (whom we shall designate James Sr.) on a voyage up the Ottawa River, to investigate the country.
In August 1835, Henry and John arrived at Front Westmeath, – having paddled and portaged their way up the Ottawa River, via Stoqua Portage to the head of Muskrat Lake, and thence on foot across the trails that led to the little settlement of Miramachi, (now the Town of Pembroke). It is uncertain whether or not their Father accompanied them thus far, nevertheless, he returned to Plantagenet, and after packing up his belongings, retraced his footsteps, accompanied by the rest of the family, and joined his sons, at a later date – 1837.
Meanwhile, Henry and John had chosen a site about a mile from the Ottawa River, – on the Line that bears their name – and proceeded to carve a home for themselves in the forest, through which they could travel for miles without seeing a ray of sunshine. They each took up 200 acres of adjoining land. Westmeath Township was not then organized, and Henry took a keen interest in its organization. When at last the township was organized, he was elected the first Reeve of the township. In those days, Lanark and Renfrew Counties were united, and The County Council of the two counties met at Perth, as well as the courts. Henry had therefore to travel all the way to Perth, – on horseback – to attend the Council meetings. When the Counties were separated he took an active part in having Pembroke selected as the County Town of Renfrew. Note on side of Page: Henry Bromley was elected Councilor on Jan. 5, 1857. Other Councilors elected were: Thos. Carswell, Joseph Keyes, David Beach and Allen McCracken. Henry Bromley, elected Reeve on Jan. 19, 1857-1858. In the early days Henry Bromley was appointed Justice of the Peace, which commission he retained until his death. He married Mary Ann Richardson of South March Ontario (formerly of Tipperary, Ireland) on March 23rd, 1844 and they had eight children, namely: Catherine (Mrs. James McCagherty), Anne (Mrs. Charles Stinson), Margaret Jane (Mrs. W. H. Bromley), Emily (Mrs. Thomas Somerville), John Gardner, Jemima (Mrs. George Howard), James Henry, and Frederick William.
Henry died at his homestead on July 4th, 1902, in his 92 year, his wife having predeceased him on Sept. 12th, 1892. Their son James Henry and his wife formerly, Elizabeth A. Griffith, succeeded to the homestead. The original dwelling house of log construction, – the first on Bromley Line, – was destroyed by fire in 1880, and replaced by the brick house still standing which is now the home of the latter’s son, Harry G. Bromley. One of the original barns, built of hewn logs, dovetailed at the ends, still remains to tell the tale of a mighty forest of long ago. John, the second son of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr. was born in the County of Wicklow, Ireland, in 1815. He died on July 15th, 1842, as a result of injuries received in a fall. He was 27 years of age, and unmarried. His tombstone is one of the oldest in the Cemetery at Westmeath, Ontario. His nephew, John Gardner Bromley, (Henry’s oldest son) succeeded to his homestead adjoining Henry’s. After the death of John Gardner’s wife, formerly Margaret Ross, he married Helen and their second son William is now owner of the property. As stated before, Henry and John were joined by their parents, brothers and sister, who also obtained 200 acres of land each, – married – and in time there was quite a little colony of “The Bromleys.”
Bromley Line School stands on the South-East corner of the property of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr. who presented one acre of land, fully cleared, to the school section. Their dwelling house was situated on a little knoll near the northern limit of the property, but no trace of it remains today. James Bromley, Sr. was kicked by a horse owned by Mr. John Wright Sr. while turning out on the narrow road, resulting in his death on April 1st, 1852. (He was on his way to visit his new grandson, John Gardner Bromley). Mrs. James Bromley Sr. formerly Margaret Madden, was born in Ireland in 1788, and died on Sept. 22nd, 1863. She was laid to rest beside her husband in the United Cemetery, Westmeath, Ontario. Their fourth son, William succeeded to the homestead. He was married three times. His first wife was Eliza Brownlee, and they had a family of seven, namely: Margaret (Mrs. Richardson), John Hatton, James, Joseph, Anne (Mrs. Patrick McCagherty), Catherine (Mrs. John Howard), and Mary (Mrs. John Rose). Their son William Edward died April 3, 1852, Age 10 months old. After the death of Eliza Brownlee, (Aug. 24, 1852-age 29 yrs.) William married Margaret Winters, (a sister of Mrs. Martin Hennessey) and of this union two children were born namely: Peter, and William (Bill) Moses – both of whom survive. Miss Livingston was Williams third wife. Some
Years later John Edward, a son of James Bromley, Jr. became possessor of the property of his Grandfather, James Bromley Sr. He married Jennie Brownlee, who still survives. They built a log house on the south-east corner, behind the school grounds, but this house was destroyed by fire, and replaced by a brick one. Edward, the third son of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr. married Sarah Holmes, and their family consisted of the following members: John, Thomas, William Henry, Edwin, James Holmes, David, Samuel, Elizabeth (Mrs. George Collins), Mary Jane (1st Mrs. Beach, 2nd Mrs. Harris), and Sarah Margaret (Mrs. Ferguson Healey). Their son David and his wife, formerly Mary Gordon, succeeded to the homestead, and they in turn were succeeded by their son, Milton, who lives in the original house of his Grandfather, – the only homestead in use as a dwelling house at the present time, however, it has been remodeled. Margaret, the only surviving daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr. (when they moved to Bromley Line) married Thomas Brownlee, and they had 6 daughters and l son, namely: Ann (Mrs. Samuel Richardson), Margaret Jane (Mrs. Robert Spotswood), Catherine (Mrs. Edward McCagherty) Sarah (Mrs. James King), Mary (Mrs. Silas Huntington), unable to read this name (Mrs. Phil Montgomery) and Hugh Edward. James, (the fifth son of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr.) married Elizabeth Larmour, and they had a family of 7 sons and 1 daughters namely: William, John Edward, Margaret Ann (Mrs. John Malloy), Alexander, Thomas, Henry, Joseph and James Larmour. Their son Alexander and his wife, formerly Margaret Brownlee, succeeded to the homestead. The original house has been used as a grainary, since the erection of a brick one, in which their son Garnet resides. Thomas, (the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr.) died on May 10th, 1838, aged 11 years, the first or one of the first on record buried in the United Cemetery, Westmeath, Ontario. Note: The death of Thomas is recorded on the tombstone of his father, James Bromley Sr. Catherine (the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr.) died at the age of 4 years and was buried. Among descendants of Mr. and Mrs. James Bromley Sr. who live in this district and the Ottawa Valley, – not herein before mentioned – are the following great grandchildren: Mrs. Jos. Davis, Mrs. John Paterson and Mrs. Lawrence Elliott, Westmeath Ontario. Mrs. Robt. Armstrong, Fort Coulonge, Quebec. Joseph H. Bromley, Beachburg; James and Robt. McCagherty, Mrs. Jas. Reynolds, and George Bromley, Pembroke, Claude King, Renfrew; Jos. And Wm. McCagherty, Mrs. Jacob McMullen, Mrs. Roderick Bryce, The Misses Margaret and Myrtle Bromley, Ottawa, Ontario.