My little brown book

In 2007 I began to record the stories and histories that have been shared with me in a little brown book that is safely stowed on my bedside table. As of late, I haven’t been as prudent about filling its crisp, blank pages with recently gleaned stories; however, knowing that the journal exists comforts me, and diminishes the guilt I should feel.

For many months I thought and talked about putting pen to paper, and then I finally committed to recording everything I could remember from conversations with family members over tea and cookies, and of course homemade pie.  The result is a handwritten compilation of voices and personalities from all sides of my family, as well as the occasional family acquaintance and friend. 

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The next generation

I am pleased to announce that this is the final post that will directly address the historical events recorded by Lorne Shaw and J.T. MacMurchy in “The Shaws of Nearby Banks”.   While I have enjoyed interacting with MacMurchy’s text, I am extremely excited to explore the unpublished histories of the Shaws, and their time spent in Ireland, Banks, and beyond.

In “The Shaw Family of Nearby Banks”, MacMurchy devotes two very brief sentences to the first generation of Canadian-born Shaws.  Both sentences appear under the simple subheading “Large Family”, and are introduced by a statement that reads like a disclaimer, or a warning of what’s to come: “The people who opened this country had large families.”  Thomas and Isabella were no exception.

Together, Thomas and Isabella are known to have raised ten children: “James, Thomas, Andrew, Sam, Isabelle (Mrs. Thomas Carscadden), Mary (Mrs. John Carscadden), Robert, William, Edward and David.”  I recently learned from my grandfather’s brother, Ian Shaw, that Thomas and Isabella may have had another child named John, who lived to be eight months old (b. 24 January 1849, d. 3 October 1849).  If anyone has located John’s birth or death certificates I would be most grateful to receive a copy as I have been unable to confirm his connection to the family.

The following photograph is believed to have been taken circa 1901, prior to Thomas’s and Isabella’s return to Ireland for a six month visit with family and friends.  According to Uncle Ian, the return trip was paid for by their children, and their departure was the occasion for this impressive photograph.   To my knowledge, this is the only photograph of Thomas, Isabella, and their children.  If you know of another, please forward it to me and I will happily post it alongside the photograph below.

The Shaw Family, c1901
Back Row (left to right): James, Thomas, Isabella (Shaw) Carscadden, Samuel, Robert, Andrew
Middle Row (left to right): Thomas Shaw Sr., Isabella Shaw (granddaughter), Isabella (Jordan) Shaw
Front Row (left to right): William, Mary (Shaw) Carscadden, Edward

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