From Our Collection: Wedding Invitation

Juge John Campbell Allen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Managing a large collection can be an overwhelming job.  At the Fredericton Region Museum, we are fortunate to have had several amazing summer students and volunteers over the years.  Our volunteer, Brian, has been working with our archival collection now for a few years and he has done an incredible job organizing it and unearthing many treasures.

Last week, he dropped by the office with a several items that need to be researched.  I don’t have a lot of time to do the research, though I would dearly love a chance to work on it, so I told him that I would try to tackle a file a week and see if I can do to improve the provenance of the files.

Item number one on my list is a wedding invitation donated in 1973 by a Miss Malloy.

Wedding Invitation (1973.7.1)

Transcription:

Sir John & Lady Allen
request the pleasure of your
company at the marriage of
Mrs. John Allen
To Mr. Hedleigh E. Bond
On Wednesday the 20^th August
At twelve o’clock
Christ Church Cathedral
Fredericton

Reception at
“The Willow”, 292 King Street
Immediately after the ceremony
R.S.V.P.

A quick search in the Daniel F Johnson’s New Brunswick Newspaper Vital Statistics database found on the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick website gave me a date for the wedding.  Note that “Hedleigh” is spelled “Hedley”.

Daniel F. Johnson : Volume 75 Number 2940
Date:  August 20 1890
County:  York
Place:  Fredericton
Newspaper:  The Gleaner
The wedding of Hedley E. BOND, Toronto to Mrs. Nellie ALLEN daughter-in-law of Sir John C. ALLEN, Chief Justice, took place at the Cathedral this morn at 12 o’clock.  The Rev. the Metropolitan of Canada officiated, assisted by Rev. Alexander, sub-dean. The bride was assisted by Miss Maggie ALLEN. Fred St. John BLISS was groomsman.  (see original for names of guests)

It was interesting to notice that this was Nellie’s second marriage and it looks like her in-laws looked after the wedding.  Where was Nellie’s family?  I scrolled a little further and found another mention of Nellie in the newspaper two years later.

Daniel F. Johnson : Volume 82 Number 300
Date:  July 13 1892
County:  York
Place:  Fredericton
Newspaper:  New Brunswick Reporter and Fredericton Advertiser
Death has removed, Richard ESTEY, Sr., a resident who a quarter of a century ago was one of the foremost business men on the St. John river. He died at the Regent Street residence of his daughter, Mrs. Wm F. FOWLER, Sunday morn. 5 o’clock. Deceased had been in poor health for some time past. Mr. Estey was born at Douglas (York Co.) in 1810. He at one time carried on an extensive lumber and milling business at what is now known as Victoria Mills, two miles below the city. About twenty years ago he retired from business and has since resided on his farm and in the city. Deceased was twice married. By his first wife he had a large family, who, with the exception of his eldest son, survive him. They are Richard A. ESTEY, Mrs. Wm FOWLER, Mrs. David HATT of Fredericton, Lemuel ESTEY of Grand Falls (Victoria Co.), Mrs. E.E. PHAIR, Nelson, B.C. and Mrs. Hedley V. BOND, Toronto. His second wife, a sister of Ald. BLIZZARD, St. John, survives him. Deceased was in his 82nd year. The funeral took place Monday afternoon. The exercises at the house and cemetery were conducted by Rev. Weddall, assisted by Rev. Payson. The remains were interred in the Fredericton cemetery.

I did not have a lot of luck searching the online Vital Statistics from Government Records (RS141) database for Hedleigh Bond and Nellie Estey (or Allen).

I did find a Hedleigh and Nellie in the 1891 Census of Canada in Toronto’s St. Thomas Ward (Ontario).  This would be one year after they were married and there are three children with the surname “Bond”.  Did Nellie have children with her former husband?  What happened to her first husband?  Was Hedleigh a widower?  So many questions.  I could do this for hours!

The children are Carleton (12 years), Jane (11 years) and Nellie (9 years).

Census of Canada, 1891. The “bond” family is at the bottom of the page and continues on to the next page.

Census of Canada, 1891. The “Bond” family listing continues on this page.

Nellie’s first husband was the son of Sir John Campbell Allen, descendant of Isaac Allen.  Sir John C. Allen married Margaret Austen Drury in 1845 and they had about nine children.  The Allen’s were a prominent family in New Brunswick during the 18th and 19th century.

If anyone knows more about these families and their genealogy, we would love to know more.  Please share your findings in the blog comments below.  Thank you!