Luke Barrett-Mary (Lake) Friel Family of Frontenac County, Ontario

Research note by Wesley Johnston, begun 3 Jun 2023, last updated 3 Jun 2023

https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/12001386/person/422207977730/media/52a22647-ebe0-4097-9d89-e09e2085740d

Overview

There is great confusion of this Canada family with a Virginia family with similar names. No member of this family lived in Virginia at or prior to the 2 Dec 1813 Upper Canada marriage of the widower Luke Barrett of Loughborough Township of Frontenac County with the widow Mary (Lake) Friel of Ernestown of Lennox and Addington County. Both had children from their first marriage, all of whom were listed in the 1819 census of Loughborough Township. They lived out their lives there, appearing in the 1851/2 Census of Loughborough Township on Concessions 6 and 7 and lots 2-4 in the Agricultural Census.

This research note gathers the Canadian records to show that this family was in Frontenac County the entire time that some family trees show them in Virginia, Illinois and Indiana among other places.

The accuracy of this Canadian line is further verified through DNA matches.

Marriage 2 Dec 1813

The marriage record was published in the transcription of the Marriage Register of Rev. Robert McDowall, which was donated by his grandson to Queen's College in Kingston, Ontario. This publication can be seen at https://ontariohistoricalsociety.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Ontario-History-1899-v1.pdf where the marriage is on image 82, which is also page 82 of the publication.

The transcription reads:

Luke Barratt, Loboro'; Peggy Frett ......Ernestown, ------, 1813

The format is such that Ernestown was the residence of Peggy and not necessarily the place of the marriage. Rev. McDowall was a Presbyterian Missionary. The same publication states (page/image 70) "During the first two years [presumably 1798-1799] he worked as a missionary at large, and then organized congregations at Bath and in Fredricksburgh and Ernest Town, three miles north of Bath. He became the regular minister of these, and had churches built." He died in 1841. So, it is very possible that the marriage took place at the church in Ernestown, although it could also have been at the home of the bride or the groom.

The format from other transcribed records indicates that the month and day are the same as the prior record, which was 2 Dec 1813.

The transcription of the bride's surname as FRETT cannot be verified or corrected until an image of the original image shows the entry. I have send a request to the archives of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, to see if they have this so that we can obtain a copy of the original image. However, the 1819 census of Loughborough and the 1851/2 Census of Canada West show the family together with their children so that there is no doubt that the bride was in fact Mary Lake, the widow of Peter Friel who had been killed in the War of 1812.

"A return of the inhabitants of the Township of Loughborough and Portland" (1819)

This census of the township is included in the Upper Canada Land Petition of Michael SLOOT or SLOOTE.

This petition can be seen in full on the Library and Archives Canada web site starting at https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-e.php?q2=29&q3=2617&sqn=1098&tt=1247

The list of inhabitants begins on the 7th image. Image 4 has the first date, in a testimonial made 30 Jan 1819. However an earlier 17 Jan 1819 testimonial (image 5) explains that Michael Sloot wishes to move to the area of London in the Western District. It may be that the census was attached to this testimonial as a way of demonstrating how significant the settlement was that Michael Sloot had helped establish.

"Luke Barret" is on image 7, middle column, 5th from the bottom. His sons and FRIEL step sons are on image 9, right column, 3rd-6th from the top. His wife and daughters and FRIEL step-daughter are on image 11, right column, 2nd-6th from the top.

Land Petition of Luke Barrett 1846

In 1846, Luke Barrett petitioned to be allowed to purchase Concession 8, Lot3, a Clergy Reserve lot. This was apparently granted since the final statement is a recommendation that the purchase be allowed. The first image of the petition is on the Library and Archives Canada website at https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-e.php?q2=29&q3=2378&sqn=969&tt=1019

Land Petition of Luke Barrett 1848

In 1848, Luke Barrett petitioned to be allowed to purchase the north half of the Clergy Reserve lot 3 of Concession 6 of Loughborough Township. The recommendation was to allow the purchase. The first image of the petition is on the Library and Archives Canada website at https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-119.01-e.php?q2=29&q3=2379&sqn=982&tt=1007