This is an attempt to understand how my Canadian ancestors saw the important developments of the middle 1800's, as they witnessed the birth of the nation of Canada in 1867 and the events before and after Confederation. Going backward, my direct ancestors who came to and were born in Canada are:
So when were my ancestors in Canada?
The generation that was born there (John Johnston & Emma Butson and their son(s)) left in 1881 and emigrated to Chicago. The generations that came there stayed there. It looks like they arrived as follows:
Color Coding of the Timeline
Events with dark colored background definitely took place in Canada.
Events with light colored background may have taken place in Canada.
Events with no colored background took place outside of Canada.
| Year | Mon | Day | Direct Ancestors | Near Relatives | Canadian History Event |
| 1801 | Thomas Johnston born about 1801 in Northern Ireland | ||||
| 1803 | Elizabeth, who will wed Mr. Gibson and Thomas Johnston, born about 1803, apparently in Northern Ireland | ||||
| 1812 | War of 1812 | ||||
| 1812 | Selkirk Settlement (later, the Red River Colony) established | ||||
| 1821 | North West Company Formed | ||||
| 1831 | 3 | 25 | Henry Butson born to Solomon and Jane Butson at St. Blazey, Cornwall | ||
| 1835 | Sarah, who would marry Henry Butson, born in unknown country about 1835 | ||||
| 1837 | Upper & Lower Canada Rebellions (Papineau & MacKenzie) | ||||
| 1839 | Report by Lord Durham: unify Canada to outvote French Canadians | ||||
| 1840 | Act of Union (of Upper and Lower Canada, which henceforth are known as Canada West and Canada East) | ||||
| 1842 | Thomas Gibson born to Mr. Gibson & Elizabeth, about 1842, in Canada or Northern Ireland; George Cook, who will wed Ellen Gibson, born about 1842 in England or Canada | ||||
| 1846 | Canada-U.S. Boundary to Pacific Completed | ||||
| 1846 | Christopher Gibson born to Mr. Gibson & Elizabeth, apparently their last child | ||||
| 1846 | Apparent death of Mr. Gibson and marriage of his widow Elizabeth to Thomas Johnston, about 1846-1847 | ||||
| 1846 | 12 | 11 | Thomas Butson (born 1821 at St. Blazey, Cornwall) dies at Oshawa (apparently the first death of any family member in Canada, he is now in the Oshawa Pioneer Cairn) | ||
| 1847 | John Johnston born about 1847-1848 | ||||
| 1849 | 10 | 11 | Annexation Manifesto: signed by some Montreal merchants and Tories, declaring that the province of Canada be joined to the United States; was rejected by popular opinion in all areas of Canada. | ||
| 1849 | Principle of Self-Government Established | ||||
| 1849 | 4 | 25 | Mob of former powerful (the Château Clique), enraged at passage of the Rebellion Losses Bill, burn the Canaidan Parliament building at Montreal | ||
| 1854 | Emma Butson born about 1854-1855 to Henry & Sarah Butson | ||||
| 1856 | Mary Jane Butson born to Henry & Sarah Butson | ||||
| 1858 | Sarah, wife of Henry Butson, dies about 1858 | ||||
| 1861 | Thomas Johnston (born about 1801 in Northern Ireland) dies in Pickering Township, leaving widow Elizabeth and their son John and her children by prior marriage to Mr. Gibson | ||||
| 1863 | 4 | 23 | Solomon Butson dies (probably born 1793 at St. Stephen in Brannel, Cornwall) | ||
| 1864 | 9 | Charlottetown Conference: Maritimes discuss union among themselves; Canadians attend and all agree to meet at Québec City to form confderation | |||
| 1866 | Fenian Raids into Canada from U. S., following U. S. Civil War, lead to establishment in Canada of Fenian Raid Militias | ||||
| 1867 | 7 | 1 | Birth of an Nation: Dominion Day- the Confederation of Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick | ||
| 1868 | 1 | 3 | widower Henry Butson (born 1831 at St. Blazey, Cornwall) marries Mary Wilson (born Dublin, Ireland) at Reach Township | ||
| 1869 | Hudsons Bay Company sells Rupert's Land to Canadian Government | ||||
| 1870 | Louis Riel's Provisional Government in Rupert's Land | ||||
| 1871 | Henry Butson heads household in Verulam Township (Victoria County); Elizabeth and John Johnston heads of households in Pickering Township | James and Nicholas Butson at Whitby East Township; William Butson at Reach Township; Robert Butson at Cartwright Township (Durham County); Thomas and Christopher Gibson at Pickering Township; George Cook (husband of Ellen Gibson) at Pickering Township | Dominion Census of 1871 | ||
| 1871 | British Columbia joins Confederation as Province | ||||
| 1873 | North-West Mounted Police Formed | ||||
| 1874 | 4 | 28 | Jane (Joan) Keam (wife of Solomon Butson) dies (born 1792 at Luxulyan, Cornwall) in Ontario County | ||
| 1875 | Western Indian Treaties Signed | ||||
| 1876 | 5 | 24 | John Johnston marries Emma Butson at Reach Township; John leaves for 2 months duty with Fenian Raid Militia | Thomas Gibson (half-brother of John Johnston) of Pickering Township & Mary Jane Butson (sister of Emma Butson) of Reach Township witness the marriage | |
| 1877 | 4 | 12 | George Henry Johnston born to John and Emma Johnston at Balsam, Pickering Township (9 months after John's return from Fenian Raid Militia duty) | ||
| 1880 | Fred Johnston born to John & Emma about 1880 in either Canada or Chicago | ||||
| 1880 | 6 | 30 | James Butson (born 1832 at St. Blazey, Cornwall) dies, leaving Rebecca Fitchett widowed mother of the 10 surviving of their 11 children | ||
| 1881 | John Johnston moves family to Chicago | George & Ellen Cook apparently also move to Chicago | |||
| 1882 | Ernest Johnston born to John & Emma about 1882 in Chicago | ||||
| 1885 | Canadian Pacific Railway Completed | ||||
| 1885 | |||||
| 1890 | Ernest Johnston (born about 1882 in Chicago) dies about 1890 in Chicago | ||||
| 1896 | 5 | 2 | George Henry Johnston (born 1877 at Balsam, Pickering Township, Ontario) marries Martha Boezel in Chicago | ||
| 1897 | 7 | 13 | George Walter Johnston (later Walter George Johnston) born to George and Martha Johnston in Chicago | ||
| 1898 | Klondike Gold Rush | ||||
| 1899 | Emma Gertrude Johnston born in Chicago to George & Martha Johnston | Canadians Serve in Boer War, opposed by Quebec | |||
| 1899 | 8 | 15 | Mary Jane Butson (born c. 1856) dies in North Dakota |