Updates made to Up To Rawdon
What’s New – July 2026
In early May https://uptorawdon.com/links/ was revised, those inactive were removed and it is now fully Updated.
The George Copping Journal and the newly discovered “Bustard Copy” of his ‘diary’ are found at COPPING JOURNALS in Supplementary information about families, at these links, as here
George Copping Journal 1836 to 1845 (since April 2023)
Bustard – Copping Journal 1836 (July 2026)
Copping Differences & Glossary 1836 (July 2026)
Bustard – Copping Journal 1837 and other transcriptions will be available later
What is the – “Bustard Copy”? Explanation at update pages 374-375
Background details: Joanna Ammerlaan, of Manitoba, offered Beverly and me a typewritten transcription of George Copping’s Journal it was marked “Copied by Alvina Mabel Mitchell Sept / 06” and she noted that the “Top of all the pages in this Journal have been eaten away by mice.” We do not know who Alvina got the journal pages from or where they were deposited after she transcribed them.
Alvina Mabel Mitchell was born at Rawdon, 10 July 1878 (no baptism source found), the daughter of Joseph Mitchell and Margaret Jane Copping (James Copping and Florella Wright). She married William Charles Arthur Moreton on 9 November 1908, at Winnipeg, Manitoba. (from a tree published at Ancestry.ca)
(Alvina) Mabel Mitchell designed and drew the 1904 Copping Family Tree that contained almost all the known descendants of George and Elizabeth Copping in 1904, 122 years ago
Other Copping news: UPDATE PAGE 196 the adoption / apprenticeship of John Copping dated 22 April 1828 from files of notary Antoine Minier dit Lagacé was inadvertently omitted in 2024 and is now added.
UPDATE PAGE 748 and pages 747-755
John Rourke Immigration Bicentennial: Blair Rourke, Jerry Rourke and other John Rourke descendants from across Canada celebrated the 200th anniversary of his arrival at Quebec 25 May 1826, on the same May weekend in 2026, in Quebec City. Congratulations to Blair and Jerry.
Using Blair Rourke’s research, I wrote in UP TO RAWDON (Page 748) that John Rourke arrived from Dublin, at Quebec City, on the brig ‘Prince of Asturias’, under Captain Morris, it carried 75 settlers. On May 26, John boarded the steamship ‘Chambly’ to go downriver to Montreal and hence to Rawdon.
Eight Rourkes, who attended are pictured in this May 25, 2026 photo: Blair and Christine (from Montreal), Blair’s brothers (Jim, Ottawa), Don (Toronto area), grandchildren Kate (from London), Anna (from Glasgow), Patrick (Jim’s son, Ottawa), and Warren (Don’s son, Edmonton). Most were present from the 24 to 26 of May but Don and Warren stayed about a week. Most arrived by train via Montreal but Don drove from the Toronto area and Warren flew to Quebec City from Edmonton.
Eight Rourkes, who attended are pictured in this May 25, 2026 photo: Blair and Christine (from Montreal), Blair’s brothers (Jim, Ottawa), Don (Toronto area), grandchildren Kate (from London), Anna (from Glasgow), Patrick (Jim’s son, Ottawa), and Warren (Don’s son, Edmonton). Most were present from the 24 to 26 of May but Don and Warren stayed about a week. Most arrived by train via Montreal but Don drove from the Toronto area and Warren flew to Quebec City from Edmonton.
NEW PHOTOGRAPHS and text added
UPDATE PAGE 216
Lydia Rebecca Edghill and the Lydia Edghill & Wm. McIntyre children at photo-updates/#p216 are a gift from Carolyn Liebler, a great-great-granddaughter of Lydia, from Saint Paul, Minnesota who found us by contacting https://www.histoirederawdon.ca/. The Edghill chapter in https://uptorawdon.com/ outlines this early Irish immigrant family, believed to be from King’s County. Descendants fro Rawdon settled in New York and Michigan, USA.
LAW family Update of pages 520 and 528
Elizabeth Law daughter of Hugh Law and Jane Marlin was born 18 October 1829 and was baptized at St. Gabriel Street Presbyterian 29 March 1830.
Margaret Law daughter of Hugh and Jane Law was born 2 December 1830 and baptized at Christ Church, Rawdon 17 April 1831; On the same day, George and Elizabeth Copping were sponsors and Margaret Law daughter of John Law and Margaret (Smiley) was baptized.
Several Armstrong settlers
Update of page 561 reviews and corrects the last paragraph and summarizes the Armstrong settlers named at Rawdon.
NORRISH family chapter UPDATES of pages 676, 677, 678
which makes clear the location of William Norrish’s village lots, details of a Montreal lease by James Devine Norrish that should be researched and the summary of the children of William Norrish and Mary Ann Holtby has been corrected and new information added.
Correction: page 908 ‘The Brothers Tighe’
Of 1838 July 10 typo: the correct PADDY wedding date is 1836 July 10
Swift & Vail English Immigrants
Addition to page 862 regarding Harriet Melissa Swift
Chip Cunningham, of Virginia, visited Rawdon in summer 2026 and contacted me after she had visited the bibliothèque Alice-Quintal searching for information about her English immigrant ancestors, George Swift and Naomi Dawson, who are buried in the old Methodist (now United Church) Cemetery. The library staff referred her to their copy of UP TO RAWDON, and she found my contact information. The books outline the large Swift family. They had settled with five children at 8 / 19, before the 1831 Census, They married at Rawdon in the nineteenth century and their descendants are found all over North America.
Ms. Cunningham remembers her grandmother Harriet Melissa Swift lived with her family. Harriet was born at Rawdon in 1865 as outlined on page 862 and was an active centenarian in 1967. We hope to post her photograph here in the future.