Charlotte Fellows

ID # 3251, (1819-1898)
FatherRichard Fisher Fellows (-1826)
MotherCharlotte Morson
BirthCharlotte Fellows was born in 1819 at Ceylon. 
MarriageShe married Thomas George Armstrong
BaptismShe was baptized on 22 May 1827 at Castletown, Isle of Man. 
MarriageShe married Walter Hamilton Dickson on 8 September 1859 at Town of Niagara, Canada West.
The Canadian Biographical Dictionary is one source for the approximate date of the marriage of Charlotte Fellows Armstrong to Walter Hamilton Dickson. This tells us that they were married in September of 1859.

The more definitive source is the marriage record of St. Mark's Anglican Church at Niagara Town. This appears on mcirofilm MS545 reel 1. This was microfilmed by the Niagara Historical Resource Centre, Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library, 1978-1979. The pages are unnumbered.

This reads:

Walter H. Dickson to Charlotte Armstrong

Niagara, Sept. 8, 1859
This day were married Walter H. Dickson, gentleman, of the Town of Niagara to Charlotte Armstrong of the same place, widow, by me, William McMurray, Rector of Niagara
Witnesses illeg Dickson
Florence Macnab.
The couple signed the document and it may be said that Charlotte's signature is as it appears in her petition for Letters of Administration for her first husband. Charlotte wrote with a fine hand.

The Lincoln County marriage register provides largely the same information, though the clerk's handwriting is nearly unreadable. It does appear to show Charlotte's parents by the name of McNab. This is probably Charlotte's mother's name, though a direct, clearly written record has yet to be found. It also shows Charlotte's place of birth as Ceylon. A transcription of the Lincoln & Welland Counties Marriage Register was indexed by Elizabeth Hancocks and published by the Global Heritage Press in 2005. Ms. Hancocks had the same difficulties with the handwriting. The image of this registration may be seen at MS248 reel 10, Vol. 33, page 16/1859. Familysearch also carries the images.



 
DeathShe died on 1 January 1898 at Niagara, Lincoln County. 
BurialShe was buried on 3 January 1898. 
NoteShe This tree shows Richard Fisher Fellows to be the father of Charlotte Fellows. Richard's wife and the mother of Charlotte is shown as Charlotte Morson. The statement that Charlotte Morson is the mother of Charlotte Fellows is arguable, but can be defended. See notes for the parents of Charlotte Fellows.

Baptisms solemnized in the Chapel of St. Mary in Castletown, Isle of Man, in the year 1827, page 8.

Nbr. 58, on the 22nd May

Charlotte, daug. of Richard Fisher Fellows and Charlotte Morson
Residence Castletown.
Father late lieut. Ceylon Regiment.

There are eight baptisms listed on the page, five of which show the father as being in the military. There was a military station on the island, but Richard Fellows is dead by the time of his daughter's baptisms and, while she is still a child - about eight years of age - she is certainly not an infant.

Charlotte is found in the 1851 census as enumerated at St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. She has perhaps fudged her age a bit, for she is shown as age 22, a widow, annuitant, and born in Ceylon. With her is her daughter Laura, age 12, born Canada. Laura, however, is not shown as her daughter per se, but as a school girl. They are shown as visitors in the home of Flora Hemery, school mistress. Son John F. Armstrong is also on the island. See his notes. He is shown as age 14 and as a scholar. He is evidently in a school.

Charlotte is found in the 1861 and 1871 censuses as the wife of Walter Hamilton Dickson, her second husband, and she is shown as being born in Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka).

Walter is still living as of the 1881 census as well as in the 1891 census, Charlotte is shown as being born in England. Her place of birth is shown as England in her death registration. That she was born in Ceylon, probably the child of a soldier or administrator is almost certainly the case for more information has been recently found.

An interesting anomoly exists which takes us back to the 1871 Canadian and English censuses.

As mentioned, Charlotte is to be found in the 1871 Canadian census. She and Walter are to be found in Niagara Town (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) with at least some of Walter's children by his first marriage and their daughter Charlotte, age 10. There is also present a Catherine M. Lyons, age 75, but we will leave Catherine's place in the family for further examination.

The 1871 Canadian census was begun on April 3rd, but an endorsement by the enumerator shows the enumeration of the previous household begun on April 17.

The 1871 census of England and Wales was begun on April 3rd as well and the location of interest for Charlotte is Liverpool, enumeration district 7, sub-district St. Thomas. Here we find the following at 32 Great George Square:

Charlotte Dickson, 52, married, annuitant, born Ceylon
Charlotte A., 10, daughter, scholar, born Canada
John E. Armstrong, 8, grandson, scholar, born Canada.

No one else on the page has the appearance of being a family member. The entry for John E. Armstrong is particularly interesting, for we must believe him to be the orphaned son of John Fellows Armstrong. When we examine entries to do with Charlotte's will, it becomes obvious that she and her grandson had an ongoing relationship over the years.

However, to the point. The enumeration for the St. Thomas sub-district in Liverpool has no date annotations whatsoever and all the pages have been examined. The best that can be said is that Atlantic crossings by steamship are by this time sufficiently fast that for Charlotte to be entered in the two censuses is entirely possible. Also, Liverpool would have been a point of departure for Canada. During this time frame and for many years, passenger vessels frequently terminated the voyage at Quebec City and onward travelers would then go by railroad. If the foregoing interpretation seems a stretch, all that can be said to any challengers is: Come up with a better explanation! Certainly Liverpool was a busy Atlantic port. We can only guess at Charlotte's reason for taking her daughter and grandson to England, but there must have been family connections to visit. That the enumeration found her and the children at Liverpool is probably, from a researcher's standpoint, a lucky fluke.

Charlotte's first husband, Thomas George Armstrong, died 31 March, 1838. This is stated in Charlotte's petition regarding a grant of land for Thomas, one that was in the process of being granted when Thomas died. This is found on C-1614 Vol. 14, Bundle A 21, petition 24. At the time, Charlotte was located in Bytown in the Dalhousie District (present day Ottawa.) The original petition made by Thomas has yet to be found.

The petition does include a letter from Horse Guards ( London, England) dated 3 June, 1837, to Sir Francis Bond Head, commenting favorably on Thomas' military service. Also included is a brief description of Captain Armstrong's service:

Ensign - 66th Foot - 17 Sept. 1826
Lieutenant - --------- - 26 Feby 1830


Captain - --------- - 20 May 1836
Sold out - ---------- - 12 May 1837

Signature illeg.

There is a later petition, C-1616 Vol. 18, bundle A 2 petition nbr. 33. This is not entirely legible, and indicates that this process was drawn out as late as the 1st of November, 1843. It recognizes that Charlotte was the administrator of her husband's estate (he died intestate) and that her grant of land - location not mentioned - is to be held in trust for the children of her husband. Unclear as to just why, but apparently relating to Charlotte being unable to find land fit for location, she is permitted to purchase from Crown Lands a location for 180 pounds. This petition seems to have been filed by an agent, S.B. Lyons, but signed by Charlotte in the same hand as the first petition. (Charlotte was eminently literate and wrote with a fine script.) At the time of this latter correspondence, Charlotte was in Blandford Township in the London District.

Note: While the 1843 correspondence describes Blandford Township as being in the London District, this should no longer be correct. In 1837 the Brock District came into being. This was made up mainly of the townships that later became Oxford County. The new district town was Woodstock. Administration of the Brock District would have been delayed until a court house was built and other offices established - including a county jail. By 1843, this was probably largely effected.

Charlotte later married Walter Hamilton Dickson.

Death reg. 014375-98 Niagara, Lincoln Co. (whether township or Niagara Town not stated)
Charlotte Dickson died Jan. 1/98 age 79. Residence Niagara. Lady. Born England. Religion E (English church). Informant J.E. Robeson.

The archivist at St. Mark's has kindly advised that St. Mark's records show that Charlotte Dickson, age 82, a widow of Niagara, had a funeral on 3 January, 1898. Unfortunately, the record does not say where she was buried, whether in St. Mark's Cemetery or elsewhere. Microfilm at the Archives of Ontario has been examined for the St. Catharines Standard, a daily paper, but there is no obituary to be found. The Welland Tribune, a weekly paper of the era with a column devoted to local interest in Niagara Township and town, was also searched, but no mention of Charlotte's passing was made. A digital search of death notices for the Ottawa Journal has also been made without success. Certainly, no stone for Charlotte is to be found in St. Mark's.

The stone for Charlotte's son and daughter has four sides, only two of which are inscribed. The stone has a bit of fencing around it and is obviously large enough to accommodate more than two graves. At a guess, this is where Charlotte is buried, but, until we find an informative obituary, we have no certainty. 

Children of Charlotte Fellows and Thomas George Armstrong

Child of Charlotte Fellows and Walter Hamilton Dickson

Last Edited2 Dec 2022