Francis William Cosens
ID # 8817, (1820-1867)
| Father | Charles Cosens (1772-1846) |
| Mother | Ann Goodchild (1786-1853) |
| Baptism | Francis William Cosens was baptized on 1 September 1820. |
| Baptism | He was baptized on 21 December 1820 at Fittleworth, Sussex, England. |
| Marriage | He married Mary Kilburn in May 1854. |
| Death | He died on 4 September 1867 at Blair, Waterloo Co., at age 47. |
| Burial | He was buried at Old Blair Memorial Cemetery, Blair, Waterloo Twp.. |
| Note | The 1861 census shows Francis W. Cosens, age 41, born England, as a farmer in Blenheim Township of Oxford County. With him is wife Mary, age 37, born United States, son Chas. W., age 5, and daughter Mary, age 3. The Waterloo branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has a transcription of Old Blair Memorial Cemetery at Blair, which at the time of Francis' death was in Waterloo Township, but which is now within the city limits of Cambridge, Ontario. Francis' stone reads: In memory of Francis W. Cosens born Sept. 1st, 1820, died Sept 4th, 1867. Aged 47 years and 3 dys. There are other stones around that of Francis, but at the time of transcription, 1975, were said to be broken or eroded. The Dumfries Reformer, Galt, has a brief death notice for Frank W. Cosens. The newspaper edition is dated 11 Sept, 1867. It dates his death to 4 September, 1867. It tells that he died at Blair at the age of 47 years and 3 days. Only his death location of Blair is added to information we already had. He may indeed have died in the village and this is shown as such in this tree, though it is rather more likely that he died near Blair. Blair is in Waterloo Township and not far from the village of Doon. The Cosens family in their early years in Canada were connected with this area. Certainly, Francis' sister, Caroline Cosens Tilt is buried in Blair Cemetery. As of the 1871 census, Francis' wife Mary is located in South Dumfries of Brant County. She still has with her son Charles, now age 15, and daughter Mary, now age 12, but also a son Martin, age 7. The family is shown as Wesleyan Methodist. Did Francis indeed die in or around Blair? Volume 4 of Rev. Donald McKenzie's Obituaries from Ontario's Christian Guardian, 1861-1870, Global Heritage Press, Milton (now of Ottawa), 2011, has an obituary for Francis on page 73. McKenzie quotes from the Guardian edition of February 19, 1868. This tells that Francis was born in Surrey, England (perhaps). He came to Canada at age 11 and settled in Waterloo (the township we must believe). It goes on to say that he married Mary Kilbourn and, some six years previous, moved from Blenheim to St. George (in South Dumfries Township of Brant County). It goes on to tell that 'last May he was seized with his fatal malady, which was induced by inhaling the effluvium of lead in painting and died September 4, 1867.' This says nothing of his location at time of death. |
| Last Edited | 20 Oct 2021 |