Nathaniel Beckett : Short Biography

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                             Documentation for Nathaniel Beckett’s birth and death has been evasive.

     We know Nathaniel Beckett was in North Grenville, Oxford-on-Rideau,Upper Canada, in the first half of the 1800’s via documentation of a land purchase and the signing of his Last Will and Testament at Beckett’s Landing, Township of Oxford, 19 July 1846.

     Any hard data with reference to Nathaniel Beckett, born in County Mayo, Turlough, Ireland around 1775 and died in North Grenville, Upper Canada, sometime around 1851 to 1866 would be greatly appreciated.

     Family folklore ( with no documentation) suggests his death was in Kemptville, Ontario in 1866. 

Don Beckett

BECKETT

Wednesday 19th May 2021 06:29PM

This hand written letter (below) was saved from being burned, during a clean up after the death of the owner of the household, in Winnipeg Manitoba, in 2014.This was THANKS to Jack Lektman's understanding of the value of old documents.

It was written one year before Queen Elizabeth's second visit to Ireland by James Beckett ( my G G Grand Uncle) to Thomas Beckett, who had immigrated to North Grenville Upper Canada in the 1820's

Genealogist, Marilyn Evans, undertook the task to decipher the Irish vernacular of that time

The hand written letter is dated August 12, 1852   (with a place name that looks as if it is "Mohana" - but I cannot find this listed)

My Dear Nephew: With pleasure I embrace the opportunity of sending you the receipt of your truly kind letter which I did with the embrace of a child for four pounds which our Mr. (name not clear) cashed for me without trouble. My Dear Nephew I shall ever feel grateful for your kindness to me and may you receive the reward promised by the Almighty to them who giveth to the poor which he saith he that giveth to the poor shall in no wise loose his reward and you may (also) be like the widow who casteth her mite her (bowl and cup) never run empty again and again God saith inasmuch as ye did unto the least of them ye did it unto me.  I believe I need truly to mention to you the distress I had been in before I received your favor for I could not presume to make you acquainted with my distress as I gave little thought that I should be brought to such a (state ) of  living. I have reason to be thankful to the Almighty who it has been his good will to spare me while there were hundreds who fell (    ) to hunger in this unfortunate country and may I add as far as I can see the famine is not yet over in this county as the Disease of the Potato crop did not for the last six years appear so severe in this county even the few I had sown in my former cabbage plot are so severely smitten I can scarce say I shall have one of them immediately.  My Dear Nephew I shall feel obliged to you sending some account about my brother Nathaniel by the next letter that is coming from any of the friends as you forget today anything about him, now as for me, I am in a poor state but still able top walk about the street - my old companion is very weak.  The friends join me in sending the love and early thanks to you for the kindness you have saved me who continues to pray may you receive the promise made by God who saith cast your bread upon the water and thou shalt receive it after many days and may God bless one and all of ye is the prayer of your affectionate 

{signed} James Beckett  
*************

 

BECKETT

Thursday 5th August 2021 12:25AM