Rev. John Sanderson, Great Grandfather. Louisa Ann Powley, Great Grandmother.

Great, Great Grandfather James Sanderson (Rev.) was born in Scotland (ca 1790). He married Ann Hassard or Hazzard.

Great Grandfather John Sanderson was born in Ireland 2 February, 1817. He emigrated to Canada and married Great Grandmother Louisa Ann Powley on 7 March, 1837 at Kingston, Frontenac Co.

John Sanderson’s father James Sanderson or Saunderson (originally Saunders) was a Protestant (probably Methodist) missionary from Scotland, sent to Ireland. A fight occurred in the street between Catholic and Protestant youth. Sanderson thought he could intervene and stop the fight but the Catholics said: “Here’s the Grand Daddy of them all. Let’s kill him.” And they did. 

John and Louisa Ann (née Powley) Sanderson had eleven children: William Joseph, born 13 May, 1838; James Robert, born 1 February, 1840; Henry Benjamin, born 18 November, 1841; John Wesley, born 27 October, 1843 (became a Methodist circuit-rider minister); Edward Alexander, born 18 October, 1845; Samuel Edward, born 10 October, 1847; Rachel Ann, born 6 May, 1849; Thomas Clark, born 12 March, 1851 (became a Methodist circuit-rider minister); Daniel Wilson, born 8 February, 1853; Mary Eliza Jane 'Maude', born 15 February, 1855; Sarah Aseneth Maria 'Seney', born 20 November, 1859. Aunt Seney married John Godfrey who is credited with building the Frontenac Road. In the 1881 Olden Township census Mary Eliza Jane 'Maude' Sanderson is listed, living with her father John Sanderson, as 26 years old with a child Robert E. born March 1881, five years prior to her marriage to John Nelson Babcock. 

January 25, 1995

Mary Ellen Scott-Fenwick visited with me today to get some genealogical information. As she was copying the information, she mused, "I wonder what happened to Mary Eliza Jane's autograph book? Mother had it in our bookcase. There was one entry -" and she recited the following: -

Mary Hassard is my name,

Ireland is my nation,

Arden is my dwelling place,

And Heaven my destination.

When I'm dead and in my grave,

And all my bones are rotten,

This little book will bear my name,

When I am quite forgotten.

It is quite possible that Mary Hassard was our Great-Great Grandmother, wife of James Sanderson and mother of John Sanderson, our Great Grandfather, who married Louisa Ann Powley. When Mary Eliza Jane was a little girl the family were living in Arden, Ontario.