Monday, October 31, 2016

Loyalist Roots (from USA to Canada 200 years ago)

Dykeman FAMILY in North America are descended from Jan Dijckman of Harlem NY (Manhattan). He was a farmer with land at the upper end of Manhattan Island. One of his descendants decided not to stay in what was to become the United States of America, but rather, to stay loyal to the British Crown under George III after 1783. In popular culture, this family is mentioned in Mad Men (TV show) where one character, Peter Dyckman Campbell, is said to have descended.

The descendant that moved to what is now Canada (at the time it was The Colony of Nova Scotia) in about 1786.

Garrett Dyckman (changed to Dykeman as he moved to 'Canada') lived the remainder of his life in his new adopted country. This Loyalist (United Empire Loyalist offically, or UEL) was given a tract of land which he was able to farm in what is now close to the Saint John River. This is s wide gentle river, which has no cataracts between north of Fredericton (now the capital of New Brunswick) to one at Saint John which is at tide water. The cataract at Saint John can be traversed at high tide as Bay of Fundy tides are amoung the highest in the world: enough to carry small personal boats with no issue if properly timed.

Entry of his entry from the Find A Grave website:

Birth: Mar. 4, 1741
White Plains
Westchester County
New York, USA
Death: Jun. 20, 1813
Gagetown
New Brunswick, Canada

Son of Jacob Dyckman and Rebecca Dyckman nee Vermilye.

Tradition says he changed his name from Gerrit Dyckman to appear less foreign to the English-domnated colonial New York society.

Following the Revolutionary War, in 1783 Garret emigrated with his wife and family to the British Colony of Nova Scotia. On April 20, 1784 they were granted Lot no. 66 in Parr Town (now Saint John, NB)

Soon thereafter, on August 16, 1784, the Colony of New Brunswick was created by partition. On January 20, 1787, the Dykemans were granted Lot no. 9 containing 150 acres on Jemseg Creek, Parish of Waterborough, Queen's County, New Brunswick, where they settled to farm.

He has been called "The grandfather of all the Loyalist Dykemans"


Family links:
 Spouse:
  Eunice Ann Hatfield Dykeman (1746 - 1808)

 Children:
  Gilbert Hatfield Dykeman (1769 - 1851)*
  Moses A. Dykeman (1772 - 1850)*

*Calculated relationship
Burial:
Saint John's Anglican Church Cemetery
Gagetown
Queens County
New Brunswick, Canada
Plot: In the shade of a large pine tree

The Children of Garrett are buried at the Dykeman family cemetary in Jemseg, NB on the ancestral Dykeman family farm.


Great Grandfather and Grandmother graves


Sunday, October 23, 2016

Garden (End of Season) 2016

Canada is not a hot country but from May to end October it is frost free in many areas including Southern Quebec. This provides an ample opportunity to grow many different legumes, maize, root vegetables as well. Fruit is limited to pears, apples and grapes in local area. Peaches, apricots and more common variety of grapes are not hardy enough for the cold winters (-30C usually once or twice a winter). Vegatables grown from seed such as tomatoes, squash, pumpkin types grow well in the warm summer days.

Garden plants are a beauty of minor details which can be captured on film (or electronic film). Here below are some of the captured images: