ebwaldron@hotmail.com in 2006 & 2007

Hi David,

I just came across your site, Grant's of Ireland, and realized that we are cousins. Your great grandmother, Marie Watson, was my great grandmother's sister, Harriett. My Mother who is Harriett's granddaughter, met your parents when they visited my Uncle George Mccoy in Victoria I believe in the late 1970's. I didn't meet your parents as I was living in Vancouver at that time, however, your parents also met my brothers and Father. My Mother is still alive, 81 this year. One of my brothers, Jim, has been into genealogy for many years now - he has some of the family history of the Watson's and LeBlanc's that your Father had given to him. It would be nice to hear from you. I lived in England for a few years in the early 70's and have been back there and have visited Ireland a few times.

Regards,

Sharon Waldron

I live about a two hour drive east of Vancouver on Mount Woodside. We are quite close to Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs in the upper Fraser Valley. We are surrounded by nature, lots of trees etc and are actually on a mountain. My Mum lives here and also my brother Bill, but he has his own place on the property. I work for the Correctional Service of Canada. My brother Jim is the comptroller for West Fraser Pulp Mill in Slave Lake, Alberta. Bill is a musician/teacher. My sister Julie lives just outside of Victoria and her place overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Her and her husband have been retired for a number of years now and they spend the winters in Mazatlan, Mexico. My other brother Bruce is an equestrian rider/instructor.

Julie is the oldest - born 1948, then me - born 1951, Bill born 1958, Jim born 1959 and Bruce born 1966. My Dad was in the Canadian Armed Forces and we lived in Germany for four years from 1960 to 1964 and did a lot of travelling in Europe. Julie's husband retired from the forces and they were stationed in Rome and also Belgium.

Thank's so much for the invite to Cornwall and Spain - perhaps in the next year or so I will need to get away on a holiday!

I found a letter that was written to my grandmother, Amy McCoy, in May 1946 from her cousin Phoebe Luttrell living on Spa Street, Port Arlington. Here is what was said in part that I thought would interest you.

Ethel is with me still. Charlie is to come down soon with Allan. Lily is better and able to be up again. They are charmed with Allan's wife and she is so good and kind to all, especially to Lily. I have my shop still and it helps me going and something on my hands as I try not to be idle. I hope to hear from you soon. Again, Ethel joins me love to all.

Also, a few years ago, my brother Jim had sent me a copy of some pictures of the Watson sisters and a picture of your great grandparents, with their children, May, Ethel and Charles. Hard to tell what year this picture was taken but May would have been at least one year old. If you don't have this picture, I can get Jim to email it to you.

Hi, it's me again!

We thought it was very interesting what you had to say about your Aunt Ethel. My Mum said that she wrote to Ethel in Portarlington in the 30's to early 40's and she said that she remembered that Ethel wrote lovely letters. I think that my Grandmother thought that Ethel and Phoebe had a shop together. Mum now wonders if it wasn't Phoebe that actually wrote the letters as there was always a reference to Phoebe wishing everyone well. Mum said that she wrote the letters because her name is also Ethel. Apparently my Grandmother always received letters from Dublin, Belfast and Portarlington. If Ethel was 'farmed out' as you say, perhaps your Great Grandfather didn't have anyone to look after her as her Mother died in the early 20's? Whatever the case, as we will never know, Ethel was probably very happy being with her cousins. Mum said that it was too bad that all those letters weren't kept. My Grandmother died when I was five and she was the only grandparent I ever met as the others died before I was born. You said that you remember going to Portarlington as a child - do you remember who you visited? The last few times we were in Portarlington we went to the French Church and saw the grave where William Watson, his wife Elizabeth, their daugter Mary Anne and her husband Eddie Lee were buried. Strange to say but it was quite exciting! We even had a personal tour of the church.

One of these days it would be most interesting to see what pictures etc that you have of your Grandfather's and Father's.We don't have a lot of information but Jim has a bit of a collection. He has done a lot of research over the years on all sides of the family and anytime we have gone on holiday together we seem to end up looking at graveyards! My great grandfather McCoy was born in Enniskillen in 1810, joined the 83rd regiment of foot there, came to Canada with the military to fight the Americans in 1834 and decided to settle in Canada. Jim has found all his military records so would make an interesting book.

Jim is arriving in a few days for a week's holiday - my Mum's 81st birthday is on July 28th so hopefully my sister will be able to make it over. My Mum noticed on your bio that your birthday is September 4th, my birthday is September 5th!

I can appreciate all your hard work terracing your garden - we have three acres and finally have one acre looking pretty good - it amazes me how the vegtable and flower garden get so dry but those weeds just keep growing no matter how often you get rid of them!