Robert A.W. Briggs Notes

Note assumed to have been written by Robert A.W. Briggs.

(typed from note by Peter Briggs 2024-01-01)

My great grandfather and his family came to Canada in 1871 from England - the boat they came in used both sails and steam. The voyage took about 6 weeks. They returned to their homeland about 7 years later, but immigrated to Nebraska only a few years after that. He and his sons worked for farmers in order to earn enough for a farm of their own. After some time they rented property but did not buy land.

In 1900 they came to Edmonton to find out if it would be a good place to buy a farm as they could have really have some place of their own, they had heard land was cheap and easy to get.

He found things to his liking and went back to the U.S.A. to arrange for his family to come - My grandfather was then married with 3 children. They came in a colonist care which was a place to sleep and eat for all in the car, it was very hard to carry enough food and to try to cook it in a railway car full of other men, women, and chilren. They arrived in Edmonton to find they could not find any rooms anywhere as they had stay in the Immigration Hall.

Another note found

May 11th, 1871. Thomas and Isabella Jane Briggs and family sailed from Liverpool in the mail steamship Nestoria Allen Line landed at Quebec North America at three o'clock on the afternoon on the 22nd day of May 1871 left Quebec at half past twelve o'clock the same evening on railways cars arrived at Chicago at half past twelve o'clock on the evening of the 26th day of May 1871.

John Herbert Coverdale Born December 7, 1810 Died October 18, 1877

Jonathan Cooper Coverdale Born October 1, 1828

John herbert Coverdale Born September 18, 1831

Elizabeth Coverdale, Born November 12, 1833

Rachel Coverdale, Born May 16, 1836

Isabella Jane Coverdale Born November 19, 1838 and Died June 27, 1893

Mathew Coverdale Born September 30, 1840

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