Alphonse Grozelle (1854-1921)

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been researching Alphonse Grozelle, my 2nd cousin 4x removed. Using records I’ve found about him at Ancestry.ca and FamilySearch.org, like his homestead applications, his death registration and his will, I’ve put together a brief biography for him.

Birth and marriage

Alphonse was born on 1 January 1854 in Ops Township, Victoria County, Ontario. [1] He was the ninth of eleven children of Pierre Desgroseilliers (later Grozelle) and Félicité L’Eriger de la Plante dite Laplante. In about 1850, Pierre, his wife and their children moved from Châteauguay County in Canada East (now Quebec) to Victoria County in Canada West (now Ontario).

When he was 22 years old, Alphonse married Annie McAlpine in August 1876. [2] The couple had ten children: seven sons and three daughters. Alphonse worked as a farmer, lumberman, and general labourer, according to census records and some of his children’s birth registrations. In early 1903, Annie gave birth to her tenth child, a son named Archibald, who did not survive. Sadly, Annie died a few months later on 1 September 1903. [3]

Saskatchewan

Entrusting his youngest surviving children to the care of his eldest son, Alphonse left Ontario for Saskatchewan between 1903 and 1911. He was enumerated in that prairie province on the 1911 census as ‘Alfonso Grozell’, laborer. [4]

That July, Alphonse applied for a homestead (SE¼, S18, T4, R23, W2) near Bengough, Saskatchewan. [5] After making the necessary improvements on his 160 acres of land, he was granted his homestead in November 1914. [6]

Alphonse wrote his will on 12 May 1919. He named his son Joseph, who had moved to Saskatchewan in about 1910, as executor and sole beneficiary. [7]

Illness and death

About October 1920, Alphonse returned to Ontario. Within a few months, he was ill and sought a doctor’s care in May 1921. [8] Soon after, Alphonse made his last appearance on a federal census when he was enumerated in his brother Eric’s household in Bexley Township, Victoria County. [9]

Alphonse Grozelle's death registration (Ancestry.ca)

With his health deteriorating, Alphonse was admitted to Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay, Victoria County in mid-August. [10]. He died there ten weeks later on 12 October 1921. [11] The cause of death was “sarcoma of sternum” and exhaustion. [12] He was buried on 14 October 1921 in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Victoria Road, Victoria County, Ontario. [13]

Discrepancies

According to his death registration, at which his son William was the informant, Alphonse had been 10 weeks at his place of death, that is, in hospital since about 17 August 1921, and had resided in the province of Ontario for one year, that is, since about 12 October 1920. [14] However, his son Joseph, as executor of his will, stated in an affidavit that Alphonse’s residence at the time of his death and for at least six months prior was Bengough, Saskatchewan. [15]

Next week on "Amanuensis Monday", I’ll examine Alphonse’s last will and testament.

Sources:

1. “Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928”, digital images, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 9 September 2015), entry for Delfonce Grozell – Annie McAlpin [sic], 28 August 1876; citing Archives of Ontario, Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Toronto, Ontario Canada: Archives of Ontario; microfilm series MS932, reel 22. 1901 census of Canada, Township Dalton, Victoria (North), Ontario, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 119, subdistrict D-1, p. 5, dwelling 33, family 33, [Fronce?] Grozelle (written as [Fronce?] Grozelle, indexed as France Grozelle); digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 30 September 2016); citing Census of Canada, 1901, microfilm reels T-6428 to T-6556, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Library and Archives Canada, 2004.

2. “Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928”, digital images, Ancestry.ca, entry for Delfonce Grozell – Annie McAlpin [sic], 28 August 1876.

3. Find A Grave, digital images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 4 October 2016), photograph, gravestone for Annie McAlpine (1855-1903), Find A Grave Memorial no. 119300728, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Victoria Road, Ontario, Canada.

4. "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org : accessed 5 October 2016), entry for Alfonso Grozell [sic] (b. 1859); citing Regina Sub-Districts 6-71, Saskatchewan, Canada; Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,418,579.

5. “Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, Homestead Grant Registers, 1872-1930”, digital images, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 4 October 2016), entry for Alphonse Grozell, homestead no. 426681; citing Homestead Grant Registers, R190-75-1-E, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

6. “Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, Homestead Grant Registers, 1872-1930”, digital images, Ancestry.ca, entry for Alphonse Grozell, homestead no. 426681.

7. "Saskatchewan Probate Estate Files, 1887-1931," digital images, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNTN-FJT : accessed 3 October 2016), Alphonso Grozell [sic], 1921, probate file, no. 0648, “Last Will and Testament of Alphonso Grozell” (images 7-8 of 40); citing Saskatchewan Estevan, Queen's Bench Provincial Court, Regina; GS film no. 1,220,692.

8. “Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947”, database, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 31 August 2015), entry for Alphonse Grozelle, 12 October 1921; citing Archives of Ontario, Registrations of Deaths, 1869-1938; Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Archives of Ontario; microfilm series MS935, reel 232.

9. 1921 census of Canada, Township Bexley, Victoria (North), Ontario, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 135, subdistrict D-2, p. 1, dwelling 4, family 4, Alfonso Grozell [sic]; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 4 October 2016); citing Sixth Census of Canada, 1921, Library and Archives Canada, 2013; Series RG31; Statistics Canada Fonds.

10. “Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947”, database, Ancestry.ca, entry for Alphonse Grozelle, 12 October 1921.

11. “Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947”, database, Ancestry.ca, entry for Alphonse Grozelle, 12 October 1921.

12. “Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947”, database, Ancestry.ca, entry for Alphonse Grozelle, 12 October 1921.

13. “Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947”, database, Ancestry.ca, entry for Alphonse Grozelle, 12 October 1921. Find A Grave, digital images (http://findagrave.com : accessed 4 October 2016), photograph, gravestone for Alphonse Grozelle (1854-1921), Find A Grave Memorial no. 119300761, St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Victoria Road, Ontario, Canada.

14. “Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947”, database, Ancestry.ca, entry for Alphonse Grozelle, 12 October 1921.

15. “Saskatchewan Probate Estate Files, 1887-1931," digital images, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNTN-FJT : accessed 3 October 2016), Alphonso Grozell [sic], 1921, probate file, no. 0648; “Affidavit To Domicile of Deceased” (image 10 of 40); citing Saskatchewan Estevan, Queen's Bench Provincial Court, Regina; GS film no. 1,220,692.

Copyright © 2016, Yvonne Demoskoff.