http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm This web site is dedicated to Shiels Family history and to all those Shiels members that have said "no d". Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Web Easy by Avanquest Publishing USA, Inc. George Shiels was born in the family home, East Mains, Coulter, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on October 18, 1828. He was educated at the school on the estate of the Duke of Buccleuch until he reached the age of eleven. He then went to work on the Thomas Anderson farm as a chore boy. His brother John was also employed there. George was soon promoted to plowman, a task at which he became highly skilled. He also became an expert checker player. Tradition says that he engaged the world champion in a contest in which, after thirty hours of play encompassing five games, he won two of the five. Time was taken out for food and sleep. George was only a teenager at the time. He is reported to have stated later that the defeat was the best thing that could have happened to him, as his later life as a farmer was highly satisfying to him. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada George left the farm for a job in a greenhouse at higher wages. George remained there until 1850, when he and his brother John decided to emigrate to Canada. He took a homestead near what is now Cranbrook, Ontario. He married Susanna Wortley in 1857. They farmed all their lives and raised a large family with 11 children, Barbara 1859; Jane 1860; Thomas 1862; Susannah 1864; Robert 1867; Mary 1869; George 1871; Jemima 1874; Ellen 1877; William John 1880 and David in 1883. Many descendants continue to live in southern Ontario and also in the state of Michigan, USA. I will add a brief history on each of George's descendants. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada Barbara, the first child of George and Susannah (Wortley) Shiels, was born Mar. 24, 1859. At age 18, she married Thomas Gilpin Jr and they farmed in Hullet Township, Ontario. In 1880 they moved to a rented farm in Turnberry Township. They later moved to Oceana County, Michigan where their oldest sons worked in the lumbering industry. They had six children, Caroline Ellen , Thomas, Anna Jane, Marion, Matthew and Alice. - Caroline Ellen was born in 1878 and married Henry Gulker in Hart Michigan, raising 6 children in Detroit, Mich. - Thomas was born in 1880 and married Lois Rowe. He worked as a millman in the lumber industry and later as a carpenter in Detroit, Mich. They raised 3 children. - Anna Jane was born in 1881 and married Philemon D. Gilbert. They had one son who died in his early teens. After Phileman also died, Anna married Jeddiah Simmons and had two sons that also died at a very young age. - Marion was born in 1883 and married Harry Allen Marsh. Harry worked at the sawmill, farmed, and operated a restaurant in Hart Mich. In 1917 the family relocated to Detroit, where Harry operated a grocery store, worked as a millwright, and as a mechanical engineer for the Albey-Ferguson Corp. installing industrial conveyors. They had 5 children. - Matthew was born in 1884 and married Ethel Barkdell. They had two children. Matt farmed most of his life, but worked on the railroad at Chamberlain, South Dakota for two years. - Alice was born in 1886 and married William Wallace Giddings when she was only 15. They farmed in the Hart, Michigan. area and later moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. They raised eight children. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada Thomas E. Shiels was born May 24, 1862. He married his cousin Jessie Anderson in Detroit, Michigan. Thomas found work with an architect. Thomas later in life managed a large building, which contained a movie theatre, a furniture store and offices. Thomas and Jessie had one daughter, Ethel Dorothy, born in 1887. Ethel married Robert Thompson and they lived in Detroit. Robert worked for Ford Motor Co. his entire life. Robert and Ethel had five children. Following Jessie's death, Thomas E. Shiels married Frances Mary Combs. Frances' first husband was George Shiels, Jr. Thomas E's brother who had died in 1904. Frances then married Andrew Joynt and had two daughters by him. Andrew Joynt died, apparently in the early 1920's, leaving Frances with two girls to raise. In 1928, she married Thomas E. They lived in his home in Detroit until Thomas died in 1936. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada Susannah was born in 1864. She married Angus Carmichael and lived out their lives on the home farm. They had five children; John George; Angus Shiels; Susannah Ellen; Mabel Richmond and James Darwin. John George was born in 1890 and never married. He lived on the home place until his fathers death. He then moved to Goderich, where he was employed in the sawmill. Angus Shiels Carmichael was born in 1894. He farmed most of his life. He married Ethel Hart and had one daughter, Verna Annabelle. Susannah Ellen was born in 1896. She married George Henry Hart in 1922. George and Nellie had seven children. Mabel Richmond was born in 1901. She married William Stanley Kitchen. They farmed in Ferth County and had one son. James Darwin was born in 1903. He moved to Goderich to work in the sawmill following his father's death in 1935. He married Wilma Edith Grigg and had four children. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada Robert was born April 1, 1867. He worked on the home farm until he took up partnership with Henry Hart in a blacksmith shop at Leadbury, Ont. Robert married Anne E. Combs and had five children; Jenetta Susannah; Leslie Alvin; Norman George; Melvin Robert and Elizabeth Harriet. Jenetta Susannah was born in 1894 and died in 1900. Leslie Alvin was born in 1895 and died in 1897. Norman George was born in 1896. He married Muriel Grace Kellington. Norman farmed and was a mail carrier for many years. They had five children. Melvin Robert was born in 1897. Melvin married Mary Edith Jacklin and had one adopted daughter. Elizabeth Harriet was born in 1898. She married George Carswell Johnston and had three children. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada George Shiels Jr. was born October 18, 1871. He attended Grey Twp.School #8 and lived on the home farm until he married Frances Mary Combs in 1896. George Shiels Jr. worked on the home farm, and also for others as a stonemason and bricklayer. George and Frances had one daughter, Edna. George became sick and died from respiratory problems in 1904. Edna was born in 1898. At age 17, Edna married Wilford Johnston . He was a plumber by trade. They lived in Detroit, Michigan. Edna and Wilford Johnston had five children. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada Jemima was born in 1874 and married George Arkless Hart. Jemima and George Hart had no children. They farmed on the 14th concession of Elma Twp. until Jemima died in 1902. Jemima's sister Ellen kept house for them during Jemima's lengthy illness, and remained to keep house for George after Jemima died. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada Ellen was born in 1877. She kept house and worked in the community for many years. She married George Ford in 1911. They headed west and ended up in Victoria British Columbia. George worked in a cereal mill in Victoria until the end of World War 1. After the war his job disappeared, and they had to sell out and leave Victoria in 1920. George and Ellen relocated back to Huron County, Ontario where they farmed until they moved to Detroit, Michigan. They lived there for a number of years before finally moving to Grand Rapids Michigan. They had three children; Edith Helen; Velma Annie and William George . Edith Helen was born in 1912. Edith worked for Michigan Bell Telephone Co. until she married Harry Koopmans of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Harry worked for Consumers Power Co., the electric utility, until he retired in 1965. They had no natural children, but adopted a son, Gary Lyndon Koopmans. Edith died in May 1952, age 41. Velma Annie was born in 1916. Velma was an excellent student, but subject to many illnesses. She died in 1927, age 10. William George was born in 1918. Bill worked at various jobs including truck driver, in a window shade factory and as a jack of all trades for a tailor shop. When W.W.2 started, Bill went to work in a war plant, Vickers Inc. In February 1943, he was drafted into the American Army. Bill was discharged in November 1943 and he returned to the war plant. Bill married Jessie Janet Muirhead and had two children; John William in 1947 and Margaret Ellen in 1951. When Bill's war job terminated in June 1946, he began work as an auto mechanic. In 1950, the Korean conflict caused the war work to accelerate and he went back to work at Vickers. Bill was promoted into the engineering laboratory and began work on a degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1955, Bill was hired as Assistant Chief Engineer by a company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A year later, he was back in Detroit working as a hydraulic engineer for Ford Motor Company engine division. In 1970, he transferred to the Foundries Division. In 1976, Bill was granted his University Degree by Henry Ford Community College at the age of 55. Bill continued to work for Ford until he retired on January 1, 1980. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada William John was born April 10, 1880. He lived at home on the family farm until he married Mary Machan in 1902. William and Mary lived in the village of Ethel and had one daughter, Mary Etta. She was born May 19, 1903 and died Sept. 27, 1904. William John Shiels died July 20, 1906. http://www.mts.net/~dshiels/shiels_005.htm Sun, 11 Feb 2007 20:06:42 GMT Dan Shiels - Winnipeg, Mb, Canada