John Bashaw

John Bashaw is the 3rd Great Grandfather to my wife.

John Bashaw was born about 1794 in Canada.  John Bashaw's wife's name was Susan.  Her last name is unknown.

One of the great grandchildren of John posted in a genealogy.com message board that he had a family bible that listed John and Susan as Berjeron and then with Bashaw in parenthesis - so one could assume that Bashaw was the Americanized name of a French/English Canadian name Berjeron.  There is a lot of information online regarding the Bashaw/Berjeron assumptions but I can't find anything concrete for this.

The first record I can find for John is the 1850 Federal Census.  He is living with his wife, Susan, and three children.  The children's names were Peter, Marilla and Flavian.  Peter and Marilla were both born in Canada but Flavian was born in 1837 in Vermont.  So from this we know that John and his wife and at least two children emigrated to the United States some time before 1837 but after 1833 (when Marilla was born in Canada).  In 1850 the family is living in Clay Township.  John and his eldest son (in the Census) are listed are farmers.  The family cannot read or write, this is typical for this time period.

The next, and last, record we find for John is the 1860 Federal Census.  The family is still living in Clay Township, St Joseph County, Indiana.  Flavian is the only child left living at home.  None of the family is marked as not being able to read or write - did the family learn to read and write during the previous 10 years?  Perhaps Flavian went to school and in turn taught his family how to read?

The known children of John Bashaw and Susan (unknown) were:

1. Peter Bashaw - born in April 1828 in Canada.  Believed to have died around 1904 in Indiana.  Married Rosanna LaFountain.
2. Marilla Bashaw - born around 1833 in Canada. Death Unknown. Marriage unknown.
3. Clarence Flavian Bashaw - born 10 May 1837 in Windsor, Windsor County, Vermont.  Died 8 December 1922 in the state of Washington.  Married Julia Salway.

It is assumed that both John and Susan died in Indiana sometime between 1860 and 1870 in St Joseph County.  This is assumed because both Peter and Flavian can be found in 1860 and 1870 in that county.  John and Susan were there in 1860 and not in 1870.  They could have moved but they were in their 60's at that time, so most likely they had died in St Joseph County.