grave post - Ingersoll

Continuing with last week's grave post, this gravestone can be found in the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery. Charles Fortescue Ingersoll was the younger brother of Laura Ingersoll Secord. He was one of the founding families of the town of Ingersoll which he named after his father who brought the family to Upper Canada from Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1793.  

Charles was a busy man, working with his brother James at building a sawmill, gristmill, potash plant, and distillery. He also served as postmaster at the general store he started. In 1824 he would be elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada and then again in 1830. 

A year later, while still in office, Charles died of cholera leaving his wife, Maria. They had children, but I haven't found any sources saying how many. Charles himself was one of many siblings as his father had married three times and had four daughters with his first wife, Elizabeth (the eldest being Laura) and seven more children with his third wife, Sarah (the eldest being Charles).

The family were re-interred from the Episcopal Church Cemetery in 1888

Due to the shared history, (and probably to coincide as part of the War of 1812 commemorations)  in 2012  the town of Ingersoll was twinned with the town of Great Barrington.

TaphphileTragics

grave post - Norsworthy

This beautiful Queen Anne style house is rumoured to be haunted by the ghost of Mary Jane Norsworthy (the Lady in Grey) who died in 1891 after nursing her children back to health from diptheria. She was only 38 years old.

James Counter (JC) Norsworthy eventually remarried  to a Jane Elizabeth Taylor who raised the five children as her own. 
Four of his sons, Edward, Stanley, Alfred and John all fought in World War I. Both Major Edward and Lieutenant Alfred Norsworthy were killed in action.













MAJOR EDWARD CUTHBERT NORSWORTHY
13th Battalion Royal Highlanders
3rd Brigade Canadian Expeditionary Force
Born in Ingersoll 29 May 1879
Killed in action at Langemarck 22nd April 1915
mentioned in Despatches by 
Field Marshall Sir John French
for gallant and distinguished service in the field.
Not for fame or reward - not for place or rank
not lured by ambition - goaded by necessity
but in simple obedience to duty as he understood
major Norsworthy sacrificed all - suffered all dared all - and died
"Dulci et decorum est pro patria mori"

Buried in Passchaendale, Belgium

"FRED" in memory of Lieutenant Alfred James NORSWORTHY, 73 Battalion, Royal Highlanders, of Canada, born in ingersoll, 3rd May, 1887, killed in action at Vimy Ridge, 29 March 1917. His dauntless courage and cheerfulness under most trying conditions won the admiration of his superior officers and his men. Gentle in peace, a hero in battle, beloved by all who knew him, for God, for truth and for liberty.

Buried in Pas de Calais, France










Stanley Counter Norsworthy was at the Battle of the Somme and  at Courcelette where he was wounded. He was awarded the Military Cross and granted a D.S.O. He died on Christmas Day 1966 at age 85.
John Weldon Norsworthy was in the same battalion as Fred. He served with him and helped to bury him and was wounded shortly afterwards in the Vimy charge. After a partial recovery, he returned to Canada in July, 1917 where he eventually worked as a recruitment and training officer. He died on January 7th, 1975 also at age 85.

Two nephews, Harold and Robert Hunter also did not return home from the war.

A life-size bronze bust of Edward can be seen on the family monument in the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery which, instead of facing east to the rising sun, is facing towards the family home.

After the loss of his sons, J.C. became an expert historian on the war and travelled extensively to speak on the subject.

He had the phrase, "Read the history of your country and understand," incorporated on one of the plaques on the family monument in the cemetery.

a post for Taphophile Tragics