Introduction to Our Caswell Family

The following posts are all part of the book that I have complied about our Caswells.  Posting the chapters in a blog seems to be the best way to distribute this information.  So on I go...

     You are part of this story if, by birth, some of your genes came from James Caswell.  You are part of this story if you married someone who was descended from James.  You are part of this story if you were adopted or taken in by one of those descendants.  For a person is the product of his biological and his social inheritance; we can escape neither.

     From a letter John wrote to a cousin in 1975 “A 24 year old cousin (second cousin once removed) of ours in Vancouver, BC has gotten me started collecting genealogical data for her”…and what a lucky connection John was for me.  He determinedly dug out information about the family.  As a retired history professor he could dig in areas I could not access.

     This book is the result of many years work by John Caswell and Judy (Todhunter) Rosmus; as well as many tireless hours put in by other relatives to ensure this history is as complete and accurate as possible.  Unfortunately, John was no longer able to continue with the research so the task of completing the book came to me.  Many thanks to all the family members who have contributed time and material to this project.

     Where material has been obtained from a source other than family records or has been verified by a primary source, i.e. vital statistics wills, etc., it is so noted.  All other material has been collected from family members.  We are very fortunate that although the Caswell children’s schooling was intermittent and a Grade 5 level at best, some of the sons, daughters and descendants were prolific writers, recording many of the details of their day to day life as they moved across Canada and the United States.

     My interest in our family background began just after my Grandmother, Delle Todhunter (nee Donnan) passed away in 1973.  She was a granddaughter of Andrew and Mary Jane Caswell.  In a discussion with my father, Stanley Caswell Todhunter, about the forms to be filled out regarding my grandmother’s death, he expressed surprise that she was born in Osler, Saskatchewan.

     Realizing how scanty was our knowledge of the past it sparked my interest to learn more about my family’s background.  My father was no help in this project.  His contribution was a story about the time he was clerking in the drugstore in Grand Forks, B.C., in the 1930’s.  A couple came into the store and asked for information about a family of “Caswells” living in the area.  They were visiting from California and were stopping in Grand Forks on their way to Saskatchewan.  My father said there were “no Caswells in Grand Forks”.  The couple said they were sure the family lived here but they did not know what their married names were.  They continued on their way to Saskatoon.  Later my father related this story to his mother, she was furious to say the least.  About the only thing she managed to say to my father was “Cap, what is your middle name?”   My father’s name was Stanley Caswell Todhunter, always called “Cap” or Caswell until his mid-20’s.  Needless to say my grandmother was not quick to forgive my father for sending her relatives away.