ABRAM LEASK OF NORFOLK, ONTARIO

     CAPTAIN ABRAM LEASK (or Abraham, depending on the records) was born on the 26 Mar 1817 in Shetland. Abram died on 23 May 1904 in Port Dover, Norfolk, Ontario at the age of 88. His will mentions 4 children - James, John, George and Mary Jane.

Finding his marriage to Mary Leask was my break though in researching the Leasks in Shetland.  Abram and Mary were married 17 Feb 1842 in Shetland. 

Abram Leask

     Mary was born on the 29 May 1820 in Baccasetter, Dunrossness, Shetland and was the daughter of George Leask and Mary Pottinger.  Mary died on 09 Aug 1897 in Port Dover, Norfolk, Ontario.

Abram and Mary had the following children:

1. BARBARA ANN LEASK was born 31 Mar 1843 in Shetland. She died 05 Apr 1892 in Bethany, Gratiot, Michigan. She married John Henry McCall on 7 Jan 1862 in Windham, Norfolk, Ontario.
2. GEORGE HARVEY LEASK was born 01 Dec 1844 in West Burra, Shetland and died 29 Dec 1920 in Norfolk, Ontario at the age of 76.  He married (1) MARY PULLEN on 07 Nov 1869 in Windham, Norfolk; she died 05 Nov 1888.  George then married (2) SUSANNA LEE ROBERTS on 24 Dec 1890 in Norfolk. She died 16 Dec 1931 in Simcoe, Norfolk.
3. JAMES LEASK was born 16 Dec 1847 in Orkney Islands. He died 05 Feb 1917 in Port Dover, Norfolk, Ontario at the age of 69. He married Emory Annetta Bougner on 23 Feb 1871 in Simcoe, Norfolk, Ontario.
4. JOHN FRANCES LEASK was born in 1853 in Windham, Norfolk, Ontario and died on 22 Oct 1929 in Norfolk age 78. He married Mary Ann Smith, daughter of Laurence Smith and Mary Christie (a family from Shetland), on 24 Mar 1880 in Townsend, Norfolk, Ontario. Mary Ann was born on 08 Jan 1852 in Townsend and died on 29 Dec 1935 in Windham.
5. MARY JANE LEASK was born in 1854 in Ontario. She married WILLIAM H COWAN. I have not been able to trace her further.
6. HELEN LEASK was born on 12 Dec 1855 in Windham and died on 19 Aug 1880 in Windham.
7. ABRAM LEASK JR was born on 13 Sep 1859 in Windham and died on 05 Aug 1937 in South Dumfries, Brant, Ontario at the age of 77. He married (1) MARY JANE BROWN on 21 Oct 1885 in Windham. She died on 25 Sep 1893 in Windham. He then married (2) SUSAN CAROLINE HELLYER on 03 Feb 1897 in Lynedoch, Norfolk, Ontario.
8. LAURA ANN LEASK was born on 01 Dec 1865 in Windham and died on 22 Mar 1868 in Windham.

     More from John Cardiff: Apparently Abraham led the family's move to Norfolk because he wanted to sail a schooner on the Great Lakes, which he saw as a great opportunity. (Lake waters are calmer, safer and warmer than the ocean around the Shetland Islands.) Schooners were the prior means to move product to market back then, before railroads and good roads existed. Sailing a schooner would provide Abram with the status of the title Captain.

     I have always assumed James was just another work-a-day fisherman, albeit, without any reason for my assumption. There is, however, at least one outstanding question on this front: Abraham came to Canada, purchased a used schooner and bought a farm, all in rather short order. How could he afford to do so?

     I have not researched this, but I do note that Abraham's farm in Windham Township was a considerable distance from his schooner's harbour at Port Dover. Even today, by car, the trip takes almost half an hour. Back then farms around Port Dover in Woodhouse Township were well established, while Windham was (by comparison) still being settled. Windham land was not as good as Woodhouse land for growing most crops. One can imagine that Abraham put most of his money into the schooner, leaving him unable to afford better and definitely more convenient land in Woodhouse.

     Abraham was 24 when he married and the father of three when he came to Canada. Given that each of his first three children were born in different locations, it would appear Abraham moved around quite a bit, perhaps going where he could find work. That might (in part) explain why he envisioned sailing schooners on the Great Lakes as a wonderful opportunity. 

     The first and second generation of Leasks in Norfolk seem to have lived more or less typical blue collar lives. Most were popular, all were Methodists. The family financial fortunes seemed to improve a bit circa 1900; after Abraham retired from sailing and farming, and just before his wife’s death in 1897. Mary operated a store in Port Dover.