Samuel and Lillian Unsworth and Family


Samuel Arthur Unsworth was born May 29, 1869, Shorehouses, Garston, (near Liverpool), Lancashire, England, the son of James Unsworth and Elizabeth Keough. Elizabeth was a native of Dublin, Ireland. James Unsworth, born about 1828, Newchurch, Lancashire England, was the senior member of the firm Unsworth and Sons Freighters, of Bolton, Lancashire. They were carriers of freight and did a large and lucrative business. Sam worked in his father's business until after his marriage to Lillian Carrington in 1892. Lillian Martha Carrington was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire England in March, 1874. Her parents were Matthew and Mary A. Carrington. The Carringtons were a prominant family of lawyers and magistrates. Mathew Carrington was a merchant at Barnsley.

Before leaving England, Samuel and Lillian had two daughters, Lily and Martha. The young family left for Canada in 1894 or 1895, along with Samuel's brother Jim. They settled at London, Ontario, where they had a son, James Matthew (Jim) on July 26, 1895 and later a daughter Gertrude (Gertie), in 1897. The family may have also lived in Manitoba for a short time.

The Unsworths spent two years in Ontario, then moved by covered wagon to the Dalles in Oregon, about 3500 miles. After living in the Dalles for a short time Sam got a job sweeping the streets at night. One day he thought he would like something better so he borrowed a mule and rode 150 miles to the eastern part of Oregon where he got a job in the hay fields for $1.50 a day. Shortly after this a kind man loaned him a team and wagon to go back to the Dalles and fetch his wife and family. They settled about 2 miles east of Burnt Ranch, a country post office in Wheeler county, near his work. For nine years they lived here buying land and raising cattle and sheep until they had about one thousand acres of choice land and 4000 sheep. Since they lived 100 miles from the railroad, Sam used his spare time freighting goods by mule train. More children were born in Oregon, including Samuel, Agnes, Mary, Florence, Amy, Edith, Walter, and Robert.

In 1904 (or possibly 1903 or 1905?) the family suffered a tragedy. Little Gertie aged five years, tried to cross a narrow foot bridge and losing her balance, fell into the Bridge River, which empties into the John Day River. Her body was never found.

This terrible experience caused the family to decide to move away from Burnt Ranch. In 1906 Sam Unsworth, wife Lillian, eight children and one hired man got into a covered wagon and, with forty-nine horses, set out for Canada. Sam pulled two wagons with six horses. Lily, aged thirteen years, drove one wagon and the hired man followed on horseback driving the loose horses. Of these 38 they lost 7 on the trip. After travelling for two months they wintered at Grass Valley, Oregon for five months, before started out for Maple Creek, Saskatchewan in the spring of 1907. It was a long and rugged trail. The horses needed water every evening and this often meant travelling late at night to find it. During this trip, a runaway team caused Mrs. Unsworth to lose an unborn child. When they reached the Columbia River, the ferry was so small, it took all day to get the freight and horses across. The horses in particular were hard to load because they were nervous. After this the rest of the trip was easier. Upon arriving at Fernie, B.C. the wagons had to be dismantled and everything loaded on C.P.R. boxcars for the trip by rail to Maple Creek, Sask. where they arrived July 26, 1907 (Jim's birthday). Here they unloaded everything outside Maple Creek on the Indian Grounds and camped there in tents for three weeks.

Sam Unsworth and son Jim got a job haying for Robert Needham so the family followed and lived in tents for two months. Soon they bought some land from Tom Johnson on Bear Creek and this was the beginning of the Unsworth Ranch. Sheep belonging to Mr. Freeman and Jack Bertram were grazing on the land so seeding had to wait until they were moved. When they were gone the land was disced and seeded by hand. After this the seed was covered by pulling trees behind horses in the manner of a harrow. At this time the Craswells, Needhams and McCarthys were raising purebred Clydesdale horses and the Unsworths got into them too and raised many prize winners. They also grew corn, and had cattle and sheep. They lived on their ranch for three years before Stillwater school was built in 1910. First they had a log house but a modern home now occupies the well-treed yard of the present day owner Arthur Unsworth. It is in the Stillwater School district, on 18-11-23 west of 3rd.

Samuel and Lillian Unsworth by their log cabin ranch house.
Painting by Frances (Jesperson) Keil, granddaughter of Samuel & Lillian.

The Children:

Martha (1892-1911) drowned at the foot bridge on the Home Ranch in Piapot Saskatchewan in 1911, at age 18. Martha went to the Creek for a pail of water. It was in flood and somehow she slipped into the Creek and was drowned. She is buried in the cemetary in Maple Creek.

Lillian (Lily) (1894-1962) married John Smith and to this union were born five children, Arthur, Ethel, Mabel, Charlie and Myron. Lillian died in Long Beach California on October 22, 1962. She is buried in Mountain View Cemetary in Vancouver, B.C.

James Matthew (Jim) (1896-1981) married Rose Doukes. They had no children. Jim had a cement business in Los Angeles, California. He was also well known as a magician. Jim is buried in Inglewood Park Cemetary, Los Angeles.

Gertrude (Gertie) (1897-1903?) drowned in the Bridge River, in Oregon.

Samuel (1898-1967) married Georgina Stewart and they lived for many years at Whitetail, Montana where Sam was employed by the railway. There were seven children born to them, Orville, Orril, Virgil, Vernon, Donald, Donna and Marie. Sam had a butcher shop in Piapot as a young man. He rescued his future wife, Georgie and her mother when the building caught fire. He is buried in Scoby cemetary, Montana.

Agnes (1899-1949) married Phillip Cogbill and they had a family of six, Herbert, Elva, Bertha, Ileane, Jack and Cecil. She died in Vancouver, B.C., and is buried in the old historic cemetary in Osoyoos, B.C. Phillip was one of the Barnardo's orphans, and came to Ontario from England at age 5.

Mary (1901 -?) left home when she was only 17 and the family thought she must have died, so it really was like a miracle when she returned 33 years later in December 1955. There was only he Mother and sister Agnes who had died in those years that she had been away so the family held a joyous reunion in Los Angeles. Mary married Joseph McCallister. They had three children, Joseph, Maxine and Audrey.

Florence (1902-1971) married Arthur H. Jesperson in 1921. They farmed in the area for six years then went into blacksmith work in Piapot from 1930-37, when he left for Sardis, B.C. where he continued work until retirement at Chilliwack, B.C. They had six children, Frances, Evelyn, Arthur Russell, Allen, Leslie and Ivan. Florence is buried at Chilliwack B.C.

Amy Elizabeth (1904-1972) married Walter Brown and farmed for many years what is now the gravel pit area. They had a family of eight children, Robert, Ruth, Howard, Margaret, Doris, Harvey, Florence and Wallace. Amy is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Burnaby, B.C.

Edith (1906-1988) married Fred Couillard who worked on different ranches before settling in Maple Creek. They had a family of three, Daphus, Neil and Shirley.

Walter (1908-1992) married Lucille Paloutzian. They had 3 adopted children. Walter spent his working years in construction work in Los Angeles California. In later years, he built a skating rink at Lancaster California. Walter was the last surviving child of Samuel and Lillian Unsworth. He attended a family reunion at Piapot in 1990.

Robert Frederick (1910-1990) married Wilma Termore and farmed the home ranch for some years before moving into Maple Creek. They had two children, Marion and Arthur. Arthur continues to farm the home ranch.

Lillian Unsworth miscarried twin boys after Robert was born. They were buried on the ranch at Piapot, Saskatchewan.

Lillian Unsworth died September 28, 1929 in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. She is buried in the Maple Creek Cemetary, next to her daughter Martha. After Lillian died, Sam went to California where he married again. That marriage was annuled. He then married Alice Hope, a widow, and they lived in Long Beach, California. Sam Unsworth died on April 21, 1957 at the age of 87. At the time of his death he was survived by 129 direct descendants. There were five daughters, four sons, 43 grandchildren and 77 great grandchildren. The number has grown considerably since then.

View family group sheet of Samuel and Lillian Unsworth

Link to Robert Unsworth's Unsworth Genealogy Page


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