Individual Details
ALFRED ELISHA COREY
(13 Feb 1841 - 17 Aug 1930)
Questions of his birth
There is little doubt that Alfred belongs to the family of Elisha Clarke Corey, but there is some speculation as to his parentage, stemming from the possibility that Elisha may have died as early as 1836.
However, from the first, Alfred was treated as Elisha's son. He was given Elisha's first name as his middle name. He later told his gransdaugther Erma Corey Shaw that his mother's name was Bridget, and that he had a brother called Zebulon, and a sister called Margaret Ann. He appears in the 1851Studholm census of King's County, his age given as ten, living in the home of Rachel and Charles Perry, and Rachel was a daughter of Elisha Corey. In the 1861 census Alfred, his age given as 20, was living in New Canaan, Quuen's county, in close association with several related families, including Sarah Ann Corey Clark, daughter of Elisha, and Zebulon Corey, son of Elisha. His earliest associations, then, are with Elisha's family: Bridget, Rachel, Sarah Ann, Zebulon, and Margaret Ann. Certainly Elisha Corey's family raised the boy, treated him as a son and brother, and generally took responsibility for him as a child.
Speculation about Alfred's parentage is pointless and leads nowhere. The facts themselves speak simply enough - Alfred was born a Corey, lived as a Corey, died as a Corey. His descendants proudly bear the name of Corey. That is enough.
Youth, manhood, and marriage
Alfred spent his youth and young manhood in the New Canaan-Havelock area, and he was probably born in New Canaan. Later in his life Alfred spoke often about his early days in New Canaan and Havelock. As he began his working career, he apparently moved freely in communities adjacent to New Canaan. Judson Corey relates that "in later years Alfred and Lucretia made frequent mention of places in Queens County - New Canaan, Canaan River, Canaan Forks, and Fork Stream; and places in Kings County - Havelock, Head of Millstream, Cornhill, Anagance, Apohoqui, and Kierstead Mountain."
At the age of 21 in 1862 he married Eloma Lucretia Kierstead. She was of Kierstead Mountain, King's County, and the marriage probably took place there. This again places Alfred in the general vicinity of New Canaan-Havelock.
After their marriage, Alfred and Lucretia moved out of the Havelock area. By 1868 the family was in Maine, where they lived for a few years - long enough for two children to be born. They lived in Woodstock either before or after the Maine sojourn.
The move to Knowlesville
However, at some time in the early 1870s the family settled in Knowlesville NB, at lot 27, range 3, which was to become their home for the next fifty years. Judson Corey says, "we can only establish the family's move to Knowlesville as sometime between the birth of Ida and the birth of Sadie. Considering that Sadie's birth date is in February 1875, it is unlikely that their move would be later than the summer of 1874."
Of his entry into Knowlesville, Alfred would later say, "when I came here it was all green forest." The first job to clear the land, and an abandoned log cabin served as the first shelter until their own home could be built. This was also a log house, which served the family until about 1900, when a frame house was built.
Life at Knowlesville
Judson Corey relates, "there was little cash income from pioneer homesteading, hence, Alfred sought seasonal employment outside the community. One seasonal job he had was in the hemlock bark industry at Forest City, near the border of Maine. They cut down the hemlock trees and harvested the back to be used in tanneries.
Another source of income was the post office which Alfred kept during the time of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier governement, about 1900-1911. From 1909 to 1911, Alfred was employed as a Fish Warden on the South Branch of the Mirimichi River. When he was at home, Alfred often got called upon to act as undertaker. That was a community service, without pay. He was one of two voluntary undertakers in the Knowlesville community. From 1900 to 1905 Alfred served as a Sheriff.
Alfred and Lucretia were charter members of Highland Baptist Church, organized in 1880. Over most of the thirty years of the life of this Church, Alfred served as Trustee, Clerk, and member of the Building Committee.
People also called upon Alfred for water divining. In a rocky neighbourhood on Campobello Island, serveral families had been carrying water from one well. When they dug where he indicated, each family got its own well.
Alfred went to Ontario one summerm intending to find work, and perhaps settling there. But he soon realized that "he didn't find any place he liked as well as Knowlesville."
Alfred's farm was taken over by son Ira, and in 1922 Ira purchased a larger farm in East Knowlesville. It was there that both Lucretia and Alfred were to die.
References: Judson Corey in conversation and correspondence with D.T. Lahey during 1995 and 1996; NBStudholm census 1851; NBBrunswick census 1861; NBNorthampton census 1891, 1901; Judson M. Corey, The Story of Knowlesville, Saint John, 1985; Recollections of Erma Corey Shaw as related to Stanley Corey. [Corey Book]
There is little doubt that Alfred belongs to the family of Elisha Clarke Corey, but there is some speculation as to his parentage, stemming from the possibility that Elisha may have died as early as 1836.
However, from the first, Alfred was treated as Elisha's son. He was given Elisha's first name as his middle name. He later told his gransdaugther Erma Corey Shaw that his mother's name was Bridget, and that he had a brother called Zebulon, and a sister called Margaret Ann. He appears in the 1851Studholm census of King's County, his age given as ten, living in the home of Rachel and Charles Perry, and Rachel was a daughter of Elisha Corey. In the 1861 census Alfred, his age given as 20, was living in New Canaan, Quuen's county, in close association with several related families, including Sarah Ann Corey Clark, daughter of Elisha, and Zebulon Corey, son of Elisha. His earliest associations, then, are with Elisha's family: Bridget, Rachel, Sarah Ann, Zebulon, and Margaret Ann. Certainly Elisha Corey's family raised the boy, treated him as a son and brother, and generally took responsibility for him as a child.
Speculation about Alfred's parentage is pointless and leads nowhere. The facts themselves speak simply enough - Alfred was born a Corey, lived as a Corey, died as a Corey. His descendants proudly bear the name of Corey. That is enough.
Youth, manhood, and marriage
Alfred spent his youth and young manhood in the New Canaan-Havelock area, and he was probably born in New Canaan. Later in his life Alfred spoke often about his early days in New Canaan and Havelock. As he began his working career, he apparently moved freely in communities adjacent to New Canaan. Judson Corey relates that "in later years Alfred and Lucretia made frequent mention of places in Queens County - New Canaan, Canaan River, Canaan Forks, and Fork Stream; and places in Kings County - Havelock, Head of Millstream, Cornhill, Anagance, Apohoqui, and Kierstead Mountain."
At the age of 21 in 1862 he married Eloma Lucretia Kierstead. She was of Kierstead Mountain, King's County, and the marriage probably took place there. This again places Alfred in the general vicinity of New Canaan-Havelock.
After their marriage, Alfred and Lucretia moved out of the Havelock area. By 1868 the family was in Maine, where they lived for a few years - long enough for two children to be born. They lived in Woodstock either before or after the Maine sojourn.
The move to Knowlesville
However, at some time in the early 1870s the family settled in Knowlesville NB, at lot 27, range 3, which was to become their home for the next fifty years. Judson Corey says, "we can only establish the family's move to Knowlesville as sometime between the birth of Ida and the birth of Sadie. Considering that Sadie's birth date is in February 1875, it is unlikely that their move would be later than the summer of 1874."
Of his entry into Knowlesville, Alfred would later say, "when I came here it was all green forest." The first job to clear the land, and an abandoned log cabin served as the first shelter until their own home could be built. This was also a log house, which served the family until about 1900, when a frame house was built.
Life at Knowlesville
Judson Corey relates, "there was little cash income from pioneer homesteading, hence, Alfred sought seasonal employment outside the community. One seasonal job he had was in the hemlock bark industry at Forest City, near the border of Maine. They cut down the hemlock trees and harvested the back to be used in tanneries.
Another source of income was the post office which Alfred kept during the time of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier governement, about 1900-1911. From 1909 to 1911, Alfred was employed as a Fish Warden on the South Branch of the Mirimichi River. When he was at home, Alfred often got called upon to act as undertaker. That was a community service, without pay. He was one of two voluntary undertakers in the Knowlesville community. From 1900 to 1905 Alfred served as a Sheriff.
Alfred and Lucretia were charter members of Highland Baptist Church, organized in 1880. Over most of the thirty years of the life of this Church, Alfred served as Trustee, Clerk, and member of the Building Committee.
People also called upon Alfred for water divining. In a rocky neighbourhood on Campobello Island, serveral families had been carrying water from one well. When they dug where he indicated, each family got its own well.
Alfred went to Ontario one summerm intending to find work, and perhaps settling there. But he soon realized that "he didn't find any place he liked as well as Knowlesville."
Alfred's farm was taken over by son Ira, and in 1922 Ira purchased a larger farm in East Knowlesville. It was there that both Lucretia and Alfred were to die.
References: Judson Corey in conversation and correspondence with D.T. Lahey during 1995 and 1996; NBStudholm census 1851; NBBrunswick census 1861; NBNorthampton census 1891, 1901; Judson M. Corey, The Story of Knowlesville, Saint John, 1985; Recollections of Erma Corey Shaw as related to Stanley Corey. [Corey Book]
Events
| Birth | 13 Feb 1841 | New Canaan, Brunswick Parish, Queens County, New Brunswick |  | ||
| Marriage | 12 Dec 1862 | Kierstead Mountain, Studholm Parish, Kings County, New Brunswick - LUCRETIA ELOMA KIERSTEAD | | ||
| Death | 17 Aug 1930 | Knowlesville, Carleton County, New Brunswick | |
Families
| Spouse | LUCRETIA ELOMA KIERSTEAD (1842 - 1922) |
| Child | ARMINA WEALTHY COREY (1865 - 1938) |
| Child | ALMA LYZETTA COREY (1867 - 1915) |
| Child | CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON COREY (1869 - 1945) |
| Child | JUDSON ALBERT COREY (1870 - 1952) |
| Child | IDA MAY COREY (1872 - 1953) |
| Child | SARAH LOUISE (SADIE) COREY (1875 - 1938) |
| Child | IRA THOMAS COREY (1877 - 1957) |
| Child | ALBERTA JERUSHA COREY (1879 - 1954) |
| Child | LAVERSA ELLA COREY (1882 - 1969) |
| Child | ERMINNIE COREY (1885 - ) |
| Child | MERINTHA COREY (1864 - ) |
| Father | ELISHA CLARKE COREY (1784 - 1836) |
| Mother | Living |
| Sibling | JOHN GIDEON COREY (1812 - 1890) |
| Sibling | SARAH ANN COREY (1818 - 1892) |
| Sibling | ELIZA JANE COREY (1822 - ) |
| Sibling | ABIGAIL COREY (1824 - ) |
| Sibling | WILLIAM BELL COREY (1826 - 1903) |
| Sibling | ZEBULON E. COREY (1828 - 1901) |
| Sibling | RACHEL COREY (1830 - ) |
| Sibling | MARGARET ANN COREY (1835 - 1918) |
Endnotes
1. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.
2. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.
3. RYDER GENEALOGICAL FILES.