His
work started it all and helped many a Vincent researcher from the Maritimes find their
roots, especially with "46 Acres, 5 Hoggs AND A FAMILY" ......he will be remembered.
Victoria
Times Colonist, 12 May 2018
VINCENT,
Gerald Robert 1929 - 2018 Born on May 03, 1929, in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Jerry
spent his childhood in New Glasgow and Halifax, with happy summers at the
family farm in West New Annan, Nova Scotia. He attended local schools, followed
by high school at Horton Academy (Wolfeville) and King's College, Halifax.
Then, riding his beloved Indian motorcycle, he took off for Ontario and a
variety of occupations, including radio work at CBC in Toronto, and eventually
quality control inspection at Algoma Steel, Sault Ste Marie. There he met his
wife, Margaret Parker, whom he married in Sarnia, Ontario on October 11, 1952.
Their son, David, was born there in 1953, and accompanied his parents to
British Columbia where Jerry was employed by the Pacific Naval Laboratory in
Esquimalt. Daughter Elizabeth arrived in 1954, and in 1956 Jerry was
transferred to the Naval Laboratory in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Son Simon was
born in Halifax in 1958. Having developed an interest in mining, Jerry then
attended the Colorado School of Mines in Colorado while Margaret returned to
teaching in Sarnia and Orangeville, Ontario. From 1962 to 1974 Jerry was Mill
Manager at the mine in Baie Verte, NL. He served as Mayor of Baie Verte for two
terms, during which he was instrumental in the building and operation of the
town's recreation centre and housing development. In 1974, he moved to work for
Cassiar Asbestos in Cassiar, BC and then as Mine Manager at the Cassiar
Asbestos mine, Clinton Creek, Yukon. Jerry and Margaret moved to Stewart, BC
where he managed the Granduc copper mine until returning to Victoria in 1980.
He then worked with DK Partners in Vancouver and eventually turned his talents
to research and writing history and genealogy. His passions included
photography, travel, writing and gardening. Jerry's extensive genealogy work on
the Loyalist history in Nova Scotia resulted in several books, including The
Civil Sword, which earned him recognition from the Nova Scotia Lieutenant
Governor in 2008. Upon Margaret's retirement from the University of Victoria
Macpherson Library in 1992, they moved to Duncan, BC, to enjoy 23 years of
writing and travel before illness required a move back to Victoria, where he
died on May 07, 2018. He was predeceased by his parents Earl and Jean Vincent,
Halifax; his brothers-in-law: Dr Robert Munn, Vancouver, John G Lees, Egerton,
Nova Scotia, James M Babcock, West Vancouver, and Dr David Forster Parker,
Jacksonville, Florida. He is survived by Margaret, his wife of 65 years; his
sister, Alice Lees in Nova Scotia; his son David (Carolyn); daughter, Elizabeth
Wedd (Robert), all of Victoria; and son Simon (Katherine), Calgary;
grandchildren, Colin Vincent, Vancouver; Katie Vincent, Calgary; Geoffrey
Vincent, Christine Vincent and Jennie Wedd, all of Victoria. Cremation has
taken place, and ashes will be interred at the family plot in the Bell Gift
Cemetery, West New Annan, Nova Scotia, at a later date. Condolences may be
offered at www.sandsvictoria.ca
I read The Civil Sword trying to better understand why my 4th great grandfather William Budd od Dutchess Co, NY served in James DeLancey's Loyalist militia. Thanks to your ancestor I found a lot of useful leads, including the strong likelihood that "Billy" Budd was the son of John Budd of Fishkill in the Rumbouts Patent. I wanted to let you and any of your readers who might be interested that while looking further I discovered a well documented book that contextualizes the politics of that time that avoids the distortioons of looking through a patriot or loyalist lense, neither of which is helpful in understanding the politics of Westchester and Dutchess Counties leading up to the War of Independence. Patricia U. Bonomi originally wrote A Factious People: Politicsand Society in Colonial New York (1971) reprinted by Cornell University in 2014. The colony and those counties in particular, have a history that was uniquely impacted by their being in the path of land hungry New Englanders. The newcomers swuatted on disputed eastern portions of those counties at a critical time when Massachusetts folks were starting to really bang heads with the British. Her history was likely out of print, much like The Civil Sword is unavailable now, back when Gerald Vincent was doing his research in the 1990s. I'm grateful Cornell reprinted Bonomi's book. It would be great if they did the same for The Civil Sword.
ReplyDeleteI sure wish that Gerald Vincent's family/estate would arrange for another printing of "A Civil Sword: James Delancey's Westchester Refugees". I personally know of dozens of researchers of the Westchester Loyalists that would do almost anything to get a cop of that book. It is impossible to find a used copy. Maybe they could authorize a Kindle version?
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