Giles Osgood (1844 – 1907)

From Osgood, A Family History by Robert Osgood:

Giles Osgood followed his father’s trade and he too became a baker. This is noted in his enlistment papers when he joined the British Army at age 18 on Jan 23, 1864. He became a private in the 1st Battalion, 22nd Regiment of Foot. He joined in Botley, Hampshire, England. This community is on the outskirts of the large port of Southampton and about 15 miles from his birth place of Petersfield, Hampshire, England. After early training in England he was part of a draft of men selected by Col. F.Pymn Harding to serve in the colony of New Brunswick. Their ship landed in Saint John at 1:00 AM May 4, 1866 and they moved on to Fredericton led by Sergeant Gregory arriving on June 7, 1866.

Confederation of the North American British colonies in 1867 created the new country of Canada. Canada then started assuming responsibility for its own protection and Britain was then able to save on military spending by sending troops back to Britain and closing excess bases. Consequently, news arrived that the Fredericton base would close May 1869 with the troops returning to Britain. Giles had been in Fredericton for three years and he decided to stay. Giles then at the age of 24 years applied to purchase his discharge from the army and it was granted upon payment of 20L sterling on May 15, 1869 and he remained in Fredericton.

Oral history tells the story of why he left the army to stay in New Brunswick. While stationed in Fredericton his barracks was the stone building located on the corner of Queen and York Streets. It is now used as a warehouse by the New Brunswick Liquor Commission. As the story has it, one day while looking out the window he spied a young woman across the street that he did not know. He turned to a friend and fellow soldier and said “I will marry that woman”. That woman was in fact Margaret Ann Lafferty the daughter of Peter Lafferty of Donegal, Ireland and Sarah Nason of Tyrone, Ireland. Peter who passed away some years before had been a Tavern Keeper and his business had been on Regent St. in Fredericton. The Lafferty children were born in Fredericton in a house on Regent St. between Brunswick and Charlotte Streets where the former high school is located. Sarah Nason’s mother is recorded as a Miss Leonard from Tyrone, Ireland. The Miss indicating that she may not have been married and the child was born out of wedlock. How Giles and Margaret eventually met we do not know but we do know that Giles and Margaret were married in Fredericton on April 13, 1872 three years after he left the Army.

It is recorded that Giles was raised in the Church of England faith and that the Lafferty children were raised Roman Catholic. In this period the difference of religion would likely cause some family debate. It may not have been as much of a problem for this family because of the Lafferty family history. Peter Lafferty was Roman Catholic and his wife Sarah Nason was Church of England. They were married in the vestry of the Catholic Church by the Priest. As was the practice, the children were brought up Catholic. However since Peter had passed away when Margaret Ann was 7 years old and her mother had not converted, the tie to the Catholic Church may not have been that strong. All their children were raised Church of England and attended the Cathedral in Fredericton.

There is no information as to where Giles worked upon leaving the Army. However, 16 months after Giles and Margaret were married in Fredericton their first child Henry Robert was born in Saint John on Aug. 9 1873. They were still in Saint John on June 20, 1877 the day of the great Saint John fire. Before that day was over Giles now a father of two small children found himself to be unemployed as the bakery where he worked was destroyed along with two fifths of the city.

I have no information as to when the family actually moved back to Fredericton, but they did and eventually Giles became the custodian at the University of New Brunswick. Alice his youngest daughter remembers the time she lived at UNB as being after the South African War which ended in 1901. UNB at that time consisted of one three story building which today is called the Arts building. At that time the President lived in an apartment at one end of the building and Giles and family lived at the other end. The building was heated by a number of wood stoves on all floors. Both Henry and Alice told about Henry and his father carrying many cords of fire wood up the stairs to keep the building warm. At that time a farm was also part of the University and Giles had that responsibility as well. Giles was reported to have been an even tempered person but on one occasion when as a prank students painted one of the farm’s horses in the school colors he lost his cool. Alice his daughter remembers it as the only time she could remember her father angry.

Giles and Margaret went on to have 6 children.

The first child was my grandfather Henry Robert born Aug.9, 1873.

Sarah Jane followed on March 19, 1876. She moved to Boston as a young woman and never married.

The next child was Eliza Ann born Oct. 2, 1879 who unfortunately died at the age of 6 years.

She was followed by Mabel Rosena on April 22, 1881 who married Archibald R. DeLong on July 14, 1907 in Boston in the Protestant Episcopal Church by Rev. Gerry Wilber Winer. They had no children.

Giles Dever was the next child born Aug 14, 1883. He married Hazel Edith Bell of Saint John May 10, 1906 and had two sons Winston and Byrne. Lieutenant Giles Dever joined the army at the beginning of hostilities of WW1 and died a member of the 26th Bn., Canadian Infantry (New Brunswick Regt.) fighting at hill 70 Aug. 15, 1917 at age 34. His name is recorded on the Vimy Memorial at Vimy Ridge, France. His body was never found on the battle field. Winston who had not married died during surgery at age 26. Byrne who was the youngest was raised by his aunt Mabel after Giles’s death in WW1. Byrne eventually took the name of Mabel’s husband Archie Delong even though he was never legally adopted. Byrne married but did not have children. He was an optometrist in Vancouver BC.

The youngest child was Alice Victoria born March 13, 1887. She became a teacher and her first teaching position was at Berwick Corner where she met and married Fred T. Fenwick the son of the Squire on March 11, 1908. They had a daughter named Madge. Madge obtained a home economics degree from Mount Allison University and moved to Boston to find work upon graduation. She married Carl Nordbloom there and they had two children, Carl and Pamela. Madge was the first in the family to obtain a University degree. After her husband’s death at a relatively young age she became involved in Real Estate sales. She did very well and became known as “The Grand Old Lady of Real Estate” in Cambridge.

Giles passed away in Fredericton Nov.10, 1906 and is buried in the Forest Hill cemetery. Margaret Ann was a widow for 16 years. She died Nov. 14, 1922.