Theme: Strong Woman
In belated recognition of International Women’s Day on March 8, I wish to focus this week on another of the amazing women in my direct female line: Eliza Pring COMPTON, my Great Great Grandmother. I have written previously about my more recent maternal ancestors:
Ella’s mother Eliza was also a COMPTON by birth. In fact, I think that my multiple COMPTON ancestors went out of their way to contribute to my pedigree collapse! Ella was the eldest of 9 children born to George COMPTON (1835-1903) and Eliza Pring COMPTON (1833-1890), who were also second cousins to each other, as outlined in the following chart.
- My Mother - Mabel Marion ANDREW
- My Grandmother - Eleanor Louise “Nell” RICHARDSON
- My Great Grandmother - Isabella Harriet “Ella” COMPTON
Ella’s mother Eliza was also a COMPTON by birth. In fact, I think that my multiple COMPTON ancestors went out of their way to contribute to my pedigree collapse! Ella was the eldest of 9 children born to George COMPTON (1835-1903) and Eliza Pring COMPTON (1833-1890), who were also second cousins to each other, as outlined in the following chart.
This simplified chart lists my mother at the top and shows the multiple Compton interconnections in her lineage.
My Great-Great-Grandmother Eliza Pring COMPTON was born 13 Jul 1833 in St Eleanors, Prince Edward Island, a first generation Canadian. Her parents Thomas Compton COMPTON and Hannah JEFFERY were well-to-do farmers who were born in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, England. They were married in 1810 in St John’s Anglican Church in St Eleanors, but later converted to Catholicism. Some of their younger children were baptized Catholic, including Eliza Pring COMPTON, the eleventh of twelve siblings. This dichotomy of religions within the household must have caused some discord in both the family and the community. But after her father died in 1850, Eliza converted to the Church of England, reversing the the religious affiliation started by her father Thomas and grandfather Harry Childeroy COMPTON (see also a second posting on Harry Compton's good deeds). This must have taken great strength of character and conviction! Eliza was later married and eventually buried in the churchyard of St Johns Anglican Church where her parents had been married. Full circle.
Eliza’s middle name PRING is quite distinctive. Some list it incorrectly as Pringle, but there is a maternal PRING relative who Eliza was most likely named after. Eliza’s mother Hannah JEFFERY had an older sister named Eliza JEFFERY whose second husband was Samuel PRING. As this sister didn’t have any children, Hannah decided to use her sister’s married name when she named her daughter Eliza PRING COMPTON. There are other examples of this practice in my Compton lines.
The population in PEI was growing in the 1850s, but still the settlements were small and family sizes large, creating a shortage of suitable mates. So as mentioned, Eliza married her second cousin George COMPTON (born 1835 in Charlottetown PEI) on the 11 Mar 1858 in St Johns Anglican Church, St Eleanors. They settled in the area and took to farming some of the Compton land. I’m not sure if this George was the one who won prizes for his sheep and turkeys at the Fall Exhibition in 1890, but I had previously attributed these prizes to another relative George Major COMPTON who married a different Eliza and also lived in this area. It could have been either one.
Eliza’s middle name PRING is quite distinctive. Some list it incorrectly as Pringle, but there is a maternal PRING relative who Eliza was most likely named after. Eliza’s mother Hannah JEFFERY had an older sister named Eliza JEFFERY whose second husband was Samuel PRING. As this sister didn’t have any children, Hannah decided to use her sister’s married name when she named her daughter Eliza PRING COMPTON. There are other examples of this practice in my Compton lines.
The population in PEI was growing in the 1850s, but still the settlements were small and family sizes large, creating a shortage of suitable mates. So as mentioned, Eliza married her second cousin George COMPTON (born 1835 in Charlottetown PEI) on the 11 Mar 1858 in St Johns Anglican Church, St Eleanors. They settled in the area and took to farming some of the Compton land. I’m not sure if this George was the one who won prizes for his sheep and turkeys at the Fall Exhibition in 1890, but I had previously attributed these prizes to another relative George Major COMPTON who married a different Eliza and also lived in this area. It could have been either one.
5 daughters of George and Eliza Pring COMPTON.
From L to R: Nell (standing), Kate (sitting), Anna (standing), Ella (sitting) and Louise (bottom right)
From L to R: Nell (standing), Kate (sitting), Anna (standing), Ella (sitting) and Louise (bottom right)
George and Eliza Pring COMPTON had 9 children - 5 girls and 4 boys - who all lived to adulthood. Three of these children ended up marrying cousins, and two never married. We are very fortunate to have a formal portrait of all five of their daughters, taken sometime before Jun 1903 when the youngest daughter Nell COMPTON died, single at age 26. I don’t know her cause of death. My grandmother Nell RICHARDSON was born in 1894 and named after this aunt. I can certainly see the family resemblances.
Eliza Pring had already died back in 1890 at the age of 57, after only her oldest daughter Ella had married, and only two of her 25 grandchildren had been born. Eliza's husband George married again in 1895, but died in Feb 1903 (just months before their youngest daughter Nell). Unfortunately, I have no photos of either of them. I believe they lived their entire lives on Prince Edward Island, but have found very few records of their daily lives except for the births, baptisms and marriages of their children to mark and add colour to the passing of their years.
Eliza Pring had already died back in 1890 at the age of 57, after only her oldest daughter Ella had married, and only two of her 25 grandchildren had been born. Eliza's husband George married again in 1895, but died in Feb 1903 (just months before their youngest daughter Nell). Unfortunately, I have no photos of either of them. I believe they lived their entire lives on Prince Edward Island, but have found very few records of their daily lives except for the births, baptisms and marriages of their children to mark and add colour to the passing of their years.
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