Out of Our Past

Maria Campion's Story

George Ross Campion family home on Road of Memories in Marmora Township

She was born on the family homestead, known as Lily Creek Farm, in Marmora Township, Hastings County. She was born 5 February 1831, the second daughter and third child, in a family of nine, born to William Campion and Mary Potts. Her parents were both born in England. They had immigrated to Upper Canada by 1824 and settled on land in Marmora Township. Maria Campion grew to womanhood, married and raised a large family. 

William Campion died in Marmora Township on 9 March 1856, leaving Mary to finish raising their children. In 1861 living at home with their mother were, Richard, 26 years old and married to Ester; Victoria, age 22; Albert age 20; Margaret age 16 and Joseph, age 13.

Before the decade had barely closed, Mary (Potts) Campion had also died. Her death occurred on 26 July 1870 at the family homestead. She was laid to rest next to her husband, William in the Marmora Village Cemetery.

Grave stone of
William Campion who died March 9, 1856

Maria, second daughter of William and Mary (Potts) Campion married William Edward Young on 1 October 1851. Their wedding took place in the Victoria District which even at that date was newly renamed Hastings County.

William Edward Young was born in the town of Perth, in Lanark County, Ontario. In the biographical study by C. P. Mulvaney, published about 1880, William is incorrectly noted as having been born in the County of Perth.

At least three of William’s siblings are recorded as born in the town of Perth, Lanark County on vital statistic documents, thus the town of Perth and not the county, would appear to be correct. With a birth date of 11 September 1824, he was the second oldest of ten children born to Daniel Oliver Young and Mary Ann Tully. It is evident that Daniel, born in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland and Mary Ann, also Irish born, came to Upper Canada circa 1820, for all their children were born here.

William E. Young
Source: Online Public Tree

Daniel and Mary Ann moved from Lanark County to Hastings County where they spent their latter years. Daniel Oliver Young died in 1876. Mary Ann (Tully) Young died in 1872. They rest in the Lakeview Protestant Cemetery at Madoc, Ontario.

As noted, William Edward, son of Daniel and Mary Ann (Tully) Young, became the husband of Maria Campion. He began work as a shoemaker before switching to carry on a business running a general store and mill at Marmora village. Their first two children were born to the young couple during their years in the village. A daughter, Mary Eliza, was born 18 July 1853 and the following year, a son, Daniel Thomas, was born 14 December 1854.

In 1856, the family moved to Lot 17 Concession 2 in Belmont Township, Peterborough County. Here another eight children were born to their union. Four daughters followed Daniel. Hannah Marie Emily was born 14 July 1856; Margaret Victoria was born 21 February 1858; Esther, was born 10 July 1860 and Annie Ida, was born 13 March 1862. The next two children were William Edward Tully, born 12 November 1863 and Joseph Albert Campion, born 7 June 1866. The two youngest children were Agnes Georgeanne, born 8 February 1867 and Grace Olivia born 21 September 1869.

William took an active part in the municipal affairs of the township, serving for about nine years on the local Council. In religion, he was a faithful and consistent member of the Canada Methodist Church.

Grace was just nine years old when her father, William, died on 25 February 1878. His earthly remains were laid to rest in the family plot at Rockdale Cemetery in Belmont Township.

Maria Campion
Source: Public Member Tree

Now a widow, Maria continued to live at their Belmont Township home into the early 1900s. By 1911, she had moved to the village of North Toronto, a community on the northern boundary of the city of Toronto. Here Maria lived with her unmarried daughters, Margaret and Annie. Margaret worked at a local drug store and Annie was a teacher. On 29 October 1915, Maria (Campion) Young passed away at her home on Balliol Street, North Toronto. She had reached the age of 85 years, 8 months and 24 days. Her remains were returned to the family burial plot in Belmont Township, where she was laid to rest beside her husband in the Rockdale Cemetery.

Lifetimes of the Children

A number of the children of William Edward and Mary (Campion) Young, married and raised families of their own. Mary Eliza, born in 1853, married Porter Preston. He was born in 1841 on Amherst Island, a son of Robert and Eliza (Hitchens) Preston. Mary Eliza and Porter had two sons and a daughter. Mary Eliza (Young) Preston died 8 April 1886 and was interred in Rockdale Cemetery, Belmont Township. Her husband, Porter, died 25 October 1904.

Daniel Thomas, son of William and Mary (Campion) Young, grew up on the family homestead in Belmont Township. In the spring of 1883, he acquired 300 acres of his own land at Lot 14 Concession 8 in Belmont Township. Within a short time, Daniel took up residence on his own farm. He married Mary Jane Aunger, in March 1882 at Belmont Township. Mary Jane, born in April 1860 in Michigan, United States, was a daughter of John and Catherine Aunger. Daniel and Mary Jane suffered the loss of four little children, Lilly, Tully, Edward and Anne. They are buried in the Young family plot in Rockdale Cemetery. Daniel died in 1919 and Mary Jane died in April 1921. Their names do not appear on headstones in the Rockdale Cemetery.

Hannah Marie Emily, daughter of William and Mary (Campion) Young, was born in July 1856 and died in March 1935 at Cobourg, Ontario. She did not marry. Hannah rests in the Rockdale Cemetery in Belmont Township.

Margaret Victoria, daughter of William and Mary (Campion) Young, was born in February 1858 and died at Toronto General Hospital on 11 April 1930. She did not marry. Margaret is buried in the Rockdale Cemetery.

Esther Campion, daughter of William and Mary (Campion) Young, was born in July 1860 and died 6 December 1934 at the Ontario Hospital in Cobourg, Ontario. She became a music teacher but lived her last fourteen years at the hospital. Esther’s remains were interred in the family plot at Rockdale Cemetery in Belmont Township.

Annie Ida, daughter of William and Mary (Campion) Young, was born in March 1862 and died in 1952. She did not marry. Annie was laid to rest in the Rockdale Cemetery.

William Edward, son of William and Mary (Campion) Young, was born in November 1863. He died 24 December 1942 in Vancouver, British Columbia. William married Ella Weir and they had a family of eight children, four daughters and four sons. Ella (Weir) Young died 6 November 1946 at Nanaimo, British Columbia.

Ada White & Joseph C. Young
Source: Public Member Tree

Joseph Albert Campion, son of William and Mary (Campion) Young, was born in June 1866. Known as Albert to his family, he married Ada Wilson White on 19 February 1891 at Rockdale, Ontario. Ada was born in England in 1874. They had two sons, both boys born in Belmont Township. Albert served in WWI as a Private in the 230th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He died 29 June 1920 in the Rockwood Hospital in Kingston, Ontario. Ada (White) Young died in 1951. They rest in the Rockdale Cemetery in Belmont Township.


Agnes Georganne, daughter of William and Mary (Campion) Young, was born in February 1867. She did not marry. Agnes did not marry. She became a nurse and was living in the town of Simcoe, Ontario with her sister Hannah, at the time of her death 11 July 1929. Agnes was buried in the family plot in Rockdale Cemetery, Belmont Township.

Agnes Georganne, daughter of William and Mary (Campion) Young, was born in February 1867. She did not marry. Agnes did not marry. She became a nurse and was living in the town of Simcoe, Ontario with her sister Hannah, at the time of her death 11 July 1929. Agnes was buried in the family plot in Rockdale Cemetery, Belmont Township.

Grace Olivia, daughter and youngest child of William and Mary (Campion) Young, was born in September 1869. She married William Edward Smith on 1 May 1895 in Belmont Township. William was born in Clarke Township, Durham County in 1864, a son of Thomas Smith and his wife, Ellen Nugent. He became both a minister and a medical doctor. William and Grace served in the United Church Missions to West China. When they were not overseas, William and Grace resided in Toronto where they raised a family of six girls and one son. Grace (Young) Smith died in Toronto on 27 June 1922. William Edward Smith died in Toronto on
28 January 1944. They rest in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.

Rev. W. E. Smith M.D., May 22, 1864 – Jan. 28, 1944
And his beloved wife, Grace Olivia Young, Sept. 21, 1869 – June 27, 1922
United Church Missions, West China

Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
Source: Find A Grave web site

Out of Our Past