In the early 2000s, Chief Librarian Patricia Enright suggested that, from the newspaper microfilms, we create a spreadsheet indexing birth, marriage, and death announcements of local families. Now completed, this index comprises 36,000+ entries, covering the period from 10 June 1832, the earliest issue available, to 13 February 2009, when the Evening Guide ceased publication.
Thanks are extended to Barbara Trumper, Shirley Horner, Bill Hubbs, Allan Mackenzie, and Lori-Anne Simpson for helping us with endless transcribing periods at the Library. A special thanks goes to Walt Sammis of Florida, who, in 2011, tracked the believed "lost" 1928-1954 issues (image right) to the basement of Cobourg's Northumberland Today building, which was up for sale, the bound volumes' future uncertain. These were acquired and microfilmed through the efforts of Sun Media's Darlene Robertson, Port Hope Library's Lori Stephenson, and the financial aid of Cameco Corporation.
Note Link to an index of the complete collection, or a background of Port Hope's newspaper history.
1832-1899 (3,898 entries)
These entries generally contain a considerable amount of information, including cross-referencing with the local cemetery database, CemSearch, and Ancestry.
1900-1930: 8,592 birth
(2331), marriage (1960), and death (4403) entries
There are only a few issues for 1927.
1931-1982: 18,151 birth (5696), marriage (4093), and death (8363) entries
Issues for Jul-Dec 1950 and May-August 1964 are missing. As many of the entries are for weekly issues, accurate dates were often difficult to ascertain (eg. "Married Tuesday last..."). The birth index, due to concerns about identity theft, has only birth name, name of newspaper, and date of publication.
1983-1999: 3,658 death entries
We recorded only death entries from this point for privacy issues, and only those that indicate local people. The listed descendants only include those with connections to the area at the time. While there may have been six offspring, only the "local" one(s) is/are shown.
2000-2009: 1895 death entries
Completed to 13 Feb 2009, when publication of the Guide ended.
A number of original issues (1877-1927: 18 entries) were housed at the Port Hope Archives (now closed).
The following seven entries were transcribed in full from issues housed at the Port Hope Archives, which, due to their fragility, were not accessible to the public.
Port Hope Watchman 11 July 1850 (3/1):
- Birth of a daughter to Nathaniel Bate on 09 Jul 1850 at Port Hope.
- Death of Alice Annette (15 months, 10 days), only daughter of James Grant of Port Hope, at Beloit, Wisconsin, on 10 Jun 1850.
Port Hope Watchman 11 July 1851 (2/6):
- Birth of a daughter to James Grant at Port Hope on 05 Jul 1851.
- Birth of a son to M.F. Whitehead on 09 Jul 1851.
- Marriage of Rev. H.E. Plees, Missionary in the Eastern District, and Catherine, 2nd daughter of Morgan Jellet of Cobourg, at Port Hope on 25 Jun 1851 by Rev. Jonathan Shortt.
- Death of Edward Warren Powers. The obituary reads:
"Died, At the residence of his father, in the Township of Hope, on the 7th instant, after a long and painful illness to which he submitted with singular patience and fortitude Edward Warren, eldest son of Samuel S. Powers, Esq., aged 21 years. The early death of this amiable and promising young man, is deeply regretted by a very large circle of relatives and friends. His manners were gentle, winning and unassuming; and his intellect was such as led those who were intimately acquainted with him, to predict that his future career would be one of usefulness and honour. But the angel of death stood over him and he withered, like a flower that is cut down at noonday. He was perfectly conscious for several weeks that his end was approaching, but he was not afraid to die. He departed in the unshaken belief that "this mortal shall put on immortality," and met the icy gaze of the pale King of Terrors with the calm and sublime triumph of a chritian. The lines underneath were handed to him a few hours before he expired, and which he perused with great pleasure. Tiddy, in the concluding stanza, was the pet name of a beautiful and interesting little sister of his that died about twelve years ago."
TO EDWARD
Above this world of care,
Of anguish and despair,
Above earth's night of sorrow,
Above the loftiest star,
Heaven's shining mansions are,
And an immortal morrow!
There no sad mourners weep,
No looks turn hoary,
And brows forever keep
Their gladness and their glory.
There little Tiddy stands
Eager to meet you,
And lifts her angel hands
To clasp and greet you!
T.C.W.
Port Hope Times 06 Sep 1876 (5/4):
- Death of Frederick Jacobs (10 months), youngest son of T. Hewson, at Port Hope on 04 Sep 1876 (of whooping cough).
Peter and Barbara Bolton - Port Hope, Ontario
alivingpast.ca