Great-great-great Grandfather Nathan to Grandfather Clifford Devins

Great-Grandfather William Robert Devins 1873-1936 and Mary Elizabeth Bovair 1877-1962  m 1894

The Devins family history in Ontario in well researched and published in a book called Abraham Devins and his Descendants in Canada and the United States. I have my mother's copy which she obtained through the people who have organized the Devins Family Reunions for decades. Abraham Devins was baptized in United States in 1747 and immigrated to Canada after the American War of Independence (1776-83). This branch of the Devins family were United Empire Loyalists. A good amount of the information in this post is from the book. 

John Devins (1850-1888), (my great-great grandfather) was the fourth child of Nathan Devins, (my great-great-great grandfather), and Eve Devins, born in Vaughan Township, York County. He married Elizabeth Jane Holden in 1871 in Thornbury Ontario. They had 2 sons, as well as one daughter who died in infancy. William Robert (1873-1936), my great-grandfather, was their first son. The second son was George Edgar. 

John and Elizabeth farmed part of Lot 27 in the first Concession of Euphrasia Township. The farm was very prosperous and they had an apple orchard, livestock and up to date machinery. John died as the result of a farming accident at the age of 38 and his sons inherited the farm when they turned 21. 

William Robert married Mary Elizabeth Bovair in 1894 and they had two sons, my maternal grandfather Clifford John born in 1895, and his brother William Percival born in 1900.

William Robert Devins left the farm and moved to Heathcote ON and then Clarksburg ON, where he was successful in the insurance business. Both of these communities are close to Thornbury ON and several family members are buried in the Union Cemetery in Thornbury. Hopefully, this will be another road trip destination for me in the near future.

My great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Bovair Devins, lived for 26 years or so after her husband died. She lived in the house next door to Grandma and Grandad Devins on Wellington St. in Aurora ON. Her nickname was Bobby, and she died very shortly after our family returned to Canada from South Africa in 1962. She outlived her son Clifford by 14 years and Grandma D was very good to her. The name "Mary Elizabeth" is found in multiple generations of the family. My mother was christened Mary Elizabeth Devins, my first name is Elizabeth and my first daughter and granddaughter also have the name Elizabeth. 

I like this picture of Grandma D and Mary Devins in the wheelbarrow being pushed by Great-grandfather Robert Devins. Most of the portraits of this era are formal and this picture reflects more personality. 

Clifford John Devins and Audrey Mabelle Bulmer were married in September 1919. They both graduated in medicine from the University of Toronto and moved to Aurora Ontario to start their medical practice occupying a home at 21 Wellington St for the next 65 years. They had two children, Bill and Elizabeth, who survived to adulthood, and John who died at the age of 3 of bacterial meningitis.

I found a couple of clippings with information about Dr. Clifford Devins who died at the age of 52 from cancer. I have written about my grandfather in previous blog posts over the years, but I enjoyed reading these perspectives about his life. He had a hobby farm with apple trees, sheep and bees, reflective of his family background. He had a great influence on my mother during the 16 years she was privileged to have him as a father.  

This excerpt is from a booklet called "Our Devins Heritage" that was published when Devins Drive Public School opened in Aurora, Ontario in 1977.

The article below is from "The Ontario Medical Review"