Chapter 11: Frederick Senhen and Caroline Reimenach
The Senhen (Shannon) family was another of the pioneer families in the Park Head area. They had come to Canada from
Germany in 1857, and settled initially to the area around Kitchener, Ontario, which was then called Berlin. In 1862
they moved again, to become homesteaders at French Bay, about 6 miles west of Park Head.
We have the first part of their story told in the words of Caroline Weber, who was the wife of Jim Nickason, a grandson of the original pioneers.
“Grandfather and Grandmother Senhen lived in Germany. Their first child, a girl named Caroline died in infancy, Henry came next and then Louisa, born 1850, May 8th. When she was in her 7th year, the family and another family by the name of Steuernagel decided to go to Canada, so they left at Bremen and took the train at Hanover to where they got on a sailboat in March 1857. Having poor winds made sailing slow and it took till June to make the voyage. Louisa had her birthday on the boat.
They first lived in the vicinity of Berlin, now Kitchener, and New Hamburg. Grandpa was a framer, building barns by summer, and a weaver with a loom, weaving cloth from yarn that Grandma spun from sheep wool during winter. In the next year another boy arrived named Frederick after his father. Caroline had her mother’s name.
Now it seems they wished to get a farm and so did the other family and they went farther south and took up farming in East Zorra. I can’t say whether they rented or bought. East Zorra may have been a township.
At school Henry and Louisa were made fun of because they were German and were asked why they didn’t call themselves Shannon. This they did, but against their father’s will. When they were 14 and 12 years of age, the parents, hearing cheap land could be bought at Southampton, moved again. Grandpa Shannon, the women and children, and also the Steuernagel women and children, took the train to Goderich. From there to Southampton by boat.
Steuernagel, his son Conrad, and Henry, boys both 14, trekked it on foot driving their livestock. I presume they had a yoke of oxen hitched to a wagon. That way 1 of the 3 could ride and rest all along. They would likely put up overnight a few times.”
Frederick Senhen was born in Hanover, Germany, on December 10, 1810. His wife, Caroline Reimenach was also born in Germany, on June 19, 1822. They were married on April 6, 1845. (The name Reimenach is carved on the headstone at the family grave. Various other spellings, frequently illegible, are used on official documents.)
Their son Heinrich Senhen (Henry Shannon) was born on October 22, 1848 in Bremen, Germany, and their daughter Louisa Senhen was born on May 8, 1850, also in Bremen.
According to the Eila Ross notes, Frederick Senhen decided to immigrate to Canada because he wanted the opportunity to own land, which was not available to him in the Germany of that time.
The family sailed from Bremen to New York on the sailing vessel EVAN BEAULIEU, arriving on August 4, 1857. On the ship’s passenger list, Frederick Senhen stated that his occupation was ‘carpenter’ and his age was 46. Their destination was New Hamburg.
We believe they came to New Hamburg because Caroline Reimenach’s sister was already there. It was very common for new immigrants to settle initially with relatives or friends who had preceded them.
It would appear they did not stay in New Hamburg for very long. The first child born to Frederick and Caroline Senhen in Canada was their son Frederick, who was born on March 22, 1858 in East Zorra Township. Another son named John was born on September 3, 1860, also in East Zorra Township. East Zorra is a farming area just south of the village of Tavistock, about 10 miles from New Hamburg.
The Senhens were still living in East Zorra when the 1861 Census was taken, but they had already changed their name to Shannon.
1861 Census of Canada – Enumerated 14 Aug 1861
This census information contains some errors. Frederick and Caroline’s ages are slightly incorrect. Their daughter’s name is Louisa, not Lewis. More difficult to understand, their youngest son’s name should be John, not Christian. According to GMGS, their oldest son Henry’s full name was Henry William Kasper Christian Shannon.
In addition to the normal census inaccuracies, there may also have been a language problem in this case. The Census taker probably only spoke English, and Frederick and Caroline spoke German. We believe they continued to speak German for the rest of their lives. Their children Henry and Louisa were bilingual.
Two years later, when Henry Shannon was 14, the family moved again. They were motivated by the opportunity to buy cheap land in Amabel Township. We believe they had rented the land they farmed in East Zorra, and Frederick had come to Canada because he wanted to own land.
The land they chose was near French Bay, which is about 6 miles west of Park Head and about 8 miles north of Southampton, where the family had arrived by boat from Goderich. As recalled by Caroline Weber, young Henry Shannon walked from East Zorra to French Bay, a distance of about 100 miles, leading the family cow.
Unfortunately the first lot they chose was too stony to farm. The next year they moved a short distance to Lot 16 Concession C in Amabel Township. It was only slightly better, but it became the Shannon Farm.
By the time the 1871 Census was taken, the Shannon family was well established on the new family farm at French Bay.
1871 Census of Canada - Enumerated 2 Apr 1871
During the next ten-year interval, Henry, Louisa, and Frederick would all get married, and Edward would die. Edward was retarded, and only lived to be age 14.
Henry Shannon married a neighbour named Rachel Blenkin. Their story will be told in Chapter 13. For the sake of completeness, brief stories about other members of the Shannon family will be included here.
Frederick Senhen and Caroline Reimenach:
When Henry Shannon married in 1878, his father Frederick was almost 68 years old. Frederick and Caroline stayed on the farm for some time, but GMGS tells us that Henry ‘inherited’ it. The Eila Ross notes tell us that Henry built a second house on the farm for his family, and Frederick and Caroline stayed in the original log house.
‘It was a large two-story log home with a centre entrance and rooms to the left and right. There was an open staircase going to the 2nd floor in the middle of the 1st floor. The wooden floors were still in it when the ‘kids’ played there in the 1920’s. The squirrels loved it and there were dozens. There was an outdoor bake oven that was made of stone.’
It is easy to imagine that this would have been a very impressive log house in its day. Frederick Senhen had indicated that he was a carpenter when he immigrated to Canada, and Caroline Weber described him as a framer in her notes. These would have been very useful skills for a pioneer family.
We have the first part of their story told in the words of Caroline Weber, who was the wife of Jim Nickason, a grandson of the original pioneers.
“Grandfather and Grandmother Senhen lived in Germany. Their first child, a girl named Caroline died in infancy, Henry came next and then Louisa, born 1850, May 8th. When she was in her 7th year, the family and another family by the name of Steuernagel decided to go to Canada, so they left at Bremen and took the train at Hanover to where they got on a sailboat in March 1857. Having poor winds made sailing slow and it took till June to make the voyage. Louisa had her birthday on the boat.
They first lived in the vicinity of Berlin, now Kitchener, and New Hamburg. Grandpa was a framer, building barns by summer, and a weaver with a loom, weaving cloth from yarn that Grandma spun from sheep wool during winter. In the next year another boy arrived named Frederick after his father. Caroline had her mother’s name.
Now it seems they wished to get a farm and so did the other family and they went farther south and took up farming in East Zorra. I can’t say whether they rented or bought. East Zorra may have been a township.
At school Henry and Louisa were made fun of because they were German and were asked why they didn’t call themselves Shannon. This they did, but against their father’s will. When they were 14 and 12 years of age, the parents, hearing cheap land could be bought at Southampton, moved again. Grandpa Shannon, the women and children, and also the Steuernagel women and children, took the train to Goderich. From there to Southampton by boat.
Steuernagel, his son Conrad, and Henry, boys both 14, trekked it on foot driving their livestock. I presume they had a yoke of oxen hitched to a wagon. That way 1 of the 3 could ride and rest all along. They would likely put up overnight a few times.”
Frederick Senhen was born in Hanover, Germany, on December 10, 1810. His wife, Caroline Reimenach was also born in Germany, on June 19, 1822. They were married on April 6, 1845. (The name Reimenach is carved on the headstone at the family grave. Various other spellings, frequently illegible, are used on official documents.)
Their son Heinrich Senhen (Henry Shannon) was born on October 22, 1848 in Bremen, Germany, and their daughter Louisa Senhen was born on May 8, 1850, also in Bremen.
According to the Eila Ross notes, Frederick Senhen decided to immigrate to Canada because he wanted the opportunity to own land, which was not available to him in the Germany of that time.
The family sailed from Bremen to New York on the sailing vessel EVAN BEAULIEU, arriving on August 4, 1857. On the ship’s passenger list, Frederick Senhen stated that his occupation was ‘carpenter’ and his age was 46. Their destination was New Hamburg.
We believe they came to New Hamburg because Caroline Reimenach’s sister was already there. It was very common for new immigrants to settle initially with relatives or friends who had preceded them.
It would appear they did not stay in New Hamburg for very long. The first child born to Frederick and Caroline Senhen in Canada was their son Frederick, who was born on March 22, 1858 in East Zorra Township. Another son named John was born on September 3, 1860, also in East Zorra Township. East Zorra is a farming area just south of the village of Tavistock, about 10 miles from New Hamburg.
The Senhens were still living in East Zorra when the 1861 Census was taken, but they had already changed their name to Shannon.
1861 Census of Canada – Enumerated 14 Aug 1861
| Name | Sex | Age | Where Born | Occupation | Corrected Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick Shannon | M | 47 | Germany | labourer | 50 |
| Caroline Shannon | F | 37 | Germany | 39 | |
| Henry Shannon | M | 12 | Germany | 12 | |
| Lewis Shannon | F | 10 | Germany | 11 | |
| Frederick Shannon | M | 3 | Canada | 3 | |
| Christian Shannon | M | 1 | Canada | 1 |
This census information contains some errors. Frederick and Caroline’s ages are slightly incorrect. Their daughter’s name is Louisa, not Lewis. More difficult to understand, their youngest son’s name should be John, not Christian. According to GMGS, their oldest son Henry’s full name was Henry William Kasper Christian Shannon.
In addition to the normal census inaccuracies, there may also have been a language problem in this case. The Census taker probably only spoke English, and Frederick and Caroline spoke German. We believe they continued to speak German for the rest of their lives. Their children Henry and Louisa were bilingual.
Two years later, when Henry Shannon was 14, the family moved again. They were motivated by the opportunity to buy cheap land in Amabel Township. We believe they had rented the land they farmed in East Zorra, and Frederick had come to Canada because he wanted to own land.
The land they chose was near French Bay, which is about 6 miles west of Park Head and about 8 miles north of Southampton, where the family had arrived by boat from Goderich. As recalled by Caroline Weber, young Henry Shannon walked from East Zorra to French Bay, a distance of about 100 miles, leading the family cow.
Unfortunately the first lot they chose was too stony to farm. The next year they moved a short distance to Lot 16 Concession C in Amabel Township. It was only slightly better, but it became the Shannon Farm.
By the time the 1871 Census was taken, the Shannon family was well established on the new family farm at French Bay.
1871 Census of Canada - Enumerated 2 Apr 1871
| Name | Sex | Age | Where Born | Occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick Shannon | M | 60 | Germany | Farmer |
| Caroline Shannon | F | 48 | Germany | |
| Henry Shannon | M | 22 | Germany | Farmer |
| Louisa Shannon | F | 19 | Germany | |
| Frederick Shannon | M | 13 | Ontario | |
| John Shannon | M | 10 | Ontario | |
| Edward Shannon | M | 6 | Ontario |
During the next ten-year interval, Henry, Louisa, and Frederick would all get married, and Edward would die. Edward was retarded, and only lived to be age 14.
Henry Shannon married a neighbour named Rachel Blenkin. Their story will be told in Chapter 13. For the sake of completeness, brief stories about other members of the Shannon family will be included here.
Frederick Senhen and Caroline Reimenach:
When Henry Shannon married in 1878, his father Frederick was almost 68 years old. Frederick and Caroline stayed on the farm for some time, but GMGS tells us that Henry ‘inherited’ it. The Eila Ross notes tell us that Henry built a second house on the farm for his family, and Frederick and Caroline stayed in the original log house.
‘It was a large two-story log home with a centre entrance and rooms to the left and right. There was an open staircase going to the 2nd floor in the middle of the 1st floor. The wooden floors were still in it when the ‘kids’ played there in the 1920’s. The squirrels loved it and there were dozens. There was an outdoor bake oven that was made of stone.’
It is easy to imagine that this would have been a very impressive log house in its day. Frederick Senhen had indicated that he was a carpenter when he immigrated to Canada, and Caroline Weber described him as a framer in her notes. These would have been very useful skills for a pioneer family.
PLEASE CLICK ANYWHERE ON IMAGE TO MAGNIFY
Caroline Reimenach and Frederick Senhen
Eventually Frederick and Caroline moved from the log house on the Amabel farm to Port Elgin where they resided in a
large brick house on Market Street. Frederick and Caroline both died in 1893. They are buried in Burgoyne Cemetery,
which is in Arran Township a few miles south of French Bay.
Louisa Shannon and William Nickason:
Louisa Shannon married William Nickason on April 2, 1879. They lived on a farm in Arran Township, and had a family of 4 children. Their oldest daughter Caroline died as a child.
Their son Jim Nickason married Caroline Ries Weber from Elmira, Ontario. When Caroline Weber was 90 years old, she wrote the words we used at the beginning of this chapter.
Their youngest daughter Luella Matilda Nickason married Robert Harron in 1913. Luella died on April 11, 1919, a victim of the great influenza epidemic, at age 30. She left three children aged 4, 3 and 1.
Louisa Shannon and William Nickason:
Louisa Shannon married William Nickason on April 2, 1879. They lived on a farm in Arran Township, and had a family of 4 children. Their oldest daughter Caroline died as a child.
Their son Jim Nickason married Caroline Ries Weber from Elmira, Ontario. When Caroline Weber was 90 years old, she wrote the words we used at the beginning of this chapter.
Their youngest daughter Luella Matilda Nickason married Robert Harron in 1913. Luella died on April 11, 1919, a victim of the great influenza epidemic, at age 30. She left three children aged 4, 3 and 1.
 and Louisa Shannon (holding Marietta) seated with grandchildren (and more)800.jpg)
PLEASE CLICK ANYWHERE ON IMAGE TO MAGNIFY
William Nickason and Louisa Shannon Family Portrait
William Nickason (holding Karl) and Louisa Shannon (holding Marietta) seated with grandchildren. The remaining six
individuals are the three adult children and their spouses. Left to right: Luella Nickason, Edith Ickler, William
John Nickason, Robert Andrew Harron, James Frederick Nickason, Caroline Ries Weber.
Lois Nickason Duncan is the daughter of the baby Karl in the photograph, and the granddaughter of Jim Nickason and Caroline Weber. Lois Duncan was one of the first family members to become interested in family history, and we have received a large amount of information about the Shannon and Nickason families from her.
William Nickason died in 1929 and Louisa Shannon Nickason died in 1934. They are buried in Burgoyne Cemetery with Frederick and Caroline Shannon.
Frederick Shannon Jr. and Sarah Nickason:
Frederick Shannon Jr. married Sarah Nickason on December 25, 1879. They lived on a farm on Lot 3 Concession C in Elsinore, which is immediately south of French Bay. It is marked with the letter ‘F’ on the Amabel map in Chapter 5. They had a family of 6 children.
Sarah Nickason was the sister of William Nickason, so all the children were double cousins, as well as all being first cousins of Henry Shannon’s children (Chapter 13). All three families lived on farms within a few miles of each other, so there were a lot of Shannon cousins at family gatherings on the Fred Shannon farm, which backed onto Chesley Lake.
Lois Nickason Duncan is the daughter of the baby Karl in the photograph, and the granddaughter of Jim Nickason and Caroline Weber. Lois Duncan was one of the first family members to become interested in family history, and we have received a large amount of information about the Shannon and Nickason families from her.
William Nickason died in 1929 and Louisa Shannon Nickason died in 1934. They are buried in Burgoyne Cemetery with Frederick and Caroline Shannon.
Frederick Shannon Jr. and Sarah Nickason:
Frederick Shannon Jr. married Sarah Nickason on December 25, 1879. They lived on a farm on Lot 3 Concession C in Elsinore, which is immediately south of French Bay. It is marked with the letter ‘F’ on the Amabel map in Chapter 5. They had a family of 6 children.
Sarah Nickason was the sister of William Nickason, so all the children were double cousins, as well as all being first cousins of Henry Shannon’s children (Chapter 13). All three families lived on farms within a few miles of each other, so there were a lot of Shannon cousins at family gatherings on the Fred Shannon farm, which backed onto Chesley Lake.
PLEASE CLICK ANYWHERE ON IMAGE TO MAGNIFY
Frederick Shannon Jr. and Sarah Nickason Family Portrait
Sarah Nickason Shannon was injured milking a cow and died in 1926, and Frederick Shannon Jr. died in 1935. They are
buried in Southampton (New) Cemetery.
John Shannon and Mary Ann Donald:
John Shannon married Mary Ann Donald in Southampton on January 30, 1884. The marriage registration indicates that John Shannon’s occupation was ‘carriage maker.’
They lived in Southampton and had a family of 4 children, one of whom died at birth.
John Shannon and Mary Ann Donald:
John Shannon married Mary Ann Donald in Southampton on January 30, 1884. The marriage registration indicates that John Shannon’s occupation was ‘carriage maker.’
They lived in Southampton and had a family of 4 children, one of whom died at birth.
PLEASE CLICK ANYWHERE ON IMAGE TO MAGNIFY
John Shannon and Mary Donald Family Portrait
Sometime between 1911 and 1916 John Shannon and Mary Donald moved to Vancouver. We don’t know much about their story
there. Mary Donald Shannon died in Vancouver in 1925 at the age of 60. John Shannon died in Vancouver in 1948, at
the age of 87.
Edward Shannon:
Edward Shannon was the youngest child of Frederick and Caroline Shannon. When Edward was born, Frederick was 55 and Caroline was 43. Sadly, Edward was mentally retarded. He died in 1880 at the age of 14.
Edward Shannon:
Edward Shannon was the youngest child of Frederick and Caroline Shannon. When Edward was born, Frederick was 55 and Caroline was 43. Sadly, Edward was mentally retarded. He died in 1880 at the age of 14.
Descendants of Frederick Senhen and Caroline Reimenach