Mary Jane Sovereen Kemp: A Life in Pioneer Ontario
A Biography (1840-1874)
Early Life and Family Origins
Mary Jane Sovereen entered the world on December 29, 1840, in the rural township of Windham, Norfolk County, Canada West (now Ontario). She was born into a time of great change in what would become Canada, just three years after the Upper Canada Rebellion and during a period when the British colonies were establishing their identity in North America.
As the eldest child of Alexander and Eliza (Putman) Sovereen, Mary Jane held a special place in her family. Her parents, Alexander and Eliza, had married in 1840 in Windham township, making Mary Jane likely conceived during their early months of marriage. Her father Alexander was a farmer and Baptist, representing the agricultural backbone of the growing Canadian frontier communities.
A Large Pioneer Family
Mary Jane grew up in a bustling household that would eventually include thirteen siblings, though tragically, several would not survive to adulthood—a common reality of 19th-century pioneer life. Her siblings included:
- Frederick Sovereen (1842-1846), who died at just four years old
- Rosella Elizabeth Sovereen (1844-1845), lost in infancy
- Amart Ann Sovereen (1846-1849), who lived only three years
- Rachel E. Sovereen (1848-1849), another infant loss
- Gertrude Ann Sovereen (1851-1938), who would live a long life
- Sarah Adelaide Sovereen (1853-1915)
- Nancy Amelia Sovereen (1855-1927)
- Roselia Sovereen (1856-1856), who survived only months
- Valzoria Sovereen (1856-1877)
- Hattie I. Sovereen (1859-1919)
- Frederick Alexander Sovereen (1861-1942), named for the brother lost years earlier
- Alexander Blake Sovereen (1863-1942)
- Wilbert Melvin Sovereen (1867-1940)
The frequent infant and child deaths in the Sovereen family reflected the harsh realities of frontier life, where disease, limited medical care, and harsh winters claimed many young lives. Mary Jane, having survived to adulthood, would have experienced both the joy of welcoming new siblings and the profound grief of losing so many.
Growing Up in Windham Township
The 1851 census provides a snapshot of Mary Jane's childhood home. At age 12 (though listed as 12, she would have been 10), she lived with her parents Alexander (40) and Elizabeth (30) and her surviving sister Rachel E. (6) in Windham township. The family were Baptists, part of a religious tradition that emphasized personal faith and community support—values that would have shaped Mary Jane's upbringing.
Norfolk County in the 1840s and 1850s was a developing agricultural region, with families like the Sovereens clearing land, establishing farms, and building the foundations of what would become thriving communities. The area was known for its fertile soil and would later become famous for tobacco farming, though in Mary Jane's youth, it was primarily focused on general agriculture and mixed farming.
Marriage and New Beginnings
On March 10, 1861, at age 20, Mary Jane married James Abraham Kemp in Norfolk County. James, 27, was born in Canada and worked as a carpenter—a vital trade in the rapidly growing communities of Canada West. His parents were Abram James and Sarah, and like many families of the era, they had likely been drawn to the region by opportunities in the expanding frontier.
The marriage record shows Mary Jane listed as being from Delhi, Norfolk County, indicating the family may have moved from their original Windham township location, or that Delhi served as the administrative center for the area. At 21, Mary Jane was embarking on married life during a pivotal time in Canadian history—just six years before Confederation would unite the British North American colonies into the Dominion of Canada.
Building a Family in Middleton
James and Mary Jane established their home in Middleton, Norfolk County, where James practiced his carpentry trade. Their marriage coincided with a period of growth and development in Ontario, as the Grand Trunk Railway expanded westward and communities flourished with new opportunities for trade and commerce.
The couple welcomed five children during their thirteen years of marriage:
Sarah Elizabeth Kemp (born June 1862) would grow up to marry Andrew John Cropp on August 14, 1889, in Delhi. She eventually moved to Chicago, where she died on February 3, 1946, representing the westward migration pattern common among Ontario families seeking opportunities in the United States.
Seymour Kemp (born about 1864) tragically died in 1877 at age 13, likely in Delhi. His death would have been particularly devastating for the family, coming just three years after losing his mother.
Melvina Marylis "Minnie" Kemp (born November 28, 1866) married James Henry Trembley on September 23, 1885, in St. Thomas, Elgin County. She lived until December 23, 1929, dying in Welland, Ontario.
Georgianna "Georgia" Kemp (born August 4, 1868) eventually moved to the United States, marrying Charles Auble on June 19, 1898, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She later relocated to California, dying on November 8, 1952, in San Diego.
James Alexander Kemp (born July 12, 1872) also migrated to the United States, marrying Bertha Anice Fuller on August 26, 1892. He died on September 12, 1934, in Los Angeles, California.
Life as Recorded in the 1871 Census
The 1871 census provides our last glimpse of Mary Jane's intact family life. The household included James (40), described as a carpenter of English origin and Wesleyan Methodist faith, and Mary (30), listed as Baptist with German origins. Their children Sarah (9), Seymour (7), Melvina (5), and Georgianna (2) were all recorded as Baptists, suggesting Mary Jane's religious tradition continued in her own family.
This religious difference between husband and wife—James as Wesleyan Methodist and Mary Jane as Baptist—was not uncommon in 19th-century Ontario, where frontier communities often accommodated multiple denominations and interfaith marriages were practical necessities in sparsely populated areas.
Tragedy and Early Death
Mary Jane's life was cut tragically short when she succumbed to typhoid fever on May 20, 1874, at the young age of 33. She had been ill for three weeks before her death, which occurred in Windham, Ontario—perhaps she had returned to her childhood community for care during her illness, or the family had relocated there.
Typhoid fever was a common killer in 19th-century Ontario, spread through contaminated water and poor sanitation. The disease was particularly devastating in growing communities where infrastructure hadn't kept pace with population growth. Ironically, the attending physician was A.W. Sovereen, M.D., from Delhi—possibly a relative, given the shared surname, who may have been called upon to care for Mary Jane in her final days.
Legacy and Final Rest
Mary Jane was laid to rest in Delhi Cemetery in Delhi, Norfolk County, leaving behind her husband James and five young children ranging in age from 2 to 12. Her death would have presented enormous challenges for James, a working carpenter suddenly faced with raising five children alone in an era when such responsibilities typically fell to mothers and extended female family networks.
The fact that several of her children eventually migrated to the United States reflects broader patterns of 19th and early 20th-century mobility, as young Canadians sought opportunities in the rapidly industrializing American cities and western territories.
Historical Context
Mary Jane lived through remarkable changes in Canadian history. Born during the period of political upheaval following the 1837 rebellions, she witnessed the union of Upper and Lower Canada, the development of responsible government, and died just seven years after Confederation created the Dominion of Canada in 1867.
Her life embodied the experiences of countless pioneer women: early marriage, frequent childbearing, the daily challenges of frontier life, and tragically, early death from diseases that would later become preventable. Yet through her children and their eventual families, Mary Jane's legacy continued, spreading from the farms of Norfolk County to the growing cities of the American Midwest and West Coast.
Her story represents both the hardships and the hope that characterized life in 19th-century Ontario—families building new lives in a new land, facing loss and challenges with faith and determination, and ultimately contributing to the foundation of communities that would prosper for generations to come.
