Leslie Forsyth of Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Source:  CHOSEN LAND - A History of Barber County, Kansas - Dedicated to  the People of Barber County - Past, Present and Future - Taylor Publishing, Dallas, Texas

Excerpts for Forsyth families received from the Lincoln Library, Medicine Lodge

The Death of William R. Forsyth of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, 96

This obituary was received from the Lincoln Library, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

1916 Census - Swift Current, Saskatchewan

William Charles Forsyth, son of John Forsyth and Mary Dales, is shown in this census with his wife and
children.  They lived at Lake Valley which is apparently close to Swift Current.
 Click on image to enlarge.

William Hewat in London, England

William was the son of Francis Hewat and Christian Forsyth.  In the 1871 census, he and his family are living at 33 Fleet Rd., Hampstead, Middlesex.   His wife is Eliza (Reed) and he has a daughter, Catherine, and three sons, all born in England.  William and Eliza were married on November 10th, 1852 at St. Mary's Chapel in Lambeth, Surrey.  She was the daughter of Richard Reed, a deceased coachman and William's father is shown as Francis Hewat, a blacksmith.

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

The family is at the same address in 1881, and William's death on August 27, 1883, at 57 years of age takes place on Fleet Rd as well.  The record of his death is from a probate record (on-line) which states that he was a Gas Service Layer, and that the estate went to his wife, Eliza Ann Hewat in the amount of two hundred and ninety-three pounds sterling.

Christian Hewat, Widow of Francis

I finally found the last census for Christian Forsyth Hewat right where she had lived most of her married life.  Her surname appears as Hewit.

1881 Census Scotland - Nisbet Loanhead, East Lothian

James Hewit, 51, b. 1831, Blacksmith
Christine Hewit, 80, mother
Thomas Sked, 18, b. Dunbar, Apprentice
Elizabeth Sked, 16, b. 1865, Tranent, E.L.. female servant,

After his mother's death, we find James in the 1891 census in Bolton, E.L. on the Eaglescairne Mains Farm.

James Hewat, 62, living on own means, retired blacksmith

Janet Hewat, 57, b. 1834 Salton, Haddingtonshire, blacksmith's wife

1905 Census for Medicine Lodge, Kansas

In 1905, William and Elizabeth Forsyth of Medicine Lodge, Kansas had visitors.  William's sister, Margaret, a music teacher, apparently lived with the couple for several years.  Also in this census is Annie Forsyth, the widow of Charles Cockburn Forsyth and mother of Leslie;  she was born in Ireland and is listed as a nurse. We don't know what happened to her, but Leslie was going to school in Canada and living with his Forsyth grandparents.  In 1905, William is the owner of a mill, a fact that was noted in his father's history from a Weston source.  The other woman in this census is not a relative.



Death of John Thomas Forsyth - 1948

The following information was received from the New Westminster Library which has the records for the Bowell Funeral Home (no longer in business).  It seems that John T. Forsyth died of some kind of accident.


S. Bowell and Sons - 1948 No. 434  September No. 42

JOHN THOMAS FORSYTH
1549 Burke Rd., Surrey, BC
Died at Royal Columbian Hospital
Date of Death Friday September 24, 1948
Male / Canadian / Scottish / Married
Date of Birth:  May 22, 1868 Age: 80 years, 4 months, 2 days
At place of death for how long:  1 day
In Province:  2 years    In Canada:  Life
Farmer - Date last worked: 1948 Number of years: 48
Wife :  Euphemia Chalmers
Father:  John Forsyth b. Scotland
Mother:  Mary Dales, born Canada
Informant:  Mrs. J.T. Forsyth
Place of Burial:  Surrey Centre Cemetery
Date of Burial:  Thursday Sept 30, 1948
Service at Cloverdale Chapel - Presbyterian
Minister:  Mr. Clark
Physician:  Dr. E.H. McEwan, Coroner
Cause of Death:  Lacerations and contusion of brain
Wife, 3 sons, and 2 daughters, 9 grandchildren

Notice from newspaper:
John Thomas Forsyth, laid to rest at Surrey Centre Cemetery

Euphemia's Death is on the BC Death Index as December 8, 1955 at 78 years of age
Both are included in the index for the Surrey Centre Cemetery


FORSYTH, Euphemia

Surrey Centre

SC-BLOCK 242-3A


FORSYTH, John Thomas

Surrey Centre

SC-BLOCK 242-3

Family Tree - John Forsyth

Family Tree - Charles Forsyth

Family Tree

Updated July 2013 with information about Janet Forsyth (bottom right)

Border Crossing for Annie and Margaret Forsyth -1924

In June of 1924, Annie Elizabeth Forsyth and Margaret Forsyth, crossed the border at Port Huron, Michigan en route to Kansas to stay with their brother,William, for an indefinite period of time.  Annie was 52 years old, in good health, stood 4 '11"and had brown hair and blue eyes. 

Margaret was 57, in good health, was 5'3"with brown hair and brown eyes. In the Charles Forsyth family history, it is stated that it was Margaret, the music teacher, who went to Kansas for a few years and taught piano there.  It doesn't mention Annie. Perhaps Margaret stayed for an extended period, and Annie came back sooner.

Charles Leslie Forsyth, grandson of Charles of Weston

                        Marriage of Charles Cockburn Forsyth, son of Charles of Weston, Ontario to Annie  Nixon

 and the  birth of Charles Leslie Irwin Forsyth (below centre).  Charles Leslie I.  was raised by his Forsyth grandparents in Weston and went to Kansas as an adult. He is shown in the census in Canada as Charles, but in later life he appears to have used Leslie. His wife's name was Estelle.


1930 Census - Medicine Lodge, Barber, Kanasas
Leslie C. Forsyth, 33, b. Canada 1897
Estelle Forsyth, 32
William A. Forsyth, 6

Information from Census - Owned house valued at 4,000; Radio in house - yes; Residence was not a farm.
He was a retail furniture merchant. He became a citizen in 1903

1940 Census - Location as above

Leslie Forsyth, 43, Furniture Dealer and Undertaker of funeral home
Estelle Forsyth, 42
William Forsyth, 16
Robert Forsyth, 6

Birth of Charles Leslie Irwin Forsyth, February 6, 1897 in Toronto.

   The father, Charles, was a carpenter at this time.