Almost Overlooked

Image by mrarthit at Vecteezy.

 

52 Ancestors, Week 4, "Overlooked"

I made a crazy discovery today after I almost overlooked something. 

I'm searching land records in Ontario for my 3x great-grandfather Philip Cassidy to determine when he might have come to Canada from Ireland. 

Using the fabulous FamilySearch full-text search I ran across this wonderful document which lays out all grantors and grantees of a parcel of land in lot 23 of the 9th concession in Grantham, Lincoln, Canada West. What a terrific document! In it, I can see the names of Philip Cassidy, his brother Daniel, and—oh look—there's another Cassidy: Felix Cassidy. Is this another Cassidy brother?¹

The grantors (left) and grantees (right) for lot 23, concession 9, in Grantham land records.

I found it odd, however, that Felix was only mentioned once in these transactions. Where did he go, and did he ever sell his land?

Then a random thought about the names Felix and Philip occurred to me. They sound a bit alike, right? Well, I decided to look at the Irish origins of this name. Guess what? 

From the website IrelandXO Reaching Out:

Gaelic name: Féilim, Feidhlimidh
Latin version: Fidelmius Fedlimius, Fidelmidius Fedlimidius
Anglicised versions and variations: nicknames, aliases, alternative spellings: Phelim, Felix, Phillip. Phelimy, Felimy Pheily, Phil, Philly, Phelen, Phelan / Pilib, Phalim, Phelam,
Origin/ Meaning: It is an ancient Irish name, meaning the ever good.²

 

Could Felix and Philip be the same person?

I looked at the land descriptions for the Felix and Philip transactions to see if they referred to the same parcel, and though the descriptions are slightly different, they do both refer to part of lot 23 in the 9th concession, and a neighboring landowner John Hutt Ball.³

In looking at the index abstract of all Lot 23, 9th Concession grantors and grantees, it breaks down like this:

• In 1849, Walter Dittrick sold Daniel Cassidy 89 acres, 1 rod, and 35 perches of the original 100 acres he owned.
• In 1855, Daniel sold the same 89 acres, 1 rod, and 35 perches to Felix Cassidy.
• In 1860, Philip Cassidy sold 44-1/2 acres back to Daniel Cassidy. It's noted as "Pt land on In 1431" which is the instrument number of the original 1849 sale from Dittrick to Daniel Cassidy. Also, it's half of the original 89 acres Daniel purchased.⁴

So, Felix and Philip are the same person!

I located the land parcel on this nifty site called The Community Property Map of Canada. Zooming in and clicking around the Grantham locality, I found the parcel on the lower left side, highlighted below. Clicking on the parcel brought up the land description including the lot and concession number.⁵

 

Lastly, I found a map of Grantham, Lincoln County, Ontario, from 1876. Philip died in 1874, but look at who is listed on lot 23, concession 9 in Grantham: none other than Mrs. Philip Cassidy—formerly Mary Jane Sheridan. The parcel to the right is owned by "M.A. & E. Saul," who are Mary Ann and Eliza Saul, nieces to the late Philip Cassidy, and daughters of Elizabeth Cassidy Saul, Philip's sister.⁶

Mrs. Philip Cassidy owned this lot in Concession 9 (IX) in Grantham. Her neighbors are Mary Ann and Eliza Saul, Philip's nieces.

I nearly overlooked the amazing connection between the names Felix and Philip. This might give me a new avenue to research as I try to locate a marriage record for Philip and Mary Jane Sheridan. It might just be listed under Felix Cassidy!

Until next time...

© Nancy Gilbride Casey, 2025. All rights reserved.

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NOTES

¹ Abstract Index Books for Grantham Township 1802-1865, p. 156, Grantors/Grantee Index for Lot No. 23, of the 9th Concession, Walter Dittrick to Daniel Cassidy, Daniel Cassidy to Felix Cassidy, and Philip Cassidy to Daniel Cassidy; imaged, "Abstract Index Books, 1798-1957," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLG-V79D-G : accessed 22 Jan. 2025); citing Registrar of Deeds, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

² Ireland XO Reaching Out, 17 Oct. 2019, (https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/news/old-irish-gaelic-boy-names-and-their-meaning : accessed 21 Jan. 2025), "Féilim, Feidhlimidh."

³ Grantham Twp., Lincoln, Canada West, Deeds, v. C, p. 108, no. 8884, Daniel Cassidy to Felix Cassidy, 2 June 1855; imaged, "Land Records of Lincoln County, 1847-1909," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H6-G3XP-3?i=89 : accessed 22 Jan. 2025); citing Registrar of Deeds, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Also, Grantham Twp., Lincoln County, Ontario, Canada West, Deeds, book C, p. 449, No. 10561, Philip Cassidy to Daniel Cassidy, 14 January 1860; imaged, "Land records of Lincoln County, 1847-1909," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H6-G3JR-T : accessed 20 January 2025); citing Registrar of Deeds, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

⁴ Grantham Twp., Lincoln, Canada West, Deeds Book A, p. 131, No. 1431, Walter Dittrick to Daniel Cassidy, 2 April 1849; imaged, "Land records of Lincoln County, 1847-1909," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H6-GSBX-Y?i=83 : accessed 21 Jan. 2025); citing Registrar of Deeds, St. Catharines, Ontario. Also, Grantham Twp., Lincoln, Canada West, Deeds, v. C, p. 108, no. 8884, Daniel Cassidy to Felix Cassidy, 2 June 1855; imaged, "Land Records of Lincoln County, 1847-1909," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H6-G3XP-3?i=89 : accessed 22 Jan. 2025). Also, Grantham Twp., Lincoln County, Ontario, Canada West, Deeds, book C, p. 449, No. 10561, Philip Cassidy to Daniel Cassidy, 14 January 1860; imaged, "Land records of Lincoln County, 1847-1909," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3H6-G3JR-T : accessed 20 January 2025).

5 Community Property Map of Canada (https://community-property-map-of-canada-canadaproperty.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/a91ba9ef04da45fd99687b1be2d6851a/explore?location=43.041907%2C-79.069116%2C11.38 : accessed 22 January 2025), search for lot 23, concession 9, Grantham, Lincoln, Ontario, Canada.

⁶ H.R. Page, Illustrated Historical Atlas of the Counties of Lincoln & Welland, Ont., (Toronto: Alexr Craig Steam Lith.,1876), p. 34, "Grantham", Mrs. Philip Cassidy and M.A. & E. Saul; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/845867/?offset=0#page=44&viewer=picture&o=info&n=0&q= : accessed 22 Jan. 2025); citing FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. For parent/child links, see Elizabeth Cassidy profile PM89-2WM, FamilySearch Family Tree (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/PM89-2WM : accessed 22 Jan. 2025). Also, Grantham Twp., Lincoln County, Ontario, Canada West, Deeds, book 2, p. 452, No. 684, certification of Eliza Saul (jr) on Daniel Cassidy mortgage satisfaction, 23 December 1869; imaged, "Land records of Lincoln County, 1847-1909," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3HX-384?cat=278551&i=593 : accessed 22 January 2025); citing Registrar of Deeds, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Eliza Saul certifies that the mortgage of Daniel Cassidy had been satisfied and speaks on behalf of her mother Eliza Saul (elder) "and sister of Daniel Cassidy, deceased."