March 4 - Hamilton Kipp

     Today is the birthday of GGG Grandfather, Hamilton Kipp.  He was born in Burford Township, Brant County, in Upper Canada on March 4, 1837.  (For those of my family who have no idea where this is, it's in Ontario, somewhat near Niagra Falls.)  He was the son of farmer, Benjamin Kipp and Elizabeth Force Kipp.  Hamilton also farmed the land in Canada and when he was 25 years old he married a local girl, 21 year old, Orrilla (Lucy) Lewis.  A year later, they welcomed my GG Grandmother, Rosilla( 1863) who eventually married John G. Hymers, (whom I wrote about earlier this week.) 

     John had an older sister Eliza Jane Hymers who went to work for Hamilton and Orilla as their housekeeper.  Orilla and Hamilton had four more children, Ida Aramanda(1864), Andrew (1866), Charles (1869), and George Henry (1872).  Sadly, a year later,  Orilla passed away when she was 32 years old, leaving behind her husband and 5 childern under the age of 10. 

     Seven months later, Hamilton married his housekeeper, Eliza Jane.  They added six more children to the family, Orilla Jane (1874),  Elizabeth Ann (1876), Albert Hamilton (1879), Bertha Ellen (1881), Mary Isabella (1882), and Howard (1885).  Two weeks after Howard was born, the then almost four-year-old Bertha died of scarlet fever.  Two months later, on April 21, 1885, Hamilton Kipp died from dropsy.  He was 48 year old.

Happy 175th Birthday!