Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

MARGARET JANE (JENNIE) VILLARD

Margaret Jane (Jennie) Villard was born on 2 March 1899 in Souris, Prince Edward Island to John Francis (Frank) Villard (1860-1940) and Catherine Summers (1866). Oddly, in the 1891 and 1901 census records which were conducted in King's County, Prince Edward Island, the entire family was enumerated under the surname Bushey and Bushie, respectively. There were also birth records for two of Jennie's siblings who were born in Prince Edward Island that were registered under the surname Bushey. By 1911, the family was living in Kent, New Brunswick. Her youngest three siblings were born there and all births were registered under the name Villard. Thus, it appeared that the family changed the name from Bushey to Villard when they moved to New Brunswick.

Jennie’s siblings were: Mary Emma (1888), Ambrose Watson (1889), Gertrude Jane (1891-1940), Norbert Joseph (1894), Bertha Jean (1895-1959), Lottie B (1897), Florence (1900), Francis Richard (1905-1936), Mary Elsie (1907-1984), Isabel Vera (1909-1993) and Herbert Summers (1911). By 1916, John and Catherine and all but a few of the older children were living in Lansdowne, Neepawa, Manitoba. Over the years, John was a cooper (1891), barber (1901), farmer (1911) and painter (1916). The 1917 Henderson City Directory for Saskatoon listed Jennie M Villard at 813 6th Ave N, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where she was employed as a clerk at Western Canada Sawmill Yards. In 1918, she and Bertha were listed at 810 5th Ave. Jennie was a clerk with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and Bertha J was a nurse. These were the only two records that could be found that placed Jennie in Saskatoon at around the time that the quilt was signed. The fact that Bertha was living with her added credibility that Jennie M likely belonged to the family outlined above. Jennie married William Thomson who was born in Scotland. They had two children, William Villard (1828-1956) and a daughter who is still living.

The signature on the quilt was Jennie M Villar, but in the photograph, it appeared that there was a seam right after the r. It is believed that the d was sewn into the seam. We could find no other candidates for this signature.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Villard Tree.