FRENCH CANNINGS:
Family Tree Chart, George's Side
George of Cleveland's (Partially Fictional) Family Tree Chart
Prepared in 1964 with help from Hal B. Brooks of Texas
With many fictions and errors in numbers and names
As well as much that has proven true
Please be reminded, all who read this information from Hal Brooks, that none of Brooks' 1964 information was demonstrably documented by any sort of letter, birth certificate, marriage certificate, or death certificate, as far as we living descendants know. We have since substantiated many portions of this chart with official documentation, but there is a long way to go!
This is the top portion of the Chart prepared in 1963-64 by George Rafton Canning of Cleveland, Ohio (with assistance from Hal B. Brooks of Texas). It is accompanied by a slim booklet prepared by Brooks, entitled "The Cannings of Bishop's Canynges". This chart was distributed to all members of George Canning's family, and to many members of George's brother Achille Botrine Canning's family. However, Achille's family's chart differs from George's in showing Achille's descendants in place of George's. The tops of both charts are essentially the same, though there are a few, perhaps significant, discrepancies. Hopefully time will permit me to scan and post that chart as well, as "Uncle Achille" also had a large and blessed family.
Here we see, at the top, the "Mystery Generation" of children born to Anne Powell and a man I can only call the "Mystery Father." The Mystery Generation were apparently very capable people one and all, having positions of responsibility of very significant, though differing, kinds. They were also world travellers, and scattered to all parts of the globe.
On this chart, the father of the Mystery Generation is said to be George Richard Canning, 1782 - 1853. Now, Hal Brooks obtained the information on George Richard, apparently (for none of this chart was accompanied by references to, or copies of, any documents), from Burke's "Landed Gentry" (no year or edition given). Brooks writes, as an introduction to this chart:
"The George Richard Canning, who married Anne Powell in 1810 is the nephew (his father being a second son, consequently not the heir) of Francis Canning (the one "living in 1720") of Foxcote --- according to Burke's 'Landed Gentry'."
Just prior to this on the very same chart, Brooks quotes Lady Garvagh (the Lords Garvagh began their lineage with Colonel George Canning, born 1778, a close relative of George Canning the Prime Minister), from a letter she wrote to Brooks, thus:
"I think it can be safely assumed that HENRY CANNING (First cousin to GEORGE CANNING, the Prime Minister, brother of STRATFORD, VISCOUNT de REDCLIFFE, and first cousin to GEORGE, the FIRST BARON LORD GARVAGH) is the most likely progenitor of your friend's (Anthony Canning) family".
Brooks goes on to write:
"Lady Garvagh bases her assumption on the fact that Henry, who was British Consul-General and Diplomatic Resident at Hanover, was survived by a family of healthy sons by his German wife. The eldest son, JULIUS, became a well-known producer of Rhemish Wines, with headquarters in Paris."
Then Brooks adds:
"Based on George [Rafton] Canning's up-to-date establishment of the modern generation, she's completely wrong in her assumption."
He continues as above, with the Burke's information.
What happened to any documents that may have substantiated these descriptions and justified the printing of this chart, whether from Hal Brooks or George Rafton Canning, is unknown to us descendants who are now in communication with each other and pursuing this genealogy. Nevertheless, the charts were distributed so widely among our very large families, that they are presented here for the sake of discussion.
We do have some documents, found since the invention of the Internet, that substantiate parts of this chart, as well as correcting or contradicting some of its information. See the other sections of this website to learn of the information contained in those documents. Also, see the description of the "Documents We Have" down the side of each page.
Two documents in our possession put the Mystery Father's name quite differently from George Richard Canning. The first document even seems to say that the Mystery Generation might be a fictional construct, and that there were possibly more than one family. This is Marinus Francis Alfred's death certificate in Perth, Australia (q.v.) which says that MFA was born in Paris, France, and that his father's name was Francis. This is in apparent keeping with Lady Garvagh's comments above, in that she mentions a cousin of Francis Canning of Foxcote as being our most likely progenitor. However, the discrepancy between father and cousin is a large one. The death cert does give Anne Powell as MFA's mother. This area hopefully will be resolved with some study.
The other document is the birth certificate of one Baltriune Canning, born in 1837 in "A Cottage on the Rector's Island" in Rotherhithe, London. Baltriune is such a rare name that we have to think it is another spelling for our Georges Boutrinne/Boutrenne, or "Boatrine" on the chart above, last child of the Mystery Generation. Baltriune's mother's name is given as Anne Powell. However, his father's name is neither Francis nor George Richard, but Alfred D. Canning, Civil Engineer. A third contender!
Wish us luck!
CONTACT US ~~~
Kim Salisbury
Bixby Knolls, California
tractionpads@earthlink.net