Family History

Over the last fifteen years I have devoted a fair amount of time and energy tracking down my own ancestors and those of my wife’s family. This effort has been largely successful with a number of branches dating back several centuries. I’ve traced my four grandparents’ Segger, McEwan, Adams and Smith families in Great Britain to thirty-one of my thirty-two 3x great grandparents and well beyond for many of those branches.

The photo above is of the family of my great-grandparents Joseph Segger (1863-1932) and Edith Maria (Havers) Segger (1870-1941) and was taken in Edinburgh just before the beginning of WW1. My grand-father Bertam Reginald Segger (1895-1959) who served in the Royal Navy, ultimately as Chief Petty Officer, is top left. His brother Joseph, top right, served in the Royal Berkshire Regiment and died of injuries sustained in France in February 1917. Fred on the middle left was a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery and John on the middle right served in the Royal Scots. All four brothers are listed on the following plaque still proudly displayed at Roseburn School, Edinburgh. The three daughters from left to right were Adelaide (Adie), Edith Maud and Margaret Josephine (Daisy).

Photo by Cameron Segger, 2012

My mother’s father was Royal Engineers Regimental Sergeant Major James Challis (Chas) Adams (1888-1971). Below is a photo of him (bottom right) with his parents Royal Artillery Warrant Officer 1 Edwin Adams (1858-1895) and Mary Ann (Polly) Benns (1857-1938) taken in 1892 in Malta 3 years before Edwin’s untimely death.

For my wife Diane’s family the search has been equally extensive for her Lecuyer, Galipeau, Vanderhorst and Pullins ancestors as well as her children’s paternal Reid family.

The Ontario Genealogy Society has published two of my articles in their May 2019 issue which document aspects of my research into Diane’s ancestors.

War of 1812 Loss Compensation Delayed – Jacob Bechtel (1759-1838)

Honing Your Skills with Heritage Society Applications

The following tracts have been prepared, mostly for the private use of our families.

My family:

Collecting Ancestors – article published in the September 2010 issue of Au Courant discussing the search for my maternal grand-mother.

From Modest Beginnings : The Segger-Adams Ancestors Two Hundred Years Ago (2012)

Three Cheers for Norman J. Segger: 90 Years Young (2013)

Sylvia (Adams) Segger: Recognizing her 85 Wonderful Years (2014)

Diane’s family:

Lecuyer-Galipeau Ancestors (2013)

Lecuyer’s Camp History (2014)

Bechtel Waterloo Homesteads (2015)

In Search of Fertile Fields: The Migration of the Vanderhorst – Pullens Family from Holland to North America (2013)

The Reid-Farrow Ancestors (2014)

For the family history of my first wife Nicole Rita (St. Louis) Segger (1951-2006) I have obtained extensive family trees compiled by her sister Lorraine (St. Louis) Harrison dating back to the very early settlement of Quebec.

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