Jacob Tuck and Harriet Andrus
Back Row Standing: Cyrus, Ann, George and wife Eva, Festus On Chairs: James Howie (h/o Ann), Harriet, John and wife Emily On Floor: Elisha and Andrew Missing: Franklyn, Joseph, Merritt and James c. 1895-98	Name:	Jacob Tuck
	Birth:	2.22.1832 Wiltshire England
	Death:	3.11.1894
	Grave:	Powassan ON
	Spouse:	Harriet Andrus
	Birth:	7.29.1832 Burrits Rapids
	Death:	6.16.1900
	Grave:	Kemptville Union Cemetery
	Marriage:	April 4, 1853, Marlborough Twsp.
	Parents:	Jacob: Thomas Tuck and Anne Tanner Harriet: Merrit Orsamus Andrus and Maria Carpenter
	Children:	Elizabeth (Ann?) (Howie), James, Merritt William Tuck, George, Joseph, John Alexander, Franklin, Festus, Andrew, Elisha, Cyrus, Heman
	Merritt Andrus' Farm

From Andrew Tuck's Tuck Family web site at MyFamily.com:

"The family of Jacob Tuck is listed in the census for Oxford township, Grenville county for the years 1861, and 1871 as follows:

Jacob is listed in the 1861 agricultural census as being the owner of lot 6 of concession 3 (see map of Oxford). He owned a total of 100 acres, of which 5 were cultivated with 4 in crop and 1 in pasture. His assets were listed as 1 ton of hay, 4 pounds of wool, 200 pounds of maple sugar, 1 cow, 1 horse, 20 pounds of butter, and three quarters of a barrel of pork.

For a young man of 29 with four children, Jacob apparently had an excellent start in life. At this time his older brother, James [0.3.], was still working for his father-in-law, and Jacob's younger brother, John [0.7.], was a laborer near Lynn, Ontario.

In the 1871 census Jacob Tuck is listed as a tenant on the same farm. Though 3.25 acres were improved, 1 acre was in hay, and 0.25 in garden, the balance of the land was not in use. The only other assets listed were 150 pounds of potatoes, and 20 cords of firewood.

Jacob's wife Harriet Andrus, the daughter of Merritt Orsamus Andrus who was born in the U.S.A. and came to Canada to work on the construction of the Rideau Canada. He was owner of lot 28, concession 1 of Marlborough township of Carleton county. Burritts Rapids straddles the Rideau River and on Marlborough township side is located on lots 25 and 26 of concession 1. The Andrus farm was thus within a short distance of the village. In the 1851 census the members of the Andrus family consisted of Merritt age 43, Maria 43, Harriet 19, Elizabeth 17, Orsamus 14, Maria 13, a son 11, James 9, Elisha 7, Sirus 4; another daughter, Mary E. was born later in 1851. There is no existent copy of the agricultural census of 1951. However, in 1861 Merritt Andrus is listed as the owner of 100 acres of which 25 were improved with 20 in crops and 5 in pasture. In the 1871 census the acreage owned was 150 of which 50 were improved including 15 in pasture. At that time he owned 2 horses, 8 milch cows, 3 other cattle, 21 sheep, 3 swine and 4 hives of bees. He is also listed as having slaughtered during the year: 1 cattle, 1 sheep and 8 swine. He had a substantial house overlooking the Rideau river, it was still standing in 1980. Even though it was sold out of the family around the turn of the century and had been modernized by the addition of plumbing and electricity, it was still much the same as W. Earl Tuck [0.6.6.2] remembered it in his youth.

We cannot always assume that the location given for the birthplace of a child corresponds to the location of the parents' home. In notes prepared by W. Earl Tuck, the birthplace of Elizabeth A., George and John is given as Burritts Rapids. That of Merritt William is given as "Andrusville". That of Festus is also given as Burritts Rapids but in the context that his parents returned there from the U.S.A. before moving to "Kelly's Corners", where Andrew [0.6.9.] and Elisha [0.6.10.] were born. At that time it was not unusual to identify a locality by some prominent or old-time family in the vicinity. Thus "Andrusville" would be around the old Andrus farm, and "Kelly's Corners" was named after T. Kelly who lived on lot 7, concession 3 of Oxford township and was immediately next to that which Jacob Tuck owned in 1861 and rented in 1871 (see map of Oxford).

Based on this limited information it is possible to reconstruct a probable course of Jacob's life. Jacob lived and worked in and around Burritts Rapids until 1858. His father died in March of 1858. It seems that he, like his biblical namesake, was able to appropriate his fathers estate to his own use and to the exclusion of his brothers and sisters. With the proceeds he purchased the farm where he lived in 1861, but he was unable to operate it. About 1866 he moved to Morristown N.Y. where his son Franklin was born, then returned to Burritts Rapids where Festus was born and then back to "Kelly's Corners" where Andrew and Elisha were born.

The practice of "indenture" for children was not common in Canada at that time, though it was well known in Europe as "apprenticeship", and had been practiced in the U.S.A. At best it gave the child an opportunity to develop a skill or learn a trade he could not have learned at home; at worst it was legalized temporary child slavery. Though we do not know the specific terms, we do know that Jacob arranged for his various older children to be indentured. Merritt William was raised by his grandparents (he appears with the Andrus family in the 1871 census) and on his 21st birthday was given $100 and a horse. George lived with a Bob Johnson near Merrickville from about the age of 12 until he was 24 so the conditions were probably not onerous. John lived with Dr. Howie from about the age of 8 but was allowed to leave to move with his family in 1879. Joseph was bound to Sam Bolton at the age of 9 and was subject to sufficient cruelty that he "jumped bond" at the age of 18. It maybe Joseph was the only one "sold into slavery".

We have not been able to locate Jacob and his family in the 1881 census, he reportedly moved "up the Gatineau" about 1879. The Gatineau river flows through what was at that time an English conclave in Quebec, passed such towns as Farley, Gracefield, Wright, Alwyn, Wakefield and Hull, it then joins the Ottawa river at Ottawa.

According to family tradition, when Jacob attained the age of 50 he insisted on being called "Israel" in imitation of his biblical namesake.

Finally, he moved his family to Powassan. With him were Frank, Festus, Andrew, Elisha and Cyrus [0.6.11.]. Joseph was also in the area having arrived there after his escape from bondage to Sam Bolton. Although John was with the family in Quebec, he appears to have been in Powassan only as a visitor on occasions.

The weather in Powassan is not kind to the helpless; and what could be more helpless than a drunken old man! According to family legend, Jacob was travelling home one night after drinking heavily, when he simply fell off the back of the wagon. Jacob was still alive when discovered but he died as a result of the exposure. One of his grandsons kindly described his death as being the result "of an accident"; maybe shooting oneself when playing Russian roulette is accidental too.

The family left Powassan shortly after Jacob's death, with the exception of Joseph who lived in the area until 1899. Records in Powassan show that several pieces of properties were recovered from the Tucks by the municipalities after 1895 for non-payment of taxes. In the village itself there were lots 7 and 8 in block 5 from Harriet Tuck, lot 21 in block 7 from Frank Tuck; and in South Hinsworth township, lot 16 concession 19 from Elisha Tuck and lot 7 Concession 9 from Festus Tuck.

A multitude of attempts, over many years to obtain information on Jacob's character, from those who knew him or would have heard their parents speak of him, have been unsuccessful. Usually the topic was ignored and the subject changed. Of the few snippets of information that have been obtained all were derogatory, none were complementary. The most direct answer was "that he was an old reprobate". That he was a habitual drunkard is beyond doubt; that he was neglectful of his wife and children is well established; that he was unkind and brutal to them is probable; that he manipulated his brothers and sisters out of a share in their fathers estate is suspected. These factors must be taken into consideration when assessing the lives of his children. They started with no worldly goods, with little or no education and without established roots. They grew up at a time when the community painted the children with the sins of the father. Their mass departure from Powassan immediately after his death was an attempt to escape the stigma attached to them by his behavior.

To Harriet, we can be much kinder, the family loyalty was to her. She appears to have done what she could to soften life for her children, but her means were limited. She obviously bore the brunt of the hardships; at 65 years of age she was broken by adversity. After Jacob's death she lived with her son George at Kemptville and is buried there.

Perhaps it is a fitting tribute to Jacob, that in spite of having several hundred descendants none of them share the same cemetery with him."

Harriet Andrus

The Lanark Era June 20, 1900
"At Kemptville, Saturday last, Mrs. Jacob Tuck, in her 68th year, mother of Mr. C.S. Tuck, barber, of Lanark."

Obituary of John Alexander Tuck