2011 Slipp Family Reunion
There was a remarkable three day gathering of the descendants of Leonard and Elizabeth Slipp in New Brunswick on August 20 to 22, 2011.
The first day featured a riverboat cruise on the St. John River, imagining how differently the wilderness along these shores would have looked to our immigrant ancestors, sailing to their future homestead, 228 years ago.
The second day included viewing family heirlooms loaned by the New Brunswick Museum to the Gagetown Court House Museum for this occasion, a glimpse of our ancestors, brought to life by Wayne and Cynthia Vail (see below), a stop at the Merritt-Slipp Cemetery in Queenstown, and a barbecue hosted by Larry Slipp, including burgers made with beef from his organic farm.
The third day we went to Sussex where the highlight was a tour of the George Leonard Slipp home, now a funeral home and designated a “historic place”. See http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=8715 . George was a grandson of Leonard and Elizabeth.
Arrival of the Loyalists Leonard and Elizabeth Slipp
An original painting by Lynn Godwin. It was Lynn who put wind into the sails, making our 2011 Slipp family reunion in New Brunswick a reality. She also painted this incredible scene of Leonard and Elizabeth’s arrival in Canada, in the harbour of the St. John River in 1783, overlooked by Fort Howe.
Then she donated the painting to the reunion, and it was the main door prize given away during our riverboat cruise on the St. John River on August 20.
Leonard and Elizabeth arrived on the “Spencer”, with the first of their two children, Magdalen and Catherine. Leonard and Elizabeth had a set of pewter candlesticks with them, among the few worldly possessions they were able to bring from New York, seen here tucked into Leonard’s knapsack.
Lynn is both a 4G granddaughter and 5G granddaughter of Leonard and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth and Leonard Slipp
Elizabeth and Leonard Slipp as portrayed by Cynthia and Wayne Vail during the Slipp Family Reunion on August 21, 2011. They delivered a delightful dialogue between our ancestors at the Gagetown Court House Museum in Gagetown, New Brunswick.
Slipp Monument
The Merritt-Slipp Cemetery features this monument, ”Erected by Descendants Bearing the Family Name Nov 1903″. A visit to this cemetery was part of our Odyssey, as participants revisited spots of historical importance during our three day reunion.