Book Synopsis
The book offers a history of my Crowdy and Tessier ancestors. James Crowdey, as his name appears in records, is the earliest of my Crowdy ancestors that I have been able to trace. He was a tailor in Gloucester, England, in the 17th century. One of his descendants, Hon. James Crowdy, served as Colonial Secretary of Newfoundland in the 19th century. He returned to England after serving in the Newfoundland government, but his son Charles remained in St. John's as a medical doctor. My maternal grandfather descended from Dr. Charles Crowdy. My Tessier ancestors were Huguenots in southern France who came to England to escape persecution. Two Tessier descendants, brothers Peter and Lewis, immigrated to Newfoundland and established a lucrative fish business. My material grandmother is descended from Peter Tessier. My grandparents married in St. John's and moved to Montreal, where my grandfather worked as a doctor. The book ends with chapters on my mother and her siblings.