Frederick Mercer Eastwood and Annie





*1891-1919*			Frederick Mercer Eastwood and Annie: Lightkeepers at Race Rocks

This photo was contributed by their great granddaughter Geri Stevenson ( see below)

(One version: ) Apparently his real name was Mercer but because he deserted the British Navy he added Eastwood to his name. He came to the USA to go railroading then went to Canada.
He was born in 1864 in Yorkshire and died 2 Mar 1943 age 81 –
Had 14 kids
They lived at Race Rocks from 1891 until they retired in 1919

From Ancestry.ca: " According to Annie Barbara Peterson, Granddaughter to Frederick, in her letters to me, she stated that: "My grandfather was Frederick Mercer. He deserted the British Navy and went railroading in the USA. He was forced to change his name so he added "Eastwood" becoming F.M.Eastwood. Hard times, no job brought him to Vancouver Island, British Columbia Canada. "

UPDATE: In an e-mail of Dec. 31, 2011 from Kev....

Several other ancestry sites have Frederick Mercer Eastwood Born in London, England on 1861 to Joseph Eastwood and Annie Mercer. They have the same children and death date as Annie Peterson, She might be mistaken in thinking her grandfather was a deserter. (Mercer was her Great Grandmother's maiden name.)

ps Annie Biggs, Frederick Mercer Eastwood's wife, was a distant cousin of mine, I have her tree and therefore Annie Peterson's tree, back to Richard Biggs (from whom I'm also descended) b: Abt 1685 in Mells Somerset, England. Death: 1710 in Mells Somerset, Burial: 13 Oct 1710 Mells Somerset .

Regards Kev

Click on this census record to see some of his family of 14 as they resided in 1911 at Race Rocks.

Several references to the Eastwood family are available in the records of the Daily Colonist from the period of their stay at Race Rocks. The following records among many others on Race Rocks can be accessed here.

Lightkeeper Eastwood charged with leaving the station and employing Japanese(!!) Sept. 19 1900

Letter from Col.Prior re: Eastwood inquiry... Note racist overtones common then .

Lightkeeper F.Eastwood saw drowning by the overturning of a Columbia River boat loaded -- Hesquiot Indian tells another story----No one drowned!- Sept 18 1909

Cliff Eastwood (son of Frederick Eastwood born on Race Rocks) and Peggy Cleave family:

Eastwood lightkeeper at Race Rocks In about 1998, when students from one of the schools from Sooke were visiting as part of the Coastwatch Program, a grade 7 student and his mother identified themselves as being descendants of the Eastwoods from Race Rocks. In 2012, Geri Stevenson wrote to us identifying those in the picture

Geri writes:
"I am writing in regards to the picture you asked about who was a member of the Eastwood Family , she is my Aunt Debbie and her son Kyle - there are many of us around.

My Great Grandfather was Frederick Eastwood, his son Cliff Eastwood was one of the children born on the rock. He and many others :)
Cliff Eastwood and his wife Peggy McCleave had 5 children Viola (Jim) (our Mother - Corinne, Bill, Brenda, Debbie, Geri & David Stevenson)

Geri (Jim) (our Aunt her children Jaime, Geordie, Torrie & Marty Robertson)

Cliff (Joan) daughter Karen - Vickie (Douglas) no children

Debbie (Mike their children Lindsey * Kyle) ...