Monday, September 30, 2019

X00301: Who is Gertrude Evelyn Nugent?


I came across this naturalization document recently [D06314]:



The person described in the document is a Gertrude Evelyn Nugent and bears a lot of similarities to Gertrude Lavinia Hart. See the comparison below:

Gertrude Evelyn Nugent [From Document D06314]
Born 12 Aug 1883 in Fredericton, NB
Married a man named Percival 21 Sept 1929 at Dorchester, Mass
Currently living in Dorchester, Mass [as of 1 April 1941]
Percival was born on 27 June 1883 in Dorchester, Mass
No children
Previously entered the US on 25 Dec 1923 under the name Gertrude E. Madden


Gertrude Lavinia Hart [Known information]:
Born 12 Aug 1883 in Ontario
Married Henry Percival Madden 2 Feb 1911 in Bayham, Elgin, Ontario
Henry Percival Madden born 5 October 1881 in Minden, Haliburton, Ontario
One known child: Murray Gordon Madden born 19 June 1912 in Hensall, Huron, Ontario
Obituary states that she lived in Ottawa between 1939 and 1943


SameDifferent
First NameSame
Middle NameDifferent
Last NameDifferent
Date of BirthSame
Birth LocationDifferent
Husband's NameSame
Marriage DateDifferent
Marriage LocationDifferent
Husband's Date of BirthDifferent
Husband's Place of BirthDifferent
Child StatusDifferent
Residence in 1941Different


As far as I am aware, Gertrude Lavinia Hart and Henry Percival Madden stayed married during their entire lives and I have no evidence of them ever having lived in the United States. Gertrude is buried alongside Henry Madden and it does not appear that she remarried after his death.

This is a tough one to call because it means either one of two things:
  1. This naturalization document is filled with inaccurate information
  2. There were two women named Gertrude, born on the exact same day who both married someone name Percival and used the surname Madden at some time.

I'm inclined to go with option 2 based on the information available, although it does seem like quite the coincidence. With option two though there are just too many things wrong. Even if it turns out that the two people are the same person, this document would not be much use genealogically because of all the inaccuracies.

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