X00300: Who is Ann Sipin?

In the 1861 Census of Canada, the Williams family is found living in Guelph. Thomas Williams and his wife Sybil are listed and in the household are their two youngest daughters, Emily and Samina. But there are two others living in the household at the time: Ann Sipin, aged 8 and Maria Hill aged 18.

Maria Hill is clearly not a family member, as she is listed as being a servant and was born in Ireland. But what about Ann Sipin? Is is possible that she might just have been living with the family with no connection, but could she possibly be a clue to a connection?

At the age of 8 in 1861, she would have been born about 1853. She would likely be too young to be another child of Thomas and Sybil Williams. But could she perhaps be a granddaughter? One remote possibility is that she is the daughter of Hester Sophia Williams, who I have not been able to find any trace of after 1841 (see X00291). Perhaps Hester Sophia married a man with the surname of Sipin, and had a child but then the two of them died shortly thereafter, leaving their daughter to be raised by her grandparents.

It's a possibility, but I have not seen the name Ann Sipin show up anywhere else in the records to confirm one way or another.

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Sources:

D01597 1861 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Guelph, Guelph, p. 14; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 13 May 2018). Rec. Date: 5 Feb 2018. Cit. Date: 13 May 2018.