X00277 Unraveling Historical Mysteries: The Case of Ann Doritty

Historical research often uncovers intriguing questions and unexpected connections. One such case involves the confirmation record of Ann Doritty on May 24, 1841. The confirmation record took place at St. Mark’s Church in what is now Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario.

At the time of her confirmation, Ann was recorded as being 15 years old, suggesting a birth year of either 1826 or 1827.

The location of Niagara-On-The-Lake and the timing does fit with my Dorrity family. And I’m not aware of any other Dorrity families in the area around that time. But I don’t have any records of an Ann Dorrity born in those years. Thomas and Ann Doritty were marred later in 1831.

A question arises: Could this confirmation actually pertain to Henriette Elizabeth Mundy instead? She would have been born 16 December 1827, which is close to the time. Since her mother remarried, she could have been going under the surname of Dorrity. It’s a long shot, but it's worth exploring if the confirmation meant for Ann Doritty might have been hers. The details align closely, raising the possibility of a clerical error or a mistaken identity over time.

Investigating further into church and community records from that period, as well as cross-referencing family histories, could shed more light on this mystery. There are other possibilities as well – perhaps Thomas Doritty had a sibling or other relative who also lived in Niagara at the time.

This case highlights the complexities and the detective-like work often involved in historical research. Each piece of information adds depth to our understanding of the past, helping us to build a more accurate and rich tapestry of history.

X00057 Peter Brown and Annie Paton Kerr Missing Child - Solved!

The 1911 census for Peter Brown and Annie Paton Kerr, mentions that the couple had twelve children, but only nine were alive at the time of the 1911 census.

Through thorough research, I identified eleven of their children from previous census records:

• Maria Kerr Brown, b. 1875
• Peter Brown, b. 1876, d. 1884
• William K. Brown, b. 1879
• James Brown, b. 1881
• John Young Brown, b. 1883
• Jane Menzies Brown, b. 1885
• Peter Brown, b. 1887
• Annie Kerr Brown, b. 1889, d. 1909
• Elizabeth Brown, b. 1894
• Thomas Kerr Brown, b. 1896
• Alexander Brown, b. 1889

From this list, we can see that both the first Peter Brown and Annie Kerr Brown had passed away prior to the 1911 census. This leaves a gap—there must have been one more child, born and died between census years, never appearing in any of the census records.

To fill in this missing piece, I turned to other genealogical resources. While searching through Ancestry, I stumbled upon references to a Jennie Kerr Brown. This led me to Scotland’s People, where I discovered a birth record for Jeannie Kerr Brown, born 16 April 1878, and a death record dated 28 March 1880. As suspected, Jeannie Kerr Brown was born and passed away between the census years, thus explaining why she wasn’t recorded in the census records.

This discovery, while fulfilling in terms of completing the family tree, also brought a poignant reminder of the challenges and sorrows faced by our ancestors. The short life of Jeannie Kerr Brown, and the losses endured by Peter and Annie Brown, are now acknowledged and remembered, adding depth and context to the Brown family history.

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Sources:
[D00338] 1911 census of Scotland, Larbert, Stirlingshire, Scotland, enumeration district (ED) 2, page 8, schedule no. 57; digital images, ScotlandsPeople.