Profile: Clarence Williams Douglas & Mary Louisa “May” Leach

Profile: Clarence Williams Douglas [1865-1923] & Mary Louisa “May” Leach [1863-1896]

Clarence Williams Douglas was born on 9 February 1865 in Owen Sound, Grey County [D00329, D00769, D00838, D01559, D04954] and was the youngest child of John Douglas and Louisa Williams.

Clarence grew up in Owen sound and lived most of his there [D02348]. At the age of sixteen he learned the trade of cutter by apprenticing with a tailor in Toronto [D01354] alongside his older brothers, Thomas W. And Frederick G. Douglas. Back in Owen Sound, Thomas W. Douglas opened a tailoring business where Clarence was employed for seventeen years [D02348].

Mary Louisa “May” Leach was born on 20 October 1863 [D00838, D01131, D01236, D01952, D04954] the daughter of Charles Leach and Margaret Delahaye. She grew up in Trafalgar Township in Halton County, Canada West [D01236], later moving to Oakville [D01334]. She likely met Clarence Douglas during the time he was apprenticing in Toronto.

Clarence Douglas and Mary Louisa “May” Leach were married on 27 December 1887 in Toronto [D00838].

Clarence and May lived on Mulholland Street (now 3rd Avenue West) in Owen Sound. They had one daughter, Muriel May Douglas, born 21 May 1889 [D00378, D05264, D05998].

On the morning of Wednesday 26 February 1896, May began experiencing some agonizing pains in her abdomen [D00233]. Several doctors were called in, but they were unable to save her and she died later that day [D00233, D01952]. The cause of the pains and her later death was determined to be an intestinal rupture [D00233].

The entire community was shocked and grief-stricken over her death as she was only thirty-two years of age and left behind a seven-year-old daughter [D00233, D04930, D05999]. Her funeral was held on Friday 28 February 1896 at 3 pm [D00233, D04930, D05999] and being very well-known in the community, drew a procession that was over a mile in length [D04930, D05999]. She is buried in Greenwood cemetery [D00233, D01131, D04954].

After his wife’s death, Clarence sold the house on Mulholland Street to Mr. George W. Patterson [D06017].

Clarence worked as a commercial traveller for a few years in the 1890s before partnering with George Marron to purchase the Paterson House Hotel from W.M. Matthews on 7 April 1903 [D06019]. The Paterson House had been considered on of the best managed hotels in all of Canada just a few years earlier, but took a bit of a downturn after Owen Sound went dry in 1906. Marron and Douglas co-owned the hotel until Clarence’s death in 1923. During their time as co-owners, George Marron and Clarence Douglas became very well-known over all of Western Ontario [D02348].



Clarence and May’s only daughter Muriel May Douglas married Lester Wright Brown on 26 October 1912 in Owen Sound [D00835]. Their first an only biological daughter (as well as Clarence and May’s only biological granddaughter), Frances Eileen Brown, was born 23 August 1918 [D00267, D00345].

In the evening of Thursday, 20 December 1923 passed out while entering his room at the Paterson House. He may have been drinking that evening, leading to the loss of consciousness, as he was known to have been a drinker. As he fell, he cut his leg on the door hinge and knocked over an oil space heater. He was found collapsed on the floor. A doctor was called, but by the time he began treatment, blood poisoning from the cut had already set in [D02348]. Clarence died two days later on Saturday 21 December 1923 [D01951, D02348].

His funeral was held on Monday 24 December 1923 at the home of his daughter, 1104 4th Avenue East [D02348]. The pall bearers were his nephews John Wilfred and Dr. Norman K. Douglas, his son-in-law Lester Wright Brown, his brother-in-law, George Milford and business partner, George Marron [D02348]. He was buried in Greenwood cemetery along with his wife [D01131, D02348, D04954].




Sources:
[D00233] "Deaths," (Owen Sound) Owen Sound Times, 27 Feb 1896, p. 5, col. 3.

[D00267] “Birth Announcements," Owen Sound Sun-Times , August 27 1918, p. 5; digital images(accessed 5 Mar 2017). Rec. Date: 5 Mar 2017. 

[D00329] 1911 census of Canada, Ontario, district 73, sub-district 57, Owen Sound, p. 3, dwelling 36, family 36; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com (accessed 25 Mar 2017).

[D00345] 1921 census of Canada, district 83, sub-district 36, Owen Sound, p. 5, dwelling 62, family 63; RG 31; digital images, ancestry.com (accessed 2 Apr 2017). Rec. Date: 1 Apr 2017. 

[D00378] Ontario Archives of Ontario, MS 929, reels 1-245, MS929; Reel: 93: 40, 11105, 76; digital image, Ancestry.com, (20 Apr 2017).

[D00769] 1891 census of Canada, Ontario, district 68, sub-district Owen Sound West Ward, Owen Sound, p. 8, family 39; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca,Ancestry (accessed 13 Oct 2017).

[D00835] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Marriages, MS932; Reel: 211, 8620, Brown-Douglas; digital images, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Marriages,"(accessed 9 Dec 2017).

[D00838] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Marriages, MS932; Reel: 63, 14388, Douglas-Leach; digital images, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Marriages,"(accessed 16 Dec 2017).

[D01131] "Owen Sound Greenwood Cemetery Interments" (typescript, 2005), p. 81.

[D01236] 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 38, sub-district 2-b, Trafalgar, p. 25, dwelling 91, family 91; RG 31; digital images(accessed 30 Mar 2019).

[D01334] 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, district 150, Oakville, p. 50, dwelling 260, family 260; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 8 Jul 2018).

[D01354] 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, district 134, sub-district G, Toronto, p. 136, dwelling 657, family 713; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 30 Sep 2018).

[D01559] 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 37, sub-district 1-G, Owen Sound, p. 67, dwelling 258, family 262; RG 31; digital images(accessed 6 Sep 2018).

[D01951] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935; Reel: 301: 429, 15709, 14; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (16 Mar 2019).

[D01952] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935; Reel: 79: 593, 9512, 17; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (17 Mar 2019).

[D02348] "Prominent Hotel Man Passed Away Quite Suddenly,"Owen Sound Sun-Times, 23 Dec 1923, p. 1, col. 1; digital images(accessed 16 Mar 2019).

[D04930] "Deaths," (Owen Sound) Owen Sound Times, 5 Mar 1896, p. 5, col. 3.

[D04954] Greenwood Cemetery (Owen Sound, Grey, Ontario), G-S9-1.

[D05264] “Births," (Owen Sound) Owen Sound Times, 6 Jun 1889.

[D05998] “Births," (Owen Sound) Owen Sound Times, 13 Jun 1889, p.4, col. 4.

[D05999] (Owen Sound) The Advertiser, Owen Sound, 3 Mar 1896, p. 1, col. 7.

[D06017] "Marriages," (Owen Sound) Owen Sound Times, 26 Mar 1896, p. 1, col. 4.

[D06019] "Deaths," (Owen Sound) The Advertiser, Owen Sound, 18 Mar 1904, p. 1, col. 2.

Analysis: Birth Info for Clarence Williams Douglas

Details/Background:

Different dates of birth have been found for Clarence Williams Douglas ranging from 1864 to 1867. No records earlier than 1871 (i.e. baptism record or news articles) have been found.

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Analysis:

Ref	Desc	Birth Date Given	Notes
D01559	1871 Census	Abt. 1865	Age 6 in 1871
D01354	1881 Census	Abt. 1864	Age 17 in 1881
D00838	Marriage Record	Abt. 1865	Age 22 on 27 Dec 1887
D00769	1891 Census	Abt. 1865	Age 26 in 1891
D00329	1911 Census	Feb 1865
D00348	1921 Census	Abt. 1868	Age 53 in 1921
D01951	Death Registration	9 Feb 1867	Recorded 1923
D04954	Gravestone	1865
D01131	Burial Records	Abt. 1867	Age 56 on 22 Dec 1923

Most of the records imply a year of birth of 1865. There are a couple of census records (1881 and 1921) that are outliers. The death registration and burial records both suggest a birth year of 1867, but those likely could have used the same source for their information.

Also, since his next oldest sibling was born in 1860, a birth year of 1865 would be more likely than 1867.

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Conclusion:

Based on the evidence found, the most likely date of birth for Clarence Williams Douglas is 9 February 1865.

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Sources:

D00329 1911 census of Canada, Ontario, district 73, sub-district 57, Owen Sound, p. 3, dwelling 36, family 36; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com (accessed 25 Mar 2017). Rec. Date: 18 Mar 2017. Cit. Date: 25 Mar 2017.

D00348 1921 census of Canada, district 83, sub-district 46, Owen Sound, p. 9, dwelling 98, family 100; RG 31; digital images, ancestry.com (accessed 31 Mar 2019). Rec. Date: 1 Apr 2017. Cit. Date: 31 Mar 2019.

D00769 1891 census of Canada, Ontario, district 68, sub-district Owen Sound West Ward, Owen Sound, p. 8, family 39; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca, Ancestry (accessed 13 Oct 2017). Rec. Date: 30 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 13 Oct 2017.

D00838 Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Marriages, MS932; Reel: 63, 14388, Douglas-Leach; digital images, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Marriages,"(accessed 16 Dec 2017). Rec. Date: 9 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 16 Dec 2017.

D01131 "Owen Sound Greenwood Cemetery Interments" (typescript, 2005), p. 81. Rec. Date: 6 May 2018. ID: D01131. Cit. Date: 30 Sep 2018.

D01354 1881 census of Canada, Ontario, district 134, sub-district G, Toronto, p. 136, dwelling 657, family 713; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.ca (accessed 30 Sep 2018). Rec. Date: 17 Feb 2018. Cit. Date: 30 Sep 2018.

D01559 1871 census of Canada, Ontario, district 37, sub-district 1-G, Owen Sound, p. 67, dwelling 258, family 262; RG 31; digital images (accessed 6 Sep 2018). Rec. Date: 4 Mar 2017. Cit. Date: 6 Sep 2018.

D01951 Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935; Reel: 301: 429, 15709, 14; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca (16 Mar 2019). Rec. Date: 3 Sep 2017. Cit. Date: 16 Mar 2019.

D04954 Greenwood Cemetery (Owen Sound, Grey, Ontario), G-S9-1. Rec. Date: 1 Dec 2018. Cit. Date: 1 Dec 2018.

X00056 Clarence Douglas in 1921 Census Solved!!

For the longest time, I wasn't able to find Clarence W. Douglas in the 1921 census, I did come across the following person in the 1921 census:



While the name and the age (53) matches, there are a number of things that do not. For one thing the relationship to head of Roomer/servant is a discrepancy. But the biggest one is that he is listed as being from Ireland, of Irish background and immigrated to Canada in 1884, where we know that he is actually of Scottish background and was born in Canada.

On the other hand, the address of the place he was living at was 845 2nd Avenue East, which was the address of the Paterson House where he and George Marron would have been the co-owners in 1921. Sure enough, George Marron and his family are also listed as living there at the time. Owen Sound street directories from show Clarence Douglas living at that same address in 1917 and 1922, which leads me to conclude that this Clarence Douglas in 1921 is the correct one, and the information about his ethnic background was giving incorrectly by someone who did not know him all that well.