Update on X00121: Who is Ellen McLeod?

A few weeks ago, I posted about X00121: Who is Ellen McLeod?. Since that time I have made a couple of new discoveries (with help from people on the Hamilton OGS Facebook group):

1) I have managed to find Ellen Reynolds in the 1901 census. The difficulty with finding her is that she was listed under the name "Hellen Rennals". Anyway, at the time of the 1901 census she is living at the same home for the aged in Hamilton that she was living in in 1891. New information found is that she emigrated to Canada in 1855.

2) I've also managed to find her in an 1888 directory for Hamilton where she is listed as a widow to a John Reynolds. So, we now know her husband's name.

Next actions:
* Look for marriage between 1861 and 1871 for Ellen McLeod and John Reynolds
* Look for death record for John Reynolds between 1861 and 1871
* Look for Ellen and John in 1841 census Scotland
* Look for an obituary for Ellen Reynolds
* Look for an obituary for John McLeod
* Check for probate for John McLeod 1889 and see if Ellen Reynolds is mentioned
* Check location of Ellen Reynolds gravestone in Hamilton Cemetery - see if close to the McLeod-Mundy Stone
* Search under the name RENNALS/RUNNALS as well.

Profile: Private Emerson Claude Smith (1881-1917)

I've decided to start off 2019 by taking Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. I don't know how far I'll get with it, but I figure it will help start the process of writing and documenting the research that I've found so far.

Each week there is a theme to get you going on choosing an ancestor to profile. For week one, the theme is "First". So, I've decided to profile a First World War soldier. I've been doing some work on the Smith family of Eugenia Falls and so for this week, I'm going to profile Private Emerson Claude Smith.

Private Emerson Claude Smith (1881-1917)
2nd cousin, 3 times removed



Emerson Claude Smith was born 13 October 1881 in Eugenia Falls, Grey County, Ontario Canada, the son of Adam Smith, a blacksmith, and Kate Julianna Williams [D04797, D04735, D04798]. He spent most of his early years in Eugenia Falls, Grey County, Ontario but did work for a number of years in Edmonton, Alberta [D04861]. He did not fallow his father into the blacksmith trade, but instead became a woodworker for a period of time. [D04736]

Emerson enlisted to fight in World War 1 in Owen Sound on 14 December 1915 [D04906, D04798, D04799], about fifteen months after his younger brother, Fred enlisted. His attestation papers give a physical description of him as being 5 ft, 8 inches in height, 165 pounds with blue eyes, fair hair and fair complexion. He had a scar on his right knee [D04798]. His attestation also gives his occupation prior to enlisting as a chauffeur [D04798].

Upon enlisting, Emerson was assigned service no 838414 and assigned to the 147th (Grey) Battalion which began recruiting in late 1915 [D04799].

After training for almost a year, the 147th sailed on the SS Olympic to England, departing on 13 November 1916 and arriving on November 21st [D04799]. Emerson was transferred to the 8th Reserve Battalion on 1 January 1917 and then on April 1st to the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion [D04799]. His unit landed in France April 22nd and he was reported as having arrived for duty on April 27th [D04799].

Sadly, Emerson was killed in action on 7 June 1915 at the age of 36. He died at Vimy Ridge, after being in France for only about two months. [D05025 p405, D04861, D04799]. He was buried at Petit Vimy on the slope of Vimy Ridge [D05025 p405, D04861].



Emerson’s mother, Kate Julianna Smith was given the memorial cross for losing her son [D04799]. She may have also received some consolation in a letter that Emerson wrote to her just before his death. The letter in included the following passage that seems to indicate that he was comfortable with whatever fate lay in store for him:

"I am not just as good as I might be, but I am going to try very hard to lead a better life. Do not worry too much about me, because God will bring me through safely if He sees fit." [D04805]

The Smith family printed this memorial in the Flesherton Advance 6 June 1918 in his memory:

In Memory Of Pte. Emerson Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Smith, Eugenia, killed in battle June 7, 1917.
Somewhere in France, near the long battle line,
Stands a cross on the grave of that dear son of mine.
He suffered, he died, that his country might live.
Paid the full price, gave all that could give.
Through he lies far from home, over the sea,
I shall meet him again in the life that's to be.
- Father, Mother, Sisters, Brother.[D04863]

After the war, Emerson’s mother was a big part of ensuring that a war memorial was set up in Eugenia Park to commemorate the fallen soldiers from the area, including her two sons. The memorial was officially dedicated on 21 July 1921 and list both Emerson and his brother Fred. [D05025 p 401 & 402]




Sources:
[D04735] 1901 census of Canada, Ontario, district 66, sub-district A-5, Artemesia, p. 14, dwelling 126, family 126; RG 31; digital images(accessed 15 Oct 2018).

[D04736] 1911 census of Canada, Ontario, district 72, sub-district 4, Eugenia, p. 7, dwelling 70, family 70; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com (accessed 20 Oct 2018).

[D04797] Ontario Archives of Ontario, MS 929, reels 1-245, MS929; Reel: 48: 8357, 26; digital image, Ancestry.com, "Ontario, Canada Births," (25 Oct 2018).

[D04798] Canada, "WWI CEF Attestation Papers, 1914-1918," Attestation Papers: Emerson Claude Smith; digital images, Ancestry.ca(accessed 11 Nov 2018).

[D04799] Canada, "Emerson Claude Smith WW1 Military Service Record"; digital images, Library and Archives Canada(accessed 27 Dec 2018).

[D04805] "Claude Emerson Smith," Flesherton Advance, 16 Aug 1917, p. 1, col. 2; digital images(accessed 2 Nov 2018), Grey Highlands Newspapers.

[D04863] "In Memory," Flesherton Advance, 6 Jun 1918, p. 1, col. 2; digital images(accessed 2 Nov 2018), Grey Highlands Newspapers.

[D04906] "Eugenia Soldiers," Flesherton Advance, 30 Mar 1916, p. 3, col. 2; digital images(accessed 10 Nov 2018), Grey Highlands Newspaper Collection.

[D05025] Mildred Young Hubbert, editor, Split Rail Country: A History of Artemesia Township (Owen Sound, Ontario: Stan Brown Printers Limited, 1986),

X00245: Solved!

So, it would seem that I have received an early Christmas present this year. A while back in a previous post I mentioned that I had found a marriage between Henry Mundy and Ann Sidney Taylor in an index [D02737].



Since then, I have been trying to obtain the original marriage record and it has proved to be difficult. For one thing, because the marriage was performed by an acting chaplin, it wasn't kept with the rest of the records for Fort George marriages. It also appears that it was never microfilmed. So the question is: who had the original record? The Anglican Church archives said that they didn't have it, and that the Archives of Ontario should have it instead. Then when I talked to the Archives of Ontario, they said that the Anglican Church archives should have it.

Recently I attended a genealogy fair where both the Archives of Ontario and the Anglican Church archives both had booths. So, I figured that I could sort it out once and for all. I gave the information to someone and the Anglican Church archives who ultimately was able to find the original record and send me a copy:

X00287 Samina "Minnie" Foxwell Williams

One of the daughters of Thomas Williams and Sybil Foxwell was named Samina Foxwell Williams. She was born in 1841 in Liverpool, England and emigrated with the rest of the family in the 1840s. For the longest time, I wasn't able to determine what happened to her after 1871: I couldn't find her in any of the Ontario census, marriage or death records.

I did eventually find a name in the Greenwood Cemetery burial listings of a Minnie McInnis who died in 1878 and is buried in a location close to Thomas and Sybil Williams. I figured that Minnie could be a possible nickname for Samina. As far as I am aware, however, there is no surviving gravestone. I'll verify that the next time I'm in Owen Sound.

So, I had a look in the Owen Sound papers and came across this article from the November 29, 1878 Owen Sound Times:



The sister (Mrs John Douglas) would be Louisa Williams. So, it would appear that she married a Joseph McInnis sometime between 1871 and 1878 and died in Walnut, Iowa in November 1878 (one newspaper gives the date as November 25th and another one gives it as November 26th). Thus far, however, I have not been able to find a marriage or death record for her.

So, I'm still looking for marriage and death records. Here are the known facts about Samina "Minnie" Foxwell Williams McInnis:

• Born Jan 20, 1841 Liverpool, Lancashire, England
• Baptised May 20, 1841, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
• Emigrated to Canada West in the 1840s, first settled in Guelph. Later moved to Owen sound.
• Was in Owen Sound in 1871 and unmarried (from the 1871) census
• Marriage to Joseph McInnis sometime between 1871 and 1878
• Died November 26 1878 (or November 25th) in Walnut, Pottawattamie, Iowa, USA
• Buried Greenwood Cemetery November 30, 1878 Owen Sound, Grey, Ontario, Canada

X00121 Who is Ellen McLeod?

In the 1861 census, the McLeod family has an Ellen McLeod living with them and is listed as a family member [D01599]:



From the 1861 census, Ellen McLeod was born about 1825-1826 in Scotland.

Then, there is an Ellen Reynolds living with the McLeod family in 1871 and 1881 [D01233] & [D01329]:





She is listed as being widowed.

The ultimate question I'm trying to answer is who is Ellen McLeod. But for the time being, I'm trying to determine if Ellen McLeod and Ellen Reynolds are the same person. I've found Ellen Reynolds in the 1891 census, her death registration and her gravestone and it would appear that she was born around the same time as Ellen McLeod in Scotland.

Analysis
If they are the same person:
- Then Ellen McLeod married a Reynolds between 1861 and 1871
- Mr. Reynolds died between 1861 and 1871

If they are two different people:
- Ellen McLeod should appear in the 1871 or later censuses
- Ellen Reynolds should appear in the 1861 census


Next actions:
* Look for marriage between 1861 and 1871 for Ellen McLeod and Reynolds
* Look for 1901 census record for Ellen Reynolds
* Look for death record for Mr. Reynolds between 1861 and 1871
* Look for ellen and john in 1841 census Scotland
* Look for obituary for Ellen Reynolds
* Look for obituary for John McLeod

In Remembrance

Today being the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1, I thought I'd post a remembrance to all of those in my tree who fought in the war

Edwin Ashton	BEF	Survived WW1
Lawrence Ashton	75th Bn CEF	Died September 2, 1918
Charles A. Brown	4th Signal Co. CEF	Survived WW1
Wilfred M. Brown	Can Signal Pool, CEF	Survived WW1
Herbert Hewett Burnet	CEF	Survived WW1
Everett Delahaye	US Military	Survived WW1
Peter Delahaye	US Military	Survived WW1
John C. Douglas	20th Bn CEF	Survived WW1
Stewart Arnold Douglas	CEF	Survived WW1
Thomas W. Douglas	3rd MGC CEF	Survived WW1
Reynold Hardy	CEF	Survived WW1
Duncan Hook	Lancashire Fusiliers, BEF	Died July 8, 1915
Geoffrey Hook	Royal Air Force, BEF	Died April 10, 1918
Harry Theodore Hook	BEF	Survived WW1
Robin Hook	Lancashire Fusiliers, BEF	Died August 7, 1915
Valentine Hook	Royal West Surrey Regiment, BEF	Died May 3, 1917
Howard Radford Letty	CEF	Died October 8, 1916
George Russell Miller	CEF	Survived WW1
James Piggott	CEF	Survived WW1
Christopher Place	King's Royal Rifles, BEF	Died February 19, 1917
Thomas Place	East Lancashire Regiment, BEF	Died August 13, 1915
John Raymond Price	CEF	Survived WW1
Emerson Claude Smith	4th Canadian Mounted Rifles CEF	Died June 7, 1917
George Wilfred "Fred" Smith	15th Bn CEF	Died July 22, 1918
John McLeod Wainwright	CEF	Survived WW1

Marriage Date Found: Adam Smith & Kate Williams

I just realized that it has been a few months since I've posted here. So, here's a quick update. I'm currently working on researching some branches of the Williams family, in particular the Smith family of Eugenia Falls, Ontario.

I was trying to determine the date of marriage for Adam Smith and Kate J. Williams. All evidence pointed to about 1880; their first child was born in 1881, and an article I found suggested that they got married about a year and a half after her older sister Jane Emily Williams married William Henry Madden. The date of that marriage was July 2 1879. So, towards the end of 1880 would seem the most likely date.

The problem is that I couldn't find them in the civil registration marriages for Ontario. So I had a look in the newspapers next. Fortunately, the Grey Highlands Public Library has a collection of Grey Highlands newspapers. I found this article in the Markdale Standard, Dec 3 1880:



The article suggests that the marriage had occurred recently, but didn't give an exact date. I checked earlier newspapers, but found no mention of the actual date. So, knowing that both husband and wife lived past 1930, I decided to look for a 50th anniversary article and found one in the 29 October 1930 issue of Flesherton Advance that mentioned they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on 23 October 1930. So there you have it, I was able to find their marriage date of 23 October 1880 via a roundabout way