Catherine Shannon Wynne
One of My Brick Walls
I
think it is time to try and tackle some of my brick walls. I have 3 great great
grandmothers whose parents are mysteries. All of them lived in Canada in the
nineteenth century. I have decided that it is time to review what I know about
each of these women and to figure out where I can go from here. First I want to
tackle Catherine Shannon. Here is what I know about her.
She
first appears in records (at least those I have found) on 2 April 1838 when she
married Edward Wynne in Beckwith Township, Lanark, Canada West. The marriage was
performed by Daniel Berney, a Wesleyan Methodist minister, by banns. Witnesses
were William Wynne and William James, the brother and brother-in-law of the
groom.[i]
This
family appears in the 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 Census of Canada.I have been
unable to locate them in the 1851 Census although Montague Township was
enumerated and does survive. Perhaps, the family was away the day the census
taker came around and he didn’t return. In 1861,
the family consisted of Edward Wynne, age 47, born in Ireland and his wife
Catherine Wynne, age 45, also born in Ireland. Church affiliation is given as
Church of England probably because there was no established Methodist Church
close by. The following children were living with them: Mary, age 22,
Elizabeth, 20, Wesley, 18, Jane, 17, Margaret, 16, Sarah, 14, Abraham, 12,
Edward, Jr., 10, Catherine, 9, William, 8, Hezekiah, 6 and Albert, 4. This
family lived in a one story log house.[ii]
In 1871 Edward Wynne, age 60 and Catherine, 54, still report Irish births and
are now Wesleyan Methodists. Children living at home include Edward, 18, farm
laborer, Jane, 24, school mistress, Margaret, 22, Sarah, 20, Catherine 17,
William, 15, Albert, 13, Alice 9, and Frederick, 6.[iii]
In 1881, the family consisted of Edward 68, Catherine, 63, Elizabeth, 30, Elena
(Alice Helena), 18, and Frederick, 16. Edward and Catherine said they were born
in Ireland and the family is still Methodist.[iv]
In 1891, The family consisted of Catherine, 75, widowed, Elizabeth, 35 and
Elena, 26. Catherine said she was born
in Ireland and both her parents were born in Ireland and now is a member of the
Canadian Presbyterian Church.[v]
Edward
died on January 9, 1890 and Catherine followed him almost two years later,
dying on December 17, 1891. Both are buried in Union Cemetery, Merrickville,
Leeds and Grenville, Ontario. Merrickville was the town closest to their farm.
What
should be my next steps. I can’t believe that with
14 children, one of them didn’t leave information about their parents and
hopefully grandparents. I have done some research on the children bur need to
do more in-depth work. Abraham Wynne is my great grandfather. He moved to St.
Thomas, North Dakota in the 1880’s along with a couple of his siblings. I think
my first step would be to try and reconnect with some of my second cousins and
see if anyone knows who Catherine’s parents were. I have not found anything in
the papers my father left. I also need to see if I can find an obituary for
Catherine and Edward. So far I have not found a good repository for Ontario
newspapers. But in 1890 obituaries were becoming popular. It is possible that
one was done for Catherine Shannon. I wonder if Merrickville has a library.
Hmm.
I
also can check to see if Union Cemetery has any records that might be
informative. They might have at least a more detailed birth location than just “Ireland”.
I have not been able to find a death registration for Catherine or Edward Wynne
although they were required and had been since 1869. Also more research into
church records might prove profitable. It is interesting that church
affiliation changed toward the end of their lives. Cemetery records may tell me
who the officiating minister was.
Lots
of work to do. Any suggestions for further research would be welcome.
[i]
Bathurst District Marriage
Register-, The Marriage Registers of Upper Canada/ Canada West, Volume 1,
page22. 1831-1848. Filmed by the Genealogy Society of Utah, Film #
1030051.
[ii]
1861 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com
Operations Inc, 2009.. Roll: C-1042-1043, Montague,
Lanark, ED: 9, Page: 13.
[iii]
1871 Census of Canada,
Montague, Lanark South, Ontario; Roll: C-10017; Family No: 314. [Database
On-line,] Ancestry.com.
[iv]
1881 Canadian Census
Household Record, 1881 Census, Place: Montague, Lanark South, Ontario; Roll:
C-13233;Family No: 101[ Database On-line], Ancestry.com.
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