Friday, September 29, 2017

The AncestryDNA Results Are In!

On September 19, 2017 I wrote about the new adventure into DNA that I had started with my father. https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.ca/2017/09/ancestry-dna.html.

The AncestryDNA results arrived on September 27, 2017 and now we start on a brand new genealogical adventure that goes beyond researching our Moynahan ancestors using paper records.

We are now in the brave new world of chromosomes, centimorgans (abbreviated cMs) and genetic loci.

 Ethnicity


One of the first things you are given is your ethnicity summary and my father's ethnicity results indicate that he is 76% Irish and 5 % Scandinavian. (I plan to write a later blog post on the remaining 19% ethnicity regions.)

76% Irish is a really high percentage and I am curious how many other Ontarians whose ancestors arrived in the early 1820s have a similar ethnicity count? (More on Ancestry ethnicity here: https://www.ancestry.com/dna/ethnicity/)




The other thing you notice right away are "Genetic Communities" (places where my father's ancestors most likely lived in the past few hundred years) and my father's results indicated two genetic communities: Munster and Connacht which are two of Ireland's four provinces.

Connacht Genetic Community

Through our family history paper research, we already knew that the Connacht province is where the Brodericks, Cavanaughs, McNallys and Husseys came from in the mid-1800s. It was great to have the DNA confirm our paper records.

Munster Genetic Community 

Through our family history paper research, we already knew that the Munster province is where the Moynahans, Brennans, O'Learys, Roaches, and Bowlers came from. Again, it's reassuring to have the DNA confirm the paper records.


Read more about AncestryDNA Genetic Communities here: 

 DNA Matches

The next things that I looked at were my father's DNA matches. WOW!  AncestryDNA compares your DNA to the DNA of every other person in their database to determine who you might be related to—and how.

In my father's results, there are 264 pages with 50 DNA matches on each page! This translates to 1320 folks who share varying amounts of centimorgans (cMs) with my father's DNA!




 From AncestryDNA:


So I looked at my father's ancestor's surnames for his first to fourth cousins (the relationships are a little more complicated - like fourth cousins twice removed etc.. I will explain that later on a different blog post)

If you look at my fathers fourth cousins ( cousins who share my father's 32 great-great-great grandparents) I have a LOT of unknown surnames still! These are ancestors born in the 1700s when the paper record keeping was not what it is today. But DNA may help us locate ancestors that the paper records could not.

Calculating cousins

Initial Observations of My Father's "DNA Matches"

The purpose of this blog post is to just share some initial reactions to my father's AncestryDNA results (it has only been two days since we received them) and not go into great detail here.

So I will close with some general observations.

One thing that I noticed immediately was how many potential DNA matches have absolutely no family tree associated to them. I do know some of the DNA matches and I know for a fact that these folks DO have well-researched trees so I am suspecting that perhaps many are not making their tree information public?

Here are some of my additional observations having only started my investigations into my father's potential DNA matches.

  1. The Matches That Were Known Beyond Any Doubt: I located lots of matches that were known and beyond any doubt related to my father. The DNA has now confirmed it. Some surnames that have shown up as DNA matches for my father (and the levels of Confidence):
    • MOYNAHAN: Possible range: Close family - 1st cousins; Confidence: Extremely High
    • COUGHLIN: Possible range: 1st - 2nd cousins Confidence: Extremely High   
    • LYONS: Possible range: 1st - 2nd cousins Confidence: Extremely High
    • MURRAY: Possible range: 1st - 2nd cousins Confidence: Extremely High  
    • DUFOUR: Possible range: 2nd - 3rd cousins Confidence: Extremely High
    • BRODERICK: Possible range: 3rd - 4th cousins Confidence: Extremely High
    • HESS: Possible range: 3rd - 4th cousins Confidence: Extremely High
    • CASEY: Possible range: 3rd - 4th cousins Confidence: Extremely High
    • BRODERICK: Possible range: 4th - 6th cousins Confidence: Very High
    • ANNAL: Possible range: 4th - 6th cousins Confidence: Very High
  2. Distant Cousins On Paper Now Confirmed Through DNA: Distant cousins whom I never knew and have never met or connected with previously except through my ancestry.ca paper research have shown up confirmed relatives through DNA matches with my father. One case in point is a long standing confusion about multiple Martin Brodericks (those darn Irish naming traditions). These Brodericks from Texas (arrived in the U.S. just after the Civil War, first settling in Michigan) were on my father's DNA match list as: "Possible range: 4th - 6th cousins; Confidence: Very High".
  3. There are LOTS of Orkney, Scotland DNA matches:  When the DNA match does not have a tree sometimes you can ascertain at least what regions they are from. In one particular case that was listed on my father's DNA match: "Possible range: 4th - 6th cousins Confidence: Extremely High" showed a 1917 Kirkwall, St Ola, Orkney, Scotland birthplace!
  4. Tilbury Moynahans showed up! If you follow my blog, you are aware how much energy I have been putting into tracking down present day Tilbury Moynahans. (see my previous posts https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.ca/2014/06/52-ancestors-27-kent-county-ontario.html ) ThisTilbury Moynahan showed up on my father's DNA match list as "Possible range: 4th - 6th cousins Confidence: High"
  5. My Coughlin Genealogical Brickwall Might Get Busted: Going through the list of my father's DNA matches, one of the approaches is to refer to the "Map and Locations" of your shared DNA match and William Henry Coughlin is showing up on the maps. Its up to me to figure out the details now.


I plan to post more updates about the DNA adventures in the future. Details about living relatives will NOT be included.  Ancestry.com hides all information about living people and genealogy bloggers do too.

AncestryDNA White Papers

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Adding Citations To Your Family Photographs

Melissa Finlay (who blogs at Boundless Genealogy) has written a step-by-step template to craft citations for your Family History photos. (This is on my "To Do" list)
Image: BoundlessGenealogy.com


Direct link: http://boundlessgenealogy.com/preserve/craft-a-citation-for-your-family-history-photos/

Melissa shares tips, methods, events, and encouragement to those discovering their connection to the past... their family tree!

More about Melissa Finlay at Geneabloggers:
https://www.geneabloggers.com/may-i-introduce-to-you-melissa-finlay/

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Sunday, September 24, 2017

Bytown's Unclaimed Remains - Paying My Respects In Ottawa

79 souls were left behind, either because entire families were wiped out by disease, 
or their relatives could not afford to move them.

On Sunday September 24, I attended the Public Visitation where there were 52 caskets containing the remains of 79 individuals, including men, women and children.


This story captured my attention for three reasons:
  1. I live in Centretown very close to where the bones were discovered 
  2. I have an ancestor (Matthew Moynahan 1770-1860) whose remains were also re-interred when St. Mary's cemetery (Maidstone, Ontario) where he was buried in was moved to a new location (More about Matthew here: https://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.ca/2015/05/52-ancestors-no18-matthew-moynahans.html)
  3. I am drawn to stories about ancestors with no descendants like these 79 souls (see my post: Bachelors, Spinsters, Priests and Nuns http://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.ca/2015/03/my-beloved-bachelors-spinsters-priests.html

The Public Visitation was held in the Resource Room of the Canadian Museum of History on September 24, 2017, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. There was a guest book for people to sign that will become part of the permanent archives of this Bytown story.

Caskets on display in the Resource Room of the Canadian Museum of History
Ben Mortimer reminded us that this visitation on September 24, 2017 was occurring almost four years to the day when the bones were first uncovered and construction work halted at Queen St (near Metcalfe) in Ottawa on September 19, 2013.

Janet Young ( anthropologist/ curator with the Canadian Museum of History) and Ben Mortimer (Ben Mortimer, a senior archeologist with the engineering consulting firm Paterson Group, who led the dig, ) were on hand to answer questions

Slide show presentation at the Visitation: Archeological work was done by the Paterson Group

Slide show presentation at the Visitation Ottawa in the 1800s

Slide show presentation at the Visitation: Barracks Hill (1843-1859)
At the Visitation there were rows of three sizes of numbered caskets:
  • Large: Numbers 01 to 22
  • Medium: Numbers 23 to 37
  • Small: Numbers 38 to 52
19 persons were uncovered in their original resting place including the well known "Burial 8" (rugged thirty-something labourer who walked the dusty streets of Bytown with a tobacco pipe clenched between his teeth.) who was now resting in Box Number 10.

Burial 8 was laid to rest in Box #10



The Barrack Hill Cemetery Story 
Collected From The News

In 2013 and 2014, a minimum number of 79 individuals and casket materials from Bytown’s earliest cemetery, Barrack Hill, were discovered under Queen Street during O-Train Confederation Line construction. (See video of discovery here: Watermain work uncovers human bones )

Source: Ottawa Citizen
There are at least three historical maps that clearly show a cemetery in the vicinity, established in 1828 for military and civilian dead. (The burial ground was closed in the 1850s) Entire families were buried there - those who "died of diptheria, malaria, cholera and other illnesses, as well as canal workers who perished on the job." (Source: CBC)

Plan of Bytown with its limits shewing the exact situation of every street & lot, by Donald Kennedy, 1842
Source: Ottawa Citizen The Barrack Hill Cemetery can be seen between Elgin and Metcalfe right underneath Queen Street.
 (Source: Bytowne.net) Old Cemeteries Map 
Looking Back, Pioneers of Bytown and March 
by Naomi Slater Heydon.
"During the two decades before the original cemetery closed in 1845, some 500 fetuses, babies, children and adults were buried there."

However, when it came time to close the cemetery, in the name of progress and city building, only relatives who could afford to move their dead to another cemetery in Sandy Hill, now known as MacDonald Gardens Park, did so.
At the time, Henry says, Bytown sported a population of only 7,000 people and was still a Wild West, of sorts. Prior to the Municipal Corporations Act of 1849, it was incumbent upon the families to physically move the dead themselves, rather than being the responsibility of the county magistrate.
The unclaimed remained in their plots as new buildings and roads, including Queen and Metcalfe streets, were built over the two-acre plot of land.

 (Source: Ottawa Citizen) 
Source: Ottawa Citizen
While more than 3,000 bones were unearthed, Burial 8’s was the only adult skeleton discovered intact.Read about him here: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/the-story-of-burial-8-one-of-ottawas-forgotten-emerges-from-the-mist-of-history

 
Ottawa City Archivist Paul Henry


In 2014, the province of Ontario asked descendants of people buried in a forgotten cemetery near Elgin and Queen Streets in Ottawa to come forward to determine what should be done with their remains. (In accordance with the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 33 https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/02f33)

Source: Bytown.net


The province informed the public of its intentions in a notice in newspapers :
"The individuals buried at the Barrack Hill Cemetery lived alongside the founders of the nation's capital, were its earliest inhabitants and some of them possibly helped build the Rideau Canal. Accordingly, these grounds can be considered to be of great historical and archaeological significance," the notice read.

Watercolour of Lowertown from the Barrack Hill near the Rideau Canal Locks and Sappers Bridge by Thomas Burrowes, 1845



These early Bytown residents will finally find a permanent home at Beechwood Cemetery, the National Cemetery of Canada. They will be reinterred at a special ceremony at Beechwood Cemetery on Oct. 1. transported in 19th century style horse-drawn hearse.

Additional Links:

"The Other Side Of The Hill" Dr Don Nixon
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Saturday, September 23, 2017

Revisiting the Censuses of My Essex Co. Ancestors

The Statistics Canada Speakers Series entitled, "A glimpse into the past: Using historical censuses to research Canadian families" that I attended last week got me thinking about censuses.

Censuses are a fundamental resource for genealogists. We can learn so much about ancestors based on questions that the enumerators asked at the door.

I decided to revisit the historic censuses of some of my Essex County ancestors and I started with the family of Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan who were my great great grandparents.

The Family Of
Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan
Essex Co., Ontario
Jeremiah (1837-1922) and Mary (Brennan) (1841-1926) Moynahan with Ellen ("Nellie") (1865-1940)
and son John (seated) (1866-1933)

 What I Already Knew About Jeremiah 
From The Historic Censuses

When I checked my sources on ancestry.ca, I was surprised to learn that for Jeremiah Moynahan I only located two census records (1871 and 1881)!  Jeremiah, when he died in 1922, had "lived 84 years within five miles of the place where he is born (on the Middle Road)" (Source: Essex Free Press June 23, 1922, Page 1 of 8) so finding him in census records should be easy! Shouldn't it?

The 1871 Census 

1871 Manual Containing "The Census Act" and the Instructions to Officers Employed in the Taking of the First Census of Canada (1871). Department of Agriculture (Census Branch). Ottawa : B. Chamberlin, 1871. 
  • The 1871 Census: Year: 1871; Census Place: Sandwich East, Essex, Ontario; Roll: C-9889; Page: 13; Family No: 42
    • The 1871 Census marked the first regularly scheduled collection of national statistics. It officially began April 2, 1871. .(Source: LAC)
    • Only Schedule 1, Nominal Return of the Living, is searchable in the database. .(Source: LAC)
    • Schedule 2 , Nominal Return of the Deaths within the last twelve months, can be found by scrolling to the last page of each sub-District
    • Jeremiah Moynahan's nearby surnames were: Timothy Moynahan, Howard, Finley, Sutherland, McCloskey, McCarthy, Hickey, Lennon, and Doumachelle.
    • Jeremiah Moynahan's (33) kin were: Mary (his wife 28 years old), Ellen (his daughter 6 years old) and John (his son 5 years old).
    • Both Jeremiah and his wife Mary were unable to read or write (Column 18 and 19)
    • The enumerator was Thomas Barret on the 11th of April. A total of 206 commissioners were appointed to coordinate the 1871 census. Reporting to the commissioners, 2,789 enumerators were then assigned to a clearly defined area.(Source: LAC).
The 1881 Census 
Manual Containing the "Census Act" and the Instructions to Officers Employed in the Taking of the Second Census in Canada, 1881, Ottawa: Department of Agriculture, Census Branch, 1881 (AMICUS 7204103). http://www.prdh.umontreal.ca/census/en/uguide/enum_1881.aspx
Screenshot of digitized image for Jeremiah Moynahan 1881 Census: "The microfilming of these records was not of consistent quality and not all images are readable." (Source: LAC)
Cropped image of same Census 1881 page as found at Library and Archives Canada http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e329/e008208530.jpg
  • The 1881 Census: Year: 1881; Census Place: Sandwich East, Essex, Ontario; Roll: C_13281; Page: 23; Family No: 95
    • The 1881 Census marked the second regularly scheduled collection of national statistics. It officially began April 4, 1881. (Source: LAC)
    • In 1955, the Dominion Bureau of Statistics was authorized by the Public Records Committee to microfilm and destroy the original paper records of the 1881 Census.  (Source: LAC)
    • Note the quality of the two sets of digitized records above. I feel lucky that Jeremiah's name even showed up in a searchable index!
    • Jeremiah Moynahan's nearby surnames were: Hickey, McCarthy, Roberts, Sullivan, Linch, Brennan, (*), McCarthy, Sexton, O'Neill
    • Jeremiah Moynahan's kin were: Jerry (44), Mary (40), Ellen (16), John (15), Margaret (9), Mary (8)
    • All the children were attending school (Column 16)
    • Note: John (61) and Catherine (63) Brennan (born in Ireland) listed - these were the parents of Mary (Brennan) Moynahan. In the same year as this census, on the 21st of April, 1881, Mary's father John Brennan died at the age of 62 years (of "brain fever) (Death certificate informant Jeremiah McCarthy; Ontario, Canada Deaths, 1869-1934; Roll: MS935_27) and he is buried in St. Mary's cemetery in Maidstone
      • On the 1871 Census, John (51) and Catherine (60) Brennan lived in Sandwich East but not in same proximity as the 1881 census. (John Brennan could read and write but not Catherine) (Year: 1871; Census Place: Sandwich East, Essex, Ontario; Roll: C-9889; Page: 24; Family No: 79)
      • The census commenced April 4, 1881 and John Brennan died April 21, 1881!

What I Did NOT Know

 Given that I have been researching my great great grandparent's Moynahan family for over thirty years now, I was quite surprised to realize that I was missing so much census information from a family that lived essentially in the same place for 84 years!

Library and Archives: Map of Canada East and West 1855 (Copyright expired ) http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1842-canada-west/Pages/census-districts-sub-districts.aspx
 
 Missing from my files were records for the following census years:
  • Missing 1842 census information
    • Jeremiah was born in March 1837 in Maidstone, Ontario to Denis and Catherine (Roach) Moynahan who lived at 6 South Middle Road.
    • Shortly after the Act of Union created the Province of Canada, consisting of Canada West (present-day Ontario) and Canada East (present-day Quebec), legislators agreed about the need for a census in September 1841. It was to be completed by February 1, 1842. (Source LAC)
    • Unfortunately, not all returns have survived. The returns for eight districts and 51 sub-districts have been preserved and are accessible at Library and Archives Canada.  (Source LAC)
  • Missing 1852 (date actually taken) census information
    • Jeremiah, his parents and six siblings all lived in Maidstone, Ontario
    • Originally scheduled for 1851, this Census marked the second collection of statistics for the Province of Canada. In 1841, the Act of Union created the Province of Canada, consisting of Canada West (present-day Ontario) and Canada East (present-day Quebec). Information on population was also collected for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. (Source: LAC)
    • Important every-name censuses were taken in southern Ontario for 1851 (actually taken in 1852) and 1861. Some sections of these censuses are lost. (Source: Family Search)
    • The 1851 census has been indexed at LAC partners’ websites: Ancestry (subscription required; free at many public libraries) and FamilySearch (free)
  • Missing 1861 census information
    • Jeremiah was twenty-four years old in 1861. Not yet married (he would marry in 1863). And when I located his parents (Denis and Catherine Moynahan) and his siblings on the 1861 census, Jeremiah is not with them. (Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1019-1020)
    • In 1867, Jeremiah is located in the Essex County Directory and Gazetteer, 1866-1867 at 298 STR (South Talbot Rd)
    • The 1861 Census marked the third collection of statistics for the Province of Canada. its the last census for the "Province of Canada." the next one will be for the Canadian Federation  (Source: LAC).
    • The census officially began on January 14, 1861 for Canada West; (Source: LAC)
    • Important Note: The 1861 schedules were not always microfilmed in order and pagination is often inconsistent or non-existent. (Source: LAC)
  • Missing 1891census information
    • I know that Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan lived in the exact same location 298 STR (South Talbot Rd) that they had in 1871 and 1881 because hey did not sell the farm and move to 432 Hall Ave., Windsor, Ontario) until the fall of 1921 (Source: Essex Free Press; 23 June 1922; Page 1 of 8)
    • The 1891 Census marked the third regularly scheduled collection of national statistics. It officially began April 6, 1891. (Source: LAC) 
    • This census is advertised in newspapers and from pulpits 
  • Missing 1901 census information
    • I know that Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan lived in the exact same location 298 STR (South Talbot Rd) that they had in 1871 and 1881 because hey did not sell the farm and move to 432 Hall Ave., Windsor, Ontario) until the fall of 1921 (Source: Essex Free Press; 23 June 1922; Page 1 of 8)
    • The 1901 Census marked the fourth regularly scheduled collection of national statistics. It officially began March 31, 1901.(Source: LAC)
    • For the 1901 Census, names were recorded on schedule 1 and locations (addresses) of each household on schedule 2. http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1901/Documents/1901-Ontario-Schedule-2.pdf 
    • The 1901 Census has been indexed at Automated Genealogy http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/Province.jsp?province=ON
    • This census adds questions on religion, birthplace, citizenship and period of immigration
  • Missing 1911 census information
    • I know that Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan lived in the exact same location that they had in 1871 and 1881 298 STR (South Talbot Rd) because hey did not sell the farm and move to 432 Hall Ave., Windsor, Ontario) until the fall of 1921 (Source: Essex Free Press; 23 June 1922; Page 1 of 8)
    • The 1911 Census marked the fifth regularly scheduled collection of national statistics. It officially began on June 1, 1911. (Source: LAC) 
    • This was the last census to ask questions on "infirmities"
  • Missing 1921 census information
    • I know that Jeremiah and Mary (Brennan) Moynahan lived in the exact same location that they had in 1871 and 1881 because hey did not sell the farm and move to 432 Hall Ave., Windsor, Ontario) until the fall of 1921 (Source: Essex Free Press; 23 June 1922; Page 1 of 8)
    • The 1921 Census marked the sixth regularly scheduled collection of national statistics. It officially began on June 1, 1921. (Source: LAC)
    • This census adds questions on birthplaces of both parents
What I FOUND and Learned

 I was delighted that this simple exercise in revisiting the subject of censuses helped me to learn so much more about my ancestors!

Pre-1852 Censuses
  •  I had absolutely NO luck finding Jeremiah in ANY of the pre-1852 censuses
  • The 1852 Census has been indexed at Automated Genealogy http://automatedgenealogy.com/census52/index.jsp
  • Upper Canada Sundries, 1766-1841 is another resource available that I will review at some point in the future. Library and Archives Canada holds the records of the Upper Canada Sundries (RG 5 A1), 1766-1841. This series is part of the Civil Secretary’s Correspondence for Upper Canada and Canada West. It consists of letters, petitions, reports, returns and schedules, certificates, accounts, warrants, legal opinions, instructions and regulations, proclamations and other documents received by the Civil Secretary of Upper Canada, 1791-1841, together with copies of some documents of 1766-1809, made for reference purposes. The Finding Aid (Reels C-9822 to C-9825) for these records has also been digitized and a basic level of searching can be carried out on them.  http://heritage.canadiana.ca/sundries

FOUND Dines Minehan & Jeremiah Moynahan 
in the 1861 Census

On the 1861 census, young Jeremiah is not listed at 6 SMR (South Middle Road), Maidstone with his parents and siblings (recorded as Minehan by enumerator)

Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1019-1020
I found Jeremiah (22 Y) living in a frame house with Wm. Rob't Morgan (33 Y born in Ireland in 1826) Esq., JP.

Source: Ancestry.ca; screen capture; LAC; 1861 Census; Film Number C-1021 Page number 62

  • Jeremiah Moynahan's nearby surnames were:  Thomas Moran and his wife (storekeeper); Jeremiah Collins (tavern keeper)

FOUND Jeremiah Moynahar in the 1891 Census

I searched Ancestry, Library and Archives Canada, and Family Search (The 1891 census is not available at Automated Genealogy). I did not arrive at any results and so I began a page by page visual search starting with Essex County, Sandwich East and finally found them on page 77 of 91 under the surname Moynahar!


  • Jeremiah Moynahan's nearby surnames: McCarthy, Thomson, Sullivan, Lennon, Halford
  • Jeremiah Moynahan's (59) kin were: wife Mary (50), daughters Ellen the school teacher (26), Maggie (19), Minnie (18), Catherine (16), Annie (14), Clara (8) and Maud (6) and sons John the school teacher (25) and James (12)
  • Mary Brennan CAN read and write on this census! 
  • Mary Brennan's mother died in 1891 (month unknown) and the Schedule 2, Deaths that had occurred in the last twelve months was NOT preserved
FOUND Jain Meynsko & Manet Moyshan  
in the 1901 & 1911 Censuses

The reason that the 1901 and 1911 censuses were not part of my source material for Jeremiah is because they did not show up on any of my searches (LAC and Ancestry.ca) 

I actually spent an entire evening last night paging through both of these census reports to locate Jeremiah who was found as:


Screen Capture Ancestry:
Actual document: 1901 Census of Canada District: ON ESSEX (North/Nord) (#59) Subdistrict: Sandwich (South/Sud) E-4 Page 8


http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1911/jpg/e001984753.jpg
  • I found Jeremiah Moynahan as Manet Moyshan in the 1911 census
  • Jeremiah Moynahan's nearby surnames were: Sullivan, Barron, Croft, Kane, and Sullivan
  • Jeremiah Moynahan's (74) kin were: his wife Mary (70), and his daughters Nellie (46) and Maud (26)
  • Interestingly, this census indicates that Mary (Brennan) Moynahan CAN read and write (and Jeremiah still can not)
  • The census also indicates that Mary (Brennan) Moynahan emigrated in 1853
  • Jeremiah's daughter Nellie is a school teacher (I wonder if she taught her mother?) It says she works 30 hours per week; 43 weeks of the year; and her earnings were $625
  • Jeremiah Moynahan was not found at Automated Genealogy http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11/Province.jsp?province=Ontario


Still Not FOUND in the 1921 Census
 I have still not been able to locate Jeremiah, Mary and Nellie on the 1921 census. They do not come up with an easy search on LAC or Ancestry. The family moved to 432 Hall in Windsor/Walkerville and I do not even have any idea which Districts and Sub-Districts to begin to search.

UPDATE: SEPT. 26, 2017
I had added this blog post to the OGS Essex County Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/EssexCountyOGS/ and was so happy to read a reply from Marianne Mallory Hurley who had found Jeremiah, Mary and Nellie on the 1921 census!

 Marianne wrote: 
There is an entry for Jeremiah, Mary & Nellie Moytuihes that seems to fit your relative. I think the indexer went off the rails on the transcription because the original looks to me to be Moynahan.
And when I went to LAC's 1921 search page and punched in the surname "Moytuihes"  there they were! http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1921/Pages/results.aspx?k=cnsSurname%3a%22Moytuihes%22

Screenshot: http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1921/Pages/results.aspx?k=cnsSurname%3a%22Moytuihes%22
I wrote back to Marianne " This is them! Thank you so much but I am curious - how did you find them?" and she responded,
Happy to do it, I love a challenge. I have found indexing errors so many times that when I can't find a family in a census I take the last name out and just use the first names of the family members and the location in the search. It doesn't always work but this time they popped up as the first entry.
This is a great tip for me (and you) to use if ever you have difficulty like I did!

The Moynahan family DID move to 432 Hall in Windsor/Walkerville but not for the 1921 census. Marianne found them where they had always been in Sandwich (South), Essex, Ontario. To summarize again:
  • I found Jeremiah Moynahan as Manet Moytuihes in the 1921 census
  • Jeremiah Moynahan's nearby surnames were: Collins, Grondin, McCloskey, Lee, Donovan, Greenway, McCarthy, Sullivan, Deslippe,
  • Jeremiah Moynahan's (84) kin were: his wife Mary (80), and his daughter Nellie (52) 
  • The Immigration date for Mary Brennan says 1863 (not 1853 as previously reported)
  • Nellie is still a school teacher
I am incredibly grateful to Marianne Mallory Hurley for her efforts to locate my family on the 1921 census and I hope that one day, I can "pay it forward" for someone else who is stuck on the census records.

Conclusions
  • The searchable indexes at Ancestry.ca, LAC and Automated Genealogy caused all kinds of problems for me. For the 1901 and 1911 censuses, I literally went through them page by page  to find Jeremiah only to learn that the transcriptions were wrong (I corrected as many as I found)
  • Somewhere along the way, Mary (Brennan) Moynahan learned to read and write! She had two children who were school teachers so it is highly likely that one or both of them taught her.  
  • Jeremiah Moynahan "lived 84 years within five miles of the place where he is born (on the Middle Road)" (Source: Essex Free Press June 23, 1922, Page 1 of 8) and so you would think that locating him in the census would be EASY but it was not. Imagine the difficulty for the family historians who had ancestors that were always on the move!
Source: Essex Free Press June 23, 1922, Page 1 of 8


Some Useful Census Links:
 Early Irish Settlers - Essex, Ontario
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