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Research in Other Countries => Canada => Canada Lookup Request => Topic started by: CanadianMcCubbin on Sunday 07 April 19 22:53 BST (UK)
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My husband's mother Marjorie Smith (b 1925 Montreal), daughter of Alexander W. Smith (1884-1932) and Emily Whiteman (1888-1926) was adopted in 1926 after Emily died. There were at least two other children, who were baptised at the same time as Marjorie, the month before Emily died. I've found no record of any children that might match Marjorie's brother and sister.
We are looking for:
1. Gordon Alexander Smith Born: 31 May 1921 Montreal, Quebec
2. Edna Gibson Smith Born: 04 August 1919 Montreal, Quebec
Marjorie was adopted by a family in Baie Comeau, Quebec - we suspect the adoption might have been arranged through her the church. The children were baptised at the Chalmers United Church in Montreal.
Any leads greatly appreciated
Christine
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Edna’s baptism record gives her birthdate as 4 August 1920, rather than 1919.
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Hi - That's what I thought first, but she was actually baptized twice! The first time was 14 Jan 1921 at Victoria Presbyterian Church in Montreal. Both parents were present. The second time was the day all three children were baptized in January 1926 at Chalmers United Church.
Do you by any chance have any info on the family?
thanks,
Christine
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This looks like it might possibly be the family in the 1921 census.
But......who are Peeter (sp?) and James? James looks to be 6 days old, I think.
http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1921&op=img&id=e011075160
PB
Added: Peeter (sp?) must be a girl...the child is down as daughter.
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This looks like it might possibly be the family in the 1921 census.
But......who are Peeter (sp?) and James? James looks to be 6 days old, I think.
http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1921&op=img&id=e011075160
PB
That looks very promising. I thought it said 6 days old for James as well, but now I'm thinking the "6" is the left hand bracket, as after jeurs, there is a right hand bracket. As the census was taken the day after Gordon Alexander Smith was born, James could have been the original name for Gordon (or they just used a stopgap name for the census), and he was only a day or two old?
Edit: I wonder if the Smith's next door are related? They are the right age to be parents of Alexander William.
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I believe the couple next door are the parents of Alexander.
I had wondered about the baby, too. It makes sense that they may have given him a different name when he was baptized. And the brackets around days makes sense to me also.
Assuming I have found the correct Emily on the troop ship, she had a female child, down as age 3, with her when she came to Canada so it looks like she may have been married before she married Alex in 1918. Possibly down as the now 7 year old daughter in the 1921 census?
I wonder if family members might have taken the older children in?
PB
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I just found a possible 1885 baptism in the Drouin collection for an Alexander William, with parents that match the neighbours, so will dig around for siblings a bit more in case there is anything that points to an aunt or uncle that took them in (although I can't think of what might help as we are now in the 100 yr privacy span).
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Possible parents/siblings for Alexander:
1901
District: Maisonneuve
District Number: 167
Sub-District: Montréal (City/Cité) Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Ward/Quartier)
Jóhn Smith 43
Issabelle Smith 39
Robert Smith 20
Annie Smith 19
Jennie Smith 18
Alexandre Smith 16 Birth Day & Month: 16 Nov Birth Year: 1884
Nellie Smith 13
The Baptism I mentioned in the last post gives a birth date of 26 Nov 1884, parents John James Smith and Isabella Gibson. John James signed a surname of "Smith" and Isabelle signed a surname of "Smythe".
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I'd think that was the same family. Looks like quite a few aunts and uncles.
As mentioned earlier, we are looking at the time where privacy laws come into effect, although parish records for Quebec are available up to 1941 in general with scattered records available beyond then.
PB
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In sifting through his WW1 records at http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B9006-S004 . This Alexander gives a birth date of 28 Nov 1886, and he has two attestations, one with next of kin father J.J. Smith (Montreal address), the other with wife Emily with her address matching the 1921 census that PolarBear posted.
However, he was shot in the back, and a long time in hospital, and the address given for wife Emily was 13 St. Georges Rd, Sussex (image 75). Did he marry her there, or did she go over to be with him?
Worth noting is the witnesses to the 3 baptisms mentioned in Post #1, Emily was witness to all 3, a Bruce McPherson to two, and J M Murphy on the third. Maybe the Mcpherson family took them in?
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FreeBMD has this marriage.....
Alexander W Smith
Emily Whiteman
Jun qtr 1918 Hastings RD (which is in Sussex)
Since Emily appears to have a young child, she was perhaps a war widow when she married Alex? The marriage cert would sort that and help us find the child's proper name.
Emily was b. in England and has 1919 as her immigration year on the 1921 census which matches the passenger list I mentioned earlier. She and her child are listed as dependents in the manifest so Alexander s/b on the same ship as wives generally accompanied their military husbands to Canada. I'll have a look for him.
Emily had arrived in Montreal from Sussex by the time the 2nd Attestation was signed in 1919.
PB
Added: Alexander W is on the same ship as Emily and the child.
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Hi,
There is an obituary in the Montreal Gazette, Feb. 18, 1970, page 22
Moore, Victor Frederick....beloved husband of Edna Gibson Smith, dear father of daughter I*
(Mrs. G* Rodgers) of Verdun, son F* of St. Eustache, daughter D* and stepfather of son D* Schiller of Two Mountains.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19700218&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
There is an obituary in the Montreal Gazette, Oct. 3, 1991, page 77. Google Newspapers didn't have coverage of that date, but I asked a friend, a Rootschat sleuth *Sandra* to have a look. Thanks mate ;D
Moore, Edna Mrs., late of Estevan (Sask.) formerly of Two Mountains passed away Sept. 30, 1991
Survived by one son D* Schiller of Ottawa and one daughter D* Fernandez of Estevan.
DB