Hi Vince:
Donald and Catharine McKinnon first appear in the 1861 Census for Canada West, Ontario, Township of Brantford. The children born in Ontario are John born 1856, Neil born 1858 (Great-grandfather), Christina, born 1859, and Jonney, born 1860. They are still together on the 1871 Census in the same area.
On arrival in Canada they had 3 children, Nancy, born Scotland 1839, Johnathan, born Scotland 1844, and Mary, born Scotland 1846. They all appear on the 1861 Census, but by 1871 Johnathan is gone. The adults are all gaelic speakers, informant for Census records is unknown.
The 1881 Census has only Donald, Catharine and the youngest John. Nancy is on the Census for Barton Asylum, in Hamilton, Ontario, no sign of the eldest son Johnathan, Mary is married to Robert Wilson (English Protestant), and moves to Buffalo, N.Y. , John (middle son, first born in Ontario) has left, location not known, Neil marries Martha Harper (Ontario born Protestant) and stays in Brantford, Christina marries Albert Vince (Ontario born Protestant), and eventually ends up in Potlatch, Idaho, the last Jonney I think ends up in the same Asylum as his sister Nancy. I haven't yet proven this one, but I sent for Nancy's records, and it sounded like she was mentally handicaped (possible dementia), and by 1891 the John that appears in the asylum is about the right age and has early dementia.
Nancy's asylum records say she was born in Inverness to poor Highland Scots who cannot pay for her care. Christina's Idaho Census 1910 says her parents spoke Gaelic.
Donald dies in 1885, Township of Brantford but Indigent. His wife Catharine died in 1884 in the City of Brantford. Neil McKinnon is the informant for both deaths, but I don't know if they were living with his family. No information about burial, but the death records say they are Roman Catholic. The whole family while in Brantford were listed as farm labourers, so could be buried almost anywhere.
Hope this isn't too much all at once, or too confusing.
Lois
