William McDonald, emigrated 1910 to Canada

[RSMACL]

I am starting a new topic (from stream 'Harriet & Isabella McDonald to Canada') as am having real problems in finding out more about this person, and some kind person(s) may be able to help me, as they have in the past.
Cousin Stephen MacDonald (bigmac1x) in Toronto has also been persistently working on this, to no avail.
William McDonald (or MacDonald - family name was changed to Mac in Canada) was born 21 June, 1887 in Cullicudden, Resolis, Ross & Cromarty, Scotland, and emigrated in Canada in 1910.  He is older brother of above two girls, and he lived with his older brother Thomas Calder McDonald (emig. 1906) and a Joseph McDonald (emig. 1890 - who later married Harriet, William's sister) at 125 Wellington St. Sth. Toronto, working as a 'Hotel Teamster'.
He married a Mary Callaghan, born Hamilton, Scotland on  ...?     (date and place rather indecipherable) (witnesses. Thomas McDonald and Mary's sister 'Annie' (?) - Marriage Certificate  (0.1219).
The writing on marriage certificate is shocking, very indistinct - marriage date could be 7th or 24th April (?) 1912 (?).  Parents names are hard also - thought could be "John" Callaghan, mother Mary CAUL (?) or CANE (?).    Despite extensive hunting in Scotland and Canada records, we cannot pin down the correct Mary Callaghan, and the dates: -  of her birth, her parents, her emigration to Canada (or maybe via America) and the exact details of her marriage to William. 
 (Have found in Scot.P. a Michael Callaghan who married a Mary Kane/Keane in Hamilton, Lanark, Scotland, who had a Mary and Annie amongst their children?) but there the 'lead' ends.
Can anyone help with this quandary?

[Jacquie in Canada]

In looking at the marriage registration, the name of Mary's parents look like Michael Callaghan and Mary Cane to me. The transcription at Ancestry gives the date as 7 Jan 1914 and I can see that is, at least, the date the license was taken out.

There is a Mary Callaghan on the 1911 Canada census in Toronto whose birth information is listed as July 1889 in Scotland. She is a lodger at Toronto General Hospital according to the census. It says she emigrated in 1910. Does that match up with the Mary who is the daughter of Michael and Mary?

Jacquie

[RSMACL]

Thanks so much for quick reply, Jacquie. 
Where on Ancestry did you find transcription?  I have subscrip. to Ancestry.com but it doesn't cover Canada. 
I have just relied on blowing up image of m.certificate, and a magnifying glass!! We did find Mary as lodger, and did wonder if this is correct one.   
If these parents are correct (Michael Callaghan, Coal Miner, and Mary Kane(Keane married Nov.21, 1879)  I have birth:  of Mary Ann Callaghan July 23, 1888 at  17 Young St., Hamilton, County of Lanark, Scotland. There is also a sister Annie (who appears as witness on m.c.). 
Any further info. of husband William Mc(Mac)Donald?  We haven't been able to find anything further after his marriage to Mary, or whether he had any children, and their deaths.

[Jacquie in Canada]

The Canadian section of Ancestry includes the Ontario marriages database. It has images of the actual registrations. The transcription for that marriage registartion actually had John for Mary's father but looking at it, to me, it looks more like Michael. The "l" is too faint to be seen but it certainly looks like there is an "ae" and the beginning of his name does NOT look like a "J" to me at all. I couldn't read the date that it said the marriage occurred but the license date was definitely 7 Jan 1914.

Ancestry.ca has Ontario birth, marriage and death databases but they only cover certain years because of privacy laws and the length of time it takes to transcribe records. Ontario births are protected from 1914 on currently but Ancestry's database only goes to 1909. Deaths after 1939 on are also currently protected but Ancestry's database only covers the years up to 1934 (plus overseas deaths - ie soldiers - from 1937 to 1947). Marriages are protected from 1928 on while Ancestry's database goes to 1926.

Jacquie

[RSMACL]

Yes, I agree it looks like Michael.  I thought the date half-way down the page looked vaguely like '1912', but the date at the bottom under signatures, is definitely 1914, albeit an altered one...and cousin Stephen is sure that 1914 is correct date.   I will probably now have to rely on Stephen, who lives in Canada and  therefore 'on the spot' to chase up the death certificate(s) and children, from his end , as far as he is able.  Thanks again for your great help.

[bigmac1x]

I can see where it could be Michael as the Father's name.
The Mother's first name looks identical to the Bride's first name, Mary.
That would make my previous search wrong:
I had thought originally the Father's first name was John and found that name and a Sophia Canavan in a previous search with a Daughter Mary b.1889 in Greenock and a Sister Annie b.1895. The marriage certificate has Mary's place of birth with what looks like Hamilton, Scotland (SE of Glasgow) while Greenock is NW of Glasgow). Definitely not the same place!

The Mother's surname is a mystery. Definitely starts with a C (not a K) then maybe an a and then an n or u or ?. The last letter I'm not sure is an e. It looks too big to be an e. Ruth may have been on the right track with Caul. Is that a surname in Scotland?

I found that 1911 census sheet too. Excited until I scrolled over and found religion to be RC. I wonder if (to keep William's family happy) she said Prebyterian on the marriage cert? It's a little faded but looks similar to William's shortform "Presb".
July 1889 looks good, emig 1910 good, maid - could be. Interesting she puts her Nationality as Canadian. Maybe between emig in 1910 and the 1911 census she became a Canadian?

Notice on the 1910 passenger list, age 19, Domestic (maid), and part of the "Francis Party". I note on the 1911 census the whole page seems to be Maids and Nurses all living together. Could these all be the Francis Party?
Must put the 1910 passenger list next to the 1911 census sheet and compare.

Jacquie: Have you ever had occassion to go and look at an origianl document because the online one was so bad? If yes, were you able to make out any more detail on the original?

[bigmac1x]

I hope, if I can get to see the original marriage cert, that Mary's address on the third line in the centre portion of the documnet is clear. That may confirm if the 1911 census Mary is the right one. If she didn't move between 1911 and the 1914 marriage!
A lot of marr cert, they just put Toronto. I was glad to see William put his street address. I think Mary did too.
With that I may be able to track her in the Toronto Street Directories too.

Funny, on that third line there's one smudged word that looks suspiciously like he Mother's Maiden name, Caul. Just a coincidence I'm sure. Cretainly does look like Toronto at the end of the line.

[cosmac]

Have you looked at Scotland's People for a birth of Mary Callaghan in Hamilton?  From 1875 to 1895 there seem to be only a few possibilities.

Debbie

[RSMACL]

I cannot access Ancestry.ca but on Ancestry.com, looking for Mary Caul, secpmd emtry says: Ontario Canadian Marriages 1801-1930: Mary Callaghan/William McDonald; mother Mary CAUL; father John Callaghan.
Then 1900 United States Federal Census: it has Mary CANE (CAUL)/ John... can't access this either.