MARION "Minnie" GOWAN

[Claire3007]

Hi,

I'm trying to find out what happened to my Great Aunt, Marion "Minnie" Gowan (born 1905 in Dumfries, Scotland) She arrived in Quebec on the 18th June 1926 after departing from Greenock in Scotland.

After that we have no clue what happened to her! I'm sure she must have married and had a family etc, but we don't know where to begin to find out. It would be fantastic to find out any information and trace our distant cousins in Canada :-)

Thanks,

Claire

[*Sandra*]

Hi Claire3007,




There are no Central registries/indexes in Canada for BMDs.  Canada has very strict privacy laws and each province imposes its own even further.  Additionally, some provinces are more research friendly than others so researching in Canada can be challenging.  The last available Canadian Census was 1911 apart from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta which was 1916.  As a guide BMD Records are only available for births more than a 100 years ago, marriages 80 years ago and deaths 70 years ago. Trying to trace modern day families in Canada you depend on newspaper announcements, cemetery records, obituaries, telephone directories.

Looking at the passenger manifest Marion "Minnie" also had Carruthers as a middle name.

Sandra

[Claire3007]

Hi Sandra

Thanks for your reply

You're right, Carruthers was her middle name. She was known by Minnie over here, which is why I out that in. From what you said, my search won't be easy - do you know where I can search cemetery records in Canada? It sounds as though that might be my best bet given what you say about privacy laws.

Claire

[*Sandra*]

Hi Claire,

She may have married and be under a married name rather than maiden name. The "Carruthers" may help, you never know - she appears to have travelled as Minnie on the passenger list.

http://ocfa.islandnet.com/ocfa-search.php

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canmb/cemeteries.htm

Sandra

[valeriec]

According to the passenger list, her destination was Can. Govt. Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba and her intended occupation in Canada was domestic. I checked the marriages (80 years) and deaths (70 years) that are available through vital stats for Manitoba and she isn't listed.

[Jacquie in Canada]

I did a search and found some old posts you made at other forums where you were looking for a Susan Gowan who had married a Canadian soldier named George Brown. ScotlandsPeople has a marriage for a George Albert Brown to Susan Gowan in 1945 in Lochmaben, Dumfries. In searching outgoing UK passenger lists at Find My Past I found an entry on a 1946 passenger list compiled by the Canadian Wives Bureau - Civilian Repatriation Section of women who were destined for Canada which had a Susan Brown on board. This Susan's UK address was listed as c/o Douglas, 14 Anderson Street, Kelloholm, Kirkconnel, Scotland.  She was destined to join her sister, Mrs. M. Harman, Paynton, Saskatchewan. Does that address in Scotland mean anything?

Jacquie

[Claire3007]

Thank you SO much to everyone for your help!

Jacquie, yes Susan was Marion's sister, and after some years of searching we solved that puzzle too, and are now in regular touch with Susan's family in Canada, which is wonderful. The address and name you mention, Mrs Harmon, must be Marion. At least now I have a married name to work from and a starting address!

Thank you 😊

Claire