Winifred Glanston Shields .. Finally another lead

[MonicaL]

Winifred's exact birthdate would be great... Then we can get her a headstone for proper burial..

I was told years ago I could probably get the arrest and homicide report from our local police on Winifred..

I'm just not ready to see what's in there.. I could open it up to see morgue pictures etc.. That's a little too much...

If you, I would follow up on the arrest & homocide report. Get someone to vet this for you in terms of tricky photographic material if relevant...  This is likely to give very pertinent key facts, which often newspaper reporting glosses over.

I did this type of research for someone not too long ago (you know me..I get obsessed  ) at the National Archives in London. A criminal case, "the Merry Widow of Windynook" who rat poisoned her husbands  and the last woman to be sentenced to death in the UK for murder in 1958 (sentence commuted...the end of the death sentences in the UK in the late 1950s). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Elizabeth_Wilson Mary Elizabeth Wilson (c. 1893 - 1963), was the great grandmother of the lovely Andria  here on RC who has some of the most interesting ancestors I have ever come across

The point is, whilst working through boxes at the National Archives, I came across photos (evidence) which disturbed me...so I understand  But, you have worked so hard on this history and Winifred (good and bad) is part of it, so this is all part of the full picture. But...you can filter out unpleaseant visuals along the way always.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Was trying to find a death online for Alexander B Shields online. This may his indexed entry:

Alexander B Shields, died Jun 1969 in Dade, Florida.

Jason, remind me, where does Hugh Reid step in... You have mentioned him in the last few posts. Trying to find where mention of his starts.

Monica

Added: This fits with the post Tom mentioned earlier here http://genforum.genealogy.com/shields/messages/3001.html

[tidybooks]

Hi Jason,

I have Alexander Shields arriving in New York 27th March 1910 on the "Columbia" so not sure if he would get married on that date. His oldest child, Margaret was born in Pennsylvania, that must have been in 1910 as well, on the ship's manifest, he gave final destination as Pitsburg, Pa., so they may have set up there at first then moved to Rochester, shortly after.
I was looking for a Catherine on the "Columbia" only saw 1 from Row, Dumbartonshire. A Catherine McDonald, when you click on her name on ships manifest the wrong record comes back, so unable to accept or reject her.
Did you ever find the marriage certificate for Alexander and Catherine?

Tom

Hi All,

After getting in touch with Ellis Island records, they have corrected the record, and it now shows her relative in Scotland as a sister in Yoker, but the destination is given as her Aunt, a Mrs Hampden, Carnegie Street off 57thSt (actually off 53rdSt), Pittsburg, Pa. So that is a Catherine McDonald, 26yo born in North Uist, looked at SP, and there are about 8 Catherine McDonald's born in North Uist in 2 years, 1884 and 1885. Got no results for Catherine Dearie McDonald either.

Tom

[MonicaL]

Hi Tom

That was a quick response by Ellis Island records. Always good to see that they do respond efficiently and promptly to comments by users.

I do get the feeling that Catherine's maiden name may well have been Dearie/y. It is used consistently for Catherine on records we have so far, as Blackie was used as a middle name for Alexander (and we know the reasons why for that).

The 1915 census for Rochester (381 Sawyer Street?) also shows both daughters with the middle initial of 'D':

Alexander B Shields 30 partner/builder b. Scotland
Katherine Shields 29 b. Scotland
Margaret D Shields 5
Mary D Shields 2

Jason, with the mention earlier of the surname Reid....At the same address in 1915 is this family:

William H Reid 38 motor cycle salesman b. Scotland
Janet B Reid 35 b. Scotland
Helen N Reid 10 b. Scotland
William Reid 2

A William H Reid married a Janet Shields in 1902. This fits now with what you posted earlier (When  James (son of Peter and Ellen) came over on the Furnessia in May 1910, he gave his "home" contact as Mother, Ellen SHIELDS of 84 John St Glasgow - and his destination contact in Rochester NY as Brother in Law, Wm. Reid. All ties in rather lovely.).

Monica

[MonicaL]

The Reids may well have stayed on in the NY area. This looks a possible marriage for daughter Helen https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KZ9W-2QX

...Helping also to reconfirm the Shields surname for mother Janet  ...without looking at original sources etc....(and all the usual health warnings we have for this all  ).

Monica

[MonicaL]

Supporting material for the Dearie surname for Catherine, wife of Alexander. From the US 1925 census in Rochester we have:

Alexander Shields 54
Catherine Shields 37
Marguret Shields 15
Mary Shields 12
Arthur Shields 8
Catherine Shields 7

At the same address are....

Mary Deerie, 56 mother b. Scotland - house helper
Annie P Deerie, 29, daughter b. Scotland - Kodak worker

Not sure on addresss. Looks like 162 Calidonia ?....maybe you can figure out better Jason.

[tidybooks]

Hi all,

I seem to have found a Mary and Catherine Deary/Deery in the 1891 and 1901 Scottish census, and also got an Annie P Deery in 1901, too.

1891 - 80 Cambridge St, Glasgow

Patrick Deary   30 Spirit Merchant
Mary Deary   29
Edward Deary   7
Catherine Deary   5
James Deary   4
Mary A Deary   2
Marget Deary   1

and in 1901 at 20 Maitland Street, Glasgow

Mary Deery   40
Edward Deery   17
Katie Deery   15
James Deery   13
Mary Deery   11
Daniel Deery   9
Anie P Deery   7
Henry Deery   4

It must be one of the most mis-spelt surnames ever. Makes it difficult to pin them down.

Tom

[shellyesq]

In case you're not familiar with it, www.fultonhistory.com has lots of old upstate New York newspapers.  There is a 1922 article that mentions Winifred Shields abandoning her husband and children other than one daughter.  There are a number of mentions of real estate transactions in the 1914-1916 range involving Alexander B. Shields. 

[tidybooks]

Hi All,

Went back on Ellis Island records, I found Mary and Ann Deery on the "Columbus" arriving 13 Jun 1921. Their intended destination Mr Alexander Shields, 181 Troup St, Rochester, N.Y.

Tom