Fearless Females – My Favourite Female Ancestor

March 1^st – Do you have a favourite female ancestor?  One you are drawn to or want to learn more about?  Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.

Although I have many female ancestors that I love researching (my mother being my all time favourite), I would have to say that the one that I have been drawn to most over the past year, is my paternal grandmother, Helen “Nellie” (Devlin) Farrell.  I was 18 yrs. old when my grandmother passed away, but maybe about 13 or 14 yrs. old the last time I saw her (she lived in Balcarres, Saskatchewan and I lived in Montreal, Quebec.)  After my father passed away and my mother re-married and we moved to Quebec, we didn’t get to see my grandparents that often while growing up.

Because we lived so far away, I didn’t know my grandmother very well (and of course, when I was younger, I really wasn’t into knowing “where I came from”).  A couple of years ago, I started researching my father’s side of the family.  I have a book about the history of Balcarres called "Furrows in Time, A History of Balcarres and District", which includes a brief write up of all the families that lived there, that was produced in 1987.  My Aunt Cathy (now deceased) provided a few details, but no dates or anything.  I contacted my last living Aunt on my father’s side (my father’s sister) for a bit of help.  She told me a few things about my grandmother, one in particular that quite surprised me and was kept secret from all the family until a good 10 years after my grandmother’s passing – she had a couple of children out of wedlock before immigrating to Canada, leaving these children behind (you can read about this conversation here).  I guess because I have a child and have never married, I felt I could somehow relate to her.

I’m not going to go into too much detail on my grandmother in this post as I want to eventually write a mini bio on her in another post.  However, some of the things that I have learned so far are:

• Her correct birth date and where she was born
• Her parents names
• I learned that she had 3 illegitimate children before she immigrated to Canada (one died at 4 months old)
• When she immigrated to Canada

Things that I still need to research are:

• The exact date of her marriage to my grandfather (Robert Farrell).  I have a fair idea based on when she immigrated and when their first child was born.
• Where exactly they were married (I have been told it was in Govan, Saskatchewan but I need to find proof of this)
• Name and birth/death dates on one of the children born in Scotland

@2013, copyright Alana Farrell

Surname Saturday - DEVLIN

Each Saturday I will be posting one of my surnames. I will be starting with the 4 main lines – my paternal line of FARRELL and DEVLIN and my maternal line of MARSHALL and BURNETT, after which I will post most likely in alphabetical order using the Ahnentafel numbering system.

This week’s surname is DEVLIN, my Paternal grandmother's paternal line.

1. Me (Alana Farrell)

2. Robert Allan FARRELL (1927-1962)
3. Rhona MacDonald MARSHALL (1933-2003)

4. Robert FARRELL was born 15 Dec 1896 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland; he married Helen DEVLIN abt 1921 in Govan, Saskatchewan, Canada; died 27 Mar 1965 in Balcarres, Saskatchewan, Canada.
5. Helen DEVLIN (known throughout her life as Nellie) was born 2 Apr 1892 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland and died 22 May 1980 in Balcarres, Saskatchewan, Canada and is buried in Regina Memorial Gardens in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

10. Peter DEVLIN was born 18 Mar 1864 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland; he married Janet Anderson on 9 Dec 1887 in Gilmilnscroft Colliery, Sorn, Ayrshire, Scotland; died 24 Nov 1924 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland.
11. Janet ANDERSON was born 10 Mar 1867 in Hulford, District of Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland; died 25 Jan 1939 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Peter Devlin and Janet Anderson had the following children:

Jane DEVLIN (b. 18 Nov 1887 – d. 15 Nov 1969)
Arthur DEVLIN (b. 29 Jan 1889 – d. 14 Nov 1954)
Annie DEVLIN (b. 28 Nov 1890 – d. ?)
* Helen DEVLIN (b. 2 Apr 1892 – d. May 1980)
Catherine DEVLIN (b. 6 Feb 1894 – d. ?)
Margaret DEVLIN (b. 3 Oct 1895 – d. 1945)
Alexander DEVLIN (b. 20 Jul 1897 – d. 1962)
Mary Findley DEVLIN (b. 30 Nov 1901 – d. ?)

20. Arthur DEVLIN was born about 1840 in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. He died on 2 Sep 1902 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. Married Ann Audrey ANDREW on 12 Nov 1858 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland.
21. Ann Audrey ANDREW was born on 28 Feb 1829 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. She died on 23 Oct 1902.

Arthur DEVLIN and Ann Audrey ANDREW had the following children:

Catherine Dow DEVLIN (b. about 1859 – d. ?)
William Andrew DEVLIN (b. about 1860 – d. ?)
Jessie DEVLIN (b. 1861 – d. ?)
* Peter DEVLIN (b. 18 Mar 1864 – d. 24 Nov 1924).
Ann DEVLIN (b. about 1866 – d. ?)
Agnes DEVLIN (b. about 1869 – d. ?)

40. Peter DEVLIN was born about 1801 in Scotland. He died before 1851 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. Peter married Catherine Dow McConnell
41. Catherine Dow MCCONNELL was born about 1803 in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. She died on 13 Dec 1880.

Peter DEVLIN and Catherine Dow MCCONNELL had the following children:

Agnes DEVLIN (b. about 1825 – d. 26 Mar 1902)
James DEVLIN (b. about 1827 – d. ?)
Peter DEVLIN (b. about 1830 – d. ?)
Charles DEVLIN (b. 11 Dec 1832 - d. ?)
William Bryan DEVLIN (b. about 1835 – d. 23 Jul 1886).
Henry DEVLIN (b. about 1839 - d. ?)
* Arthur DEVLIN (b. about 1840 – d. 2 Sep 1902)
John DEVLIN (b. about 1843 – d. ?)
Edward DEVLIN (b. about 1846 – d. ?)

If you think we may be related, please contact me either at alana dot farrell at sympatico dot ca or by using the "contact" button.

Wordless Wednesday - My Two Grannies

This is a picture of my two paternal grandmothers. The lady on the left is my step-father's mother, Clarice Mabel (Salmon) Kay and the lady on the right is my father's mother, Helen "Nellie" (Devlin) Farrell.

The picture was taken two years before my mom married into the Farrell family and 12 years before she married into the Kay family.

My granny and grandpa Kay were visiting their daughter, Helen (Kay) Farrell in Saskatchewan. Helen (my step-father's sister) was married to my father's brother, Forbes Peter Farrell.

Tombstone Tuesday – Anderson, Devlin & Dunlop – Oh My!

Erected by Jane Dunlop,

In Memory of her husband,
Alexander Anderson
Who died 21st Dec. 1909, aged 74 years
The above Jane Dunlop,
Who died 24th Sep. 1921, aged 83 years,
Her great-grandson Peter Green
Who died 25th Sep.1913,
Aged 1 year, and 10 months,
Also their great-grand-daughter
Annie Green,
Died 27th June 1914, aged 10 months,
Also Jean died in infancy
Also Henry Green,
Beloved husband of Jean Devlin
Died 21 Aug. 1952, aged 71 years.
The above Jean Devlin
Died 15th Nov. 1969, aged 82 years

(Auchinleck Burial Ground
Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland)

A few months back, a distant cousin, Sean Devlin, sent me a link to some photos of tombstones that he took while he was in Scotland (and kindly gave permission to post any on this blog). I’m guessing that he snapped photos of tombstones with the name “Devlin” on it and sorted them out when he got home (which is what I would have done). Fortunately for me, he took the above photo even though they are not his direct line.

Alexander Anderson and Jane Dunlop are my 2x great grandparents. Their daughter, Janet Anderson married Peter Devlin (my great grandparents) and they are the parents of the above referenced Jean Devlin. Jean Devlin is the oldest sister of my Granny Farrell (Helen Devlin) and is my Grand Aunt.

This stone provides a lot of information that I didn’t have. I knew that Jean had married Henry Green, but I did not have a death date for either of them. It also lists three children with their death dates. In due time, I will search for the birth dates of the children and also see if there might be any more.

Tombstone Tuesday - Robert and Nellie Farrell

Farrell

Robert - Nellie

1896-1965 * 1893-1980

These are my grandparents. They are buried at Regina Memorial Gardens in Regina, Saskatchewan. The birth date for my grandmother is actually wrong - she was born in 1892. Nellie was the name she went by but her actual name was Helen.

Thanks to Jim Slough for doing a Random Act of Kindness and taking this photo for me.

I'm In a Quandary!

A few months back my Aunt promised to send me the address of a new cousin that I didn't even know I had. She is a daughter of one of the little girls that my grandmother left behind in Scotland when she immigrated to Canada. You can read about that here. Well, she finally did.

I'm asking for help! I've never written to a total stranger before (except for archivists, etc). How does one go about writing to someone they've never met and then ask for information: "Hi Nettie, this is not a junk letter so don't discard it. I am your cousin, Alana in Montreal and was given your address by _____!" That just does not seem like a good start!

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Saturday Night Fun - My 16 Great Great Grandparents

Randy Seaver’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun this week is to list your 16 great great grandparents in pedigree order. The assignment is:

1) List your 16 great-great-grandparents in pedigree chart order. List their birth and death years and places.

2) Figure out the dominant ethnicity or nationality of each of them.

3) Calculate your ancestral ethnicity or nationality by adding them up for the 16 - 6.25% for each (obviously, this is approximate).

4) If you don't know all 16 of your great-great-grandparents, then do it for the last full generation you have.

5) Write your own blog post, or make a comment on Facebook or in this post.

Here are mine:

Paternal Line:

1. William FARRELL was born about 1834 in Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He married Eliza Peters on May 6, 1856 in Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Date of death unknown. (Irish)

2. Eliza PETERS was born about 1834 in Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Date of death unknown. (Irish)

3. James MAZE, son of James Maze (mother unknown) about 1835 in Drumoris, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He married Catherine Fair in 1868 in Drumoris, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He died on August 25, 1878 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. (Irish).

4. Cathering FAIR was born about 1843 in Drumoris, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. She died on July 14, 1916 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. (Irish)

5. Arthur DEVLIN, son of Peter Devlin and Catherine McConnell, was born on January 19, 1840 in New Cumnock, Ayreshire, Scotland. He married Ann Andrew on November 12, 1858 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. He died on September 2, 1902 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. (Scottish)

6. Ann ANDREW, daughter of William Andrew and Eliza Douglas Goldie, was born about 1831in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. She died on October 23, 1902 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. (Scottish)

7. Alexander ANDERSON, son of Robert Anderson and Helen McClarin (?) was born about 1837 in Hulford, District of Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland. He married Jane Dunlop on March 20, 1857 in Hulford, District of Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland. He died on December 21, 1909 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. (Scottish).

8. Jane DUNLOP, daughter of James Dunlop ad Margaret Ferguson, was born on January 26, 1835 in Hulford, District of Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland. She died on September 24, 1921 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland. (Scottish).

Maternal Line:

9. Robert MARSHALL, son of George Marshall and Isabella Mitchell was born about 1819 in Alyth, Perthshire, Scotland. He married Ann Kynoch on September 26, 1841 in Alyth, Pershire, Scotland. He died on June 18, 1891 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish).

10. Ann KYNOCH, daughter of John Kynoch and Christine Hay was born about 1819 in Dallas, Morrayshire, Scotland. She died on March 13, 1885 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish)

11. Hugh HUME was born August 5, 1817 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He married Agnes Reid on November 11, 1842 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He died on March 15, 1899 in the District of Canongate, Edinburgh, Scotland. (Scottish).

12. Agnes REID, was born September 22, 1823 in Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland. She died on December 19, 1889 in the District of Canongate, Edinburgh, Scotland. (Scottish).

13. John BURNETT, son of Alexander Burnett and Margaret Crabb, was born on March 1, 1838 in Fetterncairn, Kincardineshire, Scotland. He married Elizabeth Smith on May 28, 1859 in Glenbervie, Kincardineshire, Scotland. He died on August 16, 1900 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish).

14. Elizabeth SMITH, daughter of Charles Smith and Helen Longmuir was born about 1836 in Glenbervie, Kincardineshire, Scotland. She died on August 13, 1872 in Logie Pert, Forfar, Scotland. (Scottish).

15. Robert MARSHALL, son of George Marshall and Isabella Mitchell was born about 1819 in Alyth, Perthshire, Scotland. He married Ann Kynoch on September 26, 1841 in Alyth, Pershire, Scotland. He died on June 18, 1891 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish).

16. Ann KYNOCH, daughter of John Kynoch and Christine Hay was born about 1819 in Dallas, Morrayshire, Scotland. She died on March 13, 1885 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish)

Nos. 15 and 16 are duplicates of Nos. 9 and 10 due to the fact that my mother’s parents were first cousins.

The predominant ethnicity is Scottish with a sprinkling of Irish.

I think this was an excellent exercise as it helps me to know where I still have lots work to do.

Madness Monday – Family Secrets!

Warning: This is going to be a long post!

I am currently reading the book Annie’s Ghosts by Steve Luxemberg. He writes about the shock of learning that his mother had a secret sister and his search to find out all he can about her (I highly recommend this book). As I’m reading it, I’m thinking, “how would I react in this situation?” Well, I have since found out!

When I first began my family research, I didn’t have much on my father’s side. I received a few names from my cousin on my paternal grandfather’s family – the Farrell’s – that have proven very fruitful. However, my paternal grandmother seemed to have just appeared out of thin air, that my grandfather wished for a bride and there she was! Actually, I did have a couple of tidbits – I always knew that she was called “Nellie” and she was born on April Fool’s Day. I never got to spend too much time with her because I lived clear across the country and we only visited maybe every 3-5 years. When she passed away in 1980, I was sent a copy of her funeral card, which gave her full name as well as her birth and death dates and where she was born (Ellen Devylin, b. April 1, 1892 in Euckenleck, Ayrshire, Scotland, d. May 22, 1980).

I tried searching on Ancestry for Ellen Devylin born on April 1, 1892 in Euckenleck. I soon found that her last name is Devlin and it’s Auchinleck (so much for accuracy on funeral cards!). I revised my search and still came up empty. I decided to try something way off base and used her nickname, Nellie, and the first entry that showed up was the 1901 Scottish Census showing a Nellie Devlin born about 1892 in Auchinleck, daughter of William Devlin and living in Auchinleck. O.K. that’s a possibility. I scroll down a little further and find another Nellie Devlin born about 1892 in Auchinleck but living in Sorn, Ayrshire (which is not too far from Auchinleck). O.K. now I’m beginning to think that someone is just playing with my mind – how can this same person be on the same census report living in two different places. I look at the file and see that this Nellie Devlin is the daughter of Peter Devlin. Turns out that Peter and William are brothers and they both had a daughter named Nellie born about 1892. By now I’m pulling my hair out. How can two brothers have a daughter born the same year and call them both the same name? Why are they doing this to me!! How am I supposed to know which one is my grandmother and why hasn’t my Aunt answered my letter of two months ago where I asked her for this information! I decided to give up for now and go concentrate on my mom’s side of the family – they were a lot easier to find!

I have a little tree up on Ancestry of my Farrell family and a couple of weeks ago I noticed a little green leaf next to my grandmother’s name. I clicked on it to see the “hint”. Someone is also researching the Devlin line and has a Helen Nellie Devlin born April 2, 1892 in Auchinleck. Well, that’s pretty darn close, especially the “Nellie”. I do know that Nellie is a nickname for Helen so my grandmother’s name could have been Helen instead of Ellen. The birth date is also nearly bang on. The Helen Devlin posted on Ancestry has a father named Peter (maybe I’m getting somewhere here, I think), but, and that’s a big BUT, this Helen had a child named Peter Gibb Devlin who died at 4 months old, father unknown (I kind of figured that with the same last name that the child was illegitimate). Frustration has fallen in my lap once again because “I know” that my grandmother only got married and had a family AFTER she immigrated to Canada.

I decided to continue to search, this time on Rootsweb and found someone else searching the Devlin line. He also had a Helen Devlin born April 2, 1892 in Auchinleck, whose father was Peter Devlin, with a child named Peter Gibb Devlin that died at 4 months old (father unknown). This was getting way too coincidental. But I just “knew” this couldn’t be my grandmother because she didn’t have kids until she came to Canada – or so I thought!!!

The time had come to pick up the phone and call my procrastinating Aunt! Here is how the conversation went:

Ring, Ring

Aunt Lily: Hello?
Me: Is this Lily?
Lily: Yes.
Me: Hi Auntie Lily, it’s Alana.
Lily: From Montreal? (I think I shocked her that I was calling because I haven’t spoken to her in 3 years)
Me: Ya, how are you doing?
Lily: I’m doing great (which was good to hear since she had a 7 by-pass operation 2 years ago). I bet you’re calling to find out when I’m going to answer your letter.
Me: Kinda!
Lily: I don’t know how much I can help, I think you have everything.
Me: Any little bit would help. What I was wondering, though, was if you remember what your mother’s parents names were.
Lily: Her parent’s names – no I don’t. (crap!). Your granny and her parents didn’t get along very well and she didn’t speak of her life before coming to Canada. I don’t know if you know this, but she had two little girls before coming here.
Me: What? (after picking myself up off the floor) Really?
Lily: Yes – and she left them behind when she immigrated.
Me: What? (picking myself up for the second time) Was Granny married before she came to Canada.
Lily: Oh no, but she did have a boyfriend and they were planning on getting married. See, you never know what you're going to find when you start searching (no kidding!)

By now I’m so stunned I’m speechless. I was hoping for her to maybe mention a little boy, but two little girls? She never did mention a little boy and I was too stunned to ask.

Apparently my grandmother had two illegitimate girls while still living in Scotland. She and her boyfriend were planning on getting married but this caused a problem with her mother. Because my grandmother was still living at home, with the little girls, her mother was getting money, my Aunt thinks possibly from the government. If my grandmother married or moved away and took the girls with her, her mother would no longer receive this money. This caused such a rift between my grandmother and her mother that my grandmother got so upset that she up and left. Not just the house, or the town, but the country – and left her two little girls behind. That must have torn her apart.

I asked my Aunt if my grandfather knew about this and she said no, that my grandmother kept this a secret during their 45 years of marriage. I assumed that she decided that she was going to start fresh in this new country and forget what was past. Not so - my grandmother kept in contact with her sister who updated my grandmother on the little girls and how they were doing, but destroyed the letters before my grandfather saw them. She carried this secret with her to her grave. My Aunt only found this out by accident in 1990 – 10 years after my grandmother died. On her way home from a visit in Montreal, she made a stop over in Winnipeg to visit her cousin, Nettie. While there, Nettie says to my Aunt “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m really not your cousin – I’m your niece!” Nettie is the child of one of these little girls that my grandmother left behind. She has been living in Canada for a long time and has been “posing” as my Aunt’s cousin to protect my grandmother’s secret (she would really be my cousin). All that time my grandmother knew that Nettie was her granddaughter but couldn’t acknowledge it for fear that her secret would come out.

My Aunt has promised to send me the stuff I requested as well as Nettie’s address so I can write to her to get the whole truth.

Since speaking with my Aunt I have managed to find my grandmother’s birth record, which lists her father as Peter Devlin (one mystery solved). Just out of curiosity, I searched for the death record of this Peter Gibb Devlin and I found it on ScotlandPeople. He is listed as illegitimate, mother’s name is “Nellie” Devlin, and grandfather is Peter Devlin. So, did my grandmother actually have 3 children before coming to Canada. Who are these little girls, how old were they when my grandmother left and who is the father (or fathers)? The questions are just coming from everywhere. Now the wait is on again for my Aunt to send Nettie’s address.

I just hope I don’t have to wait another two months. I don't think I could take it!