Forensic Geneology : Me and My Totem Pole !!

 

A few days ago my on-line friend , Barb, asked me whether I was still hot on the trail of  my forebearers ........ to which I shall now answer her by saying , " Yes , Barb , Yes..... and more so than ever since here in Saint John I have access to all the archival sources both ecclesiastical and civil necessary to write a doctorate on my family and their network of friends down through the ages ...... their occupations , hardships , successes and misfortunes  from the day Owen and Mary McAnulty along with their sons ,  Seamus and Myles , left their "coffin ship " in 1847 to the present day ."

Date April 14 1884
County Saint John
Place Saint John
Newspaper The Daily Telegraph

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On Friday afternoon a little girl, Katie McANULTY, age 10 years 10 mos., d/o James McANULTY of Portland (St. John) disappeared from her father's house near Murray's mills. (see original)

While researching the tragic drowning of little Katie  , my great aunt , just below the mill at the Reversing Falls I noticed that her godparents back in 1873 had been  Angus and Sarah McDonald .... so I decided to find out more about them. Did Angus and my great grandfather work together at the mill ? Did they live near each other ? And usually you ask someone you know well or a family member to sponsor your child at baptism , etc... I simply wanted to  know more about this couple... so I checked out the newspapers and city directories between 1873 and 1893 only to discover  that it was not necessarily a good thing to be named Angus McDonald in the Maritime Provinces  during the latter three decades of the 19th century !!

Gloucester, Mass. Nov. 2nd - Angus MCDONALD, 28 years old, a native of Cape Breton, washed overboard from Schr. "Maggie E. McKenzie" on passage home from Newfoundland, Jan. 26, 1892 and was drowned.

Harley Road (Kent Co.) Angus McDONALD took sick ten days ago and died 25th Feb. He was in the prime of life and has been in Boston for the last six months. His father went to Boston on a visit and came home with him and a few weeks after he was dead.

On Saturday last, while Donald McDONALD (miller) and his son Angus McDONALD, about 21 years of age, were repairing a lever in connection with the water gate of their mill, the temporary scaffolding on which they stood gave way, precipitating both of them down upon the water wheel, which happened at that moment to turn by the accidental opening of the water gate, the men in their fall having pressed the lifting lever. The son was instantly killed or drowned under the wheel; but the father, although passing under the wheel, was extracted alive by some of his family. Dr. McIntosh of this town was immediately called to attend the wonded man. An inquest was held on the body of the young McDonald. - 'Antigonish Casket'

On Saturday, 3rd Nov., Angus McDONALD, living on Brown's Mountain, was killed by the accidental discharge of his own gun. It appears that he was looking for a bear that had killed a hiefer belonging to him. His gun was loaded with two bullets besides some shot. While going down the other side of the mountain in company with another man, the gun slipped out of his arms and striking against a stone went off, the charge entering the upper part of the unfortunate man's thigh, killing him instantly. - 'Pictou Standard'

Am Inquest was held St. Peter's Village, Bathurst (Glouc. Co.) 11th inst., before John McKenna, Esq., Coroner on view of the body of Angus McDONALD, age 19, who was accidentally killed in the vicinity of the Lakes of the Big Nepisiguit River, some 80 miles from Bathurst, by a decayed hollow tree falling on him on morn. 6th inst. The deceased was in the employ of Messrs. Ferguson Rankin & Co. as a lumberman at the above lkes. He was interred in the graveyard of Saint George's Church, Bathurst. (see original)

Mrs. Mary McDONALD, age 105, a resident of Souris East, P.E.I., half a mile from that village, walks that distance to church and home again, making both trips usually without help and without halt. She was a McCORMACK. She is an aunt of Sheriff McCORMACK of Souris. She emigrated to this colony from Long Island, off the coast of Scotland, ninety years ago. Bishop McINTYRE's father was a fellow passenger. Angus McDONALD, her husband, died some years ago at an advanced age. - Examiner'

On Wednesday morn. a body very much decomposed was picked up in Halifax Harbor. It was supposed to be the remains of Angus McDONALD who fell overboard and was drowned from the ship "Northern" last December.

On 11th ult., Angus McDONALD, known as Angus McDonald TULLOCK of East Point, P.E.I. who has been employed at Sawyer's Lobster establishment, New London, during last year, was drowned while carrying lobster traps from New London to Rustico. The boat capsized. He tried to swim ashore, was seized with cramps and died.

d. River Hebert, 9th Oct., Sarah McDONALD w/o Angus McDONALD, age 40

N.B. Sarah died in 1877....three years after acting as godmother to little Katie.