Category: Records

My Irish Connection

On By NancyIn RecordsLeave a comment

James Doonan was born in Ireland around 1796-1799. He was married to Prudence who was a bit younger – born in 1811 in Ireland. Due to the destruction of records over the years in Ireland, I cannot say who their parents are with any certainty. James and Prudence immigrated to Canada by 1835 as their first known son was born in Canada in 1835. James and Prudence would ultimately have 10 children (that are known): John born February 7, 1835; Elizabeth born April 10, 1836; William born September 29, 1837; James born April 13, 1839, Armour born December 29, 1841; David born April 20, 1843, Edward born November 20, 1844; Alexander born May 8, 1846, Johnston born March 19, 1848 and Sarah Ann born June 2, 1851. William is my second great-grandfather, making James and Prudence my 3x great-grandparents.

Several years ago, I had hired a researcher to try to find out more about the ancestors of James and Prudence. The report that was generated lacked documentary evidence, but supposed that James parents were William Donan and Jane Glenn. It also supposed that Prudence’s maiden name was Morton and her parents were James Morton and Margaret Johnson. I really don’t know if this is true or not. In 2012 I made a trip to Northern Ireland – to Belfast – to do research and found there were no records to support or deny these claims.

I talked to another researcher who claimed that Prudence’s maiden name was Johnston – like her last son’s given name. It’s not unusual for a son to be named after the mother’s family – sometimes using the surname as a given name for the child. Then there is this curiosity from the 1861 Census of Canada:

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1861 Canada Census, Hungerford Township, Hastings County, Canada West (aka Ontario).

There’s the Doonan family living seemingly next door to a Johnston family whose parents were born in Ireland. Prudence is 13 years older than James Johnston here which means they could possibly be siblings. It would not be unusual for siblings to immigrate to a new area and live next to each other. So, there certainly seems to be evidence supporting the Johnston surname – although quite honestly it’s not proof either.

Most of the Doonan’s remained in Canada, but John and William moved to Michigan sometime in the 1860’s. John would immigrate to Bay county and die in 1900 in Roscommon and William came to Bay City where he was married 4 times (most likely divorced 3 of those 4 times – but no divorce records are found, nor death information for 3 of the 4 wives).

John Doonan was married on April 10, 1861 in Bruce, Ontario to Eliza Jane Walker. Two of their 10 children were born in Canada. William J. born 1861 in Canada, Prudence E. born October 28, 1863 in Canada. Then they moved to Michigan where Francis was born in 1865, Elizabeth born 18 May 1868, Eliza Jane born 1870, David born June 21, 1874, Sarah A born 1876, Ruth born March 14, 1879, Amanda born July 1882 and Charles born November 14, 1884. Coincidentally, after John’s death, Eliza Jane would re-marry in 1903 in Higgins Township, Roscommon, Michigan to Samuel Johnston who was born about 1846 in Canada. At this time it is unknown if Samuel Johnston has any connection to that Johnston family from the 1861 census.

William and his fourth wife, Rosa Smith, would have 10 children – 8 of whom lived to be adults as far as I can tell. Frank, born  June 30, 1896 and Pearl born May 25, 1905 are both buried in Fraser Township Cemetery in Bay County. Sometime between 1905 and 1910 (probably 1908) William moved with his wife, 4 sons and 2 of 4 of his daughters back to Canada. The two daughters who stayed in Michigan were married – Rose Jane Doonan born August 22, 1882 was married to Alonzo Davis, and my great-grandmother, Margaret born on June 2, 1888 was married to William Henry Lacy in 1907. William would ultimately commit suicide on October 13, 1913 in New Liskeard. Rosa would re-marry in 1918 to Ernest Ball. William and Rosa’s sons, James, William Nelson, Archie and Abraham Possinger would all serve during World War I in the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Howard Rivers, William Doonan, Alvin Rivers, Archie Doonan
Howard Rivers, William Doonan, Alvin Rivers, Archie Doonan and 2 other Doonan relatives (not sure of their names). Picture taken on a trip of Howard and Alvin with their mother to visit the Doonan cousins in Cobalt, Ontario Canada in the 1950’s or early 1960’s.
(Ellizabeth) Sabria Lacy, Howard Rivers, Margaret Doonan, R
4 Generations: Rosa Smith Doonan Ball, Margaret Doonan Lacy Phillips, Elizabeth Sabria Lacy Rivers and Howard Rivers. Picture taken in Colbalt, Ontario, Canada probably summer 1952.

Rivers-Periard connection

On By NancyIn RecordsLeave a comment

Growing up, I always knew of the farmers who lived about a half mile away with the surname of Periard. My sister and I both knew of Periard class mates. I knew my dad had talked about them as well. Little did I know there was actually a family connection – until I started researching the family history. I suspect that most of the current generation didn’t know there was a family connection either.

I wrote previously about Rose Rivers who was married to August Malorey. I have seen the surname written as Mallory and Mallorey. Well, Rose and August had one child – Mary. Rose died while carrying their second child. August went on to marry Clara Macomber. Mary was born April 15, 1905. The year is in question – but 3 of the census records that I have found her in agree on 1905. Her death certificate has not been viewed yet, but the information extracted gives her birth year as 1903. Since the date would actually fall before her parents married, I’m inclined to believe the 1905 date rather than the 1903 date. So far, I haven’t been able to find a birth record.

Mary went to live with her Aunt Mary after her mother died. Aunt Mary was her mother’s sister, Mary Jane Rivers. Mary Jane was born April 12, 1881 in Albee Township to my 2nd great-grandparents, John Rivers and Frances Jane Munson. Mary Jane married Claud Alvin Hutchins on April 7, 1899. Shortly after they married, they moved to the Pontiac area. As far as I can tell, Claud and Mary Jane never had children of their own. So, when at 5 years old, Mary lost her mother, Claud and Mary Jane probably took in her niece and raised her as their own. Mary Jane died on August 11, 1950 and Claud died on January 13, 1954.

Mary married Edward J. Periard in 1927 in Wayne County, Michigan. They stayed in the Detroit area until sometime between 1935 and 1940 when they moved to Taymouth Township in Saginaw County.

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Prior to his marriage, Edward had lived for a time in Saginaw, and after they were married, he had a general store. Edward’s parents were Clement Periard and Auxilda Kennel (both were born in Canada but immigrated to Michigan in the 1880’s). Edward had a brother, William born in 1888. It is from William that the Periard neighbors descend from.

On May 26, 1946, Mary and Edward were walking with friends along M-13 when they were struck by a car. Their friends, Andrew Wojcik and his wife Frances along with Mary were killed instantly. Edward died of his injuries 4 days later.

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Battle Creek Enquirer, May 27, 1946.
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Detroit News, May 27, 1946 page 11.

As far as I can tell, Edward and Mary never had children. The only newspaper articles found so far are from Battle Creek and Detroit. However, I can’t imagine it not being in the Saginaw papers too.

John Hickmott born 1913

On By NancyIn Adoption, Ancestor ProfileLeave a comment

When my great-grandmother Anna passed away in 1914, the children that she had with her husband Bert were taken away from Bert. My grandfather, Raymond, was one of those children – so this fact comes from him. It can be supported in the census records since in 1920 (the first census after Anna’s death) the children are not found with their father, but scattered to the winds. Grandpa spent most of his adult life looking for his siblings. He was able to find all but one – John who was born January 11, 1913 and would have only been 1 year old when his mother died.

 

About 10 years ago, I met a woman who had married into the Hickmott family and had gathered some family history data. In subsequent research – her information wasn’t always accurate (according to her records, I would have been about 20 years older than I am), but it usually proves to be a good starting point. One of the tidbits that she had said that John went to live with his “uncle Ford Riopelle” in Detroit after Anna had died. A clue that needed to be followed up since she had not.

Anna’s father had died when she was just 2 years old. Her mother re-married a man by the name of John Hand. They had children – one of which was Carrie G. Hand. Carrie and Anna are half sisters since they share the same mother. Carrie was born in 1881 and on October 11, 1906 married Andrew J Riopelle. Carrie and Andrew would have a son by the name of Andrew Ford Riopelle – born in 1915 who went by his middle name of Ford. Now, Ford and John would have been cousins – not uncle/nephew. However, Ford’s father, Andrew J Riopelle, would have been an uncle to John. I could see where that “small detail” could be mis-attributed.

I started searching the census for this family.

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Screen Shot 2018-02-17 at 11.37.45 AMIn 1920 and 1940 there is another “son” listed for Andrew and Carrie by the name of Donald Riopelle who was born in 1913. Yet, in 1930 census – he is not listed. Instead is the following entry:

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Donald Hickmott, a nephew, age 17 (making his birth 1913). His age corresponds perfectly with the Donald Riopelle found in the 1920 and 1940 census in this family. So, Donald Hickmott in 1930 is the same person as Donald Riopelle from 1920 and 1940.

Why would he be listed as Hickmott and as a nephew in 1930 when he is listed as Riopelle and as a son in 1920 and 1940? My guess – in 1920 and 1940 Andrew gave the information to the census enumerator and in 1930, Carrie gave the information – giving the more accurate information of his relationship and surname.

I have not been able to find any birth record for Donald Riopelle in 1913 in the Detroit vicinity. I have been unable to find any death record for John Hickmott born in 1913. As far as I can tell, this is the only instance of Donald Riopelle’s name being listed as Donald Hickmott.

Donald died without being married or having children in May 1969, since his gravestone is only inscribed with “son-brother”. He probably is the man with this tombstone in Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit:

PVT DONALD J. RIOPELLE

So far I have only circumstantial evidence, but I believe that Andrew and Carrie did indeed take in John Hickmott when he was just a year old – but gave him the name of Donald for some reason and probably raised him as their own child. But many questions remain unanswered. What does the J. in Pvt Donald J Riopelle stand for (could it be John)? If he was a Pvt, what military service did he have? There are a couple of different Donald Riopelle in the military records with the appropriate age and birthplace of Michigan. Why did Andrew and Carrie change his name from John to Donald?

If my theory is correct – that John Hickmott is really Donald Riopelle, then that would explain why grandpa never found his brother – he wouldn’t have known about the name change.

I would love to hear from someone who has a connection to this Riopelle family so I can further confirm or deny my theory.