William Cowan - Beechwood Cemetery

[MariaL]

Good morning!

I was wondering if anyone has access to the Beechwood Cemetery CD's in Ottawa. I am looking for the parents of William Cowan who died 7 January 1899 and was buried at Beechwood Cemetery with his son Holmes Cowan on Monday 9 January 1899. They both died when their coach hit a train. I have the newspaper cuttings of the tragedy along with their biographies, but unfortunately for me they do not include the parents of William who was born in county Leitrim in 1825. He emigrated to Canada in 1845.

Any information would be gratefully received.

Thanks,
Maria

[jmduke]

Hi Maria:

I'll believe that the Ottawa Public Library has these records. I'll take a look this week. However, as William was an adult, I doubt that his paents' names will be listed.

JMD

[MariaL]

Hi JMD,

Thanks very much for your kind offer. I look forward to hearing from you...

Kind regards,
Maria

[Mary Anne]

MariaL

Here are the death registrations from Archives of Ontario:

Schedule C Deaths
p. 757
County of Carleton; Division of Ottawa East

Name of Deceased: Cowan, Wm
Sex: M
Date of Death (Month/Year): Jany 7 99
Age: 73 yrs
Residence (No. of House or Lot/Concession or Street): McLaren[?] St./Ottawa
Occupation/Married or Single: County Treasurer/M
Where born: Ireland
Cause of Death: Accidental collision with train
Name of Physician in attendance: A. Freeland, Coroner
Religious denomination: C.E.
Name of person making return: A. Freeland, M.D.
Date of Registration: Jany 9 99 [number of registration stamped:] 0074451

Name of Deceased: Cowan, Holmes
Sex: M
Date of Death (Month/Year): Jany 7 99
Age: 47 yrs
Residence (No. of House or Lot/Concession or Street): Besser[er] St./Ottawa
Occupation/Married or Single: Hotel Keeper/M
Where born: North Gower
Cause of Death: Accidental collision with train
Name of Physician in attendance: A. Freeland, Coroner
Religious denomination: C.E.
Name of person making return: A. Freeland, M.D.
Date of Registration: Jany 9 99 [number of registration stamped:] 0074452

Source Citation: Roll: MS935_91. Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Deaths, 1869-1934. MS 935, 496 reels. Archives of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

(the square brackets are mine - in one address there was informaton missing, in the other I cannot read the handwirting but knowing the area am guessing; in case of the reg numbers just noting they are stamped on the page)

IF you can find out their street addresses (city directories are at the National Archives here in Ottawa), you might try going to the Land Registry Office (also here in Ottawa, but sadly not online) since there will very likley be a will on file there that could give you lots of informaiton. I would offer to do the lookup for you but am not planning to be going there soon.

Mary Anne

[MariaL]

Hello Mary Anne,

Thank you very much for all that information. I do know that William's address was 219 Nicholas Street. His son, Holmes, I believe was living at the Gilpin House Hotel, Little Sussex Street. If anyone is going to the library, it would be great if a copy of the will could be obtained. I know that William updated his will a day or so before his death as he added a codicil due to his daughter being due to marry.

Thanks very much.
Maria

[Mary Anne]

MariL

You're very welcome.

Yes, the registration could easily say Nicholas Street. I'm sorry I won't be able to go look it up for you. It might not help anyhow, with the parent's names.

What about his marriage?


Mary Anne

[jane.harrison.9]

Hi Maris, does the newspaper article give the names of wives ? If so we may be able to trace the marriage and hopefully the parents names.

[MariaL]

Hello Jane & Mary Anne,

I know that William married a Caroline McCrae, whose father was Capt McCrae of Montague. They married in 1850 but I can't seem to find the marriage certificate. Holmes Cowan married 1st. Almira Josephine Lockwood and 2nd. Mrs Gilpin. Both were members of St Johns' Church.

Thanks,
Maria

[Mary Anne]

MariaL

For William it's bit tougher --Montague is a township in Lanark County, in Ontario, when it was still called Canada West. It might also have still been in Bathurst District.

In 1850, the marriage would have been recorded in the local register - Ontario registration of marriages only started in 1869, although Ancestry shows some marriages from 1857. It might have been recorded by one of the circuit riders in the area (my methodists were...)

So, you will need to find Lanark County records. I would try writing to the Lanark County Genealogical Society - here is their queries page: https://globalgenealogy.com/LCGS/rqueries/lcgsqury.htm

For Holmes - here is his second marriage - Margaret was a *home girl* from Leitrim too:

Schedule B – Marriages

No. 002272
His Name: Holmes Thomas Cowan
Age: 40
Residence when Married: Ottawa
Place of Birth: North Gower, Ont
Bachelor or Widower: W
Rank or Profession: --
Names of Parents: Wm Cowan & Caroline Cowan
Her Name: Margaret Gilpin
Age: 50
Residence when married: Ottawa
Place of Birth: County of Leitrim, Ireland
Spinster or Widow: W
Names of Parents: James Gilmour & Jane Gilmour
Names and Residences of Witnesses: Albert[?] E. Cowan[?]; Margaret MacKay
Date and Place of Marriage: Jany 8th 1890, Ottawa
Religious Denomination of Bridegroom: Ch. of England
Religious Denomination of Bride: Ch. Of England
By whom Married: Rev. A.W. MacKay
By License or Banns: L

They're also in the 1891 census in Ottawa, apparently in the hotel that Holmes kept, because there's a long list of lodgers. But no new info about the couple.

Mary Anne

[MariaL]

Hello Mary Anne

Thanks for this information. I will contact Lanark County genealogical society and see if they have anything there.

Many thanks for all your advice.
Maria