2 Brothers from Canada to the U.S.

[lesleys]

have you looked for them on the 1891 and 1901 Canada censuses? I dont have access but they are at Ancestry with more than one possibility (one being Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) Eastern Canada seems more likely than BC if they went to Massachusets

[pippycat]

This one any good Colin?

Border Crossings from Canada to US 1895-1956

Irma Victoria Macdonald b 8 Apr ? Toronto
Arrival date 5 June 1941 Buffalo, NY
with husband Alexander and children Ralph, Dorothy L and Edward?

Arrival contact: Sister, Susie Buchanan
Depart contact: Sis in law Mary A Gillis, Hillside? Trenton, NS

last perm residence: Lakeview ? ONT

The reason for all ?? is that the image is so bad, its very dark in places.

Sorry Colin, its only partial info, somebody with better eyes might be able to fill in all the rest of it for you ..assuming this family is correct!

Rebecca

[Colin Rowledge]

have you looked for them on the 1891 and 1901 Canada censuses? I dont have access but they are at Ancestry with more than one possibility (one being Cape Breton, Nova Scotia) Eastern Canada seems more likely than BC if they went to Massachusets

A good idea - thanks for the suggestion.

2 possible in Cape Breton with a son John born 1877. This was in 1881 when John was 4 years old.

Family #1
Headed by Kenneth aged 40, a Carpenter. With him is his wife, Euphem aged 37 and 6 children aged between 12 and 2.

In 1901 this family is still alive. They still live in Cape Breton and Kenneth is still a Carpenter. Effie is still alive as well and helping with her married daughter and 2 grandchildren. Their son John is still at home and no Alexander in the household aged 8.
The only way to tie this as the family is for John to be visiting and Alexander to be elsehere. We also have to consider that Effie would be 49 when Alexander was born.

Family #2
Headed by John aged 37 and a Coal Miner. With him is his wife Mary Ann aged 32 and 4 children aged between 8 and 1.

In 1901 they are still as a family and with similar occupation for the head. The son John born 1877 is still at home and like his father, a Coal Miner. What is interesting is that in 1887, when Mary Ann was 39 she had a daughter Mary who was with the family in 1901. If this is the parent family for Alexander, Mary Ann would be 45 in 1893 - not impossible.

Unfortunately I can't locate this particular family in 1891 so cannot see if more children may have been born after Mary in 1887.

But of the 2 families, I'm leaning towards the 2nd but am not convinced or even feel 'warm' about this.

What other suggestions are out there? Many Scottish families settled in Cape Breton and it was vet much a Coal Mining area at that time and it wasn't difficult to cross into Mass. either.

Colin

[DianaCanada]

Colin, you probably know there was a heavy immigration from Nova Scotia to New England, particularly Massachusetts, in the late 1800's and early 1900's due to lack of economic prospects in NS and the burgeoning mills in Mass. I would guess your brothers came from NS. There was also a lot of movement from Quebec - having had some experience with this - it would often say Canada E (Canada East or Canada English) or Canada F - meaning French - signifying Quebec. However, English speaking Quebeckers might confusedly be listed as Canada F because they came from Quebec or Canada E because they were English speaking.
In your case, as it is just Canada, likely they did not go from Quebec to Mass.
Of course there is the possibility of New Brunswick and PEI, who also had large dollops of Scots folk.

[Colin Rowledge]

Thanks, Diana.

Unfortunately, I have not yet made any headway in determining which, if either, of my 2 Cape Bretoners is the correct family. May be the 1940 U.S. census may shed some light.

Colin

[Colin Rowledge]

Here follows the findings from the 1940 census:

Alexander MacDonald and Irma MacDonald - nee Eddy
Alexander's birthplace is stated as Canada English. He is aged 47 and lives at 24 Wolcott Ct., Boston, Suffolk, MA. which has been his residence since 1935. He is indicated as an Alien
With him is his wife Irma, aged 34 but actually aged 39 and born in Gill, MA on 8 April 1901 and the following children all born in MA.
John D. aged 20
Francis A. aged 17
Dorothy L. aged 12
Ralph aged 3
Edward L. aged 8months.

John D. MacDonald and Belinda MacDonald - previously Eddy nee Bray
John's birthplace is stated as New York. This is incorrect as the 1930 census states place of birth as Canada and date of immigration 1896. He aged 64 and the residence is Atwood Square, Boston, Suffolk, MA. which was the same residence as in 1935.
With him is Belinda aged 69.

Still doesn't pinpoint towards a location and parents, though

[Colin Rowledge]

Have found what I believe to be the death record for John D. MacDonald from the Social Security Death Index. His death was in January 1971 and stated date of birth was 23 July 1880. This doesn't quite match census info from 1930 which stated his arrival in the US as 1896 and in 1920 as 1893. He don't appear in any census prior to 1920.

The residence is given as Boston, Suffolk, MA.

I can order the certificate fromVitalSearch, however have never used the site before. Has anyone experienced using that service, what can I expect and what are the costs involved?

Thanks
Colin