2 Brothers from Canada to the U.S.

[Colin Rowledge]

In 1919 2 brothers originally from Canada married in Massachussetts. Their names were Alexander C. Macdonald born about 1893 and John D. Macdonald born about 1877.

Why am I interested in these 2 men? The older brother went to the U.S. in 1893 and the younger went in 1916.

They both surfaced in my research when, on the 1920 U.S. federal census the household in CambridgeWard 7, Middlesex, Massachussetts consisted of the following:
John D. Macdonald - Head - born Canada of Scottish ancestry - age 43 - a Labourer
Belinda Macdonald - Wife - born England - age 45
Percy Eddy - Step son - born Mass. - age 22 - a Lathe Hand
Irma V. Macdonlad - Step daughter and Sister-in-law - born Mass. - age 18
Joseph Eddy - Step son - born Mass. - age 14
William J. Eddy - Step son - born Mass. - age 13
Susie Eddy - Step daughter - born Mass. - age 12
Raymond E. Eddy - Step son - born Mass. - age 8
Aleck. C. Macdonald - Brother - born Canada of Scottish ancestry - age 27 - a Steel Worker in Bridge Construction
+ 2 boarders.

The family rented a house at 2 Rockwell Street.

Before marriage, Belinda Eddy was formerly Belinda Bray and she married Alfred Eddy in England in 1895 and moved to the U.S. in 1896 with Alfred.

Belinda is the sister of the Nicholas John Bray mentioned in my earlier thread of today. Another sister of Belinda's was Susan Jane who apparently came to the U.S. in 1900 and later married a brother of Alfred.

Colin

[Coromandel]

Hi Colin

Is that post "for information only" or do you have a question about the Macdonald brothers?

[Colin Rowledge]

Hi Colin

Is that post "for information only" or do you have a question about the Macdonald brothers?

I would like to know where in Canada they came from and then to attempt to find the older brother after his arrival in the U.S. If the post should be in U.S.A. forum rather than in Canada, maybe it can be moved once their background in Canada has been traced.

[bamagirl]

Hi, Colin.

Here's their 1930 Census from FamilySearch:

Name: John D Mc Donald
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Gender: Male
Age: 54
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Birthplace: Canada
Estimated Birth Year: 1876
Immigration Year: 1896
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Father's Birthplace: Canada
Mother's Birthplace: Canada
Enumeration District Number: 0023
Family Number: 94
Sheet Number and Letter: 6A
Line Number: 36
NARA Publication: T626, roll 915
Film Number: 2340650
Digital Folder Number: 4607012
Image Number: 00738
Household Gender Age
John D Mc Donald M 54
Spouse Belinda Mc Donald F 55
William J Eddy M 23
Raymond E Eddy M 19

I've got some other searching to do, but getting error messages on the target sites Will post as I can get to them.
-Barb

[Colin Rowledge]

Hi Barb.

I have both Macdonald brothers with their respective families in 1930 and Ancestry is going to have the 1940 one in 7 days.

Colin

[bamagirl]

Hi Barb.

I have both Macdonald brothers with their respective families in 1930 and Ancestry is going to have the 1940 one in 7 days.

Colin

Yeehaw! Well was just looking and Alexander's 1930 and see he is married to Irma V. - which explains how she is both a step-daughter and daughter-in-law to John.

I've been trying to locate either Alexander's or John's marriage records, because Massachusetts usually has the birthplace, names of parents and parents birthplaces on the certificate. The Massachusetts Archives only go forward to 1915 with the public records.

Oooh, just had another thought about somewhere to look. I'll be back in a bit....

[bamagirl]

Hi, Colin. It's me again.

Well, the places that I thought might have some pertinent data did not pan out. Sorry.

I did not realize you had posted about this extended family on other threads. I went to search on Irma (following a hunch) only to see results pointing to the other threads. Now I feel mildly dumb. Nothing new.

Anyway. I suppose by now you have been to the Library and Archives Canada site. They have the 1891 and 1881 censi where you can view the images. Yes, there are several John MacDonalds that fit the criteria. At some point, though, the info will be useful.

Happy trails.
-Barb

[pippycat]

Colin, wonder if this is anything to do with your Macdonald's:

1901 Victoria census - from Canadagenweb (via rootsweb)

49 Tennyson Rd

Macdonald John C: m, head, m, 3 Nov 1855, 45 SCT to Can 1860
(1900 Dir: McDonald, John Chisholm snr, policeman)

Annabella: f, wife, m, 9 June 1861, 39 ON

John K: m, son, s, 4 Mar 1884, 17 ON psb Tinsmith
(1900 Dir: McDonald, John Chisholm jnr, messenger, h Tennyson Rd)

Margaret A: f, dau, s, 20 Sept 1885, 15, QC, psb Apprentice Dressmaker

Isabel: f, dau, s, 10 Nov 1888, 12, BC psb

Kate: f, dau, s, 12 Feb 1890, 10, BC psb

Alexander C: m, son, s, 27 Apr 1893, 7, BC psb

Thomas Williams, m, lodger, s, 4 Aug 1842, 58, Eng to Canada 1875, Epis, Bartender

Rebecca

added: missed psb from Annabella's details - whatever psb means!

[Colin Rowledge]

Colin, wonder if this is anything to do with your Macdonald's:

1901 Victoria census - from Canadagenweb (via rootsweb)

49 Tennyson Rd

Macdonald John C: m, head, m, 3 Nov 1855, 45 SCT to Can 1860
(1900 Dir: McDonald, John Chisholm snr, policeman)

Annabella: f, wife, m, 9 June 1861, 39 ON

John K: m, son, s, 4 Mar 1884, 17 ON psb Tinsmith
(1900 Dir: McDonald, John Chisholm jnr, messenger, h Tennyson Rd)

Margaret A: f, dau, s, 20 Sept 1885, 15, QC, psb Apprentice Dressmaker

Isabel: f, dau, s, 10 Nov 1888, 12, BC psb

Kate: f, dau, s, 12 Feb 1890, 10, BC psb

Alexander C: m, son, s, 27 Apr 1893, 7, BC psb

Thomas Williams, m, lodger, s, 4 Aug 1842, 58, Eng to Canada 1875, Epis, Bartender

Rebecca

added: missed psb from Annabella's details - whatever psb means!

Hi Rebecca.
Along with the 1901 census for Alexander C [as above] I also have him in 1911. It looked promising but I don't think it is my John C.

Here's why:
1] From the B.C. Birth Index 1872-1903 - an Alexander C. Macdonald was born April 22, 1893 in Victoria. The references are:
Registration # 1893-09-007702
BCA # B13810
GSU # 2114718

2] An Alexander C[hisolm] Macdonald applied for and was granted U.S. Naturalization on September 10, 1925. This was in Seattle, Washington. He gave his birthdate and place as April 23, 1893 in Victoria B.C. He also stated he had been in the U.S. only since 1919 and had a wife by the name of Ethel who was born in Canada.

3] The same man was married to Ethel in 1915 lived in BC and joined the Canadian Army on October 25, 1915.

Given the arrival dates of both in the U.S. 1893 and 1916 and their birth years 1877 and 1893 finding both on a census in Canada with parents is unlikely

Colin

[pippycat]

Colin, what a pity!

Seeing the John K 1884 was the clue to it not being the correct family as your John D 1877... but the parents could just have liked the name John

Back to the drawing board then!

Rebecca