DOUGALL Part 10, An Update

From a new cousin via MyHeritage, I have learned the date of death for George Dougall and more about his daughter Jane. The best part was receiving photographs of George Dougall and his wife. In turn, I was able to provide information about George, his other children, and a family photograph. This is an update to my published Dougall family history, with the original narrative condensed and tailored to blog formatting. It made me aware of how much I now use online materials for information and clues. New information appears in this colour.

George Dougall (1818-1904)

George Dougall was born 24 May 1818 in West Calder, Edinburghshire, Scotland, the fourth son of John and Marion (Hastie) Dougall;[1] he died 28 Sep 1904 in Montreal.[2] On 2 March 1842 he married Agnes Moffat at St. Gabriel Street Presbyterian Church in Montreal.[3] Agnes was born 23 April 1819; she died 22 September 1879 in Montreal.[4]

George, who became a tailor by occupation, had emigrated with his parents and siblings to Lower Canada in 1834. After some time in Laprairie they moved to Beech Ridge at St. Andrews East in Argenteuil County. Land records for the County of Argenteuil revealed it was George who first acquired the property known as his father’s farm, lot 20 south side Beech Ridge, St. Andrews, Argenteuil, from Thomas Cochran in 1839.[5] From that time George was the seigneurial tenant of record. He may have actually lived in Montreal during that time, or at least by the time he married.

Despite the gap between seigneurial records and the cadastral system between 1873 and 1884, we can see that George’s family was still involved with the Beech Ridge property almost fifty years after the purchase. On the death of his wife Agnes, who had a substantial interest in the property, her heirs (her surviving children) transferred their claims to their father.[6] Then George Sr., the same day in 1884, sold the farm to John Francis Mitchell of Beech Ridge. By that time, the cadastral system was in place and the farm was designated lot 713, Saint Andrews, Argenteuil District.

In 1871, George, a “cutter,” lived in St Antoine Ward of Montreal.[7] The occupations of his children at that time are shown below in parentheses. I doubt Blogger is going to handle the original formatting for children, so I will have to make do. Individual numbers have been omitted.

Agnes Moffat Dougall (1819-1879)

Children of George2 (John1, ThomasA, JohnB) Dougall and Agnes Moffat:
i. JANE3 DOUGALL, born 13 December 1842, was baptized 15 January 1843 at Erskine Presbyterian Church, Montreal.[8] She became a teacher and married widower Sampson Paul Robins, son of Paul Robins and the late Ann Vickery, 4 July 1871 in Montreal.[9] John Dougall was a witness. On the marriage record, Robins’ first wife was noted as the late Elizabeth Hare. He was born 27 January 1833 in County Kent, England, and died 9 February 1930 in Montreal.[10]

Jane Dougall and Sampson Paul Robins

In 1881, Robins was a city schools superintendent.[11] In 1884, he acted as attorney and agent for his wife and two of her brothers in settling her mother’s estate.[12] Jane’s father George Dougall Sr. was living with them in 1891.[13] Jane Dougall and Sampson Paul Robins had two children: George Dougall Robins, 4 June 1872–26 July 1972 and Sampson Paul Robins, 26 November 1874–8 February 1952.[14]

Births, baptisms, most marriages, and some burials for the next children of George Dougall and Agnes Moffat were found in the original records of Erskine Presbyterian Church, Montreal, by researcher Salli Dyson. Some events confirmed or newly uncovered were found via digital images in the Drouin Collection at Ancestry.ca or in other sources, as indicated.

ii. JOHN DOUGALL, born 1 February 1845, baptized 16 February 1845 (millwright). He is likely the manufacturer who died 25 March 1883 in Hochelaga, Montreal.[15] S.P. Robins and W. Drysdale were witnesses at the burial on the 27th.

iii. JAMES JOSEPH DOUGALL, born 25 July 1847, he was baptized 12 September 1847 (carpenter). He died 17 May 1940 in West Kildonan, Winnipeg, Manitoba.[16] He married on 28 February 1883 his first cousin Ellen Dougall, the sixth daughter of his uncle James Dougall and wife Agnes Fenton of Cowansville, Quebec.[17] James McCrudden and Clara H. Dougall were witnesses. Ellen was born 8 February 1856 and died in Winnipeg later than 1940.[18] Their daughter told me the couple is buried in Manitou Cemetery, Manitou, Manitoba.

James J. was living at Pembina, Manitoba, when he married. He and Ellen cultivated a pioneer farm there. After many years of hard work, they rented their farm in 1919 and moved to 125 St. Anthony Avenue in Winnipeg. They had two unmarried daughters: Agnes Benning Dougall (1884-1967), a teacher who cared for her elderly parents, and Elizabeth Jane Dougall (ca.1885).
 
iv. GEORGE MOFFAT DOUGALL, born 1 October 1849, baptized 18 November 1849 (clerk). He died 15 July 1881 in Woodstock, Ontario, at a young age.[19] George Dougall “the younger” married Agnes Jane Kirkby, daughter of Robert Kirkby and Ann Harrison “of England,” on 5 April 1875 at 261 St. George Street, Montreal.[20] George became an organ maker[21] but after his death Agnes worked as a dressmaker.[22] Their known children were Angus (ca.1877), Peter Moffat (1878), and Agnes (1881).

v. THOMAS HASTIE DOUGALL, born 17 December 1851, baptized 11 January 1852; he died 2 December 1852 and was buried two days later on the 4th by the Erskine pastor.

vi. ROBERT McBRIDE DOUGALL, born 28 September 1853, baptized 13 November 1853 (joiner); he  died 28 May 1892 in Montreal. Robert married Annie McCrudden 22 March 1877[23]. The 1901 census shows his widow Annie, a chef, with children William (ca.1879), George (ca,1879), Edna (ca.1886), and Robert (ca.1890).[24]

vii. PETER DOUGALL, born 5 December 1855, baptized 13 January 1856. He died 27 December 1939 at Pembina, Manitoba.[25] He married Helen Anderson who predeceased him in 1935.[26] Peter was a naval engineer in the Merchant Marine before migrating to Manitoba and taking up a farm near his older brother. Peter and Helen had one child, George Lorne Dougall (1883). 

I find sites like MyHeritage and Geni.com difficult to navigate and very frustrating source-wise. Maybe I should say non-source-wise. My experience so far indicates emphasis on name collecting. And the charts are cumbersome to work with. Charts are all very well as tools, but my preference is definitely narrative genealogies, or at least give me a printable lineage! Colour me old-fashioned.

© Brenda Dougall Merriman, 2012 

[1] John Dougall family bible, as transcribed by his granddaughter Helen Locke (the original bible is long missing). Baptisms appear in West Calder registers for the first three sons but not George and the next children.
[2] Peter Smith website, MyHeritage (http://www.myheritage.com/site-379873/smith#newsfeedLocation)—where the date is 22 September. “Quebec Vital & Church Records 1621-1967 (Drouin Collection),” digital image, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca/ : accessed 12 March 2012); Erskine Presbyterian Church (Montreal, Quebec), 1904, folio 17, burial George Dougall.
[3] St. Gabriel Street Presbyterian Church (Montreal, Quebec), 1842, folio 12, Dougall-Moffat marriage.
[4] Unfortunately I learned no further information from the MyHeritage site about Agnes: e.g. parents, place of birth, etc.
[5] Seigneurie d’Argenteuil Records, Registres de Comptabilité, (1849-1860) no. 149, and (1863-1876) no. 463; Bibliothèque et Archives nationales de Québec (BAnQ), Montreal Branch, microfilm nos. 3383 & 3823.
[6] Cadastre System Records, Saint Andrews, Quebec, cadastral lot 713, document no. 9148, notary Hugh Brodie, 18 December 1884, Robert McBride Dougall et al to George Dougall; Argenteuil Land Registry Office.
[7] 1871 Census Quebec, District 106, Montreal, St Antoine Ward, subdistrict B, division 2, p. 83, George Dougall household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 9 October 2010). Microfilm uncited, but St Antoine Ward is on Library and Archives Canada (LAC) microfilm C-10046-10048.
[8] Erskine Presbyterian Church (Montreal, Quebec), 1842, folio 2, baptism Jane Dougall.
[9] “Quebec Vital & Church Records 1621-1967 (Drouin Collection),” digital images, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca/ : accessed 5 December 2009); Erskine Presbyterian Church (Montreal, Quebec),1871, folio 32, Robins-Dougall marriage.
[10] Peter Smith website, MyHeritage.
[11] 1881 Census Quebec, District 91, Hochelaga, Subdistrict E1, Hochelaga Village, pp. 39-40, Samson Robins household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca/ : accessed 5 December 2009), citing LAC microfilm C-13221. Three older girls (Lillian, Bertha, Edith) appear to be children by Robins’ first wife, judging by the enumerated birthplace of their mother. 
[12] Cadastre System Records, Saint Andrews, Quebec, cadastral lot 713, document no. 9149, notary Hugh Brodie, 18 December 1884, George Dougall to John Francis Mitchell; Argenteuil Land Registry Office.
[13] 1891 Census Quebec, District 154, Hochelaga, Subdistrict G, Hochelaga, Division 1, p. 5, S. Robins household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 5 December 2009), citing LAC microfilm T-6396.
[14] Peter Smith website, MyHeritage.
[15] “Quebec Vital and Church Records 1621-1967 (Drouin Collection),” digital images, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 12 March 2012); citing Erskine Presbyterian Church (Montreal, Quebec), 1883, folio 5, burial John Dougall.
[16] James J. Dougall, Manitoba death registration no. 018207 (1940); Government of Manitoba Vital Statistics database (http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php : accessed 12 March 2012).
[17] “Quebec Vital & Church Records 1621-1967 (Drouin Collection),” digital images, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 12 March 2012); East End Rue Lagauchetière Methodist Church (Montreal, Quebec), 1883, folio 5, Dougall-Dougall marriage. 
[18] “Mrs. James J. Dougall,” undated, uncited newspaper clipping in loose notes of daughter Agnes B. Dougall.
[19] “Ontario, Canada, Birth, Marriage and Death Records,” digital images, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 13 October 2009); George Dougall, Ontario death registration no. 014589 (1881), citing Archives of Ontario microfilm MS 935 reel 28.
[20] “Quebec Vital & Church Records 1621-1967 (Drouin Collection),” digital images, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 6 December 2009); St-Jean French Presbyterian Church (Montreal, Quebec),1875, folio 2, Dougall-Kirkby marriage. 
[21] 1881 Census Ontario, District 166, Oxford North, Subdistrict Woodstock Town, Division 2, pp. 34-35, George Dougal household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 6 December 2009), citing LAC microfilm C-13267.
[22] 1891 Census Ontario, District 104, Oxford North, Subdistrict f, Town of Woodstock, Division 2, p. 64, Agnes Dougall household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (www.ancestry.ca : accessed 6 December 2009), citing LAC microfilm T-6360.
[23] “Quebec Vital and Church Records 1621-1967 (Drouin Collection),” digital images, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 9 October 2010); St Marks Presbyterian Church (Montreal, Quebec),1877, folio 4, Dougall-McCrudden marriage.
[24] 1901 Census Quebec, District 175, Montreal, Subdistrict a, St Antoine Ward, polling subdivision 74, p. 12, Annie Dougall household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 9 October 2010). Microfilm  uncited, but the ward is on LAC films T-6533-4.
[25] Peter Dougall, death registration no. 39-06-048423 (1939); Government of Manitoba Vital Statistics database (http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php : accessed 6 December 2009).  
[26] Agnes B. Dougall to Hector F. Dougall, loose notes 1930s-1950s.