Meg & William Simmons, Newfoundland

[Evelina]

Hi can anyone help me find my Gran's sister Margaret Morrison Laing known as Meg born 1896 in Fife, Scotland, married 1918 in Perth, Scotland to William Simmons from Newfoundland. They went to live in Newfoundland.   He is born about 1896 too.  Parents Charles Simmons, Fisherman and Bridget Carroll.

William was a Seaman - Merchant Service and a Private Newfoundland Forrestry Corps at the time of his marriage.  His usual residence is given as Queen's Harbour, Newfoundland.

Any help or pointing in the right direction very welcome, thanks Evelina

[jorose]

Might be Green's Harbour?

1945 census:
http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1945/45-greens-hr-tb-s.shtml
 - scroll down, there's a William and Maggie Simmons with children Charles and Ethel.
http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1935/35-greens-hbr-tb.shtml
 - 1935 census, more children (including a ten-year-old Jean who I'll come back to later)
http://ngb.chebucto.org/C1921/21-greens-hbr-tb.shtml
 - and in 1921, which gives her birthplace as Scotland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Colin_Simmons - some information on William John Simmons appears to be here. It sounds like it may be the same person - parents Charles and Bridget, similar details for war service, first wife's name is given as 'Margaret Geneva'.

I think the 'Jennie' he mentions who ended up in BC with husband Arthur Deadmarch is Jean on the 1935 census, and is on the BC death index as Jean Florance Deadmarsh - she died in 1958 aged just 32.

[Evelina]

Thanks Jorose, this looks like the right people.  Don't know where the 'Geneva' comes from though.  The Wikipedia pages are interesting too. although it says Charles died in his teens but he is 27 on the 1945 census???

Thanks for looking this up for me, Evelina

[J.J.]

Baptisms..Siblings of Charles but none for Charles: 
http://ngb.chebucto.org/Parish/grn-hbr-meth-bap-1867-1904-tb.shtml
Florence-   B Sep 23rd 1892.  Bap.  Oct 8th 1892
Ann Eliza - B. Oct.1st 1894  Bap  Oct 20th 1894.
James S. - B. July 17th 1899   Bap Sep 2nd 1899.
Mary  - B. Apr 10th 1901  Bap  Apr 12th 1901.

[J.J.]

Now you'd think this was the right William J. Simmons, but a mixup on her maiden name perhaps?  previously married ? 
Baptism for a surname: Simmons or Thompson
forename:  Charles Stuart     
parents Wm. J. Simmons  & Margaret Thompson
born Oct 8th 1918 Lassadie, Scotland
Baptised green's Harbour March 18th 1919 by R.S.Smith

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Simmons  Agnes / parents William John & Margaret ?
born Sept.13 th 1919  Green's Harbour
Bap. Nov 1st 1919 by R.S.Smith

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
also a  Stanley James Simmons to a William & Margaret     
b. Feb 25th 1923   Bap May  8th 1923

http://ngb.chebucto.org/Parish/grn-hbr-meth-bap-1916-1923-tb.shtml

[Evelina]

Hi JJ, Thanks. This is interesting. Although William Simmons and Margaret Morrison Laing married in Perth 18 of March 1918 and she was working in Stanley, Perthshire at the time, her parents and siblings all lived in Lassodie, Fife.

So this may have been their first child, again the maiden name is wrong, who is 'Thompson', could be a coincidence but i am going to Register House in Edinburgh in the next two weeks so |i willl check out this birth certificate.

His parents as we know from the mc are Charles and Bridget and her's John & Agnes.  So by Scottish naming tradition Charles is the name given to the first boy.  However after this the pattern did not continue.  The next son they appear to have named Theodore then a Jean.  Margaret had a sister Jane known as Jean who married Theodore, (my grandparents) so this is strange.  Maybe she liked the name    Evelina

[J.J.]

Bridget died in 1901 - in childbirth as the story stated...in this long list of sad losses for Greens Bay within a few decades....
http://ngb.chebucto.org/Parish/grn-hbr-meth-bur-1874-1913-tb.shtml

The story said Margaret's name was Geneva, but I see now that all the children were your Margaret's... so now she has three surnames

[Evelina]

Hi JJ, Just to say I checked out the BC of Charles Stuart Simmons born in Lassodie and he is definately the son of William Simmons and Margaret Morrison Laing, so no doubts now it is the correct family.  Thanks again for your help and to Jorose too.  Evelina

[J.J.]

Wonderful news!!!How fabulous that there was so much information to be had!!!
All the best,
J.J.

P.S. should you need anything else on this family, or have more news, just add a new reply and it will  notify us!