Ontario: Passenger Lists & Divorce Records?

[skirl]

At the age of 5, Margaret Robinson came to Canada from Ireland with her family aboard the SS Manitoban on 25 June 1883. For some reason Margaret and her younger brother Andrew returned to Ireland without their parents in about 1885. Would anyone know how I could obtain information about ships leaving Canada for Ireland ca. 1885?

I am also trying to locate Margaret Robinson’s parents, John & Fanny Ann Robinson. The 1901 Canadian census has a divorced John Robinson living in Windsor, Essex, Ontario. Does anyone know how I might obtain divorce records from this time period? I found the census information at: http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/DisplayHousehold.jsp?sdid=3832&household=8

This is just part of a very complicated story that was covered a few years ago in an earlier thread:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=669046.msg5141252#msg5141252

[Jacquie in Canada]

Unfortunately there are no outgoing Canadian passenger lists available. The British incoming passenger lists database starts from 1878 but I wasn't able to find Margaret or Andrew.

I believe I did find a passenger list with Andrew's return and his entry on the 1910 US federal census. On the 1910 census he is in Kittson County, Minnesota which is the same county where his brother, William was living. Here's a link: http://www.rootschat.com/links/01iqn/

Andrew said his immigration year was 1904. There is a passenger list for the Sardinia which arrived in Montreal on 16 May 1903. Andrew was listed as 20, being from Donegal, and had an occupation of labourer. He was destined for Charing Cross which is in Kent County, Ontario. I haven't found a border crossing document for his entry into the US.

Jacquie

[Maggsie]

Hi,
The ship you mention and year.
There are 2 Robinson families.
it says..........
And Robinson aged 1, Margaret aged 5 and Wm aged 10.
Their parents are Jno and Fanny A.
Matching the parents names to the children the results were....
They were from Dunfanaghy, County Donegal
Fanny Ann's maiden name was McKinley

The other family is William and Hannah
Children William, Jno, Alex, Margaret, Mary and Rebecca.
Again matching the parents names to the children the results were.....
They were from Dunfanaghy County Donegal.
Hannah's maiden name was  McElhinney.

Both Families left from Derry, County Derry.
Looks like Jno (John) and William were brothers or cousins.

Maggsie

[manawakian]

See here
 
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/vital-statistics-births-marriages-deaths/divorce-1841-1968/Pages/acts-divorce-1841-1968.aspx

for info re divorce in Canada from 1840 to 1968.

There is a searchable database, which I suspect has only a small percentage of divorces in Canada during this time period.

[skirl]

Thanks Jacquie, Maggsie, & Manawakian. Great information. I’m still in search of the illusive John Robinson & wife Fanny Anne McKinley Robinson....

[rosie17]

There is a marriage for a John Robinson age 38 widower occupation railroad labourer  born Donegal Father John Robinson .Mother Margaret Robinson.
Spouse Mary Young age 29 born Toronto (widow )
17 March 1891 Kent Ontario ..?
Rosie

[rosie17]

Do you have the parents names for John Robinson ? 
Rosie

[rosie17]

Just read your link to previous posts Jacquie and I have came up with the same parent's as you 
Rosie

[skirl]

Great information Rosie. So if I can piece Rosie and Jacquie’s information with what I know already:

The Robinsons arrived in Canada in 1883. It looks like the mother, Fanny Ann McKinley Robinson, died and the 2 youngest children were sent back to Ireland in about 1885. Does anyone know how to find a death record in Ontario for Fanny Ann McKinley Robinson ca. 1883-1885? She would have been about 33.

In 1891, John Robinson married Mary Young on 17 March 1891 in Kent, Ontario. All of the information [widower, 38, railroad worker, Donegal, parent’s names] match up and make sense. Rosie: Do you know how I can get a copy of this marriage cert?

The 1901 Canadian census has a divorced John Robinson living in Windsor, Essex, Ontario: http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/DisplayHousehold.jsp?sdid=3832&household=8
The age and locality match up with everything else. I unable to find any divorce records at:
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/vital-statistics-births-marriages-deaths/divorce-1841-1968/Pages/search.aspx
I understand that some Canadians this close to the USA would go across the border to obtain a divorce. Does anyone know where I might be able to look into this? Was there a Gretna Green of divorces on the US-Canadian border?

On 10 Dec 1901 John Robinson married Jane Wilson in Essex County. I don’t have any ages to compare with my other information but the groom’s parent’s names, John & Margaret,  make sense. I didn’t know that the groom’s mother’s maiden name was Steen but it is a surname from the North of Ireland or Scotland. Essex County also makes sense. Does anyone know how I could obtain a copy of this marriage registration?

A John Robinson died on 19 Dec 1909 in in Essex County. His parents were John & Margaret Robinson, so this looks like the correct man. Does anyone know how I could obtain this death certificate?

Thanks again everyone. I have been working on this for 25+ years & it seems like it is coming together.