Vanished - without a trace - John Matthew Thompson

[karenb]

Dear Rootschatters,

I am losing my mind trying to track down a family and posting here is a last desperate attempt to find them.

I am searching for a John Matthew Thompson b. ca 1851/52 in Cannington, Brock Twp., Ontario Co., Ontario.  He is the son of John Hall Thompson and Margaret Cowan.

He married Marian A. Mills of Bracebridge in 1875 and then I lose track of him.

5931-75 John Matthew THOMPSON, 23, broker, Brock twp., Bracebridge, s/o John Hall & Margaret, married Marian A. MILLS, 23, Clonmel Ireland, Bracebridge, d/o Isaac & Charlotte, witn: J. S. SINCLAIR & Minnie THOMPSON, both of Cannington, 16 Sept 1875 at Bracebridge

In the 1881 Cannington census I find a JOHN M. THOMPSON with wife ALMIRA and 2 children: I.G. Hall Thompson 3 and Margaret 1.  The approx. ages are correct and I am guessing that Almira is perhaps the "A" after Marian.

After that I can't find any trace of them anywhere.  I have checked the Canadian censuses and the US censuses (without Ancestry subscription details) but nothing seems to be close.

I may have found 2 more children on ancestry : Clarence Catherine Leopold Thompson & Minnie Charlotte but again don't have details.

I also can't find the children after 1881.  The family has vanished and I can't find them anywhere.

I do know that a brother with whom he had worked with, around 1880,  in Cannington ended up in Qu'appelle, Saskatchewan.  So far, I haven't found John Matthew there either!

Any help trying to find this family would be wonderful  .... the whole family couldn't have dropped off the face of the earth  .. I hope 

Thanks,
Karen

[cosmac]

The 1881 census gives the son's initials as I.L.
There is this entry for Toronto - Are the Bolans related to your line?

http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/View.jsp?id=104590&highlight=12&desc=1901+Census+of+Canada+page+containing+I+Thompson

Debbie

[Jacquie in Canada]

Library and Archives Canada has a searchable by name database for the 1881 census which includes images. The name of the wife in the entry you referred to was not mistranscribed. She is listed as Almira Thompson, 25, born Ontario. Here's a link to the image (there are two pages per image and the Thompson family is the last family listed on the top page):
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e328/e008181304.jpg

Here are the details for the births at Ancestry:

Clarence Eastmond(?) Leopold Thompson born 5 Aug 1876 in Brock Twp, Ontario County to John M. Thompson of Cannington, broker and Marion Mills.

Minnie Charlotte Thompson born 23 Jul 1880 in Cannington, Brock Twp., Ontario County to John M. Thompson, broker and Marion Mills. The informant for this birth was John Hall Thompson.

I couldn't find any other births for John and Marion.

There is a possibility that John Matthew Thompson died before 1891 as I have found the following marriage:

William Ward, 45, born Cannington Ont, son of James and Eliza Ward married Marian Thompson, 42, born Waterford Ireland, daughter of Isaac and Charlotte Mills on 2 Mar 1891 in Toronto.

I've not yet been able to find the family on the Canadian census but will keep looking.

Jacquie

[karenb]

Hello Debbie and thanks for your time. 

No, I haven't come across any Bolans in the family before.

My guess with the initials I.L is Isaac - the father of Marian ? and perhaps Leslie as his brother had a son with a middle name Leslie.  Only a guess but certainly no Bolans connected.

Karen

[karenb]

Hi Jacquie .. sorry - our postings crossed.

WOW .. this is very interesting as a William Ward from Cannington is also a related to my ancestors.  I'll try to find out if these are the same Wards and I guess I should be checking for that surname in the censuses.

Thanks a million - that's great help!!!!!
Karen

[polarbear]

Hello Karenb

The 1891 census is now available free at Library and Archives Canada...hope this link works. Don't use the one that is connected to A*****y, use the other one...it's fully indexed.

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/

From the home page I believe you go into "The Genealogy Center" (if i remember correctly) and follow the link to the census.

The 1901, 1906, and 1911 cencuses/censi(?) are free to use at automatedgenealogy.com.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Polarbear

[karenb]

thanks Polarbear - will check that immediately 


Jacquie - my William Ward was born in Cannington ca. 1845 in Cannington - I don't have his parent's names though.   He married Eleanor Amanda Gibbs and had 7 children.  She died around 1888.  Her father's brother, Charles Gibbs, was married to Lavinia Hood Thompson - the sister of John Hall Thompson .... this seems more than coincidence and may be the correct Ward (keeping in the family . so to say).

Thank you - this may be a major break-through!!!

Karen

[Jacquie in Canada]

There is a death registered in Brock Twp. for Ellen Ward, 46, born Brock, farmer's wife who died 12 Oct 1888. Unfortunately there are no other details and the informant was the doctor who was treating her.

Ancestry has the following marriage indexed:

William Ward, 23, son of James Ward and Eliza Sloane, resident of Brock who married Eleanor Gibbs, 27, daughter of John Gibbs and Eleanor Robinson, resident of Brock on 4 Jan 1869 in Lindsay, Victoria County, Ontario.

This would seem to prove that the William married to Eleanor is the same William who married Marion.

Jacquie

[karenb]

Thanks Jacquie,

That would fit.  William Ward & Eleanor's eldest son was also named ca. James b. 1869.   His youngest son was Richard Percy Ward born abt. 1880.  I have been in touch with a descendant of Richard Percy who said he became  a prominent hotel manager in Seattle and Baker, Oregon.

I wonder if that is where I have to look?

Karen