Canada question

[Sedna]

Hello,
I just stumbled upon this board, and it seems a good place to ask some questions.  I'm kindof a newbie.  I am working on a tree using geni.com.  I am running into an annoying dead end matrilineally. 

The relative in question was born Maleta Castellar in Montréal circa 1832.  I have seen both surname and given name spelled half a dozen different ways each.  I know she was living in New York City by the time she married John B. Zimmerman in 1855.  I would like to know more about her family.  The family rumour is that her mother may have been from Malta, and her father was in the Royal Navy but not necessarily British nor Canadian.

I'm stumped on my next steps.  I have access to census records and stuff for the US, but I can't seem to find the relevant info in Canada.  I would love to somehow find a birth certificate or baptism record so I could get a foothold to her parents. 

Any pointers?

[jim1]

Hello Sedna
I'd put this on the Canada board if I were you.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/board,166.0.html
jim

Moderator's Note: moved to Canada board

[J.J.]

According to some family she may have had the middle  initial "L" Oddly there is no tombstone for her...
Maleta L Castellar Zimmerman (1832 - 1871)  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=54561765
What religion was she noted to be?
The 1852 census doesn't search for anything but correct surnames...so you'd have to put in hundreds of combinations
http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/census52/
perhaps someone can find something for you as Melita b. 1832 Montreal...but if she was Catholic or protestant it is important to our searches...

[Sedna]

I created that FindAGrave page actually.  Sorry for forgetting the middle initial. 

I have seen her surname as Castellar, Catella, and Castella.  I've seen the first name as Maleta, Melita, Malida, and probably others.  I tried searching on that census site and I didn't find anything.  I'll keep trying new spellings.

As far as I know, she was Roman Catholic.  I am only basing that on how my great-grandmother (her daughter) was catholic, but she married a Gleason, so she may have converted.

[RunKitty]

Hi Sedna,

It sounds as if they were married in NYC.  Have you looked at Maletta's marriage record to see if her father is named?   

RK

[J.J.]

Hard to say, as they were obviously back and forth...John J. Zimmerman
FHS has this extracted file
John J. Zimmerman born Toronto, York, Ontario
Parents: John B. Zimmerman and Meleta L. Cutteller
Married Elizabeth Hilton on Aug. 11 1881, Manhattan, New York, N.Y.

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/Census/household_record.asp?HOUSEHOLD_CODE=1880US_11109914

are you positive we are looking in Montreal for the birth, as perhaps the parents were Montreal and she may have been born Upper Canada, Ontario? Guess I am asking if Montreal birth was from a census or family history? Where did you find her death date, etc.
ADDED:
I see where you got forename as Maleda in 1860 where it states Montreal- altho can't see image...
and I see her as Maleta with John in 1870 with the 4 children where it says all are born N.Y. http://www.rootschat.com/links/0bf3/

Oh, say & welcome to rootshat by the way Sedna!  We are looking, we really are...nothing to report but several behind the scenes have tried to find more...

[Sedna]

I have a copy of the 1880 NY Census page.  I don't know how I missed that John J. Zimmerman was born in Canada.  He was born in December 1860 in my records.

Thanks for the FHS record.  I don't even know what FHS is.  Can you point me to that?  I can't say I'm thrilled to have yet more spellings of Maleta's names, but atleast I nailed down where John J. was born. 

Maleta and John B.'s marriage certificate  from 20 May 1855 (at 40 Franklin St, NY) has no parents listed for either.  The witnesses are Mr. H. Raymond and Mrs. A. Raymond.  No idea who they are. 

Elizabeth was born Perkins, then married a Robert Hilton.  He died c. 1878, then she married John J. Zimmerman in NY, NY.

Thanks for the welcome. JJ.  You certainly are a helpful bunch.  I guess I did bring a tough nut to crack, but from what I've seen you folk are the ones to do it. 


P.S. I have a copy of the 1860 census image and Maleta's marriage cerificate, if you want to see them.

[J.J.]

Sorry, LDS Family History Search I meant to add the url to the marriage as well... Here it is...
 http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/IGI/individual_record.asp?recid=100328065924
Here is the newer site, where the marriage is listed but with no birthplace mentioned so that's too bad ...we'll miss out on extra information now.  https://www.familysearch.org/

With no parents we are really searching for a piece of hay in the haystack... There were Cutteller in New England, shortened to Cuttler/Cutler but we may be looking for Coutlier, Coutelier , Castilloux, Custailie, Coutelier, Cattellier, Cathelier and so on...I haven't tried much with the new spelling
Here is our Quebec resource board. I have tried many things on several sites...but maybe you'll have luck.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,266234.0.html

[polarbear]

Hello and welcome from me also, Sedna  .

I too have been searching the records to no avail so far. If she was born in Montreal she is very well hidden. Such an unusual name should stand out but as you have noted it is also very easy to spell it in a variety of ways.

I am not one to give up easily so will continue to search in case I missed something and will post if I find anything or can offer any suggestions. Too bad she died so young.

Polarbear