Need more info on Chester Harrsion Callahan and Michael Callahan

[jilian]

I've been working on my husband's family tree and hit a snag pretty early on.

His grandfather was Chester Harrison Callahan born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada in March of 1895.  His grandparents divorced and I was able to find that he passed away in Kingston, WA in 1955. 

On their marriage certificate it stated that Chester's parents were Mike Callahan and Lucie Harrison and his death record states his parents were Michael Callahan and Lucy Harrison.  Michael and Lucy were divorced sometime before 1899 when Lucy married her second husband, Edward Dennis in Montana.  The 1900 Montana census says that Lucy came to the US in 1896.

I have been trying to avoid paying for ancestry.com and have found a lot of information for free online.  I do know that Lucy Harrison was born in New Market, Ontario, Canada in Aug of 1868 to Edgar Harrison and Alice Rodgers/Rogers but don't know when or where she and Michael married.  Unfortunately I am not finding anything about Chester Callahan prior to the 1900 US census and can find nothing on Michael Callahan.  Can anyone help me find more information?

Thank you so much,   Jill

[LindaGW]

Washington state libraries offer a free obituary service.
Chester's obituary MAY provide some of the information you seek.
http://www.sos.wa.gov/library/Obituaries.aspx

Linda

[jilian]

Thank you for the website.  I just sent off an inquiry to them and will see what I can find out.  My husband knows very little about his grandfather as his grandparents divorced when my mother in law was very young.   I would love to find out more about his Callahan side of the family.

Jill

[J.J.]

There are 2 Michaels of similar age living in Saskatchewan/ The Territories 1891 census
both are born of Irish parents, one in New Brunswick and one in Ontario who is North West Mounted policeman
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0l5y/
If they married in Sask then there may eventually be a transcription  http://www.isc.ca/VitalStatistics/Genealogy/vsgs_srch.aspx
but if they married in Alberta, unlike other Provinces it is a lengthy & costly venture to get information...
The one from New Brunswick says he is single in 1901...but people do fib, don't see the other offhand?
http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/census/ViewFrame.jsp?id=113494&highlight=4

Oh, dear if this is the Ontario one in 1881 he's not with family www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/Census/household_record.asp?HOUSEHOLD_CODE=1881CN_575375
and hard to say if he's accounted for in 1901
 

[J.J.]

Here is Alberta Vital Stats...Even if they don't find the birth, the search will cost money
http://www.vitalcertificates.ca/alberta/?gclid=COTzueTesq8CFYZoKgodRxYJlQ

added: she may be this servant in Winnipeg Manitoba census 1891
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1891/001081-119.02-e.php?person_id_nbr=237089
But no luck in Manitoba marriages http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php

[J.J.]

Hmmm if the right fellow, he may be one of the only ones found who was a Mounted Police and a lumberjack
( sorry, I kid!  )
Mike Calahan age 38 Lodging in B.C  ( says married ) born Sept 27 1862 Ontario
http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/census/ViewFrame.jsp?id=61575&highlight=47

Only one near age in 1871, Callahan, Michael is age10 / Tyendinaga  Hastings East Ontario
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1871/001101-119.02-e.php?person_id_nbr=1771369&interval=&i=jpg
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/1871-ontario/001016-100.01-e.php

unfortunately there is a submission for the one in 1871 with a different date of birth  https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/STJ9-1TG
( added, sorry I was quickly posting that, link but adding that he is supposed to have died prior to 1881)

Please note this is information I find, and not necessarily your man...
You may want to spend that money on a birth cert ...as nothing definitive whatsoever
 

[jilian]

Lots of possibilities.  Thanks for all the info.  I'm a little frustrated with the prices in Alberta.  I had thought that the best possibility for more information about Chester's dad (Michael) might be with Chester's birth certificate or a possible marriage certificate for Michael and Lucy (assuming they were married in Alberta) but can't really justify the cost.  It doesn't help when I'm dealing with very common names.  Is there any other way to get marriage or birth information without the high cost?  I don't need a copy just any information.  It's amazing how much free information is on the internet that I guess I got a little spoiled.

[valeriec]

I don't know how much information you have on Lucy's parents and family so I will post what I found.

Federal Census of 1871 (Ontario Index)
District - York North, Sub District - King A
Edgar Harrison
b. England
occupation - tailor
Religion - Church of England

1881 Census of Canada
York North (137), King A, Div 2
Alice Harrison
age 47, b. Ireland, widow, catholic
Walter Harrison
age 17, b. Quebec, Church of Engl;and, farm labourer
Lucy Harrison
age 11, b. Ontario, occupation - servant

In the 1881 census, there is an Agnes Dick, b. Scotland, same district, sub dist and div.
This could match up with the information of Lucy in 1891 as a servant with a Dick family in Winnipeg.

1891 Census of Canada
District 131 North York, Township of King
20th April 1891

Harrison, Alice
age 50 (note the younger age) widow, b. Ireland, parents both born Ireland
Roman Catholic, no occupation listed

132 West York, St Albans Ward
Harrison, Walter
age 27, b. Ontario (instead of Quebec), father b. England, mother b. Ireland, methodist, occupation - teamster (horses)
wife Christina, age 24
Erla M or W age 2
Mildred M, age 8 months

There are Callaghan's (John and Mary and family members) in the same Ward as Walter Harrison. The Callaghan's are RC and Irish.

This doesn't prove that the Michael Callaghan (and alternate spellings) is your Michael but it does seem a good possiblity.

Paper trails were not as common at that point in time and people would change facts to suit the purpose at the time. It is  possible that Lucy wasn't divorced from the first husband when she married the second. Do you have proof that she was divorced or are assuming that as she remarried. It was not uncommon at that point in time for a woman to leave her husband and state that he had died. Divorce would have been extremely uncommon and especially if they were catholic. If she was divorced, she would not be able to marry in a catholic church. On the 1900 Montana census that you have info for, does it have her and her husband as catholic. That could also explain the Michael found in the 1901 census would be listed as married.

Good luck with your search,
Val

[valeriec]

www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/index-e.html
scroll down to Northwest Mounted Police personnel Records
then to search and type in Callaghan
2 files for Michael Callaghan will come up.

Both of the Michael Callaghan's that J.J. found appear to have joined the North West Mounted Police.

One joined in Battleford Sask in 1890 and the other in New Brunswick in 1900.

The files are available online and one has 41 pages and the other 99 pages. Lots of reading but you might find something that will link up with other info that has been found.
I would start with the Michael Callaghan, Reg # 2401 and go to the last pages and read the letters requesting information. The letters are from Lucy's daughter in Montana. Then start back at the beginning as there is lots to read. This Michael Callaghan is originally from Peterborough Ontario and does give a brother as Next of Kin. He was released in 1893 so perhaps that was when he possibly married Lucy Harrison. It isn't 100% but I think the file is worth reading to glean any info that you can from it.

Will keep looking for info.
Val