What happened to Margaret?

[lydiaann]

Margaret McTavish, b. abt 1848 York Factory, Manitoba, Canada
Father:  William McTavish of Dunardry, 1815-1870. 
Mother: Marian Rendall, dates of birth/death unknown.

William, of the Hudson's Bay Company, married Marian about 1842 "according to the custom of the country".  This often suggests that the marriage was that of a European to a woman from the "First Nations" (as they are now called).  However, given the following, it would appear that Marian herself came from Orkney.

William became Governor of HBC and decided to marry again, so he shipped off his 4 children to Orkney to stay with whom we believe are distant relatives.  The children are:

William 1843 - 1863
Margaret abt. 1848 - ??
Mary 1851 - 1887
Harriet 1852 - 1873.

We have William's details in full, including all of his employment with HBC and his subsequent 2nd marriage (interestingly, also "according to the custom of the country", from which he had a further 4 children).  He apparently sent all 4 children back to Orkney to stay with relatives (one person on the census is Jessie Flett, which is a family name of the Rendalls). We have no idea when they were sent back but, bearing in mind that the youngest (Harriet) was only 11 on the 1861 census, it surely cannot have been much before that.  William Sr. died in Liverpool on a trip home and in his will he acknowledges his first family, so he obviously ensured that they were well cared for on their return.

All 4 children are shown on the 1861 census in Stromness.  William died in 1863.  The 3 girls are shown on the 1871 census.  2 years later Harriet died (you will notice that none of them lived what we would call a full lifetime).  Mary married Angus Malcolm MacGillivray in 1879, and moved to N. Knapdale where she had 3 children, two of whom died themselves in infancy; she died in 1887.

Thus we have almost full knowledge of William, including HBC employment records, and 3 of his children from his first marriage.  However, I can find no hint of Margaret after the 1871 census - either through Ancestry, SP, or any other database...no marriage, no death.  I have tried the English censuses, deaths, etc. Did she re-emigrate?  Did she marry?  Has anyone any idea where I should be looking.

We can also find no trace of their mother, Marian, returning to Orkney (although Genuki.com shows someone has entered a date for her death in Orkney...not recorded in SP).  I shall post under 'Canada' to see if anyone there has any idea or can search from their end but anything anyone can think of at this end in regard to Margaret in particular would be most gratefully received.

lydiaann

[Scottish Janealogy]

Is the 7 year old George McTavish, born Hudsons Bay, also listed in Stromness in the 1871 census related? (Have only looked at transcripts, not originals of this census but details more or less the same).

[lydiaann]

I did not know about this George McTavish.  It could be from the same extended family but he would not be one of William's children, as the latter died in 1870 at the port of Liverpool when on a trip 'back home'.  But thank you for pointing him out...I'll investigate and let you know!!

[lydiaann]

Sorry, SJ.  I've just reread your post and realised you wrote 7 years old and not one!!  It is entirely possible I suppose, but I'll have to trace him forwards.  If he was one of the siblings, why was he not recognized in William Sr's will and, above all, why was he not in the same lodgings as the older girls?  Watch this space

[Scottish Janealogy]

Just looked at Orkney Family History Society's MI records. There are two of interest in Kirkyard A at Stromness, compiled by another organisation, not OFHS it seems.  One is in memory of "my beloved husband" (but no wife's name given) George Simpson McTavish b in Rupertsland Canada on 13 February 1863 and d Victoria British Columbia 20 April 1943. Based on the numbering, this stone appears to be next to one erected by GS McTavish "as a mark of regard for their care & kindness during his boyhood" in memory of Isabella Hourston, wife of Christopher Jobson, d13 June 1893, aged 76, Cecilia Hourston d 12 Oct 1882 aged 72, Elizabeth Jobson wife of Robert Wilson d 9 May 1894 aged 39.

An 1863 birth fits with age 7 in 1871 and he was with Jobsons then ( I think the A...try transcription is wrong).  Hope this is not leading you on a red herring but it seems too much of a coincidence.

(Harriet McTavish is also in Kirkyard A but as the transcription of her gravestone gives her age as 82 in 1873 some caution may be needed overall)

[lydiaann]

Hello, again, SJ:

I have found a tree in the public domain on the usual website which shows the full history of George Simpson McTavish (censuses, death cert etc. all in Canada) and it would appear from their fairly extensive tree that this George is NOT of the William McTavish family.  However, I believe from what you say that this IS the correct census for the 7 y.o. George and I'll get back in touch through the site with the owner of the tree.  The dates and place of birth and death on the MI certainly match up with this George Simpson McTavish.

The Harriet McTavish may be of 'my' McTavish family, but is certainly not the daughter of William McTavish as we do have her information and know it to be correct; probably an aged aunt.

By the way, I cannot find the 1871 census in the Scottish site at all...whether under Johnson, Jobson or McTavish...I thought they were all supposed to be there but I guess not.

I'll point my correspondent to these posts so they get a little more info.  Thanks for your efforts, anyway!!

[Scottish Janealogy]

George has been indexed as McTanish and the Jobson as Gobson by ScotlandsP (1871 census) Thanks goodness for OFHS's transcriptions.

I rather think the Harriet McTavish of the MI is your one, with her age wrongly transcribed from the gravestone. She's certainly the Harriet Mactavish death in Scotland 1872/73. Unless there are others hiding under McTanish 

[lydiaann]

Found George etc. on the 1871 census, SJ, thanks to your eagle eye

And yes, I think you are correct in the Harriet McTavish MI.  I'll add it into my tree (with acknowledgement to you, as a Chatter, of course).  I am still having no luck with Margaret in Orkney or elsewhere in the UK, nor with Marian in Canada.  However, I am a 'glass half full' kind of person, so who knows!

With best wishes to you and yours for the Festive Season and may 2017 be happy and healthy!

lydiaann