Where is Mary McDonald of Cornwall

[mwjw22jb]

Yes, that baby has the same dob. I was wondering if he had died as a bub. Thank you.

[Flemming]

Something else of possible interest. William McDonald's parents (presumably) were John and Margaret (Grenfell) who married 29.8.1783 St Ives. One of the witnesses was Henry Rowe, but it may be a red herring. If Henry's a putative father for Mary, there are no immediately obvious bps for this from 1780-1795 (although, if Henry was a mariner, Mary may have been born at sea, but possibly clutching at straws).

Rowe is a common Cornish name and also has many spellings - Roe, Row, Rowe, also transcribed as Rae, Raw, Rawe - which doesn't help.

I note that William and Mary married by licence. It may be worth emailing Kresen Kernow to ask if they hold any information on this (the licence doesn't seem to be on the main proprietory websites). The COPC marriage transcription says Mary was a spinster, but I've seen it before where the bride was actually a widow. The licence may have more info about this and also mention other names of interest.

[mwjw22jb]

HI, yes, William's parents were John McD and Margaret (Peggy) Grenfell. I don't know where John McD came from originally but that's for another post. He was a Master Mariner. Henry Rowe was a Captain and although I've researched him, I can't find a child named Mary. You're so right as Rowe and associated spellings is so common.

I do have the marriage record as it was in with the THP papers so I'll attach it. There are 2 Rowe names as witnesses - Joanna and E (?Eliza). Whether they are married surnames or maiden I'm not sure yet.

[Flemming]

So poor Mary was insane in 1848. If that's the case, it may be unlikely she remarried or left the country, but it's possible she ended her days in an asylum somewhere, which may not necessarily have been Mylor/Falmouth or Cornwall - unless she made a recovery at some point.

Have you seen the bp for Mary Rowe 23.10.1785 Mylor to Arthur and Susanna? This couple also bp Elizabeth 1808 Mylor (possible Eliza in the 1841 census?) and a son Henry bp 1797 Mylor.

Arthur Rowe looks to have died 1825 Mylor, age 67 years. Possible burial for Susanna Rowe 1845 Mylor age 83 years. Susanna is in Mylor in the 1841 census with married daughter Susan Sara, and it looks as though Arthur and Susanna's daughter Mary also may have married a Sara - George Sara 1815 Mylor. In 1841, George and Mary Sara are in Mylor with a son called Arthur - which may put this lady out of the running for Mary McDonald.

There is another Rowe couple in Mylor - John and Mary - who seem to have bps for three Elizas (1794, 1796, 1798 - last one Eliza Louisa). They also have Richard Miners Rowe bp 1803 Mylor and it’s interesting that Thomas Rowe married Joanna Miners in 1806 Ruan Lanihorne. They also bp Frederick Hammond Rowe in 1807 Mylor, and Frederick Hammond (not Rowe) married Ann/Nancy Blee 1812 in Mylor - Nancy Blee was a witness on the McDonald-Rowe marriage entry.

There are several possible marriages for this couple although a likely option is 13.10.1794 Mylor - John Rowe of Lanivet to Mary Rowe, spinster. The first child, Eliza, was bp 28.12.1794 Mylor and so this was either cutting it fine, or the child was already born.

I can't find a daughter Mary for this couple but wonder if she may have been born before they were married, either illegitimate to mother Mary, or perhaps mother Mary wasn't a spinster when she married John Rowe, but had been married previously. Requires more digging.

EDIT: There’s a marriage for (yet another) John Rowe to Mary Minors 1783 Kenwyn, bride of Mylor, married by licence. Possible children (all bp Kenwyn) Thomas 1785, Mary 1788, Joannah 1789.

[Flemming]

The plot thickens. John and Mary Rowe’s children bp in Mylor were as follows.

Eliza 1794
Eliza 1796
Eliza Louisa 1798
John 1801
Richard Miners 1803
Margery Hannah 1805
Frederick Hammond 1807

In 1835 in Mylor, Hannah Rowe married Charles Prior (witness Eliza Rowe). This couple had children bp in Mylor as follows.

Mary Anna 1835 mother Anna
Charles Thomas Henry 1837 mother Margery Hannah
Frances Elizabeth 1838 mother Anna
Elizabeth Frances 1840 mother Anna

In 1851, Charles and Mary A Prior are in West Derby, Lancashire, with mother-in-law Mary Rowe (age 85, born Cornwall) and sister-in-law Margaret Donnell (widow, age 64, born Truro - could be Kenwyn). I think this may be them.

There's a dr for Mary Rowe Q1 1856 West Derby RD age 92 years. There are several drs for Mary McDonald in West Derby RD with one possible being Q1 1857 age 67 years.

[mwjw22jb]

I thought maybe the diagnosis of "insane" may be deep depression (loss of baby and husband taking off with another woman and her baby) as in one of the pages of the THP it says she is "bed lying" but is still able to sign her own name. Poor lady.

I think the John Rowe and Mary Minors 1783 may well be the parents. I only worked out yesterday that Nancy's surname might be Blee. At least I have one unusual surname.

I'll look up the 1851 census in West Derby and the dr's. I do hope it is them. I feel I just might be getting somewhere with poor Mary and her family.

I've attached 2 more pages of the THP.

[Flemming]

I think there are quite a few threads to draw the theory together, including Joanna Rowe (from marriage 1) and Eliza (Louisa) Rowe (from marriage 2) being witnesses at the McDonald x Rowe wedding. Also, there is a dr for Eliza Louisa Rowe 1848 Falmouth RD and, if this is the right lady, her death could have been cause for her elderly mother and incapacitated sister to move to West Derby (perhaps if she was the one who looked after them both).

[mwjw22jb]

Thank you all for all the help you have given me. I really appreciate it.

 I have printed out the bp and marriages for both John & Mary families. I'm sure they are related in some way but think the John Rowe/Mary Minors of Kenwyn is Mary McDonald's family.

I will get the Mary Rowe W. Derby dr to see what it says and who was present at the death.

Thank you once again. Marj