Elizabeth Marion MACKAY b. abt 1875 Toronto. Who's her mother?

[fyremoon]

Ontario Canada death cert for
Robert Morrison Birce, born 1879, died 1940
Father: Francis Birce, born Ontario

So the above Francis could have been Robert Morrison’s stepson.

So you think this Robert's father, Francis Birce, is the Francis (Berse) who was with Robert Morrison in 1861?
Do we have a marriage for Robert and Eliza? I saw quite a few entries, and haven't had time or energy to look into them, to try to determine which one might be Sarah J's parents' marriage. I will have to come back to it when I can concentrate properly!

Thanks for all the information, and for looking!

[Lisa in California]

Finally found Sarah J and William, I believe.
1861 Mono, Simcoe, Canada West Census
Robert Morrison, age 39, born Ireland, Labourer?, Church E
Eliza, age 45, born Ireland
Francis Morrison Berse?, age 14, born Canada
Sarah? J., age 10, born Canada
William J. R., age 8, born Canada
Log house, 1 storey.
All Church E

Hm, yes this could be Sarah Jane Morrison. If so, she has a brother William JR, that's could be helpful information. So she was born in Canada, but her parents from Ireland.

I'm not sure where the Berse/Birce fits in. Is he a nephew, perhaps?

I believe Eliza married at least twice, with Robert Morrison being her second husband and Francis her son from a previous marriage. I guessed at the writing on the image - Berse could easily have been Birce.

I wonder if Eliza and Robert married when Francis was young. Francis gave one of his sons a middle name of Morrison…rather a kind thing to do…perhaps he considered Robert as a true father figure.  Or, less likely but possibly, possibly Francis’ wife had a Morrison ancestor and the son was named after someone from her side.

While there were a few Morrisons in Toronto around the time Sarah Jane was born, I believe I only saw one couple named Robert and Eliza.  I was hoping if I could find Sarah’s siblings or parents that it could provide clues to either determine that she was your Sarah or find out that she absolutely wasn’t. I’ve not finished looking but I haven’t found
deaths for Robert and Eliza
George MacKay’s passenger list to North America
nor anything more about Sarah Jane in Canada.

I’ve not seen a marriage for Robert and Eliza but that isn’t at all surprising given the era.

Perhaps someone else might be able to find additional facts?  You are welcome for the info.    I’ve not finished searching yet - I do like a challenge and I am enjoying searching around Toronto.   

[fyremoon]

I believe Eliza married at least twice, with Robert Morrison being her second husband and Francis her son from a previous marriage. I guessed at the writing on the image - Berse could easily have been Birce.

Do you believe that because you've seen other marriages, or...?

I was hoping if I could find Sarah’s siblings or parents that it could provide clues to either determine that she was your Sarah or find out that she absolutely wasn’t. I’ve not finished looking but I haven’t found
deaths for Robert and Eliza
George MacKay’s passenger list to North America
nor anything more about Sarah Jane in Canada.

I’ve not seen a marriage for Robert and Eliza but that isn’t at all surprising given the era.

Perhaps someone else might be able to find additional facts?  You are welcome for the info.    I’ve not finished searching yet - I do like a challenge and I am enjoying searching around Toronto.   

I haven't been able to find anything on those points either yet, and I'm very grateful for your efforts

[Lisa in California]

I believe Eliza married at least twice, with Robert Morrison being her second husband and Francis her son from a previous marriage. I guessed at the writing on the image - Berse could easily have been Birce.

Do you believe that because you've seen other marriages, or...?

Ontario, Canada Marriages
Francis Birce, age 19, born c1847, Canada
Residence: Albion
Marriage Date and Place: 15 Oct 1866, Peel, Ontario, Canada
Parents: Francis and Eliza
Spouse: Kezea Mello

Possibly Francis Birce married Eliza and subsequently died leaving Eliza to eventually marry Robert Morrison.

Finally found Sarah J and William, I believe.
1861 Mono, Simcoe, Canada West Census
Robert Morrison, age 39, born Ireland, Labourer?, Church E
Eliza, age 45, born Ireland
Francis Morrison Berse?, age 14, born Canada
Sarah? J., age 10, born Canada
William J. R., age 8, born Canada
Log house, 1 storey.
All Church E

[Lisa in California]

Ontario, Canada Marriages
Francis Birce and Elizabeth Murphy both of Toronto, by License, 19 July 1843
Witnesses: James Smith and Eliza Cross(?)

Possibly Sarah Jane’s mother?

Update: from “List of marriages performed by the Rev. John Barclay, St. Andrews Church, Toronto”

[Lisa in California]

Online trees state Francis Birce died 18 Jan 1848, no source included.

I haven’t found his death but perhaps this is him?

Browns Toronto City Directory, 1846-47
Birse, Francis.  Carter(?).  90 Queen Street West.

Added: He is not shown in the 1844 Toronto directory.

[Lisa in California]

Possible half siblings to Sarah Jane Morrison?

Toronto Trust Cemetery, York General Burying Ground/Potter’s Field Cemetery
Date interred 8 July 1846.
James Birse. Age: 2 weeks, 2 days. Disease: Consumption. Born Toronto. Son of Francis & Eliz. Birse.

Toronto Trust Cemetery, York General Burying Ground/Potter’s Field Cemetery
Date interred 28 Aug 1847. Died Gore Toronto.
Elizabeth Birse. Age: 6 weeks. Disease: Water on the brain. Born Gore Toronto. Daughter of Francis Birse.
Note: all entries on the page only showed the father’s name.  Mother’s names were not included.

If they were Eliza’s children, how sad, losing two children and her husband possibly in 1848. 

[Lisa in California]

25 September 1849, by License
Robert Morrison, “of the Gore of Toronto”. Batchelor
Eliza Birse, “of the same place”.  Widow
Rev. H.J. Grasett (Rector of St. James, 1849) performed the marriage

https://homepages.rootsweb.com/~maryc/old6.htm

[Rev. Grasett performed a couple of my ancestors’ marriages as well.  I wonder how many parishioners attended the church; did Eliza know my ancestors.]

[polarbear]

Following on Lisa in California’s post of the marriage of Francis Brise and Eliza Murphy plus wivenhoe’s posting of the marriage of the widowed Sarah Jane MacKay to James Wright back in reply #35 on page 4 of the thread…..

I have had a look at the image (on Anc..try) of the record of the marriage of Sarah Jane to James and I was wondering if the mother’s name for Sarah Jane might be written as Morphy? The letter after the “p” looks very similar to the “h” in the Wright just above for the father of James. Morphy looks to be reasonably close to Murphy? Anyway, food for thought.

Also, the Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid has a Francis Brise buried in the same cemetery as the two children James and Elizabeth. This website doesn’t provide further info about the burial.

PB