Here's one I put out a long time ago.

A Lady of Mystery

and Questions that Remain

 

My great grandmother, Mary Jane (Jennie) Davidson has bequeathed an inheritance of unanswered questions.  Even some of the things I believe to be true, remain to this point in time, unproven.  According to her death certificate to which the informant was her youngest daughter, she was born in Stratford, Ontario March 24,1853.  I have a letter that was written to her Mar 27 (year missing)  in Mitchell Ontario, that says she had resided in what may have been a boarding or finishing school for the past three years and was being presented with a gift on the eve of her departure for “the far west”. It was signed by twelve girls or women.  I also have a photograph of 6 young women, fashionably dressed that bears the identification of a photographer in Mitchell, Ontario.

 

The next thing I have is an original wedding certificate for Jennie Davidson age 23 and William Prendergast age 25(both of Portage La Prairie) at St. Mathews Church, Brandon Manitoba, dated November 28, 1883.  (note that the gap between 1853 and 1883 is 30 years).  Then comes a letter written to Mrs. Prendergast, dated Mar. 24, 1886 in Winnipeg Manitoba, in which a gift is presented to her in honor of her birthday.  This is signed by 20 people which are also expressing their appreciation for residing in her home.  Two of the signatures are “J.C. Prendergast” and “J.J Harrison”.  (In a visit to Winnipeg several years ago, I confirmed that she ran a boarding house in Winnipeg at that time, and subsequently I secured the death certificate for William Prendergast, who died of Typhoid Fever only 3 ½ months after the wedding).   The next document is the wedding certificate for John J. Harrison and Mary Jane Prendergast dated September 2 1886. At this time Mary Jane gives her age as 25!  Obviously John J. Harrison is the boarder, J.J. Harrison.  From this last marriage, my grandmother, Jennie Bell and her sister Appie Victoria were born in Winnipeg.  At some point the family moved to Vancouver, BC and  according to a delayed birth registration (signed by Appie Victoria in 1964) the youngest child, John Noble Glover was born July 9, 1893 in Victoria, BC.  On  Mar 11, 1909 John J. Harrison died by his own hand.

 

Some factors that seem curious are:  some of the Prendergast family also moved to Vancouver and appeared to remain very close.  When I was a child in the late 1930’s and into the 1940’s I recall Prendergasts  visiting often at my great Aunt’s home.  One of the Prendergast’s was named Noble John and my Aunt was in close contact with him.  She also was the informant on the death certificate of one of the Prendergast women and signed herself as a Niece!  My Grandmother many years ago, handwrote an outline of who her paternal and maternal parents and grandparents were – she identified Mary Jane’s(Jennie’s) father as Arthur Davidson and her mother as Anne Robinson., the Prendergast marriage certificate says her father was William Davidson and her mother was Anne Robertson.  In the marriage to John Joseph, her parents were identified as William Prendergast and Anne Prendergast.  In the late Birth Registration, my Aunt contradicts herself by saying that her mother was born in Mitchell Ontario( refer to where she says Stratford above).

 

In the 1881 Census for Perth Co. Tsp Mitchell, I have found William Davidson age 80, his wife Ann age 66, Mary J. Age 23 and Sarah E. Age 21.

 

Some of the anomolies I have no problem with.  Even though I have possible birth years of 1853, 1858, 1860 and 1861, age variations are quite common and I suspect ladies back then preferred to be regarded as younger than they actually were.  The Robinson vs Robertson is not of great concern as I believe my Grandmother may have erred and as well with William vs Arthur.  However the questions that remain are: where was Mary Jane born?  Did she attend a boarding or finishing school in Mitchell?  What would prompt her to go  to Portage La Prairie (very rural in 1883)?  Why, when the family lived in Vancouver, was the youngest child born in Victoria and why wasn’t the birth registered at the time?  What circumstances lead to my great grandfather’s suicide?  What was the enduring connection to the Prendergast family, one that carried over into the next generation? With this last what is the significance of the two names – John Noble and Noble John?  William and Ann Davidson according to the census were born in Quebec, Portage La Prairie was originally a French Canadian settlement, the name Prendergast is a contraction of a french name – is there any significance in these coincidences?

 

Any Sherlocks out there!!