William Daniel (Mcdonell) MacDonell (1859 - 1933)

Born 15 Nov 1859 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Descendants

Died 6 Dec 1933 at age 74 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada

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Biography

William Daniel Mcdonell was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia on November 15, 1859, and was baptized two days later at the St. Andrew's Catholic Church.^[1]

His parents were Angus Mcdonell and Mary (Fraser) Mcdonell.^[2]

The spelling of his family's surname varied considerably in Antigonish at that time, but in his case, it seemed to shift from McDonell to MacDonell or Macdonnell over time.

William first surfaces in the 1891 Census of Canada, which shows him llving in the Dunmore region of Antigonish with his widowed father and two younger sisters, Mary Ann ("Annie") and Margaret Ann ("Maggie"). According to the census, he is a literate English-speaking Roman Catholic whose parents were also both born in Nova Scotia. At this point, William would have been about thirty years old.

Willaim seems to have been his parents' oldest child; there were two siblings between him and Annie, Catherine and Alexander. Maggie was born in or about 1870, and seems to have been the youngest child, suggesting that William's mother, Mary Fraser, died rather young.

Mary appears in the 1871 census, but is deceased by the 1881 census, even though she was 10-15 years younger than her husband. Angus, who was a farmer, is not known to have remarried prior to his death in 1915.

Angus seems to have lived his entire life in Antigonish, but his parents were both born in Scotland. He was literate and identified as a Roman Catholic of Scottish origin. He died between the ages of 90 and 95, indicating a family tendency towards longevity.

Mary Fraser had been born in Township St Andrews, Antigonish, and been brought up Catholic. Both of her parents were born in Antigonish, but she was also of Scottish descent.

In the 1901 census, taken when he was about forty years old, William shows up as a married farmer of Scottish origin living in the South River region of Antigonish.

Residing with him are his wife, Christine (or "Christina"), who went by "Christie," and was 10-15 years his junior, and their one-year-old son Alexander. It is probable that they had married within the last few years. Christie's maiden name was also something along the lines of "McDonell" or "MacDonell."

The 1911 census shows William farming in South River under the employ of someone else, and says that his native language is Gaelic. He and Christine are residing with their son Alexander ("Alex"), 11, and five more children who have since joined the family:

• John Angus, 7.
• Mary Ann, 6.
• Martha Mary ("Mary Martha"), 5.
• Margaret 'Helen,' 4.
• Donald Joseph, 3.

The 1921 census shows William farming on his own account and in possession of a house in Boyds, Middle South River. Two more children had since joined the family:

• James Frasier Archibald ("James A."), 8.
• Catherine ("Kathleen Christine" informally known as "Kay"), 5.

As Christine was now listed as 47-years-old, it is safe to assume that "Kay" was their youngest child.

The 1931 census shows William and Christine living in Dunmore (which may be the same location as Boyds and/or South River), where William is still farming. Their unmarried sons Donald, 22, and James, 19, are still residing with them, probably mainly in order to help their aging parents run the family farm.

William died in Boyds on December 6, 1933, aged 74.^[3] Christine probably died in Antigonish in 1942, aged ~71.^[4]

He passed away in 1933.

Sources

1. ↑ William Daniel Mcdonell, William Macdonell, and William Mcdonnell in the Nova Scotia, Canada, Antigonish Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1823-1905.
2. ↑ William Daniel Mcdonell, William Macdonell, and William Mcdonnell in the Nova Scotia, Canada, Antigonish Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1823-1905.
3. ↑ William MacDonell in the Canada, Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current.
4. ↑ Christena MacDonnell in the Nova Scotia, Canada, Deaths, 1864-1877, 1890-1970.

• William Daniel Mcdonell, William Macdonell, and William Mcdonnell in the Nova Scotia, Canada, Antigonish Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1823-1905.
• William Mc Donell in the 1891 and 1911 Censuses of Canada.
• McWilliam Donell in the 1901 Census of Canada.
• William Mc Donald in the 1921 Census of Canada.
• William D McDonell in the 1931 Census of Canada.
• William McDonell in the Nova Scotia, Canada, Deaths, 1864-1877, 1890-1970.
• William MacDonell in the Canada, Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current.
• William MacDonnell in the U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847-Current.
• William Macdonnell in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007.
• Angus Mcdonnell in the 1871 Census of Canada.
• Angus McDonell in the 1881 Census of Canada.
• Angus Mc Donell in the 1891 Census of Canada.
• McAngus Donell in the 1901 Census of Canada.
• Angus Mcdonell in the Nova Scotia, Canada, Antigonish Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1823-1905.
• Angus McDonell in the Canada, Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current.
• Christena MacDonnell in the Nova Scotia, Canada, Deaths, 1864-1877, 1890-1970.