A Girl Who Sewed With Her Mouth

Question

https://eservices.wellington.ca/museum.mountforestconfederatenewspaper//Home/DownloadFile?fileName=E%3A%5CWebSites%5CeServices%5CMuseum.MountForestConfederateNewspaper%5CFileData%5C1890%5CMount%20Forest%20Representative_1890_04_03.pdf

While searching a local newspaper for other people, I came came across this story "A Girl Who Sewed With Her Mouth" from Sugar Island, New Brunswick.  I tried to see if she was in WT or FS, but can not see that she is listed, so I created a profile for her.

I don't know where to start searching for people from New Brunswick, and would love help to fill in the blanks for her profile. 

Answer 1

Thanks for finding this story Karen. I found Mary in the 1851, 1871, and 1881 census in Kingsclear. One of the census notes she was "crippled" and another "born a cripple".

The "Dayton Herald" obituary states that she lived with a brother and sister, and in the 1881 census she is found living in Kingsclear with her brother Frank and sister Madeline. So I think this must be the woman we are looking for.

I also found her baptism record and created profiles for her parents and siblings. She is connected to the tree now.

Her last name at birth should be changed to "Godin" per her baptism record.

You may notice on Mary's parents' profiles that they were closely related (1st cousins on one side and 2nd cousins on the other). The Catholic Church granted a marriage dispensation for this close level of kinship, which was likely only granted because the couple already had two children together. One has to wonder whether the close relationship may have been a factor in Mary's disability since birth.

Comments

Yes, she is connected to me by 23 degrees through 5 branches. Who knew.  I only picked up on the story because I love to sew. And to do it with your mouth. Oh my goodness!  She certainly deserves to be honored.

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She is 17 degrees from me and 3 branches through my mom's Canadian side. What an interesting story.

Answer 2

I found a local obituary and corrected the date of death.