Miriam (Jerrett) McKay (1889 - 1983)

Born 20 Nov 1889 in Shoal Harbor, Nfld

Ancestors

Wife of Donald Stuart McKay — married 19 Nov 1908 in Port Arthur, ON, Canada

Descendants

Died 28 Oct 1983 at age 93 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: G. MacKay [send private message]

Biography

Mirriam Jerrett McKay was born on November 20, 1889 in Shoal Harbour, Newfoundland, which was the original name of the town before it was renamed Cavendish. She was the daughter of Charles and Asenath Jerrett (nee Hall) and had several siblings including Ernest Jacob Jerrett, Dora (Jerrett) Follansbee, Cicely Jane (Jerrett) Pike, and Edith Hannah (Jerrett) Bryant. Mirriam married Donald McKay, a marine engineer, on November 19, 1908 in Port Arthur, Ontario. Together, they had several children including Stuart Charles McKay, Gordon McKay, Donald Angus MacKay, Anne Jean (McKay) Hardy, Patricia Elizabeth McKay, Douglas Haig MacKay, Marion Victoria (McKay) Johnson, and Dan MacKay.

Mirriam's father had a small lobster canning business, but he died at a young age due to tuberculosis, which was an epidemic in that area. After her father's death, Mirriam came to live with her aunt and uncle in Dorion, Canada, because her mother could not afford to feed all five children as a widow in Newfoundland. Mirriam lived with her aunt and uncle for some time and then went to live with the Maitlands, where she possibly went to school or did some other type of work.

Although not much was said about Mirriam's younger life in the transcript (see below), it is clear that she had a difficult childhood and had to move away from her family to live with relatives. Despite this, she maintained relationships with her family and was able to reconnect with them after several decades. Mirriam lost contact with her siblings for 35-40 years, and when she finally saw them, she went to visit her sisters, brother, and other relatives who were living around Boston. Mirriam's nephew, Danford MacKay, spent much of his childhood with her, and they went to visit her sisters and brother in Boston. Mirriam had a boyfriend, and there was another boy with whom she used to go for walks. The boyfriend came to visit her while she was living with her aunt and uncle, and she eventually married him.

Mirriam passed away at the age of 94, and her obituary reads: "Largely attended funeral services by relatives and friends for the late Miriam McKay, aged 94, of Dawson Court, who died in hospital October 28, 1983, were held Monday at 10 a.m. in the Sargent and Son Funeral Chapel. Rev. Blake Carter of Lakeview Presbyterian Church officiated. Bearers were David MacKay, grandson, Dundas, Ontario, Michael Boland, Peter Boland, Tom Boland and Rob Carr, great grandsons, all of Thunder Bay. Honorary bearers were Kelly Piper and Carol Carr, great granddaughters, Michele Boland and Lisa Boland, great great grandaughters and Stuart Boland and Alan Boland, great great grandsons, all of Thunder Bay. Dr. Dan MacKay, son, of Dundas, and Jon Thrower, grandson, of Brampton, attended services."

Miriam was born in Cavendish, Newfoundland. Cavendish was once known as Shoal Harbour. The area is part of the Trinity Bay district, and more precisely, Cavendish is included in the Upper Trinity South District. Here's a link to documents and other info from the area: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cannf/tbus.htm

Birth

Birth of Miriam Jarrett^[1]

Date: November 20, 1889

Place: Shoal Harbour

Father: Chas Jarrett

Mother: Asenath Jarrett

Date of Baptism: December 17, 1889

By whom Baptized: Henry Scott

Marriage

1908 Marriage

Marriage between Daniel Stewart McKay and Minnie Jerrett^[2]

Date: November 19, 1908

Place: Port Arthur - Thunder Bay, Ontario

Groom: Daniel Stewart McKay

Age: 26 (1882)

Usual residence: Port Arthur

Occupation: Marine Engineer

Mother: Annie Stewart

Father: Angus McKay, farmer

Religious denomination: Presbyterian

Marital Status: Bachelor

Bride: Minnie Jerrett

Age: 19 (1889)

Usual residence: Port Arthur

Marital Status: Spinster

Mother: Asenith Hull

Father: Charles Jerrett, farmer

Religious denomination: Methodist

Witnesses: John Neebou, Port Arthur; Mrs. J.W. Ferguson, Port Arthur

Census Data

1911 Canadian Census - Port Arthur, Thunder Bay and Rainy River^[3]

Daniel McKay - 28, Head, b.Apr 1883, Scotland, Presbyterian, Marine Engineer, Weekly wage: $60

Minnie McKay - 21, Wife, b. Nov 1890, Newfoundland, Presbyterian

Stuart McKay - 2, Son, b.May 1909, Ontario, Presbyterian

1921 Canadian Census - 876 Detroit Avenue, Port Arthur, Ontario^[4]

Daniel S. McKay - 38 (1883) b. Scotland; Parents b. Scotland; Immigrated 1890; o. Stationary Engineer; Earnings: $1450

Minnie McKay - 31 (1890) b. Newfoundland; Parents b. Newfoundland; Immigrated 1903

Stewart McKay - 12 (1909) b. Ontario

Donald McKay - 9 (1912) b. Ontario

Annie McKay - 7 (1914) b. Ontario

Patricia McKay - 5 (1916) b. Ontario

Douglas McKay - 3 (1918) b. Ontario

Marion McKay - 1 (1920) b. Ontario

1931 Canada Census - 876 Detroit Avenue, Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada (owned house value $3000, 7 rooms, has radio, Presbyterian)^[5]

Donald McKay (head) - 53 (1878) b. Scotland; parents b. Scotland; Immigration year: 1886; o. Stationary Engineer, Power House earning $2100/yr

Marian McKay (wife) - 42 (1889) b. Newfoundland; parents b. Newfoundland; Immigration year: 1903

Stewart McKay (son) - 22 (1909) b. Ontario; o. Grain sampler earning $700/yr (unemployed 32 weeks 32 weeks)

Donald McKay (son) - 19 (1912) b. Ontario; o. Construction labourer $600/yr (unemployed)

Annie McKay (daughter) - 17 (1914) b. Ontario

Patricia McKay (daughter) - 15 (1916) b. Ontario

Douglas McKay (son) - 13 (1918) b. Ontario

Marian McKay (daughter) - 11 (1920) b. Ontario

Notes

"Just finished reading your article Today's Necessity Was Yesterday's Magic Carpet. Well, it brought back memories to me. I am 85. We didn't have a Model T, we started out with second-hand cars. But after a while (can't remember the year), we bought an Essex and on July 1 started out on our holidays for Duluth. At that time the highway was nothing but corners and hills, so when we came to a hill the children and I had to get out and push. I forgot to say it was a brand new Essex. I enjoy all your little stories very much - it make my day."

In the words written by Miram McKay to Frank Lowe and reprinted in his column c1974, in Weekend Magazine.

From a transcript of a recorded conversation from August 2005, between brother and sister, Anne Hardy, and Danford MacKay (Summary by G. Patrick MacKay.)

GRAEME M – Let’s talk about nanny. Nanny was born in Newfoundland, I take it.

DANFORD M – She was born in Newfoundland, do you know the year?

GRAEME M – Cavendish, Newfoundland.

ANNE H – Yes. We visited there. Between 10 and 15 years ago.

GRAEME M – So nanny was born in Cavendish ,Newfoundland in 1889.

ANNE H – And her father had a small lobster canning …

GRAEME M – Oh really?

ANNE H – When he died at a young age.

DANFORD M – Cut down in his prime by TB which was an epidemic down there.

ANNE H – That would have been a horrible life out on the ocean.

DANFORD M – Wiping out whole families. My mother used to say he was such a grand looking man, he had a golden beard, he had golden hair. She idolized him. She had an idealized picture of him. She regarded him as a god and of course she worshipped him, she was only 13 or so.

ANNE H – Yeah, she was only 13 when she came out here.

DANFORD M – One of 5 children.

ANNE H – One of 5 children, and when he died he was only in his thirties. Anyway she came up here with an aunt and uncle and their three children, and she lived with them on a farm, and then, I don’t know how she’d managed this, probably through a minister, and she wanted to go, I don’t know if it was school or what, anyway she went to live with them – Maitland, their name was.

DANFORD M -- Who? Was that their aunt and uncle?

ANNE H – She lived with her aunt and uncle in Dorion.

DANFORD M – What was their name?

ANNE H – Jerrett.

DANFORD M – Oh, they were the Jerretts?

ANNE H , -- Yeah that was her aunt and uncle.

DANFORD M – Well she was a Jerrett.

ANNE H – After her dad died she came up with them

DANFORD M – Because the mother couldn’t afford to be a widow in Newfoundland and to feed five children.

ANNE H – She had no way of earning a living.

DANFORD M – And she was the oldest. So she sort of threw the oldest overboard.

ANNE H – And the others scattered. The brothers and three sisters went to the area around Boston. I guess they lived in Boston and branched out. When they died they stayed there.

GRAEME M – Really. Did she lose contact with them?

DANFORD M – She didn’t see them for 35 years.

ANNE H – I thought it was 40 years. And you went with her, and you were about 5 years old.

DANFORD M – No, not that old. I was old enough to…

ANNE H – She took Jon for some reason.

DANFORD M – Well, we went down twice. I stayed with her for the better part of my childhood. Just the two of us.

GRAEME M – Do you remember who you were visiting?

ANNE H – Her sisters. Her 3 sisters and her brother.

DANFORD M – The whole bunch of them.

GRAEME M – Do you remember the names?

ANNE H – Yeah. Jake.

DANFORD M – That was her brother. And Cicely.

GRAEME M – Sicily, like the island?

DANFORD M – No, Cicely, with a ‘C’. And Edie…

ANNE H – Edith.

DANFORD M – Edith, or Edie. And who was the other on? Aunt Sis.

ANNE H – Aunt Dora. I was supposed to look after Aunt Dora.

DANFORD M – And when we went down, the summer we went down we stayed with the Bryants, and she, I think she was the youngest…

ANNE H – Yes, she was.

DANFORD M – …And she had a son the same age as me. So we bonded for the whole summer. We cried when I left at the end of the summer.

GRAEME M – His name would be…

DANFORD M – Don.

GRAEME M – Donald Bryant.

DANFORD M – Donny, we called him.

ANNE H – And you never contacted him? Of course, you were so young.

DANFORD M – I lost track of him. But that’s too bad because we were like two brothers. And he had a heavy Bostonian accent. He’d call me “Dee-an”.

DANFORD M – So we’ve got them ashore in Canada, how did he meet her, he met her in the hotel. She had a boyfriend didn’t she?

ANNE H – Yes there was another boy she used to go for walks with…

DANFORD M – And didn’t he come down to visit her in Dorion where she lived on a railroad handcar because he worked with the railway, the one you had to pump?

ANNE H – Well that’s a sort of cute idea.

Donald S. Mckay

DANFORD M – So he used to come down and see her on a hand cart. And I don’t know if he was in the picture when dad came along, or not. We don’t know and I guess that’s one of those never to be answered. Frankly I never heard much about him. Did you?

ANNE H – No well he lived in the hotel.

DANFORD M – I never heard much about the boy, the first boy.

ANNE H – Oh no. Well no they’re 17. But she did say she go for walks with this boy. She didn’t even have a name. Well, I guess she did but I never took it in.

DANFORD M – Different now a days.

ANNE H – [My dad] handed his cheque over to my mother. He needed to. She was a good manager.

DANFORD M – They married when she was 17.

ANNE H – The day before she was 18.

DANFORD M – That’s right.

GRAEME M – Where did they meet? Do you know that story?

ANNE H – I don’t know that story but I would imagine she was like a nanny to the hotel owner and I imagine my dad was boarding in the hotel.

DANFORD M – He was a Great Lakes sailor, so he’d be there and then off again.

ANNE H – He be an engineer then? A Marine Engineer. He had all his certificates.

DANFORD M – He was 28 when he met her I guess.

ANNE H – No. She be married, I don’t know how old she’d be. I don’t know, when she was only 17.

DANFORD M – What was she doing hanging around a sailor?

GRAEME M – We talked about this the other night.

ANNE H – Well he was there in the hotel, I guess, and she lived in the hotel, and when she’d see that the kids were in bed and everything, well…

DANFORD M – And she was about 5 foot one, and he was about 6 foot one… and as I understood it she told him before she’d say that he’d marry him that he would have to become a stationary engineer which he had his papers for, which meant he’d have to stay at home and he would have to turn his cheque over to him, and she would give him an allowance. And certainly when I came 25 years later he was still getting an allowance. But when he was giving me a quarter it was coming out of his allowance. What a manager she was.

ANNE H – Oh she was a good manager.

DANFORD M – In the depression I heard he made 25 cents an hour? And he supported 6 children on that?

ANNE H – Well of course the dollar was, it’s relative, I guess.

DANFORD M – What’s that little anecdote I just heard today, my mother who was not expecting to be pregnant, she ah, what did she say?

ANNE H – She felt she had, she felt upset, she thought she said as though I had a hair in my throat, and a friend of hers said, I think you need a rest, come over here for a couple days and stay with me…

GRAEME M – A hair in your throat? Was that like an old saying?

ANNE H – The doctor told her that she was pregnant.

DANFORD M – How could she just go over to…

ANNE H -- …she was quite upset … Dols…

DANFORD M -- …Dolson’s place?

ANNE H … She was a Newfoundlander and they were quite close. I think that they were related. She and Dulce’s husband

DANFORD M – …Crawford

ANNE H – No

DANFORD M -- …oh, the other fellow… killed. In any case…

ANNE H – Dulce Bryant, his name was.

DANFORD M – anyway she didn’t have a hair in her throat, she had a bee in her…

GRAEME M – Belly.

ANNE H – And so her friend, or relative took her to the doctor, and she told her she was pregnant. And she was horrified. After all those years… what will the kids think of her?

DANFORD M – What a scandal.

GRAEME M – What are they going to think? Scandal!

ANNE H – Of course we were all elated when she told us.

DANFORD M – At least the girls were.

ANNE H – Yes, we had a lovely teenage time and I can remember we were always having little parties at each other’ house and she’d always say “now let your conscience be your guide.” Doesn’t that sound unlike somebody living 115 or 20 years ago?

DANFORD M – Things haven’t changed much.

ANNE H – Oh, mom had a million sayings. Newfies have great ones.

DANFORD M – Well I think I said to you for ages, like, she was known to be a heavy hand for using salt. And it was because she was brought up, because everything in those days was salted in order to keep without refrigeration, and often when I was growing up she’d be cooking and she’d say “oh, that tastes too fresh.” I never did ask her, but I guess I never could figure out what the hell she meant, ‘cause then she’d put salt in it. Then it just occurred to me it tasted too fresh, it didn’t taste like it had been salted down.

ANNE H – That’s right, I never thought of that either.

DANFORD M – And it came to me finally, after hearing this after all these years.

GRAEME M – That’s probably an old Newfie saying, going way back.

DANFORD M – Too Fresh. Well it’s an addiction. My father was heavy on the salt, he was even heavier on the sugar. Remember when he used to drink tea and he’d put 2 heaping spoonfuls full of sugar in it?

ANNE H – Yeah. Yes, he liked his sweet.

DANFORD M – He ate everything that was bad for you. He ate blood sausage.

GRAEME M – That’s very Scottish.

ANNE H – And my mother always made dessert. She preserved fruits herself.

DANFORD M – She was a good cook.

GRAEME M – What would be some of the meals she’d cook?

ANNE H – Just what we’d have now. Roasts. My dad loved steaks.

DANFORD M – Strangely enough chicken was a luxury. I guess they didn’t grow them like the do now, because some President in the U.S. way back when used to say a car in every driveway and a chicken in every pot. I know we didn’t have it except on special occasions, and of course, turkey at Christmas. I still see my father sitting in that chair over there and blubbing because he’d always decide he had to pray because he had most of his kids around the table including me…

Death Notice

Obituary of Miriam Jerrett: Largely attended funeral services by relatives and friends for the late Miriam McKay, aged 94, of Dawson Court, who died in hospital October 28, 1983, were held Monday at 10 a.m. in the Sargent and Son Funeral Chapel. Rev. Blake Carter of Lakeview Presbyterian Church officiated. Bearers were David MacKay, grandson, Dundas, Ontario, Michael Boland, Peter Boland, Tom Boland and Rob Carr, great grandsons, all of Thunder Bay. Honorary bearers were Kelly Piper and Carol Carr, great granddaughters, Michele Boland and Lisa Boland, great great grandaughters and Stuart Boland and Alan Boland, great great grandsons, all of Thunder Bay. Dr. Dan MacKay, son, of Dundas, and Jon Thrower, grandson, of Brampton, attended services. (Source: Thunder Bay Chronicle – Nov 4, 1983, pg 21) (Transcribed by G. Patrick MacKay.)

Burial

Final Resting Place of Miriam Jerrett McKay

Riverside Cemetery, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Stone Reference 27-208^[6]

Burial: FindaGrave.com - Riverside Cemetery, Thunder Bay Ontario

Newspaper Clippings

McKay, Donald (Mr./Mrs.), 24th anniversary on November 19, 1931, published on November 20, 1931, pg. 4, Port Arthur Daily News and Port Arthur News-Chronicle^[7]

External Links

YouTube - A short clip shot by Stuart McKay from an old 8mm film showing his mother Miriam McKay between 1958 and 1962.

FindaGrave.com - Riverside Cemetery, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Sources

• WikiTree profile Jerrett-2 created through the import of Danford MacKay Family(2).ged on Feb 3, 2012 by G. MacKay Ahnentafel GM-5. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Graeme and others.

1. ↑ No. 264; Department of Public Health and Welfare, St. John's, Newfoundland; Copy of the Register of Baptisms in the Parish of Greens Harbour, District of Trinity South, 1940?
2. ↑ Ontario, Canada, Select Marriages. Archives of Ontario, Toronto; Series: MS932; Reel: 137; Reg. #018741
3. ↑ Year: 1911;Census Place: Port Arthur, Thunder Bay and Rainy River, Ontario. Page 9, Family No: 74.
4. ↑ 1921 Census, Enumeration district 26, Page 18, Digital number 19 of 21 of Sub-District 26 (Third Ward)
5. ↑ Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Seventh Census of Canada, 1931; Folder Number: T-27290; Census Place: Port Arthur (045), Ontario, Canada; Page Number: 29
6. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 11 November 2018), memorial page for Miriam “Nanny” Jerrett McKay (20 Nov 1889–28 Oct 1983), Find A Grave Memorial no. 83615859, citing Riverside Cemetery, Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada ; Maintained by G. Patrick MacKay (contributor 47251135) .
7. ↑ Index of News, Photos and Social Notices as published in The Port Arthur Daily News and Port Arthur News-Chronicle 1915 - 1942