Person:Mary Ann? McCabe? (1)

Name and Relationships

Name: ... have been unable to confirm her maiden name.

Parents: A number of trees in Ancestry.ca say that Hugh McCabe and Margaret .. are her parents but offer little evidence to confirm this contention.

Personal History

1820 - Birth: Several different birth dates are listed for Mary McCabe? Irwin in various documents and it is impossible to know which date is correct in the absence of being able to find her birth registration. The first census that she is listed in is the 1871 census. That census lists her age as 54 (infers a birth year of 1817). The 1881 census lists her age as 60 (infers a birth year of 1821). The 1891 census lists her age as 70 (infers a birth year of 1921). The 1901 Canada census lists her age as 81 and her birth date as March 4, 1820. She does not appear to be listed in the 1906 census of Western Canada. The 1911 census lists her age at her last birthday as 98 and her birth in Feb 1813. Her grave marker says she was 95 when she died on February 16, 1911. Her Alberta certified death certificate says she was 98 (infers a birth year of 1813). WHICH OF THESE IS ACTUALLY CORRECT?

MARRIED WHERE? ... IN IRELAND

1848 - Immigration: In 1848, Mary Irwin and her son Hugh Irwin immigrated to Canada. Source is 1901 Canada census. However, the 1911 census says that both she and Hugh Irwin immigrated in 1862. NOTE: While not explicitly sourced, it appears that Robert and Mary Irwin immigrated to Canada in 1848 with their two children, William and Hugh.

1852 - Death of Husband: Robert Irwin died....

1856 - Birth of Child: Birth of daughter Margaret Jane Irwin in Georgetown, Ontario. Source is Margaret's 1888 marriage registration to Albert Verrall which lists her birth date and location. Robert and Mary Irwin were listed as parents in this document. NOTE: This may not be the correct relationship. Maybe, there is another robert and Mary Irwin in the same area.

1861 - Census - WHERE IS SHE? ... - she would be about 40. CHECKED ALL IRWIN SURNAMES FOR HER IN HURON COUNTY - NOTHING

1869 - Residence: In the testimony for the Ontario Agricultural Commission, Hugh Irwin provides the year (1869) when he and his brother William (and probably his mother, Mary Irwin) came to Magnetawan, Ontario.

1871 - Census: In 1871, Mary Irwin 54, widow, lived with her son, William Irwin at his farm in Chapman Township near Magnetawan, Ontario. Source is 1871 Census of Canada. This census also provides a date of August 23 in one of the columns but the significance of this dated is unknown. NOTE: Cannot find any trace of Robert and Mary Irwin prior to 1871 census when she shows up in Chapman Valley.

1873 - Marriage of Child: On January 2, 1873, her second son, Hugh Irwin 23 married Hannah Matthews 17 at Bracebridge, Ontario. The marriage registration lists Hannah's parents as William and Hannah Matthews and his parents as Robert and Mary Irwin. Strangely, it lists Hugh's place of birth as Goderich which is incorrect as he was born in Ireland. NOTE: Hugh and William got married in the same year, within a month of each other. However, they were not listed as witnesses at each other's wedding.

1873 - Marriage of Child: On February 9, 1873, her eldest son, William Irwin 28, yeoman (means he owned and cultivated his own land), married Frances Jackson 25 in Croft Township. In the marriage registration, his parents were listed as Robert and Mary Irwin. Source is Wiiliam and Frances' 1873 marriage registration.

1878 - Death of Child: On March 26, 1878, William Irwin (age?) died. Source is My Irwin Family by D. Smythe, Unpublished. The official cause of death on his death certificate says "Prostration - for four years" but the date he died was not listed. The death was not registered until May 15, 1878. Strangely, the informant on the death registration was Dr. Henry Taylor, not a family member. D. Smyth wrote in My Irwin Family: "A pig got out and he chased it to try to catch it and died of a heart attack." She says that he was buried in Chapman Community Cemetery. However, there does not appear to be a grave marker.

1881 - Census: In 1881, Mary Irwin, 60, born in Ireland, widowed, was living with her son, Hugh Irwin 34, born in Ireland, and his wife, Hannah 23, born in Ontario, German origin, at his farm in Chapman Township. Source is 1881 Census of Canada, Township of Chapman, Strong and Joly, District of Muskoka, Page 8. NOTE: It appears that Mary Irwin moved into the Hugh Irwin household after her son William died in 1878.

1891 - Census: In 1891, Mary Irwin, 70 was living with her son, Hugh Irwin and his family, at his farm in Chapman Township, Ontario. Source is 1891 Census of Canada.

1893 - Residence: In 1893, Mary Irwin, 72 moved with Hugh Irwin and his family to a farm near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. Source is obituary note posted by Heather Daniels, Ancestry.ca

1901 - Census: In 1901, Mary Irwin 81 (born Mar 4, 1820) was living with her son, Hugh Irwin and his family on a farm near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. Source is 1901 Census of Canada.

1906 - NOT LISTED IN THE 1906 CENSUS OF ALBERTA (also not listed on page 8 or page 9). Source is 1906 Western Canada census.

1911 - Death and Burial: Mary Irwin, 98, died February 16, 1911 in Agricola, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. W J Foster was the informant. WHO IS THIS? Source is certified copy of her Alberta 1911 death certificate. Mary Irwin was buried in St. Paul's Agricola Cemetery, about 8 km SE of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.

COPIED FROM HEATHER DANIELS TREE IN ANCESTRY.CA: Obituary - "One of Agricola's eldest residents died at home of her son Hugh Irwin on Wednesday, February 17th, 1911. She had come to Agricola from Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada 18 years prior. burial: Agricola Cemetery - HAVE NOT FOUND THE SOURCE OF THIS OBIT YET

1911 - Census: In June, 1911, Mary Irwin 98, born Feb 1813, was recorded as living with the Hugh Irwin household. Source is 1911 Census of Canada. NOTE: This seems odd since the census did not start until June 1, 1911 and her grave marker says that she died on February 16, 1911. One of these dates is wrong.

Grave Marker: In Memoriam MARY IRWIN Died Feb 16th, 1911; Aged 95 years. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. St Paul's Agricola Cemetery, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada.

Obituary

COPIED FROM HEATHER DANIELS TREE IN ANCESTRY.CA: Obituary - "One of Agricola's eldest residents died at home of her son Hugh Irwin on Wednesday, February 17th, 1911. She had come to Agricola from Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada 18 years prior. burial: Agricola Cemetery - HAVE NOT FOUND THE SOURCE OF THIS OBIT YET

1. ↑ Aumick Lake, Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, in 1871 Census of Canada
   Image 4396312 00354, Page 5, Family 22, Line 19.

   http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/1871/pdf/4396312_00354.pdf

2. ↑ Hepnolte, Victoria, Alberta, Canada, in 1911 Census of Canada.
3. ↑ Chapman, Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, in 1881 Census of Canada.
4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1
5. ↑ Image:1871 Census William Robert Irwin I 4396312 00354.pdf