The topic for Week 2 is 'Challenge'. Almost since the beginning of my genealogical journey, my biggest challenge as been 'What happened to Robert & Mary Ann (nee Widdis) Allen after the 1891 Canadian census?' Except for the maiden name of Widdis, all the names involved are fairly common - which has hindered me in breaking through this brick wall.
This couple are my Great-Great Grandparents on my father's side. I had verbal information from my Aunt Dora of an entry in the family bible:
William Allen and family sailed from Liverpool on the 28th of May and landed in Quebec on the 17th of July 1831.
May these days be remembered by us all and every year give to God the praises due to his Holy Name for ever, Amen.
Age 68 in August 1892 - Robert Allen.
William Allen married a Buchannan and his son Robert Allen married Mary Anna Widdis and their son William Allen married Mary Jane Woodland.
I have never seen the family bible myself. According to Aunt Dora, the bible had been in the possession of her Aunt Lena. Aunt Lena, as well as her two daughters are now deceased. Unfortunately, I do not know what happened to the bible.
Does the entry 'Age 68 in August 1892 - Robert Allen' mean that Robert Allen died in August 1892 at the age of 68? Or did he make the entry in the bible at that time and died some time later? Others researching the family have used August 1892 as the death date for Robert.
Aunt Dora had provided some assistance to a cousin, Bob Allen, doing research. His records have Robert Allen's death as August 1892 in Ontario with burial in Markdale Cemetery. He had no definite death date for Mary Ann Widdis but also lists her burial in Markdale Cemetery. Another researcher who has posted this family tree online uses August 1892 for Robert's death but with the location of British Columbia and no information for Mary Ann.
Through my genealogy research, I have followed the Robert & Mary Ann Allen family in the Canadian censuses. The family did move around, but always in Ontario (Canada West prior to Confederation). In 1891, the family was residing in Euphrasia Township in Grey County. Markdale is in Artemisa Township, Grey County, which would not be far from Euphrasia Township.
Both Ancestry.ca and FamilySearch have Ontario death records for the time period that Robert and Mary Ann would have died - in 1892 or another time. Why have I not been able to locate them? Knowing that transcribing and index on Ancestry can leave a lot to be desired, I have tried to be creative in my research. But, after many years, I have yet to locate either Robert Allen or Mary Ann (nee Widdis) Allen.
I have not discounted the possibility that both of them, or even just Robert, had migrated out west to British Columbia. I know one of their sons, Robert James, did relocate to British Colubmia with his family - but that was not until sometime between the 1901 and 1911 censuses.
An unmarried son, Jackson, died in British Columbia in 1947. According to his Death Certificate, information for the certificate was obtained from a number of friends - no family. No one knew the names of the deceased parents and reported that he had been in the province for 50 years. If that time frame was accurate, Jackson would have relocated to British Columbia about 1897. Given the friends' lack of knowledge about Jackson Allen, it is possible that he was in that province as early as 1892. Had his father, and possibly mother, joined him as well? Death records for British Columbia are digitized and available online at Ancestry.ca as well as the province's website, but I have yet to locate death certificates for either of the individuals.
As I research my Allen ancestors, I have frequently found the extended family to be very close. When a parent died, the spouse and children were often taken in by other family members (not always together) or neighbours - who may be distant relations as well. So I find it difficult to accept that Robert Allen and Mary Ann Widdis Allen disappeared into thin air without any contact with other family members.
Local newspapers of that time were always 'newsy' with details of local people as well as their relatives, often extending the community's condolescences when a family member had passed away. Checking newspapers local to where the many children of Robert and Mary Ann lived during the 1890's have not revealed any mention of the couple. But not all of the relevant newspapers are online and it has not been possible for me to travel to the areas to research locally.
I do continue to search for my elusive Great-Great-Grandparents and hopefully I will eventually find out what happened to them post 1891.
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