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James Graham
I am trying to find information on my great-great-grandfather James Graham. The only record I have of him (that I am sure is him, at least) is from the 1881 Census of Canada. The family was living in Hochelaga, Quebec, Canada. The record states that he was born in 1854 in the United States. He is listed with his wife Elisabeth (my great-great-grandmother Catherine Elizabeth Winters, who usually went by her middle name), born in 1860 in the United States (I have the birthdate 12 November 1861 for her) and daughter Catherine (my great-grandmother Kathleen Graham, whose birth name may have been Catherine), born in 1879 (I have the birthdate 31 October 1879 for her). The 1881 Census of Canada says that she was born in Quebec, but later U.S. censuses and all the other documentation that I have on her state that she was born in Illinois, or more specifically, in Chicago. James Graham's occupation is listed as accountant. Their religion is listed as Church of England. However, the family story is that James Graham had been a Catholic priest. I haven't been able to confirm this, and the religion listed in the census is different, but I know the Church of England is similar to the Catholic Church in many ways, and if he left the priesthood he could have left the church too.
On ancestry.com in the Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621 - 1967, I found a marriage record for James Mapplebeck and Elizabeth Winters, widow of the late James Graham of Chicago, U.S. They were married on 21 November 1885. I haven't been able to find a death record for James Graham. I don't even know if he had really died because I know sometimes "widowed" people are actually divorced, and I heard that he supposedly went back to the priesthood. Of course, I don't know if the Catholic church would take him back as a priest after leaving the priesthood, marrying, fathering two children, and leaving the family! James Graham's other child was Garfield Graham, born in Quebec, Canada on 26 May 1882 (or possibly 1881).
I couldn't find a birth certificate for Kathleen Graham. There is no birth certificate for her in Chicago, but since they were not required at the time, she may not have had one. I don't know about church records. I wouldn't even know where to look or what the religion was; according to the family he was Catholic, but the 1881 Census of Canada said Church of England, and if the priest story is true he might have avoided the Catholic Church. Catherine Elizabeth Winters was Scotch Presbyterian. I haven't found a marriage record for James Graham and Catherine Elizabeth Winters. Kathleen's and Garfield's death certificates do not have information on him.
In 1891 James and Elizabeth Mapplebeck and the two children (listed with their stepfather's name) are living in Montreal Centre, Quebec, Canada. According to the 1910 U.S. census record for Garfield Graham, he returned to the U.S. in 1892, and I know his family came back too. In 1900 Elizabeth Mapplebeck and her children are living in Alton, Illinois. She is listed as married, but her husband is not with them. By 1910 they were in St. Louis, Missouri; I know Kathleen was there before 1910 because my grandfather John Boe was born in St. Louis in 1908.
I found a man named James Graham in the 1870 census living in Chicago who is about the right age, and I suspect that he is my ancestor. However, 9 years is a long time and James Graham is a common name, so I can't be sure that he was still living in Chicago in 1879 or that someone else with the same name did not move there after the 1870 census.
Here is the 1870 census record for his household:
William Graham, born in Ireland about 1832
Phoebe Graham, born in Canada about 1835
James Graham, born in New York about 1855
William Graham, born in Ohio about 1860
Jinnie Graham, born in Illinois about 1863
Allie Graham, born in Illinois about 1865
Phoebe Graham, born in Illinois about 1868
George Graham, born in Illinois about 1869
I suspect that this is the right family. They are in Chicago Ward 9, the same ward that Catherine Elizabeth Winters was living in in 1870. This James Graham is the one closest in age to my ancestor (although I know census birth years can be wrong). His mother was born in Canada; if there were family members still in Canada it could explain why my family moved to Quebec. Also, although it may be a coincidence, this James Graham was born in New York, and although Catherine Elizabeth Winters was living in Chicago by 1870, she was born in Tonawanda, Erie, New York; maybe the Graham and Winters families knew each other for a long time.
There is also a James Graham living in Chicago Ward 8, born around 1852, but he was born in Scotland. There is another James Graham in Chicago Ward 10, and another in Chicago Ward 16, both born in Illinois, but one was born around 1859 and the other was born around 1860 so they are probably too young to be my ancestor. There are other James Grahams in Chicago in 1870 too, born around 1800, 1824, 1831, 1842, 1844, 1846, and 1848. Some of these men are definitely too old to be my ancestor, and if all the 1870 and 1881 census records are reasonably accurate all of these men are too old. But it does show how common the name was, so someone else with the name could have moved to Chicago between 1870 and 1879.
I found the family of the man I suspect is my ancestor in the 1860 U.S. census. Here is the census record for the household. They are living in Sandusky, Erie, Ohio.
Wm Graham, born in Scotland about 1832
Pheba Graham, born in England about 1834
Jonne Graham, born in New York about 1856 (this has to be James Graham; the name is hard to read in the original census record)
Wm Graham, born in Ohio about 1859
John Gleason, born in Ireland about 1837
Daniel Gleason, born in Ireland about 1841
Different birthplaces are given for the parents in each census, but even if the mother was born in England and not in Canada, she may have lived in Canada. I don't know if the Gleasons were related or not. According to the 1860 census none of the Grahams were born in Ireland, but the 1870 census says that William Graham was born in Ireland.
I can't find any of the family in Chicago in 1880. I also looked for them in Quebec in 1881 and could not find them (except for James Graham and his wife and daughter).
I really think this is the right family, but I can't prove it. I also don't know when James Graham died. If anyone can help with this elusive ancestor I would appreciate it!
On ancestry.com in the Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621 - 1967, I found a marriage record for James Mapplebeck and Elizabeth Winters, widow of the late James Graham of Chicago, U.S. They were married on 21 November 1885. I haven't been able to find a death record for James Graham. I don't even know if he had really died because I know sometimes "widowed" people are actually divorced, and I heard that he supposedly went back to the priesthood. Of course, I don't know if the Catholic church would take him back as a priest after leaving the priesthood, marrying, fathering two children, and leaving the family! James Graham's other child was Garfield Graham, born in Quebec, Canada on 26 May 1882 (or possibly 1881).
I couldn't find a birth certificate for Kathleen Graham. There is no birth certificate for her in Chicago, but since they were not required at the time, she may not have had one. I don't know about church records. I wouldn't even know where to look or what the religion was; according to the family he was Catholic, but the 1881 Census of Canada said Church of England, and if the priest story is true he might have avoided the Catholic Church. Catherine Elizabeth Winters was Scotch Presbyterian. I haven't found a marriage record for James Graham and Catherine Elizabeth Winters. Kathleen's and Garfield's death certificates do not have information on him.
In 1891 James and Elizabeth Mapplebeck and the two children (listed with their stepfather's name) are living in Montreal Centre, Quebec, Canada. According to the 1910 U.S. census record for Garfield Graham, he returned to the U.S. in 1892, and I know his family came back too. In 1900 Elizabeth Mapplebeck and her children are living in Alton, Illinois. She is listed as married, but her husband is not with them. By 1910 they were in St. Louis, Missouri; I know Kathleen was there before 1910 because my grandfather John Boe was born in St. Louis in 1908.
I found a man named James Graham in the 1870 census living in Chicago who is about the right age, and I suspect that he is my ancestor. However, 9 years is a long time and James Graham is a common name, so I can't be sure that he was still living in Chicago in 1879 or that someone else with the same name did not move there after the 1870 census.
Here is the 1870 census record for his household:
William Graham, born in Ireland about 1832
Phoebe Graham, born in Canada about 1835
James Graham, born in New York about 1855
William Graham, born in Ohio about 1860
Jinnie Graham, born in Illinois about 1863
Allie Graham, born in Illinois about 1865
Phoebe Graham, born in Illinois about 1868
George Graham, born in Illinois about 1869
I suspect that this is the right family. They are in Chicago Ward 9, the same ward that Catherine Elizabeth Winters was living in in 1870. This James Graham is the one closest in age to my ancestor (although I know census birth years can be wrong). His mother was born in Canada; if there were family members still in Canada it could explain why my family moved to Quebec. Also, although it may be a coincidence, this James Graham was born in New York, and although Catherine Elizabeth Winters was living in Chicago by 1870, she was born in Tonawanda, Erie, New York; maybe the Graham and Winters families knew each other for a long time.
There is also a James Graham living in Chicago Ward 8, born around 1852, but he was born in Scotland. There is another James Graham in Chicago Ward 10, and another in Chicago Ward 16, both born in Illinois, but one was born around 1859 and the other was born around 1860 so they are probably too young to be my ancestor. There are other James Grahams in Chicago in 1870 too, born around 1800, 1824, 1831, 1842, 1844, 1846, and 1848. Some of these men are definitely too old to be my ancestor, and if all the 1870 and 1881 census records are reasonably accurate all of these men are too old. But it does show how common the name was, so someone else with the name could have moved to Chicago between 1870 and 1879.
I found the family of the man I suspect is my ancestor in the 1860 U.S. census. Here is the census record for the household. They are living in Sandusky, Erie, Ohio.
Wm Graham, born in Scotland about 1832
Pheba Graham, born in England about 1834
Jonne Graham, born in New York about 1856 (this has to be James Graham; the name is hard to read in the original census record)
Wm Graham, born in Ohio about 1859
John Gleason, born in Ireland about 1837
Daniel Gleason, born in Ireland about 1841
Different birthplaces are given for the parents in each census, but even if the mother was born in England and not in Canada, she may have lived in Canada. I don't know if the Gleasons were related or not. According to the 1860 census none of the Grahams were born in Ireland, but the 1870 census says that William Graham was born in Ireland.
I can't find any of the family in Chicago in 1880. I also looked for them in Quebec in 1881 and could not find them (except for James Graham and his wife and daughter).
I really think this is the right family, but I can't prove it. I also don't know when James Graham died. If anyone can help with this elusive ancestor I would appreciate it!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Beth Gatlin on
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Although Garfield Graham was born in Canada, his parents were both born in the United States. I think the father referred to on the World War I draft registration card is his stepfather James Mapplebeck, who raised him. He was born in Ontario, Canada. Although I did not find James Mapplebeck with his family in the 1900 census, apparently he did immigrate with them because I found him listed in an Alton, Illinois telephone directory.
Gene suggested I post the full text of the marriage record I found for James Mapplebeck and Elizabeth Winters, so here it is:
On this twentieth day of November one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five James Mapplebeck, Glass blower and of the city of Montreal and Elizabeth Winters, widow of the late James Graham of Chicago, U.S. were married in St. Mary's Church, Hochelaga on the presentation of public license by me.
J. Douglas Borthwick, Rector
James Mapplebeck
Elizabeth Winters
contracting parties' names
Alfred Kadakir
Toussant Martin
witnesses
(witnesses' names could be a bit off, the record is hard to read)
No, I haven't communicated with the library in Sandusky, Ohio. I never even thought of that! I didn't think the family I suspect may be mine was there that long. James Graham, possibly my ancestor James Graham, was born in New York around 1855 - 1856. In 1860 the family was in Sandusky, Ohio, and another son, William, was born in Ohio around 1859. But according to the 1870 census record for this family (when they are living in Chicago), their sister Jinnie was born around 1863 in Illinois. However, it is possible that the family had moved to Ohio because they had family in the area. Maybe William Graham, the father of the James Graham I found in the 1860 and 1870 censuses, had a brother or another relative there, and maybe that relative operated a drug store. And I have no idea where the family was in 1880.
The William Graham in the 1860 census was a carpenter. In the 1870 census his occupation is listed as caulker & ship car. (or co.)
Ancestry.com has some issues of the Sandusky Register available online. It has only the years 1894-1895, 1911-1912, 1915, and 1919-1920. Even these are not complete, and although some issues from 1915 are available, of course the month of March is not! If I search for Graham I get a large number of results. I looked at a few so far but the ones I viewed were irrelevant. It will take time to go through them all.
I checked genealogybank.com and it also has the Sandusky Register, from November 18, 1848 - December 23, 1861. This does include at least part of the time that the family was there. I didn't find anything that obviously referred to this family. I did see an ad for "nature's remedies" sold in Sandusky by W. A. Graham and Isaac Mills, but I don't know if W. A. Graham is William Graham from the 1860 census. This William Graham also had a son named William, and I don't know where either of them was in 1915. If it is one of them, he was not in Sandusky the whole time, although other family members could have been.
The Sandusky Library Web site says that its staff is not able to accommodate written requests for extensive research, and I don't have the money to take a trip out there right now.
Thanks so much for your help! -
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Thanks! I don't really have that much experience with historical societies, though, although we actually have one located at my workplace (of course, as far as I know I don't have ancestors who lived here). I have been to archives when I took a research trip once, but that was for a totally different branch of my family. I'm assuming that historical societies won't do extensive research for you. What should I be asking about or looking for? I already saw that birth records aren't available before 1867 and the one child in the family who was born in Ohio was born around 1859. I don't think anyone got married there or died there. I couldn't even find the Erie County, Ohio deed index on the Sandusky Library Web site, or anywhere else. The Erie County Web site says its online records only go back to September 1990.
Something else that might be worth mentioning: although I know the information in the census records is not always accurate, the 1920 U.S. census says that Kathleen Graham Boe's father was born in New York. The other census records have different information: the 1910 census says that her father was born in England and the 1900 and 1930 censuses say that he was born in Canada. However, the Canadian father is probably her stepfather James Mapplebeck. She even listed his name on her Social Security application, so she probably considered him her father. The census records for her brother Garfield say that his father was born in Canada (1900 and 1930), New York (1910), or United States (1920). Again, the Canadian father is probably his stepfather; the children were even listed with their stepfather's last name in the 1900 census. Since two census records for the children say their father was born in New York, this could suggest that I am looking at the right family, couldn't it? -
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I'm going to attach some census records. First I'll start with a brief review of what I know:
James Graham, born in the United States around 1854; may have died by 1885, probably in Quebec, Canada. The record of his wife's second marriage in 1885 says that she was James Graham's widow, but I know sometimes people claim to be widowed when they are actually divorced, and what I heard from family, which may or may not be correct, suggests that this could have been the case.
Married Catherine Elizabeth Winters, probably in 1878 or 1879, probably in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. She was born 12 November 1861 in Tonawanda, Erie, New York and died on 4 March 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the daughter of John Bennet Winters and Anna Walker.
Their children:
Kathleen Graham (birth name may have been Catherine), born 31 October 1879, possibly in Quebec, Canada, but probably in Chicago, Cook, Illinois; died 17 November 1967 in St. Louis, Missouri. Married John Boe.
Garfield H. Graham, born 26 May 1882 (or possibly 1881) in Quebec, Canada; died 9 July 1948 in St. Louis, Missouri. Married May Berry.
Catherine Elizabeth Winters married her second husband, James Mapplebeck (born about 1859 in Ontario, Canada), on 20 November 1885 in Hochelaga, Quebec, Canada.
Here is the 1881 Census of Canada listing for James Graham and his family. James Graham is at the bottom of the first image and his wife and daughter are at the top of the second image. They are living in Hochelaga, Quebec, Canada (subdistrict Hochelaga Village). - Attachments:
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Graham1881-1.jpg, 514 KB -
Graham1881-2.jpg, 501 KB
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I am now going to post the 1870 and 1860 census records for the family that I believe may be James Graham's. These are the reasons that I suspect that this family is his:
1. Kathleen Graham was probably born in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, and the record for Catherine Elizabeth Winters' marriage to James Mapplebeck said she was the widow of the late James Graham of Chicago. The James Graham in the 1870 census is the one closet in age to my ancestor, he was born in the United States (unlike the next closest one in age), and he lived in the same ward as Catherine Elizabeth Winters. Although we cannot be sure that he did not move out of the area by the late 1870s and we cannot be sure that someone else with that name did not move in, I believe that those are good signs.
2. The mother's birthplace in the 1870 census is listed as Canada. The 1860 census says that she was born in England, but even if that is correct, she may have lived in Canada. If his mother was born in Canada or even if she only lived there, other family members could have been in Canada, and that could help to explain why James Graham and his family had moved to Quebec, Canada by 1881.
3. Both the 1860 and 1870 census records say that he was born in New York. The 1910 U.S. census record for Garfield Graham and the 1920 census record for Kathleen Graham Boe say that their father was born in New York. Other census records say that their father was born in Canada, but their stepfather, who raised them, was born in Ontario, Canada.
The 1870 U.S. Census is from Chicago Ward 9, Cook, Illinois. The 1860 U.S. Census is from Sandusky, Erie, Ohio. - Attachments:
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Graham1870.jpg, 562 KB
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Graham1860.jpg, 508 KB
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In case it helps (for example, to show proximity) I am also posting the 1870 U.S. Census record for the Winters family. They were also in Chicago Ward 9, Cook, Illinois.
I also have census records from 1891 (Montreal Centre, Quebec, Canada), 1900 (Alton, Madison, Illinois), 1910 (St. Louis, Missouri), 1920 (St. Louis, Missouri), and 1930 (St. Louis, Missouri). However, since James Graham may have died by 1885 and if he did not, he may not have had contact with the family, I don't know how much help these will be. If you want me to post any record in particular, let me know. - Attachments:
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Winters1870.jpg, 575 KB
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