Parents of Hugh Nicholl and Sarah Crawford?

[TreeFlyingSquirrel]

My research has shown that Hugh Nicholl (1848 or 1852 to 1921) and Sarah Catherine Crawford (1851 to 1929) were indeed married and produced many children who themselves produced children...but this is as high up as I have been able to go in the tree.

One fellow published his tree, which goes higher, but I'm not entirely sure about the reliability.

http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/m/a/c/Dan-P-Mackinnon-1/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0270.html

But he has the parents of Hugh Nicholl (he seems to use Nicholl and Nicholls interchangeably) as:

Hugh Nicholl(s) and Margaret Thompson (1826-1917).

Parents of this Margaret Thompson as: William James Thompson and Mary Ann Thompson (1789 Donegal Ireland - 1888 Canada).

He also has the parents of Sarah Catherine Crawford as George Crawford (1820-1857) and Jane Harron (1827-1905).



All I really know for sure is that Hugh Nicholl (1848/1852-1921) and Sarah Crawford (1851-1929) at the bottom of this tree are legitimate, and he is correct about their array of children (Harriet, Florence, George, etc.), though I don't know who was a Nicholl vs a Nicholls by that point in time.

I don't have Ancestry but does anyone have any advice as to determining the accuracy of these upper branches?

Any help is appreciated.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Hello TFS and welcome to the forum.

The first snag is...if you do not have a definite date of birth for Hugh, then how can you (or anyone else) know who his parents are?

OC

EDIT to say - sorry, I see there is a definite date of birth on that tree, but you only have a vague year of birth above, why is that?

[Anne in Carlisle]

The source on that tree for Hugh's exact date of birth is the 1901 Canadian census, so that would be a starting point to check.
Anne

[TreeFlyingSquirrel]

Hello TFS and welcome to the forum.

The first snag is...if you do not have a definite date of birth for Hugh, then how can you (or anyone else) know who his parents are?

OC

EDIT to say - sorry, I see there is a definite date of birth on that tree, but you only have a vague year of birth above, why is that?

I just came across two conflicting years of birth for him some time back and put them both down in pencil. Everything else about him lined up, if I recall correctly, but there was dispute for one reason or another about the birth year, maybe a clerical error or something. I'll try to go through my old notes and see what exactly it was, but I concluded at the time that the fellow does exist as recorded and his birth year was simply one or the other.

[Olde Crone Holden]

I don't know anything at all about Canadian records, but is the birth date shown on the death cert? If so, that's the place to start. If the birth date tallies, then you can get the birth cerft to see who are named as his parents.

OC

[Anne in Carlisle]

So, continuing from Post #3 above the content of the 1901 Canadian Census has this information. Is this your family? Note the birth date given is not the same as yours OR that on the tree you gave the link to. (and neither is Sarah's. Maybe the wrong people?)

Paisley, Ontario
Hugh Nichol, Head, Married, birth date 18 Sept 1850, born Ontario (rural), racial origin Irish, nationality Canadian, religion Baptist, teamster & farmer, can read, write and speaks English as mother tongue

Sarah Nichol, Wife, Married birth date 6 Dec 1852, born Ontario (rural) racial origin Irish

4 daughters
Florance J (18)
Elizabeth M (16)
Maggie (11)
Gertrude A (8)

Anne

[Anne in Carlisle]

In 1871 it looks like the same Hugh Nichol, aged 20 born Ontario, is living with his parents and siblings. (spelled NICHOL on both censuses)
Parents Hugh Nichol, aged 47, born Ireland, Baptist
and Margaret Nichol, aged 42, born Ireland, Baptist
They have 13 children aged from 22 to 2 (at least I am presuming they are their children because this census does not give the relationships)
Also living with them is widow Mary Ann Thompson, aged 82, born Ireland, Baptist

Anne

[Anne in Carlisle]

The marriage is here on Ancestry

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/7921/ONMS932_18-0791/2756378?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fgst%3d-6&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

17 December 1875. It does say they are Baptists and Hugh NICHOLE's parents are Hugh and Margaret. Sarah Crawford's parents are George and Jane.
Anne

[TreeFlyingSquirrel]

So, continuing from Post #3 above the content of the 1901 Canadian Census has this information. Is this your family? Note the birth date given is not the same as yours OR that on the tree you gave the link to. (and neither is Sarah's. Maybe the wrong people?)

Paisley, Ontario
Hugh Nichol, Head, Married, birth date 18 Sept 1850, born Ontario (rural), racial origin Irish, nationality Canadian, religion Baptist, teamster & farmer, can read, write and speaks English as mother tongue

Sarah Nichol, Wife, Married birth date 6 Dec 1852, born Ontario (rural) racial origin Irish

4 daughters
Florance J (18)
Elizabeth M (16)
Maggie (11)
Gertrude A (8)

Anne

The names of those children lines up with what I have. Florence, Elizabeth, etc.

[Elaine]

Just following on from Ann was having a look and started with Helen from 1871 census and where there were living as per other census returns, married as Ellen I think

https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Anichol~%20%2Bbirth_place%3Aireland~%20%2Bresidence_place%3Acanada~%20%2Bfather_givenname%3Ahugh~%20%2Bmother_givenname%3Amargaret~

Name Warren Brownlee
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 09 Oct 1900
Event Place Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Gender Male
Age 25
Birth Year (Estimated) 1875
Father's Name R J Brownlee
Mother's Name Mary Carthcart
Spouse's Name Ellen Nichol
Spouse's Gender Female
Spouse's Age 28
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated) 1872
Spouse's Father's Name Hugh Nichol
Spouse's Mother's Name Margaret Thompson

and Elizabeth, mother Thompson

https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Anichol~%20%2Bbirth_place%3Aireland~%20%2Bresidence_place%3Acanada~%20%2Bfather_givenname%3Ahugh~%20%2Bmother_givenname%3Amargaret~

and Elizabeth's death which says where her parents are from..County Tyrone, sister Mrs Oatley

https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bgivenname%3Amargaret~%20%2Bsurname%3Athompson~%20%2Bbirth_place%3Aireland~%20%2Bspouse_givenname%3Ahugh~%20%2Bspouse_surname%3Anichol~&collection_id=1307826

There is a lot to plough through on the IGI and it pulls in various spelling with Nichol in the search with and without Thompson, so you will find another death as James R. Nickolls mother Thompson

Just seeing if I can find a bit more for Hugh jnr

[TreeFlyingSquirrel]

Nice work, Elaine. These are some good finds. Thanks for the help, you're doing a great job.