52 Ancestors in 52 weeks - Week 9 Theme - Disasters

In previous posts, I have written about several disastrous events involving either my ancestors or those of my husband. In February 2015, I told the story of my greatuncle's death at the Sunset Mine in British Columbia and in November 2011, I highlighted the sinking of the S.S. Florizel. In this week's post, I return to the family of William Inglis Sr. who I wrote about in week 6 of this challenge.


William Gordon Inglis Sr. was born September  17, 1900, in North Lochaber, Nova Scotia, the only son of John Kirk Inglis and Annie Bell Forbes (1). In the 1901 Canadian Census, he can be found living with his parents and seven of his eight sisters on Lochaber (2). In 1921, William was still living in Lochaber with his family and is listed as a farmer (3). 

On October 25, 1926, William crossed the border into the United States. On his immigration card, he is listed as a farmer and described as 5' 11" with blue eyes. His destination was 2543 Wakefield Ave. Oakland, California, the residence of his maternal cousin, Alexander Forbes. (4)

On March 14, 1929, William married Mildred Stevens of Cisco, Texas. By 1931, the couple was living in Warren, Cochize County, Arizona and he was working for the Phelps Dodge Corporation as a shift boss. This company owned and operated the Copper Queen Mine on the outskirts of Bisbee, Arizona. Copper production had begun in the Bisbee area on a limited basis about 1880. It was individual prospectors at first and then companies gradually became involved and took over individual claims and brought them into production. Phelps Dodge Corporation, through a subsidiary of the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company, became the dominant force and eventually the sole operator in that mining district (5).

The sad events of March 1931 are laid out in a number of newspaper articles sent to me by Bill Inglis, William's son. The articles are copies and do not show the newspaper's name.

March 5, 1931

"Hard Boiled" Hat Saves Miner's Life When Hit by Rock

"Hard Boiled" Safety Hat Circa 1930. The helmet
was made of canvas, glue, and black paint,
and given the trademarked name
“Hard Boiled” because of the steam used
in the manufacturing process

The efficiency of the "hard boiled" safety hat adopted by local mining companies once more was demonstrated yesterday, when W.G. Inglish (sic), C.Q. miner, escaped with a bruised forehead after being struck by a  rock hurled from the blast. Copper Queen officials agreed that death would have been instantaneous if Inglish (sic) had not been wearing a safety hat.

Inglish (sic) had set off a blast in the Sacramento shaft and ran down the drift to hide between two sets of timber. When the blast went off, a heavy rock apparently ricocheted from the opposite wall and struck Inglish (sic) full on his safety hat. The force of the blow dented in the hat, which will withstand a blow of several hundred pounds, and caused a bruise of the forehead. Copper Queen doctors say that undoubtedly the rock would have killed Inglish (sic) instantly had it struck his unprotected head. 

Inglis (sic) was treated at the Copper Queen dispensary ad left for home after making two vows - that he never would work in a mine without a safety hat and that the next time he set off a blast he wouldn't remain in the same drift.

March 11, 1931 

W.G. Inglis hurt in the mines on March 4 continues in a very precarious state of health in C.Q. hospital.

March 14, 1931

W.G. Inglis Victim of Mine Injuries

W.G. Inglis who was struck by a rock following a blast at the Sacramento mine several days ago, succumbed to his injuries this morning. He is survived by his wife, who is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Stephens of Tombstone Canyon.

Mr. Ingles (sic) was struck by a rock from a blast set off by other workers in the same drift, the stone ricochetting from a  wall and bounding between timers behind which he had taken refuge. It was at first believed that the "hard boiled" safety hat had saved his life, but later it was discovered that an additional wound, caused by glass from his drilling glasses, had become infected. An operation removed the glass and he was apparently on the road to recovery when death came. 

Funeral arrangements will be made by the Palace Undertaking Company when relatives in Los Angeles are heard from.

William's Original Marker in the Evergreen Cemetery

William's death certificate indicates he had two surgeries, one on the day of the accident and one six days later. His cause of death is given as an abscess of the brain with a secondary cause of depressed skull fracture (6). According to his son Bill, William's funeral cost $338.50. He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Bisbee (7) and thanks to Bill's follow-up, now has a correct headstone.

Mining was and continues to be a challenging and dangerous profession. Although conditions have improved since the beginning of the 20th century, estimates suggest such mining accidents kill about 12,000 people a year (8) with many more seriously injured.


(1) Nova Scotia Vital Statistics, Registration Year 1904,  Page:68100149, Birth of William Gordon Inglis  https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=1904-68100149&Event=birth&ID=154565
 (2) Library and Archives Canada, 1900 Canadian Census, District 27, Sub-District H-1, Page 2, Household 20, Family 20.
(3) Ancestry.com. 1921 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2013, Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 39; Census Place: Lochaber, Antigonish and Guysborough, Nova Scotia; Page Number: 2
(4) Ancestry.com. U.S., Records of Aliens Pre-Examined in Canada, 1904-1954 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Records of Aliens Pre-Examined at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Prior to Admission at the U.S.-Canada Border, compiled 1923 - 1933; National Archives Microfilm Publication: A3463; NAI Number: 3929766; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; Record Group Number: 85
(5) Queen Mine Historical Tours: Early Bisbee Mining History http://www.queenminetour.com/History
(6) Ancestry.com. Arizona, Death Records, 1887-1960 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. https://search.ancestry.ca/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8704&h=59316&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=iAL9&_phstart=successSource
(7)  Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. https://search.ancestry.ca/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60525&h=39876205&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true#?_phcmd=u('https://www.ancestry.ca/search/categories/34/?name%3Dlliam%2BGordon_Inglis%26death%3D1931_bisbee-cochise-arizona-usa_67301%26name_x%3D_1%26_phtarg%3DiAL8%26queryId%3D01ef073d2f1a59d83b88a6a36ded1237%26successSource%3DSearch%26successSource%3DSearch%26queryId%3D01ef073d2f1a59d83b88a6a36ded1237','successSource')
(8) The Dangers of Mining Around the World (2010), https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-11533349
 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 8 - Prosperity

Week 8 - Prosperity - A Life well lived: George W. McLaren

For many generations, caring for the dead was a ritual performed in the home, usually by the women of the family. The deceased person was cleaned, dressed and laid out, often in the parlour or bedroom. One of the reasons for the delay between the time of death and burial may have been the rather gruesome requirement to see signs of decay. There was always a fear of being buried alive so the delay would ensure the person was indeed deceased rather than just in a coma or unconscious. Normally there would be someone sitting with the body for the days it was available for viewing... just in case. Can you imagine waking up alone in a dark room lying in a casket? The shock might really kill you! There were, of course, religious, traditions related to wakes or vigils as well.

If the family had the skills, they would build the deceased a coffin themselves but if not, they would commission a local carpenter or cabinet maker to do so. These men also often agree to "undertake" the job of transporting the deceased to the burial site. Other services they may have offered included providing mourning clothes and pallbearers. This is the origin of the word Undertaker.

Funeral carriage outside McLaren's on Faulkland Street

One such man was my maternal great grandfather, George William McLaren. He was born June 10, 1836, the 8th of 12 children born to William McLaren and Mary Wilson. William and Mary immigrated from Lanark, Scotland to Pictou, Nova Scotia between 1826 and 1830. Like his father, George made his living working with wood. The Teare's Directory Of Pictou And New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, 1879-80 shows him as a cabinet maker living on Faulkland Street in Pictou. By 1896, he is formally listed in McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory as both a cabinet maker and undertaker.

George and Ann McLaren

 

On August 11, 1859, in Pictou, George married Margaret Ann "Ann" Marshall, daughter of James Marshall and Mary MacLean. Together they had 14 children and were married for 62 years. The following notice was published in the Pictou Advocate on August 8, 1919

On Monday, August 11th, Mr. and Mrs. George MacLaren celebrate the 60th anniversary of their marriage, the pearl wedding as it is sometimes called. Mr. and Mrs. MacLaren were married on August 11, 1859, by the Rev. Dr. Bayne, of Prince Street Church. Mrs. MacLaren before her marriage was Miss Margaret Marshall, a daughter of the late James Marshall. Mr. and Mrs. MacLaren had 14 children, ten of who are now living: Mrs. Benjamin Percival, Providence; William H., River John; Mrs. Capt. John MacKenzie, New York; Mrs. A. M. Tormey, Providence; Edward, Mrs. Lorrie Campbell, Mrs. Howard McDonald, Allan, Bert, and Harry, Pictou. Mr. MacLaren is the oldest furniture dealer and funeral director in Nova Scotia, having been in business 60 years, and is still active and a keen worker at the bench.

Over the years, George continued to run the funeral home attached to his residence on Falkland Street as well as a furniture store in downtown Pictou. It is not clear when he started offering embalming as part of his services. As evidenced by his obituary below, published in the Pictou Advocate, he was an active and well-regarded member of his community.

George McLaren & Sons Furniture Store,
Pictou Nova Scotia Circa

PICTOU, Oct. 17 (1923)-- Pictou's oldest resident died today when George McLaren succumbed to pneumonia after a week's illness at his home on Faulkland street. A life long resident, Mr. McLaren was born 88 years ago last June, and for over 60 years conducted an undertaking business. He was also the proprietor of a furniture store and was prominent in civic affairs of the town. Mr. McLaren was well and favorably known throughout the town and province, and his sterling qualities of manhood made him a personage who inspired great respect throughout the community. Despite his advanced age, he was active in business until a week ago. Death came only after the unusual vitality of the man had spent itself, and was the signal for general mourning.
 
Mr. McLaren is survived by five sons, William H., a commercial traveller of River John, Edward M. and George B. connected with their father in business, Allan and Harry at home, and five daughters, Mrs Benjamin Percival, of Providence, R.I., Mrs. J. W. McKenzie of Brooklyn, N. Y., Mrs. Laurie McCullion, and Mrs. Howard McDonald of Pictou; Mrs. Gus Tormey, of Detroit. He also leaves a sister, Mrs. J. D. McDonald, mother of Hon. E. M. McDonald, Minister of Militia and Defence. Funeral services were held this afternoon at 2 o'clock.

The Funeral home remained in the McLaren family until the late 60s or early 70s. While it has changed hands, the business still operates as the McLaren Funeral Home over a century since it was created by George McLaren.

The prompt for this week's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks was prosperity which one equates to monetary success and wealth. While George appeared to do well financially, I would like to think his success also came from a life well-lived.

Special thanks to my 2nd cousin Murray McLaren for the images. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 7 - Favorite Discovery

Week 7 Prompt - Favourite Discovery -  What is the neatest thing you've found in your genealogy research? What makes you smile just thinking about it?

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Picking a favorite genealogical discovery was a challenge because there are so many options that come to mind. I have chosen to talk about one that makes me smile and feel sad at the same time.

In 2016, I was researching the family of my Dad's second cousin twice removed who also happened to be my Dad's third cousin twice removed. Being related in multiple ways is a very common occurrence in my Antigonish County relatives and makes for interesting family trees.

Anyway, the cousin in question was William Gordon Inglis, born September 17, 1900 in Lochaber Nova Scotia, the only son of  John Kirk "Johnnie K" Inglis and Annie Bell Forbes. I knew he had moved to the United States, eventually settling in Bisbee, Arizona and marrying Mildred Stephens. They had one son, William Gordon Jr., born, June 28, 1931, just months after his father was killed in a mining accident. I tried tracking down William Jr.'s death but was unable to find anything.

I remember vividly complaining to my sister about not finding a death registration or grave for William Jr. She looked at me quizzically and said, "Why are you assuming he is dead?" Agh, rookie mistake! It had never entered my mind that he was still alive.

I spent the next few months reading newspapers from Arizona west and trolling other internet sites for any sign of William before I finally found a likely candidate in California. Shooting off a letter explaining who I was and how I thought we might be related, I waited - impatiently. Several months later, I got a reply. YES, he was my William and he was very excited to have heard from me.
 

I very happily shared what information I had on his family and we got a chance to chat on the phone once. Bill told me that after this father died, his mother had no prospects in Bisbee, so she packed up what little they owned and drove across the desert to California where she had relatives. He knew his father was from Nova Scotia but that was about it. William Sr's parents, who were strict Presbyterians, had visited when he and Mildred were newly-weds and took an instant dislike to the new bride. Apparently, the feeling was mutual and as a result, there was no attempt to maintain contact with the Nova Scotia relatives once William Sr. died.  Bill admitted to me that his mother was, in fact, a wild woman who always lived by her own rules and that it was one of the things he admired most about her.

Bill talked about the trip he and his mother made to Bisbee in 2002 to visit his father's grave. They were told by the cemetery people that no one by the name of William Gordon Inglis was buried there. Mildred knew that was incorrect so they went through the entire cemetery looking for him. Sure enough, they found a stone for Wm. G. Englis. Bill said he paid for a new stone immediately.

He mailed me some newspaper clipping about his father's death as well as a copy of William and Mildred's marriage license. Although I mailed him several times after that, I never heard anything more from him. I assumed that the information I shared was enough to fulfill his need to know about his family.

Several months ago I received an email from his daughter telling me that Bill had passed away on April 27, 2019. She said she had just received a package from Bill's second wife that contained the information I had sent him and my email address. Her dad had mentioned our connection but until she got the package, she had not appreciated what it was and was most grateful to get it.  She advised that just after my last contact with Bill, his health started to deteriorate and he was unable to communicate to any extent. I asked if she could send me a copy of Bill's obituary and the location of his burial. She advised that Bill's ashes had been spread over the ocean near where he had loved and that his wife had not written obituary.

Although Bill is gone, I feel blessed to have been able to make the connection and thinking of the pleasure in his voice as he talked about his past always makes me smile.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - a writing challenge

One of the hardest things for me in trying to keep up this blog has been figuring out who and what to write about. Genealogist and blogger, Amy Johnson Crow, offers a great suggestion for people like me. Her 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks is a writing challenge composed of a series of weekly prompts designed to get one thinking about an ancestor and the information we as family historians have collected about them. Anyone can sign up and Amy encourages participants to write blogs, make Facebook posts or use whatever other avenues they may have to share their research with others. I have decided to give it a try but since this is already week 6 of the challenge I am already behind. I'm not sure I will be able to write every week but hopefully, this will be the push I need.

Week 6 Prompt:  Same Name

Do you share your name with an ancestor? What about a name that keeps repeating itself in your family tree? Do you have an instance of ancestors naming two children the same?

In addition to researching my ancestors, I have also been working on those of my husband. His 5th great grandfather was Edward Foster. I wrote an article about him a few years ago for the Nova Scotia Genealogist (2016, Vol. 34) and it was during my research for it that I discovered the OTHER Edward Foster.

Both Edwards were born in Massachusetts and settled in Nova Scotia. It appears much of the confusion over the two Edwards arises from a Geneology of the Foster Family written by Frederick Clifton Pierce in 1899. My own research and that of others with whom I have corresponded revealed numerous inaccuracies. A quick search online suggests Pierce's works are not to be taken at face value.

My Edward Foster was born around 1750 possibly in the Boston area. He married Martha Peabody in the USA. Some sources suggest they had as many as 13 children, however, I have found actual documentation for only 5 - Edward, William, Elizabeth, Mercy, and John - none of who were born in Nova Scotia. Edward Sr. was a Sandamanian and a loyalist who fled to Halifax with General Howe after the Seige of Boston in 1776. He was a blacksmith and operated a very successful iron-works with his son, Edward. Because of his loyalty to the British, Edward Sr. was awarded a number of parcels of land in Halifax County, document copies of which are available online through the Nova Scotia Archives (Example is shown). He died in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia on April 24, 1786. His wife Martha died ten years later in 1796 also in Dartmouth. Edward and Martha's children and their descendants married well and can be found in many well-known families from the early days of  Halifax/Dartmouth including Piers, Lawson, Creighton, and Howe. 

The Other Edward Foster married Mary Pease either in the US or Nova Scotia (sources disagree). They moved to Port Medway, Queens County, Nova Scotia between 1759 and 1762 and lived there for the remainder of their lives. The births and subsequent lives of their children are well documented in the pages of The Liverpool Township Book. The children, born between 1756 and 1768, are listed as Anna, Milton, Joseph, John, and Mary; the first two being born in Massachusetts and the remaining three in Queens County. This Edward Foster died in Port Medway on January 4, 1813.

If one looks for Edward Foster on Ancestry.com., you will find many, many trees that have these two families extensively intertwined. I have, on numerous occasions, politely sent along bits of my research with sources to tree owners however little seems to change. The bottom line is, do your own research and watch out for those little green leaves.... they might be poison ivy.