Sunday's Stories, 52 Ancestor Weeks, Week # 49, Margaret Catherine (nee Haley) Fenton

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This is week 49 of my participation Amy Johnson Crow's, once a week challenge to blog about one ancestor a week, tell their story, biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on that one ancestor. More about the challenge can be found at her Blog, No Story Too Small.

Margaret Catherine Haley was born August 27, 1838 in Nova Scotia Canada to John Haley II and his wife, Mary Owen Haley.

On May 25, 1860 she married William Franklin Fenton at Yarmouth Nova Scotia Canada.  This date was found recorded in the birth record of their son, John Albert Haley Fenton.

William and Margaret had the following children:

William Franklin Fenton (born 1861)
Annie Louisa Fenton
Charles Henry Fenton
Emma Stella Fenton
John Albert Haley Fenton
Clara Irene Fenton
George Edward or Edmond Fenton
Julia Agnes Fenton
Robert Crowell Fenton

1871 Census Canada, Nova Scotia, Yarmouth, District 192, Sub-District B Polling District 3 shows Margaret aged 33, born Nova Scotia, Presbyterian , of English origin with her husband William and children.

1881 Census Canada, Nova Scotia, Yarmouth, District 14, S. District b Chebogue shows Margaret aged 42, born in Nova Scotia, Free Baptist of English origin with her husband William and children.

Tragedy struck Margaret and her family on May 7, 1882 when three of her sons were involved in a boating accident and Charles and John Albert both drowned.

1891 Census Canada, Nova Scotia, Yarmouth, District 44, S. District 12 Rockville shows "Margret" aged 54, born Nova Scotia, father born Nova Scotia, mother born Nova Scotia, Free Baptist with her husband William and children.

1901 Census Canada, Nova Scotia, Yarmouth, District 42, S. District R in Rockville shows Margaret C. aged 63, born 27 Aug 1838 in Nova Scotia, of Irish descent and Free Baptist with her husband William and children.

This image is reported to be Margaret, age unknown, date unknown, shared about 15 years ago with many Fenton descendants by Kenneth Butcher.

Margaret died about January 18, 1903 at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.  Margaret died at the Mount Hope Asylum according to "Sweeny's Funeral Records, Ledger 4", provided by the Yarmouth County Museum Archives. The funeral home record further indicates that the cause of death was "insane".

Her obituary provided by the Yarmouth County Museum Archives was found in the Yarmouth Light on January 22, 1903 and reads:
     "Died, At Dartmouth, January 8th, Mrs. Wm. Fenton, of Chebogue Point, age 64 years, leaving a husband, 6 children and 10 grandchildren."

She died at the Mount Hope Asylum, later known as the Nova Scotia Hospital, a nice photo representation of the asylum in 1895 can be found here.

Provided by Lawrence Patrick Fenton, a fellow Fenton researcher:
From the Yarmouth Times, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, dated January 20, 1903

    "OBITUARY
     MRS. WILLIAM FENTON
     Mrs. William Fenton, a well-known Chebogue Point lady, died at an institution in Halifax, where she had been sent for her health, on the 8th. inst.  The deceased was the daughter of the late John Haley, of Chebogue Point, and was 64 years of age.  Besides her husband she leaves two sons, George and Robert, of Rockville, and four daughters, Mrs. John Vickery and Mrs. Isaac Huskins, of Rockville, Mrs. Chas. Christie, of Chebogue Point, and Mrs. Oscar Vicery, of Woburn, Mass., to mourn their loss.  The remains were brought home on the 10th inst., and the interment took place the next day in the Chebogue cemetery."

The records of Chebogue Cemetery indicate she died on January 18, 1903 and is buried in lot 317.

Her obituary states she has 6 living children, when in fact, she had 7.  It would appear that William was not counted, as he had apparently been dis-inherited.  This is a family torn by inter-racial marriage, resulting in many years of whispering and other acts even more ugly than simple whispering.  William, the son, did not die until 1939.

According to my findings and research Margaret was buried at the Chebogue Town Point Cemetery, Chebogue, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.  Her Find A Grave memorial shows her burial at Chebogue Cemetery, Rockville, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.  This discrepancy needs to be cleared up, and the answer can be found here, on a Facebook page.  They indicate, Chebogue Cemetery (Town Point).  One and the same.

Photo of Margaret's headstone, courtesy of and used with permission of Sharon Gillis.  (I have digitially edited her original, and yes, she is aware of that.)

Wish list for Margaret:   Birth record, highly unlikely. Death record, not found at  Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics web site.




* Additional source data can be obtained by contacting me, see the right hand column for a yahoo email address.

** 52 Ancestors Weeks Button courtesy of Amy Johnson Crow.

*** I use many resources to research, FamilySearch.org is a free site.  Ancestry.com is a pay site for which I pay, no discounts, etc.  Fold3, is another site I subscribe to and pay for. None of these sites have asked me to review them, or use them.  See my Disclaimers page for further details.

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