Sarah Helen (Unknown) McCleary (abt. 1802 - bef. 1861)

Born about 1802 in Ireland

Wife of William McCleary Sr — married about 1828 in Ireland

Descendants

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Biography

Sarah Helen McCleary was born in Ireland in 1802, and little is known about her early life and maiden surname. She immigrated to Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada) with her family, including her husband William McCleary and their four children, in 1836. They settled in Trafalgar Township, Gore County, Ontario, where William worked as a weaver.

The 1842 Upper Canada Census records the McCleary family as having seven members, with one person aged 14-18, one person aged 18-21, one person aged 30-59, and one male aged 21-29. The family had been in the province for 8 years, indicating that they arrived in 1836 from Ireland.

By the time of the 1851 Canada West Census, the McCleary family had grown, with four children listed: Matilda, William, Alexander, and Matilda. They were living in the easterly part of Halton and were listed as being of Irish origin and Church of Scotland religion. William was listed as a farmer, and the family resided in a one-story log house.

Tragically, Sarah Helen McCleary's last recorded information is from the 1851 census. It is believed that she passed away sometime between 1851 and 1861, as William McCleary is listed as a widower in the 1861 census. The exact date and circumstances of her death remain a mystery, and conflicting information exists about her burial. There is a burial record for a Sarah McCleary who died in 1853 at St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery in Erindale, Ontario, which is also the final resting place of Matilda (McCleary) Cornwall, Sarah's daughter. However, Matilda's Bible indicates that Sarah Helen died on August 31, 1857, suggesting a discrepancy in the burial record.

Sarah Helen McCleary's legacy lives on through her descendants, including Matilda (McCleary) Cornwall's family. Matilda's husband, Edward Cornwall, was a farmer of Irish origin and Church of England religion, and their son was the informant on William McCleary's death record in 1875. Despite the limited information available about Sarah Helen McCleary's life, her presence in early 19th-century Upper Canada is a testament to the challenges and opportunities faced by immigrants during that time period.

Census Data

1842 Upper Canada Census - Trafalgar Twp., Gore County, Ontario^[1]

William McCleary, Weaver - Number of years in the Province 8 (1836); 7 family members from Ireland; Number in family 7; 1 person 14-18y; 1 person 18-21y; 1 person 30-59y; 1 male 21-29; 1 female 14-44

Recorded on the same sheet...

Edward Cornwall, Farmer - Number of years in the Province 17 (1825); Number in family 2; 1 from Ireland, 1 from Scotland; 1 male 21-29; 1 female 14-44

1851 Canada West Census - Easterly part of Halton - Automated Genealogy.^[2]

William MaClaray -- 60 -- 1762, Farmer, born Ireland, Church of Scotland, 1 story log house.

Sarah MaClaray -- 50 -- 1802, born Ireland

Matilda Maclaray -- 18 -- 1834, born Ireland

William Maclaray -- 24 -- 1828, born Ireland

Alexander Maclaray -- 21 -- 1831, born Ireland

(listed as a 1 story frame house a few properties down from the McCleary's, on the same Census page.)

Edward Cornwall -- 51 -- 1803, born Ireland, Farmer, Church of England

Ellen Cornwall -- 54 -- 1799, born Scotland, Church of England

Cornwall, Edward , Farmer, Male, Age 50, Birth Place: Ireland, Religion: Church of England, Anglican, Living in Trafalgar Township, 1851, division 1, page 52

William McCleary is listed on the 1861 census as a widower suggesting Sarah died sometime between 1851 and 1861. Matilda McCleary's Bible indicates that Sarah Helen died August 31, 1857.

(Correction: The Sarah Helen inscribed in the Bible actually refers to the infant daughter of Edward and Matilda (McCleary) Cornwall.) See image attached to this page.

Leads

The exact date when Sarah died remains a mystery. Her last record is from the 1851 census. There is a burial record for a Sarah McCleary who died in 1853 at St. Peter's Anglican Church Cemetery, in Erindale Ontario. This is where Matilda (McCleary) Cornwall was buried in 1901. Her husband, William, was listed as a widower in 1861. He died in 1875 and the informant was Edward Cornwall's son.

Sources

• G. MacKay, firsthand knowledge, Ahnentafel GM-55. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by G. and others.

1. ↑ "Canada, Upper Canada Census, 1842," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KDRN-3LB : accessed 26 Jan 2013), Edward Cornwall, 1842
2. ↑ 1852 Census; Twp of Trafalgar, Halton County, District 1, 6th to 11th concessions from lot 1 to 17; website: http://automatedgenealogy.com/census52/SplitView.jsp?id=7523