Eliza (Dowler) Douglass (1818 - 1902)

Born 10 Feb 1818 in Ireland

Ancestors

Wife of Benjamin Douglass — married 13 Mar 1843 in Huntingdon, Beauharnois, Canada East

Died 11 Aug 1902 at age 84 in Godmanchester, Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada

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Biography

Eliza was born in Ireland in 1818.^[1] She was the fifth child of Thomas Dowler and Jane Armstrong.

Eliza migrated to Canada when she was 24 years old (in 1842 per the census referenced above), most likely at the same time as her parents, who settled in Godmanchester, Canada East (Quebec). Relatively soon after her arrival in Canada, Eliza married Benjamin Douglass (in 1843)^[2]. The Douglass family had moved into the New Ireland (Godmanchester) area when it opened up in 1824. Benjamin took up lot #6 on the Fourth Range^[3] and it is here that Eliza settled down with him.

Eliza was Benjamin's second wife - he lost his first wife Ellen Moore in 1842. All to say that Eliza inherited an instant family of 4 children between the ages of 2 and 12. In addition, Eliza and Benjamin went on to have 6 children of their own, between 1844 and 1853.^[4] These six children were:

1. Sarah Jane b. 1844; m. George McMullin (1839-1904); d. 1921
2. Margaret b. 1846; m. John Douglass (1839-1907); d. 1922
3. Louise Ann b. 1847; m. David E. Reid (1840-1912); d. 1923
4. Ellen b. 1849; m. John McMullin (1834-1911); d. 1937
5. Robert Dowler b. 1851; m1. Cecelia Greer (1853-1885) m2. Louisa Ann Kelly (1861-1926); d. 1923, and
6. Eliza b. 1853; m. William Armstrong (1842-1928); d. 1912.

On the 1851 Census, Eliza and Benjamin had 6 children at home, which included Benjamin Jr. (Eliza's step-son) and the first 5 children above born by that time to Eliza and Benjamin.^[5]

Eliza and Benjamin remained in Godmanchester their entire lives. By the time of the 1861 census, Eliza and Benjamin were joined in the household by Eliza's parents as well as her niece Isabella Brydges. All 6 of Eliza and Benjamin's children as listed above remained at home in 1861.^[6] On the 1871 Census, they had three children remaining at home - Louisa, Robert and Eliza.^[7]

Eliza lost her husband in 1877. By 1881, she had moved in with her son Robert, his wife Cecilia and their child Ida.^[8] She remained with that family in 1891^[9] and in 1901.^[10]

Eliza passed away in 1902 at the age of 84.^[11][12] The local newspaper published the following notice "08-11-1902 Eliza Dowler, relict of the late Benjamin Douglass, died at New Ireland, age 84 years".^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ 1901 Canada Census, Quebec, Huntingdon County, Godmanchester, Pg. 9, Line 1| 1901 Census, Name badly mis-transcribed as "Mina Maghur", Age 82
2. ↑ Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1842, Huntingdon
3. ↑ Pg. 575, The History of the County of Huntingdon, by Robert Sellar, 1888
4. ↑ Douglass Genealogy, compiled by Mrs. T. C. Daly (nee Ruth McMullin, the great-grand-daughter of Benjamin Douglass)
5. ↑ 1851 Canada East Census, County of Beauharnois, Township of Godmanchester, Page 1, Lines 22 thru 29
6. ↑ 1861 Canada East Census, Huntingdon County, District 1 of Godmanchester, Pg. 223. Lines 40 thru 50
7. ↑ 1871 Canada Census, Quebec, District 114 (Huntingdon West), SubDistrict a (Godmanchester), Pg. 14, Lines 1 thru 5
8. ↑ 1881 Canada Census, Quebec, District 72 (Huntingdon), SubDistrict Godmanchester, Pg. 6, Line 20
9. ↑ 1891 Canada Census, Quebec, District 155 (Huntingdon), SubDistrict Godmanchester, Pg. 25, Line 13
10. ↑ 1901 Canada Census, Quebec, Huntingdon County, Godmanchester, Pg. 9, Line 1
11. ↑ Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1902, Huntingdon
12. ↑ FindAGrave, Memorial #129319311, Eliza Dowler Douglass. Created by Sheila Kinniburgh, May 6, 2014. [No gravestone photo.]
13. ↑ Gleaner, 1902