Robina Jessie (McKenzie) Ross (1864 - 1957)

Born 20 Aug 1864 in Boularderie, Victoria County, Nova Scotia Colony, British North America

Ancestors

Wife of Malcolm John Ross — married 14 Sep 1887 in Boularderie, Victoria, Nova Scotia, Canada

Died 19 Apr 1957 at age 92 in New Glasgow, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: William Ross [send private message]

Biography

Birth

Robina Jessie McKenzie was born 20 August 1864 on Boularderie Island, Victoria County, Nova Scotia Colony, British North America. Her parents were Kenneth McKenzie and Hughenia Ross. ^[1] Robina was named after her maternal grandmother Robina Mackenzie Ross and her aunt Jessie Ross.

Life

Early Years

Marriage of her parents

Hughenia Ross and Kenneth Roderick McKenzie were married in 1863 at Boularderie Island, Victoria County, Nova Scotia, British Colonial America. ^[2]

Siblings

Robina Jessie McKenzie was born into a family with four siblings.

1. Robina Jessie McKenzie - 1864-1957
2. Catherine Ann McKenzie - 1865-1953
3. Johanna McKenzie - 1867-1943
4. John Knox McKenzie - 1868-1869

Death of John Knox McKenzie

John Knox McKenzie died on 21 March 1869 at Boularderie. He was 3 months old. His cause of death was not reported in the county death registration. ^[3]

Death of Hughenia Ross McKenzie

Six weeks after her brother John Knox McKenzie died Robina's mother Hughenia (Ross) McKenzie died on 7 May 1869 at Boularderie, Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was 33 years old. Hughenia's cause of death was not reported in the county record. ^[4]

Robina's father Kenneth McKenzie was suddenly a widower with three motherless daughters less than 5 years old.

Canada Census 1871

The 1871 Census marked the first regularly scheduled collection of national statistics. It officially began April 2, 1871. ^[5]

Robina and her two younger sisters lived with their recently widowed father Kenneth McKenzie on Boularderie Island in Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Their father was also the census enumerator for all 122 households in the Boularderie Sub-District. He reported their household last, as the 122nd household enumerated, on 10 May 1871. ^[6]

1. Kenneth R. McKenzie, male, age 34 years, birthplace Nova Scotia, occupation Merchant, widower.
2. Robina Jessie McKenzie, female, age 6 years, birthplace Nova Scotia.
3. Catherine Ann McKenzie, female, age 4 years, birthplace Nova Scotia.
4. Johanna McKenzie, female, age 2 years, birthplace Nova Scotia.

Notes: Their father, the census enumerator for Boularderie, reported incorrect ages for two of his daughters: Catherine, born 27 October 1865, was 5 years old on the date of the census; Johanna, born 23 January 1867, was 4 years old on the date of the census.

Census Canada 1881

The 1881 Census marked the second regularly scheduled collection of national statistics. It officially began April 4, 1881. ^[7]

In the 1881 Census Robina McKenzie lived with Ross cousins in the ten person household of her 55 year old uncle William Ross at Halifax, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was an older brother of Robina's deceased mother Hughenia (Ross) McKenzie. ^[8]

1. William Ross, male, age 54 years*, birthplace Nova Scotia, occupation Collector of Customs, married.
2. Eliza Ross, female, age 46 years, birthplace Nova Scotia, married.
3. Peter Ross*, male, age 25 years, birthplace Nova Scotia, occupation Land Surveyor.
4. John Ross, male, age 20 years, birthplace Nova Scotia, occupation Student.
5. Wilson Ross, male, age 18 years, birthplace Nova Scotia, occupation Clerk.
6. Daniel Ross, male, age 17 years, birthplace Nova Scotia, occupation Clerk.
7. Annie Ross, female, age 15 years, birthplace Nova Scotia.
8. James Ross, male, age 14 years, birthplace Nova Scotia.
9. Robina McKenzie*, female, age 16 years, birthplace Nova Scotia.
10. Margaret McDonald, female, age 25 years, birthplace Nova Scotia, occupation Servant.

NOTES: William's age as listed was incorrect; he was born in December 1825, therefore in April 1881 he was 55 years old. Peter Ross was listed twice in the 1881 Census, once in his father's home in Halifax in early April, and then a second time on 23 April in the home of his aunt Jessie Fraser on Boularderie, where the (poor) handwriting was mis-indexed as "Petten" Ross, age 25, occupation Land Surveyor. Sixteen year old Robina McKenzie was William's niece, a daughter of William's deceased sister Hughenia (Ross) McKenzie, who died in 1869.

Robina's younger sisters Catherine Ann McKenzie and Johanna McKenzie were counted in the 1881 census as residents at the seven member household of their aunt Jessie Fraser in Boularderie.

Later Years

Marriage

Robina Jessie McKenzie was 23 years old when she married Malcolm John Ross on 14 September 1887 at North Side Boularderie, Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was a resident of North Side Boularderie, and was born at Ross Ferry, Boularderie, Victoria County. Her parents, Kenneth Roderick McKenzie and Hughenia Ross, were both born on Boularderie Island, Nova Scotia.

Malcolm John Ross was 24 years old when he married Robina McKenzie at North Side Boularderie, Victoria County. He was a resident of Baddeck, the shire town of Victoria County on Cape Breton, ^[9] and was born at Little Narrows, Victoria County. His parents, John Ross and Margaret MacLeod, were both born on Cape Breton. The Presbyterian ceremony was performed by Rev. David Drummond, Minister at St. James Church, Big Bras d'Or on the north shore of Boularderie Island. ^[10]

Children

1. William John Ross
2. Hugh MacKenzie Ross
3. Donald Fraser Ross
4. Georgina Ross
5. Eliza Robina Ross
6. Mary Johanna Ross

Census Canada 1891

Census Canada 1901

Census Canada 1911

Death of Kenneth R. McKenzie

Census Canada 1921

Death of Malcolm Ross

Death and Legacy

Robina Jessie (McKenzie) Ross died on 19 April 1957 at Aberdeen Hospital, 835 East River Road, New Glasgow, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was a 92 year old widow. Her cause of death was Arteriosclerosis and Chronic myocarditis. The informant on her death registration was her daughter Mary Johanna (Ross) Thompson, also of New Glasgow. ^[11]

Research Notes

1. FamilySearch ID - M1JG-S9P
2. Robina's civil death registration in Pictou County introduced a bit of noise into her narrative profile. The informant was "Mrs. Robert Thompson" i.e. her daughter Mary Johanna Ross. The death record spelled Robina's name "Robena," her father's surname "Mackenzie," and her mother's forename "Hughena," each spelled wrong. In addition, the record failed to include Robina's middle name Jessie, and listed her birthdate as the 19th rather than the 20th of August. Accordingly, the source citation for that death registration faithfully includes spelling errors, omits her middle name, and records the birth date variation. Robina's profile narrative does not inflate these variations as if they are corrections in her profile narrative, but rather recognizes them as random noise that can be quietly footnoted to ensure an appropriate level of clarity.

Sources

1. ↑ Robina Jessie McKenzie, birth, female, 20 August 1864, Boularderie, father Kenneth McKenzie, occupation Farmer, mother H. Ross, marriage of parents 1863, Boularderie, informant Kenneth McKenzie, registered 10 October 1864, Victoria County Birth Register, book 1822, page 1, birth number 4, digital image of paper record, Nova Scotia Archives, https://archives.novascotia.ca/images/vital-statistics/births/1822/1822-00001.jpg, accessed 20 May 2022.
2. ↑ A primary source citation for the marriage of Hughenia Ross and Kenneth McKenzie in 1863 cannot be found because Victoria County began recording civil and vital records in 1864. However, civil birth registrations in Victoria County as of 1864 recorded the year and location of the marriage of the parents of each child. Between 1864 and 1868 Kenneth McKenzie and Hughenia Ross registered the birth of four children in Victoria County. Each of these four birth registrations listed the same detail for their marriage: 1863 in Boularderie. See birth source citations for each of the children.
3. ↑ John Knox McKenzie death registration, male, 3 months old, birthplace Boularderie, father Kenneth R. McKenzie, merchant, mother H. McKenzie, died 21 March 1869, died at Boularderie, informant K. R. McKenzie, registered 30 March 1869, Victoria County Death Register, year 1869, book 1817, page 19, death number 40, Nova Scotia Archives, digital image of paper record, https://archives.novascotia.ca/images/vital-statistics/deaths/1817/1817-00019.jpg, accessed 22 May 2022.
4. ↑ Hughenia R. McKenzie death registration, female, age 33 years, married, birthplace Boularderie, father John Ross, farmer, mother Robina McKenzie, died 7 May 1869 at Boularderie, informant Kenneth McKenzie, registered 19 June 1869, Victoria County Death Register, year 1869, book 1817, page 21, number 62, Nova Scotia Archives, digital image of paper record, https://archives.novascotia.ca/images/vital-statistics/deaths/1817/1817-00021.jpg, accessed 20 May 2022.
5. ↑ "Census of Canada, 1871," Library and Archives Canada, https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1871/, accessed 20 May 2022.
6. ↑ Kenneth R. McKenzie household, Canada Census of 1871, Schedule No. 1, Nominal Return of the Living, Nova Scotia province, Victoria County (District 204), Subdistrict Boularderie, Division No. 1, page 42, lines 4 to 7, Enumerator K. R. McKenzie, Enumeration Date 10 May 1871, digital image of paper record, Library and Archives Canada, https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/, accessed 21 May 2022.
7. ↑ "Census of Canada, 1881," Library and Archives Canada, https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1881/, accessed 20 May 2022.
8. ↑ William Ross household, 1881 Canada Census, Nova Scotia (province), City of Halifax (District No. 9), Ward One (Sub-district), Sub-division two, page 36, lines 20-25 and page 37 lines 1-4, enumeration date not recorded, enumerator Fred'k B. Woodill, handwritten paper enumeration sheet microfilmed 1975, digital image of enumeration page produced by scan of the microfilm, image ID e008117212.jpeg, Library and Archives Canada, https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1881, accessed 8 May 2022.
9. ↑ Shire town is an English and Canadian term for the city or village that holds civil administration for a county. Cape Breton is divided into 4 separate counties: Cape Breton, Victoria, Inverness, and Richmond.
10. ↑ Malcolm J. Ross and Robina McKenzie marriage, 14 September 1887, North Side Boularderie, Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada; groom age 23 years*, bachelor, resident of Baddeck, Victoria County, Nova Scotia, Canada, groom's birthplace Little Narrows, Victoria County, groom's parents John and Margt. Ross, groom's father's occupation Farmer; bride age 24 years*, spinster, resident of Northside Boularderie, Victoria County, bride's birthplace Ross Ferry, Boularderie, Nova Scotia, bride's parents K. H.* and Hanna*, bride's father's occupation Merchant, witnesses W. C. Robertson and Donald McDonald, officiant Rev. David Drummond, Victoria County Marriage Register, year 1887, book 1838, page 88, marriage number 23, Nova Scotia Archives, digital image of paper records, https://archives.novascotia.ca/images/vital-statistics/marriages/1838/1838-00088.jpg, accessed 18 May 2022. [*Groom age wrong, actual age 24 years. Bride age wrong, actual age 23 years. Bride's parents both mis-named, should have been Kenneth R. (McKenzie) and Hughenia (Ross).
11. ↑ Robena* Ross Death Registration, died 19 April 1957 at Aberdeen Hospital, New Glasgow, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada; female, widow, birthplace Nova Scotia, birthdate 19 April 1864*, age 92 years, father Kenneth Mackenzie*, father's birthplace Nova Scotia, mother Hughena* Ross, mother's birthplace Nova Scotia, informant Mrs. Robert Thompson*, relationship to deceased Daughter, place of burial North Sydney, Nova Scotia, date 21 April 1957; cause of death Arteriosclerosis and Chronic myocarditis, registrar record number 78, registered 20 April 1957, registrar Mrs. Alice Scott; Pictou County deaths, year 1957, number 2703, Nova Scotia Archives, digital image of paper record, https://archives.novascotia.ca/images/vital-statistics/deaths/1957/1957-02703.jpg, accessed 22 May 2022. [*correct spelling of her forename Robina, middle name Jessie omitted, correct date of birth 20 August 1864, correct surname of father McKenzie, correct forename of mother Hughenia, informant Mrs. Robert Thompson = Mary Johanna Ross.]