Michael Clancy (abt. 1808 - 1891)

Born about 1808 in Lower Prospect, Halifax County, Nova Scotia

Husband of Jane (Coolen) Clancy — married 23 Sep 1837 in Lower Prospect, Halifax County, Nova Scotia

Descendants

Died 15 Apr 1891 at about age 83 in Lower Prospect, Halifax County, Nova Scotia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Paula Dea [send private message]

Biography

Michael Clancy was born in about 1808 at Lower Prospect, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, the son of Michael Clancey and Catherine Brophy. ^[1]

1827 census - not found (checked 27th Feb 2017)

Michael Clancy married Jane Coolen on the 23 Sep 1837 at Lower Prospect, Halifax County, Nova Scotia. ^[2]

The couple appear to have had the following children

• Catherine Clancey bap. 7 Apr 1839, Prospect
• Sarah Jane Clancey b. 1847, Lower Prospect
• Catherine Clanceu bap. 1847, Prospect
• Elizabeth Clancey b. 14 Apr 1848, Lower Prospect
• Clara Clancey b. 17 Aug 1851, Prospect
• Michael Archibald Clancey b.15 Jan 1855, Prospect
• James Edmund Clancey b. 17 Apr 1857, Lower Prospect

The 1838 census say's Michael Clancey, a fisherman of Lower prospect. It also says:

• No. of Male Children under six years of age = 0
• No. of Female Children under six years of age = 1
• No. of Males under fourteen years of age = 0
• No. of Females under fourteen years of age = 0
• No. of Males above fourteen years of age and not heads of Families = 5
• No. of Females above fourteen years of age = 1
• Total No. in Family = 8

It's possible this Michael could be either the one born in 1808 or his father born in 1784. It's not clear though and there are not enough over 14 females for the households of Michael 1784, Michael 1808 and Edward 1809 to have been combined. Michael's brother John is on the census as another household but there is no household for Edward coming up or for one of the Michael's.^[3]

1851 census - not found.

The 1861 census gives the head of a household's name, and the head is usually the oldest Male in the household. There is a household with a head of Michael Clancey in the sub Prospect sub district of Halifax. There are 2 Michael Clancey's this could pertain to, Michael b. 1784 or Michael b. 1808. It is believed but not possible to prove that the head of the household of Michael b.1784 but that he is living with his son Michael's family

Hypothetically, based on the above theory this would make the household, comprised of: though this doesn't put a hypothetical name to all of the people in the household, but I also think Michael b.1784's other sons and there small families might also be living in the same household as well as this time, but this needs more investigation. 1. Male - Michael Clancey b.1784 2. Male - Michael Clancey b.1808 3. Male 4. Male 5. Male 6. Male 7. Male - James Clancey b.1857 8. Male - Child aged between 5 and 15 - Michael Clancey b.1855 1. Female - Catherine Clancey nee Brophy b.1790 2. Female - Jane Clancey nee Coolen b.1812 3. Female - Catherine Clancey b.1839 4. Female - Sarah Jane Clancey b.1847 5. Female - 6. Female - 7. Female - Aged between 5 and 15 - Elizabeth Clancey b.1848 8. Female - Aged between 5 and 15 - Clara Clancey b.1851

In the 1861 census in the Michael Clancey's household there are 8 males in the household and 8 females, a total of 16 people. Of which 1 male and 2 females over 5 but under 15 cannot read; 1 male over 15 cannot read. 1 male and 2 females over 5 and under 15 cannot write and 2 males and 1 female over 15 cannot write. ^[4]

In 1871 Michael and Jane are living at Terrence Bay L, Halifax West 196, Nova Scotia, but says Michael is 60 and Jane 56, also in the household are Elizabeth aged 23, Michael aged 15 and James E. aged 14, this census says they can all read and write. Michael is a fisherman; the younger sons are at school. ^[5]

In 1873. Micheal Clancy was involved in the rescue effort to save survivors from the SS Atlantic ship which was sinking nearby. A recent news story documents Michael's part in this rescue effort. "The 1873 sinking killed 550 people, but local rescuers saved 400 more. It may not be as well known as the Titanic, but the sinking of the SS Atlantic off the coast of Nova Scotia nearly a century and a half ago left no shortage of stories to be told. The disaster, on April 1, 1873 killed 550 people. The majority of those were women and children. It is the province's second-worst loss of life incident, after the Halifax Explosion. What is less known is the story of the 400 people who survived thanks to rescue efforts of the locals in the Lower Prospect area. Two of those key people were Michael Clancy and his daughter Sarah Jane. Their family was the only one living on the island that the ship struck. Clancy sounded the alarm after the ship began sinking at about 3:45 am, gathering the different families from the area to help in the rescue. "They got their fishing boats out of winter storage, they dragged them across the island, down the cliff like a toboggan into the water. It's a wonder they didn't kill themselves," said historian Bob Chaulk, who has written extensively about the SS Atlantic disaster. "Over the next three hours they got around 375 people ashore, and about another 40 or 50 got ashore either by a rope or by swimming." ^[6]

Michaels wife Jane died between 1871 and 1881, her death registration has not been found. It's suspected she died before the SS Atlantic sank but unproven.

In 1881 Michael aged 71 is living at Lower Prospect along with his brother Edward aged 68. They are both fishermen and it says that Michael is widowed. ^[7]

In the 1891 census, the family were living at Lower Prospect/ Terrance Bay, Michael, a farmer was aged 83 which would mean he was born 1808, this census states that Michael's father was from Ireland and his mother was from Newfoundland, this census also says Michael employed 1 man (his son) and neither he nor his brother could read or write, but his son Edmund could. Michael was widowed and also in the household was Michael's widowed son Edmund (James Edmund) a farm labourer, his 13 year old grandson James (James William) and his 9 year old granddaughter Mary. Michael's brother Edward, a fisherman aged 82 was also in the household. There was also a domestic servant named Mary Dauphinee aged 22 and her daughter Ann aged 2^[8]. Mary Dauphinee was Mary Reilly before her marriage, so Michael's grandaughter, the daughter of Sarah Jane Reilly nee Clancy.

Michael Clancey died on the 15 Apr 1891 at Lower Prospect, Halifax County, Nova Scotia. ^[9]

Note - There is a Thomas Clancy born 1807 in Ireland living in Halifax in 1881 but this can't be another brother as Michael's mother was from Canada.

Sources

1. ↑ Prospect Village Website - http://www.prospectvillage.ca/
2. ↑ Prospect Village Website - http://www.prospectvillage.ca/
3. ↑ 1838 Canadian Census - https://archives.novascotia.ca/census/1838/returns/?ID=4763https://novascotia.ca/archives/
4. ↑ 1861 Canadian census - https://novascotia.ca/archives/ - Image No.: 4108867_00117
5. ↑ 1871 Canadian Census - http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1871/
6. ↑ Marina von Stackelberg, Journalist - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/ss-atlantic-145-years-1.4610576
7. ↑ 1881 Canadian Census - http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1881/
8. ↑ 1891 Canadian Census - https://novascotia.ca/archives/ or http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1891&op=img&id=30953_148117-00127
9. ↑ certificate in file Paula Dea

• With thanks to Bob Chaulk for his research into the Clancy's involvement in the rescue of victims from the SS Atlantic
• With thanks to Marina von Stackelberg for her research into the CBC news article about the SS Atlantic
• http://www.ssatlantic.com/ssatlantic/history/?c=14