Samuel Douglass (abt. 1834 - 1900)

Born about 1834 in County Wexford, Ireland

Husband of Jane Colclough — married 4 May 1886 in Owen Sound, Grey, Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Died 19 Jun 1900 at about age 66 in Vandeleur, Artemesia Township, Grey County, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Greg Clarke [send private message]

Biography

Samuel was born about 1834 in Ireland. He was the son of William Douglass and Ann Percival. After emigrating to Upper Canada he became a farmer, and worked most of his life in Grey County, Ontario. He married twice: the first marriage lasted over twenty five years, but no children; the second marriage spanned the last fourteen years of his life and was filled with children. Samuel passed away in June, 1900.

Note: Like all of his siblings, his birth year is a moving target, almost every census reports his age slightly differently. According to the ages reported, his birth year could have been anywhere between 1831 and1835. Without the actual birth/baptism records from Ireland, it is impossible to know for sure, so the estimate here is based on the two earliest Canadian Censuses which agree on a birth year, with the assumption that earlier in life the person would recall their true age better.

Before emigrating to Upper Canada with his family, after his father passed away in 1851, Samuel was an informant / complainant / witness to an assault that took place in Shroughmore, the townland in Templeshanbo parish in which he lived. The accused were Patrick and Michael Tobin of Shroughmore. Michael Brady was also a witness. The court record indicates that Matthew received a fine, that the case against Patrick was dismissed.^[1]

In 1861 Samuel was living in Euphrasia township, in Grey County, Upper Canada (also known as Canada West), and married to Mary (last name unknown) and living in the same log house as his older sister Margaret and her family.^[2].

In 1871, Samuel and Mary were living on their own farm, in Euphrasia township, Grey County, close to Margaret and Adam.^[3]

In 1881, Samuel and Mary also had a 17 year young woman living with them, Henrietta Chambers, perhaps to help with housework, or as a nursemaid for Mary, who would sadly pass away in about five years time.^[4]

Mary Douglass, Samuel‘s wife passed away from old age, on 16 Jan 1886.

Apparently, Samuel did not like being alone for long!

On 4 May 1886, in Owen Sound, Samuel married Jane Muir (née Colclough), the striking 5'6" brown-haired, brown-eyed^[5] widow of John Muir, daughter of Samuel Colclough and Anna Forster. Witnesses at the wedding were Samuel Douglas of Markdale, the groom's nephew, and Amelia Muir of Owen Sound, the bride's daughter from her first marriage.^[6]

Samuel‘s life changed dramatically and quickly. He went from having no children at all from his first marriage of over twenty years, to an instant family. His new wife Jane had a young daughter, Martha Mae, who was a year and a half when she and Samuel got married, who he subsequently adopted. As well, Jane‘s older daughters, Amelia and Nellie, lived with them, step-daughters for Samuel. And so, not to be out-numbered , a boy joined the family when Samuel and Jane had a child of their own, George Preston Douglass, born about one year after their wedding. All six members of this blended family were living together in Euphrasia in 1891. ^[7]

Samuel enjoyed fourteen years with his second family, but at the age of 69 (reportedly), on 19 June 1900, Samuel died of apoplexy (stroke), after suffering for a week.^[8]. His funeral was held at 2:30 on Friday 22 Jun 1900, and he was buried in Markdale Public Cemetery.^[9]

After Samuel passed away, Jane stayed in the area and raised the young family of May and George alone. She and George moved to Meaford when he got a job in a mill. May married Charles Boland and had a large family in the Markdale area. Eventually, though, both Jane and George moved to Glendale, Los Angeles, California, USA, to join her older daughter Amelia and her husband (Arthur Frondsham), in 1926.

Jane died in Glendale, on 9 Nov 1929 at 2:15 a.m. from a cerebral haemorrhage, complications of recent pneumonia, having been in a doctor's care for a week. ^[10] She was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery on 12 Nov 1929.^[11]

Sadly, her son George Preston Douglass, only biological child of Samuel Douglass, joined her within five years. He himself passed away in Glendale, and was buried right next to her in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in 1934.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ Ireland, Petty Sessions Court Registers, Find My Past, 1851, incident date 4 Feb 1851, Petty Session Court date 22 Feb 1851, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, (https://search.findmypast.com/record?id=IRE%2FPETTYS%2F005175835%2F00046&parentid=IRE%2FPETTYS%2F005175835%2F00046%2F125574)
2. ↑ 'Census of Canada, 1861', Library and Archives Canada, accessed online 12 Jul 2021, Reference RG31, Microfilm C-1027-1028, Page 31 , Line 37, item 1582691, Samuel Douglass of Euphrasia, Grey North , view PDF of census page
3. ↑ 'Census of Canada, 1871', Library and Archives Canada, accessed online 13 Jul 2021, Reference RG31, Microfilm C-9953, Page 6 , Line 18, item 3203949, Samuel Douglass of Euphrasia, Grey North , view PDF of census page
4. ↑ 'Census of Canada, 1881', Library and Archives Canada, accessed online 13 Jul 2021, Reference RG31, Microfilm C-13261, Page 73 , Line 16, item 4026025, Samuel Douglas of Euphrasia, Grey East, view PDF of census page
5. ↑ "U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960", The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Buffalo, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, New York, 1902-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1480; Roll Number: 031 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Search: M1480 - New York, 1902-1954 > 001-055 > 031 > image 692 of 8364 > left side. Accessed on ancestry.ca, July 2021.
   • View Image on ancestry.ca, (requires subscription).
   • View free Ancestry Sharing Link on ancestry.ca,

   Description of Person crossing border:
   Height: 5 ft, 6 in / Hair: Br. / Eyes: Br.

6. ↑ "Canada, Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9Q97-Y39R-HHC?cc=1784216&wc=3N7T-JWL%3A1584309303%2C1584316801%2C1584316802 : 28 May 2015), Marriages > 1886 > no 2478-5898 > image 420 of 1305; Archives of Ontario, Toronto.
7. ↑ 'Census of Canada, 1891', Library and Archives Canada, accessed online 14 Jul 2021, Reference RG31, Microfilm , Page 9 , Line 7, Family number 40 , item 1520472, Samuel Douglass of Euphrasia, Grey East (transcribed as Samuel Dauglas), view PDF of census page
8. ↑ "Canada, Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TF-WHCH?cc=1307826&wc=3LKW-RM9%3A1584243504%2C1584284002%2C1584284601 : 27 April 2019), Deaths > 1900 > no 6362-12743 > image 855 of 1678; citing Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto.
9. ↑ Markdale Standard, issue 1033. 21 June 1900, page 4. Obituaries, bottom of column 1. Accessed on 14 July 2021 from OurOntario.ca website (https://news.ourontario.ca/121880/page/5)
10. ↑ "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89SX-3YQ8?cc=2001287&wc=FLCT-6TL%3A285174601%2C285324701 : 22 August 2018), Los Angeles > Death certificates 1929 no 4923-6971 > image 1053 of 2205; California State Archives, Sacramento.
11. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV2B-6LVB : 16 December 2020), Jane M Colclough Douglass, ; Burial, Glendale, Los Angeles, California, United States of America, Forest Lawn Memorial Park; citing record ID 80972431, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
12. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/80972536/george-preston-douglass : accessed 16 July 2021), memorial page for George Preston Douglass (10 Apr 1887–1934), Find a Grave Memorial ID 80972536, citing Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, USA ; Maintained by Christopher Evey (contributor 47585276) .