Clara McDiarmid (1865 - 1948)

Born 12 Sep 1865 in Oxford County, Canada West

Wife of Archibald Paterson — married 28 Nov 1888 in Thamesford, Ontario, Canada

Died 2 Jun 1948 at age 82 in Oneida, New York, United States

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Biography

Clara McDiarmid is born on September 12, 1865, in Canada West [1][12]. Canada West is soon to become the province of Ontario in the new county of Canada. Her parents are Finlay McDiarmid (c1843-1890) and Adeline (or Adaline) Smith (c1848-?) [2]. She is likely born in the township of East Nissouri where her father and, before him, her grandfather, farmed [3]. East Nissouri Township in Oxford County is in southwest Ontario on the north side of the Thames River, near the town of Ingersoll.

The first record of Clara is the 1871 census where she (“Clary Maria”) is five years old living on the farm with her parents and two younger siblings [4]. The family is labelled “Scotch” and their religion is Presbyterian. She is still there in the 1881 census records, although the census taker has given her the name “Sarah” [5].

On November 28, 1888, Clara marries Archibald Paterson (1849-1920) in Thamesford, Ontario [6]. Thamesford in east of London, Ontario and about 10 kilometres to the northwest of Ingersoll. Archibald , or “Archi” as he is known, was born and raised near Ingersoll.. He is 16 years older than Clara and he is a widower. His first wife, Mary Elliot (c1851<1888), died at some point in North Dakota where Archi had tried his hand at farming. Archi gave up on farming and moved to Pennsylvania. In the marriage record for Clara and Archibald, Archi is described as a hardware merchant living in Austin, Pennsylvania. Austin is about 170 kilometres south of Buffalo.

As far as is known, Clara and Archi head back to Pennsylvania after the wedding. They have three children:

• Sherman S. Paterson 1890-1966)+ (1924) Helen Goade c1900-1969

• Adeline Paterson 1892-1962 + Garvin Schwartz 1892-1983

• Florence (?Marion Florence) Paterson 1900>1948 + A. Solvay Perry 1892-1953

Sherman, is born in Renova, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, Clinton County is 200+ kilometres south of Buffalo and not too far south of Austin where Archi had previously lived.

The third child of Clara and Archi may have had the name “Florence,” or, possibly, “Marion Florence” – the birth record just shows “Marion.” This third child is born in St. Charles, Saginaw County, Michigan in 1900. This is about 160 kilometres northwest of Detroit. Presumably Archi has moved this far north in search of work. And the moving does not stop as in the very next year (1901), Clara and Archi show up in Canada in what looks like a fishing camp– the Algoma district of Ontario which probably puts them somewhere on the shores of Lake Huron and/or Georgian Bay.

The 1901 Canadian census record is peculiar [7]. It clearly identifies Clara and Archibald– the place of birth and birth dates are correct – and it shows the first two children, Sherman and Adeline, with their birth dates and their place of birth being the United States. But it does not show the baby – Marion or Marion Florence. Perhaps the census taker forgot the baby and maybe whoever he/she talked to forgot to mention the youngest child? But the census record shows the date of immigration for the two children born in the United Sates as 1894. This is difficult to reconcile with the third child being born in Michigan in 1900. Perhaps Archi goes back and forth looking for work. In the 1901 census he is shown as a carpenter in what looks like a fishing camp.

In the US 1910 census, Archibald S. Paterson and Clara E. are living in Detroit [8]. This is one of the few records that gives Archibald and Clara middle initials. The obituary for Clara refers to her as “Clara M. Paterson” and it is likely the “M.” stands for “Maria.” The couple have a 10-year-old daughter, Marion E, living with them.

Archie dies on February 26, 1920, at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Michigan. He is buried on February 29 at the Woodlawn cemetery.

Although a “Clara Patterson (sic)” has been found in the 1920 census records, we are not sure she is the correct person of interest here [9]. The Clara that has been found was born in Canada in about 1866. But she is shown as “single” and she is living in Erie, Pennsylvania. In 1930 Clara (the correct one) shows up in Buffalo, New York, working as a housekeeper in the home of an elderly man [10]. In 1940, the 75-year-old Clara is working as a servant in the house of a 78-year old woman in Corry City, Pennsylvania [11]. Corry is about 160 kilometres southwest of Buffalo, not too far south of the shores of Lake Erie.

Clara dies on June 2, 1948, in Oneida, New York which is roughly 20-to-30 kilometres from Lake Ontario, more-or-less in a line south of Kingston, Ontario [12]. Her daughter, Florence (Mrs. Solvay A. Perry) lives in Oneida and Clara has moved there about a month before her death. She is buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Oneida.

Can you add any information on Clara McDiarmid? Please help grow her WikiTree profile. Everything you see here is a collaborative work-in-progress.

Sources

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GHFW-BP2?completedMergeDuplicateId=279S-BS4

[1] The 1968 Paterson family tree by Marjorie Paterson shows Claire McDiarmid as the 2nd wife of Archibald Paterson and it shows the following children: (1) Adeline + Garvin Schwartz, (2) Sherman + Helen Goade & (3) Florence + Solvay Perry.

[2] http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/thread.aspx? . . . “I now know there were 3 daughters of Findlay (or Finlay) McDiarmid and Adeline Smith: Clara McDiarmid, eldest, married Archibald Paterson on 28 Nov 1888 - he was originally from Woodstock but was from Potter county, Pennsylvania at time of marriage. . . .Their father Findlay died at age 46 in 1890, and Adaline remarried (Levi Paterson) in 1892 . . .”

[3] 1861 census, Ontario, Oxford, East Nissouri, pg 11, lines 40-49: William McDairmid (40), farmer; born in (?) W States [?United States]; Ellen (40); William (19), lives in Ingersoll; Finlay (18); Ann (16); [?name not legible] (14); (?) Dellivan (7); Larn??? (5); John E. (3); Elizabeth Johnson (63). . All members of the household were born in Canada with the exception of William (40) & Elizabeth Johnson (63), widow. The religion of all household members, except Elizabeth Johnson, is shown as Baptist (Elizabeth is Methodist). They live in a 1-story brick house.

[4] 1871 census, Ontario, 14 North Oxford, East Nissouri, pg 8, household #30: Finlay McDermid (26), farmer; Adaline (23); Clary Maria (5); Mary A (3); Ellen E. (1). All household members were born in Ontario; their religion is C. Presb [Canadian Presbyterian], and they are labelled “Scotch.”

[5] 1881 Census, Ontario, 166 Oxford North, Nissouri East Township, pg 35, household 171” Finlay McDiarmid (38), farmer; Adaline (33); Sarah (15); Mary (13); Ella (11). All members of the household were born in Ontario; they are labelled “Scotch,” and the religion is shown as C Presty [Canadian Presbyterian]. It is assumed that “Sarah” is really “Clara.”

[6] http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maryc/oxford88.htm: “009164-88 ( Oxford Co) Archibald PATERSON , 36 , widower , hardware merchant , Oxford Twp., Austin USA , s/o Thomas & Eliza , married Clara McDIARMID , 23 , East Nissouri , same , d/o Finlay & Adeline , witn: Tom McCARTY & Minnie McDIARMID both of East Nissouri , 29 Nov 1888 at Thamesford”

[7] 1901 census, Ontario, 44 Algoma 2, K-1 in Beaudrois Fishery, pg 2, household 18: Archibald Paterson (51), born in Ont 6 Dec 1849, carpenter; Clara (35), born in Ont 12 Sept 1865; Sherman (11), born in the U.S. on 19 Nov 1890; Adaline (8) born in U.S. on 16 Nov 1892. The family is labelled “Scotch” and the religion is Presbyterian. Archibald earns $700/yr. The year of immigration for the 2 children is shown as 1894.

[8] United States Census, 1910, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLT2-TSB : accessed 17 Dec 2013), Clara E Patterson in household of Archibald S Patterson, Detroit Ward 8, Wayne, Michigan, United States; citing sheet, family 37, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1374696. The record shows an “Archibald S. Patterson” born in 1865 in Canada. He immigrated in abt 1886. His wife is Clara E. and the associated census record shows she was born in Canada in abt 1875. She immigrated to the USA in 1883 (??). Her father was born in Scotland; her mother in Ireland. They have one daughter living at home: a 10-yr old Marion E, born in Michigan.

[9] There is a 1920 census record that might be Clara Paterson. "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJL7-9KY : 2 February 2021), Clara Patterson, 1920. The record (line 25) shows a Clara Patterson (sic) living in Erie, Pennsylvania. She is a boarder (“roomer”) in a house with several other boarders and she appears to be the proprietor of a millinery shop. She is 54 years old (ie, born abt 1866) and she was born in Canada. Her marital status is “S” (ie, single). The trouble with knowing whether this is the correct Clara Paterson is that Erie is several hundred kilometres east of Detroit where Archi dies on Feb 26, 1920. The census was taken on Jan 27, 1920 which raises the question as to why Clara (the Clara we are looking for) is living several hundred kilometres away from Archi who is dyeing in Detroit and why is this Clara shown as single. One possible answer is that Clara and Archi had separated sometime prior to 1920. This may be why the death record for Archi in February 1920 shows him with a wife named Mary Elliot -- his long dead first wife. However, one indication that this is not the Clara of interest is that the year of immigration is shown as 1895 (the Clara of interest likely moved to the United States in 1888).

[10] "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X7C2-9S2 : accessed 19 Dec 2013), Clara Patterson in household of L Henry Gertz, Buffalo (Districts 1-250), Erie, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0156, sheet , family 191, NARA microfilm publication . The record shows Clara Patterson (sic) (65) working as a housekeeper in the home of a 74-yr old L. Henry Gertz in Buffalo, New York. Clara is a widow, born in Canada in 1865. Her year of immigration is shown as 1888.

[11] US 1940 Census, Ward 4, Corry City, Erie, Pennslvania: Clara Patterson (sic) (75), born in Canada in 1865, widowed, is working as a servant in the house of the 78-yr old Margaret Rounds.

[12] Daily Sentinel, Rome, New York, June 3, 1948: obituary for Clara (McDiarmid) Paterson: “Following a 10-day illness, Mrs. Clara M. Paterson. 82. died yesterday at her home. 433 Broad St. She was born Sept. 12. 1865 in Canada and came here a month ago from Cory, Pa. Surviving are two daughters. Mrs. Solvay A. Perry, this city, and Mrs. Adeline Schwartz, Los Angeles. Calif., and a son, Sherman Paterson, Batavia”

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Fred Nix for creating McDiarmid-65 on 24 Sep 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Fred and others.