James McGinnis (abt. 1827 - abt. 1879)

Born about 1827 in Amherst Island Ont Can

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ann (Baker) McGinnis — married [date unknown] in Amherst Island, Amherst Island, Addington, Upper Canada

Died about 4 Oct 1879 at about age 52 in Amherst Island

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Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import.^[1]

Name

Name: James /McGinnis/^[2]

James McGinnis farmed on leased land on Amherst Island. In 1858 he was evicted from his leasehold for non-payment of rent. He is listed in the 1871 census of Amherst Island as: married, labourer and living with the family of Thomas Howard (#521). There is no mention of his wife and family in this or any following census returns. We assume they had either all died or had left him. It is unlikely that his wife and children will ever be traced.

• • Known Children (from 1851 and 1861 census)

1. Margaret E. McGinnis (c1851- ) 2. William G. McGinnis (c1854- ) 3. Eleanor J. McGinnis (c1857- )

The will of his sister, Nancy McGinnis, who died in 1878, had the following paragraph in it. “To my said executors, $150.00 in trust, for the sole aid and benefit of my brother, James McGinnis, to be laid out by them at such time and in such a manner as they shall think be most to his advantage.”

Slightly over a year later, James McGinnis was drowned by the upset of his canoe in the channel between Bath and Amherst Island. The Kingston Daily Whig said of the accident “...it is an unfortunate addition to the long list of mournful events which are attributable to the excessive use of accursed liquor.”

Died; On 4 October 1879, at age 52. Buried at Pentland cemetery, Amherst Island. He is the only McGinnis buried there (It was a Methodist Cemetery), all the rest of the family were buried at St. John’s, Bath or at Glenwood cemetery.

Sources

Sources, references and notes: The reference for James being forced off his leased holdings on Amherst Island is on page 127 of “A New Lease on Life” by Catharine Ann Wilson, McGill-Queens University Press, 1994. It would appear that his rent was at lease three years in arrears. The Kingston Daily Whig

From the Kingston Daily British Whig, 7 Oct 1879.

• • DROWNED WHILE DRUNK

Two men named George McCoy and James McGinnis attempted to cross the bay opposite Bath on Saturday night. When two miles from shore the boat upset. McGinnis was drowned and McCoy paddled the canoe upside down until he reached the island shore. McGinnis has not been found yet. Both men were drunk.

From The Canadian Casket - Napanee, Ont. October 17th, 1879.

• • A WHISKEY MURDERER

One of those terrible deaths so often attending drunkenness occurred near Bath on Saturday night, 4th inst. Two drunken men named James McGinnis and George McCoy, of Amherst Island, left Bath in the evening to cross the Bay Of Quinte to their homes. It is said they were heard to quarrel a good deal before leaving the shore. The next morning McCoy was found astride the upset boat, but McGinnis was gone. There is no doubt but he was drowned during the night. His companion could give no intelligible account of the upset, it is said, and it is suspected that he was too drunk to know just what occurred; or else there was foul play.

1. ↑ McGinnis-480 was created by Bill Dunkley through the import of Richards Family Tree.ged on Apr 2, 2014. .
2. ↑ Source: #S1 Page: Ancestry Family Tree

Consult profile of Lt John Howard UE (Howard -1272) for full list of sources.

• Source: S1 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R1 NOTEThis information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created.
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