Mary Ann (Morrison) Lewis (1846 - 1905)

Born 2 Aug 1846 in New Brunswick

Wife of Frederick James Lewis Jr. — married 1865 in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Descendants

Died 23 Jan 1905 at age 58 in Brookline, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States

Biography

Part of the Mi'kmaw diaspora from Mi'kma'ki

Daughter of Isabel Logan (Ireland) and John Morrison (Esgenoôpetitj / Burnt Church, Northumberland NB)

• Birthdate

1846 is according to death certificate, 1843 according to NB 1851 census, she was adopted by an elderly couple newly arrived from Northern Ireland. Her mother was from Ireland, her father is believed to be from Esgenoôpetitj / Burnt Church, Northumberland NB.

• Status

"In 1876, The Indian Act establishes the Department of Indian Affairs. In order to become a Canadian, Mi'kmaq must relinquish their Indian Status." Under international law the extinguishment of Mi'kmaw nationality is illegal.

• Marriage

1865 Cape Breton County, Book 1804, Page 5, Record 39;

• Death

MA Death Certificate No 16 shows her age 58 y 5 m 21 d, died 23 Jan 1905, extensive burns, resided 34 Station Street, Brookline MA, reported by (granddaughter) Isabell (Lewis) Mayer; ^[1]

• Interred

1905 Family Cemetery, Everett, Middlesex MA, headstone has "Mary Lewis (1837-1905)"

• Census

1851 NB Adopted Native "Morrison, Mary Ann, age 8, NB Saint John County, Simonds Parish, Subdistrict 71, page 29, line 5" (born 1843) Family #7232 Alexander (age 50) and Ann Elliot (age 60) Irish arr. 1836
1871 Canada 02, Balls Bridge, Cape Breton 205 NS House 163 Family 163: Mary Ann Lewis (wife) age 25 b. 1843 (speaks) scotch, (church of england)
1881 Canada, Balls Creek, Cape Breton, NS;
1900 MA Norfolk, Brookline: Mary Lewis age 54, head of household b. Aug 1846 (speaks) Eng (born) Canada (see Note), widow, mother of 12 children, 8 living, head of household, John H. age 27, Florence age 22, Waldo A. age 15, Effie M age 13, Philip A age 11
Note: There was no Canada when she was born, there was Lower Canada = Quebec and Upper Canada = Ontario aka British North America. She was born in Mi'kma'ki homeland of the Mi'kmaq Indigenous peoples.

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915, 1921-1924," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NWV3-FZ8 : 2 March 2021), Mary A. Morrison Lewis, 23 Jan 1905; citing Brookline, Massachusetts, 61, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,070,596.

• Mi'kmaw Post-Contact Timeline

• Mi'kma'ki Morley tribe (family site)

• Canada Census - Automated Genealogy