Margaret Partridge

In a conversation with Marion Partridge, when advised that the death notice of Rachel McDOWELL listed County Antrim, (Northern) Ireland, this triggered the memory that Grandma PARTRIDGE (Margaret McDOWELL) came from Ballymena in Antrim. (Donald PARTRIDGE May 4, 2009)

Margaret is identified as Maggie McDowell, female, age 13, daughter, born in Ireland of Irish born parents in the 1891Census of Canada living in Norfolk South, subdistrict of Walisingham, district Number 97, household number 50, reference RG31-Statistics Canada

McDowell -- Margaret McDowell at age 18, graduated County Model School with Professional Certification as teacher Dec 1896 [SR18961224] (SR is an acronym for the Simcoe Record.) A model school is the old name for what today would be called a teachers' college. Source: Simcoe Historical Society.

In the 1901 Census of Canada, Margaret McDowell is identified ans the head of the household,female, married, born October 5, 1848 and 52 years of age. James McDowell is identified as male, son, single, born November 14, 1873 and 27 years of age. Rachael McDowell is female, daughter, single born May 6, 1877 and 23 years of age. Lastly Maggie McDowell is female, a daughter, single born March 10, 1879 and 22 years of age. (Source Automated Genealogy 1901 Census Indexing Project, itself referencing the 1901 Census of Canada, subdistrict (Walsingham (North/Nord), Norfolk (South/Sud), Ontario, District 94, subdistrict f-1, Microfilm T-6485) (I changed the date of birth fro 1878 to 1879 to correspond to the information in the 1901 Census.

Marriage: The county of Norfolk, Division of Walsingham, record the following marriage between William Earnest PARTRIDGE, a 25 year old bachelor Farmer of Pt Ryerse, born Vittoria and Margaret MCDOWELL, a 26 year old spinster, School Teacher. William Earnest's parents are identified as Thomas PARTRIDGE and Ann Elizabeth BOUGHNER. Margaret's parents are identified as Matthew MCDOWELL and Margaret ALLISON. The witnesses were James DIXON of Woodhouse, Norfolk and Rachael MCDOWELL (Margaret's sister) of Langdon, Norfolk. The date and place of the marriage was December 27, 1905 in Langton. A.E. ARMSTRONG officiated. The groom was reported to be a Baptist and the Bride a Presbyterian. (Marriage Record courtesy of Janice Freeman, written input by Donald Partridge, May 3, 2009)

Marion Partridge advised Donald Partridge and Irene Coon on March 29, 2009 that Margaret had to quit teaching when she married William Earnest Partridge in 1905.

In the Census of Canada of 1911, we find William Earnest PARTRIDGE, male, identified as head of the household, married, age 30, born June 1880 in Ontario of English ancestry, a Presbyterian, and a Farmer. Margaret PARTRIDGE (McDOWELL) female, is identified as his wife, a Presbyterian, age 30, born March 1880, of Scottish ancestry. Lea PARTRIDGE was 9/12 years old, born August 1910 in Ontario, Ann PARTRIDGE, (BOUGHNER) female, identified as the mother of William Earnest PARTRIDGE was 69 years old, born May 1842, a Baptist and a Nurse. She states she was born in Ontario and is of Dutch ancestry. (Source: http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11 - inputed by Donald Wm.E. PARTRIDGE, May 26, 2009)

Partridge -- to wife of W. E. Partridge a son 8 May 1912 in Woodhouse [SR19120530p12]. Source: Simcoe Historical Society. We know that Murray Alison Partridge, my father, was born on May 8, 1912.(source: Donald Partridge)

Following the death of William Earnest PARTRIDGE in, I believe, 1938, she went back to teaching and taught until she was 75 (This would be until 1953). She taught grades 1 to 8 in a one room school. Margaret had to misstate her age (or not reveal her true age ;-)) so she could continue to teach after age 65. (As told by Marion PARTRIDGE to Irene COON and Donald PARTRIDGE, March 1, 2009)

New Information:

One of the conundrums of genealogical research is that every answer seems to raise a new mystery. I was trying a pilot search of a set of relatively new data bases and much to my surprise I found an electronic birth record of Grandma Part, or Margaret McDOWELL.

My second surprise was to find the birth record of her twin sister. Now Mom had told me about the existence of a twin and that she had died at about 18 months as a result of an infection which she contracted from playing in the barnyard. She was burred in Ireland before they left for Canada.

Now I had questioned Mom on the information because the birth information which we had was March 10, 1879 and if the emigrated in 1880, the this time-line did not work. I was also aware that Grandma had worked until she was about 75 in the age of compulsory retirement at 65 and as she was a little older than her husband, William Ernest Partridge, she seemed to loose a year or so on some census returns.

This new data reveals the birth Rachael McDOWELL, female, b. 06 May 1876 in Antrim, Ireland, father Matthew McDOWELL and mother Margret McDOWELL ALLISON.

It also has the birth of Margret McDOWELL, female, b. 10 Mar 1878 in Applebee,(may actually by Appletee) Antrim, Ireland, father Matthew McDOWELL and mother Margret McDOWELL ALLISON.

Note: this is 12 months earlier than our other information and now the family story of her twin works.

Here is the gem. The data base reveals the birth record of Catharine McDOWELL, female, b. 10 Mar 1878 in Applebee (likely Appletee), Antrim, Ireland, father Matthew McDOWELL and mother Margret McDOWELL ALLISON.

Note that the birth dates of Margaret and Catharine are the same. Now the new mystery. Family lore says that the McDowells came from Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK. These birth records list Applebee, Antrim, Ireland. What is Applebee?

It has been suggested that Applebee is really Appletee which was a village in the 19th century near Ballymena. Appletee is now depopulated and according to Wikipedia, it is now a field. (Suggested by Jackie Irwin on 2013 10 29 to Donald Partridge. 2013 10 30.)

Donald Partridge 17 Mar 2010.