John MORAN and Ann BALDWIN
Ireland to Westport, Ontario in 1849, then to Ottawa

August 6, 2007:

Hello all!
 
I'm hoping that you might be able to help me out.  My gg grandfather, John Moran 
came to Canada in 1849.  He married Ann Baldwin.  It is said that his marriage 
certificate stated that he was a merchant.  It is also said that he and Ann settled 
in Westport and Newboro.  John and Ann came to Ottawa and are buried there with 
several of their children.  Ann is the daughter of John Baldwin and Alice Finlay.  
I've located many of the Baldwins in either the Philipsville Cemetery or St. Edward's 
Cemetery.  I've been trying to find out where in Ireland John came from and when 
John Baldwin came and where in Ireland he and Alice came from.  Also, how would 
I go about contacting St. Edward's for copies of marriage and baptismal certificates 
and burial information?  Do I just write to them and send a donation or is there 
something else I should do?  And how much of a donation do I send?  Do I make an 
appointment and go there?  I'm fairly new at this so I'm not quite sure what to do.  
Many thanks for anything you can help me with.
 
... Kathy 
________________________
Hi Kathy:
 
Thanks for your e-mail. 
 
Do you know how old John Moran was when he came to Canada in 1849?
 
Here's a John Moran in the 1851 census, from County Mayo, Ireland, born 1804.
Name: John Moran 
Gender: Male  
Age: 48  
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1804  
BIRTHPLACE: County Mayo, Ireland  
Province: Canada West (Ontario)  
District: Lanark County  
District Number: 19  
Sub-District: Elmsley North  
Sub-District Number: 181  
Page: 43  
Line: 16  
Roll: C_11732  
Schedule: A  

 
I think that Westport / Newboro are in North Elmsley Township, so this may 
be your ancestor.
 
How about the Baldwins? Do you have any approximate dates for any of them 
(births, deaths, etc.)?
 
... Al Lewis

____________________________
Thank you for your help with this.  
 
I have my John Moran as born 12 Jul 1832 according to the 1901 census.  His death 
registration puts him at 78 years old on 07 Dec 1907 which would put the year at 
1829 as does the obit.  The headstone at Notre Dame Cemetery in Ottawa states 
77 years old.  The 1881 census has them in Hull, QC with John being 48 or born in 1833. 
 
I have also located a couple of J. Moran's on the Atlas of 1862 in Newboro and Bastard.
 
I did go to the Brockville Genealogy office last year and copied a printout 
with 4 John Moran's on it, but being a rookie I neglected to record what the 
printout was.  It may have been the 1851 census but who knows at this point!  
The ages are 28, 34, 35, and 62.  None of them appear to be either my John or 
the children of my John because his earliest born is 1860.  I guess I need to 
go back to the office... 
 
At any rate it is said that he came from Balinrobe, County Mayo, Ireland and 
that he and Ann married in 1854 in County Galway, Ireland.  To me, this 
doesn't make any sense since a) John came to Canada in 1849 and b) Ann's is 
on the 1851 census living with her family.  Ann's father, John Baldwin, 
worked on Chaffey's Locks in the 1830's.  I would assume that John and Ann 
would not have gone back to Ireland to marry if they were both here in Canada.
 
Having said all this, I am now wondering if my John Moran came to Canada with 
his family, (i.e. parents and siblings) given the information you have provided. 
My John could have been the son of this John.  
 
In regard to the Baldwin family, I have John Baldwin b 1796 in Waterford, 
Ireland d. 15 Sep 1880 and buried in Phillipsville.  This information came from 
his headstone.  However, there is another John Baldwin buried very close to him 
born 1788 and died Apr 8 1888.  Alice Finlay (spelling from the headstone) born 
in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1796 and died 08 Apr 1896 and buried in Phillipville.  
Family stories say they were married in Ireland and that John either lost a leg 
in the Peninsular War or in an explosion at Chaffey's Locks.  Two different 
sources but we know he lost a leg!  John and Ann settled on a farm in Newboro.  
I have also located a J. Baldwin on the Atlas.  They had 6 children who married 
into the Moran, Tobin, Bulger, Mahoney, and Rice families.  Several of the Bulgers 
are buried at St. Edward's in Westport.  Some of the Tobin's are buried at 
Phillipsville (those that didn't leave Canada and go to the USA).  Some of the 
Rice's are also buried there.
 
I have poured over anything I can find that has been published about Westport, 
Newboro, Crosby and Phillipsville and located a couple of references to Baldwins 
or Morans but nothing substantial.  I guess what I'm trying to do is pin down 
more information about where in Ireland everyone came from.  I would like to 
visit Ireland to see what records I can find but without more information 
it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
 
I do appreciate your help and thank you for the information that you have 
provided.  Maybe if I send a letter to St. Edward's they may be able to connect 
the John Morans for me....
 
Take care.
 
Kathy
New April 17, 2009: Hello Al and Kathryn McKee, Re: John MORAN and Ann BALDWIN http://www.bytown.net/moranjohn.htm Some of the baptismal records for the children (born 1860s) of John Moran and Ann Baldwin are in the RC parish register for Portage du Fort (Port-du-Fort in the Drouin collection at ancestry.ca), Pontiac County, Quebec, which also includes early records for Arnprior, Renfrew Co. and surrounding areas. The baptismal record for Eleanor Moran (.JPG attached) identifies her parents as John Moran and Anne Baldwin "from Bon Cher point" (presumably Bonnechere, Renfrew County).
Baptism of Eleanor Moran, Portage du Fort, 1864
... Mary Catherine
E-mail Kathryn McKee, Mary Catherine and Al Lewis
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