The curious case of the missing death registration


My great-great grandfather, Thomas Miller, census records show was born between 1836-1839 in Ireland. The only information I have on his parents is from interviews a relative did of elderly family members. He talked to them before 1973. The interviewees said the father of Thomas was Jacob Miller. That’s all I know about his parents.

Census records from 1861 to 1911 show that Thomas Miller lived in Kinloss Township, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. Family stories said he married Catherine Young. My first hope of finding the parents of Thomas Miller was to look for a marriage record. The marriage record I found stated that Thomas Miller, aged 21 (born 1834), married Catherine Young, age 18 (born 1837), on March 6, 1855 in Goderich Township, Huron County, Ontario. There were no parents’ names listed. Heavy sigh! The witnesses were no help – neither were a Miller. I was hoping to at least find a sibling. I will check to see if either of the witnesses married someone with a surname of Miller

Thomas might have been living with his parents in the 1851 census, but it is missing, most likely destroyed, for Goderich Township. I have a marriage record and census records for Thomas none of which list his parents’ names.  

My next step was to find death records that might list his parents. A tombstone on the Billion Graves website from a Kinloss Township Cemetery says that Thomas Miller whose wife was Catherine Young, died on May 3, 1920. I was excited by his death date. In Ontario, Canada, 1920 death registrations included the parents’ names.

I searched the online indexes for the death registration on Thomas Miller but found nothing. I tried alternative spelling for his surname and even tried searching under his death date. None of them registrations looked like him. There was one that came close – a death registration for Thomas Miller who died in Kinloss Township and who was born in Ireland about 1837. This Thomas died on October 25, 1920. It wasn’t the right death date. I really wanted this to be my ancestor because the death registration listed his parents – James Miller and Rose Mary Moore.

Well, maybe the death date on the tombstone was incorrect. The next resource to search were newspapers. By looking at newspapers, I found two death notifications. On of them was in the May 6, 1920 edition of the Lucknow Sentinel and one in the May 4, 1920 London Free Press. My Thomas Miller died in 1920. The London Free Press said he died on Monday, May 3 in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Munro of White Oak, Ontario (now part of London, Ontario). This was his daughter.

The Lucknow Sentinel says,

“Thomas Miller who for some years lived north of town and near South Kinloss church died at London on Monday of this week at the age of 84 years. The remains were brought here for internment in Kinloss Cemetery. The funeral was held this afternoon from the home of his son Jacob Miller of the second con[cession].”

I’m curious as to why there is no death registration for Thomas Miller. Did the record get lost because he died in White Oak and was buried in Kinloss? His death was near the end of the Spanish Flu Epidemic in Canada. Did the pandemic create so many deaths that the registrars couldn’t keep up with the paperwork?

Thomas Miller (left) with Neil Munro

I continue to hope that someday, somewhere, I’ll find a death registration for Thomas Miller and that it will list his parents’ names.

Sources

University of Western, Ontario District Marriages Ontario, Huron District Returns of Marriages, Baptisms, & Burials to the Clerk of Peace 1841-1869, LDS Microfilm Reel 0886646; citing University of Western Ontario; London, Middlesex, Canada

 Library and Archives Canada, 1861 Census of Canada West, Thomas Miller Household; Kinloss, Bruce, Ontario;  page 5; Microfilm Reel C1011, viewed 13 November 2014; www.ancestry.com; [database online]; Provo, Utah; citing Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

 Library and Archives Canada, 1871 Canada Census; Thomas Miller Household; Kinloss, Bruce South, Ontario;  District 27; Subdistrict B-1; page 61, family 217; Microfilm Reel C-9934, viewed 13 November 2014; www.ancestry.com; [database online]; Provo, Utah; citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Library and Archives Canada, 1881 Canada Census; Thomas Miller Household; Kinloss, Bruce West, Ontario;  District 176; Subdistrict B-1; page 27, family 128; Microfilm Reel C-13274, viewed 13 November 2014; www.ancestry.com; [database online]; Provo, Utah; citing Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario

 Library and Archives Canada, 1891 Canada Census; Thomas Miller Household; Kinloss, Bruce West, Ontario;  District 53; page 5-6, family 29; Microfilm Reel T-6329, viewed 13 November 2014; www.ancestry.com; [database online]; Provo, Utah; citing Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario

 Library and Archives Canada, 1901 Canada Census; Thomas Miller Household; Kinloss, Bruce West, Ontario; District 50; Subdistrict E-2; page 5, family 47; Microfilm Reel T-6462, viewed 13 November 2014; www.ancestry.com; [database online]; Provo, Utah; citing Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario

 Library and Archives Canada, 1911 Canada Census; Thomas Miller Household; Kinloss, Bruce West, Ontario; District 50; Subdistrict E-2; page 5, family 47; Microfilm Reel T-6462, viewed 13 November 2014; www.ancestry.com; [database online]; Provo, Utah; citing Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario.

Archives of Ontario; Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1948 [database on-line], MS935; Reel: 322; Ancestry.com, Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010 citing Archives of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

 Obituary; Miller, Thomas; Lucknow Sentinel 1919-1920; Thursday, May 6, 1920; Microfilm Reel  NJ.FM.1274; Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

 Obituary; Miller, Thomas; London Free Press May – June 1920, Tuesday, May 4, 1920; Microfilm Reel  NJ.FM.2235; Library & Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

Popular posts from this blog

Henry Alexander Miller 1876-1948

Image
Henry Miller Henry Alexander Miller is my father's grandfather. His obituary calls him Harry but since every other record refers to him as Henry that’s what I’ll call him . He was born to Thomas and Catherine Miller (nee Young) on April 9, 1876 in Kinloss, Bruce County, Ontario . Henry was the 10th of 12 children. One wonders if his mother had much energy left to raise him after having so many children. In fact Thomas and Catherine were so busy with their farm and kids that they sent a neighbour to register Henry’s birth. He registered the name incorrectly, telling the registrar the baby’s name was Alexander instead of Henry Alexander. He got the parents' names right so I was able to identify him. By the time Henry was born Bruce County, Ontario was settled and had many amenities like a grist mill and store to make life easier. As a child Henry would have had many farm chores to do so working hard was instilled in him at an early age.  When he was ready to move
Read more

Giving Up a Dream

Image
My Great Grandad Jerry had a goal. He wanted to be a farmer on his own land. His grandfather, William Jerry and his wife Hannah, moved from Norfolk, England to Pickering, Ontario, Canada in the 1830s. They moved to a country where they could afford to purchase land rather than working as an agricultural labourer. Herbert Jerry (holding gun) with parents and 3 brothers   Grandad Jerry’s proper name was James Herbert Jerry, but everyone called him Herb. He grew up in a family that was very poor. They needed money so badly, that according to the story that my grandmother told me, when he turned 11 he was hired out to work on the farm of Mr. James Ballard. On his first day of work Mr. Ballard sent him home and told him not to return until his ripped and torn pants were replaced. The sight of Grandad in is ragged clothes had brought blushes to Mr. Ballard's daughters. The family was so desperate for money that his mother and sisters stayed up all night hand sewing him a new pair of pa
Read more

Pictures of Bethel Miller (nee Jerry) and a never before seen one of Joan Miller (nee Dunn)

Image
Hey everyone, I've been focussed on researching and haven't bothered to post anything. Which is my downfall in family history, I like to research but hate to write about it.  I thought today I'd post some pictures of grandma and mom..sorry no writing but once I get the Jerry's organized I'll write again. Here are some pictures of Grandma Sitting on the bridge over Lavallee River I'm not sure where this one was taken. This is a picture I love. It didn't scan very well. It's the one Beth Caldwell took of her for the newspaper article. Gram is 88 in this picture.  Here is the picture of Mom. The back of the picture says Betty, Jack, and Joan children of Buster and Gwen Harrison at Clelland House in Brower with Opal Clelland. I'm sure we have a picture of Kippy where he looks exactly like Jack.
Read more