The Ronald McDonell & Janet McDonell Family

My trip to Ohio was successful and is now completed. See the blog:  Solomon Goss of Fearing Township in Ohio for a discussion about the Goss family and the  trip.

http://sgossfamily.wordpress.com/

I return now to discuss the children of Alexander John and Ellen (McPherson) McDonell who were the parents of Ronald McDonell born approximately 1825 in Upper Canada and died 15 September 1862.  He is buried in the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church Cemetery in Chapeau, Pontiac County, Quebec.

Ronald married Janet McDonald daughter of John McDonald and Flora W. McLellan.  They were married the 28th of June 1852 in the St. Alphonsus Church in Chapeau.  Family History film #1029797, #17.

Below is the burial information for Ronald.

Source:  Baptism, Marriage and Burial Index, St. Alphonsus Church #M17, FHL#1029797, Page 90, #1347, Burial Registrations.  The book “St. Alphonsus of Ligouri, Chapeau, Allumette Island, Pontiac County, Quebec, Cemetery Inscriptions and Burial Records,” by Elaine Brown features this transcription of the tombstone(s).

“B84, pg. 24 – My home is above/sacred/to the memory of/Rol. MCDONALD/died/Sep 13, 1862/AE 37 yrs/also/his children/John R./died/Sep 9, 1862/AE 7 yrs/3 mos/ John A./died/AE 2 yrs & 3 mos. and /Donald J./died/Sept 5, 1862/AE 9 mos. ”

I have not found Ronald, nor Janet in the 1861 Canadian Census, but then there are a lot of Ronald McDonell’s and he may have been out working in the woods and enumerated separately or missed?

Ronald and Janet had the following children:

• Ellen McDonell born about 1853.  Ellen married a James Welch.  They had 2 children that we know about: Frank and Mary Catherine was born 20 July 1876 in Pontiac Co., Quebec, christened baptized 27 July 1876 at the St. Alphonsus Church and died 29 July 1913 in Pembrook, Renfrew Co., Ontario.  Mary Catherine Welch was the wife of George Burns.  I refer you to my friend Elaine Brown’s website about the Burns family for more information on this family.
• John Ronald McDonell born 1855 and died 1862 (See above burial information) was born 6 July 1855, christened baptized 12 July 1855, died 10 September 1862 and was buried on September 11, 1862.  All recorded at the St. Alphonsus Church.
• Alexander McDonell was born 19 January 1857 and christened baptized the 25 of January 1857 at the St. Alphonsus Church.  He was living in 1871 with his mother.

• John Archibald McDonell was born April 1861, christened baptized 15 Apr 1860, died the 3rd of September 1862 and was buried the following day on 4 September 1862.  All recorded at the St. Alphonsus Church.  The name “John Archibald” is the same as the name given to Archibald and Mary’s son John who was usually called “Jack?” brother to Ronald my grandfather.

• Donald James McDonell was born about 1862 and died on 5 September 1862 and was buried on 6 September 1862. Recorded at the St. Alphonsus Church.

• Janet McDonell no information.

Some illness hit this family and apparently Ellen and Alexander were the only ones that survived of the children of Ronald and Janet.  Ronald died and his widow Janet continued to reside and live in the Chapeau/Chichester area.  I have no death date for Janet but I did find her living in the 1871 Canadian Census.  Update 7/1/2016 – She died 17 November, 1890 in Chichester, Pontiac Co., Quebec per the St. Alphonsus Church records.

1871 Canadian Census for Quebec, Pontiac County, Chichester pg. 16, 51 and 52, Jenet McDonell age 38 born Quebec, R. Catholic, Scotish, labourer, widowed.  Ellen, F, age 17, Alexander, M, age 14. 

If you are a descendant of Janet/Jenet and Ronald McDonell, I would love to talk with you.  Leave a message by clicking on the comment button or contact me through the above Compiler tab.

UPDATE:  As of June 24, 2013 I have realized with a little help from a visitor to this blog that Janet married again after Ronald’s death.  I did not share that piece of information when I originally wrote this post.  She remarried about 1870 or 1871 to Thomas Poupore Sr.  This piece of information came to me from a manuscript about Ronald’s sister Jennette written by another cousin who is a Kennedy descendant.  I met him on my trip last Spring 2012.  Thomas Poupore Sr. son with Janet in 1874 was Thomas John Poupore who married Margaret Ethel Kennedy daughter of Daniel James Kennedy and Jan Wilhelmina McDonnell a daughter of Jennette Catherine McDonald and Angus John McDonald, another sister of Ronald and my great grandmother Mary McDonell.

UPDATE:  7/3/2023 – Links removed. Elaine Brown has removed her website and book references because life does produce change. Leave me a message or comment and I can get you in touch.