Proof That Frederick L. McRae Is My Great-Great-Grandfather's Brother

A couple months ago, I was contacted by a man claiming to be a descendant of Frederick Leander McRae, who he said was my great-great-grandfather James R. McRae's brother. I had read a post on genealogy.com claiming that James had siblings but it offered no sources. So far, I was only able to prove a sister, Catherine. So with this e-mail came renewed interest in trying to find out more about James' siblings.

Up until this time, I had assumed that one of the alleged brother's names was Leander McRae. Whenever I searched Ancestry and Nova Scotia Vital Statistics, nothing ever came up for Leander. With this man's e-mail and the claim that his name was Frederick Leander McRae, that changed things.

First off, he told me how to find Frederick's death certificate on FamilySearch and I did. (To see it, please click here.) The certificate gave his name as Frederick L. McRae. He died on Aug. 20, 1921 in St. John, New Brunswick and was buried in Fernhill Cemetery. He was born Aug. 3, 1843 in Nova Scotia. His parents were James McRae (born in the United States)  and Eliza Horne (born in Nova Scotia). He was married at the time of his death and his wife was the informant. But a name for the wife is not given (other than "Mrs. F. L. McRae).

Now, I know for sure that James R. McRae is the son of James McRae and Maria Horne. And even though the first name of the mother is given on Frederick's death certificate as Eliza, her maiden name is correct. The location of birth is also wrong for the father. Although it's a mystery as to whether or not it is Canada or Scotland, I know for sure that it is not the United States.

When I searched for Frederick's death certificate, another record came up. A death certificate for a Margaret (Parks) McRae. Margaret died on Jan. 12, 1929 in St. John, New Brunswick. It notes that she was a widow and her husband was the late Frederick L. McRae.

I figured this must have been Frederick's wife but wanted to be sure. Margaret was also buried in Fernhill Cemetery. I called there and they confirmed to me that Frederick and Margaret are indeed buried together.

With all of this information, I went back to Nova Scotia Vital Statistics and did a search for a Frederick McRae this time. The result I got was a marriage for a Frederick McRae and Margaret Parks. The marriage took place on April 11, 1866 in Halifax County, Nova Scotia. Frederick was twenty-two years old at the time of the marriage, which makes sense if his birthday is in Aug. of 1843 like his death certificate says. He was born in Halifax (same location that my great-great-grandfather James and his sister Catherine were born). He was a nailer (in Frederick's death certificate, it listed his occupation as "nail maker"). He was the son of James and Maria McRae. No maiden name was given for Maria.

After reviewing all of this information, I am convinced that Frederick Leander McRae is indeed the son of James and Maria (Horne) McRae, thus making him the brother of James R. McRae. His place of birth was Halifax (same as James and Catherine). The occupations match. The spouses match. And with his marriage record listing his parents as James & Maria and the death certificate listing the mother's maiden name as Horne, I am utterly convinced that I have found and proven that Frederick is James' brother.

---

Copyright © 2015, David J. McRae

Birth Announcements For Six McRae Children

The following are the birth announcements for the six children born from my grandfather Clayton McRae's third marriage, the one to my Nana, Ruth Agnes Cockayne. The birth annoucement for my father, David J. McRae, Sr., is included in here.

One thing that I have always found to be both interesting and amusing about these birth announcements is that in almost every one, Clayton and Ruth are living in a different location. 

Alan Joseph McRae's Birth Annoucement.
Printed on March 30, 1951 in the
Brockton Daily Enterprise.

William McRae's Birth Annoucement.
Printed October 11, 1952 in the
Brockton Daily Enterprise.

Deborah McRae's Birth Annoucement.
Printed on December 22, 1954 in the
Brockton Daily Enterprise.

Sheila McRae's Birth Announcement.
Printed on Thursday, January 9, 1958
on page 2 of the Brockton Daily Enterprise.

David J. McRae, Sr.'s Birth Announcement.
Printed on Tuesday Evening, November 12, 1963 
on page 2 of the Taunton Daily Gazette.

Phil McRae's Birth Announcement.
Printed on Monday Evening, August 13, 1962
on page 2 of the Taunton Daily Gazette.

---

Copyright © 2013, David J. McRae

Video Capture of James R. McRae's Death Record

The following is a video capture of the death record of my great-great grandfather, James R. McRae, whom died on March 5, 1910 in Brockton, Massachusetts. The video was taken on January 23, 2012. This version of his death record can be found at the Brockton Public Library.

Below is a more informative version of James' death record, which I retrieved from the Massachusetts State Archives back in 2011.

---

Copyright © 2013, David J. McRae

Find A Grave: McCormack, McRae, Doherty, Newell (Calvary Cemetery, Brockton)

The following is a video detailing how to get to the grave of Mary McCormack, Fred J. McRae, John Doherty, and Kevin Newell in Calvary Cemetery, Brockton, Massachusetts.

Video taken on July 15, 2013.

---

Copyright © 2013, David J. McRae

Parish Records for the Marriages of Bridget Theresa Kane

Lately, I've been trying to find out more about my 2nd great grandmother Bridget Theresa Kane and where exactly it is she came from in Ireland.

This past Saturday, I went to the Boston Irish Festival in Canton where The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA) had a tent set up to provide assistance for those researching their Irish heritage. One of the suggestions they had for me was to find the parish records for each of Bridget's marriages. They said it was possible that these parish records might provide more information as to where exactly Bridget came from in Ireland.

To do this, I would have to contact the Archdiocese of Boston Archives with the names of those who married, the date of the marriage, the city the marriage took place in, and the name of the minister who performed it.

I e-mailed him yesterday with this information and he e-mailed me back fairly quickly with the parish records that I was looking for. While the records didn't provide any more information as to where Bridget came from in Ireland, they were nevertheless still good to have.

Parish Record for Bridget Kane's marriage to John McCormack.

Parish Record for Bridget Kane's marriage to James R. McRae.

---

Copyright © 2012, David J. McRae

Using Social Networking to Find Long, Lost Uncle Fred

As I continue to search for dear long, lost Uncle Fred, I've decided to embrace the social networking websites and use them to my advantage. I have set up both a Facebook page and Twitter account dedicated to finding the man.

Here is the Facebook page, Help Me Find My Long, Lost Uncle Fred. Please like it, share it, and help spread the word.

And here is the Twitter account, @HelpMeFindFred.

If anyone has any suggestions as to other social networking websites I should use, or hashtags I should use on Twitter related to the search, please let me know.

Long Lost Uncle Fred's Birth Certificate FOUND!

Yesterday was a very productive day, research-wise. And the best part of it was when I went to Brockton City Hall. I had at least figured out a birth year for Fred (1946) and so I thought I'd go to Brockton City Hall to see if I could maybe find his birth certificate. I didn't have my hopes up because I wasn't quite sure if Fred was even born in Brockton. Plus, I wasn't sure if the clerk would even look since I didn't have a specific date. But lo and behold, she did look and he was born there!

So for $20, I now have a certified copy of my long, lost uncle Fred's birth certificate. And I now know that his birth name was Frederick Chester McRae and that he was born on Oct. 2, 1946 in Brockton, Massachusetts.

---

Copyright © 2012, David J. McRae

Fred & Maude Married May 29, 1950

One thing that's been on my mind lately is when my great-grandparents, Fred McRae and Maude Monroe, got married. 


Since Fred was a native and lifelong resident of Brockton, Massachusetts and Maude had grown up in that city for most of her life, I always assumed that's the city they married in. But I never called or went to the Brockton City Clerk's office to confirm it because they had created a search fee a few years ago where they charge you in order for them to search their records. And whether or not a record was found, they kept the search fee. I didn't want to go there, pay them money to search for a record, only to find out it's not there and lose my money for nothing. Plus, even if they did find the record, it costs $20 for a certified copy. (Years ago, it used to only cost $5). 


But today, I decided to take a chance and call them, hoping I would get someone who was pleasant and helpful or at least sympathetic. I called, asked how much a copy of a record costs (sadly, it's still $20), and then asked if she could confirm if the marriage record was there. I could tell she was hesitant at first but she eventually did. I gave her the names and date, she put me on hold, and then came back after a couple minutes and told me that the record was indeed there! 


She told me that Fred and Maude were married on May 29, 1920 in Brockton, Massachusetts. After getting over my excitement at having the date, I looked at it for a moment and remembered that Maude was born in July of 1902. I realized that Maude was seventeen when she married (and Fred would have twenty-eight as he was born on May 10, 1892). This was interesting as one of my assumptions about the marriage has always been that Maude was eighteen when it took place.


The year of marriage being 1920 is very helpful to me because now, instead of having to spend $20 on a copy of the marriage record at the Brockton City Clerk's office, I should be able to get a copy for 50¢ at the Massachusetts State Archives. 


So now that I have a marriage year, I must, besides get a copy of the actual marriage record, return to Brockton Public Library at some point soon to see if anything was published in the local newspaper regarding the marriage.

Sunday's Obituary - Thelma M. Badger

On August 26, 1992, Thelma M. (McRae) Badger passed away at University Hospital in Boston. She 76. Funeral services were held three days later at the Sullivan Funeral Home in Hanson, Massachusetts. Interment was at Central Cemetery, East Bridgewater.

Thelma was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of the late Ben F. and Margaret (Lincoln) McRae. She was the widow of Arthur C. Badger.

Thursday, August 27, 1992 , The Enterprise - Page 29

Thursday, August 27, 1992 , The Enterprise - Page 29

Mystery Monday - Did James R. McRae Have Another Child?

Thanks to my blog, I finally came into contact with another descendant of James McRae and Maria Horne (whom are the parents of James R. McRae, my great-great grandfather).

And so we started talking about different things regarding the McRae family history and one of the things she mentioned was that James R. and his first wife, Katherine Morrison, might have had another child named James who died at infancy on November 30, 1874 in Boston.

I had assumed I found all of James' children so when I heard this, I was quite surprised. I viewed the death record of the infant on familysearch.org and saw that it lists the parents as James McRae and Catherine McRae. Immediately right there, that makes it hard to confirm if the child is indeed the son of my James because Catherine's maiden name is not given and there easily could have been another couple named James and Catherine McRae living in Boston at the time.

The birthplaces of the parents are both listed as Halifax, Massachusetts. James R. McRae and Katherine Morrison were both born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I took a closer look at the actual death record and it looks as though the "MA" is actually "NS". This is something that can be debated.

In 1869, James and Katherine had a son, Edward, and in 1876, they had another son, Rufus. Both Edward and Rufus' death records list their birthplaces as Boston. Infant James was born in between Edward and Rufus.

While it is entirely possible that infant James really was the son of James R. McRae and Katherine Morrison, I don't want to assume anything without definite proof. Oddly enough, a birth certificate can't be found for him on familysearch, whether that means he was only given a death record or it simply isn't available online.

To see the death record for the infant, click here.

Sunday's Obituary - Cheryl Scibetta

On November 28, 2006, Cheryl (Ware) Scibetta passed away at Brockton Hospital. Born on August 3, 1943 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of the late George Ware and Rhoda (McRae) Haddad, my grandfather's first cousin. Funeral services were held Monday, December 4th at the Waitt Funeral Home in Brockton. Interment was in Melrose Cemetery.

Saturday, December 2, 2006, The Enterpise - Section A, Page 5

Saturday, December 2, 2006, The Enterpise - Section A, Page 5

McRaes Buried in Pine Hill Cemetery

Record card listing all the McRaes buried in Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater, Mass.

*Copy of record card courtesy of Pine Hill Cemetery.

Funeral Card Friday - John A. McRae

On Sunday, November 18, 1951, John Alton McRae passed away at the home of his parents, Walter L. and Laura (Spaulding) McRae, in Brockton. He was the husband of Marjorie T. Moynihan. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, November 20, from the funeral home at 647 Main Street, Brockton. Interment was in Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater. 

Tuesday, November 20, 1951, Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page Two

Motivation Monday - Follow Up Visits to Pine Hill Cemetery and Brockton

There were two things I planned to do today - visit Pine Hill Cemetery in West Bridgewater and Brockton Public Library, 


I've been wanting to visit Pine Hill Cemetery for the past couple weeks after discovering that there are a few more family members of mine buried there. Once I got there, I spoke with a woman at the cemetery office who gave me the section and plot numbers of the graves I was looking for along with a free map of the cemetery. After this, I was able to find the graves I was looking for quite easily. However, these past few days, Massachusetts has received quite a few inches of snow. And although it didn't snow today, the clouds in the sky combined with the snow left on the ground did make it difficult to get decent pictures. So I need to go back at some point when the sun is out and take new photos. 


One surprising thing that happened while at the cemetery was that I located the grave of John A. McRae. John was the son of Walter L. McRae and Laura Belle Spaulding. I knew John had died before Walter (Walter died in 1966; John is not listed as a survivor in his obituary). I called Pine Hill Cemetery the other week and asked if John happened to be buried there. They checked and told me he wasn't. And that was that.


So today, as the woman was going through the files, she pulled out the card that listed all the McRae's buried in Pine Hill. I glanced at it and noticed Walter's name, Laura's name, and two others. One was a female named Gracie whom I have never heard of. And the other was of a John Alton McRae. Curious, I asked her if John was buried with Walter and Laura. She looked it over and told me he was! So much for him not being buried there. . . 


Following my trip to the cemetery, I went to Brockton Public Library so that I could search through some newspaper articles and look through the Brockton Poll Taxes once more. On my top list of priorities was finding John's obituary (I now had a death date), the obituary of his niece, Cheryl Scibetta, and some "In This City" articles (articles that tell of the activities of Brockton residents). 


But when I got there, I started out looking through the poll taxes and got so wrapped up in them that I didn't have time to find search through the newspapers. 


I have been trying to figure out more about the marriage between my great-grandparents, Fred J. McRae and Maude Monroe, and when my great-grandmother would have been committed. I had a breakthrough today thanks to the poll taxes. 


I found out that in 1923, my great-grandparents, Fred McRae and Maude Monroe, were living at 136 Myrtle Street, Brockton, Massachusetts. But in the 1924 Poll Taxes, Maude disappeared. She was no longer living with Fred and wasn't listed as living with her parents either so I can only guess that some time between 1923 and 1924, she was committed. Maude shows up again in the Poll Taxes for 1940. It lists her living with her parents and half-brother and her occupation is listed as "At Home". It said she had been living with them in 1939 too but she didn't actually appear in the 1939 Poll Taxes. So based on evidence, Maude was released between 1939 and 1940, meaning she was institutionalized for about sixteen years. 


I also discovered that Maude's father, Harvey, was a restaurant proprietor. I'm not sure how long the restaurant lasted but I'm very interested in finding more information about it (such as a name, for starters). 


The other thing I'm interested in finding more about is the death place of my great-great grandfather, James R. McRae. His death certificate (he died in Brockton on March 5, 1910) lists his death place as "City Farm". When I first read it, I simply assumed it meant he owned a farm in the city. But I've heard recently that a city farm was a type of jail for people with debts and such. I want to look more into it and figure out what exactly a city farm was and why James would have been in it.

Sunday's Obituary - Walter L. McRae

On December 10, 1966, Walter L. McRae passed away in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. He was 77. Funeral services were held Monday, December 12, at the Delano Funeral Home in Brockton, Massachusetts at 2 P. M. Interment was in Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater.

Born on August 17, 1889 in Brockton, Walter was the son of James R. and Bridget T./Theresa (Kane) McRae. He married Laura Belle Spaulding and had two children, Rhoda McRae and John A. McRae (the latter who predeceased him). Walter was a lifelong resident of Brockton.

• Saturday, December 10, 1966 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page eleven

• December 10, 1966 , Brockton Daily Enterpise - Page sixteen

Military Monday - PFC Fred J. McRae

My great-grandfather, Fred J. McRae served in World War I as a Private First Class. A military funeral was held for him following his death in February of 1952. 

Friday, March 2, 1951 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page Two

Calvary Cemetery, Brockton, Mass, 2011

Calvary Cemetery, Brockton, Mass, 2011

Sympathy Saturday - Saw Seven Children Die

My great-great grandfather, James R. McRae, died on March 5, 1910 in Brockton, Massachusetts. His obituary said that he was survived by three sons, Fred, Walter, and Benjamin. 


Through my research, I found out that James, with his first wife, had seven children - William C. McRae (b. circa 1867), Edward S. McRae (b. circa 1870), Agnes A. McRae (b. circa 1871), Kate McRae (b. circa 1872), Rufus McRae (b. circa 1877), Benjamin F. McRae (b. circa 1879), and Gracie McRae (b. circa 1880). 


Following the death of his first wife, James remarried to Bridget T./Theresa Kane and they had three children together. The first one was Frederick Everett McRae, whom was born in 1888. The second was Walter McRae, who was born in 1889. I found out Frederick passed away on April 5, 1891. Shortly after, in 1892, James and Bridget T./Theresa had their final child, Frederick Everett McRae, whom they named after the deceased Frederick.


After doing further research, I discovered that Gracie passed away on December 11, 1880 and she wasn't even a year old. Edward passed away on May 29, 1882 at the age of thirteen. Rufus passed away on January 23, 1884 at the age of eight. And Agnes passed away on November 18, 1905. Although I couldn't find a death date for Kate or William, neither one of them was mentioned in James' obituary, which leads me to assume that they were both deceased prior to James' death.


James saw seven of his children die during his lifetime as well as the death of his first wife, Katherine. Knowing this can't help but make me think of all the pain that man must have gone through during his life. . . But it also makes me grateful for what I have in mine. 

Sunday's Obituary - Laura Belle McRae

On Saturday, December 17, 1983, Laura Belle (Spaulding) McRae passed away at Goddard Memorial Hospital in Stoughton, Massachusetts. She was 86.

A graveside service was held on Tuesday, December 20 at Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater, Mass.

Born in Whitman, Laura was the daughter of Frank and Emma (Adams) Spaulding. She married Walter L. McRae (my great grandfather's brother) and they had two children, Rhoda and John A. McRae, the latter who predeceased her. Walter passed away in December of 1966, leaving her a widow for seventeen years. 

. 

Printed on Monday, Dec. 19, 1983 in The Enterprise.

Printed on Monday, Dec. 19, 1983 in The Enterprise.

Funeral Card Friday - Miss Mary A. McCormack

On Wednesday, November 12, 1958, Miss Mary McCormack, my great-grandfather's half-sister, passed away at home in Brockton. She was 79. Her funeral was held the following Saturday from the funeral home located at 9 Chester Ave, Brockton. Interment was in Calvary Cemetery, Brockton.

Born in Bridgewater, Mass, she was the daughter of Irish immigrants John McCormack and Bridget T./Theresa Kane. Mary never married but she adopted two children, George Armstrong and Margaret McCormack (the latter who she adopted with her brother, Fred McRae). 

Mary was a retired stitcher. She also made candy and bread as well. She was formerly employed by the Diamond Shoe Co. 

For most of her life, Mary resided at 20 Montauk Road, Brockton. She took in many people over the years, relatives as well as non-relatives. 

Saturday, November 15, 1958 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page 2

Sunday's Obituary - "B.F. McCrae Passes Away"

On June 7, 1932, Benjamin F. McRae, my great-grandfather's half-brother, passed away at his home in Brockton, Mass. Born in Brockton, he was the son of the late James R. McRae and Katherine Morrison, both natives of Nova Scotia. 

Wednesday, June 8, 1932 , The Brockton Times - Page Two