Margaret Shepherd
ID # 8495, (1840-1936)
| Father | Duncan Shepherd (1802-1886) |
| Mother | Margaret McLean (-1848) |
| Birth | Margaret Shepherd was born on 9 July 1840 at Galt, Dumfries Township, Gore District, Canada West. |
| Marriage | She married George Eggleston Steele. |
| Christening | She was christened on 22 August 1841 at First Church, Galt. |
| Death | She died on 10 April 1936 at Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan, at age 95. |
| Burial | She was buried on 13 April 1936 at Oak Hill Cemetery, Grand Rapids.. |
| Note | See United Church of Canada microfilm LCM-30, or Archives of Ontario microfilm GS2987, essentialy extracted from LCM-30. This shows baptisms at First Church, Galt, without the benefit of parental names. It shows a baptism for Marg't. Shepherd on August 22, 1841. Since we have no evidence for a second Shepherd family at First Church, and given Margaret's age as of the 1851 census, we must believe her to be the daughter of Duncan Shepherd and Margaret McLeish. The 1851 Canada West census, not begun until January of 1852, shows Margaret Shepherd with her parents and siblings in Galt, Waterloo County. She is the oldest child present and her age is given as 11 - which we will take to be her next birthday, since this is the way the question was supposed to be asked in the 1851 and 1861 censuses. She is shown as being born in Upper Canada. The 1861 census was begun in January of 1861. By this time the family has moved to Nichol Township in Wellington County. Margaret does not appear with her family as of this census. At a loss for what became of Margaret, your researcher looked at Find-a-Grave and found that Margaret had married a George Eggleston Steele. A date or place of marriage for the couple has not been found (George was evidently a widower), but the 1930 U.S. census at Grand Rapids, Michigan, tells that Margaret came to the United States from Canada in 1858. Since she appears in the 1860 census in Gratton Township, Kent County, Michigan, this won't be far off. The one confusing thing to say of Margaret is to ask: Where was she born? She was baptized at First Church in Galt in 1841. The 1851 census in Galt tells that she was born in Canada. The 1860 U.S. census has it that she was born in New York State. The 1870 census at Gratton again tells that she was born in New York State. The 1880 census at Gratton has it that she was born in Canada. The 1890 U.S. census was destroyed by fire. The 1900 census at Grand Rapids has it that she was born in Canada. The 1910 census at Grand Rapids says she was born in Canada. The 1920 census at Grand Rapids shows her place of birth as Canada. The 1930 census at Grand Rapids, the last she appears in, says she was born in Canada. Her death registration places her birth in Galt, Ontario, Canada - for which reason we show her place of birth as Galt in this tree. There may be another story. Margaret is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery with a daughter in Grand Rapids. Her husband George is buried in Old Bostwick Lake Cemetery in Bostwick Lake, Kent County, Michigan, with his first wife, Lydia A. Baker. Lydia died in 1857. A record of Margaret and George's marriage has not been found. Death registration Michigan Dept. of Health Kent County Grand Rapids Mrs. Margaret Steele died April 10, 1936, at 1266 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, which was also her residence. Widow of George E. Steele. Born July 9, 1840, at Galt, Ontario, Canada. Age 95 yrs., 9 mos., 1 dy. Father Duncan Shepherd, born Scotland. Mother Margaret McLean, born Caledonia, N.Y. Informant Miss Agnes Steele, 1266 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids. Burial Oak Hill Cemetery, April 13, 1936 Margaret's death registration was found on Michiganology.org. Thanks to Find-a-Grave for assisting in finding out something of Margaret's story. A comment here. That she was born on July 9, 1840, is possible, though she was baptized on August 22, 1841. It is possible that her year of birth as shown on her death registration is an error. A birth year of 1841 might be closer to it Also note that Margaret's death registration is the one record found so far that provides the given name of her mother, Margaret Shepherd. Margaret of course was also the given name of young Margaret's step mother. There is also room for error here. |
| Last Edited | 24 Feb 2021 |