I first learned the name of my great-grandmother, Mary Ellen Watson (1855-1899), from a family tree drawn by my mother, Virginia Brown Murray. She wrote “Watson” in parentheses, with a question mark above. She also wrote “Pembroke” below her name, perhaps as a reference to where Mary was born.
The Parish Register for St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ogdensburg, New York records the marriage of Mary Watson and my great-grandfather, Patrick Brown (1839-1901), on 7 August 1884. Mary was about 29 and Patrick was about 45.
Mary Watson was a Protestant and a dispensation was granted to allow, Patrick, a Catholic, to marry Mary in the Catholic Church. The dispensation is noted in the parish register by the priest who performed the marriage. (I note that the priest recorded the letter “S” prior to Mary’s name. I’m not certain what that means.)
Because Mary and Patrick were married in 1884, the first US Census the couple would have been listed in would be the 1890 census. Unfortunately, “most of the 1890 census’ population schedules were badly damaged by a fire in the Commerce Department Building in January 1921.”[1]
The Death Certificate for Mary Brown includes the following information:
| Date of death | 17 September 1899 |
| Place of death | 291 Ford Street, Ogdensburg, NY |
| Age at death | 44 years (born c. 1855) |
| Birthplace | Canada |
| Cause of death | Typhoid Fever |
| Resided in Ogdensburg | 19 years (arrived c. 1880) |
| Mother | Mary Ann McCully, born in Canada |
| Father | George Watson, born in England |
| Place of Burial | Catholic Cemetery |
The 1900 US census lists the residents of 291 Ford Street as her widowed husband, Patrick, and their five children: Johanna (15), Mary (12), James (11), John (7), and Fredrick (5).
Sadly, Patrick Brown died in 1901 from injuries sustained in an accident. He left five orphaned children, one of whom was 12-year old James, my grandfather. Patrick and Mary are buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Ogdensburg, New York. I was very happy to visit them there in 2007.
[1] United States Census Bureau. Why can’t I find 1890 census records?. Accessed September 12, 2018 at https://www.census.gov/history/www/faqs/genealogy_faqs/why_cant_i_find_1890_census_records.html