Gilbert & Jessie McKechnie
* Scottish Emigrants to Canada *

According to the 1861 Halton County Ontario Census,
Jessie was born abt 1811 in Scotland.

Bearing this in mind, I think it's safe to assume
that Gilbert McKECHNIE, also born in Scotland, was fairly close to his wife's age.

Gilbert & Jessie were married sometime around 1836,
whether before or after they emigrated to Halton County is unknown at this point.

They had 5 children:
1) John b 1838 in Ontario
(John is listed as 23 on his next birthday in the 1861 Census
and as a 'lunatic or idiot' ..... and he seems to have died abt 1873)


2) Dugald / Dougald b 1844 in Esquesing Township,
married Janet STEWART abt 1867-68 in Esquesing Township (2 children)
(Janet was the daughter of James STEWART & Janet McGREGOR)
Dougald died Dec 24 1879 of consumption.


3) Jessie born abt 1850


4) Euphemia (Effie) b 1854 in Esquesing Township,
married John A LOGUE on Jan 7 1879 in Georgetown Halton Ontario (6 children)
(Witnesses were: Samuel REED & Jessie WALKER)
(John was born Aug 1850 in Ireland)
Effie died in 1887 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.


Because of the birthdate of Gilbert & Jessie's last listed child, Euphemia,
and because Jessie is listed as 'widow' in the 1861 Census,
it seemed obvious that Gilbert died
sometime between 1854 and Census time 1861.

Although Jessie's son John isn't with his family in the 1871 Census,
I'm not sure where was even though I don't think he died til 1873.

~ * ~
In 2003, I received a huge surprise !!

I checked the online Wesleyan Baptismal Register index
and located another child born to Gilbert & Jessie
in Esquesing Township.
Jenny Eathel was born May 16 1875 / baptised Oct 24 1875
by Reverend William Mills,
several years after Gilbert was supposed to have died : -)


I figured that the only way to verify this was to see the birth certificate!!
[In 2004, I physically examined the actual birth microfilm for 1874-1890 and NOTHING was there!!]

Jenny does not appear in the Canada 1881 Census and neither does Jessie the mother.
I thought all was a lost cause
until I discovered
that Jenny married her sister Euphemia's widowed husband, John LOGUE.
Her birth year seems to have been 1857 and NOT 1875.

* * *

In addition to this,
I have not been able to find any burial listed for their son Dougald
even though I have found Dougald's wife Janet and most of their children
buried in Boston Presbyterian Church Cemetary in Esquesing Township,
alongside Janet's parents James STEWART & Janet McGREGOR.

The mystery continues ..... the searching continues .....

Perhaps their stories will help me to fill in the blanks for Gilbert & Jessie !!

Gilbert McKECHNIE & Jessie were my GR GR grandparents !!

Return to STEWART Direct Ancestor Line