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I am trying to solve a mystery--the identity and family of a young woman who boarded a ship named Polynesian in Londonderry, Ireland on June 5, 1885 with a 12-day old baby girl. The young woman was an extremely devout Roman Catholic and, unbelievably, she took her un-baptised baby on board ship and voyaged to Canada. The event suggests she was forced, or had great needed, to get out of the counrty, and fast. The baby is my deceased grandmother.
The ship manifest identified the woman as ANN McKEON, spinster, single, aged 18 (indicating born Abt. 1866).
The baptismal record for the child in Toronto, Canada dated June 24, 1855 identified the mother as MARY MUCKIAN, the child's birth-date as May 24, 1885 (Queen Victoria's birthday) and child's given name as ELIZABETH (could the name Elizabeth be that of the mother of Ann?). Later in life the child received two added names, HELEN and VICTORIA. The child became known as Helen (could this be a clue?).
Toronto City Directory identified the mother as ANNIE McKEON, domestic, 1890.
The child's marriage record identified her mother as MARY McKEAN; the mother's civil death registration stated MARY; and cemetery index stated MARY ANN.
The family story is that Mary / Ann McKeon (McKeown, McKean, etc.) had married a Sean or John SHEEN in Ireland and that Sean/John had died on board ship during the voyage to Canada. The fact is, the ship manifest had no record of a Sean/John Sheen (Sheehan, etc) on board that ship, and the mother showed up in Toronto as Annie McKeon. The family story put Ann's home in Ireland as County Cork, but most McKeon, McKeown, McKean, etc. families resided in the north-east particularly in County Antrim. Maybe, the natural father of the child was from County Cork?
Mary/Ann, the unwed mother, died June 19, 1927 in Toronto, Canada. Her obituary stated she died aged 67 (indicating born Abt. 1860).
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