Ann Carter Minogue(11 March 1837 - 5 April 1924) |
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Born in the small coastal village of Littlehampton, in the southwest of
England, Ann Carter entered the world on the 11th of March, 1837, the
first daughter of Sarah (nee Winter) Carter. Due to its location
on the English Channel, Littlehampton was the home mainly of sailors
enlisted in the British Navy. Ann's date of birth has caused some
speculation as censuses taken in 1881, 1891 and 1911 place her birth
date between 1842 and 1851. Information provided by her son on her
death certificate states that her birth date was March 11, 1842.
However, her baptismal entry in St. Mary's Anglican Church on the 26th
of March, 1837 states she was born on the 11th of March 1837.
Since the month and day agree with the date on given on the death
registration, I think we can conclude that we have identified the
correct Ann Carter. Also, Ann's marriage certificate in 1860
states that she married Mathew Minogue when she was 23 - this would also
place the year of birth in 1837. The 1851 and 1861 verifies this
date also. After all, it's not unusual for women to grow younger
as they age! We do not know who Ann's father was. The baptismal entry lists only Sarah Carter as the mother and the father is unlisted. Ann's marriage certificate states that her father was William Carter. However, further research has shown that Ann was illegitimate and that she probably listed her brother, William Carter, as her father to save herself embarrassment. Ann's mother, Sarah, had been married to Richard Carter and had four known children (all boys) with him. Richard however, was buried in Littlehampton on the 1st of January 1833 at the age of 34. Like many men in the area, he was likely a mariner and possibly died early as a result of this hazardous occupation. Since death registration in England did not begin until 1837, it is difficult to know exactly what happened. Sarah remarried 10 years later, but in between these two marriages, she had Ann. The only clue we have as to who the father might have been is a listing on her death certificate. Her son, Thomas Monogue, stated that Ann's father was "John Easter". We will probably never be able to verify this information. When Ann was baptized in 1837, the family was living in "West Lodge" in Littlehampton (Sussex County). From other research that I have done, I suspect the "Lodge" was a group housing arrangement, maybe similar to rooming houses, where the naval families lived together. Although the accommodations were likely quite sparse, having others close by would have been a support to the widowed Sarah who had five young children to care for. There were probably other young women with children who were alone as a result of widowhood or their husbands being at sea for long periods of time and I imagine they relied on each other for help with child care and other necessities.
When Ann was born, her mother was 33. Ann had four older half-brothers - John, aged 3; Thomas aged 6; William, who was 8 and Richard who was 10. There might have been other children or children who had not survived, but these are the only ones I have found evidence of through baptismal records. Ann was six when her mother remarried. Sarah's second husband, James Richardson, was also a mariner born and living in Littlehampton. He was quite a bit younger than Sarah - she was 43 and he was 28 and had never been married before. The family continued living in the tiny coastal village and Sarah had a second daughter, named Sarah Richardson, a half-sister to the 9-year old Ann. It appears that Ann did not attend school as the 1911 census states that she was not able to read or write. Living in a naval town increased the likelihood that Ann would marry a sailor. However, at some point, maybe while he was on leave from the nearby town of Chichester where he was stationed, Ann met a young Irish corporal, Mathew Minogue, a soldier in the 83rd Foot division of the British Army. Mathew was 29 and Ann had just turned 23 when they were married on the 15th of March 1860 in St. Mary's Anglican Church, the same church in which she had been baptized. The witnesses were Henry Hudson and Wilhemenia Town, assumedly friends of the bride and groom. Although we know that Ann was brought up in the Anglican religion, it appears that at some point she converted to Catholicism as she is buried in a Catholic cemetery. However, as late as the 1911 census, she is listed as Anglican. Within a year, Mathew and Ann had been relocated by the Army to a post to the east of London in the town of Chatham. It is possible that once Ann left Littlehampton, she never saw any of her family again. Although the towns are only 80 miles apart, in the 1860's, the time to travel this far was significant and both families likely had modest financial means.
A year and a half after they were married, Ann and Mathew, while living at the corner of King and Brook Streets in Chatham, had a daughter, whom they named Mary Ann Minogue (23 October, 1861).
We lose track of Ann for about six years. Military paperwork shows Mathew in Canada by 1863, but no evidence of Ann has been found until the birth of their second child, Thomas Henry, in October of 1869. It's interesting to note that seven years lapsed between the birth of the two children. Several possibilities exist - Ann stayed in England after Mathew went to Canada to "check it out" and joined him later; or she might have gone to Canada with him but did not see him often as he was stationed at different posts in Quebec and Ontario; or there were other children between but they did not survive infancy; or finally, there were only two children in seven years.
Regardless, we know Thomas Henry was born in Quebec. Family tradition states that he was born in an army barracks. Could this have been the fort in Quebec City? Further research is needed here.
Mathew retired from the army in late 1871 and the family settled in Hamilton. It appears that they went here so Mathew could get a job with the railway. While here, Ann, at the age of 35, had another child. Annie Joseph was born on the 8th of October, 1872. During this time, they occupied a small house at 26 Guise Street overlooking the Hamilton harbor. The building housed railroad families on a temporary basis. It must have been rough accommodations, because in 1874 the house had been demolished and the lot lay vacant.
By 1875, we know the family had relocated to London, Ontario.
A son, Mathew, was born in June of 1876, but sadly he died at the age of 5
months. Ann being close to 40 now, did not have any more children.
During the next seven years, the family moved four times, all to houses in the same general area of London - first to Murray St., then Queen's Ave., finally to two different houses on Quebec Street. It is likely that they were renting and moved as prices changed or more favorable properties became available.
In late 1897, when Ann was 60, Mathew returned to Ireland where he was admitted
to the Royal Kilmainham Hospital in Dublin. This was an old
soldier's home so we can assume that he was in poor health and needed ca
London directories show a "Mrs. Ann Minogue" living at 357 Elm Street in 1902 and 1903. The 1911 census shows her living with her daughter, Mrs. Annie Joseph O'Rourke, at 1064 Mary Street, who has also been widowed and together they are caring for Annie's five young children. Sometime between 1911 and 1920, Annie and her mother, Ann, moved to Hamilton, first to 157 Barnesdale Ave., and later to 139 Sherman Ave. North. It appears that at some point, the Davern family, who were descendents of Ann's other daughter, Mary Ann, bought the adjoining duplex house at 135 Sherman Ave.
Revised December 1, 2006
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