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Margaret Niles nee Dougan

As noted earlier, Annie was the ninth child of Thomas Dougan and Isabella Wellwood. She was born on October 18, 1867 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada where the family had immigrated after leaving Scotland. She married James Brady on April 27, 1887 in Fall River, Mass., and died while living with her daughter Ruth in Charlottetown, P.E.I., Canada about 1954, the year I was born. She was reportedly buried in a grave shared with her son-in-law, Ruth’s late husband Lawrence Austin Wright.

The first child born to Thomas Dougan and Isabella his wife was named Thomas and was born about 1846-7 in Glasgow, Scotland. He is living at home in the 1851 census and was then age 4 years. There is no record of his death, and he is not present in the 1861 census.

Also present in the 1851 census is the second child, Margaret. The 1900 census gives her birth as April, 1850 in Scotland, but she is listed on the 1851 Scotland census as being 2 years old and being born in Pollockshaw, in Renfrew. In the 1861 Scotland census, 12-year-old Margaret is living at home, but working as a factory worker. The next record I can find for Margaret is the birth of her first child, Carrie Niles, on August 8, 1869 in Merritton, Ontario, Canada. Carrie died three hours after her birth the same day. Margaret likely married Charles Niles, Carrie’s father, in 1868 or 1869 in Ontario. In the 1871 census, her parents and siblings are found also living in Merritton, although Margaret’s husband’s name is listed as John Niles in 1871. By then their second child Ephram has been born, and the 1900 census later gives his birth as August 1870 in Canada.

Ephram married Martha A. Crabtree on July 28, 1890 in Fall River, Mass. and they had seven children. Charles Henry Niles, their firstborn, was according to the WWI Draft Registration born on January 5, 1891 in Fall River. In the registration for the WWII draft, his name appears as Charles Ephraim Niles, however. In the 1930 census, he is still single and living at home. He died in January 1966 in Fall River, Mass.

Ephram and Martha’s second child was Maud E., and she was born on August 1, 1892 in Fall River. On August 29, 1925 she married Howard C. Cooley in Providence, R.I., and their son George E. was born on March 26, 1926. George died on Jun 4, 2003 in Arizona. I have no death information for his parents.

Clarence Ephram Niles was born on May 6, 1895 in Fall River. He married a woman named Isabel or Isabella prior to the 1920 census, though they have no children living with them in either 1920 or 1930. Clarence died on November 9, 1987 in Newport County, R.I.

Ephram and Martha’a fourth child was Seth Borden Niles. Seth was born in Fall River on February 18, 1897. After the 1920 census he married Margaret Clinton, and they had two sons: Vernon Francis, born in Fall River on Jun 16, 1922, and Seth Borden, Jr. born in June 1924. Both children later married. Seth, Sr. died on May 28, 1924 in Plymouth, Mass., shortly before his namesake’s birth.

Raymond, born Feb 2, 1899, Vernon F., born September 2, 1901, and Doris M., born Feb 19, 1909 were the last three children born to Ephram and Martha. All were born in Fall River and living at home in the 1920 census. By 1930, Ephram was 59 and boarding in a stranger’s home in Fall River, Mass. Martha was living in Fall River with her sons Charles, Raymond, and Vernon, and her daughter Doris.

Margaret and Charles Niles’ next nine children were all born in Fall River, Mass. The third child, and the first born in Fall River, was Catherine on June 16, 1873. Catherine married on Jan 27, 1902 in Fall River to Benjamin Harwood. She and Ben had two children: Mildred D., born in Fall River on Jun 15, 1904 and who died three days later, and Clifford T. N., born in Fall River on Oct. 13, 1905. In 1910 Catherine is living with her parents, along with her son Clifford. I have no death information for Catherine.

The fourth child was Charles Niles, born on Dec. 14, 1874. In the 1900 and 1910 census he is living at home, but listed as widowed. A search reveals his marriage to Bertha A. Brown on November 25, 1896 and that their son Chauncy was born and died on November 12, 1897. Bertha died on March 2 the following year. I have no information on Charles after the 1910 census.

Frank Niles was the fifth child. He was born to Margaret and Charles on September 8, 1877. Frank married Helena Snape on Dec. 4, 1900 in Fall River and they had six children: Elmer F. born in 1901 who married a woman named Alice and had two daughters in the 1930 census in Swansea, Isabel D. born on Dec. 8, 1902, Alberta M. born on Jul. 30, 1904, Lester I. born on April 20, 1906, Mildred Irene born on Feb. 16, 1908, and Ruth Evelyn, born on April 14, 1910. All but the last two were born in Fall River – Mildred and Evelyn were both born in No. Attleborough, Mass. Frank died prior to the 1920 census and his wife died and was buried in Central Falls, R.I. on Aug. 10, 1932.

Augusta Niles was born next, in March 1880. She married Peter George Crethan on Oct. 21, 1907 in Fall River. They had a daughter Margaret in 1909. I have no further information on them.

Manfred Niles was born on Sep. 17, 1881 and died the next day in Fall River. Bella was born on July 22, 1882 and died on New Year’s Day, 1900 in Fall River.

The next child of Margaret and Charles was William Lovejoy Niles. He was born on April 3, 1884 (although his WWI draft registration gives April 13, 1884, the original birth record lists April 3, 1884). He married Helen Virginia Mansfield on June 25, 1910 in Lynn, Mass. Her mother was living with them in the 1920 census, although they had no children at home. I have found no further record of William.

Louise Hollie Niles was born on Dec. 6, 1888. She was living at home in Pawtucket, R. I. in the 1910 census. I have no record of her marriage or death.

Minnie Niles, the last child, was born on Dec. 16, 1890. She died about 14 months later on February 13, 1892 in Fall River.

Margaret’s father Thomas Dougan (Duggan) was living with them in the 1910 census in Fall River. Her mother Isabella had died on December 28, 1892 in Fall River. It was this census record that finally connected Margaret’s line from the time of the 1861 census, when she was living at home in Scotland, to the rest of her family. As I had found no marriage or death record listing either of her parents, I’d had no surety that she had not died prior to the 1871 census in Merritton, Ontario where her family had moved. Having found her father living at her home in 1910, I was then able to work backwards (once I had her married name) to find the rest of her story. So, even if you seem to have a brick wall, in time the bricks may crumble and the light shine in! Don’t give up.

Annie Dougan’s journal (cont.)

(cont.)

“Father always kept his shotgun hanging behind the kitchen door. On Hallowe’en the young fellows of the village went the rounds, trying to do as much damage as possible. Father liked to put hard peas in his gun and “shoot” the boys as they arrived in our yard. They would run away crying: “I’ve been shot in the leg”, and father got a big laugh out of that. While hunting one day, father shot a fox, laming it, and he brought it home and tied it near the woodshed, cautioning us not to go near it. The foxy fox chewed the rope and was gone the next morning.

“At night, neighbours would sometimes call for a visit, and they would play checkers or dominos as father would not have a deck of cards in the house. One of our neighbours, Alec Kennedy, played the fiddle, and he would entertain while we sang.

“I remember father sitting in the doorway of the kitchen watching the thunder and lightning storms.

“Traditionally Scotch, father sometimes liked a wee nip out of the bottle and occasionally over-imbibed.

“Mother was medium height, with blue eyes and brown hair and medium complexion. Father was very short, less than five feet in height, and had brown hair and brown eyes with very fair complexion, and liked to boast that he never had a skin blemish in his life.

“While father was living with my sister Mary at Newport, R.I. years later, he often walked to the beach, and one day he climbed half way down a ledge near the water, called Purgatory, and couldn’t get back. He called for help and a man passing by in a car heard him and threw him a rope and helped him back to safety. He was quite wet from the spray, but he hurried home and Mary got the story when she saw his wet clothes.

“Father didn’t believe in handing out his money recklessly, and so he filled his own teeth with gutta-percha and never went to a dentist in his life. Needless to say he died toothless at the age of 86. He enjoyed good health all through his life, and claimed never to have had a headache. His longevity and good health were probably due to his being a nature lover and spending many hours outdoors, hunting and fishing, or just hiking in the woods.

“When Jim and I were deeping [sic.] compa ny a man stopped Jim on the street one day and said to him: “Jim, look at that little man over there. He is the shortest man I have ever seen outside the circus”. Jim turned to look at the man, and low and behold there stood his future father-in-law. Being very tactful, Jim just smiled and didn’t tell his friend that the “little man” was my father. People are as big as they feel, and father never felt small. In fact when he had imbibed too freely he felt tall, and quite often when “in his cups” he would tell a story about growing to a tremendous height in his youth.

“My mother, Isabella Wellwood Dougan, had two sisters, Betsy and Fannie, and four brothers, John, Moses, Samuel, and Thomas. Moses became a missionary and went to Africa. He had studied botany, and used herbs in different ways to prepare medicine. The natives worshipped him, as he cured their ills, and they watched him day and night so he would not lea ve them. He was in Africa five years before he finally stole away in the night and made his way back to the coast and finally to Scotland, where he married a girl he had known before he went to Africa.

“Mother’s brother John took his son, age six, to church one Sunday and the sermon was about Moses in the bullrushes. Upon arriving home, his mother asked him what he had learned in church and he said: “The minister was spaking aboot my Uncle Moses all the tame.”

“Mother’s sister Fanny Wellwood Rowley (Sam Rowley’s mother) came to America after her husband died. She married again after being in America for five years; a man named Goddard, who died four years later. (Fannie seemed to have bad luck with husbands.)

“Mother’s sister Betsy married a man named Thompson, and one of their sons came to America, but he never contacted the Dougans.

“Mother was an industrious woman, doing all her housework, sewing, cooking, and baking; also weaving. She was very even-tempered, calm at all times and very patient. She faced life realistically and took what it had to offer and was thankful.

“Mother died at the age of 64, from pneumonia, while living with my sister Margaret on Washington Street in Fall River, Mass.

“Father died 22 years later at the age of 86 while living with my sister Mary at Newport, R. I.”

“Signed: Annie Dougan Brady”

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Margaret Niles nee Dougan

Annie Dougan’s journal (cont.)

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