A lost marriage?

Since the new year I've been doing a bit of research on the line pertaining to the husband of one of my cousins. As with any of my personal family research I don't just follow the direct line down through the generations but I also try to research the various siblings. The records of those siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins will often have clues that can help solve other mysteries.

Let's take a look at Catherine Martyn as an example.

She was born to Donald Martyn and Margaret Ann MacDonald on 17 Sep 1908 in Goderich, Ontario, Canada¹. In my research I've seen her father, Donald, referred to as Daniel and also as "Black Dan"². The MacDonald surname can also be recorded as McDonald in the various civil registrations. But this branch of the Goderich MacDonalds spell their own name with "Mac".

In her Michigan marriage license and certificate of marriage for her marriage to Harold W. Ellswood something got my attention but I initially put it aside.

Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, "Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Jan 2019), entry for Harold W Ellswood and Catherine Martyn, married 17 Nov 1934; citing Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 271; Film Description: Wayne (Dates TBD); County File Number 447360; State File Number 133576.

For Harold W. Ellswood and Catherine Martyn it seems that they both have been previously married one time before. For Margaret her maiden name is recorded as "Div."

Can we discover if that was case and to whom was Catherine married?

I had Catherine arriving in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan on 31 Dec 1925 to attend school and to permanently reside in the United States of America.

Ancestry.com, "Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1957," database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Jan 2019), entry for Catharine Martyn, 31 Dec 1925; citing The National Archives at Washington, D.C; Washington, D.C; Series Title: Card Manifests (Alphabetical) of Individuals Entering through the Port of Detroit, Michigan, 1906-1954; NAI: 4527226; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004.

In the 1930 federal census of the USA I found her living as a roomer at 2992 Seyburn Street in Detroit. At that time she was listed as being single and working as an elevator operator in an office building³. By 1940 she was married to Harold, had an almost one year old baby boy, and was living in Akron, Summit County, Ohio, USA⁴. This would suggest that sometime between 1 Apr 1930, the date of the census, and 17 Nov 1934 when her marriage license with Harold Ellswood was completed she was previously married.

This is where her sister Christena comes into the picture, to help possibly muddle the picture and add to the confusion.

In Christina⁵ Martyn's 22 Aug 1928 arrival in Detroit she lists her sister Catherine Smale living at 8080 Ruedidale Street as the person she is going to join in the USA.

Ancestry.com, "Michigan Passenger and Crew Lists, 1903-1965," database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Jan 2019), entry for Christine Martyn, arriving 22 Aug 1928; citing National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Washington, D.C; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Port Huron, Michigan, February 1902-December 1954; Record Group: 85, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; Microfilm Serial: A3441; Microfilm Roll: 6

So it looks like Catherine was married to a "Smale" by 1928. I've guessing that whoever answered the questions in the 1930 census didn't know that Catherine had been married. With Catherine's arrival in the USA at the end of 1925 and the mid 1928 arrival of her sister she was probably married.

There are two possible approaches I could take to find Catherine's first husband.

1. Look for a first marriage in both Ontario, her birth province, or in Michigan, her new home, or
2. See if I can find her and her husband in the city directory of Detroit.

This time I decided to use the Detroit city directory that is available on Ancestry for 1928 to see if I could find her and her possible husband.

There she is with an Albert E Smale. He is a machinist and she is a clerk. There is no 1929 city directory for Detroit available on Ancestry but in the 1930 city directory I no longer see Catherine living with Albert at that address even though Albert is still there.

Can I find a marriage for Albert Smale and Catherine Martyn in Michigan in the "Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952" collection on Ancestry? Well, here is it, their 10 Dec 1925 marriage.

Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, "Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Jan 2019), entry for Albert Smale and Catherine Martyn, married 5 Dec 1925; citing Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 186; Film Description: 1925 Wayne; Record Number 303245. 

I'm guess that Catherine had a bit of explaining to do to the authorities and possibly her parents since on her 31 Dec 1925 entry she stated she was single and was planning to attend school. The attending school part might have been true but the single definitely wasn't!

About the "Div." found on the license application for the second marriage, the one to Harold, once I put her marriage to Albert into my cousin-bait tree on Ancestry I did a manual search for additional possible records and up popped a divorce for her from Albert that was granted on 29 Jan 1930.

"Michigan, Divorce Records, 1897-1952," database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Jan 2019), entry for Catherine Smale, decree 29 Jan 1930, granted; citing Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, Michigan; Michigan. Divorce records.

When I look at the various suggested Ancestry member trees that match the family only one other tree has a marriage to someone other than Harold Elmswood and in that tree they only has a surname of "Sanale" listed.

So always read the full record for those little details that can shine a light on a hidden corner of an ancestor's life.

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1. Ancestry.com, "Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1913," database on-line, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Jan 2019), entry for Catherine Martyn, born 17 Sep 1908; citing Archives of Ontario; Series: MS929; Reel: 8.

2. CanadaGenWeb, CanadaGenWeb Cemetery Project, digital images (cemetery.canadagenweb.org  : accessed 6 Jan 2019), entry for Black Dan Martyn. died 5 Jan 1919, Maitland Cemetery, Huron County, Ontario. 

3. 1930 U.S. census, Wayne County, Michigan, population schedule, Detroit, enumeration district (ED) 563, sheet 7B, dwelling 71, family 14, Catherine Martyn; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Jan 2019); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T626, roll 1056; Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls. 

4. 1940 U.S. census, Summit County, Ohio, population schedule, Akron, enumeration district (ED) 89-181, sheet 12A, household 229, Harry W Ellswood; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Jan 2019); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T627, roll 3179. 

5. Based on other research it seems that her name is "Christena". This name had been seen in previous generations of the family.