James McCracken

  General Notes:

1871 Ontario Census: MCCRACKEN,JAMES; Age=53. Born=IRELAND; Rel= WM. Eth= IRISH; Occ= F. District=26; Subdist=G; Div=2; Pg=42. HUR Morris Twp.

1880 Census for St. Paul, Nebraska has James living with his daughter Flora and her husband, Isaac Ward.

Handwritten note by Betty Jane McCracken Hurt:
When James was three years old, he moved with his parents to Manchester, England. The family moved to Canada when James was thirteen. In 1872, they and their families moved to Howard County, Nebraska. Most lived West of St Paul on farms, the area is still known as Canada Hill. At the time of this move, James was fifty-four and Sarah Ann was forty-seven. They had eight children to move with them to Nebraska, ages 28, 26, 21, 19, 16, 11, 9, and 6. Christopher was eleven. His mother died at age 53, on Christopher's 18th birthday. He never celebrated his birthday after that. James re-married. His second wife was his first wife Sarah's brother's wife, Elizabeth Irvine Welsh. He helped raise some of her nine children. He was 63 when he re-married and died at age 77. James Fielding McCracken was six years old when his grandfather died.

Received 2/26/99 from Thelma Collens cspade@globalserve.net

Hello Linda, There were two McCracken's Landings. One on Rice Lake in Alnwick Tp. Northumberland county where my McCrackens settled and one on Stoney Lake in Dummer Tp. Peterborough County where your McCrackens settled.

I have gathered a bit of data on your McCrackens over the years, but could not find a connection to mine.

I have your James McCracken in the 1851 census of Dummer Tp. McCracken James age 34 farmer b:Ireland W. Meth.
Sarah 25 Ireland W. Meth
Mary Ann 8 Canada
Susanah 6 Canada
William 1 Canada

James' parents were William and Susanah McCracken. Susanah is a widow in this 1851 census age 69. William McCracken settled in Dummer Tp. about 1838. I have a bit more on this family but too much to copy here. I could mail it to you if you wish.

I'm curious as to where Huron County comes into the picture. James' children were obviously born in Dummer Tp. not Huron County. There were a number of McCracken families in Ontario in the 1800s.

If I can help you with any of this information let me know. Thelma Collens of Oakville, Ontario.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Emigration, 1872, Howard County, Nebraska.

• Immigration.

• Immigration, 1838, Dummer Twp., Peterborough Co., Ontario, Canada.

• Census Record, 1851, Dummer Twp., Peterborough Co., Ontario, Canada.

• Census Record, 1880, St. Paul Precinct, Howard County, Nebraska.

James married Elizabeth Irvine, daughter of Jarett William Nesbit Irvin and Sarrah West, on 17 Aug 1881 in Warsaw, Howard County, Nebraska. (Elizabeth Irvine was born on 4 Jun 1830 in Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh, Ireland,⁸⁷ died on 16 Apr 1907 in St. Paul, Howard County, Nebraska ⁸⁷ and was buried on 19 Apr 1907 in Elba, Howard, Nebraska, USA.)

  Marriage Notes:

Marriage License, 8 AUG 1881, Howard County, Nebraska
Witnessed by John W Welsh and James Welsh of Warsaw, Nebraska. Elizabeth Irwin had previously been married to James Welsh and as his widow, the marriage certificate states her name as 'Mrs. Elizabeth Welsh'. Performed by A G Bartholomew, Pastor ME Church, St Paul, Nebraska.

James next married Sarah Ann Welsh, daughter of James Welsh and Elizabeth Gibson, on 19 Feb 1843 in Peterborough, Peterborough Co., Ontario, Canada. (Sarah Ann Welsh was born on 25 Jun 1825 in Monaghan, Ireland, died on 11 Jul 1879 in Howard County, Nebraska and was buried in Warsaw Cemetary, Howard County, Nebraska.)