Charles Ellson wrote: > On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:30:49 -0500, Jane Benn > <nospamplease99@rogers.com> wrote: >>On Sat, 15 Dec 2007 18:57:48 -0800 (PST), thebushmanswife@cpws.net >>wrote: >> >>>John Fox of Cobourg, Ontaqrio, Canada. Husband of Ellan Christina >>>Farry. The Canadian cencus records show him as head of house in 1901 >>>but in 1911 the cencus shows his wife Ellan as head of house. Is their >>>any way to find out how he died? Thank you. Dee >> >>You might try the cemetery records. They may not have that >>information, but it can't hurt to ask. >> >>Cobourg is in Hamilton township, Northumberland county. >> >>http://www.islandnet.com/cgi-bin/ms2/jveinot/search > > Unless there is a specific description of "widow" in a census it isn't > always safe to assume that the husband is deceased, he might only have > been absent from the household at the time of the census. Even if it does say "widow" the husband may have been alive, because "widow", in addition to its meaning today, also meant separated or abandoned. -- Thomas M. Sommers -- tms@nj.net -- AB2SB

T.M. Sommers wrote: > Even if it does say "widow" the husband may have been alive, > because "widow", in addition to its meaning today, also meant > separated or abandoned. I have a couple just like that, living a few farms apart, each listed as widowed. William Taylor b. 15 Jan 1850 and Caroline Evaline Sharp b. 23 Dec 1852 are the ones, in the 1920 census, roll 632. -- Dec. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Government officials and activists flying to Bali, Indonesia, for the United Nations meeting on climate change will cause as much pollution as 20,000 cars in a year.