My Family Tree

Margaret was born in Bideford, Lot 12, on the Island between 1817-1821, according to census records. Her father, from her obituary, was Malcolm McArthur. She was a sister of Effie McArthur Dyment.

She married John Gillies on April 1, 1841, in the Church of England in St. Eleanors. Witnesses were Hugh McArthur and Agnes Ellis. In the 1861 and the 1881 census, the family was Roman Catholic.

I was unable to find any children for this couple in the PEI Baptismal Index.

The family, in the 1861 census, had 1 boy and 2 girls under 5; 2 boys and 2 girls between 6-15, 1 boy between 16-21 and a married couple in the 21-45 age category. They were in Lot 13. All 10 members of the household were Roman Catholic, and all were born on the Island.

In the 1881 census, John (64) and Margaret (63) were living in a household with Elizabeth (32), Catherine (23), George (21), daughter Mary Cody (26), and Mary's two children - Lawrence and Catherine Cody. There was also an Alexander, age 12, who was too young to be a son of John and Margaret's. He could have been a grandson, or an adopted son.

John died in 1890. Margaret went to live with her daughter Ann, Mrs. James Yeo.

When she died on October 11 at the age of 90, her obituary listed the following surviving children: John in Elizabeth Port, N.H.; Alexander, Perth Amboy, (manager of the Ramsay Dry Dock); George in Tottenville, N.H.; Michel in Ellerslie; Mrs. Jas. Yeo, Harmony, Lot 13; Mrs. Mary Cody, New Haven; Catherine Ellen, Mrs. Ruben Chase, Hyannis, Mass.; Christy Ann, Mrs. Penrose Ellis, Port Hill.