My Family Tree

name: Duncan Mcarther
event: Baptism
event date: 15 Feb 1852
event place: , Prince Edward Island
father: Hugh Mcarther
mother: Susanna
"Prince Edward Island Baptism Card Index, 1721-1885," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KCXF-ZK4 : accessed 19 Feb 2013), Duncan Mcarther, 1852.

DUNCAN MACARTHUR was born 20 May 1851 in Lot 6, Prince County, PEI.

According to census forms, he may have gone to the States as early as 1875.

He married HENRIETTA AGNES GRIGG in 1877, back on Prince Edward Island.

Groom's Name Duncan McArthur
Groom's Residence Lot 7
Groom's Status Bachelor
Bride's Name Henrietta Greigg
Bride's Residence Lot 8
Bride's Status Spinster
Source RG19/s3/ss5: Marriage bonds, 1877

Henrietta was born February 1854 in New York, USA. Her family moved around, from PEI, to Quebec, to New York, then back to PEI.

Three of their children gave PEI as their birthplace (Wellington, Franklin and Loretta), but the two boys also said they were born in the United States. William Wellington said he was born in Calais, Maine. None of them were in the PEI Baptismal Index, and Blanch's was the only birth record I could find in Massachusetts.

In 1894, the family was sailing from Charlottetown to Boston - Duncan and Henrietta and the two girls, Blanch (3) and Loretta (0). Perhaps Loretta's age should have been 10 on the passenger list.

In 1900 the family was in Massachusetts. In the 1900 census, Duncan and Henrietta were living with their children Frank B. (b. Mass., October 1878), Wellington W. (b. Canada, September 1879), Loretta R. (b. Canada, August 1885), and Blanch S. (b. Mass., July 1891). They had been married for 23 years, and had had 4 children. Duncan said he had emigrated in 1880, and was working as a carpenter. Sons Frank and Wellington were book-keepers. Wellington and Loretta said they had emigrated to the States in 1886.

Duncan and Henrietta were not in the New York 1905 census, but were living there by 1910 with the two girls, Loretta and Blanche. The dates of birth are off by a year or two, - but Duncan was a carpenter and Henrietta's place of birth was New York. Loretta was an actress with a troup, and Blanche with a theatre. Duncan and Henrietta had been married for 30 years and had had 4 children, all living.

By that time, Frank and Wellington William were both married, and working as accountants or bookkeepers.

In 1920, Duncan was living with his son Frank. Although his status was married, Henrietta was not in the household. Blanch had married. In 1930, Duncan was living in Michigan with his daughter Blanch and her husband James Creighton. Perhaps the census taker misunderstood his situation, and recorded him as widower,

The death record for Duncan McArthur, with the same date and place of birth, said he died 17 August 1937 in Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan, USA, father Hugh and mother Susan Haight (Haight could be a misunderstanding, mixed up with Loretta's married name). Duncan's obituary might explain his separation from his wife. Blanch and Jimmy were vaudeville stars who toured across the states in the 1920s, sometimes with Duncan. Henrietta may have stayed in New York with daughter Loretta, who I have been unable to find in census records.

Most genealogies say:

Children of DUNCAN MACARTHUR and HENRIETTA GRIGG are:
218. i. FRANKLIN BENJAMIN MACARTHUR, b. 18 October 1873, Springfield, PEI; d. January 1923, Great Neck, Long Island, New York, USA. (Helen is a widow in the 1930 census) B. 1877, not 1873
ii. SARA BLANCHE ETTA MACARTHUR, b. 24 July 1891, Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA; m. (1) James CREIGHTON; m. (2) UNKNOWN HISCHEL. (after 1940)
iii. LORETTA AGNES MACARTHUR, b. 20 August 1884, PEI.
iv. WILLIAM WELLINGTON MACARTHUR, b. 18 September 1879, PEI; m. ANNA R. MADDERN, 22 February 1905, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

DUNCAN M'ARTHUR, 85, DIES OF HEART ATTACK Duncan MacArthur, 83. a resident of Battle Creek since he retired from the building business In the east 19 years ago. He came here to make his home with his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. James C. Crelghton proprietors of Ye Fiddle n' Bow. He died of a heart attack in his sleep sometime during the night. Previous to coming to Battle Creek Mr. and Mrs. MacArthur had lived on Long Island. When they came to Battle Creek Mr. and Mrs. Crelghton were still In vaudeville and Mr. MacArthur occasionally ac companied them in a brief trip "on the road." although he was never connected with the theatrical business himself. Mr. MacArthur was born May 20. 1852, on Prince Edward Island. Canada. Until the last year or two he had been In good health. Those who survive include the widow, Henrietta, the daughter, Mrs. Crelghton of 9100 Southwest Capital avenue, at whose home he died; a daughter, Mrs. Robert L Haight of New York City; a son Wellington MacArthur Johnstown. Pa.: five grandchildren, three brothers and one sister, all of whom live in the east. Funeral services will be conducted from Shaw's funeral borne at 3 p. m. Thursday by the Rev. Carleton Brooks Miller. Place of burial has not been decided. Battle Creek Enquirer August 17, 1937

Information on McArthur families came mainly from McArthur family trees on the Island Register and the Dyment genealogy of Roger Dyment and Connie Ladner. Some information has been checked against census, birth and marriage records where available.