My Family Tree

Martha Elvina, or Elvira, was the daughter of William Beer and Mary Ann Feavyour.

I'm not sure what to make of the census records for this family. Martha was baptized as Martha Elvina, and was Elvina, age 11, in the 1881 census but Martha in 1891.

Martha married William Daniel Murray in 1893 on the Island, and sometime between 1898 and 1900 they emigrated to the United States. They were in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1900, with their daughter Mildred, who was born on Prince Edward Island.

In the 1910 US census, William was a tea and coffee salesman. They were living in Quincy with their two children, Mildred and Oliver, both born in Canada. Martha said she had had 2 children, both living.

It looks like Martha returned to the Island for Oliver's birth, which could be why she changed her date of emigration to 1907 in the 1910 census.

The couple was living in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1918, when Martha's younger sister died; they were called Mr and Mrs Will Morrow in the obituary. William was a rubber worker, according to city directories. In the 1920 US census, William and Martha "Merry" were living with their son Oliver and married daughter Mildred Leeman in Franklin, Maine. William was working in a leather factory.

In 1924, when her parent's obituary appeared in the Guardian newspaper, Martha was said to be living in Framingham, Maine.

In 1930, William was still in the Leeman household with son Oliver, but in Stoneham, Massachusetts. His marital status was widowed. He was a sales manager for a rubber factory. I also found an Elvina Murray, age 60 and born in English Canada, living in lodgings in Somerville, Massachusetts. She was also widowed, and had entered the States in 1900. This Elvina had married at age 26 (1893), and had no occupation.

But in the 1940 US census, William, Martha and Oliver were together again in Stoneham, Massachusetts, on Pleasant Street. William was a farm hand, and Oliver was a salesman. They were renting, and had been in the same place 5 years earlier.

It was Martha who provided information on the family to the census taker in 1940. It seems unlikely - but not impossible - that William had found a second wife with the same name (Martha E.), age, and born in Canada.

In the 1940 US census, their son Oliver and his wife were living apart. She may have gone back to stay with her mother, perhaps because she was expecting a baby. Oliver may have been taking care of his elderly parents.

There was an Elvina (Beers) Murray who died in Milford, Mass. in 1948. This is the death record of Elvina Murray who was married to William D Murray; who was born in Prince Edward Island, Canada and whose parents were William Beers and Mary Fabor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

: perhaps Martha was away from home when the census taker came, and her husband was incorrectly marked down as a widower (1930), because she was back in 1940.