My Family Tree

It has been proposed that this Neil is connected to the descendants of Hugh McArthur from Prince County, PEI. Neil would fit in the family of Malcolm and Ann - they had a gap between Ellen, b. 1822 and Duncan, b. 1831.

What is certain is that Neil McArthur, born PEI, married Margaret McDonald in Chatham in 1851. They were both from the Parish of Nelson, Northumberland, NB, and Margaret might have been the daughter of William and Mary McDonald. Witnesses were John and Eliza Jane Jackson. All of their children but the youngest, George, were born in New Brunswick.

In 1861, Cornelius and Margaret were living in Derby, Northumberland, NB with Ann, 9; William 7; Mary 4; Thomas, 2; and John M., infant. Neil was a Presbyterian, born PEI; Margaret and the children were Roman Catholic. Neil was a labourer.

By 1870, they were living in Wisconsin.

Title: McArthur - Naturalizations - Declaration
Case Type: Naturalizations - Declaration
Court: Circuit Court
Year: 11/7/1870
County: Winnebago
Container: Volume
Container Number: 7
Container Subset: No. 4826
Call Number: Winnebago Series 110

Name: Neil Mcarthur
Age in 1870: 45
Birth Year: abt 1825
Birthplace: Prince Edward Island
Home in 1870: Oshkosh Ward 1, Winnebago, Wisconsin
Neil Mcarthur 45
Margaret Mcarthur 39 (Margaret and the older children born NB)
Ann Mcarthur 18 - m. John McCormick
William Mcarthur 16
Mary Mcarthur 14
Thomas Mcarthur 12
John M Mcarthur 10
Robert A Mcarthur 5
George F Mcarthur 9/12 - born Wisconsin
Source Citation
Year: 1870; Census Place: Oshkosh Ward 1, Winnebago, Wisconsin; Roll: M593_1746; Page: 219A; Image: 300748; Family History Library Film: 553245 Source Information Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

In 1880, the family name was recorded as McCarthy, and Neil's place of birth was New Brunswick. Thomas, John, Robert and George were at home, in Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin.

Neil drowned while fishing in 1903. In a 1905 state census, Margaret was a widow living with her married daughter Anna.

Neil's obituary noted that he had been born on the Island, and that he left Canada when he was about 30 years old. He was survived by his wife, and 6 children: Mrs J. B. McCormick and Mrs Mary Schoonover of Oshkosh; Will of Trout Lake, Tom and Rob of Kempster, and John of this city.