Mary Ellen MCDONNELL
1884 - 1914 (29 years)-
Name Mary Ellen MCDONNELL Birth 16 Sep 1884 Rama Twp., Ontario Co. North, Ontario [1] Gender Female Death 17 Mar 1914 Brechin, Ontario, Canada [2] - Mary Ellen perished in the Brechin Hotel fire:
About 1:30 am, on March 17, 1914, Charles McNarney, a bartender of the Brechin Hotel was awaken by smoke , and he gave alarm to the fifteen people in the hotel. By that time the whole basement of the hotel had been burnt away. Some made their escape through windows, and some by a back stair. Their rescue was effected by Victor Adair, Charles McNarney and Patrick McLean, boarders in the hotel.
The Orillia Times newspaper account of the fire tells of three maids sleeping in a room on the third floor, Miss Maggie McNarney, Miss Etta Crosby and Miss Josie Callaghan. The former two jumped from the window and were more or less injured by the fall. Miss Callaghan seemed to lack the nerve to follow their example, and while she hesitated it is supposed she was overcome by smoke and fell back into the burning building. The McCauley family attempted their escape by the back stairs. Mrs. Mary Ellen McCauley (nee McDonnell) was carried out of the building, but had died from suffocation. It was several hours later that the injured Mr. Thomas McCauley regained consciousness, to learn of the death of his wife, and two of his children, John William, age 5, and a 10 month old infant son, Dennis Thomas. Two other children did survive, a son, Patrick Michael, age 7 and a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, age 2.
An inquest into the four deaths in the burning of the Brechin Hotel was held, the jury brought in a verdict of accidental death, for which blame was attached to no person. The Orillia Times declared it was One of the most shocking causalities ever recorded in this district.
a copy of the Orillia Times article, dated 19 March 1914, appears on page 360 of the book...they came to mara...
Burial St. Andrew\'s Cemetery, Brechin, Mara Twp Person ID I281 MOFFATTS of MARA Last Modified 16 Feb 2019
Father Michael MCDONNELL, b. 10 Mar 1856, Highland Creek, Scarborough Twp., York Co. Ontario d. 12 Dec 1946, Toronto, York Co. Ont. (Age 90 years) Mother Margaret Ann MOFFATT, b. 24 Dec 1866, Mara, Ontario, Canada d. 27 Jun 1957, Toronto, York Co, Ontario (Age 90 years) Marriage 20 Nov 1883 St. Columbkille's Ch, Uptergrove, Mara Twp. Ontario Co. Ont [3, 4] Family ID F12 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Thomas MCCAULEY, b. Aug 1875, England Marriage 15 Jan 1906 St Columbkilles, Uptergrove, Mara Twp. Ontario County, [5, 6] Children 1. Patrick Michael MCCAULEY 2. John William MCCAULEY, b. 28 Aug 1908, Brechin, Mara Twp. Ontario Co, ONT d. 17 Mar 1914, Brechin, Ontario, Canada (Age 5 years) 3. Mary Elizabeth MCCAULEY, b. 07 Aug 1911, Brechin, Ontario, Canada d. 18 Apr 2000, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada (Age 88 years) 4. Dennis Thomas Francis MCCAULEY, b. 26 May 1913, Brechin, Mara Twp. Ontario Co, ONT d. 17 Mar 1914, Brechin, Ontario, Canada (Age 0 years) Family ID F220 Group Sheet | Family Chart
- Mary Ellen perished in the Brechin Hotel fire:
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Notes - Shocking Fatality at Burning of McCauley’s Hotel, Brechin
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The Orillia Times
March 19, 1914
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One of the most shocking causalities ever recorded in this district occurred at Brechin early Tuesday morning, by which four persons lost their lives. The victims are: Mrs. Thomas McCauley, her two children, John and Dennis, one six years of age, and the other an infant under a year, and Miss Josie Callaghan, a maid in the hotel.
The hotel burned is the Brechin House, and was owned and occupied by Thomas McCauley. The fire originated in the basement about 1:30 o’clock, and was caused by a defective furnace. Charles McInarney, the bar tender, was awaked by the smoke, and gave the alarm. The building was then rapidly burning, and the occupants had to make a hasty exit, some having to jump from the windows. Three maids were sleeping in a room on the third floor, Miss Maggie McInarney, Miss Etta Crosby, and Miss Josie Callaghan. The two former jumped form the window and were more or less injured by the fall. Miss Callaghan seemed to lack the nerve to follow their example, and while she hesitated it is supposed she was overcome by smoke and fell back into the burning building. Mrs. McCauley was carried out of the building but had died from suffocation. Her two eldest children were rescued, one a lad of eight, and his sister a year younger.
The rescue was effected by Victor Adair, Chas. McInarney and Patrick McLean, boarders in the house. Mr. McCauley was seriously injured, and it was several hours before he recovered consciousness, and learned of the death of his wife and two children.
The fire spread across the street and burned to the ground the office and residence of Dr. Gilpin. A bucket brigade did heroic service in preventing other properties from falling a prey to the flames.
The three members of the McCauley family who perished will be buried all at one time on Thursday morning. Miss Callaghan was buried yesterday.
Coroner Grant, of Beaverton, opened an inquest Tuesday afternoon into the death of Mrs. McCauley, and adjourned it until March 25, when the fire wil be thoroughly investigated.
The loss to the hotel is $10,000, half covered by insurance. Dr. Gilpin’s loss to house and contents is $5,000, fully covered by insurance.
- Shocking Fatality at Burning of McCauley’s Hotel, Brechin
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Sources - [S15] Baptism record, St. Columbkille's Ch. Uptergrove, LDS film 1305889, item 32A, P.33 source G. McPeak.
Mary Ellen McDonnell, born Rama 16 Sept. '84, baptized 21 Sept. '84 dau. of Michael McDonnell, born Canada & Margaret Moffatt, born Canada by P. Rey - [S14] Ontario, Archive records- Death, MS 935-200.
Brechin, Ontario Co. Mara Twp. Mary Ellen McCauley sic (McCowley) died March 17, 1914, of suffocation by smoke,: husband, Thomas McCauley, sic (McCowley) daug. of Michael McDonald sic (McDonnell) & Margaret Moffatt - [S61] Church Marrige record, St. Columkille's Uptergrove, Mara Twp, LDS film # 1305889, item # 2b, p.20 source G McPeak.
on the 20th Nov. 1883, were married Michael McDonnell, age 27, of Rama, s/o William McDonnell & Mary Hay, and Ann Moffat, age 17, of Mara: dau. of the late Jeremiah Moffat, and Mary Kelly: witness John Tahany, Bridget Moffat, by P. Rey, pastor. - [S27] archives of Ont. --marriages, MS932_44, # 008995.
Michael McDonald (sic) 27 years, of Rama, born Canada, farmer, son of Wm. McDonnell (sic) and May Hay, married Nov. 20. 1883, to Margaret Moffatt, 17, of Mara, daug. of Jerimiah Moffatt & Mary Kelly, witness John Tahany Rama, Bridget Moffatt, Mara, in Uptergrove by Rev. P. Rey - [S27] archives of Ont. --marriages, MS932_123, Mara twp. Ontrio Co.
Mary Ellen McDonnell, 21, of Rama Twp. Housemaid, daug. of Mic'l McDonnell & Margaret Ann Moffatt, married Thomas McAuley, 30, of Brechin, born Tipperary Ireland, Bar Tender, son of Patrick Mc Auley & Mary Ann Malone. - [S259] Ontario, Canada Births, 1869-1911, MS 929-220, 036451.
Mary Elizabeth McCawley-- b. 7 Aug 1911-- daug. of Thomas McCawley & Mary Ellen McDonnell
- [S15] Baptism record, St. Columbkille's Ch. Uptergrove, LDS film 1305889, item 32A, P.33 source G. McPeak.