Goodwin O'Grady (1893-1938); husband of Clara Belle (Dodge) Morgan

You never know where genealogy research will take you. In the 1931 Canada Census, I found that Clara Belle (Dodge) Morgan had remarried and was wedded to Goodwin O'Grady. Upon finding that Clara had remarried, I had a lot of questions, including: 'Who is Goodwin O'Grady?' 'When did they get married?' and 'Why did Clara retain her married name of Morgan instead of O'Grady in all the records I had already found for her post 1940?' In finding and researching Goodwin O'Grady, a door has been unlocked and an entire life discovered...as well as finding more pieces of the genealogical puzzle I didn't know were missing.

Who is Goodwin O'Grady? Goodwin O'Grady was born on July 20, 1893 in the District of Goleen, the Union of Skull, in County Cork, Ireland. He was the son of Carew O'Grady (1850-1919) & Mary Hingston (1862-1897). Below is his birth registration from 1893. He is on line #32.

1893 Birth Registration

In the 1901 and 1911 Census of Ireland, Goodwin is listed with his father. Each census record is recorded by family and attested to by the head of household. Below is the 1911 Census of Ireland, listing Goodwin and his father. There is no difference between the 1901 and 1911 Ireland Census form, other than the date of the Census.

1911 Ireland Census

On April 3, 1914, Goodwin boarded the ship S/S Ascania from Queenstown, Ireland to Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving there on April 14, 1914. His arrival was actually recorded by United States Immigration, which had the responsibility to record alien arrivals from Europe who came through Nova Scotia. His entry information indicates that he is going to Winter, Saskatchewan. His brothers, Thomas & James O'Grady, had already immigrated to Canada. Below is the ship manifest and an extract of his entry into Canada via the United States. 

Ship Manifest for the S/S Ascania. He is the last entry on the manifest.

Manifest - Entry into Canada as recorded by the United States

It is important to note two things here. First, as Canada and Ireland were both part of the British Empire, no action was needed for him to obtain Canadian Citizenship, as he was already a subject of the British Crown. Second, his immigration to Canada was only a few months before Great Britain's entry into World War I, which would cost the lives some 49,000 Irishmen. Had he remained in Ireland, he very likely would have gone to war, with the real possibility of not coming out of that conflict alive.

Following his entry into Canada, he made his way to Winter, Saskatchewan, where he applied for a homestead in June 25, 1914. He obtained his first homestead patent in 1918. He later applied for, and obtained, a second homestead, which patent was issued in 1922. By this time, he homestead a total of 280 acres. During this time, Canada had conducted Census enumerations in 1916, 1921 & 1926. Goodwin is listed at Township 42, Range 25, West of the 3rd Meridian in both the 1916 & 1926 Census of the Canadian Prairies but is not found in the 1921 Canada Census.

When did they get married? In 1929, Goodwin married Mrs. Clara Belle Morgan. Clara had been separated from her first husband, William John Morgan, since 1923, following foreclosure of his homestead the year before. It was presumed that he had abandoned her and that his whereabouts were unknown. Clara & Goodwin are listed together in the 1931 Canada Census at Goodwin's homestead located at Township 42, Range 25, West of the 3rd Meridian. Also listed are Clara's daughter, Mary, son-in-law Clarence McNab, and grandson Wilbert McNab.

'Why did Clara retain her married name of Morgan instead of O'Grady in all the records I had already found for her post 1940?' Their marriage was short-lived. In 1935, it was found out that Clara's first husband was still alive and possibly living in Ontario. In searching through the available court records that are found on Family Search for the courts in Battleford and Wilkie, Clara never filed for divorce from her first husband. Goodwin filed for an annulment, which was granted on March 19, 1935. Below is a newspaper article which I found today documenting their marriage and annulment. 

Saskatoon Star-Phoenix: March 22, 1935

Goodwin O'Grady did not live long following his annulment. According to the book Blended Heritage, published by The Blended Heritage History Committee, Unity, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1978, Goodwin met 'his untimely death on March 22nd, 1938. He was bucked off a bronc onto the frozen ground.' He is buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Neilburg, Saskatchewan.

I am in the process of obtaining additional records for Goodwin O'Grady, including the marriage and annulment records for Goodwin & Clara, as well as the death record for Goodwin. I will share these additional records once I receive them.