Christina Spence Killen(1881-?) Annabella Orr(Annie) Findleton nee Killen 1882-1966, Born in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland

by Graeme Bennett
(Auckland, New Zealand)

SS Pretorian passenger list with Killen Girls  Oct. 1908

SS Pretorian passenger list with Killen Girls Oct. 1908

I am trying to trace two sisters who travelled to Montreal in 1908.
Christina has proved the most elusive, and for Annie, it is her marriage and details of her daughter Jean that I am looking for.

Christina Spence Killen,
Born 09 May 1881 in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland.
Travelled with her sister Annabella Orr (Annie) and arriving in Quebec in 1908.
1911 Census sees her working in the same household as her sister (Annie) as a Cook in Montreal
After this I can’t find any record of her.. marrying, dying or travelling out of Quebec/Canada


Annabella Orr Killen(Annie) born 27 Dec 1882 in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland
Travelled with her sister in 1908, arriving in Quebec
1911 Census sees her working as a maid in the same household as her sister in Montreal.
? if she married John Young Findleton between 1911 and 1914 (his second marriage) He gives Ann as the name of his wife on his military record and various addresses.
She had the following children:
? Margaret/Margarite born 08 Feb 1913, died 01 Mar 1913
Gladys Orr Findleton on 18 Feb 1914-went on to marry James Edwin Reid in 1938 and died on 10 Jan 2001 in Toronto.
Jean Findleton born 1923 in Montreal, died 14 Aug 2006, London, Ontario. Jean married Robert Sangster in about 1944 in Montreal Quebec and ? moved to Ontario sometime.

Comments for Christina Spence Killen(1881-?) Annabella Orr(Annie) Findleton nee Killen 1882-1966, Born in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Feb 25, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Annabella Orr Findleton nee Killen and Christina Spence Killen
by: Anonymous

Dear Iain,
Hiya there, thanks for your message, sorry I can't give you my email address here. as it says above no ...... please..
So I don't know if you might be able to give me your email, or else my work email is
graemeb@adhb.govt.nz
though there seem to be some restrictions on getting external emails on it.. hopefully yours will come through ok.
Interesting about Annie Findleton.. I even searched for her sister in the same cemetery.. going through all the "Christina's going from A-Z, but had no joy... an elusive ancestor.
Cheers
Graeme

Feb 25, 2019
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Christina Killen
by: Iain Findleton

The only trace I have so far of Christina is the entry in the 1911 census. It appears that Annabella became involved with John Young Findleton probably in 1911 or early 1912. John had 2 small children to take care of and his wife had left him for the US in 1911. By June 1912 Annabella was pregnant with a child by John, so I suspect she was living with John by then, and Christina was left to go off on her own or left for a different life. Do you know where they were working in 1911?
BTW, I am easy to find on the internet if you want to email me.

Dec 14, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Annabella Orr Findleton nee Killen- Parents
by: Graeme Bennett

Dear Iain,
Hiya there, I have the information on Annabella Orr Killen on my family tree on Ancestry.. her parents were "Charles Killen (1839-1890) and Margaret McMillan (1846-1921). She had 11 siblings, one of whom went to Canada with her in 1908 (Christina Spence Killen (1881-?) I have never been able to find out what happened to Christina after the 1911 Census when her and Annabella were working in the same household.
Hope this is helpful.
Cheers
Graeme

Dec 11, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Parents of Annabella
by: Iain Findleton

Anybody have information about the parents of Annabella? If so, I would appreciate the details of her family tree as is known.

Oct 30, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Descent of Annabela Killen
by: Iain Findleton

While attending Trent University in Peterboro Ontario my son David encountered a fellow student Named Michel Horn, at least partly a native indian (aboriginal, whatever). He claimed to have had a grandmother named Findleton. My thought is that this must be a descendant of either Gladys or Jean, but so far there has been no contact with Horn to check into this information.

Aug 19, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Marguerite Findalton
by: Graeme Bennett

Dear Iain, Hi there, thanks very much for your comments, much appreciated. I included Marguerite as the daughter to John and Annabella, rightly or wrongly. On the burial record it shows those present at the burial were John Findleton and Mrs Findleton. I didn't know who to assume was the mother, Mary Ellen Mayer or Annabella Orr Killen, so I opted for Annabella..
Also another point of pondering is the 1921 Census for the family, it shows that "Mary" is listed rather than Annabella, I wander if for proprietary - ?not being married- for official reasons they used Mary as Annabella's name at certain times.. On that front I have never been able to find a death for Mary Ellen Mayer, theoretically she should have died between 1911(Birth of Walter)-1914 (Birth of Gladys). They also may have just separated which could account for no marriage??
If you have any more information about the family I would be grateful for any information you have on what happened to them. Jean and her husband are especially elusive
Best Wishes
Graeme Bennett

Aug 19, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Some information is not clear
by: Iain Findleton

Margeurite Findleton was listed as the child of John Young Findleton and Mary Ellen Mayer. At the registration, Annabella was not indicated as the wife of John. Later, with the birth of Gladys, Annabella is listed as the mother. There is no record of a marriage between Annabella and John, but they lived as man an wife from sometime in 1913 (After the death of Margeurite in March) until the death of John in 1937.

Feb 24, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Findagrave
by: Deborah

Findagrave.com

Mrs Annabella Orr Killen Findleton
Birth: Dec. 27, 1882
Campbeltown
Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Death: Jun. 29, 1966
Montreal
Montreal Region
Quebec, Canada

Burial:
Urgel Bourgie Memorial Gardens
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Created by: Mary Reid
Record added: Mar 05, 2011
Find A Grave Memorial# 66515415

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Your Stories about Immigrants from Britain.