William Edward McDonnell [3517]

  General Notes:

William McDonnell, Emma Beasley and Francess Beasley;
William McDonnell was born in 1848 in the United States. On November 25, 1879 he married Emma Beasley, eldest daughter of Robert Beasley. On August 30, 1880 they had a daughter Francess Ellen, however Emma died the next year on May 2, 1881. She was buried in Merlin Cemetery in her parent's plot. William soon married Emma's younger sister Francess. He was a Carpenter and a Farmer but could not support the family because he became sick. Francess had to work to feed the family so she gave Frances Ellen (her niece-step daughter) to Robert and Emily Beasley, the grandparents of the child. William died soon afterwards. His second wife Francess went on to outlive two more husbands (Smith, Reid) before the fourth outlived her (Gowmen).

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Carpenter & Farmer.

William married Emma Beasley [3519] [MRIN: 1075], daughter of Robert Beasley [3521] and Emily L. [3522], on 25 Nov 1879. (Emma Beasley [3519] was born in 1858,¹⁸ died on 2 May 1881 ¹⁶⁵ and was buried in Merlin Cemetery, Merlin, Kent, Ontario, Canada ¹.)

William next married Francess Beasley [3520] [MRIN: 1361], daughter of Robert Beasley [3521] and Emily L. [3522], after 1881. (Francess Beasley [3520] was born after 1858.)