Montran Monday
By Don Taylor
This week for Montran Monday[i], I decided to renew my subscription to Genealogy Bank. Genealogy Bank is one of the top three paid newspaper sources that I know about; I use them regularly. My search for “Montran” yielded three new entries since the last time I searched their system that were not about my grandmother.
This week’s first entry is from the Trenton Evening Times dated 19 July 1887, Page 1
Under “Police Pickings” was:
“William Montran, Patrick Conlon and James Connors were each fined $3 last night for disorderly conduct at the Clinton street railroad station.”
The second entry is from the Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) dated 30 January 1917, page 16:
Times-Picayune – 1/30/1917
TEN GROCERS FACE CHARGES.
Baton Rouge Scene of Arrests for Violations of Sunday Law.
“Baton Rouge, La. Jan. 20—Ten arrests for violation of the Sunday law were made yesterday by Officers Lejeune and Schoonmaker. The men were proprietors of small grocery stores and almost all of them were Italians. Those arrested were:
Nick Montran, Palmer and America Streets, Sam Dagestino…..”
The third entry is from the Sun (Baltimore, MD) dated 4 April 1920. Under “Marriage Licenses.”:
COLOGNE—MONTRAN. –JOHN T., 24, Philadelphia, Pa.; Ruth G., 22.
Things I learned
One – A William Montran was fined for disorderly conduct in Trenton, New Jersey in 1887.
My records have two William Montrans. The first one was born in Canada, about 1846. Yes, a 41-year-old Canadian could be in Trenton, New Jersey getting disorderly. However, there is nothing to link this incident to that William Montran.
My second William Montran was born in Kansas sometime before 1860. Again, there is nothing to link this William Montran to the individual fined for disorderly conduct in Trenton, New Jersey in 1887.
- I added a third William Montran to my records indicating the event.
Two – A Nick Montran, grocery store proprietor, was arrested for being open on Sunday.
My records have two Nick Montrans. The first one was born about 1882 in Romania. He had children born in Pennsylvania in 1916 and 1919, so it is unlikely he was a store proprietor in Baton Rouge, LA in 1917.
The second Nick Montran is the son of Nick Montran and was born in 1916. This can’t be the same Nick who was arrested.
- I added a third Nick Montran to my records indicating the event.
Three – Ruth G. Montran and John T. Cologne received a marriage license before 4 April 1920. John was 24, and Ruth was 22.
I had Ruth and John Marrying at ages 24 and 22, respectively, based on the 1930 Census[ii]. Ruth was born on 27 Nov 1897, so she would have been 22 on 27 Nov 1919. So, my records suggested the two were married between 27 Nov 1919 and 27 Nov 1920. Assuming that marriage licenses are reported weekly, I believe they received their license after 25 March 1920.
- I changed the marriage date of Ruth Montran and John Cologne to between 25 Mar 1920 and 27 Nov 1920. I added the marriage location as Maryland.
- I added an event, Marriage License, before 4 April 1920. Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, to my database.
————– Disclaimer ————–
Endnotes
[i] Montran Monday – My grandmother’s father was John Montran. She used the surname, as a young child and again when she began in show business. The name is uncommon, and most of the Montrans I see in the newspapers are my grandmother during her early vaudeville career. However, with the constant flow of newly digitized material, I often learn of new articles which contain the Montran name. I pay attention to the finding and try to determine a possible relationship of any Montrans to Donna’s father, John Montran.
[ii] 1930 Census (NARA), Ancestry.Com, 1930 – John T. Cologne – Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Year: 1930; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0496. Original data: the United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.
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This is fascinating. As you know, we know little to nothing about our great-grandfather, John Montran. Is one of the Williams perhaps a brother? My other comment is just, Wow. Being arrested for opening one’s store on a Sunday. Talk about separating church and state…
I remember back in 1967, they passed a “Sunday Closing” law in Minnesota. It was a legal battle between the downtown stores, who were closed on Sundays, and the discount stores in the suburbs, who wanted to be open 7 days a week. Zare’s Shoppers City and Target tested the law and remained open. They eventually won against the law in the Supreme Court.