Ethel Wight Collection – Part 86

MacWilliam, Maddocks, McMannis, & McNeill

Photo Friday
Ethel Wight Collection
By Don Taylor

For Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.

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Eula S. MacWilliam, circa 1934.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Eula McWilliam, 492 St. John St, #168.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1940 Portland City Directory list Eula S MacWilliam, a mail, living at 492 St. John. Also living at 492 St John are John F, Edna A, and Norman D. MacWilliam.
• Eula MacWilliam, daughter of John Franklin and Edna Amy (Ellis) MacWilliam, was born on 28 April 1913 in New Hampshire.

This photo is of Eula in 1934 when she was about 21.

Eula S. MacWilliam is found in 18 Ancestry public trees. Family Search has profile GM5H-NWS for Eula Sarah Mcwilliam. I  have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search Memories.

Confirmed to be Eula by a niece.

Edna MacWilliam (Née Ellis), circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. McWilliam, 492 St John St #176.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1940 Portland City Directory lists John F and Edna A MacWilliam living at 492 St. John.
• The 1940 US Census lists John and Edna Macwilliams living at 492 St. John Street. Edna was 46 years old.

This photo is of Edna Amy MacWilliam (née Ellis) in 1934 when she was about 40.

Edna Amy Ellis is found in 24 Ancestry public trees. Family Search has a profile for Edna Amy Ellis. I have uploaded two photos of Edna to profile ID LH89-TMB’s Family Search Memories. 

Confirmed to be Edna by a Granddaughter.

Theda Maddocks, Student Nurse, circa 1936.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Theda Maddocks, ME Gen Hospital #915.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Theda Maddocks as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal and residing at the same place.
• The 1934 Wilton Academy yearbook shows Theda Mae Maddocks. The photo of her there suggests this photo is of her a couple of years older.
• A review of Ancestry Public Trees suggests that this is Theda M Maddocks, daughter of Harry Anderson and Etta (Springer) Maddocks, born 21 Jul 1917.
• She married Herbert Alonzo Marble on 11 July 1937.

I’m sure this is a photo of Theda Mae Maddocks about 1936.

Ancestry has 17 public trees that refer to Theda M Maddocks. Family Search has profile GD6G-HX8 for Theda M Maddocks. I uploaded s photos of Theda to her Family Search Memories.

Evelyn McMannis, circa 1936.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Ethel McMannis, 14 Alder St, #1002.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1936 Portland City Directory lists J. Everett, and his wife Ethel G., McMannis living at 14 Alder.
• The 1940 US Census lists Joseph E and Ethel G McMannis living at 12-14 Alder, in Portland, Maine. Living with them is their eight-year-old daughter, Evelyn R McMannis.

I am confident this is Evelyn Regis McMannis, daughter of Joseph Everett and Ethel G (Millett) McMannis, born on 27 February 1932, about 1936, when she was about four years old.

Ancestry has four public trees that refer to Evelyn Regis McMannis. Family Search has profile GSKN-MQF for Evelyn Regis McMannis. I have uploaded a photo of Evelyn to her Family Search Memories.

Kathleen Marie McNeill, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. H McNeill, 21 Summer St (Mary McNeill) #690.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Herbert A and Delia A, McNeill living at 21 Summer.
• The 1940 US Census lists Herbert McNeal living at 21 Summer with his two sons and two daughters,15-year-old Kathleen and 11-year-old Mary.
• When this photo was taken, about 1935, Kathleen would have been about ten and Mary about six. The girl in the picture appears to be much older than six, so I believe this is likely Kathleen, although the envelope says “Mary McNeill” give me some doubt. Kathleen’s Christian name is Marie, so I believe this is a photo of Kathleen Marie McNeill about 1935 when she was about ten years old.

Ancestry has nine public trees that refer to Kathleen Marie McNeill. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for her. Because of that, I have uploaded a photo of Miss McNeill to Dead Fred.

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Conclusion

• • I identified all five of them. Four have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories
  • One individual did not have a Family Search profile, so I posted her image to Dead Fred.

If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.

Due to software limitations, the images uploaded to Family Search, Dead Fred, and Flickr have a higher image quality than the images linked here.

For all postings of the Ethel Wight Collection, please see here.

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Endnotes

[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.

[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.