Don Taylor Genealogy

MacAulay, MacDonough, MacNeill, McCann & McCarthy

Photo Friday
Ethel Wight Collection
By Don Taylor

This week, 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 of 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.

Harold and Richard McCann (brothers), Circa 1934.

The envelope this negative was in says, “H. W. McCann, Loring Short & Harmon, #140   .”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Harold and Richard McCann (brothers), Circa 1934.

  The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Harold W and his wife Hazel McCann living at 103 Clinton. Harold was a credit manager at 474 Congress. Loring Short & Harmon was a bookseller and stationer at 474 Congress.

• The 1936 Deering High School (Portland, ME) yearbook shows Harold W McCann’s photo. It is clearly the same young man as in this photograph.
• The 1940 Census lists Harold W. & Hazel McCann living at 113 Glenwood. Living with them are Harold Jr., age 21, and Richard, age 19.

This photo, taken about 1934, includes Harold W McCann, Jr., and his brother Richard when the boys were about 15 and 13 years old.

Ancestry has 22 public trees that refer to Harold Webster McCann, born 17 Dec 1918. Family Search has a profile L6JX-PRP for Harold Webster McCann Jr (1918-2013). I have uploaded two photos of him and his brother to their Family Search Memories.

Richard Edman McCann is found in 12 Ancestry Public Trees. 

Evelyn MacNeill (Nurse), circa 1935

This negative envelope says, “Miss Evelyn MacNeill, Me. Eye & Ear Infirmary #580.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Evelyn MacNeill (Nurse), circa 1935

  The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Evelyn MacNeill as a student nurse at 79 Bramhall. (The Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary was located at 79 Bramhall.)

• The Ancestry copy of the 1936 Portland City Directory is missing the pages that would have MacNeill entries.
• The 1937 Portland City Directory does not have Evelyn MacNeil listed.
• The 1933 Deering High School Yearbook lists Evelyn L MacNeil as a Senior. Her photo in the yearbook could be of the same young woman.

Alternative Individuals

• The 1930 US Census lists Evelyn L MacNeill as the 14-year-old daughter of Ethel M. MacNeill, living in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
• The 1930 Census also lists 11-year-old Evelyn L MacNeill, the daughter of Clyde and
  Wilhemina MacNeill, living in Oak Bluffs, Dukes County, Massachusetts.

I am confident this is Evelyn L. MacNeil/MacNeill, a student nurse at the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary in 1935. She also likely attended Deering High School in 1933. However, I have been unable to connect Evelyn, the nurse, to her parents or a spouse.

I added a photo of her to Dead Fred and a second photo of her to my Flickr Photostream.

Susan MacAulay (Nurse) Circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Sue McCauley, Children’s Hospital #655.”

Why I couldn’t find this individual.

• 1934, 1935, and 1936 Portland City Directories list no “McCauley” (or similar name) in the Nurses section.

Likely match

Susan MacAulay (Nurse) Circa 1935.

The 1940 US Census lists a Susan MacAulay (or Macauley) as a 35-year-old Canadian-born nurse living and working in Westport, Fairfield County, Connecticut. In 1935 she resided in Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut. The 1930 US Census confirms her occupation as a Nurse.

In this photo, the nurse appears to be about 30 years old, which fits Nurse Susan MacAulay of Connecticut. So, I believe it may be her, but I am not certain about the identification.

I have added a photo of Susan MacAulay to Dead Fred. I also uploaded an additional image of Sue to my Flickr photostream. 

Daughter of Harry A & Margaret MacDonough, Circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, Mrs. H. A. MacDonough, 548 Stevens Ave #435 – DSCN4016P.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Daughter of Harry A & Margaret MacDonough, Circa 1935.

  The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Harry A (Margaret M) MacDonough as a salesman living at 548 Stevens.

• The 1929 Portland City Directory lists Harry A and Margaret B Macdonough living at 21 Rackleff.
• The 1931 Portland City Directory lists Harry A and Margaret M Macdonough living at 21 Rackleff
• The 1930 Portland City Directory indicates that Harry and Margaret’s neighbors at 21 Rackleff included:
  • Howard L Churchill, William T Sawyer, Mrs. Marion M Hunt, and Arthur C Frost.
  • Looking at Marion Hunt, I found Harry Mc Doughan, age 40, born in Maine, and his wife Margaret, age 32, born in Maine, living at 21 Rackleff. They had been married for two years.
• The 1938 Portland City Directory found Harry & Margaret Macdonough living at 30 State.
• The 1940 US Census lists Henry Mitchel as the head of household living at 21 Rackleff.

I have not found Henry and Margaret in any subsequent records. As such, I have not found the name of the little girl in this photo. I am confident her parents are Harry and Margaret Macdonough, who lived in Portland, Maine, from the 1920s until about 1938.

Philip & Robert McCarthy (Brothers) Circa 1937.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Phillip McCarthy, 282 Woodfords St #1101.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Philip & Robert McCarthy (Brothers) Circa 1937.

  The 1936 Portland city Directory lists Philip C and Alice P McCarthy living at 282 Woodford.

• The 1940 US Census lists 41-year-old Philip C McCarthy and his 43-year-old wife Alice living at 276 Woodford. With them are their two sons, Philip J and Robert J. Philip is ten and Robert is seven years old.
• Based upon the photo ID Number (#1101), the photo was taken about 1937. Philip would have been about seven and Robert about four. All were born in Maine

Robert J. McCarthy, son of Philip C. McCarthy and Alice P. Gray, was born on 2 May 1932 in Maine. He and his brother Philip are found in four Ancestry Public Trees.

Neither Robert, Philip, nor their parents appear to have profiles on Family Search, so I added their photo to Dead Fred.

Conclusion

• I fully identified two of the seven individuals as having Ancestry trees and Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories.This
• I identified four individuals that did not have a Family Search profiles so I posted their images to Dead Fred.
• There was one individual I failed to determine their first name. The only image I have of her is hereIf 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.

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.