As genealogists, we often find ourselves piecing together fragments to solve historical mysteries. For Marshall George Quinn, born Patriquin, the question of his birth date and place has sparked debate among his descendants.
Evidence strongly supports that he was probably born 21 April 1871, in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia.
I have searched the civil birth registrations available on the Nova Scotia Archives website for the relevant time and place, and have found no record of Marshall Patriquin’s birth, or that of any of his siblings. It is possible that the community his family belonged to were non-compliant with registration.1 I have also searched extensively through the Colchester County school papers available in the “Nova Scotia school papers, 1789-ca. 1959” collection on FamilySearch.org,2 with no mention of the Patriquins being found.
With no direct birth record yet found, different kinds of sources must be analyzed and corroborated.
Birth Year: 1871
The 1871 Canada Census:
Marshall is not enumerated with his family in their entry on the 1871 Census of Canada, even though it was dated between 24 and 26 April, 1871. This absence is expected, as the census instructions required that all answers reflect individuals’ statuses as of 02 April 1871. Since Marshall was likely born on 21 April 1871, he would not yet have been alive as of the reference date and was therefore not recorded.
1881 Canada Census:
Marshall is listed as 9 years old. Since this census was taken on 04 April 1881, he must have been born between 05 April 1871 and 04 April 1872. If his birth date was 21 April 1871, this fits perfectly.
1891 Canada Census:
Marshall is recorded as 20 years old. This census, taken on 06 April 1891, would place him born between 07 Apr 1870 and 06 April 1871. Because he was not enumerated with his family in 1871, but was in 1881, this still suggests the 21 April 1871 is correct.
Reconciliation:
The 1881 and 1891 censuses, taken closer to Marshall’s birth and likely reported to the census taker directly by one or both of his parents, are more reliable than later documents, which often contain inconsistencies influenced by personal or situational factors.
Specific Birth Date: 21 April
Despite discrepancies in the year across records, Marshall’s birth day and month—21 April—are consistent in key documents, including his WWI Draft Card, his Naturalization paperwork, and death certificate. His reported age in the 1881 Census aligns perfectly with this date, further strengthening its credibility.
Birthplace: Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
Self Reported:
Marshall himself reported his birthplace as Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia on his Naturalization papers.
Family Residence:
The 1871, 1881, and 1891 Canada Censuses places Marshall’s parents, David Patriquin and Elizabeth McIntyre, in Tatamagouche with their children.
Addressing Conflicting Evidence:
Later records introduce errors, such as the claim that Marshall was born in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, on his marriage record, or simply in Massachusetts in the 1900 U.S. Census. These inaccuracies likely stem from his adaptation to a new sociocultural context or misinformation provided by others. Notably, Marshall’s reported age became consistent starting with his marriage to Flora Pearl Sabean in 1907. He may have adjusted his age to minimize the age difference between himself and his wife.
Further Research
This is still labeled a theory, as the first criterion of the Genealogical Proof Standard—reasonably exhaustive research—has not been fully satisfied. There is one final avenue to pursue, which would likely involve hiring a researcher at the Nova Scotia Archives to examine church records available only on microfilm, and the scope of my current research block is more limited than what would be ideal.
Census records reveal the family of David Patriquin and Elizabeth McIntyre consistently reported their religion as Methodist. Most of the records for Methodist churches proximal to Tatamagouche are not yet available online. Particularly of interest would be any Methodist church records from Tatamagouche, however it is entirely possible that they belonged to a neighboring congregation. Investigating church records might yield a baptism record for Marshall, which could prove his date of birth.
Of particular interest would be the “Sharon Presbyterian (United) Church (United Church of Canada) — Tatamagouche, Colchester County” microfilm collection at the Nova Scotia Archives, which contains 5 reels (nos. 11928, 11929, 11927, 11926, 11930). According to the description at the archives website, this collection contains Methodist and United baptisms from 1855-1956.3
Conclusion
The combined weight of early, parent-reported census data, consistent geographic evidence, and the contextual absence from the 1871 Census due to timing establishes 21 April 1871 as Marshall Quinn’s birth date and Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, as his birthplace.
What’s your take? Have you encountered similar puzzles in your genealogical research?
- “Nova Scotia Births, Marriages, and Deaths,” database with images, Nova Scotia Archives (https://archives.novascotia.ca/vital-statistics/). Civil birth registration lasted from 1864 to 1877, and was not mandatory again until 1908. Compliance was inconsistent during this period, leading to gaps in the extant records. ↩︎
- “Nova Scotia school papers, 1789-ca. 1959,” database with images, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1022101). This include an image by image search of the film entitled “Colchester County school papers, v. 7-8, file folders 15-32, 1832-1849; v. 9, file folders 1-19, 1850-1959.” ↩︎
- See “Church Records at Nova Scotia Archives,” resource at the Nova Scotia Archives website (https://archives.novascotia.ca/churches/research/?Search=&Start=76). ↩︎
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