The Third Generation

   On July 2, 1850 at Chapeau, Canada East, James McCool married Catherine Murphy. The church ceremony was held at the Church of St. Alphonsus in Chapeau because the church in Sheenboro was not built until 1872 and Chapeau was the closest place with a Catholic church. Catherine Murphy was born on June 30, 1831 in Drummond Township, Upper Canada, which is near Perth, Ontario. She died on December 7, 1866 in Fort William and is buried in the family plot in Sheenboro. James and Catherine had 8 children, all of whom were baptized in Chapeau except the second child, Charles, who was baptized at St. Columbkille’s in Pembroke. Five of the children: Michael, Thomas E., Alex C., John Patrick and Christy never married and all, except Christy, died at a relatively young age. Both Alex and Christy drowned. In the latter case, the body was never found which created legal problems for years to come because he was one of the main beneficiaries of his father’s estate. The three other children had families of their own which are detailed in following pages.