Database issue solved?

I'm happy to announce, albeit to myself, that I might have found a solution to managing all the image and document files I have for both the MacKinnon genealogy but also the Tenney genealogy.

A recent blog post at SavageMinds discussing various methods for collecting field notes included a comment on Filemaker Pro. I realized that I have Filemaker from years ago so I found it and launched it. Turns out it is version 6 (current is v.9) but after tinkering around with the GUI a bit, I created a simple database for the genealogy image and document files. I combined the MacKinnon and Tenney files into one master database structure.

Filemaker allows me to reference multiple people to a file - or more so, to a photo - in a simple way. This is a problem I have been having for several years, so as you would imagine, I'm excited at the prospect.

The only downside is that v.6 does not have the ability to open a linked file. Currently files linked provide a thumbnail (which is great for the photos) but I had to create a field for file name for reference if the original file is needed. I suspect that newer versions might have this open linked file capability.

Now the laborious task of entering the, +400 easily, files and relationships into the database.

Duncan Sterling MacKinnon

Duncan Sterling MacKinnon

Duncan Sterling MacKinnon is my great-grandfather and my namesake. He was born on June 25, 1892 as recorded in the birth certificate (pdf), although the certificate simply lists him as "male". He was born in Moncton, New Brunswick as the first child of Archibald MacKinnon and Christina McMillan. He had two siblings, Mary Mabel MacKinnon and Archibald "Arch" Clifford MacKinnon.

Little is known about Duncan Sterling aside from the two pictures shown in this post. In the picture to the left, he is kneeling, third from the right and is wearing a band that says "MARRIED GENTS". Several others have the same band around their waist but I have no idea the cause for the gathering. The the photo of him wearing his military kilt outfit has labled on the back "236th Bn Maclean Highlanders" and a ring can clearly be seen on the ring finger.

Duncan Sterling married Edith Maud Crowley on September 19, 1912 in St. John, New Brunswick. They had four children, William "Bill", Jean, Archibald Hilton and Edith Elizabeth until Edith Maud Crowley died at the early age of 24 in 1918. Presumably, the cause of death is related to the last child birth (Edith Elizabeth) as this last child is listed as being born in January 1917. I am still lacking a death certificate for Edith Maud or a birth certificate for Edith Elizabeth. These two documents would probably provide validity to my presumptions.

One year later in 1919 Duncan Sterling and Helen Gertrude O'Neil marry in St. John, New Brunswick and take a steamer to Boston the next day where they reside. Around this time, his brother Archibald "Arch" Clifford MacKinnon is presumed to already be in Boston. The four children from the first marriage are thought to have come with Duncan and Helen given that the first son, William Duncan shares a stone with his step-mother, Helen O'Neil at the St. Mary's Cemetery in Peabody, Massachusetts. However, word of mouth has it that Jean MacKinnon stayed (or maybe moved back) to Canada.

Duncan Sterling and Helen Gertrude had five children while living in the Boston area, Joan E., Thomas Robert, John "Jack" Duncan, Francis "Frank" O'Neil and James "Jim" Sterling (my grandfather). It is currently unknown why the first set of children from Edith Maud Crowley maintained the MacKinnon spelling whereas the second set of five children from Helen O"Neil all spell the last name McKinnon. This spelling difference is maintained through the subsequent generations.

Helen O'Neil died four years after birth of her last child, James Sterling McKinnon in 1930. After that time, it has been mentioned that Duncan Sterling marred the house maid, Ruth Fellows from Maine and lived together until their deaths. No records (aside from the mention of Ruth Fellows as the mother of Thomas Robert McKinnon in a Social Security card application - which is not true, but curious as to why it would be listed as such) exist to demonstrate this third marrage.

Duncan Sterling McKinnon died sometime in 1942 at the age of 50. He is interred in Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts.

Lieut. Archibald "Arch" Clifford MacKinnon

Archibald Clifford MacKinnon


It is fitting that "Uncle Arch" be the first biographical post. After all, it is his research that I was given as a child and continue to build upon today. I was introduced to him once at a family reunion in the early eighties before he died. I don't remember much of him besides that visit, although I'm sure he made other appearances at family events before we moved away from the New England area.

The following is a transcript (and available here in pdf) of the letter to my father that contained his inspired research:

"July 6, 1977
Dear Wayne:
Received your letter today. Have collected the material on the genealogy project that I have prepared and you should have it in a couple of days. There are a lot of missing links and a lot more of info to gather before I can complete the puzzle. But will keep you in mind as I get more of it completed.
You will note by the pattern I am using that it is a little unorthodox preparation by comparison with other genealogies I have seen - but if you read the heading on "A" sheet you will get the pattern. I have gone thru four generations on the McMillan side-my grandfather. Thru my children - four generations. A complete job would be to do this with each name but I think I will go only with the 4 generations on the MacKinnon side and then pass the project to each who desire it to complete what they feel they want. As I get the key names and dates on the MacKinnon side I will forward to you as I complete and I am sure you will do a good job.
The death and funeral stories enclosed are excerpts from the Moncton papers who printed them at the time of happening. I send them along merely as information and to give you an idea of the research necessary to get information.
Archie was my father, John and Peter were uncles. There were four others - Mary Jane Euphemia Malcolm and Florence. They are all deceased. Which I am still searching for records - Florence in Vancouver and Malcolm somewhere around Boston.
Be sure and send me your address no matter where you go so I can contact you when info worth while shows up. Meanwhile happy days to Carolyn, Heather, Duncan and yourself when you get to Pa.
Sincerely, Uncle Arch"


Uncle Arch was born on September 28, 1896 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Throughout the last four years of the 19th century and for the first 14 years of the 20th century he moved around with his family (parents: John MacKinnon & Christina McMillan & Siblings Duncan Sterling MacKinnon & Mary Mabel MacKinnon) in New Brunswick until enlisting in the Canadian Army.

He enlists in the Canadian Army just a couple days after Britain declares war on Germany in 1914 to fight in what would become World War I. He served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 18th Battalion; Reg. No. 23554--Army (1dmim001.pdf, 9.1MB).

After fighting in the trenches in France and becoming a pilot in the Royal Air Force, he finished his duty in 1919 (5 years of wartime service!). After 1919, a period of unknown residence exists until he shows up in Somerville, Massachusetts and marries Josephine "Josie" Mary Young on October 17, 1923. Currently, I have not located the reasons for moving from New Brunswick to Massachusetts after the war. Archibald and Josie had two children, George and Malcom both born in Massachusetts.

Once in the United States, he became involved in the printing business around Boston and the suburbs. In his obituary from the Boston Globe dated May 25, 1985 descriptions his employment history as a typographer exist as well as his military service during WWI. An obituary from the Boston Typographical Union Bulletin has similar allocates.

It is currently unknown where Archibald C. MacKinnon is buried. However, speculation would have him buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Dedham with wife, Josephine M Young.

Something new?

Ok, so I seem to be somewhat free of time at the moment and, as a result, I have been reorganizing my digital existence at bit. I've decided to implement this blog into the MacKinnon genealogy page as a tool that might make my researching (when I don't have time) a little easier. Plus, I think I have finally found a way to make photo and document management not so much of a daunting task (we'll see).

This blog will be set up so that other researchers of this specific genealogy ancestry can register and collaborate easier. I will continue to keep the guestbook so that people can make general posts about other lines and potential connections to descendants in this genealogy ancestry line.

Additionally, I hope to periodically make biography posts about individuals that I might have enough information to facilitate such a post. Links to photos (if available) will also be something I intend to associated with the biography posts. I hope that other registered members of this blog will do the same.

Lastly, I hope to have many of the photos and documents that I have scanned in my collection available online and tied in with this blog. Please note that I will continue to hold back the full genealogy database and make that available by request only. This is out of respect and privacy to living individuals that are a part of the family tree. A general family tree with names is available on the MacKinnon genealogy site.

Looking forward to organizing this work that I haven't touched in four years!