In search of my McCreary-Magee-McGee Codd/Code Ancestors
in Lanark County, Ontario, Canada
SURNAMES: BENSON CHARTER DAWS DEZELL HORRICKS DUNFIELD LOWE MAGEE MACFARLANE McGEE McGHEE MITCHELL PENNY
Mitchell-Magee Page
This page was constructed with the help of Barbara Mitchell. Itlists the descendants of Margaret Magee who married William Mitchell and the family of John Magee and Nancy Dunfield who took in William John Mitchell after his parents died shortly before and shortly after his birth in the mid 1860's.
In 1863, Margaret Magee, 26, of Ramsay married William Mitchell, 28, born in Ireland, residing in Drummond Twp. (Ontario) son of Robert and Jane Mitchell. Marriage solomzed by Rev. Robert Garry, Minister of Canadian Wesleyan New Connection, Almonte, Ontario.
William Mitchell (1838-1865) died before his son, William John Mitchell ( was born and Margaret McGee Mitchell (1837-1866) died a few months after he was born - leaving Elizabeth and William John orphans. William John was taken in by John McGee (brother of Margaret McGee Mitchell) and his wife, Nancy Dunfield Magee, to be raised and loved along with their own large family until he was 11 years old. Elizabeth was taken in by another relative and was reunited with her brother when they were in their early 2oís, eventually marrying a brother and sister in the United States (see details below).
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Margaret and Johnís younger sister, Elizabeth ìElizaî Magee married George MacFarlane (see picture) and their other sisters Ann Jane married Thomas Horricks and Mary Magee (b. 1844) married William Benson and later lived on a farm near Palmerston. Alice Magee (b. 1835) married John Lowe Magee, and Sarah Magee married R. Dezell.
Photo courtesy: sheila.horricks@lmco.com
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Some time before 1880, John (1839-1901) and Nancy (1846-1933) McGee moved from Lanark County, Ontario to Scone, in Bruce Co., Ontario (approximately 300 miles away) and later to Chesley. It is unknown why they made the move, but many Lanark families had moved or were moving to western Ontario at this time. John was a weaver by trade. The move may have had something to do with finding employment.
The following is excerpted from a 1954 letter from Emma McGee, daughter of John and Nancy McGee:
"His (Johnís) father died 3 months before he was born and his mother died when he was 9 months old. So my mother, Nancy McGee, took him and raised him till he was 11 years old.William John Mitchell brought his sister. Elizabeth, to Michigan in 1887 when she was 24 years old. She did housework for some area families.Then his grandmother, (his mother's mother Elizabeth (Dezell) McGee), who lived with my parents (John and Nancy McGee) insisted that she wanted him to be raised on a farm and to be a farmer. So she sent him to Aunt Mary McGee Benson (her daughter ) at or near Palmerston, Ontario. It broke my mother's heart to let him go because he was like one of her own and in fact was always given the preference over her boys.
He continued on the farm but felt Uncle William Benson was too strict and he ran away when he was about 19 years old and went to Michigan (near Fenton) where some former neighbors (the John Daws family) had migrated. I think he was about 21 when he came to visit us at Scone. It was supper time and we were all gathered round the supper table. There was a knock at the door and I, just a little kid, went to the door--he stood there and shyly asked "is Tom in?" I said ìyes-come in.î As soon as he stepped in there was a shout from the table-"why it's Mitch!" They recognized him and what joy - he never doubted his welcome. Mother cried for joy.
After we moved to Chesley(Ontario), which was not long after this, he came for Christmas and they got in touch with your mother, Elizabeth Mitchell, (William John's sister) and they met for the first time at our house. What a joyful Christmas".
When your Grandma(Margaret McGee Mitchell) died Mother took the baby and another relativee took the girl (Elizabeth) who was about 2 years old (your Mother). They were living somewhere near Pakenham or Antrim or somewhere round there".
Grandfather William McGee was buried down near Antrim, Ontario and Grandma McGee was buried in Chesley, Ontario. I don't know about the Mitchells. It seems to me he (William John) was 21 years old and your Mother was 23 (years old) when they met. I can't remember who it was took your Mother".
They married brother and sister, John and Agnes Penny. William John and Agnes married 9 March 1892 in Mundy Township. Elizabeth and John Penny married 30 November 1892 in Linden MI.
When William John Mitchell came to Michigan from Ontario he lived with the Daws family. They had been neighbors in Ontario that had migrated to Michigan. The Daws and Charter families were related and the Charters lived north of Fenton at Copneconic Lake.
William John worked for both the Daws and the Charter families. He also worked for Jim Cole and the Sages and some for the Seldens. He worked for James Ellis for quite some time doing farm work. Agnes Penny worked there as the hired girl That is how they met each other. James Ellis gave William John and Agnes a big leather bound Bible for their wedding - and it is being passed down to oldest son.
After they married they lived south of Rankin on Jennings Road on the Coleman farm. Then they moved over on the Badgley place on Baldwin Road just east of Linden Road, Mundy Township, the first and second places on the north side of the road. He rented and worked shares.
From there they moved to the Selden place on Baldwin Road west of Linden Road, Gaines Township. They lived there 12 years. They moved to Grand Blanc Road, Mundy Township (it was known as the Cross place), in 1915.
Now the mile between Linden and Sharp Roads in known as Mitchell Mile as five families of Mitchells live along there from one corner to the other.
William John was an excellent swimmer. When a young boy he would skip school to go swimming in the river. He also rode logs down the river. At the Pioneer Picnic held at Long Lake(Lake Fenton) in Fenton Township he would scare everyone by diving in and swimming under water for quite a while.
William John thought he was a McGee until he went to school when his true name, Mitchell, came to light. He liked poetry and could recite it with ease. He was an avid reader of Zane Gray western novels. William John liked candy and usually carried a bag of candy in his pocket. He especially liked wintergreen and peppermint and he like to hand them out to his grandchildren. Most all of the cousins to this day enjoy that candy and have a dish of it in their homes. He was naturalized in 1903. He retired from farming when he was in his 50's and turned the work over to sons Thomas, George and Walter. He stayed in his farm house until he died 1954.
William John Mitchell and Agnes Penny Mitchell raised a family of five, 3 sons and 2 daughters.
Thomas William born 1893 Mundy Township (Jennings Rd) Genesee Co MI
George born 1895 Mundy Township Genesee Co MI
Walter Scott born 1898 Mundy Township Genesee Co MI
Julia Louise born 1900 Mundy Township Genesee Co MI
Alice Bell born 1904 Gaines Township Genesee Co MIThomas, George and Walter all settled down to farming after their marriages. Thomas and George were both in the Army during World War I. Thomas saw action in the Argon Forest, France. Before he was in the Army he went to Ferris Institute. He taught school at the Mason School, Rankin School and the Johnson School.
Agnes Penny Mitchell was a very sweet, gentle grandmother, never raising her voice but always getting her point across. She was known for always having a well stocked cookie jar on the dining room table for who ever dropped in.
In 1936 the house burned and a new house, that is still standing, was built on the site. That also was the year that Agnes Penny Mitchell went blind. She was in the hospital when her house burned and when she came back to a new house it was very difficult for her to find her way around. She died in 1939 and is buried in Fairview Cemetary, Linden MI.
After that William John had a series of housekeepers, Doris Gottschalk and Mrs. Knight to name a couple. He died in September, 1954 and is buried along side his wife in Linden MI.
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Elizabeth Magee Mitchell b. 20 August 1864 Lanark Co Ontario m. John Penny 30 Nov 1892 Linden MI, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Scott Penny. Elizabeth d 8 Dec 1929 Gaines MI. John d. 23 Jan 1945 Lakeland FL
Children from this marriage were:
1. Margaret L b 7 Oct 1983 Mundy Twp. Genesee Co MI
d 3 Aug 1923 Gaines Twp Genesee Co MI2. Mary Elizabeth b 26 Sept 1865 Mundy Twp Genesee Co MI
m Edward Murphy 14 Jan 1929 Toledo OH
b 7 March 1883 Cass City MI. Mary Elizabeth (Libby) d 13 Feb 1958
Edward Murphy d. 20 Feb 1958. No children from this marriage. This was Edward's second marriage. He had a daughter and a son, John Murphy, from his first marriage.
William John Mitchell b. 9 July 1866 Ramsay Twp Lanark Co Ontario Canada m. Agnes Elder Penny 9 March 1892 Mundy Twp Genesee Co. MI b. 8 April 1863 Wellington Co Ontario Canada,daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Scott Penny.
William John d. 10 Sept 1954 Flint MI,buried Fairview Cem Linden MI
Agnes Elder d. 11 Aug 1939 Mundy Twp Genesee Co MI buried Fairview Cem Linden MIChildren from this marriage were:
1. Thomas ìTommyî William Mitchell b. 7 Nov 1893 Mundy Twp Genesee Co MI, m. Edessa Larobardiere 26 Dec 1923 Oxford MI. b. 31 July 1894 Mundy Twp Genesee Co MI. Thomas d 5 Aug 1984 Mundy Twp buried Fairview Cem Linden MI. Edessa d. 28 May 1973 Mundy Twp Genesee Co MI.Edessa was the daughter of Francis and Lizzie Dittslock Larobardiere
2. George b 24 Sept 1895 Mundy Twp Genesee Co MI, m. Margie White 3 May 1921 b. 3 May 1900 Swartz Creek MI, daughter of Mark and Lois Chaffee White
George d 12 Feb 1933 Flint MI bur Fairview Cem Linden MI
Margie d 12 Feb 1985 Flint MI bur Fairview Cem Linden MI3. Walter Scott b 21 Aug 1898 Mundy Twp Genesee Co MI, m. Edna Holland 26 Sept 1923 b. 8 March 1900 Flint MI, daughter of Fred and Eva McTaggart Holland. Walter d. 3 March 1980 Flint MI bur Evergreen Cem Grand Blanc MI. Edna d Dec 1995 Lansing MI bur Evergreen Cem grand Blanc MI
4. Julia Louise ìJulieî b. 9 Nov 1900 Mundy Twp Genesee Co MI, m. Emery Gudith 4 Aug 1928 b. 23 Sept 1905 Wayne Co MI, son of John and Myrtle Long Gudith. Julia d 28 Dec 1989 Holly MI bur Lakeview Cem Holly MI
Emery d 22 Oct 1988 Flint MI bur Lakeview Cem Holly MI5. Alice Bell b 27 Feb 1904 Gaines Twp Genesee Co MI, m. Willard Harris 8 Aug 1934 b 5 July 1906 Shiawassee Co MI son of William and Nell Patchel Harris . Alice d 4 Oct 1993 Durand MI bur Vernon MI .Willard d 17 March 1990 Genesee Co MI bur Vernon MI
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