Newfoundland's Grand Banks Message Board

Hi my name is Mike living the UK. I'm looking into my wife's tree and in particular her GGM Annabella or Arrabella Munn who according to the 1911 UK census was born in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland 1845. Her father was Duncan Munn who according to her marriage certificate in London 1875 was a Captain. Presumably she was born on board ship or ashore in Harbour Grace. I have looked on your site but cannot find any record so far. Can anyone help and suggest where I might look to find details of her birth and mother's name.
She appears to have spent the rest of her life in the UK but the earliest record I can find is the 1861 census where she is in service in Scotland aged 17yrs
Any information anyone can give me will be gratefully accepted
Thanks Mike

Hello Mike,
Enclosed is a link that will open up a birth/bapt, record for Annbella Munn...born Mar. 8, 1844...to Duncan and Priscilla Munn...bapt. Apr. 12, 1844...father recorded as Ship Master. They are on line#11 on the page.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,144968902

Sorry to say that I could not find a marriage record for Duncan and Priscilla which would give you her maiden name. However you may want to consider the following.
Here is a link that will open a newspaper record of Priscilla Munn's death in Sept. 1857 at the age of 37. She would have been born circa 1820-21 This link will open a site with several old newspapers and you will find the info in Conception-Bay Man, 1856-1859 Complete
http://nl.canadagenweb.org/cbhg.htm#newscbn

Lastly here is a link for... May 3, 1821 birth/bapt record for Priscilla...born to William and Catherine Parson...bapt. May 25, 1821..father listed as planter. Second last entry on page.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/T ... ,144968902
Both church records are from Harbour Grace Methodist
Cheers,
Linda Moss

Hi Linda many thanks for your swift reply which has given me the information I was looking for but has raised further questions. I have found a possible birth date of 1809 for Duncan in Scotland and some Merchant Navy records and it seems to me that he was based at Harbour Grace for some time and married Priscilla there whereas I had envisaged them as husband and wife on board the ship sailing between the UK and Newfoundland. I note that Priscilla's father was a planter as were several others on the page. Do you know what sort of planting they would have been doing? Finally are there any censuses for the family in Harbour Grace?
Please don't go to any great trouble to find this info as I am more than happy with what you have given me already
Many thanks
Mike

Hello again,
So glad this info was what you needed. The occupation "planter" refers to fishing.
One more thing I found- The Newfoundland and Labrador GenWeb site has in its Headstone Data...listed under heading Harbour Grace - Goughlan United Churchyard Water Street
"MUNN Duncan In Memory of Capt Duncan MUNN who died at sea on the 21 June 1855 Aged 45 Years MUNN"
If this is your Duncan Munn, he died 2 years before his wife. Her name was not added to this gravemarker.
The first official recorded census of Newfoundland is in 1911. The earlier records start in 1675 are more limited to specific regions. On this Newfoundland Grand Banks site look under the drop down menu "Official Lists" and you will find them.
If I should find anything else related to your family tree, I will let you know.
Good luck with your search.
Linda Moss
Linda Moss

Scotland Births and Baptisms:
Name: Duncan Munn.
Gender: Male.
Christening Place: Rothesay, Bute, Scotland.
Birth Date: 10 April 1809.
Birthplace: Rothesay, Bute, Scotland.
Father's Name: Stewart Munn.
Mother's Name: Isabella Fisher.
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C11558-6.
System Origin: Scotland-VR.
GS Film number: 1041085.
Reference ID: 2:15DJK76.

The following notice was published in 'The Carbonear Herald and Outport Telephone' Newspaper, April 22, 1881 edition: "Died - Lately at South Africa, of fever, Stewart Munn, eldest son of Capt. Duncan Munn, of Harbour Grace."

Yes, the following notice was published in the 'Conception Bay Man' Newspaper, September 16, 1857 edition: "Died - On Wednesday the 9th. inst., Priscilla, relict of Capt. Duncan Munn, aged 37 years.


*Captain Duncan Munn, master of the brig Topsy, died, was buried at sea while sailing from Spain in 1855.

*I think you will discover his wife was Priscilla Pike, born in 1820, and baptised in 1822, daughter of Edward Pike.

Hi Milt many thanks for your reply and info. I had found the Scottish birth record for Duncan Munn and I think it is the right one as it tallies with information from the merchant navy sites that I've looked at. However was his wife Priscilla Pike or Priscilla Parsons as shown to me by Moss Senior (Linda). I will have to do some further research on this. One thing that bothers me is that on his daughter's wedding certificate of 1875 he is not shown as deceased although this could be an error on the part of the clergyman
Is there any other places that I could look to see if he had anymore children.
Many thanks for all your help
Regards Mike

Yes, Mike, Duncan Munn from Rothesay, Bute, Scotland is the correct one. He had several Munn relatives in Newfoundland, mostly at Harbour Grace. The Munn merchants of Harbour Grace named one of their schooners "Rothesay".

And I think this is Duncan Munn's wife.

Harbour Grace Anglican Baptism Records: "Priscilla, daughter of Edward and Ann Pike, Musquitto (near Harbour Grace), born 28 Nov 1820, baptised 17 Dec 1822."

Harbour Grace Anglican Marriage Records: "29 Dec 1808, Edward Pike, bachelor, of Musquito, and Ann Pynn, spinster, of Musquitto, witnesses: Samuel Pike, Thomas Pynn."

Duncan and Priscilla Munn had several children, it appears..... including Stewart, Peter, Dugald, John, Annabella, Margaret, and Mary.

Do your own due diligence, of course.

The following notice was published in the 'Weekly Herald and Conception Bay General Advertiser' Newspaper, dated August 20, 1851: "Died - Yesterday, age 16 months, John, infant son of Capt. Duncan Munn, of this town."

John Munn, born in 1807 at Rothesay, Bute, Scotland, and Archibald Munn, born in 1814 at Rothesay, Bute, Scotland, brothers of Duncan Munn, were renowned merchants and shipowners with operations at Harbour Grace.

Duncan Munn and his brother, Archibald Munn, witnessed the 1851 will of William Cunningham, Master Mariner, at Harbour Grace.

Mike, the information you are seeking is hidden in the records. Scour the local newspapers of the early to mid-1800s. Here are some examples.

The following announcement was published in 'The Newfoundlander' Newspaper, July 26, 1838 edition: "Married - At Brigus, on Saturday morning last, by the Rev. James G. Hennegar, Mr. John Munn, Merchant, Harbour Grace, to Naomi, eldest daughter of Mr. Wm. Munden, Brigus." Note: John Munn was the brother of Duncan Munn.

The following announcement was published in the 'Weekly Herald and Conception Bay General Advertiser' Newspaper, December 3, 1845 edition: "Married - On 29th. ult, by Rev. Geo Ellidge, Wesleyan Minister, Archibald Munn, to Ellen Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late Wm. Ellis, Wesleyan Minister." Note: Archibald Munn was the brother of Duncan Munn.

The following announcement was published in the 'Weekly Herald and Conception Bay General Advertiser' Newspaper, December 2, 1846 edition: "Birth - On 27th. ulto, Mr. Duncan Munn, a daughter."

The following announcement was published in the 'Weekly Herald and Conception Bay General Advertiser' Newspaper, November 15, 1848 edition: "Birth - On 6th. inst., Mr. Duncan Munn of this town, a son."

You should find marriages for some of the children of Duncan and Priscilla Munn in the records of Glasgow, Scotland.

Also, 1832 Voters List, Harbour Grace:
Munn, John, Harbor Grace, Main Street.
Munn, Duncan, Harbor Grace, Main Street.

You can also search this site for wills as there is one for Duncan. It has not been transcribed but it shows you how to order a copy. I think there was also one for his wife in 1857. It appears the Munn family had a fairly large shipping company.
Linda Henriksen

Thank you all for all this information I am busy for the next few days and will look at all this in detail later and get back to you all
Many thanks
Mike

Mike, I had a few minutes to spare this morning...... and here are more complete particulars as extracted from the various records respecting the Children of Duncan and Priscilla Munn.

1. Stewart (Stuart) Munn, born December 31, 1841, baptised February 11, 1842 at Harbour Grace, died circa 1881 in South Africa.
2. Annabella Munn, born March 8, 1844, baptised April 12, 1844 at Harbour Grace.
3. Margaret Robertson Munn, born November 27, 1846, baptised June 21, 1847 at Harbour Grace.
4. Edward Dugald Munn, born November 6, 1848, baptised July 30, 1850 at Harbour Grace.
5. John Munn, born May 13, 1850, baptised July 30, 1850 at Harbour Grace, died as a child in 1851.
6. Peter Fisher Munn, born August 27, 1851, baptised December 27, 1851 at Harbour Grace.
7. Mary Munn, born August 22, 1853, baptised May 13, 1854 at Harbour Grace.

The particulars of most or all of these children are traceable.

Scotland Marriages:
Name: Stewart Munn;
Spouse's Name: Isabel Fisher;
Event Date: 11 Aug 1798;
Event Place: Middle or New Parish, Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland;
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M11564-7;
System Origin: Scotland-ODM;
GS Film number: 1041069, 0102058.