At a Dead End - Looking for Ontario Baptismal Record
Hi everyone. I’m trying to find a birth record for my ancestor Ellen Ann Reddan in Renfrew County, Ontario, and I’d really appreciate any advice on what to try next. I feel like I’ve hit a dead end and may be overlooking something.
Ancestor info
- Name: Ellen Ann Reddan (also spelled Redden or Reddin)
- Parents: Daniel (Dan) Reddan and Ellen Fitzpatrick
- Estimated birth year: somewhere around 1855–1865
What I’ve found so far
- 1861 Census of Canada: the family appears at the bottom of page 14, but Ellen is not listed there. However, an Ellen Reddan, age 7, appears at the top of page 13. I’m wondering if the pages were split oddly or mixed up.
- 1871 Census of Canada: Ellen is listed as 15, which suggests a birth year around 1856
- 1881 Census of Canada: Ellen is listed as 22, suggesting a birth year around 1859
- I’ve found birth records for several of her older siblings in Carleton County, but not for Ellen. I know the family later to Renfrew County.
- It looks like two of her sisters were married at St. Francis Xavier Church in 1858, but I haven’t found Ellen in those records.
- Her father was buried at Mount St. Patrick in 1881.
- In several U.S. Census records, her age/birth year varies between 1856 and 1865, and her birthplace is listed as “Canada (Eng)”.
- Her obituary says she was born January 1, 1869 in Clantarf, Ontario (possibly Clontarf?), but based on the census records the date seems too late to be accurate.
What I’ve already tried
- Searched the Ontario Roman Catholic Church Records on FamilySearch for areas around Renfrew County. I’m currently going back through them in case I missed something.
- Contacted the Pembroke Diocese, but their search didn’t turn up anything.
At this point I’m not sure whether I should keep looking for a birth/baptism record in Renfrew County, go back to Carleton County, or try a different angle entirely.
Does anyone have suggestions for where else I should look? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Posted Apr 1, 2026, 8:18 PM UTC
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