McCallum Immigration into the United States - 1905

The McCallum family immigrated into the United States through Canada in 1905.  They had sailed from Belfast via Liverpool, to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.   Curiously, there are two separate records in the U.S. Border Crossings.  However, on both, their entries are crossed out.  On the one dated 5 Feb 1905, it notes "went to St. Johns, not on boat".    I am not sure of the story here, however family tradition and the census records confirms they did immigrate in 1905.


U.S. Border Crossing Manifest, Halifax, Dated 5 Feb 1905.

U.S. Border Crossing Manifest, Halifax, Dated 14 Feb 1905

Upon arrival in the US, Mary McCallum and her children went to live with her cousin Magdalena (Lena) McClurg who had married Edward Sheppard and lived in Fairgrove, Tuscola, Michigan.  She later moved to Detroit and stayed in the area the rest of her life.

Ancestry of Daniel Octavius Herbert McCallum

--- 1st Generation ---

Daniel Octavius Herbert McCallum.  He was born on 11 Feb 1890 at Bryansburn House, Bangor, County Down, Ireland.  He immigrated into the U.S. on 14 Feb 1905, through Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with his mother and sisters.  He enlisted in U.S. Army during WWI in Michigan, as a Private.  He was transferred to the 864th Aero Squadron, Signal Corps Aviation Mechanical Training School, U.S. Army Air Service, St. Paul, Minnesota.  He married Anna Catherine Burns, daughter of Charles Burns and Mary Ann Leveck, on 25 Aug 1919 at St. Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota.   He died on 21 Sep 1941 at St. Paul, Ramsey, Minnesota, at age 51 and was buried at Fort Snelling Cemetery, Minnesota.  His career included security guard, a licensed elevator operator in St.Paul and as a street car employee.

--- 2nd Generation ---

Daniel McCallum.   He was born on 16 Sep 1853 at Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland.  He was christened on 9 Oct 1853 at Omagh Methodist Church.  He married Mary Stevely Woods, daughter of William Woods and Elizabeth McAlpin, on 21 Jul 1885 at Dundela Presbyterian Church, Holywood, County Down, Ireland.  He attended Queen's College Belfast, starting out in Engineering (1873-1875) and later switched to Law.  He took and passed the Solicitor’s Apprentice exam on 5 Nov 1880.  He took the Solicitor’s Examination in October 1882.  He was a Solicitor in Belfast.  His office was at 60 Donegall Street, Belfast, across from St. Anne's Cathedral.   In 1885, he resided in Bangor. He resided at Bryansburn House, Bangor, from 1888-1894/95, then Oriel House, Bangor 1895.  Member of Bangor Town Commission, 1891-94 (as Chairman) and 1894-97.  He was the Worshipful Master of Bangor Union Masonic Lodge in 1892.  In 1900, his office was at 51 Chichester, Belfast.  In 1903/4 he resided at 331 Beersbridge Road, Belfast and had an office at 75 High Street, Belfast.  He lived at 60 Melrose Street, Belfast in 1908.  He had a friendship with General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, who would visit him during his trips to Belfast.  Just before his death he resided at 9 Ulsterville Place, Belfast.  He died on 23 May 1910 at Belfast City Hospital, County Antrim, Ireland, at age 56.

Mary Stevely Woods.  She was born on 30 Jun 1860 at Newtownards, County Down, Ireland.  She was christened on 29 Aug 1860 at 1st Presbyterian Church, Bangor, County Down, Ireland, by Rev. Hugh Woods (possibly a relative).  She married Daniel McCallum, son of Daniel McCallum and Eliza (--?--), on 21 Jul 1885 at Dundela Presbyterian Church, Holywood, County Down, Ireland.  At the time of her marriage, she lived in Knock, a suburb of Belfast.   She immigrated into the US on 14 Feb 1905, through Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with her children.  She stayed with her cousin Lina M Sheppard and husband Frank Edward Sheppard in Fairgrove, Tuscola, Michigan.  In 1920 she was living in Detroit, Michigan.  She later lived in Grosse Pointe Park, Detroit with daughter Mary and son-in-law Albert Thayer Potter.   She was a school teacher in Detroit but quit because children “didn't mind her”.  She died on 2 Oct 1946 at Grosse Pointe Park, Detroit, Michigan, at age 86.  She was buried on 5 Oct 1946 at Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan.

--- 3rd Generation ---

Daniel McCallum.  He was born in 1820/1821.  He married Eliza (possibly Eliza Clarke) before 15 Jun 1851.  He was the Manager/Engineer and Secretary of the Omagh Gas Works, from its founding in 1850 until his death in 1898.  In 1892, he was elected President of the North of Ireland Gas Engineer and Manager Society.  He attended the Omagh Methodist Church.  He subscribed to Methodist magazine 1896.  He resided at the manager’s house above the Gas Works at Spiller's Place, Omagh (site of the Technology Centre today).  The 1897 annual meeting of the North of Ireland Gas Engineer and Manger Society was held in Omagh in his honor on 10 Aug 1897.  He died on 28 May 1898 at his home in Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland of Diabetes.  He was buried in 1898 at Drumragh Cemetery, Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland. 

Eliza (--?--).   She married Daniel McCallum before 15 Jun 1851.  (Her maiden name may have been Clarke, as her son James McCallum named his first son Daniel Clarke McCallum.  A record of a Daniel McCallum marrying Eliza Clarke in 1843 is indexed in the Down, Connor and Dromore Diocese Records.)  She attended weekly preacher's classes at Omagh Methodist Church on Mondays, March 1863.  She died 25 Mar 1883, age 64, at Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland (per obituary in Tyrone Constitution).  

William Woods.  He was born 1810/1811.  He earned a Licentiate of Midwifery from Glasgow University in 1838.  He became a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in England (MRCSE), on 3 Jan 1839.   He ran a medicine shop in Bangor, County Down, Ireland in the 1840s.  He was the Medical Officer of the Newtownards Union Workhouse Infirmary and Fever Hospital, 1861-63.  Resided in Bangor 1839-1858 (1843-46 Fore Street; shop on Main St.); Newtownards 1858-1869 (1859 Regent Street, 1869 Francis Street).  He married Elizabeth McAlpin, daughter of Edward McAlpin, on 9 Jan 1852 at Ballycarry Presbyterian Church, County Antrim, Ireland.  He died on 20 Mar 1869 at Newtownards, County Down, Ireland.   He was buried at Movilla Graveyard, Newtownards, County Down, Ireland.  The gravestone at Movilla Graveyard, Newtownards:  [Worn white marble in surround, in a low stone enclosure in southern section]  'In memory of the late Doctor Woods, Newtownards, who died 20th March 1869, aged 58 years. Also his son James Alfred who died 26th Aug. 1859 aged 1 year.  Also his wife Eliza Woods who died 25th January 1903 aged 77 years.'  (source: 'Gravestone Inscriptions, Vol. 11, County Down', compiled by R.S.J. Clarke, Published by the Ulster-Scot Historical Foundation, Belfast, p. 161.)

Elizabeth McAlpin.  She was born 1825/1826 at County Antrim, Ireland.  She married William Woods, son of John Woods, on 9 Jan 1852 at Ballycarry Presbyterian, County Antrim, Ireland.  She resided at Broadisland (Ballycarry/Templecorran) at time of marriage.  It appears that she is listed in the 1876 Return of Owners of Land as “Mrs. William Woods, Newtownards, 8 Acres, 3 R. 30 P., Valuation = 35 Pounds.” (source = 'Landowners in Ireland', Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1988, p. 248.)  She died on 25 Jan 1903 at Newtownards, Down, Ireland.  She was buried at Movilla Graveyard, Newtownards, County Down, Ireland.  See husband William Woods for gravestone inscription. She erected a gravestone in the Templecorran Cemetery commemorating her father, mother and siblings deaths.

--- 4th Generation ---

John Woods.  He was a farmer in Down, Ireland.  It is likely this family was from Ballygowan, Down.   

Edward McAlpin.  He was a farmer at Broadisland/Ballycarry, County Antrim, Ireland.   He was born about 1788.  He died 3 Jun 1839, at 51 years, and is buried at the Templecorran Presbyterian Cemetery, Ballycarry, County Antrim, Ireland.  Thomas McAlpin appears as first McAlpin in Broadisland in 1686.   The lineage to Thomas is as yet unknown.

Eliza (last name unknow) -   wife of Edward McAlpin.

Introducing the McCallum Family blog

To all McCallum family relatives, this blog is dedicated to our ancestor, Daniel Octavius Herbert McCallum, who came to the United States in 1905 and was born at Bryansburn House, Bangor, Down, Ireland to Daniel McCallum (solicitor) and Mary Stevely Woods on February 11th 1890. 

The purpose of this site is share genealogical research on our McCallum ancestry and descendants.  If you want to be a contributor please contact me.  Otherwise, enjoy your heritage!

Cheers,
Andrew Barrett-Bettcher