Birth

William Randall was born in Suffolk County, England on May 14, 1807 or 1808 working back from information at his death. The death record gave an age that was one year different from his obituary.

However, William was 47 years old when the census was taken in the spring of 1861, so if he was born in May then he would have been born May 14, 1813. The 1871 census would put his birth date in 1812, the 1881 census in 1813 and the 1891 census would make him slightly older with a date of birth in 1811. The consensus date for William's birth would be May of 1813.

Marriage

William married Sarah Gooding two years after she emmigrated to Quebec, according to her obituary. The bride would have been twenty years old.

There are two references in the Montreal Emmigrant Society Passage Book in 1832, volume 46 (items 50 and 386) to William Randall. The book gives the names of the heads of families of poor and destitute immigrants from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and where they were sent in Ontario or Quebec during the period May 12 to November 5 of 1832. The comment is that he was sent on to Prescott, Ontario which is on the way to Hamilton in Wentworth County. They settled in Glanford Township, probably near the area of Rentonville.

The obituary of John Randall, a son born in January 1843, says that the family moved to Elmira when he was about 12 years old. It was 1855 then when they would have arrived in Elmira.

Death

The Ontario Death Archive, #021-689 in 1898, records the death of William Randall:

     Name:          Randall, William
     Sex:           Male
     Died:          1st Nov 1898,
                    Woolwich Twp
     Age:           90yrs, 5mos, 18 days
     Occupation:    Laborer
                    married
     Born:          Suffolk, England
     Cause:         Old age
     Doctor:        Dr. Evans
     Religion:      Ch of England
     Reported by:   Joseph Randall
     Date:          7th Nov 1898

An obituary was printed in the Berlin News-Record on page 2, Thursday November 3, 1898:

DIED At Elmira, Nov 1st, 1898, William Randall Sr., aged 91 years, 5 mos and 17 days. The funeral will be held on Friday afternoon at 2 p m from the residence of Mr Henry Addis.     Deceased was well known throughout the riding and was the oldest citizen in that village. He was of a genial disposition and well liked by all who knew him. He leaves a wife, six sons and four daughters to mourn his decease. His sons will act as pall bearers.

• Henry Addis was a son-in-law of the deceased, married to daughter Sarah.

The weekly Elmira Advertiser contained a brief note the next Thursday November 10, 1898 on page 4:

DIED RANDALL. -- At Elmira, Nov. 1st, Wm.     Randall, aged about ninety years.

Birth

Sarah Gooding was born in England and came to Canada as a young girl through Quebec City. Her obituary says she was born in Renton, England on Christmas day in 1806 but these two facts are wrong.

Sarah was born in Wrentham, England. She was a daughter of Robert Goodwin/Gooding and Elizabeth Blowers, their fourth child of twelve. The whole family emmigrated to Canada in the mid-1830s.

Assuming that her correct birthday was on December 25, the 1861 and 1871 census data tells us she was born in 1817. The 1881 census adds two years and the 1891 census makes the birth date two years earlier. The most probable date for Sarah's birth is December 25, 1817.

We do know that Sarah as publicly baptized as 'Sarah Goodwin' in Wrentham on January 18, 1818. This would have been just over three weeks following Christmas.

Sarah's last daughter, Rosetta, was born in about 1863 according to the 1871 and 1881 census entries. Sarah would have been 46 years old when she was born.

Death

The death of Sarah Randall is recorded in the Ontario Death Archive, #029-489 for 1906:

     Name:          Randall, Mrs. Sarah
     Sex:           Female
     Died:          July 9, 1906
     Age:           99 years
     Residence:     King St, Berlin
     Occupation:    retired
                    widow
                    [no father or husband listed]
     Born:          England
     Cause:         Old age
     Length of illness:  Not given
     Doctor:        Dr. J.E. Helt
     Religion:      Ch of England
     Reported by:   J.E. Helt
     Date:          July 9, 1906

An obituary from the Berlin Daily Telegraph on Tuesday July 10, 1906, page 1:

WAS NEARLY 100 YEARS OLD ---- Berlin's Oldest Resident Passed Away Monday in the Person of Mrs. Randall. ---- HAD A LARGE FAMILY ----     The death of one of Berlin's oldest residents took place at 1 o'clock on Monday afternoon in the person of Mrs. Sarah Goodin, relict of the late William Randall, of Elmira, at the residence of her son, Mr. Charles Randall, King street east. The deceased was born in Renton, England, on December 25th, 1806, and had she lived until next Christmas she would have been 100 years old. She had been in good health until about a month ago, when she gradually became weaker owing to old age, and her end was peaceful.     The deceased came to Canada when 18 years of age and resided in Quebec City, where two years later she married her deceased husband. Shortly after they moved to Hamilton and resided there for ten years. They then moved to Elmira, and resided there almost fifty years. The late W. Randall died about eight years ago and since that time the deceased widow has resided with her son, Charles.     The couple were blessed with 18 children, seven of whom survive, namely, John, Elmira, and Henry, Zurich (twins); Charlotte Linder, Floradale; Joseph, Floradale; Samuel, Palmerston; Caroline, Elmira; and Charles, Berlin. The deceased is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren, thus making five generations at the death of Mrs. Randall.     The funeral will take place Wednesday afternoon at 1 o'clock from the residence of Mr. Chas. Randall, King street, to the Elmira cemetery.

• The report of eighteen children is much too high. If the number is close to being accurate then William and Sarah left a lot of children behind in Glanford Township when they moved to Elmira. Finding the family's entry in the 1851 census in Wentworth County would be a great help.
• The obit says Sarah was born in 'Renton, England'. She was born in Wrentham, Suffolk.
• Sarah Randall was in her 89th year, so she was an old woman. Old, yes, but not a centurian.

  An obituary from the weekly Elmira Signet followed on Thursday July 12, 1906, page 1:

  Almost a Centenarian. --------     There died at Berlin, last Monday, Mrs. Randall, a former resident of Elmira, aged 99 years, 6 months and 15 days. Deceased was well known here having lived here from the time Elmira was but a hamlet until a few years ago when she removed to Berlin to live with her son Charles. She was in spite of her high age, able to be about until within the last year or so. She was the mother of a large family and many of her descendants still live in Elmira and vicinity. Mr. J. Randall and Mrs. Cathrae of Elmira and Mr. Jos. Randall of Floradale are amongst those of her children to remain in this district. The funeral of the deceased took place at Elmira yesterday and was attended by many of the older residents of the village and neighborhood.

  On the same page of the Elmira Signet:

  Died RANDALL. -- At Berlin, July 10th, Mrs     Randall, aged 99 years, 6 months and 15 days.

  And from the Waterloo-Wellington Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society Branch Notes, Vol III No 7, page 58, we have a scrap of newsprint dropped out of an old book. It is likely the obituary from the Berlin News-Record which has not survived in this period.

  Sarah Goodin, wife of the late William Randall, Elmira. --------     Sarah Goodin Randall born 25 Dec 1806 at Renton, England. Arrived in Canada 1822, lived Quebec City two years and married William Randall there. Moved to Hamilton for ten years before moving on to Elmira where they lived 50 years. William Randall died 1898. Sarah & William had 18 children. Seven survived their mother, Emily and John of Elmira; Henry and Patrick who were twins, Charlotte Linder of Floradale; Joseph of Floradale; Samuel of Palmerston, Caroline of Elmira and Charles of Berlin. At time of her death she had 43 [13?] grandchildren, ?? [50] great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren.

  • Remarkably similar to the obit in the Daily Telegraph with more detail about when she came to Canada. The 1822 date for immigration to Canada is early by more than a decade. The family of Robert and Elizabeth Gooding was still in Wrentham when their youngest son was born in February 1833. Sarah probably came to Canada in 1835-1836.
  • The facts, including the error about the number of children and Renton, England must have come from a common source.

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Most recent revision November 2009