I'm looking for information on Margaret MacNeil of Iona. She was married to my grandfather's uncle Henry Bruce "Harry" Bagnell. I am interested in this information because my grandmother was also a MacNeil from Iona, and I'm curious to see if there's a connection.

OBIT: A widely known and esteemed resident of Sydney, Mrs. Harry B. Bagnell, 61 died Friday morning in the City Hospital after an illness of several days. Her passing was totally unexpected and the news will come as a great shock to a host of friends, acquaintances and relatives throughout Cape Breton. A resident of Sydney for 40 years, she was a native of Iona, Victoria County, a daughter of the late Mrs. and Mrs. John D. MacNeil of that place. She was a devout member of Sacred Heart Church and maintained an active interest in parochial affairs. Her husband-well known steel plant machinist-predeceased her five years and and she is survived by four daughters, Mrs. J.N. MacDonald (Irene), Goderich, Ontario; Mrs. Ernest Laughlin (Jean), Pt. Edward; Mrs. Leonard Lerner (Marie), Boston; Mrs Leonard Wylde (June), Toronto; one step-daughter, Mrs. Ed. Spencer (Gladys) in Sydney; sons are John D., well known Red Cross swimming instructor; Willard in the Canadian Army, Kingston, Ontario; Sheldon, at home. Two brothers, James MacNeil, Iona, and Donald, Trenton, N.S. The remains are resting at Fillmore's Funeral Home and funeral arrangements are pending the arrival of family members.

DOB: 13 Dec 1894 (I have 1 source that lists it as 13 Dec 1885).
CHRISTENED: 15 Dec 1894 St. Barra (Boisdale), Iona, Victoria, Nova Scotia
MAR: 26 Nov 1918 Sydney, NS Sacred Heart Church

Margaret's family is mentioned in the book All Call Iona Home - the genealogy of the founders of Iona and their descendants - 1800 - 1850 by S.R. MacNeil.
ISBN 0-88780-629-5

Her parents were John D. "Blacksmith" MacNeil Piper's Cove and Mary Ann MacNeil, Grass Cove. Mary Ann's parents were James "Lieutenant" MacNeil and Mary Ann MacDougall from Christmas Island. Margaret was known as Maggie. Her siblings were James, Daniel, Maria, and Eliza.

Maggie's brother James married Lucy MacNeil from Gillis Point. Daniel married in the states but lived in Iona and later moved to the mainland. Marie married a Deveau from Little Bras d'Or. Eliza married John Young from Little Bras d'Or.

What is your grandmother's name and who did she marry? I will see if I can find her in the book.

My grandmother is Mary Ann MacNeil, daughter of Joseph H. and Catherine "Katie" Ann MacNeil. She married John William Bagnell.

It's been a while since I looked SR MacNeil's book. I used it once to trace my line back to Donald 'og' MacNeil.

Can you do that? Look through the book and see how Margaret is connected to me?


SOME EXTRA BIT:

Name:       Joseph H. MacNeil
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Birth:       13 Sep 1874       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       27 Jan 1953       Victoria Memorial Hospital, Baddeck, CB, NS
Burial:       29 Jan 1953       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Father:       John MacNeil (~1840-1881)
Mother:       Mary MacLean (~1855-)
Marriage:       abt 1904
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Spouse:       Catherine Ann 'Katie' MacNeil
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Birth:       15 Jul 1879       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       12 Apr 1947       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Burial:       15 Apr 1947       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Father:       John J MacNeil (~1843-1925)
Mother:       Margaret MacNeil (~1850-)

Children:
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1 F:       Maria 'Mirah' MacNeil
Birth:       abt 1905       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       27 May 1956       Beaver Cove, CB, NS
Spouse:       John Augustine MacKinnon
Marriage:       9 Sep 1930       St. Columba, Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
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2 M:       John Joseph 'Joseph' MacNeil
Birth:       abt Nov 1907       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       10 Jan 1975       Victoria County Memorial Hospital, CB, NS
Spouse:       Mary Elizabeth Brown
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3 F:       Sister Annie Mae MacNeil "St. Joseph Oriole'
Birth:       abt Aug 1909       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
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4 M:       Hector Matthew 'Josie' MacNeil
Birth:       abt 1914       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       10 Aug 1979       Victoria Memorial Hospital, Baddeck, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Spouse:       Annie Catherine 'Anna' MacNeil
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5 M:       Neil John MacNeil
Birth:       abt 1915       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       18 Nov 1977       St. Rita Hospital, Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
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6 F:       Mary Ann MacNeil
Birth:       abt 1919       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       19 Nov 1967       St. Rita's Hospital, Sydney, CB, NS
Spouse:       John Bagnell
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7 F:       Florence MacNeil
Birth:       abt 1921       Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       11 Apr 2008       Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney, CB, NS
Spouse:       Vincent Kennedy
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8 F:       Mary Elizabeth 'Elizabeth' MacNeil St. Ann Blessed Sacrament
Birth:              Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       14 Oct 1976
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9 F:       Sister Margaret Columba MacNeil Sr. St. Columba
Birth:              Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       2 Dec 2010
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10 F:       Mary Catherine 'Kay' MacNeil
Birth:              Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Spouse:       Neil Sutherland
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11 M:       Hugh Benedict MacNeil
Birth:              Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       24 Nov 1973       St. Rita's Hospital, Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Spouse:       Mary Elizabeth Ann 'Dolly' Ratchford
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12 M:       Michael MacNeil
Birth:              Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:              (died in the army)
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13 F:       Sarah Agnes MacNeil
Birth:              Iona, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Death:       21 Jan 2011       Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Spouse:       Alex M Kennedy
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14 M:       John MacNeil


Notes for Joseph H. MacNeil
Daughters included Mrs. Neil Sutherland in 1947, 1953, 1956 (Sydney River), Mrs. John Bagnell (Sydney) 1953, 1956.



Notes for Catherine Ann 'Katie' MacNeil
Catherine Ann's mother was listed as Mary Ann on her death record. Iona 1927

I can't find a relationship between Margaret MacNeil's family and your family using SR MacNeil's book, ie no common ancestor because he does not take Margaret's family back beyond her father John D MacNeil and her maternal grandfather James "Lieutenant" MacNeil. He names John D.'s father Donald and grandfather Norman, but I don't see them in the book and there is no Piper's Cove section. SR says John D was from Pipers Cover which is near Grand Narrows, on the other side of the channel. John D is in the 1901 and 1911 census for Washabuck District both of which show him born in 1863 in Nova Scotia. His wife Mary Ann was also born in NS about 1860. There are so many MacNeils in that area it will take extensive digging on your part to find a relationship. Grassy Cove and Iona where your family is from are not far apart so I would expect the families knew each other. Since so many of the MacNeil families came from Barra there is a fair chance of a common ancestor there. More digging needed. Good luck.