James Joseph Binks
There is a contradiction between the Birth and death registrations of James.
The birth registration shows the birth to have been in Ottawa on October 17th 1879. The registration took place on October 27th and the informant was the father, George John Binks.
The death registration shows the cause to have been 'Infantile Debility, from birth'. The death took place on October 27th and the informant was the father, George John Binks. The child lived for 10 days.
However, both the birth and death registrations appear to be in error because a burial registration made on the 29th September 1879 reads:
| The 29th day of September 1879, We the
undersigned Priests of this Parish have interred in the cemetery of this parish the body of James Joseph Binks son of George John Binks & Ellen Charlotte McDonald of the Parish deceased September the 28th inst. aged 9 days. The witnesses were William Binks and John Cass who have signed this with us. Signed: W. J. Binks John Cass Source: Ontario French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection) - Ottawa, St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church |
The only explanation I can think of is that George waited too long to register the birth and death of his child (a legal requirement?) and consequently invented the October 17th and October 27th birth and death dates. He registered both on the 27th October.
The burial was confirmed by Priests and at least one relative, W. J. Binks (George's cousin, William Joseph Binks). I'm therefore forced to conclude that the details in the Burial registration are more likely to be accurate.
James Joseph Binks was therefore born on September 19, 1879 and died 9 days later on September 28, 1879.