Mary was born around 1798, almost certainly in Canada. There are no records of her baptism at the Protestant Church at Trois Rivière in Quebec, or in other Protestant churches in the Quebec area, but she could have been baptised elsewhere in Canada or privately (or not at all). The only evidence to hand that shows she was actually born in Canada is the entry in the 1871 census for Canada which gives her place of birth as Quebec (see below).
From Canada to Somerset and back to Canada
Mary was probably only a few months old when Daniel moved his family from Canada to Somerset in England. Her older sister Isabella would have been under two years old. In January 1811 Isabella and brother James died. A week later Daniel also died, apparently of Scarlet Fever. They were all buried at Hammersmith in London.
Mary was probably aged 13 years when her father died and was now the oldest sibling. She would likely have helped her mother Jane with the younger children. Jane took the family back to Canada in 1816. There is a note in the Quebec Gazette for 30 May 1816 recording the arrival of "Mrs Keith and family", departed London on 3 April and arried in Quebec on 29 May. Assuming this is the correct family Mary would have been about 17 or 18 years old.
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Marriage to William McNish PORTER
The next record we have is for Mary being married to William MacNish PORTER on 26 June 1819 at the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal. We do not know Mary's exact age but she was probably about 20 by this time. (Note that the gossip columnist Mrs Crawford claimed Mary was only sixteen when she married but although her account of events accord with the records her dates and ages are wildly askew.)
 Marriage record for Mary KEITH and William PORTER at Christ Church Cathedral Montreal, 1819. |
At some time between 1819 and 1823 Mary and William PORTER crossed the Atlantic to Bristol. Mrs Crawford tells us the young couple accompanied Jane KEITH and her family when she returned to St George's, Bristol. The only indication of approximate time are two newspaper reports for 1822. In June 1822 Edward Joseph KEITH was appointed as a lawyer in Montreal and on 12 November 1822 he was recorded as being counsel for George Schiller, accused of highway robbery. This is the last newspaper appearance for Edward in Canada. Assuming Edward accompanied his mother and family back to England, this suggests the family left Montreal in late 1822.
On 19 June 1823 Mary had her daughter Jane PORTER baptised at St George's Church Bristol. Her place of residence was noted as "late of Montreal, Canada but now of Upper Easton" suggesting she was a recent arrival. We do not know for certain where Jane was born, whether in Montreal, on the ship, or after arrival in Bristol but the 1901 census for Canada gives her date of birth as 3 April 1830 (sic) and birth place being England. If the birth date is correct (other than the year which is clearly in error) this would agree with their travel from Montreal to Bristol in late 1822 or early 1823. (But it does raise the question of why the family would travel across the Atlantic in mid-Winter and when Mary was about 6 months pregnant.)
 Baptism for Jane PORTER at St George, Bristol. |
Death of William McNish PORTER
Mrs Crawford tells us that soon after their arrival in Bristol William McNish Porter travelled to Liverpool "for the purpose ... of arranging some business, and receiving a sum of money". Soon after his arrival in Liverpool William PORTER died and was was buried on 6 April 1823 in St Thomas Churchyard, Liverpool. Mrs Crawford tells us he was staying at an inn and the burial record tells us it was in Castle St. If the birth date for Jane of 3 April is correct her father William would never have known he had a daughter.
 Burial for William McNish PORTER, 3 days after the birth of his daughter. |
Who was William McNish PORTER (1791-1823)?William MacNish Porter can be hard to find in the records, especially as there were several people with that name. A namesake developed Porter Ale in London and then became bankrupt in 1811. Intriquingly the bankruptcy was for a William PORTER and a William McNish PORTER, being partners in a brewery business. There are several versions of William's family story online but many are contradicted by the facts. Here is the evidence to hand: Birth as William McNISHOn his burial record William's age is given as 32 years, indicating a year of birth around 1790-1791, but the accuracy of this depends on the knowledge of the informant. On 9 October 1815 the Prince Regent (later King George IV) signed a Royal Decree permitting William MacNish PORTER of Montreal to continue to use the PORTER surname. The decree also tells us his father was James McNISH of Newton Stewart and his great-uncle was William PORTER, of Troquhain, Scotland. Just to confuse us, Willaim's uncle (also William McNISH) also obtained royaql assent to change his name to William McNish PORTER in 1804.
These facts lead us to the Scottish records for a baptism of William McNISH to parents James McNISH and Jean McNISH at Penninghame House, Newton Stewart on 28 November 1791.
Jean McNISH, William's mother, was born on 16 December 1762 to Nathaniel McNISH and Isobel PORTER, sister to the William PORTER mentioned in the proclamation.
We know little about Wiliam's early life. He may have gone to London and worked as an assistant for the Russia Company, as mentioned in a 1811 directory. William would have been only 19 or 20 years old - but of course there were others of this name in London at the time.
By 1815 William was a merchant in Montreal, Canada and in 1819 he married Mary KEITH in Montreal. He was aged 27 and Mary was about 20.
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Mary returns to Canada
We do not know how long Mary remained in England, presumably with her mother and three younger sisters (Susan, Frances and Jessica) in Bristol. But her mother died within a year on 26 March 1824. I think Mary stayed a while longer to look after the family. We do know that a year later, on 25 April 1825 Susan, Frances and Jessica joined their brother Edward Joseph and his new wife Ann McPHERSON on the ship "Mountaineer" bound for Sydney, Australia. For some reason Mary, now a widow with a two year old daughter, did not accompany them to Australia. Instead she returned to Canada. The entry in the 1901 Census for her daughter Jane gives the date for return as 1832 but this is unlikely to be correct as Mary remarried in 1831 in Canada. The entry shows Jane was two years old on entry to Canada and this is more likely, coinciding with the departure of Edward, Frances and Jessica for Australia.
Marriage to John Blackwood
The next entry for Mary is for her marriage to John BLACKWOOD on 19 March 1831 again at the Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal. She is described as the widow of the late William NcNish Porter.
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As far as the records tell, Mary and John had three children.
| Name | Birth/Baptism | Marriage | Date of Death/Burial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Fergusson | 27 Dec 1833 Montreal | 10 May 1865 Montreal Eliza MUSSEN |
25 May 1896 buried Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto |
| Mary Sophia | bap 4 April 1840 Montreal | ---- | 13 Sep 1903: 110 Borden St, York, Ontario |
| Margaret Henrietta | b. 1842 Montreal, Canada | 22 Oct 1863: Montreal St Lukes Thomas GODDEN |
29 Dec 1897 Belleville, Ontario |
Death of John BLACKWOOD
Mary's husband, John BLACKWOOD, died in Montreal on 25 August 1854 . He was buried at Mont-Royal Cemetery, Montreal.
 Headstone for John BLACKWOOD at Mont-Royal Cemetery (Section D1), Montreal. Inscription reads: "A husband kind. A father dear. A sincere friend lies buried here" |
Death of Mary KEITH
Mary KEITH died in Montreal on 10 March 1874. Present at her burial at Mont-Royal Cemetery (Section D104) were her son Thomas Ferguson Blackwood and her son-in-law Rev. Thomas Godden.
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The Child of Mary KEITH and William MacNish PORTER
Jane PORTER (1823-1906)
Jane was born prior to 19 June 1823, as she was baptised at St George, Bristol on this date. We do not know when or where she was born. Jane accompanied her mother Mary when she returned to Canada around 1825, after Mary's mother Jane KEITH had died in Bristol in 1824.
Back in Canada, Jane's mother Mary married John BLACKWOOD in Montreal on 19 March 1831. John and Mary had three children who became Jane's half-siblings. The older daughter, named Mary Sophia BLACKWOOD, was about 8 years younger than Jane, but they became inseparable. Both were music teachers, living together for the rest of their lives.
There is more about the life of Jane PORTER here
The Children of Mary KEITH and and John BLACKWOOD
Thomas Ferguson BLACKWOOD
Thomas was born 27 Dec 1833 and baptised 6 March 1834 at the Presbyterian St Gabriel in Montreal. He married Eliza MUSSEN on 10 May 1865 at Christ Church Montreal. They had one child, John Keith GODDEN, born 2 Oct 1866.
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TF Blackwood Baptism John Blackwood Esq |
There is more detail on Thomas's family here
Mary Sophia BLACKWOOD
Mary was baptised 4 April 1840 in Montreal, the second child of Mary (KEITH) and John BLACKWOOD. She did not marry, but lived with her mother and half-sister Jane PORTER. Mary and Jane worked as music teachers, later establishing a school for "young ladies and little boys" first in Montreal and later in Toronto. She is recorded in the various census records. In 1871 she is living with Mary her mother and her half-sister Jane Porter. In later censuses and the Toronto Directory for 1889 she is living with Jane, both working as music teachers.
 1871 Census |
 1881 Census |
 1889 Directory |
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 1891 Census |
 1901 Census |
Mary died 13 September 1903, at 110 Borden St, Toronto, Canada.
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Margaret Henrietta BLACKWOOD
Margaret was born about 1842. She married the Rev. Thomas Godden on 22 October 1863 in Montreal. They had at least two sons, Edward and Clarence, as they are listed as living with their Aunt Mary in the 1881 and 1891 censuses. Margaret died in Belleville Ontario on 29 December 1897.
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There is more detail on Margaret's family here
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Last updated: 12 May 2026