Alexander Morris Mniece : Short Biography

Alexander Morris Mniece 1844

County Antrim County Down

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Place of migration

Migrated to/Born elsewhere

BIRTH YEAR AND PLACE AND NAME Alexander Mniece was born Alexander McNeice (according to Lulu Mniece, Alex's daughter-in-law). An Irish genealogist estimated that his birthname was Morris. Alexander was born about 1844, perhaps in the capital of what is now known as Northern Ireland. Lulu wrote on the back of his photograph that he was born in Belfast. His son, Leonard, reported on the 1920 census (before the formation of Northern Ireland) that his father was born in Ireland; he reported on the 1930 and 1940 censuses that his father was born in Northern Ireland. (A family biography, The Good Record, reported that he was born in Scotland. A son, George, reported in Census 1920 that his father was born in Scotland.)
PARENTS An Irish genealogist predicted in 2021 that either his father's name was Morris or that he was illegitimate. No church record of baptism had been found as of 2022.
NAMES Alexander's first name was spelled in various ways including Alic and Alex. His surname was also spelled in various ways: Maurice (on a ship manifest), McNice (on his first son's birth certificate), McNiel (on his daughter's birth certificate), (transcribed) Ulrice (on his second son's birth certificate), McNiecer (on a property map), and so on. Alexander used Mniece for Census 1880. His children all used Mniece when they were adults. Someone purchased a headstone for Alexander and Phoebe and had it inscribed: Mniece.
IMMIGRATION A ship's manifest listed a child, possibly this person, as Alexander Maurice. Someone paid for Alexander's trip from Liverpool, England, to Philadelphia, on the Ship Mary Pleasant! A young child, Mary Jane Maurice also traveled with Mary Ann and Alexander. As of 2020 it was suspected that, unlike Alexander, the following died early: Mary Ann and Mary Jane Morris.
UNCERTAIN RESIDENCE From 1852 to 1874 his place of residence was uncertain. Census 1860 reported that a Samuel Morris resided with an Alex in Wisconsin. No military record had been found as of 2021. In 1860 a different person, named Alex Maurice, resided in New York. That Alex Maurice was born in Germany.
MARRIAGE Alexander Mniece reported his name as Alexander Maurice when he married Phoebe Wright in Austin Township on June 17, 1875.
FAMILY LIFE A property map was found for Alexander McNeicer the beginning of 2021. Census reports showed that he was a Farmer in Michigan. His daughter-in-law reported in writing that he was a Lumberjack. Alexander had three children including a son, Leonard, with Phoebe Wright. Their son, Leonard, graduated from college and became a Superintendent in a public school system.
RELIGION Phoebe's obituary stated that she was a Methodist.
DEATH Alexander died in Michigan in 1891, at the age of 47. One of two death records reported his name: Alic McNiece. The other reported his name: Alex McNeice. Both death records stated that his parents were unknown.
BURIAL He was buried in the same gravesite as his wife. His daughter-in-law, Lulu, stated in a letter that he died of consumption (TB). The headstone of Alexander and Phoebe was inscribed: Mniece.

Attachment	Size
1879 Property of Alex McNiecer (40 acres) in Austin Township of Mecosta, Michigan.jpg (51.69 KB)	51.69 KB

Additional Information
Date of Birth	1st Jan 1844 (circa)	VIEW SOURCE
Date of Death	19th Oct 1891	VIEW SOURCE
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Surname during his residence in Northern Ireland may have been M'Nice or M'Nish. The eldest son of Alexander, George, used those variants during his lifetime.

SLPinMONTANA

Saturday 10th April 2021 02:38PM

Updated July 16, 2022: Due to suggestion in January 2021, this man's surname while a child (about 1844-1851) in the Belfast area of Ireland was probably Morris.