Gaelic Motto: "Cearúill In fide et in bello" (Firm in faith and in war)

Tracing direct family links of Grandma's side of the family begins with John Andrew Carroll born in 1791 in London, England. He lived on Drury Lane with his wife Mary and had the occupation of "harness-maker". Their life together was one of severe hardship. For an unknown reason, he spent most of his adult life in a workhouse, admitted numerous times with and without his family. The first instance was in 1827, accompanied by his wife and two young sons (aged 3 and 1). Throughout the next eight years, he was in and out of the workhouse, where he eventually died at the age of 52. John Carroll, his eldest son, was separated from his family for four years during this time, when he was sent to the Infant's Poor House at age 4.

When he was 25 years old, John was listed as a house painter and married Susannah Brooks in London. Susannah and John had a son named Fredrick W. Carroll, who married Mary Tooley and took over her family's dairy farm. They had one son, Fredrick G. Carroll in 1883. John lost the dairy and left his wife and son, who was then brought up by his aunt Martha (a childless widow who ran a girl's school). Fredrick G. learned to play the piano so well, he once played at Albert Hall at the age of 4. Too small to reach the foot pedals, his piano teacher had to work them for him. Around 1908 at about the age of 25, Fredrick G. Carroll emigrated to Manitoba, Canada, shortly after the passing of his mother Mary. He was well known as a pianist in the silent movie houses. Fredrick G. Carroll was Grandma's father.

Grandma's mother was Cora Quinton. The Quinton family originated from Drogheda, Ireland. They emigrated to Canada in 1852 by "bark" or sailing ship. The trip must have been a terrible ordeal; after almost reaching Newfoundland, a storm blew the ship back to the west coast of Ireland, landing the Protestant family at a Roman Catholic village. The family was taken into the village, where two of them were stoned to death, witnessed by the rest of Quinton clan. The remaining family members were given water and released. After six weeks, they finally landed in New York and proceeded to London, Ontario, Canada by ox-cart and on foot.