I began my search with paternal Gr-Grandfather John J Crowley b. 1848 Kingston, Ontario, but could not find him or his children in Kingston, altho documentation indicates such. In a shocking discovery, I learned that his father was not a Crowley, but John FARRELL b.1828 Co Donegal! Seems JohnJ's mother Mary O'Gara b. 1829 Co Monaghan married John Farrell, had JohnJ, then married Jeremiah Crowley three years later. Have not been able to learn what happened to John Farrell, but that's not my question (oddly enough!).

Using JohnJ's surname as Farrell, I was then able to find him and wife and children.He married in 1873, had 7 children, and the whole gang then moved to Chicago in 1891. While he and the children are shown as surname Farrell in Kingston, on the 1900 and 1910 US Censuses, they had surname Crowley. On JohnJ's death document in 1911, he is shown as Farrell!

There's more of this name-changing behavior, but what I'm wondering is if coming across the border allows one to use a surname of their choice. Whew! Sorry that took so long to tell.