Susan or Susannah ?

The following is an old family story about the circumstances leading to this.

Joseph McBride moved to Sandusky, Ohio, where he married Jane Carter. They had four children, then Sandusky was hit by the plague. The story goes that Joseph went to work one morning, then at noon word came that he had fallen ill. His wife went to him, and by evening both were dead. The children were taken to a refuge for such orphaned children. The baby, Charles, died, but not of the plague. Great-grandmother Susannah was five years old, Ellen seven and Joseph three. ( Must have been 1850.)

Three McBride brothers went to Ohio, settled the estate and brought the three children back to Barrie.

Whichever brother lived on a farm took Joseph, it's not known who took Ellen. James took Susannah, and shortened her name to Susan since James already had a daughter named Susannah (who married James Cavanagh, brother of Patrick).

As each child came of age, his or her portion of the parent's estate was paid in gold. It was quite an occasion, according to Susan. The uncles, formally dressed, came into the parlour, the 21-year-old received them there, and gold coins were poured from a leather bag onto the table.