Grizel to Grace ~ Changing the Optics

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 48 (GRATITUDE)

When I first found the name Grizel in an ancestor's record I pondered why anyone would name their child after the tough inedible part of meat (gristle). I just couldn't imagine why a parent would name their new baby girl after such a yucky thing. Next I wondered if the child was particularly whiny, and named after the grizzly noises they made.  I then thought maybe the child was born with hair the colour of 'salt & pepper', and it was a spelling variation of grizzled. 

When I found several named Grizel in the records I was searching I realized there must be something more to this name. 

The name Grizel is: 

"Scottish and English variant of Griselda, from Old German,
possibly meaning "grey battle-maiden". " 
                                           1

What I found interesting is that all of the Grizels I found were known as Grace.
The name Grace invokes far more attractive visuals that the name Grizel did for me. 

I love the name Grace. I also love the word Grace. It's a part of my everyday language. I frequently comment that I am grateful the people that care about me give me grace. I am not perfect, and the grace offered by those around me assists me in living life authentically.

GRACE & GRATITUDE walk hand in hand. 

Now back to the name:

"Grizel / Grizelda / Griselda

This name is thought to have been derived from the Old German
"grisja" (grey) and "hild" (battle). The 14th century author Boccaccio
wrote a story about Patient Griselda in the Decameron and the English
author Chaucer wrote a version of this in "The Clerk's Tale" which
popularised the name and associated it with patience. Grizel became a
popular form in Scotland though there were many variations -
Grizzel, Girsel, Girzel and Goirzel. It was used by both the nobility and
commoners - one well known bearer of the name was
Lady Grizel Baillie (1665-1746), daughter of a Covenanter,
the 1st Earl of Marchmont. She wrote a number of Scots songs and her
"Household Book" was reprinted by the Scottish History Society in 1911.
In Scotland, Grizel sometimes became Grace
and a diminutive form was Zelda."   1

and 

"Grace

The name Grace came originally from the Latin "gratia" meaning
"grace" or "favour". It was not found often in Britain or Scotland until the
Puritans took it up in the 17th century, prompted by their phrase
"by the grace of God". The Puritans took the name to North America.
In Scotland it became quite popular in the 19th century but in a
number of cases it was derived from another popular name, Grizel, which
became "gris" and "Grace" (see also below). The name was given a boost
as a result of the heroine Grace Darling (1815-1842) who rescued some
shipwrecked sailors off the coast of Northumberland. In 1900, Grace
was the 22nd most popular first name in Scotland. However, in recent years,
despite Princess Grace of Monaco, the name is
not found often in Scotland."   2

 

All of the Grizels I found were in Scottish records. The first Grizel I found in our Bramble Bush was the mother-in-law of my 5th great uncle.

Grizel (Grace) Watson

BIRTH 25 MAR 1787 • Lamington, Lanarkshire, Scotland

DEATH 1 OCT 1865 • Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
her husband was|

Alexander Pate

BIRTH 10 DEC 1779 • Clannochdyke, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland

DEATH 25 MAY 1826 • Abbeygreen, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Their daughter

Elizabeth Pate

BIRTH 16 JUL 1818 • Lesmahag, Lanark

DEATH 19 JULY 1873 • Turfholm, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland
married my 5th great uncle|

James Graham

BIRTH 16 JUL 1811 • Closeburn, Dumfries, Thornhill, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotlan

DEATH 23 MAR 1886 • Drowned in River Dothan, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire

This couple has been very memorable for me because it is through one of their descendants that I was finally able to confirm this family line.  Prior to the DNA match I had taken my 5th great grandparents out of my tree several times. I had started my tree over twice concerned I may have not researched accurately. 

The DNA match finally allowed me to believe I had reasonably exhausted my search, and could claim my 5th great grandparents: Peter & Ann (nee Kirk) Graham.

The DNA match confirmed that James Graham was the brother 

of my 4th great grandfather 

Robert Graham

BIRTH 16 JAN 1814 • Thornhill, Closeburn, Dumfries-shire, Scotland

DEATH 24 MAR 1892 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland
married (my 4th great grandmother)

Susanah (Susan) Hamilton

BIRTH 03 NOV 1814 • Carnwath, Lanarkshire

DEATH 11 APR 1894 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland

The parents of James & Robert Graham were:

Peter Graham

BIRTH ABT 1788 • Closeburn, Dumfriesshire

DEATH Unknown
and

Ann Kirk

BIRTH ABT 1785

DEATH Unknown

James and Robert had two sisters that I have found so far:

Mary Graham

BIRTH 9 FEB 1819 • Crawfordjohn, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

DEATH Unknown
and

Elizabeth Graham (who married William Stark)

BIRTH 10 FEB 1821 • Muirkirk, Ayrshire, Scotland:

DEATH 22 NOV 1903 • 16 Anderson Street, Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire

My brick wall still stands at Peter Graham & Ann Kirk. I have found birth records for the 4 children I have listed. I have found no birth, marriage, or death records for either of them. I have found no records for other children. |I am still searching.

By using family line specific DNA profile photos I can easily see where DNA matches have confirmed the paper trail research.

Still searching to get past the brick walls!







This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
















***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***






Footnotes:

1 What's in a Name? Grizel, Retrieved November 28th 2020 from
https://www.whatsinaname.net/female-names/Grizel.html

2 Popular Scottish Forenames, Grace, Grizel, Retrieved November 28th 2020 from
http://www.rampantscotland.com/forenames/blnames_fg.htm





Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

___________________________________________________________

Father & Son ~ Explosion At Work

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 15 (FIRE)


It was a Thursday.
January 19th 1905 when Michael Aspden went to work at the sawmill in Cultus, Ontario, Canada. He, like many of the local farmers, made extra money during the winter at sawmills. 

Whitehead's Sawmill, 1905

That day, like any other winter day, he probably said goodbye to his wife & children. Maybe he kissed his wife Maggie goodbye?  

Michael & Maggie (nee Murphy) Aspden
My husband's X2 great grandparents

Maybe his kids chased after him?  Maybe he left with a full heart?  Maybe he left worried about things?  What exactly he was thinking about we don't know.  

What we do know is that Michael went to work at the sawmill. He was working that day with his oldest child John, and third oldest child Tom.  He likely met them at work. 


By 1905 Tom likely was not living at home. In the 1901 census he was listed as  living nearby with the Fleming family. By 1905 he may have moved back home since he was not married. 

Oldest son John had gotten married just a few weeks before on December 28th to Jessie Burger. He and Jessie likely lived nearby as was typical of that era. Maybe John met up with Michael & Tom to go to work, or maybe he met them there.


The day likely began & progressed just like any other work day. Just before quitting time John bent over to pick something up off the floor. That moment would save his life. 


At about 5:00 p.m. the boiler at the sawmill exploded. Tom and coworkers Charles Hainer, and George McCallum were killed instantly.  Michael & Freeman Moffatt critically injured. 

Simcoe Reformer, January 27th 1905 

An Aspden family member wrote the following after hearing the stories at a family reunion. 
"We can imagine the horror of John when he straightened up and gaped at the wreckage around him. His younger brother, Thomas, was dead. So too was the hired help, Charles Hainer. At first glance, Michael was in shock, badly burnt, but looked like he was going to make it."1


It was 6 days later that Michael succumbed to the injuries he sustained that day. 

Thomas Aspden & Charles Hainer died instantly
Michael Aspden died from inernal injuries 6 days later

When I decided to write about Michael & Tom Aspden for this week's blog, using the prompt, FIRE I thought I knew the story well having heard it from my husband's aunt who had heard it from her father who was 21 at the time of the explosion that killed his father and brother. 


I found researching fairly difficult because of the errors and misspellings in the past. There were a lot of media articles that listed Tom as George Aspden. The name Aspden was spelled as Ashben, Aspben, and Ashpen, and other ways. Once I finally figured out the sawmill wasn't owned by Michael as the family believed, but was owned by a gentleman named George Whitehead, researching became a little easier. 


It was known as Whitehead's Sawmill. The family story only included two killed, and one injured. There was much of the tale that we didn't know.


The insurance company released the information below. It doesn't list Charles Hainer who was included in the death registration above. Nor does it list Michael as dying from the injuries.I wasn't able to find Charles Penard so it's possible that the Charles listed below is the same Charles listed above. Which name is the correct one can't be determined, but likely the burial information is correct. The death registration isn't fully correct since Charles' age was not 18. Charles. This burial record appears to be accurate:

Source: Ancestry.ca

"(36.) — A boiler exploded, on January 19, in Whitehead's sawmill, at Cultus,
a small town near Langdon, Ont. Charles Penard, George Aspden, George McCallum, and Freeman Moffat were killed, and George Whitehead, Michael Aspden, and Charles Whitehead were injured. The property loss is estimated

at $15,000." 2

Below is part of an entry I found in a local history book: 
"Another incident occurred at the Whitehead sawmill east of Fairground on December 19, 1904, when a steam boiler ran dry and someone tried to replace the water with the result that four men were killed and a fifth died on January 25, 1905. Four other men were injured. Charles. Hanner and Thomas Aspden were killed instantly, the latter by a brick driven through his skull. Freeman Moffatt of Cultus lived ten hours and George McCollom lived just a few minutes after being carried to the nearby boarding house. Michael Aspden died later in Langton on January 25, 1905. The injured were John L. Gee, Wally Whitehead and Allan Moffatt. Aspden was blown out of the fire hole about thirty feet beyond the west end of the mill. Wally Whitehead, nephew of John Whitehead, the owner of the mill, had just arrived on the scene when the explosion occurred and was hit by a flying object in the shoulder and arm, disabling his arm. John Aspden and Walter Stansell were the first to gather up the dead. The latter was mistaken for a doctor as he came upon the scene carrying a satchel." 3

After the explosion
Lower right of the photo is a hat - believed to be Michael Aspden's

In the photo above you will see a hat in the lower right. The family had been told it is Michael's hat. The family was told that Tom was decapitated. In the excerpt above it was described that a brick was driven through Tom's skull. It must have appeared to the family member who identified him that he had been decapitated. 


John was first to gather up the dead which included his father, brother, and colleagues. If he wouldn't have bent over right at that moment in time he too would have been injured or killed. His wife left a widow after only 22 days of marriage. His first child born 11 months later would never have been.  Like Tom's family line John's would have ended that day at work. 



In the book excerpt above the date of the explosion is wrong. After reading it I realized I needed to research this story more. I was able to confirm the date with the registration of Freeman Moffatt's death. I was not able to find George McCallum's death registration, but did find his death information on Find-A-Grave (sourced in the section below). Death records for both confirm the date of the explosion as January 19th 1905. 

Once the details were correct it was possible to find articles about the explosion. 

The Daily News, January 21st 1905

The Ottawa Journal, January 21st 1905

Manitoba Morning Free Press, January 21st 1905 

Toronto Daily Star, January 20th 1905

The Buffalo Times,  Jan 23rd 1905

The Windsor Star, January 20th 1905

When considering all the details presented the story passed down to the family regarding this tragic accident are mostly correct. The family's belief that the sawmill was owned by Michael Aspden isn't correct. I can find no connection between the owner George (or John or Charles) Whitehead and the Aspden family. 


There were 10 men working at the sawmill on the day the explosion happened. 5 were killed, 3 recovered from their injuries, and 2 were uninjured. 


The lack of safe work practices in the past is why we now have rules & legislation around safety at work. Everyone should come home at the end of their work day. 





Taking a moment to remember those who didn't come home from work in our Bramble Bush Family Tree. 






This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
















***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***





Footnotes:

1 Our Aspden Roots In Lancashire, England: A Tradition of Stationary Engineers and Sawmills, Aspden, Murray Bruce.  Self published eBook, 2016, pg 4

2 The Locomotive, Vol. 25, The Hartford Steam Boiler Insepction and Insurance Company, The Case, Lockivood & Brainard Company Printers, Hartford, Connecticut, October 1905, pg 213   Retrieved April 14th 2020 from
https://archive.org/details/locomotive25hart/mode/2up

3 Sims' History of Elgin County Volume III.  Sims, Hugh Joffre. Elgin County Library St. Thomas, Ontario,  The Aylmer Express Ltd., Aylmer, Ontario, Canada, 1988, pg 160.  Retrieved April 12th 2020 from

https://inmagic.elgin.ca/ElginImages/archives/ImagesArchive/pdfs/REF15_Sims%20History%20of%20Elgin%20County%20Book%203.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0Ujt5P2b81GpcST5fBqzx6FLc39j24nNTvgJALmnYw8l3xLJiBw3J8qDo


Sources:

McCallum, George Thomas. Find-A-Grave, Retrieved April 12th 2020 from
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109151264

News Articles unsourced belong to the newspaper who published them.

Our Aspden Roots In Lancashire, England: A Tradition of Stationary Engineers and Sawmills, Aspden, Murray Bruce.  eBook, 2016

Vital statistics records, Ontario, Canada, Ancestry.ca


Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

___________________________________________________________

Generational Photos ~ Aspden Line

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 7 (FAVOURITE DISCOVERY)


This year's plan for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is to fairly share the 4 family lines that make this Bramble Bush. 

Last year's challenge I focused predominantly on my side of the tree, and only wrote about my husband's side a few times. This year I set up a weekly rotating  plan before the 2020 weekly prompts were released. This week's prompt is FAVOURITE DISCOVERY from my mother-in-law's maternal line. 


I think this is the first time I have written about the ASPDEN family. When I was trying to decide who to write about I realized that I had researched this part of our tree so long ago that I remembered very little.


As I began looking through the entries I discovered that the Aspden family has always had a thing for photos. I was able to find photos of his ancestors on this line up to his X3 great grandparents. There are some lines of our tree that we have no photos past our great grandparents. 


My husband has a photography hobby. He takes amazing photos. We used to have a darkroom in our home, and he developed his own photos. He now uses digital. His first camera was a present from his grandmother Eva Alice (nee Aspden) Lee when he was a small child. Almost 45 years later the strap that holds his camera secure was the one on his grandmother's camera while he was growing up.

Grandma's camera strap still going on adventures

⸞

My husband's grandparents

Clifton & Eva (nee Aspden) Lee

Eva Alice Aspden
BIRTH 4 SEP 1922 • Simcoe, Norfolk Co., Ontario, Canada

DEATH 23 AUG 2008 • Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

&

Clifton Alexander (Cliff) Lee

BIRTH 20 MAY 1902 • Northfield Centre, Brant Co., Ontario, Canada

DEATH 9 SEP 1979 • Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

⸞

My husband's great grandparents

Thircul & Kate (nee Powers) Aspden

Thircul Murney Aspden

BIRTH 4 APR 1883 • Houghton Tp, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada
DEATH 25 APR 1963 • Courtland, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada

&

Catherine Cameron (Kate) Powers

BIRTH 5 JUL 1888 • Tain, Rosshire, Scotland
DEATH 5 MAY 1978 • Simcoe, Norfolk Co., Ontario, Canada

 *** My husband remembers delivering tea & toast to his
great grandma Aspden when she lived with his grandparents in
Vienna, Ontario. He clearly remembers stirring 3 teaspoons of sugar
and a dash of milk into the tiny tea cup, and carefully carrying the
cup & saucer and side plate of toast to his beloved great grandma.  

⸞

My husband's X2 great grandparents

Michael Aspden

Margaret Jane (nee Murphy) Aspden

Michael Aspden

BIRTH 8 DEC 1853 • Norfolk Co., Canada West
DEATH 25 JAN 1905 • Houghton Tp., Norfolk Co., Canada

&

Margaret Jane Murphy
BIRTH 16 OCT 1853 • Woodhouse Tp., Norfok Co., Canada West

DEATH 15 JAN 1932 • Langhton, Norfolk Co., Ontario, Canada

⸞

My husband's X3 great grandparents
(Michael's parents)

John & Martha (nee Wolfendon) Aspden

John Aspden

BIRTH 20 AUG 1819 • Brooks Bottoms, Bury, Lancashire, England
DEATH 7 MAR 1906 • Houghton Tp., Norfolk Co., Canada

&

Martha Wolfendon

BIRTH 10 OCT 1819 • Rochdale, Lancashire, England
DEATH 21 OCT 1888 • Houghton Tp., Norfolk Co., Canada

⸞

My husband's X3 great grandparents
(Margaret's parents)

John & Elizabeth (nee Kniffen) Murphy

John Murphy

BIRTH 11 FEB 1833 • Charlotteville Tp., Norfolk Co., Upper Canada

DEATH 23 AUG 1909 • Walsh, Norfolk Co., Ontario, Canada

&

Elizabeth Kniffen

BIRTH 26 MAY 1833 • Charlotteville Tp., Norfolk Co., Upper Canada

DEATH 2 MAY 1923 • Norfolk, Ontario, Canada

⸞

Looking at these old photos it's apparent that photography is in the blood of the Aspden line. The older photos are from a time when photography was rare. This wasn't something done at home. You needed a highly skilled photographer to take, develop and print photos. This was a time when there wasn't funds for anything that you couldn't eat, grow, wear or ride. It must have been a special time to have the photos done. Looking at the photo of John & Elizabeth it wouldn't have been their wedding day because they are considerably older than 19 (which was how old they were when they got married). My husband definitely comes from a long line of photo enthusiasts. 

My husband's photo, Ocean Shores, Washington, June 2015

When the talents of your ancestors are passed down!







This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
















***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photo Sources:

All photos of X2 & X3 great grandparents from Ancestry.
All others family photos.




Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

___________________________________________________________