Leaving the Old & Embracing the New ~ Canada Bound

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 30 (THE OLD COUNTRY)

This week's prompt THE OLD COUNTRY had be searching through my tree on my mother's paternal line looking for how far back in the old country I had gotten in my research. I found the line below that I have been stuck for many years.

I decided to blog as cousin bait.
It worked last time.
I hope it will again!

My 5th great grandmother Marion Weir. I have quite a bit of confirmed information, and DNA matches to support my research this far. 

Marion Weir (my 5th great grandmother)
BIRTH 14 JUL 1781 • Lesmahagow, Carnwath, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 17 AUG 1826 • Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland


her parents (my 6th great grandparents)
John Weir 
BIRTH ABT. 1755 • Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH Scotland
and 
Anne Stark 
BIRTH ABT. 1757 • Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH Scotland

This is where I am stuck on this family line. I have tugged on ancestry, but with such common names of the time I am not confident the records or trees are for the correct person.
I only have 4 other children besides Marion


Marion Weir married
Andrew Hamilton (my 5th great grandfather)
BIRTH 2 SEP 1775 • Baddom, Douglas, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 28 JAN 1836/37 • Goathouse, Lesmahagow, Lanark, Scotland

I descend through their child 
Susanah (Susan) Hamilton
BIRTH 03 NOV 1814 • Carnwath, Lanarkshire
DEATH 11 APR 1894 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland
and
Robert Graham
BIRTH 16 JAN 1814 • Thornhill, Closeburn, Dumfries-shire, Scotland
DEATH 24 MAR 1892 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Skipping a few generations forward - it's Marion and Andrew's great grandchild, Robert Graham) who brought my family line to Canada.

Robert & Jessie Crawford (nee Gray) Graham
my X2 great grandparents

Robert Graham
BIRTH 23 DEC 1884 • Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 13 JAN 1929 • St Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
married to
Jessie Crawford Gray
BIRTH 23 JUN 1884 • Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 17 JUL 1952 • Manitoba, Canada

They immigrated to Manitoba in 1911 with their three oldest children. They had 7 more children in Canada. My great grandfather was their oldest child. He was 5 when they immigrated to Canada, and settled in Manitoba.



Robert & Jessie Crawford (nee Gray) Graham's 10 children:


Robert (Bob) (Bobby) Graham (my great grandfather)
BIRTH 3 MAY 1906 • Holytown, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 10 AUG 1960 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Jessie Crawford Graham
BIRTH 29 JUL 1908 • Holytown, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 18 MAY 2001 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Margaret Burt (Meg) Graham
BIRTH 29 JUN 1911 • Holytown, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH DEC 1985 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Charlotte Gray (Dot) Graham
BIRTH 11 JAN 1913 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DEATH 8 DEC 2008 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Susan Hamilton (Sue) Graham
BIRTH 5 FEB 1915 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DEATH 15 FEB 2001 • Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


William Gray (Bill) Graham 
BIRTH 15 DEC 1916 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DEATH 1 APR 1993 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Douglas Charles (Doug) Graham
BIRTH 19 MAR 1919 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DEATH 11 NOV 1979 • Shoreham, Worthing, West Sussex, England


Andrew Burt (Burt) Graham
BIRTH 2 MAY 1921 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DEATH Ontario, Canada


Georgina (Ina) Gray Graham
BIRTH 20 MAR 1923 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DEATH 13 APR 2011 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada


Jean Gray Graham
1927–2006
BIRTH 21 JAN 1927 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DEATH 2 JUL 2006 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Jessie Crawford (nee Gray) Graham
my X2 great grandmother

Meg Jesse Bill Sue Dot
Burt Doug Ina
Jean

Bill Doug and Burt

Bob Jessie Bill
Doug Burt

My great grandfather, Robert (Bob/Bobby)
is missing from this photo
his ex-wife Nellie and son Jack (my grandfather) are in it

Jessie centre back
Doug's wife Josephine holding son Doug
and others

This is where my story began

My mom with her parents
father Jack is the first Canadian born
in my mother's paternal line

Proudly Canadian because my ancestors chose this country!







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***






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!

___________________________________________________________

British Home Child - Alfred Augustus Baker (age 12), and his siblings

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 12 (12)


I have chosen to feature 12 year old Alfred  and his siblings for this week 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge - the prompt is 12 which was the age young Alfred was when he arrived in Canada, all alone, and headed to the Northwest Territories with a stranger. 

In the 1891 census I find my X3 great grandmother with three children living at 182 Beresford Street in the Newington district of London, England. Jemima Jane (nee North) Baker marital status is listed as married & her occupation is wife,. Her husband, Alfred A Baker, is not recorded as living with the family. Daughter Mary, who was baptized alongside son Alfred Augustus Baker on the 30th of April 1890, is also absent from this census. The three children listed are Amy Louisa (my X2 great grandmother) age 16, Alfred Augusta age 4, and Edith Jemima age 3.

This is the last time I find any records for Jemima Jane (nee North) Baker. I find no records for Alfred A Baker after the marriage record for him and Jemima on the 2nd of November 1874 at  All Saints, St Pancras Rd, Camden, England. Where the parents of Amy, Alfred, and Edith were  after 1891 is a mystery.  All three of the recorded children I could find ended up in Canada.

July 25, 1898 Alfred arrives in Canada as a British Home Child. He arrived on the ship Labrador through Quebec to the Toronto Bernardo's home for 'distribution'. What a strange way to word the program that was sending young children in need to a new country for a new life. It seems to me that the phrase really did portray the results of the program. The intent had been to send children from England to new families in Canada. Sadly that isn't what happened for many of the children sent by ship to Canada and elsewhere in the world. The record that I find notes that "In 1898, A. A. Baker, 9, arrived at Quebec, Canada, along with a group of 92 children en route to Toronto, Ontario, Canada." 1  

The documents indicate that Alfred was 9. Alfred was 12. His BHC Registry ID #: 55283.

My online researching indicates that sometimes the incorrect age listed was done in legitimate error. Sometimes it was done to allow for more years of service for smaller children. We will never know what the actual reason was for Alfred.  The follow up documents I found note that he was born in 1898, and was 12 when he arrived. 

Where exactly Alfred ended up isn't a story that was passed down through my side of the family. In the August 1903 edition of Dr. Barnardo Magazine Ups and Downs on page 55 Alfred is noted as having received a Silver Medal for good conduct & length of service. The April 1903 issue of the same magazine mentions a letter that says Alfred A Baker will be 17 in April. It also says that Alfred A Baker arrived in 1898, and was placed with Mr. Johnston. The British Home Child Registry notes that Alfred Augustus Baker was going to Avonhurst**, Northwest Territories, Canada with Mr. Johnston. The records indicated he remained there until 1903.  Where he went in 1903 I have not yet found.  My Alfred Augustus Baker was born in April of 1886 he would have been turning 17 in April 1903. Alfred Augustus Baker received a long service Silver Medal in 1903, and Alfred A Baker was placed from 1898 to 1903 with Mr. Johnston. I am fairly confident all the documentation is about the same Alfred Baker. I have heard many stories about the terrible situations British Home Children ended up in upon their arrival in Canada. I am hopeful that 12 year old Alfred Augustus Baker was treated well by Mr. Johnston since he chose to stay with him for at least the 5 years.  

Alfred Augustus Baker married Flora Isabel Cameron who was born in Saskatchewan. He was listed as a clerk in the 1916 census, and a farmer in the 1921 census. I haven't yet found their marriage record. I have them on birth records, and supporting census records. The first recorded child I find for them was Amy born in 1912. Their second child Frank was born in 1914. They had a male child who was likely stillborn in 1916. In the 1921 census they have only the two children who are 7 & 8 years old. All three children were born in Saskatchewan. Both Alfred and Flora died in Victoria, British Columbia. I have yet to find any record of when they moved from Saskatchewan to British Columbia, and whether their children joined them. I have found no further information for Alfred Augustus Baker.

Alfred's sister Edith Jemima Baker was a British Home Child arriving in Canada 25th of July 1902 when she arrived on the ship New England to the port in Boston. She then traveled to Canada, Edith Jemima Baker is listed as residing at Bernardo's Home in England in the 1901 census. Her age listed as 13 matches all of my research to date.  I find a record of Edith at the New Road School in London, admitted the 8th of  January in 1894. I know this is my Edith because the birth date matches, and her father is listed correctly. Noted right above her birth date on the admission record is 'weak intellect'. I wonder if this relative shared my 'late reader' label. There is no indication that she lacked intelligence later in life.  "In 1902, Edith Baker, 14, arrived at Boston, Massachusetts, USA, along with a large party of about 400 children en route to Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Her brother, A(lfred) A(ugustus) Baker arrived previously in 1898 on the Labrador with Barnardos." 2  There is no record that I can find who Edith lived with in Canada until she moved to Manitoba to live with her sister Amy Louisa (nee Baker) Dendy. In 1905 Edith married John Zarn, and they had 8 children.

Amy Louisa Baker was my X2 great grandmother. She was born on the 18th of March in 1875 in England. She died 23rd of December 1949 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She married William Herbert Dendy on the 10th of December 1893 in England. William Herbert Dendy was born on the 27th of July 1867 in England, and died 25 December 1929 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They had 11 children. Six children were born in England, and 5 in Canada. My great grandmother was their first born in Canada. The family immigrated to Canada in 1903, and settled in Manitoba. They did try their hand at farming in Alberta for a time (see Bachelor Uncle Blog for more about that) and also lived in Saskatchewan where their 9th child was born.  

Amy Louisa (nee Baker) Dendy on right, William Herbert Dendy in back.
Likely their daughters Amy in back, Rose (my great grandmother) in front
not sure who the other two are, but based on ages there are a couple to choose from.
Guessing 1909 since Rose looks about three so Amy was probably expecting Den who was born in 1909 

I don't know if my X2 great grandparents came to Canada to be closer to Amy's siblings who had been sent to Canada as British Home Children. Amy was already married when her younger siblings left to Canada in 1898 and 1902. Amy and her family arrived in 1904, and originally settled in Manitoba where my great grandmother Rose was born.  Amy and family were then living in Saskatchewan in 1907 and 1909 where two sons, Albert & Den, were born. I don't know when Alfred married Flora (from Saskatchewan), but their first born child was named Amy in 1912. It's possible that Amy Louisa moved to Saskatchewan to be closer to Alfred. We also know that Amy Louisa was living near Edith in Manitoba. The records indicate that Amy Louisa and her family were moving between Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta during the years of 1903 and 1929. I don't know why that was happening at a time in the past when most folks didn't move around a lot.   

I don't know what happened to their sister Mary. 

I don't know what happened to their parents Alfred A Baker & Jemima Jane North. 

I do know that the family names continued in the family's of all three children. 

I do know that all three went on to have family's, and appear to have been successful in life.

I do know that Amy's daughter Rose (my great grandmother) was so attached to her family that she took her brother out of the institution as soon as she was able (see Bachelor Uncle Blog for more about that). 

I also know that Edith Jemima remained connected to Amy Louisa's family after her marriage because I found her playing matchmaker for niece Amy Florence Dendy in 1906. 

Amy Louisa was born Amy Baker, and married William Herbert Dendy to become Amy Dendy. Her daughter was born Amy Florence Dendy, and when she married Jack Baker she became Amy Baker. Amy Baker became Amy Dendy, and then Amy Dendy became Amy Baker. I was only able to tease this apart using the video of my grandma explaining a family photo along with this side story. 


The things you don't know until you do. 


If you know more please comment or message me with the details. 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

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

** Not to be confused with the current Northwest Territories. In 1905 the landscape of Canada changed with the creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Avonhurst is, and always was, part of Saskatchewan. 


Sources:

1 RootsChat.Com, RootsChat Reference Library, Database for Special Interest Groups(DBSIG), British Home Children, Quick Search. as retrieved March 20, 2019 from
http://surname.rootschat.com/lexicon/dbsig/dbsig-quick-search.php?dbsig_num=1&surname=BAKER&view=3969#top_data

2 RootsChat.Com, RootsChat Reference Library, Database for Special Interest Groups(DBSIG), British Home Children, Quick Search. as retrieved March 22, 2019 from http://surname.rootschat.com/lexicon/dbsig/dbsig-quick-search.php?dbsig_num=1&surname=BAKER&view=3968#top_data




Amended Web Links

Alfred Augustus Baker, British Home Children, A Virtual Cemetery, Find A Grave, Retrieved February 5th 2021 from 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/222328905/alfred-augustus-baker?fbclid=IwAR1SzKI3L1zLtPfJAdY4RYoaFsJeOLjPAkbl_MRwDob1d_sMPGvu3Vjbwxw

Edith Baker Zarn, British Home Children, A Virtual Cemetery, Find A Grave, Retrieved February 5th 2021 from 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/111283305/edith-zarn

additional sources:
British Home Children registry as retrieved March 22, 2019 from http://www.britishhomechildrenregistry.com/Person/bhcInfo/55283

Retrieved March 19, 2019 from
https://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com/ups-and-downs-1903.html

Retrieved March 20, 2019 from
https://bifhsgo.ca/cstm_upsAndDowns.php?page=1&nr=50&scl=sna&sn=baker

Retrieved March 20, 2019 from http://www.britishhomechildrenregistry.com/Person/search

Retrieved March 22, 2019 from
http://www.britishhomechildrenregistry.com/Person/bhcInfo/55313






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

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!

Brick Wall - researching Grahams from Holytown, Scotland who immigrated to Canada

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 2 (Challenge)

This week I focus on the first brick wall I encountered in my attempt to collect broken branches in my fractured family tree which resembles a bramble bush more then a proper tree.

When I got my first ancestry account I sat down to enter what I knew, or at least what I thought I knew. We hear stories about our families from a very young age, and we believe what we hear. It's only when we start to enter the information we have been provided that we become unsure what is fact and what is family lore. 


I grew up not knowing my grandfather on my mother's side. He left the family before I was born. I did hear stories about him, and my grandmother knew a lot about the family.  His mother (my mom's grandmother) was very involved with the family until she died when I was a teenager. She also shared stories. I had kept notes over the years of the details she had given me. Having not actually known my grandfather I was very interested in hearing her stories, and thought I had a lot of details. 

My grandpa John Robert (Jack) and his dad Robert (Bob)


Back to my first entries on my brand new paid for Ancestry account.  I was super excited to enter the details about what I knew to see how far back I could get. When I entered the name Bob Graham born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1906 exactly as my grandmother told me his details were - nothing happened. No little green leaf hints. Nothing. I then clicked search, but still nothing happened. I was super disappointed.  I then entered my great grandmother's information noting them as divorced, but still no information about their marriage or anything. I was stumped, but not willing to give up.

I went to the Manitoba vital statistics page to see if they had a record of a marriage license for my great grandparents. They did so I sent away for it. Then I waited for what seemed a very long time, but was likely only a few weeks. When it arrived I was shocked to see my great grandfather was not born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and his full name was Robert Graham. He had been born in Holytown, Scotland, and came to Canada when he was 5 years old with his parents and two  sisters. I also noticed that one of the witnesses was Margaret Graham. Guessing this was Bob's sister I added her details along with the birthdate, location and parents names that were in the marriage license. When I clicked save I got my first green leaf hint for my mom's paternal grandfather. With the addition of parents, a sister, and his proper details the available documents provided 9 siblings for my great grandfather. This one document broke through my first brick wall.

Quite quickly I was able to go up two more generations in my family tree before I was stuck again. With how easy those next two generations had been to find I had envisioned being back to the Clan Graham's Marquis or Earl or someone equally as cool in just a few weeks. Alas this was not to be. I was stuck again. I posted in the discussion forum that I was stuck, and a gentleman shared birth records for 4 children (one appeared to be for my 4th great grandfather) where the parents were recorded as Peter Graham and Ann(e) Kirk. The records were from Scotland's People. I entered the information, and waited for the hints to arrive. They didn't. 2 years passed, and still I waited.

I took a free online course from the University of Strathclyde via FutureLearn. I realized some of my research techniques and source citations were lacking. I had been pondering whether the child of Peter Graham and Ann(e) Kirk was really my X4 great grandfather. The actual record only stated a birthdate and gender with no first name. Graham is a super common name is Scotland.  It could be any child really. I decided to start a brand new tree using my newly found understanding of reasonable exhaustive search.

I began all over with a brand new tree. And traveling up the Graham line ended up right back to where I had been before with Peter Graham & Ann(e) Kirk. Two more times I removed the parents and siblings from my X4 great grandfather Robert Graham to search all over again.  Both times I searched, and put Peter Graham & Ann(e) Kirk back in as parents.

Finally Ancestry DNA came to the rescue. A few months ago we had a match to descendants of Robert's (my X4 great grandfather) older brother James. Using the shared cm project (link at the end) the amount of shared DNA matches to the paper trees relationship. I added a note to both Peter Graham & Ann(e) Kirk entry in my tree reminding myself not to delete them from my tree again 'they really are your X5 great grandparents'.
On the one hand I am happy to have found my X5 great grandparents. On the other hand I have been trying to break through this brick wall for the past 5 years. I am no further ahead today then I was then.

Maybe you can help?

Looking for Grahams who immigrated to Canada from Holytown, Scotland in 1911.

My great great grandparents Robert Graham & Jessie Crawford Gray


Robert Graham

BIRTH 23 DEC 1883 • Carluke, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 13 JAN 1929 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
and
Jessie Crawford Gray
BIRTH 23 JUNE 1884 • Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland
DEATH 17 JULY 1952 • Manitoba, Canada.

Parents for Robert (23 Dec 1883) above are: 

Robert Graham

BIRTH ABT 1851 • Carluke, Lanarkshire

DEATH BEFORE 1905 • Scotland, United Kingdom

and

Margaret (Maggie) Burt

BIRTH ABT 1854 • Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire

DEATH 14 JULY 1933 • 61 Church St, Newharthill, Scotland

parents for Robert (birth abt 1851) above are:

Robert Graham

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

DEATH 24 MAR 1892 • Forth, Lanarkshire, Scotland: Heathland

and

Susanah (Susan) Hamilton

BIRTH 1814 • Carnwath, Lanarkshire

DEATH Unknown

parents for Robert (16 Jan 1814) above are: 

Peter Graham

BIRTH ABT 1788 • Closeburn, Dumfriesshire

DEATH Unknown

and

Ann(e) Kirk

BIRTH ABT 1785

DEATH Unknown

Using Scottish naming patterns I am guessing that Peter's parents were James & Elizabeth, and Ann(e)'s parents were Robert & Mary. This family line does use Scottish naming patterns, but the flaw in my guessing is that I am unsure that I have a record of all their children. I only have records for 4 children of Peter & Ann(e). I can't be sure the names are relevant for Scottish naming patterns usage. 

My BRICK WALL Peter Graham and Ann(e) Kirk.

Any assistance you can offer is much appreciated

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link to the shared cm project chart
https://isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_statistics?fbclid=IwAR0WKQcmklA6j84kOA_GGL5lMHKuuyQtGtvAsmjCsrCJqWKFXL1KhCz-fBE#/media/File:Shared_cM_version_3.jpg

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!