The Wheels On The Pram Go Round & Round ~ Remembering My Mom & Her Parents In A Happier Time

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2025: Week 20 (WHEELS)

This week I shift my style of blogging.

For the next several weeks I will post a photo and a brief description. 

This new style of posting is due to CMC Arthroplasty surgery on my left thumb. 

I will continue with this style until my thumb has sufficiently recovered.

~

This week's photo features a happier time in my maternal family line. 

Jack & Amy with their firstborn child Jacki who would grow up to be my mom.

I chose this photo for 3 reasons:

1. there are wheels on that stroller even if you can't see them
2. this year was my 11th Mother's Day without my mom 
3. this is an important point in the tale of how my story began

Looking at this young family you can almost feel the joy, and aren't they pretty!

This happy moment wouldn't last - Jack & Amy's marriage would dissolve, but for this photo shows they were happy at one time.

Amy Almeda Bayes

Birth 8 NOV 1926 • Hamiota, Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada

Death 23 NOV 2023 • Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
and

John Robert (Jack) Graham

Birth 7 MAR 1930 • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Death 5 AUG 2011 • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Jack & Amy were married on May 28th 1949 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Their divorce was finalized sometime in 1980 after many years of separation and reconciliation (last abt. 1970). 

Seeing this happy moment in time!!! 

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***

Photos:

Personal

Links:

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

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!

______________________________________________________________

But What Did He Do? ~ Tracking the Dendy Line's Occupations

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 20 (TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS)

For this week's blog I decided I didn't know anything about the occupations of my Dendy relatives. 

My great grandmother Rose Honor (nee Dendy) Bayes was the first child born in Canada. She was born April 14th 1906 at R.M. of Pipestone, Bardal, Manitoba, Canada. 

Great Grandma Rose Honor (nee Dendy) Bayes in center
With Bayes sister-in-laws Ann & Vida

Her parents and 5 older siblings immigrated from England. One brother, Wilfrid James Dendy, died in 1903 at 22 months of age, and was buried in England. Including my great grandmother, 5 children were born in Canada. 

After arriving in Canada X2 great grandpa, William Herbert Dendy, became a farmer. It was on their farm my grandmother's unexpected home birth happened. In England he was a soldier prior to marriage. On his marriage registry he is a bricklayer. Where the census records in Canada record occupation he is recorded as a Farmer.

X3 great grandpa, William James Dendy, was a Coal & Corn Merchant as recorded in the 1861 census. He resided in Streatham, Surrey, England, United Kingdom with his wife (Honor nee Gunnell). This marriage has intrigued me since I first found their records: On their wedding day he was 18 and she was 26. It was a first marriage for them both, they had no children prior to marriage, and their first child was born 5 years after marriage. I still ponder the 8 year age difference in this couple.

X4 great grandpa, Daniel Dendy, was:
- a Gardener in the 1851 census
- a Road Contractor in the 1861 census
- a Farmer in the 1871 census
- Farmer continues in the 1881 census with more details
         *(Occupation: Farmer Of 160 Acres, Employing 3 Men & 1 Boy)
- a retired Farmer in the 1891 census
He died in 1893.
***after his first wife (my X4 great grandmother Mary nee Mitchell) died he married daughter-in-law Honor's sister (Christina Gunnell) and had 3 more children. 

I have only used occupation in the past to ensure the new document I am attaching is actually the same person. Going forward I will start looking at occupations as a means to understand who my people were, and where my story began.

Finding out how your ancestors made a living!!! 

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***

Photos:

Personal

Links:

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

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!

______________________________________________________________

10th Cousin X1 Removed - Thomas William (Tom) Selleck

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 20 (BEARDED)

Tom Selleck is my husband's 10th cousin X1 removed via his father's maternal line.

Their in common relatives are Chris' 9th great grandparents & Tom's 10th great grandparents

John Underhill, Capt
BIRTH 5 OCT 1597 • Bagington, Warwickshire, England
DEATH 21 SEP 1672 • Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York, USA
and
Elizabeth Feake
BIRTH MAY 1633 • Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 4 NOV 1675 • Oyster Bay, Long Island, Queens, New York, USA

Tom's 9th great grandmother was their first born,  Deborah (who is Chris' 8th great aunt)

Deborah Underhill
BIRTH 29 NOV 1659 • Flushing, Queens, New York, USA
DEATH 30 JAN 1698 • Oyster Bay, Nassau, New York, USA

Deborah had an older sister named Deborah via her father's first wife. It is believed the 1st Deborah was deceased by 1659 when this Deborah was born. 

Chris descends through their second born, Nathaniel

Nathaniel Underhill
BIRTH 22 FEB 1663 • Killingworth, Oyster Bay, New York, USA
DEATH 10 NOV 1710 • Westchester, New York, USA

I became interested in researching this line further after reading THE WINTHROP WOMAN. 

The book is based on Chris' 10th great grandmother (and mother to Elizabeth Feake mother of Deborah & Nathaniel).

Elizabeth (Bess) Fones
BIRTH 21 JAN 1610 • Groton, Babergh District, Suffolk, England
DEATH 1 FEB 1673 • Astoria, Queens County, New York, USA

The book focuses on the life, loves, and tribulations of Elizabeth's life.

Elizabeth was married first to her cousin
Henry (Harry) Winthrop
BIRTH 10 JAN 1607 • Groton, Groton Manor, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom
DEATH 2 JUL 1630 • Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA

then Elizabeth married Chris' 10th great grandfather
Robert Feake , Lt.
BIRTH 20 SEP 1602 • London, Middlesex, England
DEATH 1 FEB 1662 • Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA

and then Elizabeth married for love
William Hallett
BIRTH 1615 • Bridport, West Dorset District, Dorset, England
DEATH 17 APR 1706 • Astoria, Queens County, New York, USA

The book is historical fiction. The details of Elizabeth's life may not be historically accurate. It does a nice job of presenting the historical events that were happening at the time. 

Looking at the events & language through today's lens is shocking. It's a good reminder of why we know better now. 

If you decide to read it keep these trigger notifications in mind.

I wrote about X10 great grandmother Elizabeth (nee Fones) Winthrop Willett in this blog 
Gazing Out Across the Horizon ~ X10 Great Grandmother Elizabeth Fones

How exactly does any of this relate to the prompt this week?

Stay with me for a bit longer so I can weave the tapestry of family connections just a bit longer.

The photo below was taken January 2019 at the TOP OF THE WORLD restaurant in Las Vegas. It was our first trip to Vegas, and we had a blast. 

Now back to this week's prompt, BEARDED ie facial hair.

After working on the Fones, Winthrop, Feake line after reading the book a few month ago I had added Tom Selleck to our Bramble Bush. 

When I saw a photo of Tom a few weeks I immediately saw the resemblance to Chris, but couldn't figure out why.  

When I looked more closely I realized it was the mustache. 

This is not the photo I had seen that made me think of Tom, but I couldn't use that one due to copyright. 

BUT you can see it if you click this link 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Selleck#/media/File:Tom_Selleck_at_PaleyFest_2014.jpg

The photo below is close. 

Look at Chris' mustache above, and Tom's below or in the new tab you opened with the link.

Can you see the similarities?

Maybe I'm wrong. 

I also noticed Tom's left eyebrow rises is a very similar way to Chris'.

But lets not talk about the hair 😆

Then again - it's been said that head hair follows the mother's paternal line & the shared line between Chris and Thomas William (Tom) Selleck is via both of their father's lines.

Finding similarities and differences in distant relatives even if they aren't there!!! 

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***

Sources:

Seton, Anya. The Winthrop woman. Houghton Mifflin, 1958.

Photos:

Tom Selleck on the red carpet at the 60th Annual Academy Awards, 4/11/88, Photo by Alan Light. Photo retrieved May 15th 2023 from 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tom_Selleck_1988_%28cropped%29.jpg

Personal

Links:

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

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!

______________________________________________________________

Leaving North Berwick ~ A Tale of 3 Siblings

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 20 (TRAVEL)

This is a tale of three siblings who moved away from Scotland in very different directions.

Their parents were:
Thomas Thomson
BIRTH ABT. 1849 • Buckhaven, East Wemyss, Fife, Scotland
DEATH 22 FEB 1919 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
and
Isabella Glass
BIRTH ABT 1848 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 29 JUL 1943 • Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland

The 1911 census snipped below confirms their marriage date of July 22nd 1870 (the notes on the photo above) since it states they were married for 40 years.
It also records they had 8 children who were still living in 1911.  

Below you will find the basic information for all 8 children, but this week's prompt TRAVEL focuses on child 4, 5, & 6. It's these three that appear to have had the need to see more of the world.

My great grandfather Thomas Thomson moved to Canada. 
His brother, James Devlin Glass Thomson moved to New Zealand. 
His sister, Agnes Thomson moved to South Africa.


Before looking at these three for this blog I had never realized that they were connected in birth order. 


Did they grow up as close friends?  


Did they dream of travel while they were growing up?


I will never really know what took each to the countries they would call home.


How is that they grew up in the seaside town of North Berwick, with a father who was a fisherman, and ended up so far away? 

#8 (left), #6 (right) Clifford Road in North Berwick Scotland
My grandmother was born in #8

My dad told me that his grandfather (Thomas Thomson) did not want to be a fisherman so sought out a different career. He became a stonemason, and lived in Canada, the United States, and Scotland. 


James Devlin Glass Thomson was a Joiner's Apprentice in Scotland's 1901 census. New Zealand's 1938 Electoral Records James is a carpenter.


How Agnes ended up in South Africa is a mystery. She arrived before getting married in South Africa, and having her first child. She met her husband, Herbert William Smith in South Africa. Herbert fought in the Boar War as a medic with the Gordon Highlanders.  Her second child was born in Scotland before the family of 4 returned to South Africa. 

** * **

Thomas, Mary & James

** * **

Mary Thomson
BIRTH 28 NOV 1870 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 16 DEC 1973 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Mary never left Scotland, never married, she lived to 103, and died in Edinburgh. My grandmother was named after this aunt.
The name Mary Thomson is too common a name to conduct a reasonably exhaustive search using available records. 

** * **

Isabella (Bella) Thomson
BIRTH 6 JUN 1872 • North Berwick, Haddingtonshire, Scotland
DEATH 5 MAY 1950 • Deaconess Hospital, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Bella married William Haughie who was a tailor. They raised their family in Edinburgh.

** * **

Mary & Henry, On Mary's 100th birthday
Henry was 96

** * **

Henry Thomson
BIRTH 19 JAN 1874 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 8 AUG 1971 • Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Henry married Bessie in Edinburgh where they raised their family.
I found pay records for Henry listed him as a Marine Joiner from
1916 to 1920, Firth of Forth at Rosyth, Fife, Scotland. 

** * **

Agnes

** * **

Agnes Thomson
BIRTH 07 MAR 1876 • Graham's Close, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 30 JUL 1956 • 205 Berea Street, Pretoria, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Agnes married Herbert William Smith in South Africa. They had their first child there, but the 2nd was born in Scotland. I wonder if it was a family tradition to return to North Berwick for the birth of children. 

** * **

Thomas

** * **

Thomas Thomson
BIRTH 10 MAY 1880 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 19 NOV 1940 • Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada
Thomas married Elizabeth Young Slicer in North Berwick, and moved to Canada. They  returned to Scotland to have their first child, and then stayed to have their second (my grandmother) because WW1 started. After the war they went back to Calgary, Alberta, Canada and moved back into their home there. 

** * **

James Devlin Glass

** * **

James Devlin Glass Thomson
BIRTH 26 SEP 1883 • North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH 31 AUG 1966 • Raumati Beach, Kapiti Coast, Wellington, New Zealand
James move to New Zealand, and married Elsie Winifred Genge. They remained in New Zealand, and raised their family there. James worked as a carpenter. 

** * **

Laura Edward Thomson
BIRTH 14 FEB 1887 • Someville's Court, North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
DEATH Unknown
Laura married John Cleghorn Robertson. I haven't been able to find any further details for Laura. John's 1921 Attestation Papers record him as an electrician, and that he was not married. Laura appears have died before 1921.

** * **

Richard Alexander Thomson
1892–
BIRTH 12 JUL 1892 • Tynemouth, Northumberland, England
DEATH Unknown
The family was enumerated in England in 1891, and must have remained through to 1892 when Richard was born.  He is the only 1 (of the 8) that was not born in North Berwick. I haven't confirmed his death details. There are several trees on Ancestry that note he may have died in England (1918) possibly from the Spanish Flu epidemic. 

** * **

In discussion with a distant cousin about why the family was in England he said that the area they were enumerated in (Tynmouth) had the  North Shields Fish Quay which is one of the largest ports for prawns. With Thomas being a fisherman the logical reason for their being there was fishing.

As a Canadian I didn't really understand just how close Scotland and England are. Google maps show clearly the hypothesis of heading south to follow the catch as a logical one.

Google Maps

As I looked at this map I realized maybe the three who journeyed far were not the only ones who had the need to travel. It appears as though Thomas & Isabella traveled some too. Maybe they were on the move between census records. Maybe they traveled in search of the best fishing spots. Maybe they created the travel bug in their children. Even the ones who stayed in Scotland didn't stay in North Berwick. 

While searching for information I came across this photo I wondered if Isabella could be in this photo. Maybe they were in search of Herring when they headed south. Or maybe they were in search of opportunity which is the likely reason their children headed away from the seaside town of North Berwick. 

"Description : A group of fishwives standing on the Quay North Shields. Creels and baskets are on the ground in front of the women. The women came from the North East Scotland and Great Yarmouth following the shoals of herring as they moved up and down the East coast.  Fishing Collection : Local Studies Printed Copy : If you would like a printed copy of this image please contact Newcastle Libraries www.newcastle.gov.uk/tlt quoting Accession Number : 033090"

Following ancestors as they search for opportunity!







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***






Somehow Related Previous Blogs:

Somehow Related Blog Spot, Popular Name ~ Thomas Thomson'
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2020/03/popular-name-thomas-thomson.html

Somehow Related Blog Spot, Remembering - Thomas & Elizabeth Young (nee Slicer) Thomson, and politics,
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/02/remembering-thomas-elizabeth-young-nee.html

Somehow Related Blog Spot, 3 Bricks in the Wall ~ Thomas Thomson (Stonemason, Brick House, Genealogical Brick Wall),
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/04/3-bricks-in-wall-thomas-thomson.html

Somehow Related Blog Spot, Elizabeth & Thomas - Together Again, 
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/05/elizabeth-thomas-together-again.html





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!

___________________________________________________________

Nature VS Nurture ~ My 2 Dads (part 2 of 2)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 20 (Nature)

This is part two of a two part series looking at NATURE VS NURTURE.  I worked in the field of social services, and studied Psychology. The topic of genetics vs learned has always fascinated me. Through no fault of my own I grew up with two fathers. Last week I focused on nurture - the stepfather who chose to be my dad. This week I am focusing on my birth father. Because my dad is still alive I won't be sharing in as much detail as I did in last week's blog. 

My parents separated when I was 8 years old, and I went from seeing a lot of my dad to only seeing him infrequently. My mom moved us to another province, and my dad was in the military so getting time off to visit with us was very difficult. Prior to the divorce dad sometimes went away for extended periods with the military, but when he was not away he was a hands-on dad. After a few years of only seeing dad for a month in the summer, and a week at Easter I moved in with him when I was a teenager, but moved back in with my mom and stepdad. In what became a 'parent hopping' situation I spent a school year with each parent until I graduated high school and moved out on my own. Dad and I are still close.

Dad, my brother, and I

My favourite memory was when I was 6 years old dad and I snuck out to see the Ice Capades. We had to sneak out because it was a special outing for me. Dad explained that my little brother was too little to go so we had to keep it a secret so he wouldn't be upset. I still remember being in awe as I watched Karen Magnussen skating. Dad bought me a mini pair of skates that attached to a pencil that I took to school the next day. I loved the outing and the souvenir. I was daddy's girl. 

Dad, my brother, and I 

I remember my mom telling me I was just like my dad, and I remember my dad telling me I was just like my mom. DNA doesn't lie. I am a blend of my mother and father in looks, temperament, and personality. My voice is similar enough to my cousin on my dad's side to have tricked her sister on the phone one day. I am the exact same height as my dad's mother was. I look quite a bit like my dad's paternal grandmother (now that I am getting older) which is very surprising since my dad didn't know she existed until I started searching. Nature/Biology is truly interesting when looking at what is inborn. 

Dad's paternal grandparents ~ Alexander & Mary (nee Maximiw) Pellack
Dad and I look quite a bit like his grandmother

Even though my dad wasn't there consistently for day to day I still share many of his mannerisms and traits. Some may have been learned from the years I lived with him, but many I was born with. My dad's early report card said he held his pencil too tight. One of my early report cards mentioned I held my pencil too tight. Did Dad teach me to hold my pencil?  Or do we naturally have a tight pencil grip? I still have a callus from those early years of pencil holding. We also share food preferences. We both love soup, sandwiches, chocolate, lemon meringue pie, and traditional foods. I have developed a taste for spicy and ethnic foods as an adult, but it was definitely a learned like. I have the exact same shaped eyes as dad, but my colour is the same shade as his sister's (a light green/blue colour). The colour is oddly dominant since my husband has brown eyes, and both our sons have the same shade as I do. It appears as though the light green blue shade is a common eye colour in the Ukrainian community. There is no one is my mother's side of the family with the same colour I have. 

 

Dad, my brother, and I 

When considering NATURE VS NURTURE it is often difficult to tease apart what is biology and what is environment.

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***

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!