Facing Management Effectively ~ Changing Our Dinner Hour Forever

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 36 (WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT)

At first I was thinking that I didn't want to write about this week's prompt because I haven't dug up any new skeletons for quite a while, and didn't have the capacity to start digging. 

I then considered reposting an old skeleton, but thought where's the fun in that. 

Then I considered not writing at all, but decided that didn't fit for me because I committed to myself that I would write weekly.

Then I decided to write about Labour Day, and the Labour Movement. 

We have unions to thank for many of the protections found across the unionized and non-unionized workforce. 

Without unions I believe we would still be working too many days a week without many of the protections we see across all sectors.

Chris and I have had the privilege of belonging to a union for a lot of our adult lives. 

Chris got very involved in his union. 

He held many positions in his many years with the union.

Until he was promoted to management 2 1/2 years ago.

I'm not sure he sees the humour in my regular comments that he joined the dark side.

It was about that same time he left the union that I became involved in my union.

We don't talk about our different sides of the Labour/Management table.

Just kidding ... we talk about it a lot!!!

In fact I have plans to take a Facing Management Effectively course, and change our dinner hour forever.

Until then we don't talk about it!!! 

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!

______________________________________________________________

Artisan Tradesman - Shoemaker ~ X4 Great Grandfather George Baker

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 36 (TRADESMAN)

"Shoemakers, also known as cobblers, are artisan tradespeople who design, create and repair customised footwear. It is a highly skilled profession, calling for precision craftsmanship and detailed work to create unique shoes, boots and other forms of footwear. They use high quality materials such as leather to hand-make custom orders made to fit specific customers. They can be self-employed or work in shops that appeal to customers seeking artisanal goods." 1

A Jolly Cobbler - not a relative

My 4th great grandfather was an Artisan Tradesman.

A Shoemaker or a Bootmaker depending on which census record.

George Baker

BIRTH 14 AUG 1820 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH JUL 1896 • Ealing, Middlesex, England
married to 

Emma

BIRTH 1817 • England

DEATH AUG 1904 • England

On all the census records between 1851 & 1891 George was listed as a Shoemaker or Bootmaker. He is also listed as a shoemaker in the birth & marriage records of all his children. 

1881 Census tells us that at least one of his children followed in his footsteps (pun intended) - son Augustus is a shoemaker in that census (By 1891 Augustus is a Photographic Printer).

Emma's maiden name may have been Rouse, but I'm not convince the trees on Ancestry are correct. The only documentation for this is an 1849 marriage registration. George & Emma's first child arrive in 1841. I feel confident this is not their marriage registration so Emma's maiden name is still unknown. 

My 3rd great grandfather Alfred A Baker had a twin named Augustus Baker (the shoemaker/photographer mentioned above). Alfred married Jemima Jane North (my 3rd great grandmother). They named their son Alfred Augustus Baker presumably after his father and uncle. My X2 great grandmother was Alfred & Jemima's daughter, Amy Louisa Baker. 

George & Emma had 10 children 
8th & 9th were my grandfather Alfred & his twin Augustus).

Their 10 children were:

George Baker

BIRTH 16 JUN 1841

DEATH 1 NOV 1841

Lucy Baker

BIRTH 1842 • Ealing, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

Charles Baker

BIRTH 23 DEC 1843 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH 19 JUL 1917 • Brentford, Middlesex, England

Joseph Baker

BIRTH 1846 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH 2 SEP 1921 • 14 St Johns Rd, Ealing, Middlesex, England

Walter Baker

BIRTH 21 FEB 1848 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH 23 NOV 1928 • Newton Abbot, Devon, England

Arthur Baker

BIRTH 9 AUG 1850 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

Emma Baker

BIRTH 19 DEC 1852 • Ealing Dean, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

Augustus Baker (Twin of Alfred)

BIRTH 22 APR 1855 • Ealing, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

Alfred A Baker (Twin of Augustus)

BIRTH 22 APR 1855 • Ealing, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

George Baker

BIRTH 2 SEP 1861 • Ealing, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

My 4th great grandfather, George Baker, was a shoemaker. 

I love shoes. 

These are my newest acquisition

A shared love of shoes - Coincidence I think NOT!!!

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  Job Description Shoemaker. Become Shoemaker.  Jobillico Career Guide. Retrieved September 5th 2023 from
https://www.jobillico.com/career-guide/shoemaker

Photos:

A Jolly Cobbler - Photograph shows a cobbler hammering a nail into a shoe.Copyright 1908 by Edgar B. Brown, Waltham, Mass. Source: Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/  Retrieved September 5th 2023 from
https://picryl.com/media/a-jolly-cobbler

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!

______________________________________________________________

Exploring the Skies ~ Samuel Langley & the Wright Brothers

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2022: Week 36 (EXPLORATION)

The Wright Brothers are my 6th cousins 4x removed on my mother's maternal line. 

Wilbur (Will) Wright
BIRTH 16 APR 1867 • Millville, Henry County, Indiana, USA
DEATH 30 MAY 1912 • Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio, USA
&
Orville (Orv) Wright
BIRTH 19 AUG 1871 • Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio, USA
DEATH 30 JAN 1948 • Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio, US

Also through this line is the man who almost beat them to flight, Samuel Pierpont Langley, my 7th cousin 4x removed

Samuel Pierpont Langley
BIRTH 22 AUG 1834 • Boston, Massachusetts, USA
DEATH 27 FEB 1906 • Aiken, South Carolina

I wonder if they knew they were 7th cousins working toward the same goal - FLIGHT.

Exploring the skies was the dream at the time. 

Samuel Pierpont Langley had great ideas and plans, but he didn't successfully make it happen. 

The Wright Brothers get credit for flight, but looking at the folks who were working toward this goal at the time it appears to me they didn't execute it alone. 

For more information about Samuel Langley's contribution to flight check the sources below.

When the cousins get together to make history!!!

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:

Langley aerodrome N°5, Smithonian. Retrieved September 8th 2022 from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Langley_aerodrome_N%C2%B05,_Smithonian.jpg

Samuel Langley and Charles Manly.  Vaeth, J. Gordon (Joseph Gordon). 1966. Langley, man of science and flight, New York : Ronald Press Co. Page 77. Retrieved September 8th 2022 from https://library.si.edu/image-gallery/99423

Samuel Pierpont Langley - Potomac experiment 1903. Retrieved Septembe r8th 2022 from 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samuel_Pierpont_Langley_-_Potomac_experiment_1903.jpeg

Sources:

1903-The First Flight. Wright Brothers. National Park Services. National Memorial North Carolina. Retrieved September 8th 2022 from
https://www.nps.gov/wrbr/learn/historyculture/thefirstflight.htm

Gierke, C. David. The Man That Almost Beat the Wrights Into the Air. History Net. Originally published June 12th 2018. Retrieved September 8th 2022 from https://www.historynet.com/samuel-langley-aviation-pioneer/

Samuel Pierpont Langley. Wright Brothers History: The Tale of the Airplane. The Wright Brothers Page: Wilbur and Orville Wright. Retrieved September 8th 2022 from 
http://www.wright-house.com/wright-brothers/inventors/Langley.html

Samuel P. Langley Collection. Smithsonian Institute Virtual Archives. Smithsonian Institute. Retrieved September 8th 2022 from
https://sova.si.edu//record/NASM.XXXX.0494

Samuel Pierpont Langley. Earth Observatory. NASA. Retrieved September 8th 2022 from 
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Langley/langley_2.php

Samuel Pierpont Langley, Your Dictionary. Biography. Retrieved September 8th 2022 from
https://biography.yourdictionary.com/samuel-pierpont-langley

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!

______________________________________________________________

Census Records ~ Right Down the Rabbit Hole

 This week's prompt WORKING resulted in my going back over census records looking at the professions of the ancestors who make up this Bramble Bush. 

As a fulltime working woman I am often taken by surprise at how recent it was that women were listed with a dash or none to indicate they didn't work or that they were keeping house.

There were so few women working that it catches me by surprise when I find a relative of ours who was listed with a profession in a time that typically women weren't. 

As I was looking through the census records I discovered something a bit confusing.

In the 1901 census my husband's 3rd great grandmother, Henrietta (nee Scealey) Whitesell, was listed as head of household at age 47. She was residing with her mother, Jane M (nee Backhouse) Sealey aged 78. Henrietta's profession was listed as farmer. Henrietta was married, and yet husband Arthur was not living with her.  Mother, Jane, was widowed. They were in South Northfolk, Woodhouse Township.

I then went searching for where husband Arthur was during this census taking. I found Arthur living with their children: David (aged 23) and Cora (aged 17) in Elgin, Bayham Township. Arthur was listed as head of household, and he was a farmer.

As I dug some more for Henrietta I found her in the 1861 census.  Her mother Jane was listed as head of the household with daughters Hannah (aged 11) & Henrietta (aged 9). She was listed as married. Husband George was not on this census record.

I finally found George in the 1861 census living with his parents & younger brother Orlo (age 15) in Bayham Township, Elgin County.

As I continued to dig around I discovered a possible reason for why George was not to be found with his family. It seems he had been living apart from his wife over several years. 

George died in 1894 under mysterious circumstances. He may have been poisoned OR the poison may have been added to his body after death by natural causes. 

George died May 13th 1894. On October 20th 1893 he rewrote his will leaving everything to Sarah Jane Robbins. She is listed as his wife, but there appears to have been no divorce from Jane (who listed herself as a widow in the 1901 census). 

The new will replaced one that had been written in 1887. 

Soon after he died the rumours began that he had been poisoned and Sarah's brother had influence over George. Sarah & her brother were executrix & executor of George's approx $40,000 estate. Remember this was 1894, and that was a lot of money.

His daughter Henrietta contested the will. 

The  body was exhumed, but there appeared to be too much arsenic for the poison to have been added before death. How exactly did the arsenic get into his organs after death?

All the sordid details are In the news article linked here:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/589338/vancouver-daily-world/

It appears as though Jane & George had been living apart for many years. I can not come up with a logical reason for why Henrietta & Arthur were living separately for the 1901 census which was where this research session began about 7 hours ago.  

And so ends a journey down the genealogical rabbit hole for today

When researching results in more questions than answers!!!

Cause ... 




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

This is why I search - 

***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!

________________________________________________________________

Labour Day ~ Back To School

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2020 Week 36 (LABOUR)

In Canada Labour Day is officially the end of summer. It's the last long weekend before school starts on Tuesday. 

In the photo below you can see my grandma Mary Elizabeth Thomson (on the left) with her father (Thomas Thomson) and sister Marion Isabella (Maisie) Thomson. 

Maybe this was a first day of school photo.

Here they are not too long later, and again it might be a first day of classes photo for elementary school in Calgary, Alberta .

Grandma went to Sunnyside School in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for her elementary years.

 

Maybe this was Grandma's first day of classes during middle school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

Grandma went to Hillhurst for middle school - in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Here we find grandma enjoying the sun in Calgary, Alberta. Maybe it was the Labour Day weekend. Maybe she was enjoying the last "dog days of summer" before she had to go back to classes. 

Grandma attended Crescent Heights in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for her high school years.

When I look at the photo of grandma enjoying the sun I see a beautiful young women with her whole future in front of her. By the time I knew grandma she was just my grandma.  

When I look at the pictures of when she was young it's pretty clear that Grandma was way cooler before she became a mother and grandmother. 

Exploring the maybes to find the stories!







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!

___________________________________________________________

School Days in Calgary, Alberta, Canada ~ Mary Elizabeth Thomson

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 36 (SCHOOL DAYS)

This week I share with you my grandma's school days in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.


The inspiration for this week's blog is a tea mug that my grandmother brought home with her from the 75th Anniversary of Hillhurst School in 1987. 


Grandma loved this mug, and it is still in perfect condition after 32 years. Grandma cared for it until her death in 2005. My father cared for it until he gave it to me several months ago. Grandma was born in Scotland, and took her tea very seriously.The lack of stains suggests Grandma never used this mug.  I too take my tea seriously -- this mug will never be used because it just doesn't hold enough tea. This mug has a special place in the heart of my kitchen - as the base for our Google Home Mini beside the glass canister holding the tea bags. 

Hillhurst School is now an elementary school, but when my grandmother attended it was a middle school.


All of the schools grandma attended are still standing, and in use as schools  today.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Grandma attended Sunnyside School for her Elementary years.

Mary Elizabeth Thomson (elementary school age) with her doll and stroller

Mary Elizabeth Thomson (elementary school age) with
her older sister Marion Isabelle (known as Maisie) Thomson

Mary Elizabeth Thomson (elementary school age) with
her older sister Marion Isabelle (known as Maisie) Thomson

Mary Elizabeth Thomson (elementary school age) with
her father Thomas Thomson, and older sister Marion Isabelle (known as Maisie) Thomson

Sunnyside School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Sunnyside School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Click the link to view the CELEBRATING 100 YEARS at SUNNYSIDE
https://www.btcalgary.ca/videos/sunnyside-school-turns-100/

~

JUNIOR HIGH (AKA MIDDLE) SCHOOL

Grandma attended Hillhurst School for her Middle School years.

Mary Elizabeth Thomson, about middle school age

Grandma attended Hillhurst School for her Middle School Years. 

The present day elementary school once served as a junior highschool. 

Hillhurst School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Hillhurst School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

~

HIGH SCHOOL

Grandma attended Crescent Heights High School for her High School years.

Mary Elizabeth Thomson, about high school age

Crescent Heights Highschool was built in 1928, and opened on January 7th 1929. Grandma was still in middle school when the highschool opened so wasn't one of the first students to attend.

Crescent Heights High School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The first day she attended Crescent Heights High School she would have walked under the sign labeled as the GIRLS entrance that had been carved by her father, Thomas Thomson.

1 "There were two separate entrances, one for girls and one for boys."


Thomas Thomson was a well known stonemason who traveled all over North America for work. He carved many monuments in the Calgary area. Grandma told me stories of her father carving the BOYS & GIRLS entry signage for a school she attended. Only Crescent Heights had that signage which leaves me to conclude those signs were carved by my great grandfather Thomas Thomson.*  Thomas was well known for his Gargoyle carvings. There are many carvings all over Canada and the United States that were carved by Thomas. 

Crescent Heights High School Calgary, Alberta, Canada  2

*Not to be confused with the famous Canadian Artist Thomas Thomson - who may be a relative, but whether that is true is currently unknown. 

                                    ~

Grandma enjoyed her school days. While I was growing up she told me many stories that included her sister, cousins, and school friends. Grandma told me that wished she had pursued journalism. She was a great writer, and wrote many poems. She would be pleased that I am writing the family stories.




Historical information & artifacts bringing stories to life!







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:

1 Calgary Public Library, historic, Crescent Heights High School, Retrieved September 4th 2019 from 
https://web.archive.org/web/20021221213418/http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/calgary/historic_tours/corner/chhs.htm

2 Alberta Heritage Markers, Way Marking, Crescent Heights High School Calgary, AB, Retrieved September 4th 2019 from 
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMZAP2_Crescent_Heights_High_School_Calgary_AB




Links:

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

Crescent Heights School
http://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/CrescentHeights/Pages/default.aspx

Hillhurst School
http://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/Hillhurst/Pages/default.aspx

Sunnyside School
http://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/sunnyside/Pages/default.aspx



Somehow Related Previous Blogs:

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

Somehow Related Blog Spot, School Autograph Books, Calgary: 1927 to 1932 ~ Marion (Maisie) Thomson, 
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/06/school-autograph-books-calgary-1927-to.html

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!

_____________________________________________________________________