Family Photo Reunion

Mystery Manor House Carte de Visite Album, Northumberland, England & Scotland, 1860s-1880s

2013-06-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is the cover of the lovely souvenir carte de visite album that my husband bought for me when he was in Calgary last month. It's a unique item as far as albums go. I've seen all kinds of fabric and paper coverings on cdv albums, but this is the first one I've seen in wood. And not just any wood. This album touts the fact it was made from "wood grown in Chillingham Park." Chillingham Park, located in Northumberland, is "famous for its breed of wild cattle."

There are four images on the front cover: Chillingham Church, Fowberry Tower, Lilburn Tower, and Coupland Castle. The back features an image of Chillingham Castle. A small plaque appears to be missing from the centre. The album was probably produced in some quantity. A photograph of another manor house was cut out in an oval shape and pasted on one of the inside pages. I haven't been able to identify it.

Do you recognize this manor house?

Of the 63 carte de visites in the album, only two are identified by subject's name. I suspect that this once belonged to a wealthy family. The clothing the subjects are wearing are quite elegant. Some of images are taken at high-end studios such as Elliot & Fry (London), Alexander Bassano (London), Camille Silvy (London), and O. G. Rejlander (London). Quite a few were photographed in Glasgow.

One of the images is of a young girl, taken at the Elliott & Fry Studio in London, circa 1870s. It is simply identified as "Miss Austin." It is too much of long shot to tackle a search on her right now. The other identified image is of a child, "Arthur William James Cecil, 15 weeks old" and his parents. The photographer's imprint on the reverse reads, "The Misses Carrick, 14 Grey Street, Newcastle on Tyne." I believe the women operated their studio in the 1870s.

Arthur William James Cecil, 15 weeks old

The interesting thing about this identification is that all four names provide could be forenames. Or "Cecil" could be a surname. I searched on Ancestry.com for the full name with Cecil as the surname. I had several exact hits, all for the same individual and many, many others if counting anyone with one or more of the forenames and a last name "Cecil," or any combination of abbreviations.

There were quite a few leads to follow when I looked into the exact hits for "Arthur William James Cecil." Of particular help was the Cambridge Alumni Directory, 1261-1900 on Ancestry.com which stated that Arthur was the son of Lord Arthur Cecil, born Apr. 4, 1875, at Newbiggin, Westmorland. He was the Aide-De-Camp to the Governor of Victoria, Australia, 1898-1900 and later served with the Grenadier Guards in the South African War and in WW1. He died Sept. 26, 1936 at Rudgwick, Horsham, Sussex. He was connected to several residences including Finchcox Park, Goudhurst, Kent; and Orchardmains, Tonbridge, Kent.

I tried to find a good portrait of Lord Cecil for comparison with the father in the above photo. There are surprisingly few images online of his family. Here's a link to the best portrait I could find of Lord Cecil, with a nice biography. He does bear a good resemblance, I think. If this is actually Lord Cecil, then there is a wealth of information about his family, starting with Burke's Peerage. Lord Arthur married Elizabeth Ann Wilson, whose lineage is as meticulously documented as Lord Arthur's. I didn't have any luck finding an online image of her.

At this point, I can't say who owned the album or even who is featured in the album. But I'm generally tenacious about these things, and will keep trying to uncover clues as to its origins. In the meantime, if you can help with identifying either the manor house or the trio in the above photograph, I'd be very happy if you'd leave a comment.

Oscar Cash, 1845-1930's, From Kentucky to Missouri to Washington and Oregon

2013-06-04T02:30:00.000-07:00

After having some success with the Edna Dalling image from last week's post, I thought I'd try revisiting a few other mystery photos from the Family Photo Reunion collection to see if I could uncover anything new about them, too.

This image was originally posted as one of three cabinet cards taken in Kittitas County, Washington (see original post here). The photo was merely identified as "Oscar Cash, 1897" and was taken at the Pautze Studio in Ellensburg, Washington.

A new search for Oscar Cash in Kittitas County on Ancestry.com brought up several entries in a local history book, "An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas Counties...." If we have the correct Oscar Cash (and I must emphasize that this is not a certainty, but only a good possibility), he was the son of William and Elisabeth (Duncan) Cash¹. Oscar was born October 13, 1845 in Harrison County, Kentucky. He was one of eleven children born to William and Elisabeth; the other siblings were Thornton b. 1843, Mary b. 1846, Talitha, b. 1848, Milton, b. 1851, America, b. 1855, Ellen, b. 1858, John H., b. 1861 and Mollie. I do not have information on the other children. In 1856 the family moved on, settling in Lone Jack, Missouri. There Oscar learned the blacksmith trade from his father. Oscar's father had been doing quite well financially prior to the civil war, but lost nearly all of his property during the war². Oscar left for the coal mining town of Cle-Elum, Washington sometime between 1880 and 1900. Oscar's brother John H. Cash followed in 1900.

In 1903, Oscar sold a quarter section of land near Cle Elum to the town for the sum of $2000¹. He then moved to Portland, Oregon where he lived with his wife, Emma³. Oscar's last census appearance is in 1930, at the age of 83 living with Emma and two nephews with the surname Robenow in the happily-named town of Sunnyside, in Clackamas County, Oregon⁴.

As always, we would need a known and identified photograph to compare ours with, to verify that this is the same Oscar Cash.

1 Interstate Publishing Company. An Illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas Counties : with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington. Unknown: Interstate Publishing Company, 1904; pp. 307-308, 919, digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed May 31, 2013). ^↩
2 Union Historical Company, The History of Jackson County, Missouri: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc., Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Jackson County in the Late War.... Jackson County, Missouri: Union Historical Company, 1881, p. 932, digital images, Google Books. http://google.com/books : accessed May 31 2013. ^↩
3 "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLYV-CCF : accessed 01 Jun 2013), Oscar Cash, 1910.^↩
4 "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XC9C-K2C : accessed 04 Jun 2013), Oscar Cash, 1930.>^↩

An Update for Edna Louise Parsons Dalling, Born 1896, Manitoba

2013-05-26T11:19:00.001-07:00

The four-year-old girl with the amber-tinted ringlets looked abandoned and neglected. I noticed her immediately as I walked into my community thrift shop. Her cheeks were softly touched with pink and her eyes were fixed a deep sky blue. When I pulled her down from the wall I soon realized I probably wouldn't be able to find a new home for her because the information on the back of the picture frame was so incomplete. There were names and dates, written in a shaky hand but, unfortunately, there wasn't a location anywhere. And, she was a wee bit expensive. I didn't want to put her back on the wall. My husband then commented that the price of the portrait was less than visit to the coffee shop with friends. That's all I needed to hear. Could you have passed her by?

The inscription from the back of this portrait from 1900: "Edna DALLING, 4 years old. 1896-1998. Born 1896 March 7th." There was a notation about two other living relatives. This portrait was found in Parksville, British Columbia. If you knew Edna, or have her in your tree, feel free to contact me.

I originally wrote the above post about Edna Dalling in 2011, during the early days of this blog. Since then, many new records have been added online. I thought it might be interesting to see what a search might uncover now, and was pleased to discover that many new passenger lists and Canadian voter's lists are now available on Ancestry.

I suspected that Dalling was Edna's married name, because a son, Brian Dalling, is mentioned in an inscription on the back of the frame. I found an Edna Louise Dalling, age 26 in The Seattle, Washingington Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882 -1897 on Ancestry¹. The year was 1923 and Edna was travelling with her husband, Earl Simpson Dalling, and two children, William Ernest (b. abt 1919) and Garth Edward (b. abt 1921). They were headed to Culver City having departed from the port of Vancouver, BC, and listed Earl's father-in-law, Wm. Parsons, Edmonton, Alta, as their nearest relative.

The family seems to have spent a few years in California, where the youngest child, Garth E. Dalling died at age 7². His is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, in Los Angeles.

It's unclear as to what exactly happened next, but I found Edna L. Dalling many years later in several voter's lists while she was living in Edmonton, Alberta between 1949 and 1974³,⁴.   I also found her son, William E. Dalling on the 1949 Voter's List for Edmonton East⁵, and then, in 1974, on the Vancouver-Quadra [BC] Voter's List, with his wife Betty and possibly, two sons⁶. Written on the back of the portrait is a short provenance of the photograph so I knew it belonged at one time to Brian Dalling. Brian appears on the Vancouver-Quadra list with William. E. Dalling at the same address. According to the same inscription, Brian's daughter, Eleanor, received the portrait next.

I searched for Edna L. Parsons in the censuses, with a father named William, and found one hit with a matching birth date of the 7 March 1896⁷.   Edna L. parsons was born in Langford, Manitoba, youngest child of William A. and Kathryn Parsons. In the 1911 census her father is listed as William. A. Parsons, but in other censuses he is shown as Robert W. Parsons⁸. It appears that Edna had six siblings: Percy William, Richard N., Edwin, Marnie, Bessie E., and Ernest H.

If you have Edna Louise Parsons Dalling in your tree, I hope you will leave a comment.

1 "Seattle, Washingington Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882 -1897," database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 May 2013), entry for Edna Louise Dalling, age 26, arrived Seattle, Washington, arrived July 1923, [no ship stated].^↩
2Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, digital image (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 May 2013), photograph, “gravestone for Garth E. Dalling (1920-1927), Memorial No. 57522236, Records of the Westlawn Cemetery, Los Angeles, California;” photograph © TLS.^↩
3 “Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980.” Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2013), entry for Edna L. Dalling, Year: 1949, Edmonton, Alberta, citing Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980; Microfilm reel: M-4871.^↩
4 “Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980.” Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2013), entry for Edna L. Dalling, Year: 1974, Edmonton, Alberta, citing Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980; Microfilm reel: M-4871.^↩
5 “Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980.” Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2013), entry for William E. Dalling, Year: 1949, Edmonton, Alberta, citing Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980; Microfilm reel: M-4871.^↩
6 “Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980.” Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2013), entry for William E. Dalling, Year: 1974, Vancouver-Quadra, BC, citing Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980; Microfilm reel: M-4871.^↩
7 1901 census of Canada, Langford, MacDonald, Manitoba, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 8, subdistrict # E-4, p.5 (penned), family 41, Edna L. Parsons in household of Robert W. Parsons family; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 20 May 2013); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6428 to T-6556.^↩
8 1911 census of Canada, Portage la Praire, Manitoba, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 20, subdistrict # 11, p.1 (penned), family 3, Edna L. Parsons in household of William A. Parsons, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed May 23, 2013), citing microfilm LAC microfilm T-20326 to T-20460^↩

From Your Affectionate Father: George Ernest Duke, Calgary, Alberta, 1905

2013-05-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

George Ernest Duke has signed his portrait, "With Love, From Your Affectionate Father, Geo. Ernest Duke, Xmas 1905." The image was taken by E. B. Curlette, a prominent Calgary photographer who operated in the city from 1899 through to the 1940s.

In 1901, there was a George Ernest Duke, Tobacco Merchant, living in Calgary with his wife Myrtle¹; He was born May 21, 1858 in England and immigrated to Canada with his wife around 1895. In 1911, George and Myrtle lived at 511 - 4th Avenue West, Calgary². No children resided with the couple. While the birth dates are all wildly different in the 1901, 1906 and 1911 censuses, I think these are the same couple throughout. George is listed as either a tobacconist, or tobacco merchant. The immigration years are fairly consistent, with the exception of one census. More research would have to be done to tie the George Ernest Duke in the Canadian censuses to the following family.

In 1881, there is a George and "Myrtilla" Duke, and daughter Zoi [Zoe?] M. H. Duke, three years old, who lived in West Dean, Sussex, England³. Zoe was the second child born to the couple; their first was George Lewis Duke, born 18 Feb 1876 near Chichester, West Dean⁴. Another Duke child, named Edwin Ernest, was born in 25 Sep 1881, also near Chichester⁵. It is possible that George Lewis died in infancy, since he does not appear in any of the censuses with his parents.

I was unable to find the family's immigration records to Canada online, but the search was neither exhaustive nor thorough and I am optimistic that one could be found. I searched for Zoe on Google and I lucked out. Archives Canada has a brief biography online about Zoe, which you can read here. It gives her immigration year as 1896, which are in the same ballpark as the Dukes I found in the Calgary censuses. Zoe was a painter and the Glenbow Archives in Calgary has collected her papers and work. She married Sidney J. L. Dunning, a member of the Northwest Mounted Police in 1898 which may explain why she was not in the household of her parents in the 1901 Canadian census.

An obituary for George E. Duke appears in the August 31, 1925 issue of the Calgary Daily Herald. While it sounds as if George has always lived with his daughter in Calgary, the censuses say something else. I've looked at the 1901, 1906 and 1911 censuses for Zoe M. H. Dunning and George E. is not living with her in any of them. She was living in Saskatchewan for all three. As the Archives Canada biography states, she moved back to Calgary in 1918, around the time of her mother's death the same year.

If we have the correct George Ernest Duke, this photograph would have been a Christmas gift to Zoe from her father. I think the chances are good that I'm on the right track with my findings, but as always, we would require more research and a second photograph of George Ernest Duke to compare with ours to be certain. If you have a photo of the Mr. Duke described in this blog, I'd love to hear from you.

1 1901 census of Canada, Calgary (Centre), Alberta, The Territories, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 202, subdistrict # R-1, p.11 (penned), dwelling 88, family 89, George S. Duke family; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 19 May 2013); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6428 through T-6556.^↩
2 1911 census of Canada, Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 1, subdistrict # 2, p.1 (penned), dwelling 5, family 5, George Duke family, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed May 19, 2013), citing microfilm LAC microfilm T-20326 to T-20460^↩
3 “1881 England Census,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2013), entry for George E. Duke (age 30), citing PRO RG11; Piece: 1136; Folio: 87; Page: 12; Westbourne registration district, Westbourne subdistrict, ED 18c, schedule line number 57, GSU roll: 1341277.^↩
4 "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/ND9Y-CMT : accessed 20 May 2013), George Ernest Duke in entry for George Lewis Duke, 18 Feb 1876.^↩
5 "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J3LL-XV4 : accessed 20 May 2013), George Ernest Duke in entry for Edwin Ernest Duke, 25 Sep 1881.^↩

David and Cornelia Crammond, Frontenac County, Ontario, Bef. 1865

2013-05-16T02:30:00.000-07:00

The reverse of this carte de visite photograph has two inscriptions on the back. The first, in fountain ink, "Mr & Mrs. David Crammond" and, the second, more recently, in ballpoint pen, "Grandmother Dunham's Mother & Father."

The photographer's imprint simply reads, "Sheldon Photographer, Kingston, O.W [Ottawa West?]." We can narrow the time frame down to 1857-1865 because in 1866, Henry K. Sheldon, the only photographer in Kingston at the time with that surname, teamed up with Richard F. Davis, in the photographic partnership "Sheldon & Davis" which lasted until 1900¹. In the "General Directory for the City of Kingston and Gazetter of the Counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington for 1865", H.K. Sheldon works out of his home on King Street, near Brock.

I located a David Crammond family living in Wolf Island, Frontenac County in the 1861 Canada Census². The family was comprised of:

David Crammond, b. 1825, Scotland, a farmer
Cornelia Crammond, b. 1833, Upper Canada
Barbary Crammond, b. 1828, Scotland
Adaline Crammond, b. 1849, Upper Canada
Hannah Crammond, b. 1850, Upper Canada
Ester A. Crammond, b. 1852, Upper Canada
Samantha M. Crammond, b. 1853, Upper Canada
Mallissa Crammond, b. 1855, Upper Canada
Anson Mitchell, b. 1855, Upper Canada
Alice E. Crammond, b. 1857, Upper Canada
James Mitchell., b. 1857, Upper Canada

The David and Cornelia Crammond family can also be found in the 1871 Canada Census still living in Wolf Island. But how can we know we have the correct Crammond family? Well, the second inscription does give us a valuable bit of information to research further. We know that one of David Crammond's daughters married a man with the surname "Dunham."

A search of Ontario Marriages lands a good result. On the 24th of January 1871, the couple's eldest daughter, Adaline Oliva [Olivia? Oliver?] Crammond, 22 years of age, married William Dunham, an engineer from Cape Vincent. They married in Wolfe Island³. Her mother is listed as "Melissa Bush" and not Cornelia. There are several possibilities for the different name, including the possibility of name variations. In my own family tree I have one distant aunt who went by no less than four forenames during her lifetime. I think the most likely reason in this case, is that Melissa is Adaline's mother, and she may have passed away prior to 1861. If so, then the woman in the photograph would be Cornelia, Adaline's step-mother.

1 Phillips, Glen C., "The Ontario Photographer's List Volume I (1851-1900)," Global Heritage Press, Milton, Ontario, Canada, 2002, p.41^↩
2 "Ontario Census, 1861," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MQ7Z-MW2 : accessed 15 May 2013), David Crammond, 1861.^↩
3 "Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FMF5-D4Z : accessed 15 May 2013), William Dunham and Adaline Oliva Crammand, 1871.^↩

Girl or Boy? The Child of Nelson and Margarett Ebert, 1892, Cleveland OH

2013-04-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

After a bit of a hiatus from the blog, I'm back with another far-from-clear-cut photograph for readers to ponder. This image features a fairly well-wrapped toddler as its subject. The photographer was A.D. (Alcynius Donnelly) Burk, who operated a studio at 981 Woodland Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio from approximately 1890 to 1920. The cabinet card is inscribed on the reverse, in pencil, "daughter of Nelson and Margarett Ebert."

I located a marriage record from 17 September 1888 for a Nelson Ebert and a Margaret Craine who were wed in Cuyahoga County, Ohio¹. On the 12th of April, 1890 the couple were blessed with their first and only child, who, unfortunately, is unnamed on the birth report².

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X6CD-653

The child is male, which would seem to indicate that this particular child is not the one featured in our photograph. However, after looking into the Nelson and Margaret Ebert family history a little further, I had to come to the conclusion that either the inscription on the back of the photograph is incorrect as to the gender of the child, or, I have the wrong Nelson and Margaret Ebert.

Here's why:
I could not locate the entire Ebert family in the next available U.S. Federal Census (1900), but I did find the widow, Margaret Ebert, 38, born on the Isle of Man, living with her father Robert Craine and her sister, Jane N. Craine in Cleveland. The census indicates that Margaret had only one child, and that child was no longer living³.

While I didn't find a death record for Nelson or the child, I did find their interments in Woodland Cemetery in Cleveland.

N.D. Ebert was buried March 6, 1898 in Section 76, Lot 125, Grave 1 in Woodland. His last residence was listed as 32 Putnam and he died of consumption⁴.

Three-year-old George F. Ebert, who was buried on the 7th of June 1893, last residence 30 Putnam, was also buried in Section 76, Lot 125. He succumbed to Scarlet Fever⁵.

I haven't been able to find any other suitable matches. My personal hunch is that the child in the photo is George F. Ebert, and the inscription on the back was written years after the photograph was taken. The inscriber may have thought the child's dress looked like that of a girl's.

If you are able to provide more information, or may have an alternative line we can follow to identify the toddler in our photograph, please feel free to share your findings.

1 "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XD29-NBV : accessed 04 Apr 2013), Nelson Ebert and Margaret Craine, 1888.^↩
2 "Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X6CD-653 : accessed 04 Apr 2013), Nelson D. Ebert in entry for Ebert, 1890.^↩
3 "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMC1-891 : accessed 04 Apr 2013), Margaret Ebert in entry for Robert Craine, 1900.^↩
4 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohcdrt/clecems/images/wo_05_145.jpg^↩
5 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohcdrt/clecems/images/wo_04_144.jpg^↩

Funeral Card Friday: Frederick Rutter, Arkona, Ontario, 1860-1904

2012-11-30T03:30:00.000-08:00

He shall return no more to his home,

Neither shall his place know him any more.

In 1904, Frederick Rutter, a farmer from Lambton County, Ontario died of consumption¹. He and his wife Elizabeth (Fitzsimmons) had been married for only seven years². Frederick was born in England, the son of Thomas Rutter and Sarah Waterman. In 1891, he was employed as a domestic in Warwick, Lambton County in the household of Showler Watterman, who was probably a relative of Frederick's mother Sarah³.

This card was purchased with a number of other funeral cards, including Showler Watterman's, which I have blogged about in a previous post.

1 Fred Rutter, Death Registration 014286 (25 Mar 1904); “Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947,” digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Nov 2012), citing microfilm MS935, reel 115, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.^↩
2 "Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1928," online database, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca: accessed 25 Nov 2012), Frederick Rutter and Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, Lambton County, Ontario, 16 June 1897; citing original data at Archives of Ontario; citing microfilm MS932, reel 93.^↩
3 1891 Census of Canada, Warwick, Lambton East, Ontario, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 81, subdistrict 2, p.48, family 228, Showler Watterman; digital image, Ancestry. ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 30 May 2012); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6347^↩

Dinner Time in the Woods, from the Alma Studio, Tonbridge, England, Ca. 1910

2012-11-28T10:42:00.002-08:00

This real postcard image is a little different than others I've posted here on Family Photo Reunion. It seems to have been created for commercial sales. It's labelled, "Dinner Time," and features a group enjoying hot drinks and sandwiches in the great outdoors.

The image was created by "The Alma Studio" at 76 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, England. This particular studio, owned by George Pickett, was in operation from roughly 1892 to 1915. I noticed that the drinks are being served from what appear to be Thermos flasks. If they are truly vacuum flasks, we can say that the image dates to after 1904, when Thermos first began producing them for commercial use.

If I had to guess, I'd place this image around 1910. But what really makes this postcard image interesting is that we have the identification of the play actors on the back:

"Mrs Copper, seated
Mr. Russell & son, Mrs. C's brother in law.
Miss Duke, a friend who was here for
a holiday
& myself."

Too bad there aren't any given names listed. It makes figuring out who these individuals are much more difficult.

Monday's Mystery: The Hepworth Sisters, Isle of Man, Circa 1882-

2012-11-26T03:30:00.000-08:00

This is one of three carte de visite images in a set connected to the Hepworth family. It has the following information written on the back: "The three Hepworth sisters. The central figure is Louisa Hepworth who married Arthur Marsall and became Lady Marshall."

The other two images were taken at the William Smith Studio, Park Lane, Leeds, probably two or three years earlier than the above image. They are both labelled, "One of the three Hepworth girls."

I had a look at some of the UK censuses, searching specifically for a Louisa Hepworth who married an Arthur Marsall or Marshall. I found many Louisa Hepworths but none that are obvious candidates.

We know this cdv dates to after 1881 because there are a number of photographic prize medals won by Abel Lewis imprinted on the back; the most recent, a medal dated 1881 from Newcastle's Swan Plate Competition.

If anyone has access to one of the UK databases such as Find My Past, I'd appreciate a look up to see if we can find the marriage of Louisa Hepworth and Arthur Marshall/Marsall.

The Dapper Herbert H. White, Cambridge, Mass., 1891

2012-11-20T03:30:00.000-08:00

Written on the reverse of the cabinet card:
"Then she wanted to see my locket
then for me to sing a song
and all the time she was picking my pocket
Of my gold watch and my meerschaum.

Oct 1 --1891
Herbert H. White^"

Herbert H. White was the son of Henry and Henrietta (Hill) White, born the 29th of June 1869, Rye, New York¹. Herbert's mother, Henrietta, appears in an earlier post where I pieced together information about the White family.

Herbert graduated from Harvard University in 1893. Two years later, on October 1, 1895, he married twenty-year-old Clarissa Watts Lewis, of Boston, daughter of Charles & Emma Lewis². Herbert was the Treasurer of University Press in Cambridge, MA for many years.

In the 1940 census, 70-year-old Herbert is listed as "retired" and is living in Marblehead, Essex, Massachusetts, with wife Clarissa³.

1 Harvard Class of 1893, Fourth Report. University Press, Cambridge, Mass.,1910, page 227. Digital Image (http://www02.us.archive.org/stream/secretarysrepor41893harvuoft#page/n1/mode/2up : accessed 15 Nov 2012)^↩
2 "Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N478-TX1 : accessed 15 Nov 2012), Herbert H White and Clarissa W Lewis, 1895.^↩
3 "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4XJ-HTG : accessed 21 Nov 2012), Herbert H White, Marblehead Town, Essex, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 5-238, sheet 61A, family 334, NARA digital publication T627, roll 1585.

A Civil War Era Carte De Visite: Mrs. B.B. Fimbert or Limbert?, Lewisburg, PA?

2012-11-19T03:30:00.000-08:00

This civil-war era carte de visite photograph has everything. A beautiful subject, a photographer's imprint, a civil war tax revenue stamp that dates the image to 1865 AND an inscription that tells us who the person in the photograph is, and who the recipient was. So why can't I tell you much more about this photograph?

Well, I'm having a difficult time figuring out the spelling of the last name. Perhaps your eyes can make out the name better than mine. I've narrowed down the possibilities to Fambert, Fainbert, Fimbert, Feinbert, or Firnbert. The inscription seems to read,

"For Fr. John Fimbert
from his
wife
Mrs. B. B. Fimbert"

But as you can see the ink has faded over the years and it's not easy to read. What do you see there?

It's Our Blogversary! McCandlish House, Victoria BC, 1907

2012-11-16T03:30:00.000-08:00

First off, today's a good day to celebrate. Family Photo Reunion has been in existence for one full year now. I wasn't sure I could make it to November 16th, through what has proven to be a very busy year, but here we are!

Our post today revolves around this real postcard from Victoria, BC. It was written by Emma McCandlish, and addressed to Mrs. W. Harlock at 181 Fort Street, Victoria. Emma McCandlish ran a boarding house in Victoria in 1892 at 63 Superior. She was still at this property in 1906. While I didn't have access to the 1907 BC Directory, I did find Emma in the directory for the following year at 534 Superior.

I had a little cyber-walk down Superior Street, thanks to Google Maps today, and I couldn't find a house similar to this one. If this is, indeed, a picture of her own home, I have a feeling that house is long gone. Do you see that stately building off in the distance on the left hand side of the image? I'm wondering if it might be one of the Parliament buildings.

The BC Archives has a collection of correspondence once belonging to Emma McCandlish. I think it would be fun to have a look the next time I'm down in Victoria.

If you'd like to get a sense of what Victoria was like in 1907, I found a great little video on Youtube. Emma McCandlish would have been very familiar with these sights. Who knows, she might even be in the film somewhere. Enjoy!

What a Shame Wednesday, Unknown Mother & Daughter, 1907 - 1909

2012-11-14T12:06:00.002-08:00

This lovely mother-daughter postcard portrait from about 1908-1910 was found in an antique shop in Airdrie, Alberta. Unfortunately, the little note on the reverse doesn't provide any hints to the identity of the pair, or to place where it was taken:

Dear Emma,

Just to show you how Canadian air suits me, do not be long before you write, with love to you all, Hettie.

We know the postcard dates to about 1907-1909 because of the AZO stamp box's diamond corners. I am guessing it was displayed for some time on a wall or display area because of the large hole in the top centre.
Wouldn't it be great if someone recognized this picture?

Girl in a Pretty Dress and Bow, Mildred Leopold, Savannah, Georgia, Circa 1904-1914

2012-11-12T03:30:00.000-08:00

Does it get much cuter than this? Two-year-old Mildred Leopold looks absolutely darling in her lacy white dress. The fluffy white bow in her hair just tops it off.

We only have her name and age written on the back, but what other clues does this postcard photo offer?

First, the AZO stamp box with the four corners held triangles, pointed up, tells us that this card was printed between 1904 and 1918.

Secondly, we have the name of the photographic studio responsible for the printing of the image: The Foltz Photographic Postals, on 116 Bull Street, Savannah, Georgia. A check of the Savannah City Directories reveal that George Raymond Foltz worked out of this location as early as 1908 (and possibly earlier), and up to 1914. In 1915 the studio is listed as 240 Bull, and after that on another street entirely.

I did manage to locate one Mildred Leopold in Savannah, born about 1909, daughter of Wm. H. and Georgia Leopold¹. William's occupation is listed as a secretary for the "K of P." I learned, from a 1915 souvenir program of the Knights of Pythias, that W. H. was a member of that organization, so I believe K & P refers to the Knights of Pythias².

By 1930, Georgia Leopold is a widow, and she & Mildred are living on Bull Street, in Savannah³. Twenty-year-old Mildred is working as a stenographer for the phone company. I lose track of her after that. I am not sure this is the same Mildred Leopold as the young girl in the picture, but it's a possibility to follow further.

1 "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLKS-LRQ : accessed 11 Nov 2012), Mildred Leopold in household of Wm H Leopold, Savannah Ward 4, Chatham, Georgia; citing sheet 11A, family 240, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1374191.^↩
2 Knights of Columbus Committee Roster, Savannah, Georgia, 1915, digital image,(http://www.ourancestors.info/Ancestors/Imageskofp1915/1.pdf)^↩
3 "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/3SL9-ZN2 : accessed 11 Nov 2012), Mildred Leopold in household of Georgia Leopold, Savannah, Chatham, Georgia; citing enumeration district (ED) 0031, sheet 1B, family 25, NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 344.^↩

The Adorable Swain Sisters, Roland, Manitoba, 1908

2012-11-09T03:30:00.000-08:00

These adorable sisters are identified as Marjorie D. H. Swain, 2 years 3 months, and Ruth M . J. Swain 7 months, August 9th 1908. This real picture postcard was mailed to Mrs. Matt. Emerson, Port Perry, Ontario. The message reads:

Aug 20 1908,

Dear Martha
This is the latest of the children and I think it is your turn to get one. We enjoyed a visit from Waldo over Sunday, he is looking well. Hope the rest of you are the same. Love from Dora.

The two girls are probably the daughters of Ontario-born William E. Swain and his second wife Dora Ellen Swain. William's fourteen-year-old son, Newton E. William Swain, appears with Margy D. H. Swain and her parents in the 1906 Canada Census¹. Dora was only 26 years old, so it is highly unlikely that she is Newton's mother. At the time the family lived in Roland, Manitoba.

Five years later, the Swains can be found in St. Paul's Township in Manitoba where four-year-old Ruth Swain makes her first appearance in the census. Newton is not living at home any longer².

The local history book with the very long title, Trails of the Pioneers. Records, Accounts, Historical Studies, Data, Reports, Letters of the Section of Manitoba, Canada Lying Southwest of Winnipeg in the Red River Valley and Centered on the Town of Roland, Manitoba by George Henry Hambley, has a little bit of information about the Swain family. First, on page 289, there is a brief listing of events for 1909 which simply says, "March 27, Newton Swain died, spinal meningitis from arrow in eye." This likely explains why Newton does not appear with his family in the 1911 Census. Then, on page 89 we learn that Mr. W. E. Swain arrived in Roland in 1899. He seems to have been a farmer, harness-maker, carpenter and real estate/insurance salesman. According to the author, Mr. Swain was born "on the shores of Lake Scugog in Ontario." There is a also a picture of W.E. Swain in the church choir on page 129.

I haven't been able to trace the girls after 1911, except for the following gravestone information I found for a Marjorie D. H. (Swain) Thorarinson, who died 23 February 1937 and is buried in Elfros Cemetery, Saskatchewan. Her birth date is identical to our Marjorie. I suspect she is our Marjorie, though work would have to be done to confirm this.

1 "Canada Census, 1906," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KHJJ-RJW : accessed 01 Nov 2012), Margy D H Swain in entry for William E Swain, 1906.^↩
2 1911 census of Canada, St. Pauls West, Selkirk, Manitoba, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 22, subdistrict St. Pauls West, p.1 (penned), dwelling 10, family 10, William Swain family, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed Nov 1, 2012), citing microfilm LAC microfilm T-20326 to T-20460.^↩

A W.F. Kilborn Photograph of a Young Couple From Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1880s

2012-11-07T09:16:00.001-08:00

This unidentified young couple had their portrait taken at the W. F. Kilborn studio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the 1880s.

Wilbur F. Kilborn opened his photographic studio in Cedar Rapids in 1864 and operated there until 1886. Though hard to see in the image above, this item has the WFK logo in the imprint. The only difficulty with saying that Wilbur F. was the photographer is that Wilbur's nephew, William Frank Kilborn apprenticed with Wilbur Kilborn and eventually took over the studio from his uncle. It's difficult to say which W.F. Kilborn is the creator of this image. More research would have to be done into the various photographers imprints used by these photographers, and there seems to be very few samples of their work online.

Elizabeth Iley, Sister of Rev. J. Iley, 1886 or Later, England

2012-11-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd start my preliminary look for Elizabeth Ileys in the 1881 England Census. I didn't expect to find quite so many Elizabeth Ileys, though. We know that Iley is her maiden name, since there is mention of a brother Rev. J. Iley in the inscription. Still, there are a lot of Elizabeth Ileys out there, many with brothers who have a first initial J.

Unfortunately, we don't have any other information written on back either; only A & G Taylor's mount imprint on the back, which helps us roughly date the image to after 1886, when the the crown, plume of feathers and royal coat of arms was first used on their mounts. This image was mostly likely taken at their studio at Newcastle on Tyne.

I don't think there are enough clues here to go on. If you see something I've missed, I'd love to hear your ideas.

The Bible of E. L. McEwen, Knowlesville, New Brunswick, 1898

2012-11-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting week for bibles. I happened upon a paperback-sized bible from roughly 1885 earlier in the week at a local thrift store that contained a few handwritten notations of births and deaths in the Oke family. I was ready to pick it up when, alas, I saw the price tag. It was way beyond my usual limit for such items.

I asked the clerk if there was something that made this bible special, and they told me it was priced that way because it was old. Of course, age doesn't automatically make something valuable, as anyone who has dabbled in collecting knows. So, sadly I had to abandon the idea of reuniting that item. However, later in the week on my travels down island, I found a similar bible in an antique store.

This one, thankfully, was priced more reasonably. The inscription on the front free endpaper of the Bible reads:

Master E. L. McEwen

from Miss E. J. Prouty

1898

It is followed by a handwritten bible verse, probably in E. L. McEwen's hand.
Then on the next page, three deaths are recorded:

James Roy McEwen died Feb 25, 1898 aged one year and eight months with scarlet feaver [sic] at Knowlesville.

Edith May Gardiner died at Brandon Sept 26, 1900 aged 19 years and 16 days of typhoid feaver [sic].

George Roy Gardiner died December 23, 1903, at Prince Albert, N.W.T. at Victoria Hospital ([hip?] disease) age 24 years, 8 months.

A James Roy McEwan, with the same death date and age, was buried in Argyle Cemetery, Carleton County, New Brunswick, Canada¹. Knowlesville is just nine kilometres from Argyle. James Roy was the son of William and Minnie McEwen.

As I was searching through the Vital Statistics portion of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick database, I found an interesting late birth registration for Ernest Lambly McEwen, born 7 June 1892 in Windsor, Carleton, New Brunswick, son of William and Mary (Gardiner) McEwen². Mary's maiden name in particular caught my eye, as did Ernest's initials. This late registration was applied for in 1950, when Mary Annabelle McEwen was living in Cloverdale, BC.

William, Mary and Ernest McEwan appear in the the 1901 Census of Canada, living in Prince Albert, Northwest Territories (now Saskatchewan)³. William was a mill labourer, born the 5th of March 1859 in New Brunswick.

My next objective was to see if I could find a connection between Mary (Minnie) Gardiner McEwen and the two Gardiners mentioned in the bible inscription: Edith May, born about 10 Sept 1881 and George Roy, born about 23 Apr 1879, the dates calculated from the death date and age at death information in the bible.

From the 1891 Census for Aberdeen, Carleton County, New Brunswick⁴:

Thomas Gardiner, 61, born PEI, farmer
Freelove Gardiner, 43, wife, born NB
John Gardiner, 19, son, born NB, farm labourer
Earnest Gardiner, 17,son, born NB, farm labourer
James Gardiner, 15, son, born NB
George Gardiner, 12, son, born NB
Edith Gardiner, 9, daughter, born NB
Minnie Gardiner, 23, daughter born NB

A nice thing about the 1901 Canada Census is that full birth dates are recorded. A quick check confirms we have the matching birth date for George R. Gardiner⁵. The family has moved from New Brunswick to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which matches our information as well.

We can conclude that Edith May Gardiner was probably Ernest's aunt; that George Roy Gardiner was his uncle and James Roy McEwen, his younger brother. The only other person mentioned in the bible is Miss E. J. Prouty, who is probably Ernest's Sunday School Teacher, but we'll leave that one for another day.

There is a lot more information one could follow pertaining to Ernest Lambly McEwen and his family, but I think we've done enough here today to help someone recognize if this bible belongs to their family. If you'd like to add any information, feel free to leave a comment below.

UPDATE November 7, 2012: REUNION! The bible is now on its way to the grandson of Ernest McEwen. Yay!

1 New Brunswick Genealogical Society, compiler, "New Brunswick Cemeteries Index," database, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (http://archives.gnb.ca/Search/Cemeteries/:accessed 24 Oct 2012), database entry for James Roy McEwen (?-1898)^↩
2 Registrar of Vital Statistics, "Index to Late Registration of Births," database, Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (http://archives.gnb.ca/ :accessed 24 Oct 2012), database entry for Ernest Lambly McEwen (7 June 1892)^↩
3 1901 census of Canada, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, The Territories, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 205, subdistrict # 11, p.2 (penned), dwelling 12, family 12, William McEwan family; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 24 Oct 2012); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6428 through T-6556.^↩
4 1891 census of Canada, Aberdeen, Carleton, New Brunswick, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 12, subdistrict # 2, p. 14 (penned), dwelling 61, family 61, Thomas Gardiner family; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 24 Oct 2012); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6297.^↩
5 1901 census of Canada, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, The Territories, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 205, subdistrict # 11, p.1 (penned), dwelling 8, family 8, Thomas Gardiner family; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 24 Oct 2012); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6428 through T-6556.^↩

What a Shame Wednesday: A Striking Plaid Dress, A. Peck Studio, Newburgh, New York, Circa 1864-1866

2012-10-31T12:53:00.003-07:00

Since there is no identification as to the subject anywhere on this carte de visite photograph, sadly, we are unlikely to be able to identify her. The photograph was taken at the A. Peck studio at 117 Water Street, in Newburgh, NY between June of 1864 and August 1866. The date can be narrowed down because a Tax revenue stamp of 2 cents, which was a tax enacted in June of 1862 by the US Federal Government to help with the cost of the Civil War, is affixed to the back of the photo.

Plaid dresses were popular during this time period, and this one is quite bold with its thick, white horizontal stripes. This young woman's black scarf/tie is fixed with a brooch and it matches the belt on her dress. I love the piping that runs along her dropped shoulder seam. Her gloves and hat sit, waiting, on the arm of the chair. How old do you think she is?

A Name Passed Down: Alcy J. Miner, Sylvania, Ohio, Early 1880s

2012-10-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, I thought that Miss Miner had signed her name "Aley Miner." Eventually, through my research, I realized that her first name is actually "Alcy" and that Alcy was a given name that appears throughout her family tree, right up to contemporary times. The transcriber of the 1870 census on both Ancestry.com and Familysearch.org, also thought that she was an Aley. The later censuses, however, list her as Alcy.

Alcy was born in Ohio around 1863, the daughter of Hiram and Mary Jane Miner¹. She had a sister named Irene, who was born 1866. Her father, Hiram, was a Farmer, originally from New York and her mother, Mary McIntyre, was born in Michigan.

According to Gayleen Gindy's book, Sylvania, Lucas County, Ohio: From Footpaths to Expressways and Beyond, Alcy's father Hiram was the son of Dr. Amos Miner (1788-1854) and Alcy Case Miner (?-1852). Amos Minor was one of the earliest doctors to practice medicine in Lucas County. Gindy writes, "Alcy J Miner had married Homer D. Hyde and they lived on this Corey Road property in Sylvania Township for many years. They had a daughter and named her Alcy. O. Hyde."

I had a look at the Toledo City Directories and learned that the photographer of this image, E. H. Alley of Toledo, Ohio, operated his photographic studio at 324 Superior from roughly 1869 to 1887, but worked from other addresses both prior to, and after his time at 324 Superior.

I believe this photograph can be dated to the early 1880s. The knife-pleated cuffs, with the sleeves that are set high along the shoulder line, and her lovely lace scarf seem to me to be of that time period. I wish I could see more of her skirt to get a better sense of her entire outfit.

Alcy J. Miner Hyde died in Lucas County, Ohio on the 21st of April 1923 at the age of 60 and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo².

1 "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M6LM-P3C : accessed 27 Oct 2012), Aley J Miner in household of Hiram Miner, Ohio, United States; citing p. 29, family 249, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 552735.^↩
2 "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8RY-VK3 : accessed 27 Oct 2012), Alcy J Hyde, 1923; citing reference fn 27833, Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, Ohio.^↩

Estelle (Etty) Harrington, San Francisco, CA, ca 1870

2012-10-26T17:40:00.001-07:00

This is one of three cartes de visite from my collection relating to members of the Harrington family of San Francisco. This one is identified on the back as "Etty Harrington." I also have a second portrait cdv of "Etty" taken a couple of years later, in which she is identified as "Estelle Harrington," and a cdv of "Webber Harrington, 2 years old, Aug 25, 1874."

This image was taken at the studio of Wilbur Bayley and Robert Winter. Their business was located at 618, and 620 Washington Street in San Francisco, next to Maguire's Opera House. According to Pioneer Photographers of the Far West: A Biographical Dictionary, by Peter Palmquist and Thomas Kailborn, the partnership of Bayley and Winter lasted for only three years at this location, between 1869 and 1871.

Estelle, born about 1859 in California, was the daughter of Benjamin Webber Harrington and Sarah C.Harrington. Estelle (or Etty) had two brothers, Frances B., born about 1842 in Massachusetts, and Frederick, born a year after Frances, also in Massachusetts. Estelle's sister, Sarah M. was born in 1848¹.

Estelle's father worked as a stone cutter/mason. In my hunt for information this family I happened upon the book Alcatraz Unchained by Jerry Lewis Champion, Jr. which is an in-depth history into Alcatraz Island. According to Champion's research, Benjamin Webber Harrington moved his family from Massachusetts to the west coast during the time of the California Gold Rush, working as a stone mason at Fort Point and later, on the fortifications located on Alcatraz Island. Later, his son Frederick worked as a lighthouse keeper on the California coast, but mostly at the Trinidad Lighthouse, near the California/Oregon border.

In 1880, Estella seems to be going by the name Anita E. Harrington, and is working as an embroidress². Her father, Benjamin is described as "paralyzed," in the census records. He was 61 years old. I wonder if he was a victim of an industrial accident. Estelle (Anita) Harrington's maternal grandmother, Sophia Pratt, age 78, born Canada, is also living with the family in 1880 and is listed as paralyzed.

I don't know what became of Estelle/Anita after this. She doesn't seem to appear in the censuses, which might mean she married and appears under a different surname. I suspect there may be a lot of available material out there on this family, if one has the time to look for it. If you know what happens to our subject after 1880, I'd love to hear from you.

1 1860 U.S. census, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, population schedule, p. 410, dwelling 100, family 93, Estill Harrington, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 October 2012); citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, microfilm 803067.^↩
2 "United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M6PX-R35 : accessed 7 Oct 2012), Anita E. Harrington in household of Benjamin W. Harrington, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States; citing sheet 342B, family 2, NARA microfilm publication T9-0079.^↩

From the Choate Studio, Carlisle, PA circa 1880-90s

2012-10-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

It's a shame that this young boy's name isn't recorded anywhere on this photograph. I thought I might be able to find another copy of this particular image on one of the sites specializing in images from "The United States Indian School" at Carlisle, PA, but unfortunately I couldn't locate one.

John Nicholas Choate was the official photographer for the school, which operated from 1879 to 1918 in Carlisle. I don't know if this young boy was a student there or just happened to have his picture taken by Choate. There's a good deal of information available on Choate and the school so I won't delve into its history, but I will encourage you to visit Visualizing a Mission: Artifacts and Imagery of the Carlisle Indian School, 1879-1918, a very informative, and compelling collection from Dickinson College.

If you know anything about this child's identity, please post your comments below.

Have You Heard of Louis Kostello from St. Cloud, Minnesota, Circa 1897-1898?

2012-10-22T03:30:00.000-07:00

This 1890s cabinet card photograph is labelled on the back, "Louis Kostello, St. Cloud, Minn." This is a real puzzler. I haven't been able to find anyone by that name in Minnesota, or in a general census search. No Kostellos in that area. There are a number of Costellos in Stearns County, Minnesota; no Louises, or Lewises, though.

The Directory of Minnesota Photographers website says Guy Alvord was in operation in St. Cloud from 1897 to 1898.

So who was Louis? Did he change his name? Leave the area? Leave the US? Meet an untimely death?
The fact that I can't find any trace of him, and no possible matches makes me think I'm missing something fundamental. But what?

Bessie Tait, Oxford, Amherst, Nova Scotia, Circa 1891-1893

2012-10-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

This is another photograph from the Mary Harrison Photo Album (see: Harrison in the sidebar labels) that I've mentioned in previous posts. This one was labelled, "Bessie Tait, Oxford." Further into the album there is a strikingly similar image of a woman in the same dress. It's labelled, "Mary Tait." At first I thought they were the same person, but there are slight variations in features. As well, Mary seems to be a few years older. But they could almost pass as twins!

Bessie Viola Tait was born on the 24th of January 1873 in Oxford, Cumberland Co., Nova Scotia, to Dixon Tait and Bertha Gilroy Tait¹. Bessie's sister, Mary, was three years older².

On November 21st, 1894 Bessie married James S. Van Buskirk³. James was a shoemaker and the family lived in Oxford until at least 1911⁴.

I believe this image of Bessie was taken in the early 1890s, and probably before 1894. The standing puff sleeves and high collar on her dress were popular at that time. Bessie passed away of heart problems at the age of 77 years in Oxford on the 19th of February 1950⁵.

1 "Canada, Births and Baptisms, 1661-1959," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F247-RFX : accessed 10 Oct 2012), Bessie Viola Tait, 24 Jan 1873; citing reference item 1 p 186, FHL microfilm 1298667.^↩
2 "Canada Census, 1881," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVXQ-FCF : accessed 10 Oct 2012), Bessie Tait in household of Dixon Tait, River Philip, Cumberland, Nova Scotia, Canada.^↩
3 "Canada, Marriages, 1661-1949," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F2L3-CYV : accessed 10 Oct 2012), James S. Vanbuskirk and Bessie V. Tait, 21 Nov 1894; citing reference P128 CN181, FHL microfilm 1298866.^↩
4 1911 census of Canada, Oxford, Cumberland, Nova Scotia, population schedule, district #42, enumeration district (ED) 17, subdistrict # 17, p.1 (penned), dwelling 1, family 1, J. Sydney Van Buskirk family, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed Oct 10, 2012), citing microfilm LAC microfilm T-20326 to T-20460.^↩
5 Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics, digital image, (https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=1950-1865&Event=death&ID=341870; accessed 10 Oct 2012), Deaths, Bessie Viola Van Buskirk, Year: 1950 - Book: 1950 - Page: 1865.^↩

Searching for Women By Their Husband's Names: Mrs Dan McAuley and Mrs Fred Allen

2012-10-17T03:30:00.000-07:00

I've encountered a spate of difficult photos of late. Here's another for anyone who loves a challenge. The reverse of this postcard photograph, found in a Nanaimo, BC antique shop, reads:

The challenge here is that the two married women are identified by their husband's names. The youngest daughter Annie is, presumably, Annie Mcauley. So I started my search looking for a Dan Mcauley who had a daughter, Annie. I found one exact match after an Ancestry search, a Dan Mcauley in the 1891 Scotland Census living in Barrhead, Barrhead and Levern, Renfrewshire with a daughter Annie. I found another possibility on Ancestry.com and a few others that might fit.

My next thought was to try and find a Fred Allan who married a Mcauley. I didn't find anything on Ancestry. I headed over to Familysearch.org. Nothing.

The house in the image looks like a first homestead of the type you would find on the prairies. It was taken after 1907. While the image was found in British Columbia, that doesn't necessarily mean it was taken in Canada. It could very well have been, but my experience is that the photos I find are pretty well evenly split between Canadian and American images.

Another image to remain a mystery?

UPDATE November 21, 2012: This once-a-mystery postcard is on its way to Alberta to be reunited with a descendant of Mrs. Dan McCauley, who has been identified in the comments section as Mary Norn McCauley. The two other women are Mary McCauley Allen and Annie McCauley.