On the Needles

powered by ravelry.com


Thursday, October 26, 2023

OTDIH - October 26th

 October 26th, 1875 -  My 2nd Great-Grandparents, Percival Winfield and Sophia McKelvey were married in Mount Albert, York, Ontario, Canada. He was 24 years old and she was 17 years old. He was the son of John and Catherine (Stevenson) Winfield. She was the daughter of George McKelvey and Charlotte Hebner. They were both residing in Scott Township, York, Ontario, Canada. He was a farmer. John Leek and Ellen Potter, both of Mount Albert, were witnesses to the marriage performed by D. Cattenach. 


"Canada, Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927", , FamilySearch, Entry for Percival Winfield and Sophia McKelvey, 26 Oct 1875.

Friday, October 20, 2023

OTDIH = October 20th

 October 20th, 1976 - The death of my Great-Grandfather Elijha Claude Bruce at the Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. He was residing in Surrey, British Columbia. His son C.A. Bruce was the informant. 

He had come down with pneumonia 5 days earlier after suffering left heart failure a year before.  

He was buried on October 25th, 1976 at Valley View Cemetery in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

OTDIH - October 19th

October 19th, 1869 - William Henry "Kerry" Howerton was born in Illinois, USA. He is my 2nd Great-Grandfather. I wrote about Kerry here. I am getting closer to figuring out who his parent's were but my research is needed. 

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

OTDIH - October 18th

 October 18th, 1866 - The birth of my 2nd Great-Grandmother, Sarah Elizabeth Clare at 8 Copenhagen Place, Limehouse, Middlesex, England. The daughter of Isaac William Clare and Jane Caroline Walker. Isaac was working as a Labourer at Galvanized Iron Works. 

Image of birth record for Sarah Elizabeth Clare
Stepney Registration District, Middlesex, vol. 01C, p. 498, no. 79, birth entry of Sarah Elizabeth Clare, 18 October 1866,  photocopy of birth entry in register; General Registry Office, Southport, England. [a PDF from the GRO website]

Her mother's middle name seems to switch back and forth between Catherine and Caroline. I know from her birth record, death record,. and Sarah's and her sister Jane's baptism records it is Caroline. But on Sarah's birth record you can see it was written as Catherine. Of course, Sarah's sister is registered as Jane Catherine but baptised as Jane Caroline. I suspect this is do to some confusion with the two similar but not identical names. Either on Isaac William Clare's part or the minister's or registrant's. Unfortunately it is something that I will never actually know

Monday, October 16, 2023

OTDIH - October 16th

 October 16th, 1959 - The death of my 2nd Great-Grandmother, Ada Ann Elizabeth "Dollie" (Vaughn) Howerton Jones, at the Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. At the time of her death she was married to James Jones (her second spouse) and was residing on Bond Street in Cloverdale, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Her daughter Josephine Kronebusch was the informant. 

Cause of death was cerebral arterial thrombosis, also referred to as ischemic stroke. Or in layman's terms, a blood clot in the artery of the brain. 

Other posts about Dollie can be found here and here


Ada Ann Elizabeth Jones, 16 Oct 1959; citing Surrey, British Columbia, Canada; British Columbia Archives film number B13244, Division of Vital Statistics, Victoria; FHL microfilm 2033301

Sunday, October 15, 2023

OTDIH - October 15th

October 15th, 1832 - According to his gravestone, my 5th Great-Grandfather, George J Grant, died on this date in 1832. He was residing in what is now known as Cornwall, Stormont Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Ontario, Canada. 

October 15th, 1871 - Birth of my 2nd Great-Grandfather, Francis William Dover at 96 High Street, St. Clements, Headington, Oxfordshire, England. He was born at home to John Dover and Frances Elizabeth Dover(formerly Bricknell). His father was a builder. 


Headington Registration District, Oxfordshire, vol. 3A, p. 594, no. 375, birth entry of Francis William Dover, 15 October 1871,  photocopy of birth entry in register; General Registry Office, Southport, England. [a Digital image from the GRO website]




Saturday, October 14, 2023

OTDIH - October 14th

 October 14th, 1836 - The birth of my 3rd Great-Grandfather, Isaac William Clare. He was born just a few months before England started requiring birth records in 1837 so there is no birth record for him. But I do have his baptism which the minister was kind enough to include the birthdate. 

Image of the baptism of Isaac William Clare.

He was baptised on the 13th November 1836 at Saint George in the East, Stepney, London, England. His parents were James and Catherine Clare. They lived on New Street in Shadwell(an area of London). James was working as a Green Grocer. 

Thursday, October 12, 2023

OTDIH - October 12th

 October 12th, 1885 - My 4th Great-Grandmother, Lydia Elizabeth (Bryne) Chinn died in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, USA. She was 71 years old. Her date of death is carved on her gravestone which can be viewed on her Find-A-Grave memorial. I wrote about Lydia's life with her husband, John French Chinn, here

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

OTDIH - October 11th

October 11th, 1786 - At St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Schoharie, Schoharie County, New York, USA, my 4th Great-Grandmother, Catherina Otto was baptised. She was the daughter of Frantz Otto and Marie Barbara Papst. Sponsors of the baptism were Johan Adam Bapst and his wife. I believe the Bapst instead of Papst is a transcription error. And that they were Catherina's maternal grandparents. 

The records for St. Paul's  Evangelical Lutheran Church were transcribed by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society in 1914. The book was then scanned by The Genealogy Society, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. And is now available on the FamilySearch website. 

Monday, October 09, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

This postcard was sent to my great-grandmother, Pearl Winfield, in (if I'm reading the postmark right) 1908. I'm not sure who sent it to her. The name Widil does not ring any bells. If it is a name at all.



You may notice that the postcard shows November and not October. Until 1957 Thanksgiving in Canada did not have a set date. Each year the government would declare a day for Thanksgiving sometime in October or November. The day for General Thanksgiving was Monday, November 9th in 1908. The proclamation appeared in the October 24th and October 31st Regular Issues of the Canadian Gazette. 

OTDIH - October 9th

October 9th, 1834 - Lucretia (Gaines) Bruce, my 5th Great-Grandmother, died on this day in Chapel Hill, Marshall County, Tennessee, USA. This is according to her Find-A-Grave Memorial and her gravestone. 

October 9th, 1947 - The death of my 2nd Great-Grandmother, Sarah Elizabeth (Clare) Dover in York Township, York County, Ontario, Canada. She was residing at 51 Chryessa Ave and was 80 years, 11 months, and 20 days old. 

Sunday, October 08, 2023

OTDIH - October 8th

October 8th, 1853 - The birth of my 2nd Great-Grandfather, John G. Grant in Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario, Canada. This date comes from the 1901 Census of Canada. The 1911 Census shows the birth month and year. And his obituary states he was born in Osnabruck. 

October 8th, 1877 - The death of my 5th Great-Grandmother, Lydia (Crabtree) Vaughn in Jefferson, Marion County, Oregon, USA. According to her gravestone she was 82 years, 11 months, and 20 days old. 


Saturday, October 07, 2023

OTDIH - October 7th

Two of my 4th Great-Grandfather's died on this day. This information comes from their Find-A-Grave memorials and gravestones. 

October 7th, 1861 - The death of James G. Grant in Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario, Canada. He was buried in Willis Cemetery in Lunenburg, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Ontario, Canada

October 7th, 1875 - And the death of John French Chinn in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, USA. He was buried in Chinn Cemetery in Independence County, Arkansas, USA. I wrote more about his life here

Friday, October 06, 2023

OTDIH - October 6th

October 6th, 1875 - The birth of my 2nd Great-Grandmother, Ada Ann Elizabeth "Dolly" Vaughn, in Spring Valley, Arkansas, USA. Daughter of Christopher Columbus Vaughn and Martha Jane Carroll. I wrote more about Dolly here.

Monday, October 02, 2023

OTDIH - October 2nd

 October 2nd, 1812 - In Cabell County, West Virginia, USA, John Vaughn and Lydia Crabtree were married. They are my 5th great-grandparents. 

The image used to be viewable on the West Virginia Culture site, here, but there appears to be a error loading it. Thankfully I saved it to my computer & have a copy. Unfortunately it is another bare bones record that lists only date and name of parties. 

Record of marriage for John Vaughn and Lydia Crabtree. October 2nd, 1812.