Trying to find what happened to James Lawson!

[dbree]

Hi,

Perhaps this is his Windsor connection, one record from Canada Voters Lists 1940, Essex (Windsor)
Ontario. There are about 20 other listed with him. Must have been some kind of lodging/apartment
house.
Lawson, James, plasterer, 349 Chatham St. East.

Fancy looking through some more directories,  Windsor directories are here. I checked from 1940
onwards, and there are 2 possibles. 1941 Lawson, Jas. rms. Pitt w., and 1944 Lawson, Jas. r.
239 Church St.
http://scholar.uwindsor.ca/windsor-directories/

DB

[auntya]

Aw, thank you dbree. I will take a look.
This looks like it's him though, doesn't it?
I wonder what happened to Lillie?

I've been looking for a  family connection between James & Lillie and as yet I haven't found one!

Andrea

[bbart]

I don't think the Lily Sandeman discussed earlier is the one you are looking for.  From the image, she is about the same age as your James, but going to an uncle James K. Lawson who lived at 210 W 69th St., New York.  She makes multiple trips to New York, and is still a Sandeman in 1915 when she visits her brother in New York.  Her father lives in Dundee, and she lived in London.  I can't rule her out, but she doesn't seem to fit?

James and Sarah were married in 1909, so I am assuming the two other children in the workhouse were not James? 

I have been trying to track all of James' siblings/parents in case they have an obit that mentions your James, and having no luck.  However, I did find that there is one more sibling missing from the gravestone, and that is Helen.  (Just mentioning that in case you didn't know about her..... I found some info (husband and children) on her if you need it.)   Also the family gravestone mentions a Duncan.... I came across the most saddest article ever on his death, if you need that.

Jame's father Robert: he was not with the family in 1901 and Christina was working, and I can't find a good match in the 1911 census.  Do you know what he was up to until his death in 1930?  (There are so many Lawsons, I am just wondering if I should be looking for an obit outside of Ayr, or maybe I am looking at the wrong family in 1901?)

Just for reference, family gravestone: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=168833201

(Note to Lisa: Hi!  If you were found that Lily Sandeman on Anc. and were taken to the totally wrong image, it's not image 262, it's 392 (page 2) and 393 (page 1) that you need.  )

[auntya]

Aargh! I'm so confused lol!
I'm sure (but not 100%, I need to check) that in James' Attestation papers one of the pages shows his next of kin as Lily K Lawson?

It's a bit of a tale regarding the children. Basically, there were two daughters born before marriage (no fathers name on the birth certificates). One is named Christina which makes me think James could be the father. Then, two sons were born after the marriage (both James'). So, two of the children in the workhouse are definitely James' and one is possibly his. Another reason that leads me to believe Christina was James' is that a few years ago I found out that she was adopted by a relative of James' on his mothers side!
The other daughter,Sarah. I've never found what happened to her, no death, nothing! I do wonder if she was also adopted.

Sorry, my mistake about the siblings on the gravestone. Yes, Helen is also missing. I know she married James McKenzie 1901 Ayr and had a daughter Christina but I don't know anything else.
Please could you send me the article on Duncan.

Robert Lawson was boarding at 9 Portland St Kilmarnock in 1901 (I presume because he was working in the area). He's back in Ayr in 1911 - 61 Sandgate Ayr - with his daughter Grace Ferrier.
I don't have anything for Christina in 1911.
From 1913-14 the family had the Queens Hotel, South Harbour St, Ayr.

[bbart]

No confusion allowed! 

James' attestion does state a spouse of Lillie; I was just saying I don't think it's the Lillie Sandeman one, as after tracking her around, she just didn't "fit" well. I think you need to stay open to looking at any other Lillie's come along.

Bits on Helen: http://libindx.moray.gov.uk/people/people_report_view.asp?REF_ID=NM274778

And sadly now, the very depressing article from the Daily Record, 13 Sept 1915:

[auntya]

Hi,

Just trying to think of ways to find out just who Lillie was and what happened to her

Thank you so much for the link on Helen ( going to find out what happened there )!

What a tragic end for Duncan......and so young! Such a sad article. Really grateful for you finding all these items.

Andrea