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Research in Other Countries => Canada => Topic started by: KayP on Saturday 01 January 05 22:03 GMT (UK)
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Can anyone suggest how I can find out how a relative ended up in Hamilton, Ontario? She is Annie HARPER born 1881 in Lancashire and married Jack ROWLEY (not absolutely sure of spelling). They were in Hamilton, Ontario in 1954 and he was a carpenter perhaps with his own business. It is thought he built furniture. How can I possibly trace them? I have hit a brick wall with this one. Any help gratefully appreciated.
Kay ???
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Hi'ya Kay,
Do you have any idea on when Annie and Jack left Lancashire and when they appreared in Ontario ??
Did you find them in the Lancashire Census returns or was this too early for your research.
Sarah :)
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Hi Sarah
I have only found Annie in the 1881 Lancashire census with her parents, Robert and Esther and sister Esther, in St Helens. I found these three in the 1891 census but no sign of Annie. She was named Annie Vernon Harper and born c1880 in Warrington, Lancashire. I have no information on Jack and I do not know if he is English or Canadian, how old he is or when and where they married. I only know that my aunts visited them in Hamilton, Ontario in 1954/55.
Thanks for your interest. Hope you can help.
Kay
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Hi Kay,
I checked on the British 1901 and she does not apprear there either.
Did you manage to find Anne Harper on the 1891 Census, If Annie did emmigrate before the 1891 census she would have only have been very young to travel on her own.
Does Annie appear in the 1901 census for Ontario ?
Sarah :)
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Hi Sarah
No she wasn't with her parents on the 1891 census which makes it very strange. She would have been young then not to have even been with her parents in 1891. No idea at what age she travelled to Canada. Don't know if Jack was English or Canadian either or where they met and married. As you can see it is a real puzzle.
Kay
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Hi Kay,
Is it possible that your relative Annie was a Home Child sent to Canada. Both my mothers parents were sent here as Home Children, one as he was from very poor parents in Lanc. andhe was begging in the streets or so the official reason was written. My 'grdmom was sent by an Aunt as she was a "disruptive child " and a " bad influence on her cousins", she was being boarded with her aunt. There are many stories of Home Children, and several institutions in U.K. that sent them away indentured. Try the Home Child Page in the Archives Canada site, you may be able to find her name there.
Ted
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Hi Kay,
I was thinking along the same lines as Ted, that Annie might have been a Home Child. Your comments about her being a bit young to emigrate might suggest that possibility. There is a database to search for Home Children on the Canadian Genealogy Centre site.
You might also try the 1901 Canadian Census site. There is an Annie Harper listed as an adopted daughter, b. 13 Apr/1880, living with the Sherrick family. The Automated Census site has a link to the actual census image. I took a look at the image, and this Annie Harper was born in England. Here’s the link:
http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/census/cache/index.html
~meg
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Hi Meg and Ted
Thanks for the help. The thing is I cannot figure out why they would send her away. The parents (born around 1845) are on the 1891 census and her older sister was married in 1889 and shows up on the 1891 census with her own family and also on 1901. Haven't found parents on 1901. I suppose they could have died and that may be a reason to send Annie away. Her name was unusual in that she was Annie Vernon HARPER and I thought this would make it easy to find her. By the way I tried searching the site you sent Meg but could not find her - could you tell me how and where you found her, which city/province. I could not even find the Sherrick family :-[ I had no idea about the Home Children - the site is so sad. I will see if I can find deaths of the parents or will check again on the 1901 census for them. Please let me know if you think of anything else for me.
Thanks again, Kay
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Kay,
If you go to the 1901 Automated Census link, click on Ontario. Type in the surname and choose initial. A page will come up giving all Harpers with the first name starting with A. Scroll down to Annie Harper, 20, Simcoe (North/Nord), Stayner, f-1, 7, 14. You will be able to click on the number 7. That will take you to the page where the names have been transcribed (by volunteers). You can also view the actual image by following the link given at the top of the page.
Hope I haven't confused you with these directions.
Good luck,
~meg
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Kay,
Here is Canadian Archives web site for British Home Children
http://www.collections.ca/02/02011003_e.html
If you search for Harper...you will see a couple of Annies...one at least was sent to Ontario.
Don't be put off by the wrong ages....many of the records are wrong re age.
Here is a web site devoted to British Home Children. Perry Snow has devoted his time to helping others trace their BHCs.
http:// freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~britishhomechildren/#BHC_NAME_LIST
It's worth joining the Rootsweb British Home Children Mailing List (see Perry's page) lots of people helping each other find BHCs.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
India
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Thanks once again for all suggestions. I will check into these. I have no proof that she was actually a Home Child but you never know. I am still trying to find her on the UK 1891 and 1901 census.
Kay
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Do you have a specific date of birth for her? That would help!
Mary G.
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I have Annie Vernon Harper born around 1880 and on the 1881 census she was living with her parents Robert and Esther Harper at 52 Wilson Street, Eccleston, Lancashire. Also there were her two older sisters Ann born ~1868 and Esther born ~1870.
Does this offer any leads?
Thanks Kay
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I ask because the 1901 Canadian census data gives specific dates of birth, and that would help confirm if any of the Annie Harpers are yours.
Mary
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hello
Have you any contact with the Rowley family in Hamilton? They may have information that you would be interested in. Currently there are only 6 listings for Rowley in Hamilton, you can find them here if you search for the name in Hamilton, Ontario
http://www.mytelus.com/phonebook/index.do
Good luck
Thelma
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KayP,
Have you tried contacting the Hamilton Public Library or the Toronto Reference Library. There are city directories that may be of some use. There are also a number of passenger lists in Toronto both in hard copy & microfilm. Also try a site called Pier 24 which was where many immigrants to Canada landed. In any case contact them, explain your request & they will point you in the right direction. Good hunting.
J.A.M.
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If you look at the 1901 census, the 20 year old Annie Harper listed as an adopted daughter (living with the Sherrick family in Stayner, Ontario) has a child with her who is three years old - a Hazel Harper, listed as "adopted granddaughter". If this was your Annie, she may have emigrated or been sent away to save her family some embarrassment.
M.
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Hi Mary
Sorry to take so long to respond. I have just returned from vacation. I wonder if the Annie you found could be mine? That would be amazing and would certainly answer how she ended up in Hamilton, Ontario. I have not tried the Hamilton Public Library yet. I was confused because Ontario is divided into counties or townships and I have no idea which one she and her husband would have lived in. Also as far as the rest of the family knew she had no children (of course if she was sent away for that reason then no-one else would know!) I will also try the other suggestions you made and see if I can come up with anything. I did try getting a death certificate for Annie's husband Jack Rowley but had no luck. I will also try and find an exact date of birth for Annie. Thanks once again for your kind help and I apologize again for not thanking you sooner.
Kay
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Hi Thelma
Thanks for the suggestion. I have not tried this before as Annie and Jack Rowley were not supposed to have had any children but I suppose someone may remember them from the 1950-60's when he apparently had his own carpenter business. I will give it a go.
Thanks Kay
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Just to throw a wrench into the works, they might also have met ww1 and she came
back as a war bride...Looked on the attestation papers, no Jacks but a few Johns
( which is another name for Jack, for some reason?)
None were carpenters, either...but it's another road to consider...as many met during
the conflict, including my Grandma from England...who married a boy from scotland
who'd been living in Canada....
Database of WW1 Attestation papers
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/02010602_e.html
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Thanks JJ
The web site is quite fascinating. I did consider that she could be a war bride. I don't know if Jack Rowley is on there or not as unfortunately apart from him marrying my relative Annie Vernon Harper, him making furniture, living in Hamilton, Ontario in the 1950s and dying in the 1960s I have no other information on him. I have tried to get a death certificate but they said I needed more information. I will keep trying.
Thanks Kay