RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => Canada => Topic started by: hell o on Sunday 15 July 18 21:13 BST (UK)
-
My great-grandmother went to Canada in 1922 leaving her 2 children (1 adopted and my gran boarded-out) in Scotland. I recently found poor law records (pre 1922) in Glasgow and Paisley which clearly show her profession - prostitution! It also shows that she had been in prison and asylums, and unable to care for her daughter who was taken into care. Her real name - Janet Keith, (her alias or working name was Catherine Stewart) was the name she used to travel to Canada. I can find no trace of her once she arrived in Canada under either of these names, I did find 3 Janet Keith's in the voters roll working as a domestic in late 1920's I believe within 10 years she was a wealthy woman (she sent a letter and money to my gran). I am guessing she continued her prostitution in Canada, which would make tracing her very difficult. Anyone any ideas where I should look?
-
From the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper for April 1922 -- mentions Miss Biden's parties and that the first group sailing from Liverpool on April 1 with two more groups coming. Ranging in age from 18 to 38, mostly hail from Scotland and Ireland. Going directly to households waiting to receive them as domestics.
The 1926 Census of the Prairie Provinces is due to be released this year, so you might be fortunate and find her still in the area.
Or, there is a death record in Ontario for a Janet Keith, born June 1888 (no specific date), died January 13, 1946. Single, been in Canada for 25 years. Parents' names are given as William Keith and Janet Johnson. Informant is brother, William Keith. Buried at St. John's Norway Cemetery in the east end of Toronto. Died at Hillcrest Convalescent Home; residence noted as 1214 Gerrard Street East (14 Austin Terrace written above and struck out).
-
Eileen Wilson thank you, thank you. you are spot on with both facts. I have a document that mentions what I thought was Miss Bideau's party, and the death is my Janet Keith 100%! I knew her brother William was also in Canada, parents are correct and date of birth - 28th June 1888.
I knew she arrived in Canada but couldn't find a death/marriage for her, now I have I can look into the 25yrs she spent in Canada, Thank you again
Helen
-
Hi,
There are obituaries for her in the Toronto Star (on Jan 15, 1946, page 19, and on Jan 16 1946, page 24) and Globe and Mail (Jan 16 1946, page 20)
Obits say that she died suddenly in Toronto on Jan 13 1946. Beloved sister of William Keith, of North Bay, dear friend of Mrs Margaret MacKay, of 1214 Gerrard St. E, in her 58th year. Interment St Johns Norway.
RK
-
1946 Toronto Directory has Janet Keith, cook, Hillcrest Con Hosp, r 47 Austin Terr
https://archive.org/stream/torontocitydirectory1946#page/756/mode/2up
At 1214 Gerrard St E is Edward J MacKay and Emmanuel Allen. (the street listings are at the end of the directory)
Looks like Hillcrest Convalescent Hospital is located at 47 Austin Terrace.
https://archive.org/stream/torontocitydirectory1946#page/24/mode/2up
RK
-
I have also found a Miss Janet Keith working as a cook in Aurora (north of Toronto) in 1935 and 1945 (Voters' Lists). List is strictly alphabetical with no addresses, so can't tell who she's living with.
-
That explains why I can't find her in earlier Toronto directories!! :)
I was wondering if she had been living/working elsewhere before coming to Toronto.
RK
-
Thank you Eileen and runkitty for this info, it is very much appreciated. it makes me wonder if Janet DID go back to her old ways once in Canada. Her place of death and residence does not suggest wealth. Janet came from a working class, stable background in Paisley. She had her first child in 1904 aged 16 and unmarried - he was adopted by a relative of father. 2nd son in 1908 died aged 6 months, my gran was born in 1908 when her mother was not yet 20yrs old. My gran was with her mother until aged about 7 years she was put on a boat by her mother and "boarded-out". Poor law records from Glasgow then Paisley give all this info - and more - her police record, her father paying to get early release from prison for his daughter to attend her mothers funeral, statement from Janet's mother....loads of info. You both have helped me find the end of Janet's story. thank you x
-
Well, she had enough of an estate to have to be administered. Notice in the Toronto Star in March 1947, that anyone having a claim to the estate to notify William Keith, Administrator for the Estate.
You can obtain a copy of the estate file from the Archives of Ontario:
Estate Files processed between 1931 and 1970 are with the Archives of Ontario. Estate files for 1931-1967 are available on microfilm in the Archives’ reading room only, and you can make copies from the film; you can also order copies of all or part of the file (see below). Files processed between 1968 and 1970 have not yet been microfilmed.
To order a copy of all or part of an estate file please contact us with: the estate file number; year; name of county/district; and name of the deceased. Please include: your name; address; telephone number; and a brief description of what documents you would like copied (eg. the entire file, only the will, etc.). Also, please indicate if you need the copies to be certified.
Archives of Ontario
134 Ian Macdonald Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 2C5
reference "at" ontario.ca
In order to get the estate file #, will need to interlibrary loan the index film to a local library. If you need help with this, let me know, as I can have it ordered in and get the # for you. May take a few weeks to get the film:
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/microfilm/surrogate_court_york_t.aspx#index
-
I was interested to read this topic as in 1910 the second wife of my g.uncle William Davies, Isabella Laurie Davies née Wood, left her husband and three children to emigrate to Canada to work as a domestic. She probably found that her marriage was bigamous and Frederick had left her for yet another woman. On the ship she was in 'the Joyce Party'. It looks as if there was some sort of organisation for recruiting Scottish women in difficulties as domestics in Canada. Is anything more known of this?
Don
-
Don
Mrs Joyce Party sponsored a number of domestics over a few years.
Think of it s a forerunner of the employment agency.
Don
-
Eileen Wilson,
yes please I would like your help, I don't have a clue how to go about what u suggest.
helen
-
Helen, I will go into the library this weekend and order in the microfilm from the Archives of Ontario. With the estate # you will be able to contact them and ask for a copy of the estate. As I mentioned, it may take a couple of weeks to get the film, but will let you know how I make out.
-
Don, I too would like to know more about what happened to these young single women in Canada, and why they were selected. My great-grandmother had 3 children in 4 yrs before she was 20yrsold, was arrested and jailed for being drunk and prostitution, was in Woodilee Asylum on more than one occasion, her first child was adopted by a relative of father, 2nd child died age 6 months, and my gran - her 3rd child was taken into care around 7yrs of age (1915) then in 1922 left for a new life in Canada (without her daughter who was 14yrs old). I think that "fallen women", "ladies of the night", prostitutes were selected in order to keep men from returning to Britain from Canada. A wife would keep one man in Canada but a prostitute could keep 100's. The death found by Eileen Wilson is defo my janet keith, who was still single when she died - her obit only mentions her brother William and a friend Margaret, no mention of previous life in Scotland where she had 4 more siblings and a son and a daughter.
-
Not too many years ago there was a TV programme outlining old newsreels and I'm pretty sure that one of them showed Glasgow in the 1920s. My main memory is of a queue of women embarking on a ship to cross the Pond as domestic servants.
My computer isn't running very well today and although I can see that Pathe News has a website, I can't access it to see if there's an item about migration.
-
Helen, I have ordered the necessary microfilm into my local library. Should have within a couple of weeks. Will let you know when I have estate file number.
-
Interesting Don, thanks. Did she only recruit in Scotland?
-
Don't believe so Don. Her name pops up on ships leaving England and Scotland.
-
Found this interesting. I wonder if my great grandmother was one of these women. She left her husband and children in Scotland and emigrated to Canada, though I believe she may have went to live in New YORK later. Probably left from Glasgow early 1920,s. Her married name was Annie Jamieson, but I think she may have used her maiden name of Annie McDonald on journey. She was followed by her daughter Elizabeth and son Hugh in 1925. Not much is known about her life over there though in her later years I think she stayed with or near her daughter and son in law Elizabeth and Ken Brake in Toronto.
Gerry
-
Previous thread for information purposes and to save duplication
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=798594.0
March 2011
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=519910.0
Sandra
-
Big thank you to all helped me locate records of my missing great-grandmother, especially Eileen Wilson. your research on my behalf is much appreciated, thanks x