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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: 23281002856929 on Saturday 06 October 18 00:43 BST (UK)
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Help!
The following people are buried in the same grave in Port Perry, Ontario.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140584281/david-horndon-messenger
David Horndon Messenger 1837-1913
Cemetery photo also shows Stuttaford side
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140584158/john-stuttaford
John Stuttaford 1868-1935
Ruth Dowson
Cemetery photo also shows David Horndon Messenger side
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/130109788/bessie-dowson
Jeremiah Dowson 1823–1906 (father of Bessie and Annie Dowson)
Jane Maw Dowson 1830–1910 (mother of Bessie and Annie Dowson)
Bessie Dowson 1851–1927
Annie Dowson 1869–1960
Bessie Dowson (Cassidy) was housekeeper for David Horndon Messenger in Guelph ON.
John Stuttaford m. Ruth Dowson, Bessie’s sister.
Annie Dowson worked for a while as a domestic in the household of John Stuttaford & Ruth Dowson, her sister
I am trying to understand the relationships among these 3 families – Messenger, Stuttaford and Dowson, specifically, why David Messenger was buried in the same grave with Stuttafords and Dowsons.
Any help you can give is appreciated. Many thanks.
Lynn
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I don't know how much a tomb like this (a rather nice sarcophagus - over a vault?) would cost, but it can't have been cheap. Somebody must have had money.
Putting your information in burial date order:
Jeremiah DOWSON 1823-1906
Jane Maw DOWSON 1830-1910 (wife of Jeremiah)
Ruth DOWSON 1875-1910 (daughter of Jeremiah and Jane, wife of John STUTTAFORD)
David Horndon MESSENGER 1837-1913
Bessie DOWSON (CASSIDY) 1851-1927 (daughter of Jeremiah and Jane)
John STUTTAFORD 1868-1935 (husband of Ruth DOWSON)
Annie DOWSON 1869-1960 (daughter of Jeremiah and Jane)
I can't see a family connection to David Horndon MESSENGER, so there seem to be three possibilities:
1) There is a family connection I haven't found
2) David was both employer of Bessie and benefactor for her family, and he paid for the tomb
3) David had no local living relatives so the DOWSON family had him buried in their tomb
I don't have access to Canada census images, but the transcripts on FamilySearch for David H MESSENGER in Ontario have him 1891 in Guelph as married (to Anna age 60 born Ireland?) and 1901 in Wellington South as widowed.
Philip
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Following up on Philip's research: in the 1911 census, Bessie Cassidy, widow, is the housekeeper for David Messenger.
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There is a baptism for a David Horndon Messenger on 14 October 1836 in the parish of Callington, Cornwall. Parents are James Bryant Messenger and Ann W M P.
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The messenger family are living at Heath Cottage, Calstock, Liskeard, Cornwall in the 1851 cesnsus.
James occupation is given as Magistrate and Gentleman thereby suggesting that he is well off.
Registration district Liskeard
Archive reference HO107
Piece number 1901
Folio 164
Page 59
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There is a baptism for a David Horndon Messenger on 14 October 1836 in the parish of Callington, Cornwall. Parents are James Bryant Messenger and Ann W M P.
Nice find.
I found a marriage licence on FamilySearch
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9H8-FSC?cc=1833719
James Bryant MESSENGER, Capt of the Royal Cornwall Militia, of Callington, widower, and Ann Waller Mary Pattison HORNDON, of Callington, over 21, spinster, dated 11 July 1829.
So, still no obvious link between MESSENGER and DREW - except employer/employee in Canada.
With the information from 23281002856929, bbart and GirlGuide it very much looks like David MESSENGER had the money and the DREWs were workers.
Philip