KEWLEY in Ontario post 1906

[Aceh]

I just found Ernest, age 33, and Edith, age 9, on the 1910 US Federal Census living on Ogden Avenue, Chicago Ward 12, Cook County, Illinois. 

They are boarders in a home with Archie Wall and his family.  Ernest is shown as married, 11 years in answer to number of years in present marriage; he's a cabinetmaker at a (illegible)? factory.  They have been in the US since 1907.

Susan

Ah but what of Florence and Alice - were they living elsewhere? Was Florence already divorced, was she already Mrs Alton?

[susano]

Hi

Florence and Alice are also living in Chicago in 1910...see reply #4 (I think)

I've searched for Ernest and Edith on a passenger list from Canada or the US to England in 1913 but haven't found anything.

Can't for the life of me find Florence or the girls in the 1920 US Census!!

Susan

[susano]

I found a possible for the 1920 US Census in Chicago Ward 29, Cook County....

Frank Alton, age 33, head, married, born Ohio, father born Ohio, mother born Ohio, toolmaker in a factory

Florence Alton, age 34, wife, married, immigrated to US in 1910, naturalized, born England, father born England, mother born England, inspector in a mail order house

Alice Alton, age 14, daughter, born England but then above it appears that someone has written Am. cit. born (illegible word), father born Ohio, mother born England.

Some things fit and others don't.  Florence's age should be closer to 38 but perhaps she has shaved a few years off for the new husband, she immigrated in 1907 not 1910, and I haven't found any naturalization information on Ancestry.

No Edith found yet in 1920.

Susan

[*Sandra*]

The same couple Frank and Florence (slightly mistranscribed) appear to be in Glendale, Los Angeles, California in 1930. They both state ages at first marriage.

Frank T Alten 42 Born Ohio. Parents born Ohio. Married at 21 years. Tool & Die Maker. Carburetter Mfg.
Florence Alten 42 Born England. Parents born England. Married at 17 years. Immigrated 1909. NA.

Frank is Frank Terrance Alton born 12 November 1887 Lancaster. Ohio according to a WW1 Draft. dated 5th June 1917. Residing at 6452 Albany Avenue. Occupation was a toolmaker machinist. He was married with a wife and child at that date.

It would be possible to trace Edith and Alice through the SSDI Index with their dates of birth but unfortunately there are so many alternatives for each - along process of elimination 

http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

Regards
Sandra

[Aceh]

Morning Susan,

I started loosing the plot last night so gave up.

Thanks for the 1920 census hit which might be correct. Once again Edith is not living with her mother and sister - she may we working elsewhere, or have married or have returned to Canada (but as she was only there for such a short time in 1906 -7 why would she?) or back to UK.
In case it was UK I've checked FreeBMD for Kewley marriages but found none having an Edith in Yorkshire and have checked deaths for an Edith Kewley up to 1980 without anything of the right age. I suspect that she is still in the US in 1920 - somewhere.

Edith appears to have had a greater affinity to her father (she returned with him to Yorkshire before going back to Chicago in 1913 - she seems to have been very unhappy), which is why I checked the UK.
By the time of their original emigration to Canada in 1906, Edith would have had a strong and well established Yorkshire accent (more accurately a dialect) which is unlikely to have morphed into a north American one by the time of her mother's marriage (the same would have applied to Ernest and Florence only more so). Edith would have stood out among the local children; she would have been different.
Alice on the other hand would have arrived as a baby and have acquired a north American accent naturally and assimilated naturally into her peer group.

I've checked Family Search in the US for the marriage of Florence to Frank Alton, 1909 - 1913; a marriage for Edith Kewley 1918 - 1938, ditto Edith Alton; and a death for Edith Kewley 1913 - 1953 ditto Edith Alton. Nothing that's very likely for any of them, certainly nothing in Illinois.

Time for lunch! Its still snowing - can I wait another day before wading out into it to stock up at the supermarket? No chance by car!
Do I hear you chuckle? I know it's nowhere near as bad as Canada!

[Aceh]

The same couple Frank and Florence (slightly mistranscribed) appear to be in Glendale, Los Angeles, California in 1930. They both state ages at first marriage.

Frank T Alten 42 Born Ohio. Parents born Ohio. Married at 21 years. Tool & Die Maker. Carburetter Mfg.
Florence Alten 42 Born England. Parents born England. Married at 17 years. Immigrated 1909. NA.

Frank is Frank Terrance Alton born 12 November 1887 Lancaster. Ohio according to a WW1 Draft. dated 5th June 1917. Residing at 6452 Albany Avenue. Occupation was a toolmaker machinist. He was married with a wife and child at that date.

It would be possible to trace Edith and Alice through the SSDI Index with their dates of birth but unfortunately there are so many alternatives for each - along process of elimination 

http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/

Regards
Sandra

Evening Sandra,

This certainly looks to be correct. It would be nice to track the daughters but I haven't been able to find them on Family Search. I'm not familiar with US genealogical sources - is there a US federal government BMD site, or must one go from state to state? What is SSDI?

I would also like to check on the divorce, now presumably in the US and not Canada - again, is there a US federal government site for that or is it a state responsibility?

Many thanks for your help.

[*Sandra*]

Hello Aceh,

Unfortunately the USA does not have a BMD Index as does the UK - what is available varies State to State and County to County.  There is no statewide index for divorces in Illinois prior to 1962 (whereas Michigan where I was looking for one yesterday was 1948 - highlights the differences) Neither is there a statewide index for marriages in Illinois 1901 - 1961. The site below may be worth a read:

http://www.idph.state.il.us/vitalrecords/genealogicalinfo.htm

The SSDI - Social Security Index was first started in 1956  but not fully up and running until 1961/62 - so deaths prior to that would not be covered. Sometimes if we have the dates of birth that can assist in finding the females even if they marry but there are so many alternatives to eliminate in this case.

RAOGK  - (Random Acts of Genealogy Kindness) have a volunteer in Cook, Illinois who says " I can check Cook Co. Marriages 1930-1960, Cook Co. Deaths 1908-1988, and Cook Co. births 1916-1935. I can give you a link for free Cook Co. Marriage Cert. 1871-1920"  The volunteer is excellent and had helped out a number of people that I personally know of and I wonder if it would be worth an e-mail to see if she could assist you and perhaps do some look ups for you.  She may also be more knowledgable on the subject of divorce in that time-frame.  Third on the list of the link below.  If you do take this route - we would be most interested to find out how you get on, that is, if you don't mind.

http://www.raogk.org/illinois.htm

Regards
Sandra

[cosmac]

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0alz/

Some proof to support Susano's finding of the Alton connection
Death for Edith Kewley Alton 18 Nov 1915 @ 14 years of age
d/o Frank Alton and Florenzn Longbottom

Debbie

[susano]

Debbie, what a find!!  There's even an image of the death certificate.  Thank you for helping with this search.

So sad that Edith died at such a young age.

Susan