Florence GRATTON b 1891 Wingate, Durham

[*Sandra*]

Reply 10 should have Edna Parkinson born Eng.
A Mrs R and Edna Parkinson aged 1 year appears on a passenger list 6 Sept 1907 with Mrs R Parkinson - both going to join huisband/father Winnipeg. 

Info here on Canada Ocean Arrivals Form 30 A - available on ancestry (but that means worldwide subscription - unless you wait for a free access weekend )

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/022/022-908.004-e.html

Sandra

[mickawinn]

Hi Sandra
I had a reply from the library but unfortunately the newspapers were on strike at the time of her death so have drawn a blank. I have asked if they have anything for Thomas's death in 1956.
I have stumbled across another mystery. I have found Florence May GRATTON who was born in 1901 who apparantly also went to Canada, maybe in 1927. I have applied for her birth certificate as I don't who her parents were.
regards
Mick

[barryd]

1911 Census Wingate. Florence May Gratton grandaughter of John Gratton. She was born Dec. Qtr. 1901 which explains why she was not on the 1901 Census.

Florence May travelled to Quebec and arrived 12 June 1927. Destination in Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia. Mother of Florence May is indicated as Lilian Barker of Blackhall Colliery, County Durham. Florence May of Wingate. 

A Samuel Thomas Barker married a Lily Gratton Mar. Qtr. 1903 in the Easington area of County Durham which includes Wingate.

[mickawinn]

Thanks for the arrival information. Nanaimo was the part of Canada where other relatives were. When I found Florence's baptism record the father and mother were given as John & Lily Gratton. This didn't tie in with what I knew so I today sent off for her birth certificate. However the fact that the Canadian records have her mother as Lily Barker has confirmed to us a family rumour which, until now, has never been confirmed. Samuel Barker and Lily Gratton were my wife's grandparents and there was always a whisper that she had had a child before she married. This info has tied it up nicely. Thanks for the help.

[mickawinn]

I have now discovered that not only did Thomas PARKINSON go to Canada but his mother and father did too. I have found the 1923 passenger list that includes Elizabeth PARKINSON, Thomas jnr's daughter Doris and his adopted daughter Caroline Stringer PARKINSON. Caroline married a Charles COWMAN and there is. 1914 record that suggests she married again although the detail doesn't quite match up. I still haven't found the crossings for either of the Thomas's as I assume they crossed on their own.

[polarbear]

Hi there.

I am a little confused about your 1923 date as it refers to Caroline?

It appears that Caroline was in Canada by 1910, when she married Charles Cowman?

http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy/DisplayGenealogyImage?k=526ede68-8210-4267-885b-2aba0ac67c0c

Charles and Caroline and daughter Edna can be found in the 1911 census in the household of Thomas and Mercia Parkinson (Caroline Cowman is apparently down as the wife of Thomas, which I think would be an error on the part of the enumerator). This census is free to view at this link and original images, which provide more info than the transcription, are available.

http://www.automatedgenealogy.com

A Charles Longrigg Cowman age 27 died in Ontario in 1912 and it appears that Caroline did marry again to an Edward Handlen.

http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy/DisplayGenealogyImage?k=538d4040-e08a-4f17-a7a1-a560f845503d

Edward and Caroline and their children can be found in Nanaimo in the 1921 census. Also in the household is Edna Kennedy Cowman, stepdaughter to Edward.

Edward Handlen 28
Caroline Handlen 33
Reginald Son 6
Wilda? Helen Daur 3
Ethel May Daur 1
Edna Kennedy Cowman Stepdaur 10

All children b. British Columbia

PB

[mickawinn]

Sorry my mistake, the date should have been 1908. Thank you for the death information for Charles COWMAN. The second marriage is now OK as although she is shown as a spinster not a widow the only discrepancy is her age (perhaps she hadn't told her husband the truth). Now I have to find the emigration of the two Thomas'. Was it usual for families to emigrate in this fragmented way?

[mickawinn]

Hi Polarbear
I meant to ask where you found the COWMAN death record as I haven't been able to find it. Thanks.

[polarbear]

Hi again.

It was not at all unusual for a family to emigrate in a fragmented way. The husband would quite often go ahead to get established and then the family would follow later.

The death record for Charles can be found on Ancestry. You would need a Canadian or World sub to access it. If you don't, you might check if your local library subscribes to Ancestry Library Edition. This would give you access to the Canadian records. Or if you happen to be near a Family history Center (the familysearch organization), they seem to have Ancestry access as well.

PB