My mystery man from St John, New Brunswick

[EllieD1432]

Hello

RootsChat has been a saviour in regard to a prior mystery, this one might be a little tougher.

It appears that I am descended from British Loyalists in Canada - my 3 x Great Grandfather Frederick Danville (1830-1914) married Phoebe Carpenter  (Golding, Shaw, Gerow and Merritt families)
I have found 3 children that I can confirm are Frederick and Phoebe's - Rebecca b:1856, Franklin b:1858, Victor Alexis b:1858. My DNA connection to my 2 x Great Grandfather, also Frederick, puts him as their first child (born between 1852 & 1854) but I can find no birth details anywhere. His Merchant Navy records state that he is a 'Man of Colour' and born in St John, New Brunswick. I have a photograph of people I am assuming are his Aunts and Uncles, who are all white - The first place I can locate him is in the 1881 English Census in Falmouth, Cornwall. His death, as reported in an English newspaper in 1894, states that he was a black man. So many questions...is his colour a genetic anomaly? Did his mother have a child by someone of colour? I have been researching my Danville family for many years and this is where I get stuck.
Can anyone help please?

[DonM]

"Man of Colour" means he was black and it depends on the parents genes.

There was television show not that many years ago of a chap in Hamilton, ON finding his fathers family in the Maritimes.  They were black he wasn't. 

Here is a list of UEL names.

http://www.uelac.org/Loyalist-Info/loyalist_list.php?letter=d

Don

[Josephine]

EllieD,

Have you been able to find any records that might list the race or skin colour of the three known children (Rebecca, Franklin and Victor)?

How have you connected your Frederick Danville (d. 1894) to Frederick Danville (d. 1914) and Phoebe Carpenter?

Regards,
Josephine

[EllieD1432]

Hello

The 1920 US State Census has Rebecca listed as white, none of the Canadian Census documents have skin colour though it does say Irish for Frederick (d.1914)

On Frederick's (d. 1894) maritime details (pic attached) it states his parents were George Frederick and Elizabeth who I have as his Grandparents who both died before he was born!

[cosmac]

New Brunswick archives show a marriage bond between a Frederick Danville and Phoebe Ann Carpenter in 1866.  Doubt if you got the actual document it would have more than their names and their bondsman/witness whatever purpose the third party served.

[EllieD1432]

Hi Don - Thanks for the link, I hope that Archelaus Carpenter and Rebecca Golding are my 6 x Great Grandparents, definitely food for thought

Here is a list of UEL names.

http://www.uelac.org/Loyalist-Info/loyalist_list.php?letter=d

Don

[Josephine]

EllieD,

Just to clarify, what documentation do you have linking your Frederick (d. 1894) to Frederick (d. 1914) and Phoebe Carpenter?

Is it a DNA link that you are trying to prove?

Regards,
Josephine

[Josephine]

On Frederick's (d. 1894) maritime details (pic attached) it states his parents were George Frederick and Elizabeth who I have as his Grandparents who both died before he was born!

Did Frederick's (d. 1894) obit list his parents? Is there a tombstone on his grave and does it list his parents?

Was Frederick (d. 1894) married to your 2x-g-grandmother (or anyone else)? If yes, does his marriage record list his parent(s)?

I'm just trying to ascertain what other info might be out there.

[EllieD1432]

I don't have any documentation linking him to the Danville/Carpenter union.

After arriving in Falmouth, England in 1881, he married Eliza Benbow in the first quarter of that year. I am awaiting delivery of the certificate. He died of a heart attack on board his ship in Grimsby, Yorkshire. I don't know where he was buried, Eliza died the year before and 3 of his children were in the Seaman's Mission Workhouse in Hull, Yorkshire.My DNA connection with he and the Benbows are confirmed.
I know Ancestry DNA connections can be flaky at times, but the ThruLines indicate that my Danville heritage is the line from New Brunswick.