Looking for Florence Thomas

[louisem]

I have a wedding record got my great grandfather’s cousin Elsie May Thomas born Cardiff 1888. She married William Barker in Toronto in 1911. I am pretty sure it is the right person as parents names (William Thomas and Margaret Watkins) are correct and I have a DNA match to a descendant.
Elsie had a sister Florence born Cardiff 1885. I have no records of Florence after 1901 in Cardiff but I think the witness at Elsie’s wedding is called Florence Ada/Ann Fisher, maybe as handwriting is challenging, so I wonder if this is actually her sister. However I can’t find anything else re a Florence Fisher.
One of Elsie’s records says her ‘sponsor’ in Canada is her sister.
They are a difficult family to trace. I guess, but have no sources, that their mother died in the late 1880s as both girls are with family members/others in 1891 and 1901. Their father disappears in 1891 and 1901 but reappears in Northumberland in 1911. I wonder if he goes to sea, they are a family with lots of links to the sea.
I’m fascinated that Elsie and maybe Florence emigrated to Canada on their own so any hints as to where to look next would be great. I have found a few possibilities on passenger lists but nothing I could be 100% sure on. 

[bbart]

The address for Florence A Fisher looks like 42 Stephanie St.

I tried (and failed!) to find her in the Toronto directories, but I was being impatient and my eyes aren't the best, so you might want to give it a shot:

https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/history-genealogy/lh-digital-city-directories.jsp

If you look up by address, it will be the house owner, not necessarily who is living there (as in, renters).

[Lisa in California]

Could this be Elsie?

1911 Christchurch, Bournemouth, England census
Elsie Thomas, Servant, age 21, born Cardiff S. Wales

Oddly enough, the head of household was
Helen M. Barker, age 48, Single and
Edith M. Barker, sister, 46, Single
  Both born in Spelsbury, Oxfordshire(?)
  etc.

[Lisa in California]

The William Roberts Royal Edward departed England (Bristol?) 31 May 1911, arrived Quebec, Canada. On board:
Elsie May Thomas, age 21, Welsh.  Occupation: Domestic.

Am I correct in thinking that the ship sailed one month after the 1911 English census, giving Elsie time to be included in the 1911 census and then be in Canada for her 1911 wedding? 

[Lisa in California]

…Elsie had a sister Florence born Cardiff 1885. I have no records of Florence after 1901 in Cardiff but I think the witness at Elsie’s wedding is called Florence Ada/Ann Fisher, maybe as handwriting is challenging, so I wonder if this is actually her sister. However I can’t find anything else re a Florence Fisher.
One of Elsie’s records says her ‘sponsor’ in Canada is her sister.
They are a difficult family to trace. I guess, but have no sources, that their mother died in the late 1880s as both girls are with family members/others in 1891 and 1901. Their father disappears in 1891 and 1901 but reappears in Northumberland in 1911. I wonder if he goes to sea, they are a family with lots of links to the sea…

If Elsie’s record mentions a sister, perhaps it is Florence.  But, I would just like to let you know that Florence was a common name, at least in my families.    All of my “recent” ancestors were living in and around Toronto by the late 1870s.  We have a number of women named Florence (family and married into the family) in our tree. Most of them were born between 1880 and 1910.

Note: I’ve not yet been able to find Florence Fisher.

[louisem]

Thank you very much, I will have a good look G this later when I have my laptop. The address is listed for bride and witness, but I guess if Elsie was renting a room perfectly feasible for her to ask another lodger/tenant to be her witness

The address for Florence A Fisher looks like 42 Stephanie St.

I tried (and failed!) to find her in the Toronto directories, but I was being impatient and my eyes aren't the best, so you might want to give it a shot:

https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/history-genealogy/lh-digital-city-directories.jsp

If you look up by address, it will be the house owner, not necessarily who is living there (as in, renters).

[louisem]

Thank you. That does sound like a good possible as she would still have been in the UK for the census. They are a strange family. Elsie and Florence’s grandparents were weatlthy but their children seem to all have quite different fates. My great grandfather and siblings and mother went to live with their wealthy grandmother when their father died. This set of children (their cousins) don’t seem to have had the same benefits and move between different family members. Elsie and Florence had an older brother Tom Labbet Thomas who didn’t do so well in life either. All a bit odd.

Could this be Elsie?

1911 Christchurch, Bournemouth, England census
Elsie Thomas, Servant, age 21, born Cardiff S. Wales

Oddly enough, the head of household was
Helen M. Barker, age 48, Single and
Edith M. Barker, sister, 46, Single
  Both born in Spelsbury, Oxfordshire(?)
  etc.

[louisem]

Yes that’s right, and one of her US border crossing documents on Ancestry confirms that definitely is her crossing. The name listed next to her on the crossing is a May Thomas, I did wonder if that was her sister but the name and age is incorrect and it’s not at all unlikely that two Thomas women would have been on the ship, auch a common surname
Thank you for looking at this for me.

 

The William Roberts Royal Edward departed England (Bristol?) 31 May 1911, arrived Quebec, Canada. On board:
Elsie May Thomas, age 21, Welsh.  Occupation: Domestic.

Am I correct in thinking that the ship sailed one month after the 1911 English census, giving Elsie time to be included in the 1911 census and then be in Canada for her 1911 wedding?

[louisem]

Thank you so much, you gave me a sudden idea here - I found Florence Ada Fisher as a passenger on the same ship! She is not Florence Thomas! So I haven’t found Florence but I have eliminated a red herring and maybe I can focus more on looking for Florence in the UK. I have looked through all my sources and now cannot find why I thought something said Elsie was joining a sister. But I’m looking on my phone so will need to look properly later.

 

The William Roberts Royal Edward departed England (Bristol?) 31 May 1911, arrived Quebec, Canada. On board:
Elsie May Thomas, age 21, Welsh.  Occupation: Domestic.

Am I correct in thinking that the ship sailed one month after the 1911 English census, giving Elsie time to be included in the 1911 census and then be in Canada for her 1911 wedding?