Author Topic: Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?  (Read 1495 times)

Offline Forfarian

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 15,085
  • http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ruz/
    • View Profile
Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?
« on: Friday 13 January 23 19:08 GMT (UK) »
How might I find out the name of the incumbent in the Rectory, Jonesborough, in 1915?

Background:

I am pursuing information on Alexander Linton Davidson, born 27 August 1999 in Montrose, Scotland. He became a pharmaceutical chemist and in 1911 was a boarder in the home of Arthur Craft in Chiswick.

On 5 August 1911 he married Sarah Eleanor Winifred Gordon in West Ham.

In 1911 Sarah was a pharmaceutical student, aged 23, born in Argentina, living in the household of her cousin George Henry Turner, wholesale stationer, at 35 Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead. The Camden school admissions register describes GHT as her guardian.

George Henry Turner was born in Birmingham in 1846, son of George Turner, Wesleyan minister, and his wife Mary Calder.

On 9 April 1915 Alexander enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders. He was discharged on 14 May 1915 because of defective eyesight. His wife's address was recorded as 35 Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, but this was later crossed out and Jonesborough Rectory, Flurrybridge, Co Armagh, Ireland was written in in its place.

Even more confusingly (well, to me at least) Alexander's address on discharge was 7 Pavilion Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham.

I have not found Alexander and Sarah in the 1921 census or the 1939 register, or in any other records I have tried after 1915, so I suspect that they may have emigrated.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Online heywood

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,868
    • View Profile
Re: Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?
« Reply #1 on: Friday 13 January 23 20:12 GMT (UK) »
According to a tree, they married (again) in 1914 in Jonesborough
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1914/09855/5579145.pdf

They arrived in Canada in 1920 with a death in Ottawa in 1950.
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline arthurk

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 5,192
    • View Profile
Re: Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?
« Reply #2 on: Friday 13 January 23 20:18 GMT (UK) »
How might I find out the name of the incumbent in the Rectory, Jonesborough, in 1915?

The quick way is via Crockford's Clerical Directory, if you can find a copy for that year. I couldn't, so went about it the long way...

I'm not sure where I found this link, but it gives the rector from 1892 as Ribton McCracken:

https://www.ourfamtree.org/records/rectors.php?state=Ireland&county=Armagh-Co&place=Jonesborough%2C-Parish-Church

The symbol on the right links to a diocesan history, which tells you more about him:

https://archive.org/details/armaghclergypari00lesl/page/312/mode/2up

Was he still there in 1915? The Church of Ireland Gazette archive is online, but searching it is a bit hit and miss. However, I got there in the end. The start page is:

https://esearch.informa.ie/Exe/ZyNET.exe?ZyAction=ZyActionr&Client=7094_RCB%20Library%20Archive&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=ANONYMOUS

Then by trying Ribton McCracken, McCracken Jonesborough, and just Jonesborough, I found entries in (among others) 23 Oct 1914 (p.866), 30 Apr 1915 (p.330) and 24 Dec 1915 (p.1014). In all of these he is named in the report on the Newry Clerical Club (under Diocese of Down etc), and the April 1915 one refers to the recent death of his wife.

Her death registration is at https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1915/05276/4465073.pdf  She died on 27 March, and the informant was a Juanita Gordon - maybe a relative of your Sarah?

According to Find A Grave, Ribton himself died in Dublin a couple of years later, but the entry includes some biographical information on both him and his wife - and there's a connection to Argentina:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/165532121/ribton-mccracken
Researching among others:
Bartle, Bilton, Bingley, Campbell, Craven, Emmott, Harcourt, Hirst, Kellet(t), Kennedy,
Meaburn, Mennile/Meynell, Metcalf(e), Palliser, Robinson, Rutter, Shipley, Stow, Wilkinson

Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline eileenwilson

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,436
    • View Profile
Re: Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?
« Reply #3 on: Friday 13 January 23 20:33 GMT (UK) »
According to an online tree, they had two daughters, Lorna b. 1919, and Romola born 1924 (both now deceased).  Romola married in England on July 26, 1948 (parents noted as being of Ottawa) to a Frederick Carswell in London, of Bristol.   Newspaper reference to death of A. Linton Davidson, aged 63, in Ottawa newspaper dated March 3, 1950, prominent Anglican layman and civil servant.


Offline Forfarian

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 15,085
  • http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ruz/
    • View Profile
Re: Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?
« Reply #4 on: Friday 13 January 23 20:51 GMT (UK) »
Thank you very much indeed.

Why did they get married twice? Was that even allowed under canon law?

In the 1911 census there is a Juanita Dolores Gordon, aged 22, born Argentina, living with the Rev Ribton, and Juanita Gordon was a witness at the 1914 marriage. Must surely be a sister?

Also intrigued to see 'information refused' in the 'religious profession' column of the census. Bit bizarre when he describes himself as a clerk in holy orders, surely?

Aha! According to the dreaded Ancestry, the parents of Juanita Dolores Gordon, who died in Dun Laoghaire in 1956, were John Robert Gordon and Mary Brett. This would tie in with Ribton McCracken's mother being Julia Mary Brett.

John R ? Gordon was married to Mary Brett in ?Rathmacknee, Wexford, on 2 July 1878 by her father, Edward E Brett.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Online heywood

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 40,868
    • View Profile
Re: Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?
« Reply #5 on: Friday 13 January 23 20:51 GMT (UK) »
Ribton McCracken performed the marriage ceremony I linked before, although it is difficult to decipher and Juanita Gordon was a witness.
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Kiltaglassan

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 7,543
  • Seven Sisters mountain range in Co Donegal
    • View Profile
Re: Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?
« Reply #6 on: Friday 13 January 23 20:59 GMT (UK) »

Aha! According to the dreaded Ancestry, the parents of Juanita Dolores Gordon, who died in Dun Laoghaire in 1956.....


Here's the link-

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1956/04410/4149419.pdf

The informant was her brother-in-law Ralph St John Brookes? of Mary Vale, Ballybrack, Co Dublin.


Researching: Cuthbertson – Co. Derry, Scotland & Australia; Hunter – Co. Derry; Jackson – Co. Derry, Scotland & Canada; Scott – Co. Derry; Neilly – Co. Antrim & USA; McCurdy – Co. Antrim; Nixon – Co. Cavan, Co. Donegal, Canada & USA; Ryan & Noble – Co. Sligo

Offline Kiltaglassan

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 7,543
  • Seven Sisters mountain range in Co Donegal
    • View Profile
Re: Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?
« Reply #7 on: Friday 13 January 23 21:26 GMT (UK) »

John R ? Gordon was married to Mary Brett in ?Rathmacknee, Wexford, on 2 July 1878 by her father, Edward E Brett.


Link-
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1878/11112/8067808.pdf

John R D? Gordon, a gentleman and living at Craig Dhu, Belfast. His father George Gordon, a barrister.

Marriage in Rathmacknee Parish Church, Co Wexford.
https://www.townlands.ie/wexford/forth/rathmacknee/killinick/rathmacknee-great/
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/4286993#map=17/52.26928/-6.49012


Researching: Cuthbertson – Co. Derry, Scotland & Australia; Hunter – Co. Derry; Jackson – Co. Derry, Scotland & Canada; Scott – Co. Derry; Neilly – Co. Antrim & USA; McCurdy – Co. Antrim; Nixon – Co. Cavan, Co. Donegal, Canada & USA; Ryan & Noble – Co. Sligo

Offline Forfarian

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 15,085
  • http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ruz/
    • View Profile
Re: Rector of Jonesborough, 1915?
« Reply #8 on: Friday 13 January 23 22:00 GMT (UK) »
Thank you all. I am now confident that Sarah Eleanor Winifred Gordon was the daughter of John Robert Gordon and Mary Brett.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.