Impressive stone for an equally impressive man

 John and I visited the Beth Jacob cemetery on the outskirts of Royal Botanical Gardens last year while hiking and doing some geocaches.  This commanding monument definitely catches the eye.  I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about Solomon.  

I attempted Google Translate on the stone and asked several organizations for help to translate his tombstone.  In the end, I was able to enlist the help of a co-worker's friend.  His inscription in Hebrew roughly reads:

His blood was lost for the flag The one who supported the poor Lived his life with Emuna and daat His trade was fair and profitable

Keeper of religion and faith Bread he gave to the poor And houses of worship testify His ways was straight and righteous

According to his death certificate, Solomon was born in Russia on Valentines Day in 1872 to parents Abraham and Sarah. (1)  Wright seems to be an odd name for a Russian and like my ancestors, I wondered if the name changed phonetically when he came to Canada.  I did some searching and found a couple of US Boarder Crossing records, which provided some useful information.  On 24 Feb 1910 Solomon crossed into the US from Halifax to visit his sister Mrs Abraham Epstein. He was 5' 6" tall with black hair and brown eyes. Luckily his place of birth was not simply Russia but Smolensk, Russia.  It also appears to provide his immigration information!  He landed in Halifax in Dec 1901 but the steamship was unknown. (2)  A second boarder crossing at Buffalo on 11 Feb 1915 to go visit his sister Jennie Mettzer recorded his other name "Schelter", which isn't phonetically pronounced as Wright! (3) A third boarder crossing record for 1910 offers his occupation as a junk dealer. (4)A few pieces of really helpful information, quickly found.  The 1921 census provides information about Solomon and his family.  His wife Anne (although recorded as Hannah) was also born in Russia and came to Canada a year after Solomon (1906). (5) Their house on 25 Railway Street in Hamilton appears to be still standing.  Solomon and Anne had two children Eva (20) and Barney (18) born in Russia and several children Sarah (13) Rose (11), Lilian (10), Jack (8), and Morris (6) all born in Canada. From the tombstone we know that Solomon and Anne had at least one more child Ida in 1918 but also had one more son, Percy born 30 August 1919 who passed away after Solomon, on 18 May 1938 at the tender age of 17. Percy sadly took his own life. I wondered why he was not buried in the family plot and I had a hard time making out what written on the death certificate.(6)  From what I was reading about historical views on suicides, it was possible that due to religious beliefs, he would not have received a funeral service and could not be buried in a Jewish cemetery.  How heartbreaking. I did a little digging and discovered that he was indeed buried in Ohev Zedeck Cemetery and has a very touching stone.   There are a couple of interesting things to note in his death registration.  The person who made the registration was none other than his deceased father Solomon B Wright, and his mother's name is recorded as Bessie Appelbaum.(6) It appears that Percy was not living with his mom at the time but it seems his dad was living at the same address :)  It was Percy who registered his father's death in 1934, but again in this record, his address differs from his dad's. 

  I suspected that Solomon lived in the US between 1901 and 1905 but that might not be the case. Two years before his death, Solomon made a third trip to the US and crossed on 13 Sept 1932.  This time the information changes slightly, he was born in Moscow and his arrival in Halifax was in 1904.  His place of residence, the same as when he died was 246 Victoria Ave N, Hamilton.  This house does not appear to be standing anymore.(7)

I visited the Burlington Public Library to see if I could dig up some obituaries or announcements for the family.  I scoured reel after reel and came up with a couple of things.  The first was an announcement of Solomon's passing and a wonderful picture of him was included.  It made the front page of the Hamilton Spectator on Oct 16, 1934.

The newspaper explained that Solomon was a beloved and prominent businessman in Hamilton and active within the Jewish community.  He owned the Wright Fruit Company.   The Hamilton Public Library contains over a dozen pictures of the business and explains that he owned the company with his brother Percy.  The business started originally at 25 York Street and had additional locations at 31 York Street and 77 McNab. The sites include ripening rooms that were used to ripen their products before sale. (8)  

Solomon was the treasurer of the Hamilton Branch of Grand Order of Israel Benefit Society for 15 years and the grand treasurer for the society for 3 years.  He was an active member of the Beth Jacob Synagogue and served as an officer and president over the years.  He was also chairman of burial branch of the Hamilton lodge as well as past president of the United Hebrew Association, was a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan. He gave generously to erect the Adas Israel Anshe Sfard synagogue on Cannon St in Hamilton and in celebration of their 37th wedding anniversary in 1933, Solomon and his wife donated the Holy Ark. (9)

(1)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 495

(2)The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Buffalo, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, New York, 1902-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1480; Roll Number: 163

(3)The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Buffalo, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, New York, 1902-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1480; Roll Number: 163

(4)The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Passengers Arriving at St. Albans, VT, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1895-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1464; Roll Number: 117

(5) 1921 Census of Canada, Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 63; Census Place: 63, Hamilton West, Ontario; Page Number: 6

(6)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 614

(7)The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Buffalo, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, New York, 1902-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1480; Roll Number: 163

(8) Hamilton Public Archive (Ont.) Local History and Archives http://206.130.179.229/index.php/ho96i

(9) Hamilton Spectator, 16 October 1934, page 1

Budded on earth to bloom in heaven

 John and I made another trip out to the Merrickville area a couple of weeks ago and of course we stopped for a geocache at a couple of local cemeteries. We took the looong way home and ended up in Plevna at the Holy Trinity Cemetery.  A large portion of cemetery is covered in a fragrant Wooly Thyme.  This little stone caught my eye. 

The bottom inscription lovingly reads.  “Budded in earth to bloom in heaven”.  Little Lila Card was born to Joseph and Mary on 20 August 1896 and passed away a month later on 20 September. Finding anything about Lila proved tricky.  I was able to find her parents in the 1891 census along with her older brother Allen(1).  Joseph was 33, Mary 30, and Allan 5 at the time.  I find them again in the 1901 and 1911 census records with Allan as their only living child. (2) (3)  So far I haven't been able to find a birth or death record for Lila.

(1)Year: 1891; Census Place: Clarendon and Miller, Addington, Ontario, Canada; Roll: T-6322; Family No: 109

(2) Year: 1901; Census Place: Clarendon and Miller, Addington, Ontario; Page: 5; Family No: 48

(3) Year: 1911; Census Place: 7 - Plevna Village, Frontenac, Ontario; Page: 3; Family No: 23

Eliza and her son

 John and I were out geocaching a few years ago, which took us to two cemeteries that we've driven by countless times and never knew they were tucked away off the Niagara Parkway. I snapped a photo of this pic of a stone that seems to have survived remarkable well over the last 200+ years.  It's a bit hard to see but the stone reads:

Sacred to the memory of Eliza, wife of Thomas Dickson of Queenston who died on the 5th day of September 1802 in the twenty eighth year of her age. And their only son John Alexander Dickson who died on the 18th day of July 1821 in the twenty first year of his age.

Given the early dates, I decided to try a google search over an ancestry search to uncover some information.  I was immediately successful.  Thomas Dickson was a merchant, office holder, Justice of the Peace, politician, and militia officer during the War of 1812.  He was baptized on 19 Feb. 1775 in Dumfries, Scotland but came to Canada with his brothers.  He settled in Queenston in 1789, opened up a shop in Fort Erie in 1793 and then returned to Queenston in 1796.  He married Eliza Taylor, a widow (nee Wilkinson)  on 17 Nov. 1799. (1)(2).  John Alexander was baptized in Niagara (St Marks or St Andrew's Church) on 17 December 1800.(3)  When Queenston became a port of customs in 1801, Thomas was the first customs collector(4)   I tried to find information about Eliza and Alexander but no luck.  I'm wondering if I can try to find more information about her and Alexander in an old newspaper.

**UPDATE** Feb 20, 2023

I've always been interested in Canadian history and lately have focus on Niagara and War of 1812.  John bought me a book about loyalists in Niagara. I flipped through it hoping to find something about Eliza.  I wasn't disappointed!  The first mention of Elizabeth is that she was counted in the 1783 Census of Niagara Loyalist in the Indian Department, along with her parents Robert Norton Wilkinson and Amelia Everett, her younger brother Walter Butler and her younger sister Amelia.  In 1784, Robert appears on Lot 17 in the 1784 Shubel Walton map.  Robert and Amelia, sister of Peter Everitt (a member of the  Kings Royal Regiment of New York),  were married 14 December 1773 and had Elizabeth about two years later.  The book states that when Robert applied for his land grant (presumably Lot 17) he stated he was previously from Cornwall.   At a date not known, Amelia must have passed away because Richard married Helen McDonnell on remarried on 10 May 1792. (5) On 5 March 1798, Elizabeth married Nathaniel Taylor Jr in Kingston by license(6)   It seems that the couple were busy that year acquiring land. On December 8, Elizabeth and Walter inherited several parcels of land from their uncle Peter who at the time was a lieutenant of Sir John Johnson's Regiment.(7)  Nathaniel, in 1797 petitioned for and received 600 acres of land.(8)    It seems however that once he heard that other men who did not served in the military, had received 1200 acres of land, he spoke with John Graves Simcoe about the matter and petitioned for 1200 acres(9) It appears that Elizabeth and Nathaniel were busy in other ways too.  They conceived soon after their wedding, as their daughter Eliza was baptized on May 9 of the following year.  Sponsors were John Taylor, Elizabeth's half sister Eleanor Wilkinson and Ann McDonnel.(11)  Sadly, we know that Nathaniel died soon after they conceived their daughter andI searched around for a bit for a death record and checkout out the Lower Burial Grounds records (12) but did not find a record of Nathaniel's death.  I did come across a land petition made by Eliza in 1800 on behalf of her daughter Eliza for all of Nathaniel's lands but have yet to confirm that the transaction completed before Eliza Srs death. (13)

  With respect to Nathaniel, it seems he was quite a bit older than Eliza. In this 1796 land petition,   he explains that he left Boston, Massachusetts in 1779 to be with his father's family in Quebec City and had early left Boston in 1775 to serve with his majesty's troops.  With that statement I was hooked and decided to explore Nathaniel a bit. Nathaniel was born on 30 Sept 1761 to parents Nathaniel and Sarah (Minot).(14)  Nathaniel Sr served as a Deputy Naval officer in Massachusetts until he and his family were evacuated by the British in 1776 to Halifax.(15) He was later named in the Banishments Act of the State of Massachusetts.(16)   

I did a few searches of Quebec Drouin records to see if Nathaniel had married prior to Eliza.  The first record I found was unfortunately for the death of his 29 year old sister Elizabeth who passed away not too long before him in Quebec on March 5, 1798.  Nathaniel Sr was listed as a justice of the peace(17)

Although I haven't yet determined his exact date of death or the cause, I have been able to narrow down the timeframe.  Notice of his death appears in the Massachusetts newspaper the Columbian Centinel on 7 Nov 1798 (page 2) so he didn't live long enough to see the birth of his daughter(18).  I tried to signup for an account on genealogybank to look up the notice but sadly had problems and could not register my account.  I was able to get in touch with a gentleman on RAOGK (Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness) in Boston and he was able to provide me with a transcription of the notice.  At the time of his death, Nathaniel was the Commissary General of Upper Canada and passed away in Hallowell(Prince Edward County) of yellow fever.  At the time of the writing, 14 people had contract yellow fever in Hallowell and he was the only one who died from the virus.  It's odd that I've yet to uncover information about his death from a Canadian source.  The Lennox Addington Historical Society published a transcription of early deaths but he is not referenced.(19)

(1)NOTL newspaper archives at Brock: https://ocul-bu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma991007612539705152&context=L&vid=01OCUL_BU:BU_DEFAULT&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,%22niagara%20peninsula%20papers%22&mode=basic
(2)http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/niag-mar.htm
(3)http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/niag-bap.htm

(4)https://vitacollections.ca/notlheritage/details.asp?ID=2494147

(5)(7)Woodruff, Gail, Loyalists and Early Settlers on the Niagara River Parkway, Col. John Butler (Niagara) Branch of the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada, page 30

(6)https://electriccanadian.com/history/ontario/parishrecordskingston.pdf

(8)Library and Archives Canada, Land Petitions of Upper Canada, 1763-1865 Microfilm C2832  Year 1796, Volume 495 Bundle T2, Petition 19 Reference RG 1 L3

(9)Library and Archives Canada, Land Petitions of Upper Canada, 1763-1865 Microfilm C2833  Year 1797, Volume 495 Bundle T3, Petition 17 Reference RG 1 L3

(10)https://www.ontariogenealogy.com/uppercanadalandpetitions/t_landpetition.html

(11)http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/kingstn2.htm

(12)https://www.lowerburialground.ca/burials/

(13)Library and Archives Canada, Land Petitions of Upper Canada, 1763-1865 Microfilm C1743  Year 1800, Volume 151 Bundle D5, Petition 17 Reference RG 1 L3

(14)Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

(15)https://archives.gnb.ca/exhibits/forthavoc/html/Evacuation-Boston.aspx?culture=en-CA
(16)https://archives.gnb.ca/exhibits/forthavoc/html/Mass-Banishment-Act.aspx?culture=en-CA'

(17)Ancestry.com. Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008.

(18)Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspaper Extractions from the Northeast, 1704-1930 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. '

(19) https://lahistoricalsociety.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/DEATH-IN-UPPER-CANADA.pdf

Young pastor taken too early

 John and I enjoyed a little trip out to Kemptville and stopped off at th cemetery in Oxford Mills to checkout some stones and do a geocache.  This stone caught my eye.  Charles W Crane who was killed in Chicago on Oct 10, 1919 at the age of 35 in his 14th year of Christian ministry.  I decided to find out a bit more about him.

Charles Wesley Crane was born on March 30, 1884 to parents Edward W and Melissa Norton in Augusta, Grenville County. (6) I quickly found him in the 1891 census in Osnabrook, Cornwall and Stormont, Ontario, living with his older brother Norton and younger sisters Frances and Mary.  It seems that Charles followed in his dad's footsteps.  Edward was also a clergyman.(5)

Charles does not live with his parents in 1901 census although Richard (Norton) and his sisters follow their parents to Athens, Ontario. (12)

In 1911, I discovered that Charles, by now a reverend in Pembroke was given a ministry station in Fort Coulogne, Quebec on June 2, 1911. (19)

I'm not able to find a trace of Charles again until I uncover him in the 1916 census in Battleford, Sask with  his wife Lillian and his sister M.D.E Crane.  He works at a private school. (10) In that same year, on July 12, 1916 an unnamed daughter was born and died in Regina Saskatchewan.  Lillian's name is recorded as Lillian Anderson Buckler. (11)  I can't find their marriage record but I was able to find Lillian living with her parents in the 1911 census in Hilton Village.  Her father was also a Methodist clergyman. (13)

By 1918 Charles and Lillian were living at 6017 Kimbark Ave in Chicago, where Charles was a clergyman at the 42nd Congregational Church on Keeler Ave and Thomas St. (9)

He and Lillian had John Norton Crane in 23 April 1919 in Chicago (7) 

In 1919, Charles and family were living on Kimbark Ave when he was struck by a truck on the evening of Oct 10th while crossing the intersection of Iowa Street and Crawford Avenue.  He was on his way home from a Friday evening prayer session and was the pastor of the church. (1) The newspaper reported that he died the following day (Oct 11)Ω and the driver  John Schoble was exonerated by a coroners jury.(2) His death registration confirms the date of death to be Oct 10.(3)  His estate went to probate on Nov 17, 1919. (4)

I find Lillian in the 1920 census still living on Kimbark with her sons Charles, aged 2 and John. Her occupation is an apartment building manager and her house is owned but mortgaged.  Her immigration year is listed at 1915. (14)

 It appears that Lillian later remarried.  John Norton was drafted 16 Oct 1940 and lists his mom Lillian Buckler McBride as his next of kin. (8)  He was still living at 6017 Kimbark Ave at the time and he was a student at the University of Chicago. 

Armed with the last name of her second husband I was able see that she was naturalized in 1925.  Interestingly, one of the witnesses was William M Crane who was also living in Chicago at 3956 South Michigan Ave. (18)  Not sure what his connection is to the family.  I also found her in the 1930 census with her sons (listed with the last name of Mc Bride) and husband John Mc Bride.  She is still a building manager and in this census it reports that her age at her first marriage was 25, so her and Charles were married around 1915.  In this census, her immigration year is 1916. (15)

I find her again in the 1940 census with John and their home is valued at $20,000.  Lillian answered the questions in the census and her boys are both listed as step sons and their Crane last name.   Her occupation is still owner manager of an apartment house and works 60 hours a week (but no pay is recorded).  She had earned a college degree as had Charles Jr.  John had completed 2 years of college thus far (16).  What a wealth of information in the 1940 US census!

John McBride died March 23, 1946 in Chicago, with Lillian and the boys named in the obituary (and still living).(17)

A search of obituaries also uncovered Charles' mom's obituary. She passed away 3 August 1940 in Toronto, Ontario and her husband the previous year.  Her remaining children were all still living.(18)

(1) 11 Oct, 1919 Chicago Tribune page17

(2) 12 Oct, 1919 Chicago Tribune page15 

(3) Ancestry.com. Illinois, U.S., Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

(4)Administrators bonds and letters, 1877-1931; Author: Illinois. Probate Court (Cook County); Probate Place: Cook, Illinois

5)Year: 1891; Census Place: Osnabruck, Cornwall and Stormont, Ontario, Canada; Roll: T-6331; Family No: 199

(6) Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, 1869-1913; Series: MS929; Reel: 65; Record Group: RG 80-2

(7) Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois, U.S., Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

(8)National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Illinois, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 351

(9) Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005

(10)Year: 1916; Census Place: Saskatchewan, Battleford, 15; Roll: T-21935; Page: 10; Family No: 107

(11)Genealogy Index Searches. Saskatchewan Information Services Corporation. http://www.isc.ca/VitalStatistics/Genealogy/vsgs_srch.aspx: accessed 15 July 2021.

(12) Year: 1901; Census Place: Athens (Village), Leeds (South/Sud), Ontario; Page: 4; Family No: 55

(13) Year: 1911; Census Place: 4 - Brighton Township, Hilton Village, Northumberland East, Ontario; Page: 12; Family No: 130

(14) Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 7, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_315; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 386

(15) Year: 1930; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 0226; FHL microfilm: 2340158

(16) Year: 1940; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: m-t0627-00931; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 103-334

(17) Chicago Tribute 25, March 1946 page 16

(18) Ottawa Citizen 6 August 1940, page 12

(19) The Gazette Montreal Quebec 2 June 1911, page 6

Joseph and Garret Miller, taken too young

John and I did a wee road trip in the summer of 2020 and came across a Switzerville United Church Cemetery, in Odessa, Ontario.  This little stone caught my eye: 

Two boys, Joseph in this 11th year and Garret Fletcher Miller in his 5th year, who both drowned in the Napanee River on June 20, 1843. Garret Miller Sr was born is 1786 and a son of Garett Miller U.E.L and Elizabeth Switzer.  He married Nancy Foster, from Northport Ontario and they settled in Strathcona on 200 acres of land, which he received being the son of a loyalist.  Garett built a stone house on the property where he and Nancy had 8 children.  Sadly, his two eldest boys were the ones who drowned mysteriously in the Napanee River. It seems that no one witnessed the event and they were found in the river.(1)   RIP to these two boys, taken too young.

(1)The Romance of the Palatine Millers: a tale of Palatine Irish Americans and United Empire Loyalists. Pages 142-143

Another victim of the DesJardin Canal Disaster - The Founder of Niagara Falls, Ontario

When John and I started dating we had many day dates visiting War of 1812 sites and old cemeteries in the Niagara Region.  As we were walking through St David's Cemetery, I saw this one:

Of course, the DesJardin Canal link peaked my interest.  Samuel Zimmerman can be considered the founder of Niagara Falls. (1) He was born in Huntington County, Pennsylvania in 1815.  He came to Canada at 27, with only a horse and buggy, and settled in Thorold. (2)  He worked in construction while in Pennsylvania, and the experience helped to shape him into a successful business man. (3) His projects included the construction of 4 locks and an aqueduct on the Welland Canal, 120 miles of the Great Western Railway,  the first suspension bridge at Niagara Falls, as well as a rail bridge which connected the Great Western Railway to America. (4)  He also built a number of other railways in Ontario and was contracted to build a road parallel to the Great Western Railway at the time of his death. He purchased 52 acres of property near the suspension bridge, which had an existing hotel on it called the Clifton House.  The property went right up to the cliff edge, directly across from the American Falls.  He owned other properties in Niagara, Toronto and Hamilton, and in total 18000 acres in Canada.(5)  There's lots of information available about Samuel Zimmerman all over the internet.  What I struggled with was finding cited sources.  Lots of websites said he was born in Huntington County but not one sourced the information.  I found very little original source information on Samuel on Ancestry.  I decided to dig into Pennsylvania genealogy to see what I could come up with about his time before he came to Canada but even that has come up dry so far.  Next I decided to see if I could find some newspaper articles from pre 1850.  

Samuel married his first wife Margaret Ann Woodruff, of St Davids on 15 Aug 1848 in Stamford Church, Niagara Falls.  Their marriage announcement appeared in the St Catharines Standard on 17 Aug 1848. (6)  Margaret would pass away only 3 years later at their home (Clifton Lodge) after a short illness on 24 April 1851(7) at the tender age of 23.  Samuel and Margaret had two sons John (born 1849) and Richard (born 1851).

  Samuel remarried to Emmeline Catharine Dunn born in Trois Rivieres, Lower Canada on 16 December 1856 (8) This marriage would also be short lived.  

  From a statement given by one of the survivors sitting with Samuel and two other gentleman, he reported that they felt the car jump the tracks and  the last he saw of Samuel and Mr Farr was when they hurried to the back of the car.  The survivor stayed in his seat and braced himself for the fall and impact.  He felt that had Samuel and Mr Farr done the same, they too would likely have survived the crash. (9)  Another account from a Mr Hill states that Samuel had almost made it to the door and escape before the car went over the edge.  Mr Hill was able to jump in time.(10)  Sadly it also seems that as Samuel lay dead, he was robbed of a travelling bag, which he always carried with him that was full of silver toiletries, and reported missing. Samuel was interred in a private vault on his Clifton estate and the day of his funeral was declared a holiday in Niagara. The man who was viewed as the richest man in Canada in his prime, appears to have been rich on borrowed money. By 1888, his estate was acquired by the Queen Victoria Parks Commission and his body re-interred to his present location, beside his first wife.  A little sadly, Samuel lay in his unmarked grave until 1940 when the Lundy's Lane Historical Society erected the metal plaque on the other side of the monument that he dedicated to Margaret.(11)

  I was curious about what happened to Emmeline, John and Richard. They all appear in the 1861 Census in Welland.(12)  I'm happy that she was able to care for the children.  By 1863, Emmeline had married John D Sherwood, an American author on 29 Oct in York, Ontario.(13) I know from Wikipedia that Emmeline outlived John and that they had at least 2 children together and lived his last years New Jersey where he died in 1888.(14)  John and Richard however stayed behind in Toronto and appear living togther with Robert and Amelia Gilmour in 1871. (15)  Robert and Amelia were both born in Quebec, maybe Amelia and Emmeline were sisters? A year later, John married Victoria Jane Henry, on 24 April 1872.(16) The brothers continued to live together, however;  in 1881, Richard is living with John, Victoria, and their daughters Mabel and Victoria.(17)  Sadly, John, a wholesale jeweler died young.  His brother, the attending physician, reported his death due to congestion of the lungs on 8 March 1885.(18)  John Woodruff Zimmerman is buried in St James Cemetery.(19) Richard, 36 , a physician married 21 year old Emma Jane Rogers on 18 Apr 1887(20). Like his father, Richard's marriage was short lived.  He died less than a year later of heart disease on 4 February 1888.(21)  I uncovered something interesting, a marriage record for George Zimmerman, who at age 24 married 18 year old Dorsia Lafretta Scriver on 2 July 1929 in Toronto.(22)  George was born to Richard Zimmerman (born in Pennsylvania) and Emma Rodgers in Ohio.  Note, I didn't make a typo on George's age and in reality if it's the correct George, he had to be at least 41, if he was in fact Richard's son.  Who really is George Zimmerman is a little bit of a  mystery that I'll try to solve in a future post.  As of yet, I can't find his birth registration.  George and Dorsia were divorced on 14 March 1962(22)   

(1) http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/blog/samuel-zimmerman-the-founder-of-niagara-falls-ontario/
(2), (5), https://books.google.ca/books?id=_J--6kixwUUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
(3) http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=4262

(6) St. Catharines Journal, 17 Aug 1848, p. 3

(7)St. Catharines Journal, 1 May 1851, p. 3

(8)St. Catharines Journal, 1 Jan 1857, p. 3

(9)Full details of the railway disaster of the 12th of March 1857 at the DesJardins Canal of the line on the Great Western Railroad:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=_J--6kixwUUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

(10)19 March 1857 Sarnia Observer

(11)https://niagarafallsmuseums.ca/discover-our-history/history-notes/zimmerman.aspx

(12) Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1081

(13)

(14)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Sherwood

(15)Year: 1871; Census Place: St Georges Ward, Toronto West, Ontario; Roll: C-9969; Page: 34

(16)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 59

(17)Year: 1881; Census Place: St James Ward, Toronto City, Ontario; Roll: C_13246; Page: 141; Family No: 957

(18)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 42

(19)https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166213169/john-woodruff-zimmerman

(20)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 59

(21)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 53

(22)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Series: MS 932; Reel: 908

Why are the Davidsons dying young?

 John and I have been trying to do contactless geocaching in the Burlington area to keep active while socially distancing during this lockdown.  Bright and early a couple of weekends ago we decided to visit the Campbell-Davidson pioneer cemetery. This cemetery is sadly not being well maintained by the city.  Of the stones that are visible, one thing struck me as odd.  All the men had died young.  

John K Davidson died 30th July 1863 at just over 30 years of age.  He was born in Nelson Township in 1833 to parents John and Mary.  He married Margaret Parks, born in Sherbrooke, Quebec on the 28th of Dec, 1853.(1)  John appears in the 1851 census living with his parents and older brother James, younger brothers William, Francis and Harvey as well as younger sisters Elizabeth and Mary in Nelson.(2)  

  In the 1861, John and Margaret are living in a single story log house with his mom and siblings, with the exception of James and William.(3)  There is also a new addition, a second Elizabeth, who is 1 years old and I suspect the daughter of John and Margaret.  John is declared the head of the household and in  agricultural census I discovered some interesting insight into John's farm.  He lived on Concession 6 Lot 4 and had 100 acres of land.  70 acres were cultivated , with 67 used for crops and 3 acres for pasture. He grew fall wheat on 18 acres (producing 300 bushels), spring wheat on 12 acres (100 bushels), Barley on 10 acres (300 bushels), Rye on 1.5 acres (25 bushels), Peas on 4 acres (60 bushels), Buck Wheat on 4 acres (100 bushels), Indian corn on 1 acre (15 bushels), potatos on 1/2 acre (50 bushels), turnips on 1 acre (400 bushels), mangel wurtzel (beets) on 1/4 acre (300 bushels), 300 bushels of carrots, as well as beans and hay (12 bundles of 16 lbs). The land was worth $5000 and his equipment $100. (4)  I feel for his mom, she'd lose her son two short years 2 years later.  I tried to find a record of John's death, including an obituary without success, which is not surprising given that death registrations were not required until some time later.  I did find some interesting information in my research.  The area where the Davidson's lived (On Appleby Line) was called Davidson, and beside the cemetery was built the Davidson church, now long gone.  The Tweedsmuir records explain that the property was in the names of the late John Davidson Sr's heirs in 1858. (5) Another Tweedsmuir record, a typed article provides a picture of the brick homestead that was built in 1858.  This contradicts to the census which states the family lived in a single story log home.  The article goes on to say that John Sr purchased 155 acres of land on lots 14 & 15 of Concession 2 on 24 Sept 1829 from the crown.  It was a part of the clergy reserve for Gore District at the time. (6)  We'll need to go back to see if the farmhouse still stands, perhaps across the street from the cemetery....

I poked around the 1871 census and I can see that 24 year old Harvey a carpenter, is head of the household.  His mom is living there, as is Margaret with Elizabeth and likely her two other children with John, James A. aged 9, and Mary E. aged 7.  (7) In 1881, Harvey has moved out on his own and working as a mill hand in Nelson (8) but in 1891, he is back living with Margaret and her son James.(9) I haven't been able to locate Margaret in 1881 yet, but her children were still living with their grandmother in 1881. (10)

I decided to do some sideway searches on the kids to see if I could uncover any more information.  His eldest daughter Elizabeth Jane married Murray Anson Bridgman, also of Nelson on 1 Nov 1882.  Her sister Minnie (Mary) served as witness. (11)  I tried to find a marriage announcement for her, but no luck.  I also thought I might get some insight in the Nelson Tweedsmuir but came up dry there as well.  I moved on to James next.  James Albert Davidson married Sarah Rebecca Reid on 25 Feb 1892.  Both he and Sarah were residing in Milton.(12)   To round things out I looked up Minnie's marriage record.  She married William D Walker of Milton on 30 Nov 1887 and interestingly, her witness was Sarah.(13) Margaret died April 3, 1917 and never remarried. (14)

John Davidson Sr was born in about 1809.  He died at the age of 42 years, 10 months, 20 days on 4 May 1853 and shares a stone with his daughter Jemima who died 8 June 1853 at the tender age of 3 mths.    I tried to find any clues of his death.  In my search, I discovered a record of Harvey's baptism,  which is transcribed as 20 Sept 1843.  Unfortunately his date of birth is transcribed as 07 March 1845.  I suspect the two events were reversed.  The ceremony was performed by Reverend Peter Kerr. (15)  I was hoping that knowing the name of the Reverend might help me in other searches but it seems that Rev Kerr was only responsible for Nelson between 1845-46.(16)

Lastly, we come to William, eldest son of John and Mary. He died a few months after his dad and sister, on 9 October 1853.  Again, I'm finding very little about him online.  Once the libraries start to open up again, I think it warrants a trip to the local history room to see if I can uncover some Nelson history books that might shed more light on this family and why these 4 souls have died too young.

(1)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; County Marriage Registers, 1858-June 1869; Reel: 10

(2) Year: 1851; Census Place: Halton, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C-11726; Page: 146; Line: 38

(3) Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1031

(4) Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1031

(5) Nelson Women's Institute Tweedsmuir History, Book III, page 10.

(6) Nelson Women's Institute Tweedsmuir History, Book II, page 2

(7) Year: 1871; Census Place: Nelson, Halton, Ontario; Roll: C-9955; Page: 51

(8) Year: 1881; Census Place: Nelson, Halton, Ontario; Roll: C_13257; Page: 14; Family No: 62

(9)Year: 1891; Census Place: Nelson, Halton, Ontario, Canada; Roll: T-6341; Family No: 143

(10) Year: 1881; Census Place: Nelson, Halton, Ontario; Roll: C_13257; Page: 11; Family No: 47

(11)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 39

(12) Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 74

(13) Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Registrations of Marriages, 1869-1928; Reel: 56

(14) Archives of Ontario. Registrations of Deaths, 1869-1948 (MS 935, reels 1-694), Archives of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

(15) Wesleyan Methodist Baptism Records http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~wjmartin/genealogy/wm-d_11.htm

(16) https://krassoc.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/peter-ker-wesleyan-methodist-minister/

(17) https://krassoc.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/peter-ker-wesleyan-methodist-minister/