My Tangent – When I Feel Older I Think of The Genealogy of Mayflies

Morning, 

The sun is shining outside today. It’s a normal frigging cold Florida winter day. After having been here over a quarter of a century, my blood has so thinned out that I’m now wearing sweatshirts and socks. We’re having our week of winter.

And writing about feeling older… Today I’m 21,194 days old. In the world of Mayfly genealogy, I can’t even imagine the number of greats a single adult Mayfly can affix to a great-great-ad-infinitum ancestor to that number of days, albeit generations. I know I shouldn’t complain but in its annual life cycle, the Mayfly only lives as an adult for one day. Hell, I couldn’t imagine being a child or a teenager for the majority of my life, but then on the other-hand think of all you would need to pack into a single 24 hours.

My biorhythm today states that my general well-being is momentarily good, but its tendency, I think referring to my well-being, is declining and getting worse. What a bloody poor way of selling ads for a website! The physical prognosis is that I should not exert myself today! My reading states that I had better relax than over-strain. Emotionally, the biorhythm reading commends me that I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. The time for self-pity is over. And intellectually, I can now finish demanding tasks without any great concentration efforts. It extols that I have many good ideas.

Therefore my ideas: walk the dogs; clean up the yard; start sorting through the piles; and play the piano. Shrimp curry for supper tonight… I will relax.

And the ancestry search continues.

As always, enjoy…

Jim

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Part 161b - Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy - An Updated Brunhammer Descendant Chart

Early morning,

Now I can go to bed. I have been working on an updated Brunhammer Descendant Chart. If you examine this Chart you will see a number of new descendants, or vice versa, ancestors. It is far from finished but it certainly much further along than I expected to get at this point in time. Everyone that has been added to or changed from the previous Descendant Chart is in red. There are 36 individual additions and changes.

And this is most definitely not the end. This is a project in progress. The majority of new information has been gathered from US Censuses, from the following states: California, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. I also decided to limit myself to only four spellings of the surname; Bruhamer, Bruhammer, Brunhamer and Brunhammer. There are a lot more as I mentioned in Part 146b and I have found more, but in most cases the others can be read as either a misspelling or a transcription error.

Because the Chart has grown so large and in order to present it without forcing you to go blind, I have been able to display it in three parts. If you click on anyone of the parts you should be able to view an enlarged image. Also, I believe that you should be able to print all three individual parts and they should fit together with some ease.

And here are the three parts -

As always, I have attempted not to include any person who is currently living, with the exception of Andy, and this is for the sake of privacy.

Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any additions and questions.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 160b – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – 1880 Birth – Great-Granduncle Joseph Michael Brunhammer

Afternoon, and Happy Boxing Day, Wren’s Day, and the Feast of Saint Stephen,

And where ever you are, reading my Blog, all the joy for this 2nd day of Christmas, and all the best wishes to Todd and Dorana (née Hernandez) Brunhammer today, their wedding day.

I decided to present the 1880 birth of great-granduncle Joseph Michael Brunhammer. As far as the records that I have, he was the youngest son of gg-grandparents Jacob (Jacques) and Mary (née Marie Katz) Brunhammer. He was born in Gloucester City, New Jersey the 18th of January, 1880.

As you can see from the Birth Return there is no name written on the Certificate. A copy was obtained via VitalChek for Joseph Brunhammer and the other corresponding information cross-references to all other documents that we have been able to collect.

The following is the document received –

And transcribed –

JUNE ’79. STATE OF NEW JERSEY. B19
BIRTH RETURN.
SEE PENALTY FOR NON-REPORT.
Full name of Child (if any) – . Color – White
Date of Birth – January 18th, 1880. Sex – Male
Place of Birth – Ridgway St., Gloucester City, N.J.
Name of Father – Jacob Brunhammer
Maiden name of Mother – Mary Katz
County of Father’s Birth – France. Age – 42. Occupation – Engraver.
Country of Mother’s Birth – France. Age – 37.
Number of Previous Children – Ten (10). How many of them living – Seven (7).
Name and P.O. address of Medical Attendant, in his own handwriting, with date, _____ _____ _____ _____ _____, Gloucester City, N.J.

Based on the information extracted from the Birth Return, gg-grandparents Jacob and Mary had had 10 children born before Joseph’s birth in January 1880. And as it is written seven were still living. It is possible that the other three children were born and died in either France or the United States. The seven other children are: Charles; Eugène, Geies (aka Jules and Julius); Jacques A. (aka Jacob); Maria (aka Mary); Thomas (aka Camille); and Harry.

I’ve included a new Descendant Chart which follows the family line to great-granduncle Joseph Michael Brunhammer, his wife Sarah (née Gallagher) and their four children; Joseph A.; Mary (aka Marie); Grace; and Helen.

This is food for thought and the discussion will continue, so stay tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

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Part 159b – Brunhammer Doherty Genealogy – 1869-1930 Great-Grandfather Eugène Brunhammer

Afternoon,

The presents are wrapped, but I forgot the labels. And true to form I wrapped all the presents in the same type of paper. It's a grab-bag Christmas.

Written in Part 92b, 7-year old great-grandfather Eugène Brunhammer accompanied his mother, great-great-grandmother Marie and his four brothers and sister across the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Amérique. He was born in Dornach, a small town on the outskirts of Mulhouse, which today is, I believe considered a suburb of Mulhouse. Mulhouse is in the Alsace region of France almost at the French, German, and Swiss borders. (See Part 138b).

To date I have not been able to find a birth registration, civil or parochial near 1869 for great-grandfather Eugène Brunhammer. We know he existed. We can follow his life from about when he left Dornach across the Atlantic Ocean, to Philadelphia and Gloucester City, to Ware in Massachusetts and then to where he finally settled in Wilmington, Delaware.

All-things-being-equal, and from the records obtained, Eugène was the second son of Jacques (aka Jacob) and Marie (aka Mary) (née Katz) Brunhammer, (possibility Bruhammer). Follow the key events of his life as I map them from about 1869 to 15 April 1930.

The first map, created in Ancestral Atlas, is a general overview plotted through the years from France to the United States. The green marker is the location of his birth, circa 1869 and the red marker is the location where he is recorded to have lived per the 1930 US Census.

The next map is an enlarged and more detailed map connecting Dornach to Le Havre. There is no evidence of the route the family took from Dornach and Mulhouse in the Alsace region to Le Havre, but we do have the Passenger Manifest from the Amérique which did sail from Havre. (See Part 92b.)

The calculated straight-line distance from Mulhouse to Le Havre is 351.7 miles or 566 Kilometers. This would have been the first leg of the journey, and this is not necessarily the actual distance traveled. The trip across the Atlantic Ocean would have approximated 3,600 miles, about 5,800 kms, and it may have been longer as the ship may have landed at Plymouth in England and at New York in the Unites States.

The third map is one that shows his actual journey arriving at the Port of Philadelphia, traveling to Gloucester City, New Jersey; Ware, Massachusetts; and Wilmington, Delaware.

The upper blue marker near Philadelphia represents the ship’s arrival at the Port on the 17th of May 1876. The family must have lived there for some period of time in and around Philadelphia about 1877 as that was the year that Brother, great-granduncle Harry, the first American Brunhammer is ascribed to have been born.

The lower blue marker, right between the texts of Philadelphia and Cherry Hill on the map, marks the 9 June 1880 US Census and the 1885 New Jersey State Census location of Gloucester City, New Jersey where the family spears to have settled. And as there is no 1890 US Census available, due to being destroyed in a fire, the next blue marker in the upper right-hand of the inserted map marks the location where great-grandfather Eugène lived in Ware, Massachusetts on the 18th of June 1900.

The next inserted image is a further enlargement of the map showing the Philadelphia, Gloucester City, and Wilmington markers.

By 22 April 1910, great-grandfather Eugène had already moved his family from Massachusetts to Delaware. From the 1910 US Census of Wilmington, in the County of New Castle, his youngest daughter, grandaunt Anne Cecelia is enumerated at 5 years old. From our records we know that she was born in Wilmington 8 December 1904. Therefore the trip and move from Ware must have occurred sometime between June of 1900 and December of 1904.

The last inserted map shows in detail the streets that great-grandfather Eugène lived on over the passing of 20 years, as recorded in the subsequent 1910, 1920, and 1930 US Censuses.

On the 22th of April, 1910 he lived at 1828 N. Union Street. On the 6th of January, 1920 he had moved nearby to 1807 Shallcross Avenue, and on the 15th of April 1930 he lived at 829 Van Buren Street. All three locations are about within one mile in Wilmington, near Brandywine Park.

I may have more data and paperwork relating to great-grandfather Eugène Brunhammer, but that’s the organization of paperwork that I now pre-maturely make as my first New Year’s resolution.

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas Brunhammers,

Jim

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Part 158g – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1912 Marriage - Grandparents Frederick Henry and Madge (née Goodey) Robertson

Morning and Merry Christmas Eve,

I thought today I would begin and start a continuation of the vital key points of my grandmother Madge (née Goodey) Robertson's life. In Part 76g I began with the presentation of her Birth Entry, 16 February 1891.

My grandparents Frederick Henry Robertson and Madge Goodey were married 5 December 1912 at the Register Office in the District of West Ham in the Counties of Essex and West Ham. And as luck would have it, I was able to get a hold of a image of their original Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage. Thank-you to Shirley, Derek, and Jenny.

As the copy was in two pieces I have attempted, with today’s technology to piece the parts together and best as I could to provide you with one image.

Transcribing –

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage.
Superintendent Registrar’s District of WEST HAM.
1912 Marriage Solemnized at the REGISTER OFFICE
In the District of WEST HAM, in the Counties of WEST HAM AND ESSEX.
No. – 14
When Married – Fifth December 1912
Name and Surname. – Frederick Henry Robertson; Madge Goodey
Age. – 21 Years; 21 Years
Condition. – Bachelor; Spinster
Rank or Profession – Secretary of Public Company; -
Residence at the time of Marriage. – Mount Ford, Upper Walthamstow Road, Walthamstow; 40 Woodstock Road, Walthamstow
Father’s Name and Surname. – Alexander Pirie Robertson; Joseph Goodey
Rank or Profession of Father. – Commercial Clerk; Commercial Clerk
Married in the REGISTER OFFICE, by ? Turner? before me,
This Marriage was Solemnized between us, { F. H. Robertson; Madge Goodey } in the Presence of us, { Joseph Goodey; W.T. Robertson }
A. Sayer, Registrar. Alfred Hall, Superintendent Registrar.
I, ALBERT WILLIAM SAYER, Registrar of Marriages for the District of WEST HAM, in the Counties of WEST HAM AND ESSEX, do hereby Certify that this is a True Copy of the Entry No. 14 in the Register Book of Marriages, for the said District, and that such Register Book is now legally in my custody.
Witness my Hand this 5 day of December 1912
A. Sayer

And with this information I was able to find the corresponding Marriage Index entries from the General Register Office, London via Ancestry.co.uk.

And my transcriptions –

96 MARRIAGES REGISTERED IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 1912. ROB
Names of persons married. – Robertson, Frederick H.; Goodey
District. – W. Ham
Vol. – 4 a
Page. – 763

377 MARRIAGES REGISTERED IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 1912. GOO
Names of persons married. – Goodey, Madge; Robertson
District. – W. Ham
Vol. – 4 a
Page. – 763

And subsequently I was able to order a Certified Copy from the General Register Office.

As you can see the information is almost word-for-word as that on the above Certified Copy dated 5 December 1912. But as I examined the second copy more closely I noticed that there is a difference. The two Witnesses are not the same on the two different Copies. On the first, the Witnesses are Joseph Goodey and W. T. Robertson; on the second, they are Joseph Goodey and A. Robertson. All-things-being-equal I believe I can identify the three individual persons. Joseph Goodey is my grandmother Madge’s father, my great-grandfather. W. T. Robertson is, I think, my grandfather Frederick’s brother, William Thomas, my granduncle. The second signature, A. Robertson, is possibly that of my grandfather Frederick’s father, my great-grandfather Alexander.

And what could this mean? It means that all three; great-grandfather Joseph Goodey, great-grandfather Alexander Pirie Robertson, and granduncle William Thomas Robertson were present at the civil marriage ceremony of my grandparents Frederick Henry Robertson and Madge Goodey. This also means that one can never be 100% certain about information on any document that one has in his or her possession. There may be more information to be had on subsequent or different copies which represent the same event. Just a thought…

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 157c – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Search For GG-Grandfather William Crossley

Evening,

And now I back track a bit to Part 149cp to the 1863 Marriage of gg-grandparents William and Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley. Having spent the past number of Postings on the life of gg-grandmother Elizabeth it’s now time to turn to the life of gg-grandfather William Crossley.

Great-great-grandfather William Crossley’s name appears on the 1871 England Census.
The enumerator wrote his name as “William Croʃsley” age “30” years old. His occupation is recorded as that of “Cotton Loom Overlooker”. Both these cross-check with similar information of “22” years and “Overlooker”, respectively on the 1863 Marriage Entry in Part 149cp.

Page from the 1871 England Census. Sources: The National Archives, London, and Ancestry.co.uk

From The Old Occupation Names website the definition of Overlooker given is “Overseer or foreman esp. in textile mills.” And here’s what puzzles me, there are many references to the fixed phrase, as an occupation of “Cotton Loom Overlooker” on the Internet. Many… but I can’t find an actual definition of what the titled occupation is. Does anybody know? I mean, one would think that there may be such a definition, and for sure, I’m not going to make one up. I searched Google, Bing, Cuil, Yahoo, AOL, A9, Ask, even WolframAlpha sent me back to Google… There are references of persons who had the occupation but there are no definitions… that I can find. Anyone?

I did find the following definition regarding an Overlooker – “Where carried out - All areas. Description - Someone whose job is to keep the shop working smoothly. What is known these days as Middle Management.” (From Jobs in the Cotton Industry.)

Following the preceding Censuses, I was able to identify the listings of gg-grandfather William Crossley.

1861 England Census – Walsden, Rochdale –

Age 20; Occupation: Loom Jobber; Born: Walsden, Lancashire

Page from the 1861 England Census.
Sources: The National Archives, London, and Ancestry.co.uk

1851 England Census – Square, Walsden, Todmorden & Walsden –

Age 10; Occupation: Scholar; Born: Square, Lancashire

Pages from the 1851 England Census.
Sources: The National Archives, London, and Ancestry.co.uk

1841 England Census – Square, Todmorden & Walsden –

Age 5 months; Born: Lancashire

Pages from the 1841 England Census.
Sources: The National Archives, London, and Ancestry.co.uk

And the search begins. Stay-tuned.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 156pk – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Updated Parker Descendant Chart – Possibility of GGGG-Grandparents George and Isabella Kendal

Great evening from the early morning,

Thought I would give you a quick insight to a new discovery in my genealogy research this evening. As I was working my search into the life of ggg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Kendal) Parker I accidently stumbled upon the following from a database in Ancestry.co.uk. The source is from the England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906 which cites Downham, Lancashire, England; Date Range: 1652-1888 and FHL [1278942].

Quoting from the Ancestry.co.uk entry:

Name: Elizabeth Kendal
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 27 Nov 1809
Christening Date: 17 Dec 1809
Christening Place: Downham, Lancashire, England
Age at Christening: 0
Father’s Name: George Kendal
Mother’s Name: Isabella

I have not seen the page or image of the document but there are four coincidences which I can cross-reference to other documents that make me think that this may be a definite possibility.

1. Name – Elizabeth Kendal. Cross-reference – 1841 and 1851 England Census, Part 153p
2. Birth Year – 1809. Cross-reference – 1841 and 1851 England Census, Part 153p
3. Location – Downham, Lancashire. Cross-reference – 1841 and 1851 England Census, Part 153p
4. Mother’s Name – Isabella. Cross-reference – 1841 England Census, name of 11-year old Isabella living with the Parker family, Part 153p

And in my continued search I discovered another possibility of one James Kendal, born about 1812 to George and Isabella Kendal. He is noted to have been christened in Downham, Lancashire on 22 November 1812. He could be my ggg-granduncle.

I have included and updated these Kendals in the Parker Descendant Chart. Please always be mindful that the information provided may change based on new data and information found and collected.

And now to get the microfilm…

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 155p – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Trying To Prove GG-Grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley’s Parents

Afternoon,

But… there is just one thing that sort-of prompts me to be not 100% certain. 99% maybe, but not 100%... In Part 154p, the entries of “Occupation of father – Labourer” and “Signature, description and residence of informant – The mark of X John Parker, Father, Twiston”, on the Elizabeth Parker Birth Entry when cross-referenced and compared to the 1841 England Census, (see Part 153p) give me pause. The 1841 Census indicates that the enumerated ggg-grandfather John Parker, father of 4-month old Elizabeth has a profession of “Printer”.

Tracing his recorded occupations over the years I noted the following:

1841 – Labourer (Worker)
1841 – Printer (One who prints books, pictures, posters, etc., Sets up and operates machine to print designs on materials, such as cloth…)
1851 – Farm Labourer (Worker on a farm)
1861 – Husbandman (A farmer who cultivated the land, tenant farmer, tenant of a dwelling and land on an estate)
1863 – Colour Maker (Mixed the dyes in the textile trade and also assistant to a house painter, one who makes and/or sells paints)
1871 – Ag. Lab. (Agricultural labourer, an unskilled worker on a farm)

My first gut reaction, “What is meant by the occupation of a “Printer” in the 1841 Census?”

Immediately I think that a Printer is one who would have the innate ability of being “literate”. But ggg-grandfather John had signed his mark “X” only four months earlier on the 3rd of March when he registered, albeit informed of, the birth of gg-grandmother Elizabeth. The “X” implies that he was “illiterate”, and therefore my limited grey-matter does not comprehend that a “Printer”, notwithstanding one defined in such a position in the year 2009, almost 2010, could be “illiterate”.

I then discovered the following created job description compilation at the Dictionary of Occupational Tiles website

TITLE(s): CLOTH PRINTER (any industry) alternate titles: printer; printing-machine operator

Sets up and operates machine to print designs on materials, such as cloth, fiberglass, plastic sheeting, coated felt, or oilcloth: Turns handwheel to set pressure on printing rollers, according to specifications. Turns screws to align register marks on printing rollers with register marks on machine, using allen wrench. Sharpens doctor blade, using file and oilstone, and verifies evenness of blade, using straightedge. Aligns doctor blade against printing roller, using handtools. Dips color from tubs into color boxes to supply printing rollers. Scans cloth leaving machine for printing defects, such as smudges, variations in color shades, and designs that are out of register (alignment). Realigns printing rollers and adjusts position of blanket or back gray cloth to absorb excess color from printing rollers. Records yardage of cloth printed. Coordinates printing activities with activities of workers who feed and doff machine and aid in setting up and cleaning machine. May notify COLORIST (profess. & kin.) 022.161-014 when color shade varies from specifications. May mix own colors. May mount printing rollers on machine for change of pattern [PRINTING-ROLLER HANDLER (textile) 652.385-010]. May position knives specified distance from edge of plastic material to trim excess material from edges. When printing samples of new patterns and novelty designs, is designated Novelty-Printing-Machine Operator (textile) or Proofing-Machine Operator (print. & pub.). May set up and operate cloth printing machine utilizing caustic soda paste instead of color paste to print designs on cloth which shrink to form plisse and be designated Plisse-Machine Operator (textile).

It now may make sense when I note that on the 1863 Marriage Entry for gg-grandparents William and Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley, gg-grandmother Elizabeth’s father, ggg-grandfather John Parker’s “Rank or Profession of Father” is entered as “Colour Maker”. These details now give me a greater assurance that the John and Elizabeth (née Kendal) Parker may most assuredly be the parents of gg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 154p - Smith Robertson Genealogy - 1841 Birth - GG-Grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley

Morning,

After spending yesterday morning with a dead car, I waited for the phone call to say “Mr. Smith, your car is ready… and it will be one quadrillion dollars.” I might as well buy me a ticket to the moon. Some gizmo in the car froze all the working systems. I may be computer literate, but I’m certainly do not converse in auto-computerese.

The car was fixed and on the way home I stopped at the Jamaican grocery shop and picked up my supplies of frozen patties, canned ackees, green plantains, frozen conch, red kidney beans, and smoked herring.

I then remarked that a number of portals into my navigation system in my car were frozen. So it was back to the auto shop. And I learned that I had to press this button with that button, while holding open the door for this many seconds, while the GPS signal connected, and then I had to sit the electronic key at just the right angle so that the lines of the connection could get through... You get the picture. And I was told that it had to do with the car deciding that my personal information was too personal for me, and oh by the way "had I read the correct page in the manual?" And I asked which one of the three manuals? Can I get this damn thing going? It's now working.

And I sat, and waited. And not being one to sit quietly without doing something, what I perceive as constructive, I continued my write-up of gg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley.

Sources: The National Archives, London, and FindMyPast.com

And as you can see on this 1841 image there are actually two identical entries. I’m not sure if the duplication means anything or just that the scribe may have been somewhat confused or swamped with work on that specific day. In my learning, I understand that as Civil Registration had begun at about 1837, it may have taken sometime for all points and designated offices to get into “the routine” of the program.

My transcription –

SURNAME of Parent – Parker, Parker
NAME (if any) or SEX of CHILD – Elizabeth, Elizabeth
SUP. REGISTRAR’S DISTRICT – Clitheroe, Clitheroe
Vol. – XXI, XXI
Page – 378, 378

Sources: The General Register Office, London

Transcribing –

CERTIFIED COPY OF AN ENTRY OF BIRTH GIVEN AT THE GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE
Application Number COL388967
REGISTRATION DISTRICT Clitheroe
1841 BIRTH in the Sub-district of Clitheroe in the Counties of Lancaster and York
No. – 360
When and where born – Tenth of February 1841, in Twiston
Name, if any – Elizabeth
Sex – Girl
Name and surname of father – John Parker
Name, surname and maiden surname of mother – Elizabeth Parker formerly Kendal
Occupation of father – Labourer
Signature, description and residence of informant – The mark of X John Parker, Father, Twiston.
When registered – Third of March 1841.
Signature of registrar – Henry W. OMalley? Registrar
Name entered after registration - -
CERTIFIED to be a true copy of an entry in the certified copy of a Register of Births in the District above mentioned.

And all-things-being-equal this is the Birth Registration gg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley.

But? And this is where you have to stay tuned for the next Posting,

Enjoy,

Jim

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My Tangent – To Light Or Not To Light The House

Morning,


As a number of you have asked as to whether I have gone crazy or not, (which of course is debatable), with the all the Holiday and Christmas images and animations on my Postings, I have to answer that I could have. I could have lost it completely. But this Christmas season, I kept asking myself if I should put up the decorations and trim the house with all the lights that just sit in boxes in the attic and the garage all year. And this is somewhat a dubious question as I’m trying to figure out ways to reduce my overall monthly electric bill. This past month I was able to reduce it by $103.00.

This is not being a Scrooge, and there are many writings and articles that reflect the fact that Christmas lighting, in moderation, does not produce that much energy, but I thought that I did not want add back to my monthly costs what I had succeeded. I calibrated the approximate costs for a neighbour’s house down the street and came up with an almost extra $197.28 of power costs that will be added to their bill this month. (And their house is not one where the cars are lining up in the street for a close up.)

You can check out your approximate costs using the calculator at the Christmas Lights & Decorations website.

And so I decided nix the lights on the house, and spend some gas money and go out and check some other’s expenditures. And then I decided that I would decorate my Blog site and my regular Postings.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 153p - Smith Robertson Genealogy - More England Censuses - Great-Great-Grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley

Afternoon,

And so this afternoon, following my research trek into the life of my ggg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley, I thought I would provide you with the evidence I am now using. My sources are from the 1861, 1851, and 1841 England Censuses. The Censuses: 1871, 1881, and 1891, in Part 150p, all took place after her 1863 marriage, (Part 149cp), to ggg-grandfather William Crossley. They also include the enumeration of her as a widow after ggg-grandfather William's passing sometime after 1871.

As in the 1871, 1881, and 1891 Censuses, her age and location of birth are provided as follows:

1861 - 20 - Yorkshire

1851 - 11 - Lancashire, Twiston

1841 - 4 months - Twiston, Clitheroe, Whalley, Blackburn, Lancashire

Page from the 1861 England Census

Sources: The National Archives, London, and Ancestry.co.uk

 

Page from the 1851 England Census

Sources: The National Archives, London, and Ancestry.co.uk

 

Page from the 1841 England Census

Sources: The National Archives, London, and Ancestry.co.uk

I have now been able, all-things-being-equal, to account for ggg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley from the year 1841 through and including the year 1901, (see Part 151p).

My next Posting will present a Birth Entry which I believe is, based on what I have found to date, belongs to ggg-grandmother Elizabeth. I have a couple of overhanging questions, but you'll need to stay-tuned to find out.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 152p - Smith Robertson Genealogy - A New Parker Descendant Chart

Evening,

I had a very quiet day... For you cousins in the frigid north of the white stuff, I was walking around in shorts and bare feet, and all the windows open. Expecting rain this weekend and then a 50% drop in temperature... Guess I'll have to watch out for the possibility of tomato-Popsicles.

I spent time deciphering the inter-relationships of my Parker Family Line; the immediate family and ancestors of great-great-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley. My sources are the 1841, 1851, 1861, and 1871 England Censuses, localizing in the Downham, Twiston, Clitheroe areas of Lancashire. See Parts 149cp, 150p, and 151p for my early discussions and thoughts.

The following is a new Parker Descendant Chart I have constructed.

Please remember that this is, and will always be a work in progress. Relationships and connections may change as the source information is examined and re-examined.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 151p – Smith Robertson Genealogy – My Pursuit of the Life of Great-Great-Grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley

Evening,

Last night I discovered three pieces in the puzzle of gg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley’s life and genealogy. One definite; one possibility; and one maybe-but-it’s-really-not-there sort-of possibility… You have to understand that the hunt of this ethereal, but ever-so real ancestry is just so all consuming.

First, I finally discovered that gg-grandmother Elizabeth was living, according to the 1901 England Census, with her youngest son, great-granduncle Josiah Crossley. The 1901 Census was taken as of the night of 31 March 1901. They lived at 104 Hare Hill Road in Littleborough, Lancashire. My source of 1901 Census page is Ancestry.co.uk.

And I’m amazed at technology today. Just check out the inserted map I was able to snag from Bing Maps. The orange pin marks the approximate location of number 104. (I’m now officially a bi-user: Google and Bing!)

The 1901 Census indicates that gg-grandmother Elizabeth was 60 years old and that her place of birth was Clitheroe, Lancashire. This information follows very well to the data as provided by the previous three Censuses, as I outline in Part 150p.

The next step of my search was to see if I could find a listing for gg-grandmother Elizabeth in the 1911 England Census. Images of the 1911 Census are available through FindMyPast.com, 1911Census.co.uk, and The National Archives, in London, just to name three sources.

I discovered the 1911 Census for great-granduncle Josiah and his family including his wife Mary and son Harry. Great-great-grandmother Elizabeth was not listed as living in the household. Great-granduncle Josiah had had been living with his mother, gg-grandmother Elizabeth, per Census data from the age of 3 to 23 years. The following is the 1911 England Census.

Per my research and further documentation, I’ve located that great-granduncle Josiah and his family emigrated from Liverpool to Boston, Massachusetts on the 28th of April 1914. GG-Grandmother Elizabeth was not with him, that I can see, on the ship Franconia. (I always stand corrected.)

And my next thought was to check the Indexes of the Civil Registers for the possible passing of gg-grandmother Elizabeth. Subsequent to the 1901 Census, and beginning the in the Second Quarter, Q2, I examined the Indexes for a period through and up to, and including the Third Quarter of 1911. (My source is FindMyPast.com. I searched for those Elizabeth Crossleys who passed away during that period and who may appear to correspond to the expected location of birth and age of gg-grandmother Elizabeth. I found one such entry, out of 23 possibilities, which may be that of gg-grandmother Elizabeth. The information listed is for the Third Quarter, Q3, 1906 - “Crossley, Elizabeth; Age 65; District – Rochdale; Volume 8e; and Page 44.” All-things-being-equal this may be a match.

The inserted image is the page of the Index which may correspond.

To be continued,

Jim

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Part 150p – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1841 Birth – GG-Grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley

Evening,

Before I get into my genealogy, this evening, I attempted yellow split pea and ham soup; for supper tonight with a mushroom salad. Well I didn’t have any carrots so I substituted some sweet potatoes. I threw in a hot pepper from the garden, thyme and marjoram, onion, and left out the garlic this time. But I thought that I would add in cilantro and culantro.

And I stink of bleach… I have just finished scrubbing down the second half of the pool deck. One heck of a lot more mold this year, and the Cyprus trees are dropping their needles which have a most gracious tendency of squeezing through the grid in the screen onto the deck and into the pool. And I couldn’t figure out why the pressure of the water through the hose was strong enough. Got that fixed and the next thing I know the hose has gone wild and is spraying water into the house. I’m a klutz!

My apologies to my ancestors, but I suppose I can’t always be super serious.

Following as a next step from the 1863 of gg-grandparents William and Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley, Part 149cp, I thought that I would present the data and details, and the justification I have regarding their births and deaths. So that you are forewarned, my proof, which of course may change as more exacting information is presented, is based on that which I have been able to compile over these past few years. If you have any questions or comments regarding my thought processes and my proof, please comment to the Posting or email me.

I begin with gg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley. Per the 1863 Marriage Entry, her age is entered as 23 years. A quick calculation would mean that she was born circa 1840, give or take a year. From existent England Censuses after the 1863 marriage, I found the following information regarding her age and where she was born.

1871 – 30 – Downham, Lancashire
1881 – 40 – Twiston, Lancashire
1891 – 50 – Lancashire, Lancashire

My sources for the three England Census pages inserted at the left are Ancestry.co.uk and FindMyPast.com.

I know Lancashire is Lancashire is Lancashire, and the distance from Downham (1871) to Twiston (1881) is about 2.2 miles (3.54 kms) or about 41 minutes walking. When I type “Downham, Lancashire, England”, into the search box for Google Maps, the system immediately defaults to “Downham, Clitheroe, Lancashire, United Kingdom”. The same thing happens when I type in “Twiston, Lancashire, England””. The map brought up fixes on Downham and Twiston which are northeast of Clitheroe.

But here’s the rub, there are at least six Elizabeth Parkers indexed as being born in Clitheroe during 1839 and 1843.

Will close this Post at this point. Stay tuned for the development of the search for the real ancestral identity of great-great-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 149cp – Smith Robertson Genealogy - 1863 Marriage – GG-Grandparents William Crossley & Elizabeth Parker

Good Morning,

I thought I would start this morning with the marriage of my great-great-grandparents William and Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley. These are the parents of my great-grandmother Mary Alice (née Crossley Goodey who I introduced in Part 140c.

Great-great-grandparents William and Elizabeth were married on 10 October 1863 in the Parish Church of Walsden in the County of Lancaster. I was able to find the page of their Marriage Registration in the microfilm FHL [1542167], Item 3, Parish Registers for Walsden, 1845-1933, Church of England, Chapelry of Walsden (Lancashire).

On the page it is the second entry, Number 260.

Transcribing –

Page 130
1863. Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Walsden in the County of Lancaster
No. 260
When Married. – October 10th
Name and Surname. – William Crossley, Elizabeth Parker
Age. – 22, 23
Condition. – Bachelor, Spinster
Rank or Profession. – Overlooker, -
Residence at the Time of Marriage. – Square, Strines
Father’s Name and Surname. – Abraham Crossley, John Parker
Rank or Profession of Father. – Mechanic, Colour Maker
Married in the Parish Church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after Banns by me,
Wm. Holmes Orr, Curate
This Marriage was solemnized between us, { William Crossly, Elizabeth Parker }
In the Presence of us, { John Parker, Alice Parker }

As support documentation, as I had discovered the Marriage Entry first, I searched for the Index entries for both gg-grandparents William and Elizabeth. This was an easier way to do it, but if I had first searched for the Index entries, I would have had to cross-reference a William Crossley to an Elizabeth Parker and match up the District, Volume, and Page Number. And this is obviously not a difficult task, but sometimes it can be time consuming. The Index Pages follow:

Sources: England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes, General Register Office,
London, England and Ancestry.co.uk

Transcribing and matching the two documents together –

SURNAME of Person Married – Crossley, Parker
NAME of the same – William, Elizabeth
SUP. REGISTRAR’S DISTRICT – Todmorden = Todmorden
Vol – 9 a = 9 a
Page – 299 = 299
565, 273

And then I was able to get a Certified Copy of An Entry of Marriage directly from the General Register Office.

Sources: England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes,
General Register Office, London, England

As you can see the Certified Copy appears to be a cut and paste job of incorporating the Marriage Entry from the Parish Register and imprinting it to a green form provided by the General Register Office. The transcription should be the same with the exception of the Application (COL691086) and copy (MXC066870) numbers.

And my questions are:

1. Who are witnesses, John Parker and Alice Parker? John Parker could be gg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker)’s father, as indicated in the body of the Marriage Entry.
2. What type of Profession is a “Colour Maker”? From the website Dictionary of Occupational Titles I found the definition for a Colour Maker that may in some part apply, even though the description is applicable to the modern day. By no means am I implying that this is the occupation that ggg-grandfather John Parker had but I include it as food for thought.

CODE: 550.382-014
TITLE(s): COLOR MAKER (tex. prod., nec)

Operates machines to mix or grind daub, printing ink color, and color pigments, for artificial leather: Calculates batch size according to roll yardage to be coated. Weighs and measures, according to formula, components, such as ball mill mix, color pigments, and oils to attain colors and specified consistency. Moves components to agitator or ball mill mixers and roll grinders for processing, using handtruck. Dumps ingredients into and starts machines that grind and mix them. Collects color sample and compares it with color standard. Adds ingredients, such as white, clear, or colored pigments, or thinner to correct color discrepancies. Prepares new color batches when drum content in inventory storage is low. Lifts and moves drums, using portable air-operated hydraulic hoist. May be designated according to operation performed as Ball-Mill Mixer (tex. prod., nec); Daub-Color Matcher (tex. prod., nec); Daub-Color Mixer (tex. prod., nec); Grinding Operator (tex. prod., nec); Print-Color Matcher (tex. prod., nec); Print-Color Mixer (tex. prod., nec).

Any comments or question please feel free to email me or comment directly to this Posting.

Enjoy,

Jim

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My Tangent - Grey and The Rats - How Many Days To Christmas?

Afternoon,

Grey has been tormenting the Rats all day today. It's as if he knows which button, so-to-speak, to push and he's got the rats scampering and yap-yap-yapping, hell-bent-for-leather. (Check out when I introduced Grey tormenting the Rats.)

This morning I watch him on top of the white bird of Paradise plant, which stands beside the screen enclosure, just daring them to come up and get him. He was sitting at about 10 feet above the deck, while the two Rats were having manic, conniption fits.

The emotions were running pretty high. Tinker then turned around and started chomping out at Bella, and then Tobi, the Golden, sauntered on over to see what was causing the commotion. Grey jumped up and down... and then scampered off into the trees.

And it's been going on all day... And now as I type this, I have two 11 pound Rats staring up at me, asking, with their two pair of eyes... "Please let us out so we can run down the hill, squeeze through the fence, climb the trees, and get that damn Grey!" And I'm a sucker for begging, canine eyes.

We're back.

And how many days left until Christmas? Quilts by esSBee are still available. Five more are in process of being completed. A new series, based on Turkish glass mosaic lamps are under way.

Enjoy,

Jim

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