I came across this newspaper clipping recently and found that reading it called up such vivid memories of my Granny, Edith Borrowman, that I wanted to share it. Her Winnipeg home was one in a series of feature stories in The Tribune, but this one says as much about Granny as it does about her house at 1192 Wolseley Avenue. The article appeared in the April 22, 1939 issue; it’s long, so I’ve divided it in two.

“The house with the garden room” — that’s what friends call Mrs. L.F. Borrowman’s home because she’s so fond of flowers she has let the garden come indoors. The flower-room is a grey roughcast sunroom stretching the width of the house on the riverside. It was alive with hyacinth perfume and crowded with paperwhites, tulips, pussy willows, lilies — hurried into bloom for a church Easter display, when the house-finder went to visit.

“A flame afghan and draperies with plenty of yellow in them made accents for the grey walls and companions for the flowers. “I sit here and drink it in,” said Mrs. Borrowman, laying aside her needlepoint. The pride of the place was the pot of Fantasy tulips, great feathery blooms, with hearts of flame and pale pink flounces. “I once read that if you only had a dollar, you should buy a Fantasy,” Mrs. Borrowman smiled.

“Mrs. Borrowman sees beauty in everything. “There’s a prune-colored light on the river snow in winter,” she says. She tries to encourage people to “get what beauty there is in this country.” Since “five months is the limit for outdoors growing, grow indoors!” They had chrysanthemum in the garden room at Christmas. They have now tulips and lilies and eight white bowls of paper whites and pots of fragrant pale pink hyacinths with cones of blossoms as big around as grapefruit. Even pussy willows Mrs. Borrowman starts indoors, bringing the twigs in while the snow is deep and no buds would dare show their noses outdoors.

The blue dining-room had a bay window that looked at the river. Mrs. Borrowman’s grey and rose room above it had the same window arrangement.  “We built our house to embrace the south and west views and that lovely bend of the river. I used to be able to see a mile, right down to Kelvin school… We were the first to put our kitchen at the side instead of the back: we couldn’t waste our riverside on kitchen!”

Tags: flowers, newspaper, photo

I’ve written about my Gerald great-grandparents before, and thought I’d share more pictures I have of them.

Windsor, 1869

The first one is taken when they were quite young; I strongly suspect that this is a wedding picture. I received this copy from a cousin.

William John Gerald and Elizabeth Hainsworth Billyard, probably 1969

I have found two records of their marriage, one in the parish register of All Saints’ Anglican Church in Windsor, and one in the Ontario Marriage registrations. Both sources state the marriage took place on the 8th September, 1869. However, neither one provides what I consider to be WJG’s correct age at marriage. I think he may have bent the truth just a tiny bit — perhaps to make himself  a more suitable candidate for Elizabeth’s hand?

The “Blue Book” or Civil Service List of Canada’s federal government employees, consistently provides his birth date as 27 July 1850, which fits nicely with the St. John’s (Prescott) baptismal register entry for him, on the 6th October of that same year.  So, in Sept 1869 he would be 19 years and two months old. Elizabeth was born 27 May 1852, baptised at St. John’s  (Sandwich) one month later, and would thus be 17 years and four months old on her wedding day.

The records, however, tell a different story — WJG says he is 21  in the parish register, and on the provincial marriage registration, (click here to see it) — not only is his name spelled incorrectly and his parents are not identified, his age is given as 24! Both records give Elizabeth’s age as 17.

All Saints’ was established in 1852 as a “daughter” church of St. John’s (Sandwich). When my father became the rector of this very same church, All Saints’, almost exactly one hundred years later, 21 September1952, one of the first things he did was look in the old parish register books to find this marriage of his grandparents. I love the symmetry of that.

Ottawa, 1921

The second picture was obviously taken many years later,  in Ottawa, where WJG had served in the Department of Inland Revenue (as it was then called) for decades, steadily rising in the ranks to become Deputy Minister in 1901.

William John Gerald, Elizabeth Hainsworth (Billyard) Gerald, and their grandson William Gerald Burch

I believe this picture was taken outside the Gerald family home at 336 Metcalfe Street, probably about 1921, judging by my Dad’s age. He and his parents lived with his grandparents at this time, when they would have been married over 50 years — no matter what age William John really was on their wedding day.

Tags: Gerald, Ottawa, photo

Since posting the analysis of a photo of my great-grandfather in this post, together with my conclusions about identifying the three women with him, I have come across new evidence that may affect that conclusion. The University of Michigan Library, at their website Seeking Michigan has posted a collection of Michigan death registrations 1897-1920, with images.

As usual with a new database, I plugged in some potential surnames, as we have ancestors in the Windsor/Detroit area, and one of the results looked promising, though oddly spelled: Emma Hancel Hutton. I already “knew” that my great-grandmother Emma Harriet (nee Hirons) Billyard Hutton had died on April 25, 1880, because that is what the published cemetery transcription of her tombstone said. Carved in stone, right? I had visited that very cemetery in September 2008, but found the only lettering still legible was the surname on the base — BILLYARD — where Emma was buried with her first husband William Billyard.

Imagine my surprise to find this document at Seeking Michigan!

Michigan death registration for Emma Hutton, 1900

(The original is found here) It is dated April 25, 1900 — fully twenty years later! No doubt the stone had been badly eroded when the transcription project was undertaken, and 1900 looked like 1880. And her death in Detroit, just across the river, while visiting with her stepson Robert Hutton, explains my failure to find an Ontario death registration.

Back to the picture and the little chart showing who died and when. Here’s a new version, with the changes in bold text:

(Original observation) The oldest woman looks considerably older than 52, Emma Hirons’ age in 1880, and she died in Windsor, Ont Detroit, so I don’t believe Emma is pictured here.

New Conclusion:
This new information doesn’t really change my original conclusion; although I can no longer eliminate Emma by reason of her death before the earliest possible date of the picture (the family moved to Ottawa in 1886/87 and studio closed in 1891). I still think the oldest woman looks more like 73-77 than Emma’s age of between 59-63. Additionally, Charlotte Gerald lived most of her married life in Prescott, Ontario, south of Ottawa (indeed Charlotte and her mother Ann Ryder were enumerated living together there in the 1891 census), while Emma Hutton lived most of hers in the Windsor area. So, I stand by my earlier statement of this picture being William John Gerald, his wife Elizabeth H. Billyard Gerald, his mother Charlotte Gerald and her mother (WJG’s grandmother) Ann Ryder.

One other tidbit — when I first asked my dad about this picture, he identified his grandfather immediately, but thought the youngest woman was his Aunt Addie. She would have been only 16-20 at the time of this picture, and unmarried. I guess he was seeing a strong family resemblance.

Sources:
Death registration of Emma Harriet [Hirons Billyard] Hutton. Michigan Certificate of Death, Michigan History Foundation, Seeking Michigan (http://seekingmichigan.org/: accessed 3 August 2009; updated 8 April 2023).

St. John’s Anglican Churchyard, Sandwich, Windsor, Ontario. Ontario Genealogical Society, Essex County Branch, Windsor, Ontario, 1999, p. 15

Ancestry.com (digital image). 1891 Census of Canada [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008. Original data: Library and Archives Canada. Census of Canada, 1891. RG31. Wellington Ward, Ottawa City, Ontario. Roll: T-6360, Family No: 8 on p.2.

Tags: death, document, Gerald, Ottawa, photo

William John Gerald and three women, but who are they?

This is one of my favourite photos, for several reasons. I like the gentle,  intelligent faces of the three women and the evident affection between the generations; I like the confident but not arrogant pose of the man; and I love all the clues given on the back of the photo!  Because I love a good puzzle, I also enjoyed figuring out the most likely date it was taken and just who each of these people is.

The back of this photo, showing the studio name and location: Pittaway and Jarvis, 117 Sparks Street, Ottawa

My dad identified his grandfather on the right, William John Gerald (1850-1923), and indeed from other pictures I have of him, I do not doubt this identification, so that part was easy. But who are the three women? Wife? Mother? Daughter? Sister? Mother-in-law? There is some printing of names on the back, but I was there when my mother wrote that, and I know she wasn’t at all certain!

I began by making a chart that included the names of possible female relatives (WJG had only one sister, and I have other pictures of her — she is not in this group), and added their dates of birth and death, then their ages at various dates, to see who might fit the picture.

Using the online collection of Ottawa city directories at Library and Archives Canada I determined that the studio “Pittaway and Jarvis” existed as a partnership at 117 Sparks Street, Ottawa, only between 1880-1891. After that, an advertisement stated “Late Pittaway and Jarvis, now S. J. Jarvis”.  Research at Victorian Fashion History for Women 1860-1900 confirmed that the women’s style of dress was appropriate to a period in the 1880s.

W. J. Gerald received promotions in both 1883 and 1887, which could have been occasions for a family photograph, but it was the 1887 one which created a need to move to Ottawa.  Checking in my genealogy program (I use The Master Genealogist),  I noted that WJG’s 1887 promotion was to the position of Assistant Commissioner and Inspector of Tobacco Factories, in the federal government department of Inland Revenue. *  He got quite a substantial raise too, from $2000 annually to $3000. That might have been a likely occasion for such a picture, don’t you think?

Further research in the city directory listings showed that W. J. Gerald and his family did not appear in the listings until the 1887 edition; this may mean they moved to Ottawa in either 1886 or 1887.

Here’s my chart:

The oldest woman looks considerably older than 52, Emma Hirons’ age in 1880, and she died in Windsor, Ont., so I don’t believe Emma is pictured here.

The youngest woman is wearing a visible wedding ring, and neither of WJG’s daughters was married before 1900,  so Addie and Ethel are not in this picture either.

Conclusion: The photograph was taken after 1887 (the move to Ottawa) and before 1891 (closure of the studio).  I believe it depicts  Ann Ryder, her daughter Charlotte Gerald, Charlotte’s  son William John Gerald and his wife Elizabeth Billyard Gerald. Their ages fit well with their appearances.  I would love to hear from you if you have other clues or suggestions for me to consider!

Sources:

Gerald, William John, family group portrait, circa 1887-1991; Pittaway and Jarvis Studio, 117 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Canada. Privately held by PaperQuilter.

*Government of Canada, Civil Service List: Return shewing the Names, origin, creed, position and pay of all the Employees of the Dominion Government, Printed by Order of Parliament. (Ottawa, ON: I.B. Taylor) 1883-84, p. 8 of the Promotions list.

Ontario registrations of birth, marriages and deaths; digital image from ancestry.ca; contact me for details.

Tags: Gerald, Ottawa, photo

Ernest Clarence Burch, circa 1911

I would love to have known my paternal grandfather, Ernest Burch. By all accounts he was a gentle, humourous, brave and loving man. Words used to describe him include “indefatigable worker, gentle and courteous, , spiritually minded” and “one of those rare spirits whose strength in gentleness was a benediction.”

Born February 27, 1881, the youngest surviving son of a large family, he grew up in Toronto, Ontario, but saw something of the world as he travelled to Jamaica for his sister’s wedding, to New York with his brothers, and to Winnipeg as a lay reader, before settling to his theological studies at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto.

Ordained to the Anglican ministry in 1907, and married in 1910, he served parishes in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Prince Rupert. However, it was only a few years before multiple sclerosis rendered him blind. Returning to Ontario, he found part time work in several small parishes, where he could  find his way about the church and lead services from memory. Failing health led to his forced retirement in 1917, and he and his family removed to Ottawa to live with his wife Ethel’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. William J. Gerald.

Ernest was bedridden the last eight years of his life; he died 9 June 1925 and is buried in Beechmount Cemetery in Ottawa. My father, who grew up to be very like Ernest in many ways,  was only 14 years old at the time.

Sources:

Ontario birth registration #39618 of 1881, Archives of Ontario;
Ontario marriage registration #5972 of 1910, Archives of Ontario;
Ontario death registration #9458 of 1925, Archives of Ontario;
Various original ecclesiastical licences and other personal papers, privately held by PaperQuilter

Tags: Burch, photo

Edward and Harriet Burch and their family, circa 1886, Toronto, Ontario

This is the picture that started it all for me.

While visiting with my father in the months after my mother’s death, he and I were looking through old photographs. I knew that the little boy in the velvet suit, lying in front of all his older siblings, was my dad’s father, my grandfather, and therefore the parents in the centre must be my great-grandparents. Dad did know their names, but of the others, all he had to say was, “The girl is Eva, she married and went to Nova Scotia.  One of the boys is Harry and one is Fred, but I don’t know which, and I know nothing at all about the others.”

I thought that was terribly sad, that my Dad had all these uncles and didn’t even remember their names! It was understandable, because this family lived in Toronto, Ontario, and both of his paternal grandparents died before he was born. As a small boy, my dad lived with his parents and maternal grandparents in Ottawa, and thus lost touch with his Burch relatives.

I was determined to find out what I could about Edward Burch, his wife Harriet Thorp, and their family of sons and a daughter and to share this with my dad.  I hadn’t a clue where to begin, but everyone is a beginner at some point, and I’m not afraid to ask questions. I like to learn and I like to do research, so I thought I’d start at the National Library and Archives of Canada in Ottawa, the next time I visited family there.

The first thing I learned was — bring a pencil! The helpful person at the Genealogy Desk showed me how to find Edward’s family in the index to the 1871 census, and then how to load the relevant microfilm. I scrolled through to the designated page, and the magic began — there they were!  But the only writing implement I had with me was a lip-liner, so, my very first genealogy notations are in smudgy red on a scrap of paper.

I’ve learned a lot about Edward and his family since then, and a lot about using archives, microfilms and genealogy software too. I hope to share Edward’s story and those of many other ancestors with you in these pages.

In the photo left to right are: Charles Edward Burch (seated, 1862-1923), Harry (1870-?), Edwin Walter (1868-1953), Eva Harriet (his twin, 1868-?), Frederick Ashton (1875-1950), Arthur Elvin (1872-1910);  in the centre Harriet Thorp Burch (1846-1898) and Edward (1837-1911), and in front, my grandfather Ernest Clarence, (1881-1925).

Tags: Burch, photo