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