From Your Affectionate Father: George Ernest Duke, Calgary, Alberta, 1905

George Ernest Duke has signed his portrait, "With Love, From Your Affectionate Father, Geo. Ernest Duke, Xmas 1905."  The image was taken by E. B. Curlette, a prominent Calgary photographer who operated in the city from 1899 through to the 1940s.

In 1901, there was a George Ernest Duke, Tobacco Merchant, living in Calgary with his wife Myrtle¹; He was born May 21, 1858 in England and immigrated to Canada with his wife around 1895.  In 1911, George and Myrtle lived at 511 - 4th Avenue West, Calgary².  No children resided with the couple.  While the birth dates are all wildly different in the 1901, 1906 and 1911 censuses, I think these are the same couple throughout.  George is listed as either a tobacconist, or tobacco merchant.  The immigration years are fairly consistent, with the exception of one census.  More research would have to be done to tie the George Ernest Duke in the Canadian censuses to the following family.

In 1881, there is a George and "Myrtilla" Duke, and daughter Zoi [Zoe?] M. H. Duke, three years old, who lived in West Dean, Sussex, England³.  Zoe was the second child born to the couple; their first was George Lewis Duke, born 18 Feb 1876 near Chichester, West Dean⁴.   Another Duke child, named Edwin Ernest, was born in 25 Sep 1881, also near Chichester⁵.  It is possible that George Lewis died in infancy, since he does not appear in any of the censuses with his parents. 

I was unable to find the family's immigration records to Canada online, but the search was neither exhaustive nor thorough and I am optimistic that one could be found.  I searched for Zoe on Google and I lucked out.  Archives Canada has a brief biography online about Zoe, which you can read here.  It gives her immigration year as 1896, which are in the same ballpark as the Dukes I found in the Calgary censuses.  Zoe was a painter and the Glenbow Archives in Calgary has collected her papers and work.  She married Sidney J. L. Dunning, a member of the Northwest Mounted Police in 1898 which may explain why she was not in the household of her parents in the 1901 Canadian census.

An obituary for George E. Duke appears in the August 31, 1925 issue of the Calgary Daily Herald.  While it sounds as if George has always lived with his daughter in Calgary, the censuses say something else.  I've looked at the 1901, 1906 and 1911 censuses for Zoe M. H. Dunning and George E. is not living with her in any of them.  She was living in Saskatchewan for all three.  As the Archives Canada biography states, she moved back to Calgary in 1918, around the time of her mother's death the same year.

If we have the correct George Ernest Duke, this photograph would have been a Christmas gift to Zoe from her father.  I think the chances are good that I'm on the right track with my findings, but as always, we would require more research and a second photograph of George Ernest Duke to compare with ours to be certain.  If you have a photo of the Mr. Duke described in this blog, I'd love to hear from you.

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1 1901 census of Canada, Calgary (Centre), Alberta, The Territories, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 202, subdistrict # R-1, p.11 (penned), dwelling 88, family 89, George S. Duke family; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 19 May 2013); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6428 through T-6556.^↩
2 1911 census of Canada, Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 1, subdistrict # 2, p.1 (penned), dwelling 5, family 5, George Duke family, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed May 19, 2013), citing microfilm LAC microfilm T-20326 to T-20460^↩
3 “1881 England Census,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 May 2013), entry for George E. Duke (age 30), citing PRO RG11; Piece: 1136; Folio: 87; Page: 12; Westbourne registration district, Westbourne subdistrict, ED 18c, schedule line number 57, GSU roll: 1341277.^↩
4 "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/ND9Y-CMT : accessed 20 May 2013), George Ernest Duke in entry for George Lewis Duke, 18 Feb 1876.^↩
5 "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J3LL-XV4 : accessed 20 May 2013), George Ernest Duke in entry for Edwin Ernest Duke, 25 Sep 1881.^↩

David and Cornelia Crammond, Frontenac County, Ontario, Bef. 1865

The reverse of this carte de visite photograph has two inscriptions on the back.  The first, in fountain ink, "Mr & Mrs. David Crammond" and, the second, more recently, in ballpoint pen, "Grandmother Dunham's Mother & Father."

The photographer's imprint simply reads, "Sheldon Photographer, Kingston, O.W [Ottawa West?]."  We can narrow the time frame down to 1857-1865 because in 1866, Henry K. Sheldon, the only photographer in Kingston at the time with that surname, teamed up with Richard F. Davis, in the photographic partnership "Sheldon & Davis" which lasted until 1900¹.  In the "General Directory for the City of Kingston and Gazetter of the Counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington for 1865", H.K. Sheldon works out of his home on King Street, near Brock.

I located a David Crammond family living in Wolf Island, Frontenac County in the 1861 Canada Census².  The family was comprised of:

David Crammond, b. 1825, Scotland, a farmer
Cornelia Crammond, b. 1833, Upper Canada
Barbary Crammond, b. 1828, Scotland
Adaline Crammond, b. 1849, Upper Canada
Hannah Crammond, b. 1850, Upper Canada
Ester A. Crammond, b. 1852, Upper Canada
Samantha M. Crammond, b. 1853, Upper Canada
Mallissa Crammond, b. 1855, Upper Canada
Anson Mitchell, b. 1855, Upper Canada
Alice E. Crammond, b. 1857, Upper Canada
James Mitchell., b. 1857, Upper Canada

The David and Cornelia Crammond family can also be found in the 1871 Canada Census still living in Wolf Island.  But how can we know we have the correct Crammond family?  Well, the second inscription does give us a valuable bit of information to research further.  We know that one of David Crammond's daughters married a man with the surname "Dunham."

A search of Ontario Marriages lands a good result.  On the 24th of January 1871, the couple's eldest daughter, Adaline Oliva [Olivia?  Oliver?] Crammond, 22 years of age, married William Dunham, an engineer from Cape Vincent.  They married in Wolfe Island³.  Her mother is listed as "Melissa Bush" and not Cornelia. There are several possibilities for the different name, including the possibility of name variations.  In my own family tree I have one distant aunt who went by no less than four forenames during her lifetime. I think the most likely reason in this case, is that Melissa is Adaline's mother, and she may have passed away prior to 1861.  If so, then the woman in the photograph would be Cornelia, Adaline's step-mother.

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1 Phillips, Glen C., "The Ontario Photographer's List Volume I (1851-1900)," Global Heritage Press, Milton, Ontario, Canada, 2002, p.41^↩
2 "Ontario Census, 1861," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MQ7Z-MW2 : accessed 15 May 2013), David Crammond, 1861.^↩
3 "Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FMF5-D4Z : accessed 15 May 2013), William Dunham and Adaline Oliva Crammand, 1871.^↩

Girl or Boy? The Child of Nelson and Margarett Ebert, 1892, Cleveland OH

After a bit of a hiatus from the blog, I'm back with another far-from-clear-cut photograph for readers to ponder.  This image features a fairly well-wrapped toddler as its subject.  The photographer was A.D. (Alcynius Donnelly) Burk, who operated a studio at 981 Woodland Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio from approximately 1890 to 1920.  The cabinet card is inscribed on the reverse, in pencil, "daughter of Nelson and Margarett Ebert."

I located a marriage record from 17 September 1888 for a Nelson Ebert and a Margaret Craine who were wed in Cuyahoga County, Ohio¹.  On the 12th of April, 1890 the couple were blessed with their first and only child, who, unfortunately, is unnamed on the birth report². 



https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X6CD-653

The child is male, which would seem to indicate that this particular child is not the one featured in our photograph.  However, after looking into the Nelson and Margaret Ebert family history a little further, I had to come to the conclusion that either the inscription on the back of the photograph is incorrect as to the gender of the child, or, I have the wrong Nelson and Margaret Ebert.

Here's why:
I could not locate the entire Ebert family in the next available U.S. Federal Census (1900), but I did find the widow, Margaret Ebert, 38, born on the Isle of Man, living with her father Robert Craine and her sister, Jane N. Craine in Cleveland.  The census indicates that Margaret had only one child, and that child was no longer living³.

While I didn't find a death record for Nelson or the child, I did find their interments in Woodland Cemetery in Cleveland.

N.D. Ebert was buried March 6, 1898 in Section 76, Lot 125, Grave 1 in Woodland.  His last residence was listed as 32 Putnam and he died of consumption⁴.

Three-year-old George F. Ebert, who was buried on the 7th of June 1893, last residence 30 Putnam, was also buried in Section 76, Lot 125.  He succumbed to Scarlet Fever⁵.

I haven't been able to find any other suitable matches.  My personal hunch is that the child in the photo is George F. Ebert, and the inscription on the back was written years after the photograph was taken.  The inscriber may have thought the child's dress looked like that of a girl's. 

If you are able to provide more information, or may have an alternative line we can follow to identify the toddler in our photograph, please feel free to share your findings.

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1 "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XD29-NBV : accessed 04 Apr 2013), Nelson Ebert and Margaret Craine, 1888.^↩
2 "Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X6CD-653 : accessed 04 Apr 2013), Nelson D. Ebert in entry for Ebert, 1890.^↩
3 "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMC1-891 : accessed 04 Apr 2013), Margaret Ebert in entry for Robert Craine, 1900.^↩
4 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohcdrt/clecems/images/wo_05_145.jpg^↩
5 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohcdrt/clecems/images/wo_04_144.jpg^↩

Funeral Card Friday: Frederick Rutter, Arkona, Ontario, 1860-1904

He shall return no more to his home,

Neither shall his place know him any more.

In 1904, Frederick Rutter, a farmer from Lambton County, Ontario died of consumption¹. He and his wife Elizabeth (Fitzsimmons) had been married for only seven years².  Frederick was born in England, the son of Thomas Rutter and Sarah Waterman.  In 1891, he was employed as a domestic in Warwick, Lambton County in the household of Showler Watterman, who was probably a relative of Frederick's mother Sarah³. 

This card was purchased with a number of other funeral cards, including Showler Watterman's, which I have blogged about in a previous post.

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1 Fred Rutter, Death Registration 014286 (25 Mar 1904); “Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947,” digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Nov 2012), citing microfilm MS935, reel 115, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.^↩
2 "Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1928," online database, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca: accessed 25 Nov 2012), Frederick Rutter and Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, Lambton County, Ontario, 16 June 1897; citing original data at Archives of Ontario; citing microfilm MS932, reel 93.^↩
3 1891 Census of Canada, Warwick, Lambton East, Ontario, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 81, subdistrict 2, p.48, family 228, Showler Watterman; digital image, Ancestry. ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 30 May 2012); citing Library and Archives Canada microfilm T-6347^↩

Dinner Time in the Woods, from the Alma Studio, Tonbridge, England, Ca. 1910

This real postcard image is a little different than others I've posted here on Family Photo Reunion.  It seems to have been created for commercial sales.  It's labelled, "Dinner Time," and features a group enjoying hot drinks and sandwiches in the great outdoors. 

The image was created by "The Alma Studio" at 76 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, England.  This particular studio, owned by George Pickett, was in operation from roughly 1892 to 1915.  I noticed that the drinks are being served from what appear to be Thermos flasks.  If they are truly vacuum flasks, we can say that the image dates to after 1904, when Thermos first began producing them for commercial use.

If I had to guess, I'd place this image around 1910.  But what really makes this postcard image interesting is that we have the identification of the play actors on the back:

"Mrs Copper, seated
Mr. Russell & son, Mrs. C's brother in law.
Miss Duke, a friend who was here for 
a holiday
& myself."

Too bad there aren't any given names listed.  It makes figuring out who these individuals are much more difficult.

Monday's Mystery: The Hepworth Sisters, Isle of Man, Circa 1882-

This is one of three carte de visite images in a set connected to the Hepworth family.  It has the following information written on the back:  "The three Hepworth sisters.  The central figure is Louisa Hepworth who married Arthur Marsall and became Lady Marshall."

The other two images were taken at the William Smith Studio, Park Lane, Leeds, probably two or three years earlier than the above image.  They are both labelled, "One of the three Hepworth girls."

I had a look at some of the UK censuses, searching specifically for a Louisa Hepworth who married an Arthur Marsall or Marshall.  I found many Louisa Hepworths but none that are obvious candidates.

We know this cdv dates to after 1881 because there are a number of photographic prize medals won by Abel Lewis imprinted on the back; the most recent, a medal dated 1881 from Newcastle's Swan Plate Competition.

If anyone has access to one of the UK databases such as Find My Past, I'd appreciate a look up to see if we can find the marriage of Louisa Hepworth and Arthur Marshall/Marsall.

The Dapper Herbert H. White, Cambridge, Mass., 1891

Written on the reverse of the cabinet card: 
"Then she wanted to see my locket
then for me to sing a song
and all the time she was picking my pocket
Of my gold watch and my meerschaum.

Oct 1 --1891
Herbert H. White^"

Herbert H. White was the son of Henry and Henrietta (Hill) White, born the 29th of June 1869, Rye, New York¹.  Herbert's mother, Henrietta, appears in an earlier post where I pieced together information about the White family. 

Herbert graduated from  Harvard University in 1893.  Two years later, on October 1, 1895,  he married twenty-year-old Clarissa Watts Lewis, of Boston, daughter of Charles & Emma Lewis².  Herbert was the Treasurer of University Press in Cambridge, MA for many years. 

In the 1940 census, 70-year-old Herbert is listed as "retired" and is living in Marblehead, Essex, Massachusetts, with wife Clarissa³.

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1 Harvard Class of 1893, Fourth Report. University Press, Cambridge, Mass.,1910, page 227. Digital Image (http://www02.us.archive.org/stream/secretarysrepor41893harvuoft#page/n1/mode/2up : accessed 15 Nov 2012)^↩
2 "Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N478-TX1 : accessed 15 Nov 2012), Herbert H White and Clarissa W Lewis, 1895.^↩
3 "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K4XJ-HTG : accessed 21 Nov 2012), Herbert H White, Marblehead Town, Essex, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 5-238, sheet 61A, family 334, NARA digital publication T627, roll 1585.