Blog Archives

1911 Courtship: Sep 25th Dear Noah

11/25/2013

Distance from Belhaven Methodist Church to Family Farm of James H Nelson & Ida Amelia Glover

Since Ethel says she goes up to Sunday School, I thought this Google Earth photo is a good representation of the distance and elevation of the Nelson farm in relation to the village of Belhaven. In this view, we're looking south and so the Nelson farm is on the left/east side of the road, right where that first shelterbelt starts.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 1890)
Dated:  Sep 1911 (events confirm date as 25th)
Addressed to: Mr. N.C.Draper, Dearest Noah
Mailed from: Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Off-white, textured, plain, linen-like paper, 9.5 inches x 6.5 inches, folded in half with inner page written straight across short width and down length to the bottom before continuing to page 3. The letter is very hard to read - as if the ink was still wet when the letter was closed and folded.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- Ma - *Ida Amelia Glover Nelson- Pa - *James Henry Nelson

- *Sadie Nelson - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
- *Veda - 16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, *Eva Amelia and *Joe Perrault of *Grand Coulee, SK
- Percy's - *Percy Draper (Noah's brother) and wife *Parthena Fisher
- Uncle Stephen Draper - brother of Noah's deceased father, *David Draper
- *George Draper - brother of *Stewart Truman Draper in Indian Head, SK)
- *Manford Terry - Noah's 1st cousin on *David Draper side
(George Draper, Stewart T, and Manford's wife, Mary Jane, are all offspring of Uncle Stephen)

- Dester *Sheppard - 18 yr old son of the nearby Sheppard family
- Mr **Walker Prosser - see Genealogy Notes
- Harold *Winch - who went west in Aug 1911
- Adele - neighbor and unmarried sister of Harold Winch
- Annie *King - close neighbor
- Robert *Davidson's wife, Lily May *Kellington, is a distant cousin of Noah's
- Davidson's little boy - *Davidsons have 5 boys born between 1902 and 1909.
- *Maud Bruels - Ethel's good friend as well as neighbor
- Ellie *Sheppard - Ethel's friend and neighbor
- Gertie *Yorke - Ethel's friend and neighbor
- Chris *Willoughby - older widowed gentleman (mentioned in other Genealogy Notes)
- Dora *Mahoney - close neighbor
- Ivan and Geraldine *King - relatives of Ethel's King neighbors
- Uncle Harry Barkers - Harry *Barker and Margaret E. *Glover (Ma's sister)

- Old Mrs. Pine - local resident
- Belhaven Choir

- Orville *King
- Elgin Barker (unsure if relative of Harry Barker) is at Phillips - ?

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Ravenshoe - a few miles south of Belhaven
- *Huntsville
- Holt
- Chicken Pie Social
- **Box Social

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven. Ont.
Sept. 1911.

Mr N. C. Draper.
Grand Coulee.
Sask.

Dearest Noah, -
Well one more week
past and one more nearer the
time I am looking forward to.
but there are weeks yet. only wish
they were days. This is rather a
cloudy morning, so of course I am
rather a dull girl to-day and this
pen I am using is worse than an
old quill. I am sure I can't say much
for it.
I hear you have run across one of
the boys., heard Harold Winch was
staying with you a few days.

How does Harold like it up there? Adele said she
thought he would be home in about 2 weeks.
Say you ought to have been here for the box social
I had the pleasure of eating my tea with the
honorable Dester Sheppard, "ha ha" Sadie had
Mr Walker Posser. We did very well though
Made $24.00.
It has started to rain now. Say how did election
suit you? My there were some sick looking people
around here. Of course it isnt always the smartest
man that wins. The rogues are sure to. and of course
there's no rogues on the Reform side. "ha ha"
Pa tells ma to look out for hard times now. "ha"
Sadie had a letter from Veda Friday. I think
she surely will be lonesome for a while anyway
What does she intend studying? Sadie was given
a pass after all. She is now trying for her first
part of the first class certificate
Annie King and I spent most of the day
yesterday down at Mr Robt Davidsons. one of there
little boys fell off a beam in the barn and was
quite badly hurt. They think he is out of danger
now. Mr Manford Terry spent the day there last
Sunday. Mrs Davidson said she heard there was
a new house up there. and it was nearly finished
What a lively pair Mr Davidson's are.
Maud Bruels is coming up for tea next Sunday.
Remember the night you were there. Ellie Sheppard
Gertie Yorke was there too. was'nt she. Gertie was
telling me she met you. "ha ha"

Mr Chris Willoughby was here a few days
last week. You ought to hear him blow
the west up. Says he is going up next
Summer. Wanted to know if I would go
with him. I guess I will have to
soon go and get dinner. we are
going up to S. School. and church to-
night if it dont rain to much.
Dora is going to give a solo to-night
& the choir a chorus.
Well I have been up to S. School & home
again. Ivan & Geraldine King came
home with us. There appointed me for
organist. but I told them I could'nt fill
the place as well as someone else. so it
was left. I think perhaps they can get
Adele Winch. she was'nt there to-day.
I would hope not to be able to stay
more than 2 or 3 mos, I tell the time
isnt passing 1 minute to fast to suit
me. I never was more lonesome to see anyone
than you. Love from Ethel xxxxxx
(Last line written up the right side of page)

Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note 1: Mr. Walker Prosser

There were several Walker Prossers including Charlie Walker Prosser and William Walker Prosser. Usually when they said Walker Prosser, they meant William, a Belhaven area farmer.

William Walker Prosser was born in 1856 in North Gwillimbury Township, the eldest of eleven children to farmer Elijah Prosser (1830-1909) and his wife, Cinderella Morton (1834-1925).

In 1881 Walker married Margaret Hester Soules (1858-1945) whose father ran a grist mill on Concession 6, Lot 2, East Gwillimbury. Walker and Hester had 3 children:
1. Warren Soules Prosser born 1882
2. Cecil Daniel Prosser born 1891
3. Alice Alma Prosser born 1896 and died in 1901 after suffering a week of diphtheria

Ethel mentioned Cecil once when he was back in town after working in the States for a year. She also wrote, "Sadie say's she thinks he is going to Stay all summer, I guess he is
beginning to think, "There is no place like home".

Ethel also wrote, "Say that Cecil Prosser is a clip. he goes out of an evening and reaches home sometime the next day."

Although I don't like to get too far ahead of the letters so readers don't get confused, in this case I feel you ought to know that in a few years, Sadie will marry Cecil Prosser. I'm telling you now so that you may get some enjoyment out of their courtship whenever Ethel and Noah, and even Sadie, talks about Cecil.

Take this letter, for instance, when Ethel writes that Walker Prosser bought Sadie's decorated box at the Box Social. I would have loved to been privvy to that conversation, considering how forthright and spunky our Sadie has shown herself. I wonder, too, if Walker knew he was bidding on Sadie's box and wanted to get to know her - possibly curious at something Cecil allowed to slip. Or maybe - as a 20 yr old, Cecil is too busy playing the field and hasn't taken notice of 16 yr old Sadie. Whatever the case, there is more mention of Cecil in the upcoming letters.

One thing about the Box Social... I thought only single men bought the boxes, but if Walker Prosser is indeed Cecil's dad, then he was married to Hester at the time of this Box Social. If anyone knows the rules of this event, please let me know. Meanwhile, here's a snippet I found about a Box Social in the 1913 paper.

Newmarket Era (Newmarket, ON), 19 Mar 1915, p. 6

1911 Courtship: Sept 18 Dear Noah

11/17/2013

Aunt Maggie Barker (Margaret Ellen Glover) in front of her home on Concession 5, Sutton West, York North, Ontario, Canada.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 1890)
Dated: 18 Sep 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N.C.Draper, My Dear Noah
Mailed from: Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Off-white, textured, plain, linen-like paper, 9.5 inches x 6.5 inches, folded in half in booklet form as 1, 3, 2, 4 although I've showed them here in order. The letter is very hard to read - as if the ink was still wet when the letter was closed and folded.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- Uncle Harry Barkers - family of Harry *Barker and Margaret Ellen *Glover (Aunt Maggie) sister of Ethel's ma
- Ma - *Ida Amelia Glover Nelson
- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- Ellie Sweet - Elizabeth Lepard - 1st of 3 wives of Alexander Sweet (1864-1929)
- **Willie Sweet & Laura Traviss (both have Draper Tree connections)
- Uncle Stephen Draper - brother of Noah's deceased father, *David Draper (Stephen Draper is the father of *Stewart Truman Draper in Indian Head)- *George Draper -  Stewart's brother (both cousins of Noah)
- Percy's - *Percy Draper (Noah's brother) and wife *Parthena Fisher

- Old Mrs. Pine - local resident
- Belhaven Choir

**The men who headed West:
- Orville *King
- Elgin Barker (unsure if relative of Harry Barker) is at Phillips - ?

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Ravenshoe - a few miles south of Belhaven
- *Huntsville
- Holt
- Chicken Pie Social
- **Box Social

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven. Ont.
18 Sept. 1911

Mr N. C. Draper.
Grand Coulee.
Sask.

Dear Noah, -
Rec'd your letter
last week and was very glad
to hear once again. It certainly
was quite a letter I rather
enjoyed what you wrote from
your own mind. rather than
the dictators. You see I like queer
peoples letters better the ones from
the --------- Say I had my fortune
told yesterday. Even if it was

Sunday. We were down to Uncle
Harry Barkers for dinner. and
Old Mrs. Pine was there. Say you
certainly would nearly die laughing
to hear her talk & tell our fortunes.
They had Harvest Home services
at Ravenshoe yesterday & there
is a chicken Pie social there
to-night. I don't expect to go
to-night.
Our Belhaven Choir is getting
up a box social it is to be held
Friday evening in the Sunday
School Hall. You had better come
along & get a box & enjoy your
tea.
I was weighed yesterday & i have
gained nearly 10 pounds since I went

to huntsville. so I guess that is
proof enough that I am not very
bad. "eh" getting lazier every day
I guess.
I was awfully sorry to know that
your grain was all frozen. It
seems funny one goes to work and works
all that time & then lose nearly
all. The crops down here were
not up to much. Pa says the oats
are light in weight. (not color) ha ha.
The men are cutting corn to-day.
The phone is ringing in great
style to-night. Wish you were
on this line: and I wonder how
many wishes I made this last year
& they never seem to come true
The young people are going to decorate
the hall on Wednesday evening for
this great social of ours.

Say there is a big wedding to-morrow
(Wed) Willie Sweet. Ellie Sweet's son
is to be married to Laura Traviss of
Holt.
Well have you run across any of the
boys yet. Orville is with his cousin &
Elgin Barker is at Phillips so we heard.
Pa was talking with your Uncle Stephen
last night and he said George was
having very good luck hunting.
You never told me what Percy's
call their little boy.
Well I guess I must close for this
time hoping to see you some
time soon. but I hope you
dont have to walk by rail.
you might happen to play out
before you got here and that would
be worse than ever. ha ha.
Bye-Bye
from Ethel Nelson.

Genealogy Notes

There are 3 Genealogy Notes this week:
1. Pie and Box Social
2. 1911 Telephones
3. Willie Sweet and Laura Traviss

Genealogy Note 1 - Pie and Box Social

These events were used in the past and are still used today as fundraisers. For the box social, single ladies would decorate a box and fill it with a meal - a boxed lunch. At the Box Social, an auctioneer would hold up the decorated box and the single men would bid on it without knowing who had contributed it, nor what it contained. Sometimes, a lady would give her beau a hint so he'd buy the right one. Once all the boxes were auctioned, the men would claim their box and dinner partner and they'd enjoy a meal together.

Genealogy Note 2 - 1911 Telephones

In 1911, this is the type of telephone Ethel would use when she writes in this week's letter ... The phone is ringing in great style to-night. Wish you were on the line.

To phone out, the person would grasp the funnel shaped receiver in their left hand and place the wide part to their ear. They would then lean in with their mouth close to the speaker - broken on this old phone - and they would use their right hand to crank the handle on the right side which would making a ringing sound as it turned. It would also make a ringing sound in the headset of an operator at the local switchboard who would ask who you wished to speak to and then she would connect you by physically plugging in your line.

When your conversation was done, you would turn the crank and ring off which would signal the operator that you were finished so she could unplug your line. In reality, however, the operator had a grand old time listening in on everyone's phone call and rarely needed to hear the ringing to confirm the fact.

Genealogy Note 3 - Willie Sweet and Laura Traviss

In this week's letter, Ethel says, "Say there is a big wedding to-morrow (Wed) Willie Sweet. Ellie Sweet's son is to be married to Laura Traviss of Holt."

As I mentioned in the previous post, the Draper Family Tree has descendants named both Sweet and Traviss, but because they were distant cousins, I hadn't filled in all their historic details. I've taken several days to do that and finally have this Sweet - Traviss connection figured out...

William Sweet (1775-?) of Pitney, Somserset, England married Keziah Rogers (1781-1828) of England
William and Keziah had 7 children between 1796 and 1818 including a William, but it's the Andrew Sweet line we're interested in. Half of the children were born in New York State, and the rest in Upper Canada (now Ontario).

Andrew Sweet (1810-1893) b in New York, moved as a child to Ontario, married:
- 1834 - Laurilla ? (1813-1840) offspring: Eunice b1834, Orrin b1836, William b1838
- 1840 - Matilda Lydia Ryner (1820-1854) offspring: 7 children
- 1854 - Elizabeth Willoughby (1801-1881) 2 x widow, offspring: 1 daughter

In 1851, Andrew Sweet lived next door to Joel Draper Jr, grandfather of Noah Clement Draper, the groom of these Courtship letters.

1851 Canada census for North Gwillimbury Twp, York County, Ontario showing the Joel Draper Jr and the Andrew Sweet families

William Sweet (1838-1907) lived in North Gwillimbury, Ontario, married:
- 1859 - Jane Coomer (1841-1864) offspring: Andrew 1860, Hannah 1862, Alex 1864
- 1868 - Mary Matilda Sedore (1850-1915) offspring: 8 children incl'g 1 set twins

Alexander Sweet (1864-1929) lived in North Gwillimbury, Ontario, married:
- 1888 - Elizabeth Lepard (1859-1894) offspring: Ellen 1888, William 1891, John 1893
- 1895 - Edith Ellen Sedore (1870-1911) of illegitimate birth, offspring: none
- 1911 - Mary Ann Sedore (1867-1951), offspring: 6 from previous marriage only

William Sweet 1891 is the one Ethel mentions in her letter of Sep 15. While researching William's family, I found the 1911 census which had been taken June 1st - just three months earlier ...

1911 Canada census showing Robert Davidson family

In the above census, the red block is the Robert Davidson family whom Ethel and Noah have spoken of often since they were relatives as well as neighbors. But look below the blue line and you find 2 employees in the Davidson household:
- William Sweet, 20 yrs old, Laborer
- Laura Traviss, 19 yrs old, Domestic

So while William worked in the fields for Robert Davidson, Laura worked in the house as a Domestic for Lily Kellington Davidson and helped care for the children. Since both William and Laura are recorded on the census, they lived there as well. I wonder if they applied for work there because they wanted to spend time together, or if they met and fell in love while working there? In any case, William and Laura are about to be married.

Undated Courtship Letters & Huntsville Postcards

11/13/2013

1944 postcard souvenir folder of Bigwin Island, Lake of Bays, Huntsville, Muskoka District, Ontario, Canada

I have run into a problem with the 1911 Courtship letters. Last week's letter didn't have a date, but I guessed it was written on Sep 10, based on certain events. The letter which was to follow didn't have a date, either, so I was going to use Sep 15 because Ethel had a Sep 18 and it seemed to follow. Except Ethel always wrote one a week, not within a few days of each other.

But when I read the 2 letters again, I realized the 18 talked about an upcoming Box Social and the remaining undated one talked about the result of the box social. It also talks about the Federal election results which didn't happen until Sep 21st. With that in hand, I concentrated on Sep 15 - and ran into another problem - a BIG one.

This week's letter - the Sep 15 one - mentions Willie Sweet and Laura Traviss being engaged. Since both surnames are in the family tree I didn't think anything was wrong until I looked at the tree and discovered that we did indeed have several Sweets - but their branches of the tree weren't filled out and thus, I didn't have a Willie who would eventually marry a Laura Traviss. After 3 days of sorting through the records, deleting duplicate people, and searching out facts, I've realized that the Sweet men remarried often, as did the women, but not quite as much. I worked the tree back to a common ancestor and started forward again and finally found my man. But it will take another day to write the post now that I have all the facts.

However, in the same letter, Ethel mentions Huntsville and so while I'm working on the Sweet family, I thought I'd show you the souvenir postcard collection I mentioned briefly weeks ago when Ethel was in Huntsville and talking about the steamboat, the Wa Wa. This collection was sent to Ethel from her oldest child, Midge, in 1944 when she vacationed in the Huntsville area of Muskoka District, just like her mother did 33 yrs earlier.

Forgive the overlap in the photos below, but I wanted you to see how the postcards are all joined together.

And now for the flip side...

1911 Courtship: Sep 10 Dear Noah

11/4/2013

G. E. Goddard on "Reciprocity", sired by "Juryman", Bow River Horse Ranch, Cochrane area, Alberta. ca1890's. Courtesy Glenbow Museum.

When I searched my historical photo archives for something to show the 1911 political debate of Reciprosity (Genealogical Note #3), this cowboy and his horse, named "Reciprocity" came up. And honestly, I'd rather show this image than a political one any day.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 1890)
Dated: Sep- 1911 (Possibly Sep 10th due to facts in letter)
Addressed to: Mr. N.C.Draper, My Dear Noah
Mailed from: Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Off-white, textured, plain, linen-like paper, 9.5 inches x 6.5 inches, folded in half in booklet form. Ethel is very talkative this week and has written 7 pages using 2 pieces of writing paper.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- Mother - *Ida Amelia Glover Nelson
- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- *Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
- *Veda -16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, *Eva Amelia and *Joe Perrault
- Mr. Perrault's - *Joe Perrault's trip to *Banff for his arthritis
*Manuel - Ethel's 6 yr old brother, *Emanuel Nelson
- Uncle *Emanuel Nelson - Ethel's Pa's paternal uncle
- Ursula *Cole - Ethel's 16 yr old 2nd cousin on the maternal *Greenwood side
- **Mr. & Mrs. Frank Terry and daughter Edna May - Noah's cousin
- **Cousin George of Udora (Drury and Alf Westgarth) (*Ida Amelia's cousins)
- *Edith Draper - Noah's 25 yr old cousin whose finace lives in the West
- Noah's mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper
- Uncle - *Emmanuel Nelson - Uncle of Ethel's Pa - *James Henry Nelson

- Mrs Harry Glancey of Newmarket and son Roy, school teacher - local friends
- 'the boys' - the local men who went west to find work during harvest
- Orville and the rest of the boys - Neighbor Orville *King
- Mr. Merritt - Sadie's school teacher
- Ethel and Noah's friends and neighbors who went to Toronto for the Exhibition:
- Stanley and May (use search box)
- Della, Dora, and Hattie M.
- Gordon *Crowder
- Morin Yorke
- *Mary Smith of Belhaven - friend who visited Ethel in *Huntsville
- Lulu Sheppard - neighbor
- Mr. Prosser's - could be any of the *Prosser families
- Irene and Maud *Bruels - Ethel's old girlfriend
- John Morris - ? (still researching)
- Professor *Dales - frequent visiting minister

Local Polititians: Mr. Armstrong, *Lennox, and Robinette
Mr. Heise - Previous residents, Mr. Heise and family, were in the newspaper travelling through. Not sure if it's the same one Ethel's talking about.

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- *Toronto, Ontario
- Sutton, Ontario
- Udora, Ontario
- Mount Albert, Ontario
- *Newmarket, Ontario
- Brandon, Manitoba
- *Banff, Alberta

- **reciprocity - trade agreement between Canada and the U.S.

Cliches/Phrases/Word Use
- kid
- phone

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven. P.O.
Sept - 1911

Mr N. C. Draper.
Grand Coulee. Sask.

My Dear Noah,
Now for a good long letter
I guess you would miss my letter this
last week. but you will have to forgive
me of that. Im sending a good long one
this week to make up for it. Blue Sunday
"eh" I tell you I was feeling a little blue
last week. I did'nt get you letter until Wed,
I guess I do like, to get letters from a
queer person as you said in your last
letter & (to-day) I saw Mr & Mrs Frank
Terry to-day. I think their daughter is
home from the West. came rathe
unexpectedly. but I guess Welcome "eh"
Mrs Harry Glancey of Newmarket was here
this afternoon. Roy is teaching school at

Mt Albert. He intends studying for a doctor
after next summer holidays. I don't know
where the boys could of have landed that
you hav'nt saw any of them yet. I met a
girl in Newmarket & I said good-day
& her first salute was. I hear you are
going to be hooked up this winter. I says
come on with me if your coming &
on I went, I didnt wish for any particular
chat just then.
Sadie failed hr exams by 2 marks but
Mr Merritt said he thot she could go
on in the fourth form. She is starting
on Monday. Am glad to hear of Veda
going to College. is she going down to
Brandon? also how is Mr Perrault now
hope his trip to Banff was a help to him.
Quite a few from around here were
down to the Ex - Stanley & May. Della
Dora & Hattie M.) Gordon Crowder.
Morin Yorke & some others. don't include
me though. "ha ha"

Say Manuel was up to the office one
day. & he came home & said Noah was
there. & of course he knew it was you. ha
Wish it had of been. We are certainly
having a lively time over reciprocity
Suppose you are up there. I have
been to Hear Mr Armstrong & Lennox
also Robinette. Mr. Heise says "whats
the use of the women coming they
can't vote. Mother was dreaming
of you. thot she had you crying
I told her I would like to see you
cry. ha. ha.
Ursula Cole has been here for a few
days and she and Sadie certainly
made things lively.
Say George Westgarth from Udora came
in here just before tea. & to-night I
have certainly heard of nothing but the
West. I suppose all day to-morrow will

be just the same. Wish you were here
to help me out a little. Edith Draper
called me up over the phone, said she
heard I was going West. & wanted to
know if she could go to. Its just
awful. I hear of it a dozen times
a day. I guess those that don't know
it now are behind the times. eh.
Never mind I will be glad when the
time comes when I can be with
you. then I want be looking so
lonesome. I hope as they are all the
time telling me now. It doesn't
seem so long now. but long enough
"eh" I am glad your Mother is
coming down with you. It will
be her first trip down since she
went West. Wont it. My how nice
it would be if you were just on the
old farm now. A Good time 'eh' we'd have
now.

Uncle is still gaining strength, if he only
keeps on. But he is an old man &
we can't expect him to last long.
Mary Smith is down to Toronto now.
I started this letter on Saturday but
this is Sunday now. It is a very
nice day. we have had some
quite cool weather. Some one
was saying you had a frost
up there. If so did it do
much damage. I hope. not
any way. Pa was to Sutton
yesterday & he heard that
Orivelle & the rest of the boys
had'nt got any work yet
was paying for their board.
I guess they wont think much
of that. "eh"

Lulu Sheppard is going to
H. School. do you remember
the time she came up for
a electric shock. She is a
lively kid, "eh"
People are going home from church
I think I must be a bad a you
for I am not going to S. School
either. Ma & Pa are going up to
Mr Prossers this after noon.
Irene Bruels is home now.
Maud was home for over Sunday
She is working at the lake for
John Morris, Well I was up
to Church to-night. Prof Dales
preached.
George has gone home. he is

a cousin of ours, from
Udora. A scaffold he was
on broke & he fell. & broke his
nose & cut his face all up.
Also wrenched his arm badly
So he is off work. & making
short visits since he began getting
better.
Say I am making quite a lengthy
letter. "eh" There is nothing I would
like better than to see you.
I guess I must close for this
time. with love & x x x
Your Sweetheart Ethel.
I think this must be a queer
letter from queer person, too. "eh".

Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note 1: Cousin George from Udora

Ethel mentions Cousin George in 2 places in this letter and at first I wasn't sure if she was talking about the same one...
- pg 3 - George ??? from Udora came in here just before tea
- pg 6 - George has gone home. He is a cousin of ours from Udora. A scaffold he was on broke & he fell...

Since I didn't recall any of Ethel's relatives living in Udora, I tried to do an Ancestry.ca search. The problem is that it only lets me search for people, not places. Very inconvenient as I've run into this before.

However, this week's Newmarket Era mentions a scaffolding accident - one of many back then - and although the names weren't familiar, I clipped it out:

The Newmarket Era. September 1, 1911 - Page: 2 of 8

At Aurora on Monday of last week,
two Udora boys, Alf and Drury West-garthe, while putting cornice on a
house they were building, fell with
the scaffold to the ground and took
the consequences of a very quick stop.
Alf jumped up without a scratch but
Drury's face looked like the aftermath
of a scrap with Jim Jeffries, but
we are pleased to say nothing more
serious than scratches and bruises
were experienced. -- Journal.

Of course, the problem with the above snippet is that it mentions Alf and Drury Westgarthe and not cousin George ???, whose last name I couldn't make out from Ethel's writing. But with the light bulb flashing above my head, I looked at Ethel's writing again and sure enough, she had written George Westgarth from Udora, although another check on the family tree still didn't match the name.

So, I did a wide search for a George Westgarth from Udora and a George D Westgarth came up with Ellen Greenwood as his mother. Since Ethel's maternal grandmother is a Greenwood, I checked for Ellen on the family tree and there she was... sister of Sarah Elizabeth Greenwood, Ethel's grandma. Which meant Ethel's mom, Ida Amelia, and George D were cousins. Good to know, but it still didn't match Alf and Drury Westgarthe in the newspaper scaffolding accident. However, a search for George D's birth record confirmed his name was George Drury Westgarth.

Ethel doesn't mention George's brother Alf, but she does say that George's face looked like he'd had lost a round with the reigning boxing champ. It also adds more cousins to the family tree.

Genealogy Note 2: The Franklin Terry's

Ethel writes that she saw Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Terry and that she thinks, "their daughter is home from the West. came rather unexpectedly. but I guess Welcome "eh".

Obviously Ethel and Noah share something that they're not telling us, but I'll tell you all I found out... We first encountered the Franklin Terry's when Noah made a brief mention of their son, Manford Terry, who is Noah's cousin on the Draper side. Manford was married to Etta May Prosser and they lived near Belhaven, North Gwillimbury Township.

In 1911, Manford is 30 yrs old and he has 2 sisters, Edna May is 28 yrs old, and Olive Gertrude is 12 yrs old. Their sibling, William Burr, died at the age of 12 from erysipelas
which is a skin infection caused by acute streptococcus bacteria.

Edna May is the daughter mentioned in this week's letter. In January, 1908, she married George Robert Fogg, a saddle merchant from Togo, Saskatchewan, who was visiting relatives in the North Gwillimbury area. George took Edna May back West where he lived in the same community as his parents and a couple siblings. Since his father was a harness maker, and George was a saddle merchant buyer, I suspect he worked for his father although that's not written on the Census records.

I found a birth record for George and Edna's 1st child - a son born December 1908. But then I can't find anything else until the 1916 Saskatchewan census which shows them living in Saskatoon, SK, with a 2nd child, a daughter born in 1913. George is a wholesale saddle buyer and the rest of his family seem to be out in Alberta.

I have searched dozens of census records and cannot find George and Edna on the 1911 Canada census anywhere. So either they didn't register, their records are missing, or their records are so badly misspelled that the ancestry computers aren't picking them up. I even did a 30 page line-by-line search for them in the Togo, Sk area without results. So I suppose we'll have to wait and see if Noah knows where they are.

Genealogy Note 3: Reciprocity

Ethel tells Noah that "...we are having a lively time over reciprocity. Suppose you are up there."

It's federal election time and the newspapers are filled with the debate over the trade agreement called Reciprocity. Here are a couple samples...