Category:

1911 Courtship: May 14 Dear Noah

2/17/2013

May 14th, 1911 was Canada's 2nd ever Mother's Day, and it's how Ethel starts this week's Courtship letter.

Clipping from the Newmarket Era
5 May 1911, p. 1.

Northern Pacific Railway postcard for Mother's Day, ca 1916

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21
Dated:  May 14, 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N. C. Draper... Dear Noah
Mailed from:  Belhaven, Ontario
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Light bluey/gray, slightly thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6 inches, folded in half. The paper is folded in half with the first page on the front and last on the back, but inside, she's turned it clockwise and written straight across the whole width so technically, there are only 3 pages.

People/places mentioned in this letter:
- Ma - *Ida Amelia Glover
- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- Maud *Bruels
- Grover Morrison - a young man from the nearby village of Baldwin
- **Mrs. Deverell mother of *Herbert Deverell - **updated info below!
- *Uncle Emanuel Nelson - brother of James Henry Nelson
- *Manuel - Emanuel Nelson - Ethel's little brother

More info on the *Fire(s) and current *market prices were posted under 1911 Courtship: May 14? Dear Ethel.

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Bellhaven. May 14.1911.

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

Dear Noah, --
Well here I am again
with some more of my scribbling
I have just come home from
Church. Mr. Fletcher of Keswick
Christian Church preached.
To-day was Mothers day
Everybody was supposed to
wear a white flower.
I was home with
Maud Bruels to-night for tea
Grover Morrison took her home
from Church. He was driving a
colt and say I just had to
jump for my life to get out of the rig.

Oh Noah I got your letter last night
asking me to try and think that I would
be able to go home with you the first of
August if you came down. Oh Noah I do so
wish you could come, but just think, of my leaving
Ma with so much extra work that she will
have this summer building the barn.
I believe if our barn had not of burned I
would have said yes, without any hesitation.
It is'nt the lack of love for you (on my part)
that keeps me here. Now Noah what do you
say? Considering all. Oh if you were only here
so that I could talk and tell you everything and
just how I feel about it.
Stanley Mahoney and his May were up to
Church to-night. I heard to day Morn Yorke
was to married in June.
Mrs. Deverell has been visiting at Mrs. Bruels
a couple of days. I guess she feels awfully
bad about Herb's death.
We heard yesterday that there had
averaged a barn burning each day this
week except Saturday. Ours Monday, Rialton's
on Tuesday. they caught fire in just the
same place. Riddels on Wed, one near
Newmarket on Thursday, and a fire on
Friday we heard was Moleses barn.

We got Eleven Hundred
insurance. Everyone has been so
good. It shows you who your
true friend's are. No we have not
killed that dog yet. It was'nt
the dog's fault. Manuel was teasing
him. Uncle Emanuel is very sick
we are afraid he'll not recover.
Miss Hunt speaks of you each time
I see her.
Well how do you like batching it
alone. I often think of you, and
wonder what you are doing. haha
wether you are mixing bread or not.
Ethel would do your baking for
you would'nt she? I guess you can
tell by my writing about what my
pen is like, it scratches. Everyone
is well here in body. but rather
down hearted since the fire. I think
I must close for this time. with all
love I say good-Bye from your
Sweetheart,
x x x x x x x x (Ethel Nelson)

Genealogy Notes

This week's genealogy notes are in 2 parts:
1. The Deverell's
2. Uncle Emanuel

The Deverell's

A few weeks ago, I talked about the death of Herbert Deverell under Genealogy Notes in the post, 1911 Courtship: May 1 Dear Noah, and how many circumstances matched - and didn't match - Noah's mother, Sarah Sophia Deverell.

In that post, I stated the facts as I know them and then said,

but they can't be siblings for the following reasons:

1. they share the same birth year but were born a couple months apart
2. their parents have the same names & jobs, but not the same birth years
3. if they were siblings, William would show up on Sarah's 1861 census.

So what relation are Charles and Herbert to Sarah Sophia?

On the right is the obituary of Elder W. Deverell taken from The Newmarket Era May 11, 1888, Page 2.

The copy reads:
Another aged pilgrim has fallen in the
person of Eld. W. Deverell who departed
this life April 22, 1888, at the advanced
age of 81 years. Deceased was taken ill
while on a visit at the home of his son-in-law Mrs. D. Draper, but his illness was of short duration...

According to that, Sophia's father, a minister, died at her own home since she was married to David Draper.

However, if you read the final line of this obituary, it says he left a wife and six children to mourn his loss.

The crux of the above summation is that last line because according to the family tree, Sophia had 5 siblings. So taking that, the above questions, and the fact that William Deverell is a very common name into consideration, the other William Henry Deverell family didn't fit with ours.

Update: Well, guess what? I was searching for family names in The Newmarket Era this week, and found this little, notation in a 1900 edition...

BOOM! And there it is - the missing piece. Louie is Noah's sister. Their mother is Sarah Sophia Deverell. But how does William Deverell of Toronto fit in the picture if Sarah already has 5 siblings already? I went back to Elder W. Deverall's obit and read that last line again. This time I realized that it doesn't say he has 6 children... it says he's leaving 5 of them behind. What if one had already died? I checked the family tree again and wouldn't you know it... Frances Jane Deverell died in 1876, 12 yrs before. With her passing, that left a widow and 6 children to mourn his loss, including both Sophia and William, so yes, he is her brother.

As for the dates, I've discovered that Wm Deverell of Toronto was born one year before Sophia, so he is, in fact, one year older than her. As for the parents' dates, I have to assume mine are right - at least for Elder William Deverell based on his obituary.

And that explains why Ethel felt it necessary to send Herbert's obituary with her letter.

Uncle Emanuel

In this week's letter, Ethel mentions that her Uncle Emanuel is very sick. When she first mentions him back in Courtship Letter Apr 9 Dear Noah, I thought her Uncle Emanuel lived close to them in Belhaven because he was the one who told her father not to sell the farm.

***Update... Uncle Emanuel is the one who lives close to Belhaven! Uncle Emanuel Nelson (of Ontario) is the brother of Henry Nelson (of Iowa) which makes him the uncle of Ethel's dad, James Nelson. I was confusing Uncle Emanuel Nelson with Emanuel Francis Nelson (son of Henry Nelson and Eliza Crouch) who is down in Iowa. Clear as mud?

0 Comments

1911 Courtship: May 1 Dear Noah

1/22/2013

0 Comments

Sorry for getting this out late, but I don't want to print erroneous information and I'm in a quandry about the Deverell Family. More on that under Genealogy Notes.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21
Dated:  Apr 23, 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N. C. Draper... Dear Noah
Mailed from:  Belhaven, Ontario
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Light bluey/gray, slightly thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6 inches, folded in half. Ethel has written straight front to back like a booklet, with a PS page tucked inside.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- Our English man - *hired man
- Robert Davidson - a Belhaven neighbour
- Manuel - *Emanuel Nelson - Ethel's 5 year old brother
- *Sedores - Hugh Sedore and his family had diphtheria
- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- Rob't - the Nelson's hired man, Robert, who plays the violin
- Herb Deverell **

*Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven. May 1st 1911.

Mr N. C. Draper
Grand Coulee.
Sask.

Dear Noah,-
I missed your letter last
night, but I will be looking for one
to-morrow night. I sometimes
get them on Monday.
Say I just wish you
were here to hear our English
man talk, He gave us girls a
great old lecture last night
(Perhaps we need it eh) Well I
would rather have you lecture
us anyway.

I was down to Mr Robt
Davidson's yesterday. They
had a barn raising. There
were about 125 men there
There little boy has pneumonia
Glen)
Manuel got bit on Friday
night by our dog. It is torn
to the bone on the one side
of his leg.
Say: did you get that
letter, if you did not I think
it must have gone astray
for I posted one to you that
week. You may depend I
will write if I possibly can.

For I know just how I look for
your letters. I don't know but
I don't believe you are quite
as foolish as I be.
You say absence make the
heart grow fonder. I think by
the time I see you again that
love surely will reign, for I thot it
did before. I have no objections
to how strong my love grows
to thee in your absence.
But oh! I wish it was just
so you could run in once in
a while. Is your mother
still thinking of coming down?
Wish you were coming to.
But never mind it wont be
long after I hope until I see you.
I am awfully glad you sent your

photo. It don't let me for get you.
I tell you there was no danger of me
forgetting you. The card is handled
quite a bit.
How are all the folks up there.
There is quite a bit of sickness
around here just at present. 4 cases
of pneumonia. It was Mrs Sedore
that was sick at Sedore's they are
out now & Hugh is working here.
I think Pa has about ten acres
to sow yet.
I don't know wether Robt can play
"I don't know why I love you but I do" true
I think I will wait and ask you.
instead of asking Robt. Pa has told Robt
twice for to leave, if he don't soon
pay attention I think Pa will be
tempted to walk with him to the road
unless he soon does better. hope your
man is better than ours. Well I think
I am nearly to the closing point for this
time. I am the same as B 4. with all love
x lots x this x time x eh x from Ethel Nelson
x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x

P.S.
I am going to send you
the piece that was in the
paper about Herb Deverell's
death. Suppose you have heard
of it before this reaches you
but perhaps not got the little
piece of the paper. It was in the
News. I wrote my letter Sunday.
So to-day when I had it ready
to post I just happen to think
that I intended to send it to you.
So here I am, finishing
up on Monday. It has been
raining nearly all day.
I guess I am making my P.S.
rather long. so Good-Bye
Ethel

THE TOMB

DEVERELL - At 107 Chester Aven-
ue, Toronto, on Thursday, the
20th April, 1911, Herbert Wil-
liam Deverell, aged 36 years.
Funeral last Monday. Internment
at Queensville.

* * *

Herbert Deverill Fasted
and Died from Weakness
We clip the following from the To-
ronto Star. Mr. Deverill was a native
of Ravenshoe.
      Herbert Deverill took sick with the
grip this winter and refusing to give
up and go to bed continued work ev-
ery day in Medd's grocery store in
Gerrard street east. On an occa-
sion of a former illness, due to dia-
betes, he had obtained good results
from a prolonged fast of 21 days,
and he became firmly convinced
of the efficacy of that treatment. He
tried it again for this grip and after
fifteen days, during which he grew
steadily weaker, he died at his home
at 107 Chester avenue. The funeral
will be from his widowed mother's
house at 291 Palmerston avenue on
Monday.
      Herbert Deverill was well known in
New Ontario. He was the manager
Revillon Brothers' store at McDou-
gall Chutes for some time, and con-
ducted stores of his own at Abilibi
Crossing and at Corcoran.   It is
said that he strained his vitality by
too heavy and too prolonged work.
When the prospectors came in for
outfits, they were always in a hurry
and Deverill would frequently work
all night. He worked all day carry-
ing 100 pound bags of flour and sugar
half a mile to the boat from his store,
or from the railway station.
He was never a heavy or robust
man, but on the termination of his
former long fast, he became very
fleshy and continued so for a consid-
erable period.
He came to Toronto on the death
of his father about a year ago to
settle the estate, and he still owned
a general stock of goods in the north
country. He is survived by a wife
and three children.

* * *

Genealogy Notes

I found the newspaper clipping about Herb Deverell that Ethel mentions in her letter and have posted it above. But as it happens with many things in genealogy, there's a mystery here as well...

Noah's mother is *Sarah Sophia Deverell and Noah's father is David Draper. Both Sarah and David were born and raised in Belhaven in North Gwillimbury Township. But in 1867 when David was 25 and Sarah was 21, they went all the way to Haldimand Township which is around the western tip of Lake Ontario and almost directly across from Erie, Pennsylvania, to get married. Why so far away? I can't find any record of family living there. Or did they elope?

The following info on Sarah Sophia's family is taken from the 1861 Canada census for North Gwillimbury:
Father - William H Deverell b1808 in England, Occupation: Minister
Mother - Fanny b1815 in Ireland

Residence: Conc 3 Lot 26 Ravenshoe, North Gwillimbury

Note: the following children were all born in the above house.

Mary b1840
Robert b1855

Sarah b1846
Letitia b1857

Frances b1848
Thomas b1860

However, there was another Deverell family living in the same township and here is their information according to the 1881 Canada census for North Gwillimbury:
Father - William H Deverell b1814 in Ontario (English heritage), Minister
Mother - Fanny b1818 in Ontario (English heritage)

Residence: Conc 4 lot 1 Queensville, North Gwillimbury

This William H and Fanny live with their son's family:
William Deverell b1846 and his wife Euphemia b1848
And among their many children born in Queensville are:
- Charles b1869
- Herbert b1876

A note here... C Deverell is mentioned in the letter of Feb 4 Dear Ethel when Noah talks of going up to Burke's Falls and seeing him having a rest. But according to the obit, he came down from the 'north country' soon after that.

So, we finally found Charles Deverell and Herbert Deverell and from the above information, it looks like they could be Sarah Sophia's nephews thereby making them Noah's cousins. And that would explain why Ethel is sending Herbert's obituary.

Except for a few things... it would also mean their father - William Deverell b1846 - would be Sarah Sophia's brother, right? But they can't be siblings for the following reasons:
1. they share the same birth year but were born a couple months apart
2. their parents have the same names & jobs, but not the same birth years
3. if they were siblings, William would show up on Sarah's 1861 census.

So what relation are Charles and Herbert to Sarah Sophia?

(If you know, please tell me as I've exhausted all my leads.)

0 Comments

1911 Courtship: Feb 4, Dear Ethel

7/16/2012

0 Comments

So far on this journey of looking through Ethel's Historical Treasure Box, I've posted letters, post cards and other papers pertaining to Noah Clement Draper and Ethel Isabell Draper from their childhood to Feb 1911. However, none of the correspondence has been between Noah and Ethel themselves.

From what we've read, no one has mentioned anything romantic happening between Noah and Isabell, yet in the letter I'm presenting today - the first in this series - you can clearly see that Noah considers Ethel 'his girl'.

And so the courtship year of Noah Clement Draper and Ethel Isabell Nelson begins...

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper b1887
Dated: February 4, 1911
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, Bellhaven, Ontario
Mailed from: Orillia, Ontario
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink,
Written on: 5 1/2" x 9 1/2" thin note paper bearing the leaderhead New Daly House

Mentioned in the letter:
- the Ontario towns of Belhaven, Orillia and Burk's Falls (see map)
- C. Deverell (unsure who he is, but Noah's mother is Sarah Sophia Deverell)

Miss E. Nelson,

Orillia, Ont.
Feb 4 1911

      Belhaven Ont.
Dear Ethel,
    Well, I have got this far on my
road to Burks Falls and expect
to go on at 4.30. Am having a big
time in this local option town
and will be glad to get out of it.
Well, this is the first deacent day
we have had this week how is it
down there.
     Dont expect I will stay long up
here & will be back at the old stand
Friday night for better or for worse. Ha ha.
    Was at two shoes in Toronto. say they
were fine. Met C. Deverell up here. he
is having a rest. Well Ethel I dont
know anything to write that I
cant say better, so I will ring off.
    So be a good little girl untill
I get back. After that I'll make you
    Good Bye xxx N.C. Draper.

Red dots signify Belhaven, Orillia, and Burk's Falls, all in the Province of Ontario, Canada.

The town of Burk's Falls has been mentioned once already in Ethel's Treasure Box and that was with Percy's postcard to Noah on Dec 25th, 1908. As a farmer, Noah would've been needed on the farm. Perhaps he spent the off-season logging? That's a long way from Saskatchewan (map on postcard page) to Belhaven, however... unless you had a special girl you could see on weekends.

As for the C. Deverell mentioned in the letter, I've spent too much time searching for him and the closest I've gotten is with a C. as the middle initial. So for now, he will be a piece of the puzle.

Next week, we'll see Ethel's first response to Noah in this courtship year.

0 Comments

1911 Courtship: May 14 Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship: May 1 Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship: Feb 4, Dear Ethel

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories