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1911 Courtship: Oct 22 Dear Noah

1/18/2014

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Picture
1897 S. S. Belhaven #4, Belhaven, Ontario, Canada. Clipping from Ethel Nelson Draper's Treasure Box. Newspaper source unknown.
I'm showing the 1897 photo of the Belhaven school because the student photo that was included with it is part of this post's Genealogy Notes below. Unfortunately, I don't have a source for this newspaper clipping and accompanying text, but it seems to have been published in 1965 - probably the Newmarket Era or Sutton Review. I'd appreciate any info on this old Belhaven School.


Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 1890)
Dated:  Oct . 22nd. Oct 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N.C.Draper, My Dear Noah  
Mailed  from:  Belhaven. P.O. 
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter  
Writing  instrument: Fine point pen, black ink - Once again, the ink still smudges upon touch as if it still hasn't dried. Since writing last week's post with the Genealogy Note about ink and pens, I'm wondering if Ethel is using a low-quality ink instead of a high quality one like the Stephens brand I mentioned. 
Written on:  Off-white, textured, plain, linen-like paper, 9.5 inches x 6.5 inches, folded in half in booklet form and written as 1, 2, 3 with page 2 being turned and written across the short side and down the length.


People/places mentioned in this letter:


- *Mary Smith - friend, neighbor, relative - 1911 Courtship: Oct 8 Dear Noah
- *Sadie Nelson - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
-  *Christie Nelson - Ethel's 10 yr old sister
- Jennie Draper - Noah's sister - school photo under Genealogy Note #2

- **Walter *Yorke and Squire Yorke - Genealogy Note #1
- **Walker Morton's **Genealogy Note #2
-*Mahoney girls - friends and neighbors
- **Wm Arnold - Genealogy Note #3
- Herb *Winches - neighbor and friends
- Steve Leopard (*Lepard) - many Lepards in Draper family tree
- *Manford Terry - Noah's cousin - 1911 Courtship: Sep 10 Dear Noah

 
 Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- *Ravenshoe - 7 km/4 ml south of Belhaven
- Aurora - 35 km/22 mls SSW of Belhaven (south of Newmarket)
- *Newmarket *Fair

- **chattel mortgage
- upset - buggy or sleigh accident (now called rollover)


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



Picture
Belhaven. P. O.
Oct 22nd. 1911
Mr N. C. Draper.
         Grand Coulee.
                    Sask.

My Dear Noah, - 
                            Rec'd your letter on
Saturday morning and the same
as usual was very glad indeed
to get it.
                  Well to-day is not as
fine a day as last Sunday was
it is windy & cooler to-day. but
not raining yet. Mary Smith & Sadie
& myself are going down to Ravenshoe
Church this afternoon. Mary says she
will be our young man to-day. So
you you may depend we are 
going to have a fine driver. "ha ha"
She can't take his place. "eh".


Picture
2.
     Say, you know about what Mr Walter Yorke
is? Some man in Aurora is selling him out
to-morrow. Every thing is to be sold. even to the
place. Mr Yorke has nearly all his stock under a
chatill mortgage. Squire Yorke is hired here for a
year. he started last Monday. we like him allright
So far. but don't know how long it will last.
Mr Yorke is talking of going West in the Spring.
Do you ever see any more of Walker Morton's? We
heard that her Uncle had left. her four thousand
Dollars. if he has it certainly will help them out
Some. Christie is hear giving me a good, solid
lecture. now I think you will know how to
sympathise with me. "ha ha"
Remember the last time you were to New market
Fair. Say if we certainly was'nt a happy three.
Little I thot thought it would be one of my last
Such days with Jennie. And little I thot. "eh"
that I'd break those few words I said I'd never
do. time tells & is so un certain. This week is
the New market Fair again. I may go down
on Thrusday if nothing happens. Sadie will be
their to go with me. Mahoney girls & going also.
As to the time you had planed on staying down this
winter I guess perhaps you will know best just how
long you can. So I will try & do as you think best
for us both. You certainly ought to be the one to
know & say what you think about it. for you are
coming from your own home. and you know just how you

Picture
3.
left things. Mr Wm Arnold was buried
on Friday. Herb Winches baby was playing
out in the back yard. & went
into a bed of ashes where Herb had a
 bonfire a couple of days before. & her clothing
caught fire. & she was burned badly. but
they think she will get  better. and on
Friday also Steve Leopard was working
at some bridge with Manford Terry 
and a heavy timber fell on him. We
heard he could'nt get better. but we hav'nt
heard of his death yet. Friday seems to be
an very unlucky day. Say I heard yesterday
you had an upset one day last winter. 
Oh, I hear lots of news now a day. 
It don't bother me much though it
passes the time as you say. and
anything to do that. It must be
nearly noon now and we want to have
an early dinner for you know our young
man for to-day wont want to wait long
"ha-ha" So must say good bye for this time
write often to you old Sweetheart at Belhaven.
                                                                                     xxxxx
                                                                                  xxxxxx
                                                                                      xxxx
                                                                                              x



Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note #1 - Walter York and Squire York

Ethel writes... Some man in Aurora is selling him out tomorrow. Everything is to be sold. even to the place. Mr Yorke has nearly all his stock under a chatill mortgage.

I've checked different sites for the best definition of a chattel mortgage, and wikipedia has the easiest to understand: 
Under a typical chattel mortgage, the purchaser borrows funds for the purchase of movable personal property (the chattel) from the lender. The lender then secures the loan with a mortgage over the chattel. Legal ownership of the chattel is transferred to the purchaser at the time of purchase, and the mortgage is removed once the loan has been repaid.
PictureThe Newmarket Era. Oct 20, 1911
That meant Walter York was in debt up to his eyeballs, so to speak. 

Here's the sale listing that shows Walter York's sale on Monday, Oct 23rd. Walter lived on Conc 5, Lot 11, North Gwillimbury, just a few farms south of Ethel's family, and close to where Noah's family lived before they sold out and moved west.  

Walter York has been the topic of our Genealogy Notes before when Ethel reported the death of Mrs. Walter York back in her Dear Noah letter of June 25th.

At 14 yrs of age, Squire York, born 1897, is the new hired man of Ethel's family farm. He's also the son of Walter York and Wife #1 Minnie (Mary) Pollock. But as Ethel says, if Walter decides to move West, Squire may choose to accompany his widowed and destitute father. 


Genealogy Note #2 - Walker Morton's

Walker Morton and his wife Tillie (Matilda) Doane, are shown living in North Gwillimbury in 1901, then in Regina (close to Noah) in 1911, then in Hamiliton in 1921.

I suspect that their daughter, Emma Fern Morton, is the same Fern Morton who went to school with Ethel and Noah because of this photo and caption which I found in Ethel's Treasure Box. Although it came with Noah and Ethel marked, the accompanying newspaper article doesn't give a newspaper name or date other than that it's dated 1965.

Picture
1897 Belhaven School Students, Belhaven, Ontario, Canada. From Ethel Nelson Draper's personal collection. Source unknown.
As you can see above, Ethel is sitting next to Fern Morton. Also in the photo is Noah in the back right corner, and Noah's sister, Jennie, checkmarked in the row in front of Noah. (Several other names may ring a bell if you've been following these courtship letters.) 

Anyway, it's Fern's mother, Tillie, who was left $4000 by her uncle - a lot of money back then when prices looked like this:
- a 3 lb tin of beans = 25 cents
- 20 lbs dark brown sugar = $ 1.00
- a roll of wallpaper =8 cents
- in 1919, a Ford Runabout cost $660.00 and a Touring car cost $690.00

But who was this mysterious uncle? I couldn't find anything relevant in the Newmarket Era, and I didn't have the Walker Morton's in our family tree. Although I had found them in the 1911 census, Tillie had too many uncles in her family to figure out which one had money, and I didn't have time for the hours of research it would take to figure out. 

So I took the next step of checking out who else had the Walker Morton's in their family tree. I happened on a private Glover Family tree on the Ancestry site which was exciting because we have Glover's in our tree. I sent off a quick email to the Glover Family Tree owner explaining why I wanted to see their tree and within a day, I had received a nice email from a man named Grant who said:  Matilda "Tillie" Doane had an uncle Charles Doan, who never married, and who died on September 11,1911 in East Gwillimbury, York North, Ontario, Canada.


Grant also sent an invitation to look at his tree although he confided that his Glover branch originated from the Channel Islands and settled in Welland, Ontario. I accepted his invitation and checked it over, but nothing connected them to us except for the common name. Sending out a big thank you to Grant for the privilege of allowing me to see your tree. 


Genealogy Note #3 - Wm Arnold

Ethel wrote... Mr. Wm Arnold was buried on Friday. William Arnold had been sick for a long time. The Newmarket Era reported the following:  
  • June 30, 1911 - On account of continued ill health, Wm Arnold has deemed it advisable to sell his farm and be rid of so much care. His son-in-law, Mr. Fred Thompson, is the purchaser. It is one of the most productive and valuable agricultural properties in North Gwillimbury and is in perfect condition and modern and commodious buildings. There were many desirous of securing such a paradise.
  • Oct 13, 1911 - Sorry to report Wm Arnold is not improving very fast.
  • Oct 27, 1911 - We regret to state that Mr. Wm Arnold passed away last week. 



William's death was not unexpected then, but who was he? I was surprised to discover that he was part of our family tree. Using Noah as the home person in the tree, Ancestry has figured out this progression:

William Arnold (1860 - ) husband of wife of 2nd cousin:
Nellie Ellen Young (1853 - ) wife of William Arnold
*James Edward Wardell (1871 - 1852) husband of Nellie Ellen Young
Thomas Wardell (1829 - 1908) father of James Edward Wardell
Susan Draper (1808 - ) mother of Thomas Wardell
Joel Draper Sr Rev (1789 - 1856) father of Susan Draper
Joel Draper (1815 - 1897) son of Joel Draper Sr Rev
David Draper (1842 - 1909) son of Joel Draper
*Noah Clement Draper You are the son of David Draper

What it means is that  James Wardell and Noah are 2nd cousins as they are both great-grandsons of Joel Draper Sr...and that William is a relative by marriage because James Wardell married Nellie who was William's widow. 


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Courtship Letter Special: July 20 From Ma & Sadie

7/7/2013

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Picture
The Massey Harris binder about to start cutting the wheat. Courtesy of wikipedia.
In this week's letter, Ethel's ma tells Ethel that Pa bought a new binder and already has some wheat cut. This was necessary since their old binder burned in their barn fire.  Although the above photo shows a binder pulled by a tractor, in 1911 Ethel's pa would use horses to pull his binder which would cut the wheat, tie a string about a bunch of stalks to bind them in a sheaf, then drop the sheaves by the side where someone would come along and stand them in stooks or shooks to dry. The shape allowed the rain to slide off.

Author of Letter: Ida Amelia Glover Nelson and Sadie Nelson
Dated:  July 20th, 1911 
Addressed to: Dear Ethel (Ethel is up in Huntsville, Ontario visiting Ida Amelia's sister, Sarah Elizabeth Glover)
Mailed  from:  Belhaven, Ont. 
Relationship:  Ethel's ma,  and Ethel's 16 yr old sister
Profession:  Farm Family 
Writing  instrument: Blue Ink
Written on: Off-white, beautifully textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 7 inches, folded in half. Two notepapers, one with a pansy motif, the other with a forget-me-not motif. 

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- *Christie - Christine Maud Nelson - Ethel and Sadie's 6 yr old sister
- Crouders - *Crowders 
- *Noah Draper - Ethel's fiance out on the Canadian prairies
- *Elva Mitchell - see Special Letter of July 15 as well as Label list
- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- Grandma - *Eliza Crouch Nelson in Aikens, Benton, Iowa, USA
- Aunt Lill - Lillian Maria Blizzard married to Pa's cousin, James A. Nelson- **Sarah - *Sarah Elizabeth Glover, sister of Ethel's ma 
- Theao Ralston
- Francis Slingerland
- Edna, Wilmot, Gertie, and Lottie 
- Sweets and Thompsons
- Gertie and Walt Brooks
- Nancy 
- Perry Morton 

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
Picture
Page 1 - Written by Ethel's ma, Ida Amelia Glover
Belhaven July 20. 1911
Dear Ethel.
got your letter tuesday
I suppose you are going
to the picnic. we are
staying at home having 
a good time watching the 
people go by Crouders just
went by in a buss it is Just
1/2 past 9 oclock. I washed tuesday
Sadie and Christie went picking
berries got 2 quarts we had 7
men tuesday. yesterday Just

Picture
Page 2 - Written by Ethel's ma, Ida Amelia Glover
2
our own men and J and
your pa went to theao
Ralstons raising and I
got the sick head ache
came home and went to 
bed. there was only about
50 men and 15 women
and some kids. they had
a nice supper but I couldnt
eat any they were very
clever with me. and there 
was Noah Draper from
the west there.  when I heard
them peeking about Noah
you bet I did some squinting
untill i saw him but it
wasnt tall Noah.

Picture
Page 3 - written by Sadie
3
Ma is getting to be a 
regular gad about
since you went away
She has been away
nearly everyday. Tuesday
was the only day she
stayed home. Christie
wants us to tell you
that she can comb her
hair. I have got two
cards and you got
a letter from Elva
and pa got one from
grandma. I am having
a fine time since you 
went away. Francis
Slingerland came here

Picture
Page 4 - written by Sadie
4
Sunday after dinner
and stayed until
after nine at night
Edna, Wilmot, Gertie
and Lottie have been
here. I was down to
Sweets and Thompsons.
The rigs are just stringing
along here to the picnic.
There has been an awful
lot go. Mine hasn't come
yet but will be here soon.
Gertie was here last
night and Walt Brooks
walked home with her.
Ma is going to see how
Aunt Lill is if she can

Picture
Page 5 switches to Ethel's ma where she writes, "Well Sadie has been spinning yarns..."
5
over the 'phone
She did and she
is better. We have
got beets and
beans on for
dinner and we
are going to have
green apples for
supper. (Don't your
mouth water?) We have
got liver too for dinner.
well Sadie has been
spinning yarns I was
to Crouders 1/2 a hour was
not in house and to

Picture
Page 6 - written by Ethel's ma
6
Nancies about 3/4 hours
took her nives home
well i must quit
this and get to work
perry Morton is working 
here to day Christie
has got to go to 
belhaven for salt
for dinner.
Sadie has got the blues every rig goes
by it makes her worse
there was a big storm 
yesterday. we have got
our new Binder set
up and one piece
of wheat cut

Picture
Page 7 - written by Ethel's ma
7
well my head aches
and i dont feel
very good wish
i could scribble
some more. but i
must quit   how 
is Sarah hope she
is better  did you get
a return tickit if
you did you will have to come
in a month for it is only good
for a month unless you got
if for longer. say you 
write soon for i get
the blues once in a while.
Sadie is looking bad she is
holding her mouth on one side
she looks so cross.

Picture
Page 8 - written by Sadie
Ma wants to know
if we can set the old
hen behind the bee boxes
If so how soon? How
many eggs do you
think she can cover.
It is the grey hen that
has a red feather for
a collar. They have
got the barn boarded
in and the floor
nearly all laid. As we
can't afford to waste
any more paper over
you we will have to quit 
Write soon
                    Ma and Sadie

Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note 1: Update on Fred Coventry's Sister in Alberta

Update to Louie and Fred Coventry going to visit his sister in Alberta which Noah mentioned in his last letter in 1911 Courtship: July 19 Dear Ethel... we have a new development. While researching the Coventry family and trying to find out what happened to Louie (Noah's sister), I hit a newspaper goldmine on the usual ourontario.ca website I use for the Newmarket Era except this time, I've discovered the Halton News which encompasses the Acton Free Press and Georgetown Herald. 

The Coventry family came from the Halton area of Peel Country, Ontario and the newspapers covered many of their social events. One of the first items I discovered was a wedding announcement for Maggie Coventry aka Margaret Jane Coventry and a Mr. W. T. Campbell.
Picture
Acton Free Press (Acton, ON), 1 Aug 1901, p. 2
CAMPELL-COVENTRY - At the residence of the Bride's parents, Kenlis, Assa., on Wednesday, 10th July 1901, by Rev. A. Robson, Mr. W. T. Campell to Miss Maggie Coventry, daughter of David Coventry.

From the same newspapers I've found the obituary for Fred's father, David Coventry, as well as the brief announcement on Louie's death. They are both almost illegible due to the inking process and I need to decipher them. However, I've read enough to know that David Coventry's daughter, Mrs. W. T. Campbell (Margaret Jane) lives in Vancouver, BC and his other daughter, Mrs. C. F. Powell, lives in Alberta. So it's not Maggie in Alberta, but rather Mary Catherine whom I thought stayed in Ontario. (I've updated last week's Genealogy Note 1)


Genealogy Note 2 - The Lennox Picnic

Can't you just picture 16 yr old Sadie in this week's letter as she stands by the door watching all the rigs and outfits (autos and conveyances) filled with excited people as they make their way to the Lennox Picnic? 

I love the part where Ethel's ma writes on page 7, "Sadie is looking bad she is holding her mouth on one side she looks so cross."
For more info on the Lennox Picnic, check the Genealogy Note 3 on July 2: Dear Noah. Here is a news article about the post 1911 Lennox Picnic:

Picture
The Newmarket Era. July 28, 1911 - Page: 5, Part 1
That's 15,000 people attending the Conservative Party's annual picnic and a good portion of those people drove right past the Nelson farm where Sadie stood by the door watching them go by. No wonder she felt she was missing out. 

However, other snippets tell of pickpockets in the crowd, as well as people coming home with empty pockets due to buying the refreshments. Many people commented that their neighbors either got home late and loud, or didn't get home until the next day. By most accounts, it sounds more like a 'liberal' party than a 'conservative' one. 
Picture
The Newmarket Era. July 28, 1911 - Page: 5, Part 2
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1911 Courtship: Apr 2, Dear Ethel

11/18/2012

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You have found the real-life Courtship letters of Ethel Nelson and Noah Draper. The letters are 100 years old and my attempt to post them here is twofold:
1. To allow the Draper and Nelson descendants to see the past through Ethel and Noah's experiences; and
2. For the historical research of living in 1911  

For a  record of all the courtship letters, see the Genealogy Posts Index.
Picture
Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: Apr 2 (1911)
Addressed to: Miss E.  Nelson,  Bellhaven, Ont. (22 yrs old)
Mailed from:  Grand  Coulee (Saskatchewan)
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink, but looks blue-grey in places
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half, with a front and back page, but inside, the letter is written straight across the full 9 inch width. Although this might have looked good to Noah, it makes for hard reading in pdf form as well as here as a jpeg image.
People mentioned in this letter:
- Percy - Noah's older brother who lives nearby with his family
- Will - William Rigler, married to Noah's sister, Ethel Maud
- Mother - Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper 
- Joe Perrault - husband of Eva Amelia - another of Noah's sisters
- Veda Perrault - Joe and Eva Amelia's 16 yr old daughter 
- Sadie Nelson - Ethel's 16 yrs old sister
- my man - the hired man - Common at the time for farms to employ and lodge a hired man.
- Coulee boys - men from the area around Grand Coulee, Sask.

Look under the Categories/Labels in the right column for more on posts on the above people.
 

Cliches/Phrases, etc used in this Letter:
- "talk about time flying"
- "the house that Jack built" (see Genealogy notes below for more info)
Picture
Grand Coulee, Ap. 2.
Miss E. Nelson,
      Belhaven, Ont.
Dear Ethel.
     Received your letter Friday
night and was glad to hear
from you. Hope you are well
as this leaves me at present.
     Well Ethel I am still buisy
and guess I always will be.
but I broke away last night
and went into Regina to see
a Hypotnist in the theather
wish you had been along.
had a big time one of the
Coulee boys was in. stayed
all night and got back
in the Coulee in time for
church this morning.
   then went over to Joes for
Picture
tea. Percy drove me down last night to catch the train
so I did not have the horse down but sent up word with
Will for my man to drive down after me. He got there
about 6 P.M. So we had tea but did not wait for church
as Mother wanted to get home, as it looked like a storm.
     We still have sleighing here suppose your snow is all
gone by. now.
     Well kid I wish you were here instead of being so far
away. but I guess if nothing happens I will not have
to make such a wish next year at this time.
      It seems like a year since I left the East but it is only about
five weeks. talk about time flying. 
     Well i am sorry in a way you did not sell that place
for then your folks might have came out this way and
even if it had only been as far as Winnipeg that would have
better. Eh. You did not say why you did not sell. didn't
the man have the money. I heard your father had his price
shoved under his nose and then changed his mind.
     Suppose Sadie is still going to school. Dont suppose
there is any danger of her failing in her exams.
Picture
Veda is going to a Ladies
college in Brandon after Easter
hope she studies & gets some
benefit like I did. Ha. Ha.
     Well Ethel I will be glad
when seeding, harvest,
and threshing is past once
more & the house that Jack
built is looking (kind of uppish
& then for the East & you
know the rest so I wont put
it down.
     Well I guess I have got
enough scribling for this
time So I will write a line
of x x x -------------------
and call it off for this time
suppose you are in bed now.
so Bye Bye. Write & tell me
what I most want to hear Iremain
Your loving friend. N.C. Draper.

Genealogy Notes

Back in the 1911 Courtship: Mar  14, Dear Ethel post, I spoke of 2 things mentioned here:
- sleighing with lots of photos and info
- Veda Perrault and her hands

In upcoming letters, Noah will talk more about the Brandon ladies college Veda might attend, as well as her hand condition. I have to admit I found the information fascinating.

Noah's reference of "the house that Jack built" had me running to see what he meant. I'd heard the expression before and knew it had something to do with a childrens' book, but couldn't remember exactly what. So I went to Wikipedia and found this:
Picture
This Is the House That Jack Built illustrated by Randolph Caldecott ca 1878. Wikipedia photo.
This is the House that Jack Built is what Wikipedia says, "It is a cumulative tale that does not tell the story of Jack's house, or even of Jack who built the house, but instead shows how
the house is indirectly linked to other things and people..."

I call it one of those repetitive songs that annoy you unless you're really in the mood to sing along. It's the song that's being built and not the house, with each line adding something else. Actually, it's similar to The Twelve Days of Christmas so I guess that grand old Christmas song is a cumulative tale as well. 

Wikipedia says there are many versions of the British nursery rhyme but these lyrics are the most modern:
 
This is the house that Jack built.

This is the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cat that killed the rat
That ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built...
The lyrics go on and on... Click here if you want to see them all.


So tell me... do you like singing cumulative songs?
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1911 Courtship: Mar 20, Dear Ethel

10/15/2012

0 Comments

 
Our last 1911 Courtship letter was Mar 19 Dear Noah.  If you've missed some of the courtship letters, click here for  a list of links.

Although I have a receipt that states Noah bought five quarters of land back on Dec 29th, 1909 for $1412.75, this is Noah's first letter where he talks about the home he is building as he readies himself for married life. I notice that when he first starts talking, he's saying my barn and my house and then suddenly, he crosses out the my and adds our. I can only imagine what Ethel is thinking at that point.


Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper
Dated: Mar 20 (1911)
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, Bellhaven, Ont.
Mailed from:  Grand  Coulee, Sask.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing  instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink, but looks blue-grey in places
Writing Paper: Thick,  textured, linen-like paper,  9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half and written in booklet form although unnumbered.

People mentioned in this letter:

Louie - Sarah Louisa Draper, Noah's older sister
The Mahoneys and Della* - First mentioned in the Mar 12th letter when Ethel writes, "Mr Mahoney's had buggy to S. School."
 

Picture
Grand Coulee. Mar 20.
Dear Ethel,
        Received your letter last
Thursday & was glad to hear
you were still in the land
of the living.
         Well Ethel I some times
miss writing on Sunday as
you will see but I was down
to Louies for tea & didnt get
home untill the wee small
hours.
         Am busy building my
barn. & it will take about
2 days yet. I can tell you it
is a change from watching
other people work but it does
a person good.
        I dont know wheather I told
you in my last letter or
 
Picture
not but I have sent for a tent
& am going to live in it untill
fall & then build my house
(the nest for my bird). eh
        Say kid I am going to send
you my plans for our house
& if you see any alterations
you would like to make.
why you can just say so
& it will be as you want
it. is'nt that fair. you will
be the one that has to run
it. so i think you should have
it preety nearly as you want
it.
         Am going to dig the cellar
& cement it this summer so
as to have it ready for fall
for when I start it I want it
done quick. (in the sweet bye & bye.

Picture
am going to the Coulee in
the morning after lumber so
will have a chance to post
this.
        The roads are preety near
impassable so expect to
have a big time but cant
stop for that as spring work
will soon start. & I have
got to clean over 800 bushel
of wheat for seed. & over a 100
of oats. & I have no strawing
done yet. Oh. say you might
come out & help.
         Well Dearest I guess you
will think I am trying to
stuff you but it is all to
true. Ha. Ha.
        How is Mahoneys getting
along. Isent Della a card.
but have not got any answer
Picture
another case like 2 years ago (eh)
        Well I guess you will be
in bed while I am writing
this. it would be half past
ten by your time now.
        & we have just come in
from the barn.
       Well Ethel I have not much
to tell you in aletter but
if I were there I guess I
could find lots to say.
but just now I am going
to say. Bye Bye &
write soon to your
Prairie Boy.
N.C. Draper,
Although Noah isn't the greatest writer, I believe this is his worst letter yet for grammar and spelling errors. But when you consider how tired he must be after working all day doing the physical work out in the cold, the mistakes in his writing doesn't matter. It's the fact that as tired as he is, he's taken the time to write to Ethel and let her know his plans.

Genealogy Notes

To find out who Della Mahoney was, I went to the ancestry.com website and searched for Della Mahoney who once lived at Belhaven, North Gwillimbury Township, York County, Ontario, Canada which is the address for Ethel.

The results brought up an 1891 and a 1901 Canada census as possibilities. I clicked on each in turn which showed that the Thomas Mahoney family lived down the road from the James Nelson (Ethel's) family and the David Draper (Noah's) family.  But 10 yrs between census records is a long time in a family's life, and I wanted to see where the Mahoney family was at the time Noah wrote this letter. The 1911 Canada census is dated on June 1st of that year and shows the Mahoney's living on the same farm down the road from Ethel.

As to why Noah asked about Della and no one else in the Mahoney family... the census records show that Della was born in 1887, while Noah was born in 1888. To confirm that they knew each back as children, I pulled up the 1897 school photo of SS #4 Belhaven school as seen below.
Picture
SS #4 Belhaven 1897 School Photo. Mom is Ethel Nelson, Dad is Noah Draper. Noah's sister, Jennie, is check-marked in 2nd row from the top.
Picture
According to the above info, Della Mahoney is 2nd from the right in the 2nd row from the top. That puts her right in from of Noah. Not only that, but the Newmarket Era regularly printed exam results for each grade from Primary up and prove that Della and Noah competed against each other in the one-room Belhaven school.

The 1911 census records Della as being 24 yrs old and still living at home. Her occupation is listed as Farmer's Daughter with 5 younger siblings, all in their teens. Most farmers' daughters were married at that age - partly because they'd found a love, but many because they tried to escape the drudgery of home life and have freedom from siblings. Her older sister, Stella, is already married with a small family. What was Della's case?

And then I noticed that the 1911 census didn't show the mother, Ellin Mahoney and that Della's father is listed as a Widower. If Ellin died recently, and the family was in turmoil, that could explain Noah's worry.

So I went back to the 1901 census and realized that it also listed Thomas Mahoney as a widower with 7 children and in the column for relationship to the head of the family, Ellin is listed his Housekeeper and single. Since they share a name, and she's listed above the children's names, (and not below where their 17 yr old domestic servant is listed), I can only conclude that Ellin is Thomas's sister. 

Yet there must've been a Mrs. Mahoney at one time to produce 7 kids. So, I went farther back to the 1891 census, and there she was - Lucy Mahoney. Since with the youngest Mahoney child is listed on the 1901 census as 5 yrs old, Lucy Mahoney died in the 5 yrs before the 1901 census was taken. Between the years Dellas was 9 and 14. That's a rough age to lose a mother in any period of time.

But, did I really need to do all this research to discover a mention in Noah's letter?

Nope. However, I wanted to show you how easy it sometimes is to find your ancestors. All you need is a name and a location. They don't even have to be exact since the internet and computer systems offer suggestions of similarly spelled names and a range of close dates. Give it a try and then let me know how you made out. And let me know if you need help and I'll try my best to help you on your journey.
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Noah & Ethel 1887-1911

6/2/2012

7 Comments

 

PictureNoah Clement Draper c1917
This week on Author Memories I'd like to introduce you to Noah Clement Draper, the man who owned the Kodak 3A Pocket Camera which I featured on the post, Early 1900 Camera Talk  just 2 weeks ago.

I'd also like to introduce Ethel Isabell Nelson who took Noah as her husband, but that story is for another post.

Ethel was a very special woman who kept every postcard and letter exchanged between herself and Noah, as well as letters from other family members and important records like mortgages, death certificates, etc. These records are a treasure for the genealogist because they not only confirm the family heirarchy and places of residence, they show the actual handwritten signatures which can be used to compare against church and public records, partial or unsigned letters, etc. 

Several years ago, my husband, Nelson, inherited Ethel's box of treasures and began the slow process of discovering his family history. However, he kept the box tucked away for safe-keeping when he didn't need it for research on www.ancestry.com.

A couple months ago while I was searching the box for info on his Uncle Nelson, I discovered Ethel's treasures. Many of the letters are 90-100 years old. An ivy leaf that Noah sent from England is still intact, but not for long if not cared for. Postcard-photos and ink are fading. One letter has mould forming. A rusty pin is staining a document. And a small leather notebook with addresses has the smell and white mould of a damp basement. We cannot leave these things as they are and yet they are not important documents a museum would want. Without temperature-control, they will continue to disintegrate.  Since our basement flooded, I've also begun to worry about disasters out of our control... fire and vandalism, etc.

So, we've come to a decision to digitize everything for preservation. And we're taking it a step farther - Ethel kept those treasures her whole life. Why? I believe she meant to share them with her progeny but couldn't with yesterday's technology. We can do it with what we have today. However, the letters are not exciting reads. They are homey missives about a guy and a gal separated by circumstance. They talk about family members and daily chores, kissing babies and lonely days. And if you ever wanted to know how Canadians really talk, these letters will show it. Just don't laugh too hard. Come on, join us on this journey...

Noah & Ethel 1887-1911

Noah Clement Draper (b1887) and Ethel Isabell Nelson (b1890) grew up in the same small community of Belhaven, north of Toronto, Ontario on the shores of Lake Simcoe. According to the 1891 census, their fathers were both farmers, their mothers worked at home, and the farms were located next door to each other. Noah and Ethel's story is your basic boy/girl next door romance.

This 1897 photo shows Noah and Ethel attending Belhaven School together. Noah is on the far right of the back row (marked Dad), while Ethel is near the centre of the front row (marked Mom).
Picture
Ethel Isabel Nelson is in the front row (marked Mom), and Noah in back right (marked Dad).
Picture
This writeup about the Belhaven School closing occured in 1965.
Picture
Belhaven School, 1889-1965
The following certificates say that the person named has passed their entrance requirements to a Collegiate Institue or High School. I could be wrong, but I think this means they've graduated today's equivalent of high school and are ready for college/university, etc.

Noah's certificate is dated 1903 which would put him at 16 yrs old when he received it.
Picture
Education Certificate for 16 yr old Noah Clement Draper, dated 1903
Ethel was 15 years old when she received her certificate a couple years later.
Picture
Education Certificate for Ethel Isabell Nelson, 15 yrs old, dated 1905
At this point, I can't find any written records to cover the years from 1905 to 1910 except for one letter from a sibling which mentions Ethel working in Toronto for part of that time. However, the letters start in earnest in February 1911 when Noah heads west to build a house for his sweetheart, Ethel.

Hopefully, by the time I post the next installment of Noah and Ethel's journey I will have had a chance sort through Ethel's letters more thoroughly. One thing that is sorely lacking in Ethel's box of memories is a photo of herself -- a photo of anyone, really. I've posted the one above of Noah when he joins the British Navy in 1916, but that's about it. So, if any readers are from the Draper or Nelson clans and you have a photo or two, can you please email it to me using the contact form on this site? Thank you.
Your turn:
What would you do if you were given a box filled with 100 yr old letters?

Posts relating to this one:
Noah Clement Draper (1887-1953)  - Early 1900 Camera Talk
Nelson Clement Draper (1916-1986) aka Big Nelson - Uncle Nelson's WW2 Kit Memorabilia 
Nelson Clement Draper (1916-1986) aka Big Nelson - WW2 Ammo-Making Equipment

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And a note on my giveaways - I've discontinued the weekly draw when it pertains to my own posts since it wasn't serving it's intended purpose of bringing in more readers - at least none that left comments.

Authors who stop by with a post and and want to feature their books will still hold giveaways, which will be announced on Facebook, loops and bookclub groups, etc.  So if you're mainly interested in the giveaways, your best chance is to sign up for my email notifications of new posts.

Thank you.
Anita Mae.

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