Follow Friday ~ The Jeanie Johnston Ship ~ A tribute to the strength and courage of the Irish.

First, this is quite a coincidence for me, since my mother's surname is JOHNSON. However, it was know in her family that the proper surname for them was JOHNSTON. My research shows that her great grandfather, John JOHNSTON, came from Ireland between 1836 and 1838.

The Jeanie Johnston site is not only about the modern day replica of the Jeanie Johnston ship but it reaches back in history to 1847 and the Great Famine in Ireland.

This site includes the history of the Jeanie Johnston.

"A square-sterned, three masted barque, constructed of Quebec oak and pine, the 408 tonne ship was built in Quebec,Canada by noted Scottish-born shipbuilder, John Munn in 1847. A year later, the prominent Tralee, County Kerry hardware merchant, Nicholas Donovan, purchased the ship in Liverpool and originally intended to use it on the North Atlantic route as a cargo vessel."

In eight years, between 1848 and 1855 the Jeanie Johnston carried over 2500 Irish from County Kerry to Canada and the United States.

"The Jeanie Johnston accomplished a remarkable feat. Under the direction of its kind-hearted owner, Nicholas Donovan, its caring Captain, Captain James Attridge and highly experienced resident medical doctor, Dr. Richard Blennerhassett, no lives were lost on board."

 The building was completed in 2002 and she toured the eastern seaboard of the United Stated and Canada for eight months. Today the  Jeanie Johnston's home port is Dublin.

Treasure Chest Thursday ~ The Wedding

Sweet antique wedding photograph.

Original tintype 2 1/2" x 4" - circa 1865-1875.

In the original paper frame.

Original tintype 2" x 3 1/4" - circa 1865-1875. 

Without original paper frame.

This is the same tintype from my Grandmother's carte de visite family album.

In order to lighten and brighten it, I removed it from the paper frame that was already torn in the back. In the brighter photograph, it is easier to see the bride's lovely little dark and light pink  bouquet. She also has something that looks like pink lace at her neck. With  magnificaton, I can also see a light blush on her cheeks and ever so little on the groom's.

Of the 19 tintypes in the CDV album, this is the only one which has been highlighted with colour. Unfortunately, there were no names in this little album.

NOTE: In the bottom photo I edited it  using Picnik.com. 

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Inistioge United Church Cemetery, Inistioge, Grey County, Ontario

A few months ago while I was searching for tombstones of my ancestors, I found this excellent resource: OntarioObits.com. They have a section on the "Inistioge Cemetery ~ 1851-1971."

Inistioge United Church Cemetery ~ Proton Township

Grey County, Ontario ~ 1851-1971

From what I can determine, the population dwindled in the 1960's after the last service was held at the little United Church in 1961. It was torn down shortly after.

These grave markers were gathered together at the location of the little Church in order to preserve this cemetery site. There are 47 markers, the earliest date I see is 1856 and the latest date is 1942. However, several of the markers (8) are so worn that the dates cannot be read. It appears that the oldest stones (14) are the ones lying flat in the front row, along with the two that are for children. The gray one on the left is too worn to read, but has a little lamb on the top of it. The white one on the right is for the three ACHESON children that I have posted before.

I've already posted two of the tombstones, Sentimental Sunday, May 2nd, "The Three Little Angels" and Surname Saturday May 8th, "John Rutherford." There are at least three more that are related to my ancestors in some way.

A few of the markers show Ireland as the birthplace. Inistioge, Grey County, Ontario was named after the birthplace of one of it's first residents, Inistioge, County Kilkenny, Ireland.

UPDATE ~ See comments:
May 18, 2010
Thanks to Janet Iles for her comment providing the following information:

"In my information on the Inistioge United Church, (originally Methodist) was not torn down when the church closed in 1961. The church shed, where the horses had been tied in early days, was purchased by a farmer. Willial Crockford removed the bricks from the church building and he hauled it away to become a machine shed."

Ireland ~ Just a Glimpse ~

I just wanted to share this site with you. It's a public domain site PDPhoto.org with a very large collection of beautiful images. It's owned by Jon Sullivan who wants anyone to use his images. He is very generous with his terms.

Glencar Lough, Ireland

The Pasture near Cleggan, Ireland 

Hore Abbey near Cashel, Ireland

Cheers!! 

Irish Roots ~ Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland

We know that my maternal grandfather was Irish. Both of his parents families were from Ireland.

His Mother's ACHESON family came from Ireland by ship in 1850. This is documented in a small booklet compiled and published by his relatives and published in 1951.

The family was from Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland.

The Watergate at Enniskillen Castle

Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

Image © Copyright Raymond Millar and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

"Built in 1611 by Sir William Cole. Described at the time as a ‘fair and strong wall’ twenty-six feet high, ‘newly erected’ with flankers, parapet and wall walk. An impressive building with twin cor belled turrets projecting so as to give protection to the wall on two sides."

'Enniskillen Round, River Erne, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland"
SOURCE: Image released into the public domain by its author. June 2007. Biglobiglo





I haven't spent a lot of time on these sites, but thought they looked like they could be useful for general interest as well as genealogy research.

The Enniskillen Castle Museum has an extensive with with an Image Gallery and a Download page with several PDF downloads available.

Ireland Roots has some resources and a large Message Board.

Irish Roots Cafe has been online since 2006. Resource for "Irish Family History, Genealogy, Song and World Wide Heritage."

 "Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland, Volume 4: Parishes of County Fermanagh 1 1834-5; Enniskillen and Upper Lough Erne; (Illustrated.)



Descriptive history of northern half of  Ireland just before the Great Famine. Includes Enniskillen eight parishes of  Upper Lough Erne. Unique details of people and everyday life.




  
"The Book of Irish Families, Great and Small (Third Edition, Expanded); by Michael C. O'Laughlin. This edition has several very good reviews.

Sentimental Sunday ~ Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!
For the Mothers, Grandmothers and
Great Grandmothers in our family.

My mother - Eva - her mother - Emma and her mother Sarah.

Eva's father's mother - Mary Jane - her mother Christina.

My father - Floyd - his mother - Ada - her mother - Sarah - her mother Sarah.

My father's father's mother - Sarah. 

Others are my sisters and related daughters and daughters-in-law.  

**So many Sarahs!!

Surname Saturday ~ Rutherford ~ 1850

In January 2003, when I was searching for my Mother's parents, I found an email address for what turned out to be a cousin.

I was making a memory album for my Mom's 90th birthday in March. This cousin was kind enough to send me a package of information on the ACHESON and JOHNSON families.
Included was a 44 page booklet "The Acheson Family ~ 1850-1950. The inspiration for the booklet came in the autumn of 1939, when there was a chance meeting at the home of an elderly family member. He expressed regret that a written record of the family and their pioneer lives had not been made before the passing of the older members of the family.

As a result of that chance meeting, a family committee of ten was struck and the record began. It culminated in 1951 when the above mention booklet was self-published.

In 2009, I was searching for cemeteries and headstones, when I came across a name that I recognized from the booklet. One "John RUTHERFORD." What I knew was that John had emigrated with his brother-in-law (my ancestor).

"It was on a day in spring, April 14th 1850, that William Acheson, accompanied by his brother-in-law, John Rutherford, bid a last farewell to old Ireland, and set forth to seek his fortune in Canada, the great new land of promise. . . . "
SOURCE: The Acheson Family - 1850-1950; page 10.

What struck me was that John RUTHERFORD had died in 1856, just six years after arriving by ship from Ireland. His brother-in-law, William ACHESON, lived until 1910, aged 89 years and 11 months.

I've wondered what incident may have caused the death of John at a young age. From other information I have been able to find, I think he would have been about 35 years old. He was married and had children. Hopes and dreams brought to an early end.

JOHN RUTHERFORD

Native of Ireland

DIED MAY 10 1856

Inistioge United Church Cemetery

Proton Township,Grey County, Ontario
SOURCE: OntarioObits.com

UPDATE: I see that I missed the connection between John RUTHERFORD and my post of "Three Little Angels on "Sentimental Sunday" 2 May 2010. Ida's maiden name was RUTHERFORD and she is the granddaughter of this John RUTHERFORD.  

Treasure Chest Thursday ~ Antique Carte de Visite Album ~ 1860 - 1900

This antique carte de visite album was given to my parents by my father's family. It measures 4" wide x 5 1/2" long x 1 1/2" thick. The edges are a shiney gold and it has a metal clasp to secure it. The front of it is slightly stained along the top edge of the front cover and the embossing is slightly damaged. It looks like moisture damage. However, there is no evidence of damage to the inside. The photographs on the inside arein very good condition.

As I mentioned before, there are 19 tintype photographs and 9 carte de visite card-stock photographs. Unfortunately not a single name was included. Possible families are GATES, HULL, ROOT, MILLER OR BEEGHLY.

Yes, this is my Album.

But learn ere you look,

That all are expected

To add to my Book.

You are welcome to quiz it

The Penalty is,

That you add your own Portrait

For others to quiz.

As this poem reveals, family and friends were expected to join in and exchange their carte de visite photographs. This hobby was so popular at the time, it was know as "carte mania."

The first process for photography was invented in Germany in 1839 and is credited to Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre. The process bears his name daguerreotype. This process used glass plates.

About fifteen years later the next advancement  in the process was made in France in 1853. It was patented in the United States in 1856. First called melainotype, and then ferrotype, in the United Kingdom, and finally became commonly known as the tintype.  There were special multi-lens cameras manufactured to product the tintype. Portrait photography became very popular during the Civil War.

Later a process was invented in France for producing the photographs on cardstock. The paper/cardstock photographs evolved into the carte de visite photographs. The backside of the first photographs were blank. However, it didn't take long for the photographers to realize the backside was the perfect place for their logo. The earliest were stamped simply with the name of the portrait photographer. Then the backside became a work of art in itself, with some beautiful designs.

J. M. WINN

Photographer 

Negatives Preserved

No. 28 Union Block

Ottumwa, Iowa

A collection of antique  multi-lens cameras and tintypes can be found at Marcel Safier of Australia Use the links on his site to see all that he has available in his collection. An educational and interesting site. Worth a visit.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Million Dollar Ballrooms!

Not so wordless!!

"Japanese Gardens"

POST MARK: 

LOS ANGELES CAL

Oct 20 3PM 1930

ARCADE STA 8

To: Mr Geo Johnson

Milden, Sask, Can

Dear Dad   We arrived here Thurs nite. The mountains and ocean sure are grand. We've been out to the beach all afternoon dancing in million dollar ballrooms. Work is fairly easy to get down here. Our address is 407 46 st E. Los Angeles Calif. Will write a little later.   Bill

Dated October 20, 1930, this postcard was sent to my grandfather, George JOHNSON, from one of his sons, my Uncle Bill. 

George and his family lived in a small farming community in rural Saskatchewan. Bill would have been just 19 years old in 1930. His trip from a small village to a city the size of Los Angles must have been a thrill. Seeing mountains, oceans, beaches, and "million dollar ballrooms" would have been a great experience during the early years of the Great Depression.  

My Mother often talked about how much she and her brothers and sisters loved to dance. A popular form of entertainment, especially during the Roaring Twenties and beyond!  

One of her favourite dances was the "Quick Step." Now I get to see it on Dancing with the Stars!

Madness Monday ~ Somber faces. Who are you and what stories could you tell?!

My Mother was given a small photo album in the late 1960's by my Father's family. It's like a small bible, 4" x 5 1/2" x 1 1/2". She carefully removed each photo, only to find that none of them had names on them. How disappointing.

A few years ago I started to do some research and found that it is a "carte-de-visite" album. These were popular in the 1860's and even up to the late 1890's. They were so popular that for a period of time "carte mania" was all the rage!

Tintypes apparently were fairly easy and quick to produce. They were also affordable for most people to buy. They were usually made in sheets of 12 and then cut up with tin snips.

Because they were so durable, the soldiers during the Civil War could tuck them in a bible or carry them in a pocket without damaging them. They could also be cut quite small to be put into lockets and other jewellery.

So I have 28 antique photographs. Nineteen are tintypes (5 without paper frames and 14 with paper frames). Nine are  carte-de-visite (6 have the photographers logo stamped on the backside).

I've put these two together based on the stairway in the background. It looks like the stairway is actually a mural on the wall. Perhaps this boy and young man are brothers. They look a little alike. Don't you think?

Notice that the boy is holding a hat in his right hand. I've read that the photographer would have some clothes (hats and jackets) to lend customers for their portrait. It must have been exciting at that time to have a photo taken.

Now these antique tintypes would be about 150 years old. Amazing!

One of the sites I found a couple of years ago was Robert Vaughan's "Victorian and Edwardian Photographs"  It provides detailed  information an "how to identify" old photographs. An extensive  collection of his personal photographs and he provides excellent educational information.

It's well worth a visit.

Sentimental Sunday ~ Three Little Angels

ROSE - 1905

DOREEN 1909-1914

R. JOHN - 1913

CHILDREN OF

IDA M. & JAMES F

ACHESON

This tombstone shows that the two infants and young daughter of this couple are buried together. 

Family records show the deaths of the first three children of this couple as 1905, 1913 and 1914. Today this would be an unthinkable tragedy for any family to have to deal with.

I have found a record that showed one "living" child who was born after these three children. Probably lived to age 70 and beyond. That would be a blessing.

UPDATE: I see that I missed the connection between Ida Maude ACHESON and her grandfather, John RUTHERFORD. Ida's maiden name was RUTHERFORD.  I posted about John RUTHERFORD on "Surname Saturday," 8 May 2010. Ida's father was Edward RUTHERFORD, born 1854, Proton Station, Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario. Her mother was Elizabeth LUDLOW.

HULL ~ Resources for Family Research

I've found the following sites helpful in my search for the HULL family who are among my ancestors.

"The Hull Family Association" is a non-profit organization with memberships available.

"The Hull Family in America" by Colonel C. H. Weygant is available to purchase online.


An extensive site is The History of Redding which includes a genealogy of the HULL family It states that the site is "not a business or organization." It is the work of one dedicated individual wishing to preserve and provide education for others interested.

These sites have provided very useful information and are well worth the visit.

Good luck in your continued research.

By the way, I've been enjoying "Who Do You Think You Are?" Have you?

Surname Saturday ~ HULL Family

My Mother received a 34 page handwritten family tree from my Father's cousin in about 1989. It includes a reference to George HULL emigrating from England, arriving in America in 1630 and settling in Dorchester, Massachusetts. George was a lineal ancestor of Samuel HULL (1755-1840), who was my 5th great grandfather. His daughter, Catherine (HULL) WEBB GATES (1800-1875), who was was my 4th great grandmother.

"Catherine Hull, married Oliver Gates 1825 in New York.
Catherine Hull, dau. of Samuel Hull, was born April 9, 1800 in Conn. She died April 13, 1875 Wapello Co. Iowa. Buried in Burns Cemetery, Center Twp, 2 miles West of Ottumwa Iowa.
She was one of twelve children, Jonas, James, Samuel Lebbeus, Russell, Electa, Hubbard, Phoebe, Curtis, Catherine, Alanson, & Hannah.

Catharines father, Samuel Hull was a son of George Hull, Jr., and a lineal descendant of George Hull, who came from England in 1630 and settled in Dorchester, Mass.
Samuel Hull, father of Catharine, was born June 15, 1755, married Freelove Kelsey, June 20, 1781, and reared twelve children.
This family moved from Killingworth Conn., in the fall of 1809, to Candor, Tioga Co. New York State, and made the first settlement on a farm.

Taken from Historical Gazetteer of Tioga County, New York, 1785-1888, Compiled & Edited by W. B. Gay, (published by W. B. Gay & Co., Syracuse, N. Y.) pages 181-182.
And Our Country & its People, A Memorial History of Tioga County, N.Y., edited by LeRoy W. Kingman (published by W. A. Fergusson & Co., Elmira, N.Y. c. 1897) pages 705-706.

A search on the net resulted in finding a readable copy of the Historical Gazetteer of Tioga County, New York, 1785-1888, pages 181-182.

The page shown above is from the handwritten document dated 1984, updated 1986 and 1988. Great research without the benefit of internet access. Sources were family records, bibles and interviews. Also Census and Federal War and Pension records.

Thanks to L. B. (Gates) Greenall (1904-2002), family historian. One of my inspiring relatives.