Monday, June 23, 2014

52 Ancestors - Donald Francis Belknap

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  Each week focus on one ancestor and post something about him or her.

Me -My Mom - Ruby Alberta Belknap - Donald Francis Belknap

Donald Francis Belknap was the first of my great grandparents to  come to Canada. He arrived in 1899 with his father Thomas Jefferson Belknap when he was 17 years old. 

Donald was born May 14, 1882 in Marshalltown, Marshall, Iowa, USA. He was the youngest of the three children of Thomas Jefferson Belknap and Mary Elizabeth Fiddler. His older siblings were Martin Henry Belknap and Birdie Eldora Leona Belknap

Donald was 16 when his mother Mary died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. After her death, Donald and his father Thomas went to Alberta, Canada. In 1905 Donald purchased NE 4-40-24-4 by Lacombe, Alberta. His father Thomas purchased the quarter to the west. 
The purchases can be viewed at the Library and Archives Canada website under Land Grants of Western Canada, 1870-1930 for Donald Francis Belknap and Thomas Belknap.

In March of 1906 Donald married Bertha Todd. Donald and Bertha can be found on the 1906 census with the post office address of Valley City in Sub-District 28, Strathcona, Alberta.  Sadly she died on his birthday just a year later in 1907. She is buried at the Fairview Cemetery in Lacombe. 
 
In 1910 Donald is back in the USA in Geddes, Charles Mix, South Dakota.  I wasn't sure why he would go to South Dakota. But taking a second look at his family I realized that his maternal grandmother Frances George Fiddler went to Geddes after her husband Henry Fiddler died in 1896. She probably went to live with her daughter Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler Pierce. So Donald would have had family in South Dakota.
 
It was in South Dakota that Donald married his 2nd wife Bessie Landers. After a couple of years in South Dakota and losing a newborn son Donald took his wife back to Canada by Lacombe. They cross the North Portal, Saskatchewan, Canada border on September 25, 1912.
 
Donald and Bessie had three girls, Bertha (Betty), Ruby, and Frances. They are in the Lacombe area till about 1918, as Donald is mentioned in  several publications around that area mostly for his water dowsing abilities. See my post Workday Wednesday - Water Witch. 
  
Donald is then found in Telkwa, British Columbia along with his father Thomas  and sister Birdie. He's in the Wrigley's British Columbia Directories under Telkwa for quite a few years in the 1920s either as a mixed farmer or lather. I've found the death records for two children born in Telkwa to Donald and Bessie. Uruon Azasiah Belknap was born in 1923 and Mary Elizabeth Belknap was born in 1925. They both died before the age of one. 
 
Donald is back in the Lacombe area by 1928, as he's once again appears in publications. In the Western Globe on December 8 1938:
 
TEES. - Tees news ten years
ago: After an absence of several
years, Don Belknap returned
to prove that his divining for
water wells had not been im-
paired by his sojourn in British
Columbia. Just a decade ago,
Dec. 1 1928, Don commenced a
well for B. M. Armstrong. Since
that time he has dug or located
several flowing wells, in addition
to many that didn't quite over-
flow. During this intervening
period. Donald has never hit a
dry hole, when after water.
 
Donald and Bessie end up in Edmonton, Alberta. Donald's wife Bessie died in Edmonton on January 27, 1947. Donald died 18 years later in Edmonton, on August 13 1965. He's buried at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery. I visited the cemetery a couple of years ago and was disappointed to find no grave maker at his plot. 
 
More posts on Donald's family:

Sources:
Donald Francis Belknap, birth certificate Bk 1, Pg B13 (1882), Marshalltown, Marshall, Iowa, Iowa Department of Public Health, Des Moines, Polk, Iowa.
 "British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLKK-NR3 : accessed 22 Jun 2014), Uruon Azasiah Belknap, 07 Jul 1924; citing Telkwa, British Columbia, Canada; British Columbia Archives film number B13125, Division of Vital Statistics, Victoria; FHL microfilm 1927302. 

 "British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FL2H-LVW : accessed 22 Jun 2014), Mary Elizabeth Belknap, 08 Feb 1926; citing Telkwa, British Columbia, Canada; British Columbia Archives film number B13130, Division of Vital Statistics, Victoria; FHL microfilm 1927349. 

"Western Globe," newspaper, University of Alberta, Peel's Prairie Provinces (http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/index.html : accessed 23 June 2014), December 8, 1938, Item Ar00507
 

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

52 Ancestors - William Keen Warry - Professor of Music

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  Each week focus on one ancestor and post something about him or her.

Me - My Dad - Dorothy Eleanor May Warry - Alfred William Warry - George Augustus Warry - William Keen Warry

My 3rd great grandfather William Keen Warry was born March 3, 1810 in Redcliffe, Bristol, England. By 1819 he was living in London, England as William and his father, Abraham, were baptized the same day at the Fryars Street Chapel on Friar Street, London. The Warry family lived in London during a time when pianos and organs where common place in a middle class homes, places of entertainment, and churches. Musical instruments, including the piano seemed to be big business in London during the nineteenth century. Looking at William's occupations on several records, it seems like my 3rd great grandfather may have be a part of this industry. 

The earliest record I found that lists William's occupation is the baptism of his daughter Mary Ann Eliza on January 24, 1836. His occupation is recorded as professor of music. On the England census records of 1841, 1851, 1861, and baptism record of his daughter Sarah Ann on November 27, 1837 William's occupation is stated as a musician. In the 1848 Post Office Directory, the baptism record of his daughter Emily in 1856, and in the marriage record of his son  William Albert Warry in 1864 he is listed as a musical instrument maker. On the England 1871 census and his son George Augustus Warry marriage record in 1875 his occupation is ivory maker.This occupation makes me wonder if he was involved with the keys of a piano.  The last census record in 1881 before his death on June 15, 1889 he is listed as a retired musician. It looks like William spent his life in the music business.

William's sons may have been involved in the music business as well. His son William Albert was definitely involved with the music business. He's listed as pianoforte finisher or maker in all of the records that I've found him in. Revisiting some of the records of my 2nd great grandfather George Augustus, I realize that he may have done some work on pianofortes. Being a carpenter and fancy cabinet maker George would have had the skills to work on the cases of pianofortes. 

Looking through old English newspapers I've found a couple of sales of households in 1894 and 1895 that includes pianofortes by Warry. Maybe made by my relatives?
Shields Daily Gazette September 21, 1894
Page 1 of 4
 
Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette February 28, 1895
Page 2 of 4
  
Interesting books on pianofortes:


More on William's family:
52 Ancestors - George Augustus Warry - Londoner

Sources:
"England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970," digital                                 images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 June 2014), William Keen Warry baptism; The National Archives; Kew, England; Piece 4239: Friar Street, Blackfriars (Swedenborgians), 1787-1837.

"England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2014), entry for Mary Ann Eliza Warry; London Metropolitan Archives, Clerkenwell St John, Register of Baptism, p76/jnb, Item 003, p. 9, no. 69.
 "England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2014), entry for Sarah Ann Warry; London Metropolitan Archives, St George the Martyr, Register of Baptism, p92/geo, Item 154, p. 104, no. 831.

1841 England Census, St Andrew Holborn (Above the Bars), Middlesex, ED 9, p. 2, line 19, Willis Warry; digital images, The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 June 2014); citing Class: HO107; Piece: 671; Book: 8; Folio: 5; GSU roll: 438786.

1851 England Census, St Pancras, Middlesex, p. 2, William K Warry; digital images, The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 June 2014); citing Class: HO107; Piece: 1494; Folio: 371; GSU roll: 87824-87825.

"England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2014), entry for Emily Warry; London Metropolitan Archives, Islington St Mary, Register of Baptism, p83/mry1, Item 1180. p. 215, no. 1717.

The Small Edition of the Post Office London Directory (London: W. Kelly & Co., 1848), p. 1136, Warry, Wm Keen; digital image, Ancestry.com (htttp://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 June 2014).

1861 England Census, St Pancras, Middlesex, Ed 2, p. 67, William Warry; digital images, The National Archives of the UK (TNA), Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed ); citing Class: RG 9; Piece: 104; Folio: 87; GSU roll: 542574.

"London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 June 2014), William Albert Warry and Sarah Anne Kay marriage; London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Pancras Parish Church, Register of marriages, P90/PAN1, Item 134.

1871 England Census, St. Pancras, London, ED 2, p. 48, William K Warry; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 June 2014); Class: RG10; Piece: 213; Folio: 79; Page: 48; GSU roll: 824597.

England, certified copy of an entry of marriage for George Augustus Warry and Emily Worthington, 1B/199/241, Pancras registration district, General Registry, Office, Southport.

1881 England Census, Islington, London, ED 72a, p. 27, William K Warry; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : accessed 10 June 2014); Class: RG11; Piece: 246; Folio: 81; GSU roll: 1341054.