Update To: Cleanup, HM Passport Office, and Joseph McAllister

Posted on May 19, 2019 by Don Taylor

Ancestor Sketch
Darling-McAllister
By Don Taylor

UPDATE – May 2019

I received the copy of the Death record of Joseph McAllister. Sadly, the Joseph McAllister who died in the St. Mary District, Carlisle, Cumberland County on 12 Dec 1855 is a different Joseph McAllister. That Joseph was 72 years old when he died and was an “agricultural labourer.” (Neither fact were evident in the index.) Our Joseph McAllister should have been about 37 years old and a mariner. 

Hannah still married Charles Mayholland in the fall of 1855, so her husband, Joseph McAllister, must have died before that. Searches for his death have been unsuccessful so far.  I’ve ordered a copy of the marriage record from the General Register Office.  I should receive the record vis US Post be mid-June. 

Corrections to the original are either lined out or added in green

Originally posted 11 February 2019.

Cleanup

One of my practices is to clean up a name when I start research on a person. In the case of Joseph McAllister, I wanted to be sure that I had all of my records straight and associated with the correct person. I had five different Joseph McAllister in my files. One was a duplicate which I deleted. The other four included:

  • Joseph McAllister (1818-c.1855) – 3rd great-grandfather – I’ll review his life below.
  • Joseph McAllister – (1848-____) 3rd great-uncle (Joseph Senior’s oldest son)
  • Joseph McAllister – (1889-1962) 2nd great uncle (Great-grandmother Hannah’s brother)
  • Joseph McAllister – (1917-1982) 1st cousin, 2x removed. (Joseph 1889’s son)

HM Passport Office

When doing genealogical research on English ancestors, I find that the General Register Office (GRO) is one of the best sites to use. They maintain the national archives of all births marriages, and deaths dating back to 1837.  I’ve ordered from them many times and have always been happy with what they provide.

Once you log into the GRO at HM Passport Office, (an account is free) you can do basic searches for particular records. If you know the person’s name, year of death, and place of death, you will likely find the record on the GRO website. Then you can order a copy of the record through them.  If you are like me and only need a PDF version of the file, you can order a Birth or Death record for about eight dollars at the current exchange rate.  You can’t order a PDF version of a marriage record, so you need to order a hard copy of one at about $12. I always think it is much better to have a copy of the record from the register than relying on just the index of the record. I highly recommend that you always get a copy of the record rather than relying on only the index information.

If you have an Ancestry World Explorer subscription, you can search several databases regarding England & Wales, Civil Registration [Birth/Marriage/Death] Indexes, 1837-1915. Ancestry has many different methods to search and potentially find the record you are looking for easier on Ancestry. When you see the indexed record, it will provide the book and page number for ordering at the Government Register Office. You can also order a physical copy through AncestryShop for $38.00.

Darling Research 2019 – Ancestor #52

List of Grandparents 

Joseph McAllister (1818-c. 1855)

Birth

Joseph was born about 1818 in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England.[i]  When Joseph was born, King George III was King of England. I have not determined who Joseph’s parents were.

Childhood

I know nothing of siblings of Joseph or his childhood. I do know that when Joseph was two, King George III died and was replaced by his son, King George IV who reigned until Joseph was about 12. George IV died: his brother William reigned for only six years. Then, in 1837, Victoria became Queen and reigned for 63 years.

Marriage

Joseph married Hannah Bell sometime between October and December 1845 in Cockermouth, Cumberland County, England. I have ordered a copy of their marriage registry entry through the General Register Office.

Adult

Joseph and Hannah had three children.

  •       Margaret – Born 19 October 1846 in Workington. Margaret died at the age of two, on 12 December 1848.
  •       Joseph – Born 1848 in Cockermouth.
  •       Peter – Born 12 February 1852 in Workington. He died in England in 1939.

The 1851 England Census shows the Joseph McAllister family consisting of:

  •       Joseph, Age 33, born in Cockermouth
  •       Hannah, Age 30, born Whitehaven
  •       Joseph, age 3, born Cockermouth
  •       Ann Calbeck, age 61, born Whitehaven — Ann is a “visitor” in the household. Because Ann and Hannah were both born in Whitehaven, I suspect that Ann may have been related to Hannah. Ann is 31 years older than Hannah, so possibly Ann is Hannah’s mother or an aunt. I need to do more research on Ann.

Stories

Margaret’s birth registration indicates that her father was a sailor. Likewise, Peter’s marriage record shows that his father was a sailor. Family oral history said that Peter was a sea captain. I’ve not found any evidence of that; however, I suspect that the oral history story may have been based on Peter’s father, Joseph being a sailor.

A Joseph McAllister was acquitted of stealing slabs and rails of wood from Charles Lamport of Workington. According to the newspaper article.[ii] this Joseph was 28 years-old where our Joseph would have been 33. However, this Joseph McAllister was in the same, Workington, with the same name as our Joseph McAllister.

Death & Burial

Some researchers have indicated that Joseph McAllister died between October and December 1855 in Carlisle, Cumberland, England. Carlisle is only about 35 miles from Workington and 25 miles from Cockermouth, so it certainly is possible that Joseph died there. However, all of Joseph’s other entries are in Cockermouth. I ordered a copy of Joseph McAllister’s 1855 death registration. That Joseph McAllister was 72 years old when he passed. Our Joseph McAllister would have been about 37. This Joseph McAllister who died in Carlisle in 1855 is clearly a different Joseph McAllister and from our Joseph.

Joseph McAllister is person LXWS-74R on Family Search.

Further Actions / Follow-up

  1. Search maritime records for references to Joseph McAllister sailing out of Workington. Could Joseph have been a “sea captain?”
  2. Confirm Joseph McAllister’s death information.
  3. Confirm Hannah McAllister’s remarriage event.

————–  Disclaimer  ————–

Sources

  • 1851 England Census, Ancestry, Joseph Allinson [McAllister] Cockermouth, Cumberland, England. Class: HO107; Piece: 2434; Folio: 483; Page: 15; GSU roll: 87114. https://search.ancestry.com/collections/8860/records/15194542.
  • The Newcastle Weekly Courant (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England) dated 16 January 1852, Page 2 – “Cumberland Sessions” – Joseph McAlister.
  • England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915, Ancestry, Joseph McAllister – Death – Oct-Nov-Dec 1855 – Carlisle, Cumberland, England. FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: com Operations Inc, 2006.
  • England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915, Ancestry, Marriage – Joseph McAlister [McAllister] and Hannah Bell – Oct-Nov-Dec 1845. FreeBMD. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA.
  • Entry of Marriage, General Register Office, 1878 Marriage – Peter McAllister – Margaret Lambe.
  • General Register Office, Births, Marriages, & Deaths (UK) (HM Passport Office), GRO.GOV.UK, Birth – Margaret McAllister – 1846 – Workington, Cumberland, England. Volume 25, Page 104, No 350.

Endnotes

[i] The 1851 England Census indicates that Joseph Allinson [McAllister] was 33 years old and had been born in Cockermouth, Cumberland, England.
[ii] 1852-01-16 – Page 2 – “Cumberland Sessions” – Joseph McAlister. 1852-01-16 – The Newcastle Weekly Courant (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England) · Page 2 “Cumberland Sessions” Joseph McAlister. Newcastle Weekly Courant, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England.

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Birth and Death of Peter McAllister

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Don Taylor

Darling-McAllister

It is always great when you can get a copy of an original record rather than relying upon an index.  Thanks to the General Register Office, I was able to receive PDF copies of the actual registries for the Birth and the Death of my wife’s 2nd great-grandfather, Peter McAllister.  He was a double emigrant – the only one I’ve found in any of my genealogical research. That is to say, he left his native country of England for the United States. He lived in the States for thirty-five years and became a citizen of the United States. Then he emigrated from the US to England, where he lived the last 20 years of his life.

Anyway, thanks to the General Register Office’s birth records, I learned Peter was born at home, on High Church Street in Workington. The record confirmed the names of his parents and confirmed the occupation of his father, a Mariner.

The death register entry provided an exact date for Peter’s death. I had long known he died during the 1st quarter of 1941, however, the Registry nailed the date of his death to 16 January 1941 and provided a cause of death. He died at 4 Lismore Place, Workington, which I suspect is where he lived at the time. Today that address is a small 2-story flat on a narrow street, just two doors down for what is now a Fish & Chips Take-Away.

If you have ancestors that were born, married, or died in England since 1837 you may find a record there at the General Register Office. https://www.gro.gov.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

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Donna Montran & “Chin Chin” at the Empire Theatre, Saskatoon, SK

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Don Taylor

Donna Montran & “Chin Chin” at the Empire Theatre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on January 12th thru 14th, 1920

Vaudeville – Chin Chin – Donna Montran

It was a hectic week before. The “Chin Chin” company played in Medicine Hat on the 5th and 6th, in Lethbridge on the 7th, and Calgary the 8th through the 10th.  After seven days of shows in three cities, I hope the cast received the 11th off, because the crew would do three days at the Empire Theatre in Saskatoon[i] before continuing on to another three days (the 15th thru the 17th) in Regina. Saskatoon was bitter cold that week.  When the cast arrived on the 12th the high temperature for that day was a balmy 28 degrees Fahrenheit. That night the temperature dropped to two degrees and continued to drop to five degrees below the night of the 13th. When the cast left on the morning of the 15th, the temperature was still below zero.[ii]

The first newspaper advertising I’ve found was 9 days before the show. On January 3rd, 1920, the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, on page 10, column 3, the last article reported that the “Dreams of Arabian Nights Realized in ‘Chin Chin.’”

DREAMS OF ARABIAN NIGHTS
      REALIZED IN “CHIN CHIN”

Star-Phoenix – Jan 3, 1920

Coming to the Empire theatre on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 12, 13 and 14, is Charles Dillingham’s “Chin Chin” the musical comedy which is one of those tales of love and wishing common to the Arabian Nights. All impossibilities are crowded into it, jumbled together like the figures in a dream, and in the end it resolves itself into a vehicle for the display of the clever grotesqueries of the two clever “turn” artist, Walter Wills and Roy Binder. Mr. Binder gives us a rapid succession Chin Hop Low, the widow, a Coolie, and the Ring Master, lightning changes of mood, manner and get-up that provoke the audience to mirth. No more diverting and entertaining “comics” have come this way for many seasons.

In the same paper, on page 3, was a display ad for the coming show. On the 5th was another display ad and on the 7th was another text story about “CHIN CHIN” COMING. The 10th and the 12th had similar articles and displays.

Reviews

On the 13th, the day after the show’s opening, both the Saskatoon Daily Star and the Saskatoon Star Phoenix had articles that included callouts about Donna.

The Daily Star wrote, “Outstand among the other principals were Donna Montran as the goddess of the lamp, Neva Larry….”

The Star Phoenix wrote, “Donna Montran has a nice voice and puts two very pretty songs across to advantage. Star Dunham.…”

Theater

Empire Hotel & Theatre c. 1918.

The Empire Theatre opened in 1910 as a live stage venue. It was built as an addition to the existing Empire Hotel. In 1914, the theatre was equipped with screen films, keeping it current. In 1930, the theater was sold, converted to full-time motion pictures, and renamed the Victory Theatre.[iii]

Specifications for the Empire Theatre

Seating Capacity: 1,154 Total — 442 on the floor, 276 in the balcony, 400 in the gallery, and 36 in boxes.[iv]

Proscenium opening: 27×32 ft
Front to back wall: 22 ft

Nearby info

Map of Saskatoon from “Vaudeville Trails” (c) 1919 by Herbert Lloyd

Nearby, the Elite Café (#2 on map), which was a block from the theatre, advertised that they catered to performers. About two blocks away was the Hub Café (#1 on map) which touted Yankee Coffee and that “All the Acts Ate Here Last Week.” The Canadian National Railway station was about two blocks from the venue and the Canadian Pacific Railway station was another block or so further.[v]

What happened to theater

During the 1960s the brick exterior was clad in marble. Today, the theatre building is part of “The Lighthouse,” which provides long-term housing for 68 people.[vi]

Empire Hotel & Theatre building is now the Dubé Lighthouse

Endnotes

[i] I learned that Donna played Saskatoon last January and wrote about that in a “Donna in the News” post.

[ii] Internet:  Government of Canada Environment and natural resources – Weather, Climate and Hazard – Past weather and climate – Historical Data for Saskatoon, SK in January 1920.

[iii] Internet: Cinema Treasures – Victory Theatre, 221 20th Street East, Saskatoon, SK S6V 1K7. cinematreasures.org/theaters/29392 accessed 14 May 2019.

[iv] Cahn-Leighton Official Theatrical Guide – Volume XVII – 1913-1914. (via Google Books)

[v] Vaudeville Trails – Thru the West – © 1919 by Herbert Lloyd, (AKA: Herbert Lloyd’s Vaudeville Guide) pages 179 and 180

[vi] Internet: The Lighthouse Supported Living – The History of The Lighthouse. https://www.lighthousesaskatoon.org/about/history/  – Accessed 14 May 2019.

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Ancestry’s ThruLines – Part 3 – Asa Ellis Roberts

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Don Taylor

In previous articles, I’ve considered Ancestry’s new ThruLinestm feature. In Part 1, I looked atThruLinestm in a general manner. In Part 2, I developed a process and decided on some caveats I would use with it.  Here in Part 3, I proof my process/procedure by using it and verify the process holds true in use.  Briefly, the process is:

  1. Confirm the shared DNA amount matches expectations for the relationship.
  2. Confirm the cousin’s descendants from the common ancestor and a known child of the common ancestor.
  3. Analyze the remaining path to the cousin, assuring things make sense.

I used the process focusing on my 2nd great-grandfather’s (Asa Ellis Robert) descendants.

All of the descendants of Asa are 3rd cousins. Asa was married twice, so descendants of Asa and Patience Anna Marshall should be 3rd cousins. Descendants of Asa and Cynthia Minerva Toney would be half third cousins to me. DNA Painter’s Shared cM Project 3.0 tool v4 indicates that a 3rd cousin should share between 0 and 217 cM of DNA and half 3rd cousins should share between 0 and 178 cM of DNA.

ThruLinestm indicates I have 18 Cousins that have tested with AncestryDNA.

  1. In all cases, the DNA amount matched matches expectations as suggested in DNAPainter.
  2. In all cases, the individuals are descended from individuals that I had independently identified as children of Asa.
  3. In all cases, the individuals have a pedigree chart that makes sense.

Thanks to ThruLinestm I added 37 new cousins to my chart all descended from Asa Ellis Roberts.

  1. 17 new cousins descended from Rosa Della Roberts.
  2. 2 New cousins descended from Charles W. Roberts.
  3. 10 New half-cousins descended from Sarah A. Roberts.
  4. 8 New half-cousins descended from William T. Roberts.

The process is much faster than any methods I ever used before to verify a person’s relationship to my tree. I’m happy with the process and feel confident that I’m adding valuable information to my tree to better the likelihood of connecting ancestors. ThruLinestm is great for widening your tree to include individuals that are descendants of a known family unit.

If you are a descendant of Asa Ellis Roberts, consider testing with Ancestry DNA; it is a great genealogical resource and can help you broaden your tree too.

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The Children of William Hunt Scott

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Don Taylor

Roberts-Scott Line
By Don Taylor

Photo of Don Taylor with cat Nasi.When I took a look at William Hunt Scott (1834-1903) last February, I knew that I wanted to take a closer look at his household. Not only did I want to understand his family, but I also wanted to broaden my tree so that cousins discovered through DNA matches could be understood and incorporated into my research more efficiently.

Roberts Research 2019 – Ancestor #36 – Update!

William Hunt Scott (c.1834-1903) – Update!

Marriage to Emily Hendricks.

Further research indicated that William Hunt Scott married Emily Hendricks on 24 May 1879 in Goode township in Washington County, Illinois, on 12 September 1856.

William had five children; four with Emily and one with Matilda Cooper.

  Birth Married Death
Viola A. Feb 1860
Washington Co., IL		 05 Jul 1879

Charles M. Galloway

 Between June 1880 & March 1884
Samuel Vaden 23 Aug 1863
Washington Co., IL		 24 May 1879

Amanda Jane Haley

 28 Jul 1931

Franklin Co., IL
Francis Percy 25 Mar 1870
St. Clair, IL		 24 Mar 1901
Florence Elizabeth Roberts		 27 Sep 1936
Sesser, IL
William Alonzo 03 Oct 1871
St. Clair, IL		 14 Sep 1905
Fannie Jane Story		 1954

Prob. Franklin Co. IL
Vallie Cleveland 7 Oct 1888[i]
Perry, Illinois		 1914
Ruby Ethyl Clark		 6 Feb 1975
Salem, AR
  • Viola appears to have died without issue.
  • Samuel appears to have had nine children, 4 with Amanda Jane Haley and 5 with his second wife, Lavina Allmend.
  • Francis Percy had four children with his wife, Florence Elizabeth Roberts.
  • William Alonzo Scott had six children, three boys and three girls with Fannie Jane Story.
  • Vallie Cleveland Scott had five children with Ruby Ethyl Clark.

Further Actions / Follow-up

  • I will study William’s siblings when I research his father, Samuel Kinkade Scott

————–  Disclaimer  ————–

ENDNOTES

[i] William Hunt Scott’s first wife, Emily Maples (Hendricks) Scott died in 1878. He then married Matilda Tennessee Cooper on 16 Dec 1885. They had one child, Vallie Cleveland Scott, together.

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