My maternal grandmother Sarah Myrtle King, was pretty good at writing names and dates on her photos. But there was one, I assumed a wedding photo, of a couple that intrigued me and she had written only a date, 1914. I checked and double checked, none of her siblings and none of my grandfather's siblings married in 1914. No one that I could find connected to that family married in 1914. It has remained a mystery to me for over 30 years...
... until now!
Giving a little background, my 2x great grandparents, George and Elizabeth (Nichols) King immigrated to Montreal from Devon, England c1857. They had five sons, one being my great grandfather Clement King. They also had one daughter Sarah Ann King, who I could not trace past the 1881 census. There were just too many Sarah Kings in the 1800s, and none of the ones in Ancestry results fit. Often what I do when I can't find a person, is in Ancestry I do a search for that name in members' Family Trees. I had checked for her many times over the years, because we know things always change, and new people start searching on Ancestry.
I am writing a book about my King family, so I decided to give it one last-ditch effort before putting that chapter to bed. Yes, there was a new one!! Sarah Ann King, the age was about right, living in Montreal, and married to John McTeer. The person had no parents names for Sarah King, no records attached to the names, just a noted date of marriage, 1881 in Montreal. So I did my own search (which I ALWAYS do anyways) and there it was!
John McTeer, [locomotove] fireman, son of the late Archibald McTeer of Chaudiere Station and Elizabeth Sutherland his wife, married Sarah Annie King, daughter of the late George King and Elizabeth Nichols his wife. The witnesses were George King, brother of the bride, and his wife Mary McMillan.The names had been transcribed as Sarah Annie Rina and John McYeer. Next I went back to the other persons tree to see what else I could learn, and they had one son for this couple, Archibald James (Archie) McTeer, married to Eva Peddle in June 1914.
Wait!! 1914?
Again they had no records attached, and just that they were married 1914 in Verdun. I clicked on their gallery for Archie and Eva, and.... lo and behold! There was the same wedding picture my grandmother had in her album! Archie and Eva McTeer!
I can hear my grandmother saying the name Archie. But I had no idea who he was. I went to the Genealogie Quebec website, tried the Verdun United Church (the one my King family attended), looked at the index of marriages for 1914, and there is was. Leaf twenty-six.
Archibald James McTeer, brakeman, son of John McTeer and his wife Sarah Ann King and Eva Peddle married June 1914. Witnesses: Nicholas Peddle, Sarah Myrtle King (my grandmother!!) and Clifford Samuel King (Granny's cousin)Going year by year through the records at the same church where Archie was baptized I found more children for Sarah Ann King and John McTeer.
Now I have not only solved the mystery of the 1914 photograph, I have added a whole new family to my tree!
Plus I gave that researcher a Devon family going back almost 300 years.
This is a wonderful idea that I'm going to apply on my own genealogical mysteries. Although I always double-check other people's info (like you), these trees can be great clues. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteThere are always new people signing up to find their ancestors, and some of them may also be ours! Check again a few months down the road.
DeleteI was able to track down descendants and return a family bible that had been donated to my church. It was a wedding gift in 1780 and they had 6 children but I could only trace one line - the third son who went west to Oregon- to the present. They were thrilled to get it.
ReplyDeleteI sure wish someone would track me down with a family bible!
DeleteWhen I come across names in my research... like the photo I have of my grandmother and her mother with a bunch of ladies at church ...and I'm lucky that Granny wrote all the names on the back!! I track them down and give them a copy of the photo (reminds me I still have two to find). Or names mentioned by my grandfather or my father from the war. I like to know about the families my ancestors knew.
What a find Dianne, it is such a thrill to solve a mystery or as it is known in genealogy a brick wall and drives you on to learn more about your roots. Like you I have search for Ancestry trees for the same surnames and it is surprise what comes up. One for HARRISON had my father in in with the wrong birth date and place of birth - then I realized the tree belonged to my brother and he had not taken it any farther than that:D Wonder why when he started off wrong LOL
ReplyDeleteI have found a few also that have the lines wrong, I usually send them a message and most people are happy to correct their trees - a small few just ignore me hahaha.
DeleteThere is nothing like identifying someone in an old photo, such a thrill. Great post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna.
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