1872 Letter, Aunt Hannah and William Ravell
Replies: 2
1872 Letter, Aunt Hannah and William Ravell
| philhirst11 (View posts) | Posted: 8 May 2007 4:31PM GMT |
Classification: Query
Surnames: Ravell, Holmes, Davidson, Jewell, Giles, Graham
On August 30, 1872, my gg grandfather, Jonathan Hirst, editor of the Oldham Evening Chronicle (Lancashire UK) visited Paris, Brant. He wrote back letters to his young 10-year-old daughter, Florence, at home. Jonathan (b Nov 2 1818 in Holmfirth, WRY) had arrived in New York early in August, He quickly moved on to Philadelphia, visiting relatives, and then moved on to Paris, via Utica and Buffalo, to visit people he describes as “your Aunt Hannah” and “Mr Ravell”.
For some time Jonathan Hirst’s letters have been down at the bottom of the Brant County Genweb Project website, headed “1872 Letter”.
I asked: “Can anyone help me to identify Aunt Hannah or Mr Ravell? I know nothing about them. It is possible that Hannah is Jonathan Hirst's sister -- Hannah Hirst -- or that she is Jonathan Hirst's wife's sister, in which case she would be Hannah Greensmith. The Ontario census of 1871 lists a William Ravell in Paris. Is that the Mr Ravell of the letter? Were Hannah and Mr Ravell married?”
No one answered the questions for me, but I have now solved the mystery.
In fact, Hannah was Jonathan Hirst’s sister, born in about 1809, in Holmfirth, WRY, UK.
She married Abel Holmes, also of Holmfirth, on February 6, 1831. In 1846, they emigrated to Canada, with a daughter, Mary, and had two more children in Canada – Ann Elizabeth and Samuel.
Abel doesn’t appear on the 1851 census, but Hannah and the three children are listed as living in Paris. Poor old Abel must have died.
The next clue was the lists of marriages published in the Christian Guardian, of Toronto (available through Ancestry.com). That lists a marriage between William Ravelle (sic) and Mrs Hannah Holmes on March 1, 1855, in Paris. The entry above it, on the same date, in the same place and by the same minister, is that of John Giles and Miss Mary Holmes.
To cut a long story short I eventually found the death registration of Mary Giles, nee Holmes. The informant, her daughter Mrs Josephine Jewell, of 259 Borden Street, Toronto, remembered the maiden name of Mary Giles’s mother – Hannah Hirst. Proof of the identity of Aunt Hannah at last!
Ann Elizabeth married a tailor, called Walter Graham, and they had several children in Paris and Chesley, Bruce, before moving to Victoria, British Columbia.
I have found no trace of Samuel.
William Ravell was also married before, to a Ruth Mary (surname unknown). He also had children – Ruth Susan Ravell and Charles E Ravell.
Ruth married Thomas George Davidson and had several children. Charles moved to Michigan and had a son, Jesse.
For some time Jonathan Hirst’s letters have been down at the bottom of the Brant County Genweb Project website, headed “1872 Letter”.
I asked: “Can anyone help me to identify Aunt Hannah or Mr Ravell? I know nothing about them. It is possible that Hannah is Jonathan Hirst's sister -- Hannah Hirst -- or that she is Jonathan Hirst's wife's sister, in which case she would be Hannah Greensmith. The Ontario census of 1871 lists a William Ravell in Paris. Is that the Mr Ravell of the letter? Were Hannah and Mr Ravell married?”
No one answered the questions for me, but I have now solved the mystery.
In fact, Hannah was Jonathan Hirst’s sister, born in about 1809, in Holmfirth, WRY, UK.
She married Abel Holmes, also of Holmfirth, on February 6, 1831. In 1846, they emigrated to Canada, with a daughter, Mary, and had two more children in Canada – Ann Elizabeth and Samuel.
Abel doesn’t appear on the 1851 census, but Hannah and the three children are listed as living in Paris. Poor old Abel must have died.
The next clue was the lists of marriages published in the Christian Guardian, of Toronto (available through Ancestry.com). That lists a marriage between William Ravelle (sic) and Mrs Hannah Holmes on March 1, 1855, in Paris. The entry above it, on the same date, in the same place and by the same minister, is that of John Giles and Miss Mary Holmes.
To cut a long story short I eventually found the death registration of Mary Giles, nee Holmes. The informant, her daughter Mrs Josephine Jewell, of 259 Borden Street, Toronto, remembered the maiden name of Mary Giles’s mother – Hannah Hirst. Proof of the identity of Aunt Hannah at last!
Ann Elizabeth married a tailor, called Walter Graham, and they had several children in Paris and Chesley, Bruce, before moving to Victoria, British Columbia.
I have found no trace of Samuel.
William Ravell was also married before, to a Ruth Mary (surname unknown). He also had children – Ruth Susan Ravell and Charles E Ravell.
Ruth married Thomas George Davidson and had several children. Charles moved to Michigan and had a son, Jesse.