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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: marionjl on Saturday 22 January 11 14:19 GMT (UK)

Title: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: marionjl on Saturday 22 January 11 14:19 GMT (UK)
The above named guy was married to my relative Selina BINDING in 1916, but prior to that led an interesting life travelling the world. 

In 1896 he was in British Columbia, Canada, but the next sighting of what seems to be him is in 1903, when a Bertha Agnes Palmer divorced a man of that name in San Francisco (see thread http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=508104.new;topicseen#new)

Can any kind person check to see if they can spot him in the USA please? I'm looking between 1896 and 1911 specifically. He was an actor and singer, was sometimes described as having his own theatre company, and may have used the name as above, or hyphenated  as "Spry-Palmer". I would particularly be delighted if anyone could find the marriage with Bertha Agnes, as any further information about that would help confirm (or deny) if this is our man.

Many thanks, Marion
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: shellyesq on Saturday 22 January 11 18:33 GMT (UK)
The 1900 & 1910 Census are available for free at www.familysearch.org.

You can find a number of San Francisco directories here:  http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/sfdata.htm#sfdirs
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: Genealiza on Saturday 22 January 11 18:38 GMT (UK)
found this listed in a googlebook

Catalogue of Copyright Entries

Part 3  Musical Compositions
1919
New Series, Volume 14, No. 1

Washington
Government Printing Office



FOR FREEDOM AND HUMANITY; words by J Spry-Palmer, music by Newton Ponsonby (of Great Britain); mixed voices [12486

Copyright June 23, 1919; 1 c June 27, 1919; E 447333; James
Spry-Palmer, London

the Copyright sign followed by 1 c means that it is a copyright of an unpublished work and the date is the date it was received in the Copyright Office
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: marionjl on Saturday 22 January 11 19:11 GMT (UK)
Thank you Shellyesq for the suggestions. I will certainly follow up on them. I have a feeling he didn't stay in one place long enough to appear in a directory, but it's certainly worth looking.

and thank you Genealiza for the copyright sighting. I have an original piece of his music, not this title but I think from about the same era. Do you think the Washington Office reference means that he was in the USA at the time?

Marion
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: Genealiza on Saturday 22 January 11 19:20 GMT (UK)
It states his address as London.  I think he just copyrighted it here, incase someone wanted to publish it.  It may have been sent to the Copyright Office via the postal service along with any money that was needed to have it copyrighted.
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: marionjl on Saturday 22 January 11 19:31 GMT (UK)
It states his address as London.  I think he just copyrighted it here, incase someone wanted to publish it.  It may have been sent to the Copyright Office via the postal service along with any money that was needed to have it copyrighted.

Thats very helpful. I know he was in London in 1916 and died there in 1924, and he made several visits to Bristol during that time, so it would be unexpected for him to be in the USA (but not entirely out of character!)

Marion
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: marionjl on Sunday 23 January 11 10:05 GMT (UK)
I have another possible sighting, and I wonder if anyone who has a US subscription could tell me the date of the marriage between Charles S Palmer and Bertha Tast in Barton, Missouri, please? It would be in the time frame of 1896-1903 I believe, but my subscription doesnt' cover those records.

Many thanks Marion
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: *Sandra* on Sunday 23 January 11 11:32 GMT (UK)
Hello Marion,

Its very faint and difficult to read -
Charles S Palmer  - Marriage Date: 16 Aug 1896  - Liberal, Barton, MO
Spouse Name: Mrs. Bertha Tast

Regards
Sandra
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: marionjl on Sunday 23 January 11 12:25 GMT (UK)
Thank you very much Sandra. If this is the same guy, he certainly got around!!

Marion
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: *Sandra* on Sunday 23 January 11 13:35 GMT (UK)
Not sure this is your man, Marion.  I have found what I think is the same couple on the 1900 Census in Woodland, Logan, Oklahoma.

Charles S Palmer 32 Born Dec 1867 Missouri. Married 1897. Occup[ation Farmer
Bertha Palmer 24 Born July 1875 Missouri. Married 3 years
Roy Fast/Tast 8 Born Feb 1892 Missouri. Step-Son

Regards
Sandra
 
 
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: marionjl on Sunday 23 January 11 15:33 GMT (UK)
Hi Sandra

I agree that this makes this sighting much less likely to be a match. It would be nice to eliminate him, and this guy has the wrong birthdate, birthplace and occupation. I'm going to carry on searching for theatre sightings for him in these missing years, as although they're usually for a short "run", they do indicate his whereabouts quite well.

I know that in July 1895 he was in Sacramento, and this is why I'm following up the 1903 divorce in San Francisco - but wonder was that the same Charles S and Bertha, or a different couple. I suspect that a divorce wouldn't come cheap and might be beyond the means of a deserted farmer's wife.

Marion
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: shellyesq on Sunday 23 January 11 16:07 GMT (UK)
I'm amused that he was called a deadbeat:  http://www.telusplanet.net/public/dgarneau/B.C.8.htm

I found newspaper articles on a subscription site that put him in Winnipeg in Aug. & Sep. 1896.  Some articles I found through Google mention a singer with him named Miss Bertha Darrell - maybe she's the wife?
Title: Re: Charles James Spry Palmer, b 1857 England
Post by: marionjl on Sunday 23 January 11 16:23 GMT (UK)
I'm amused that he was called a deadbeat:  http://www.telusplanet.net/public/dgarneau/B.C.8.htm

I'm pretty sure that cheating a newspaper man shows very poor judgement!! 


Quote
I found newspaper articles on a subscription site that put him in Winnipeg in Aug. & Sep. 1896.  Some articles I found through Google mention a singer with him named Miss Bertha Darrell - maybe she's the wife?

You might be right. Thanks for the sightings, and if he was in Winnipeg at that time, he wan't getting married in Missouri!!

In 1911, he stated he was married for 31 years with 5 children, these are the children from his first marriage in NZ. It might be that there was no 2nd marriage in the USA - but I'll look into this Bertha and see if I can trace her at all.

Thank you so much for looking
Marion