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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Gram L on Wednesday 01 July 15 17:49 BST (UK)
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I have not been able to find an obituary for my great uncle in Toronto, On. His name was William Mitchell, d: 19 July 1918 in York County, Toronto, On. He died on the job, there was an inquest on 23 July 1918. Can anyone help?
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Hello Gram L
You know the exact date of death so you could try contacting the Toronto Public Library. They have an ask a librarian service. There may also be a general newspaper article related to the event.
PB
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Hi,
There is an article in the Globe and Mail newspaper that talks about the death of your great uncle. He and another man were accidentally electrocuted while working.
Globe and Mail, July 20 1918, page 8
There is also and article in the Globe on July 27th (page 2) about the inquest.
Toronto Star newspaper also has an article about the inquest. July 27, page 8
If you have already emailed the Toronto Public Library, I expect that they will be able to find these for you. If you haven't, I can PM you the details.
RK
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Hi again,
If you are in Canada, you might have access to the Star and Globe archives through your local library. Have a look at the library's collection of online databases.
RK
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The answer from the Toronto Public Library told me that she did find a report on the Inquest in the Toronto Star: "Police Act Criticized". The Library cannot provide the text of the article. She also suggested that the family may have posted a death notice in the Toronto Telegram. This paper has ceased publication in 1971 but it is available on microfilm at the Toronto Reference Library and the North York Central Library, but they cannot search the microfilm through their quick reference service.
So I guess I am looking for someone who may be able to look for a death notice in the Toronto Telegram at one of the above libraries. I am hoping that the death notice will list other family that I am unaware of, like a wife, or child.
Regards, Gram L.
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Hi,
I took another look in the Star and I found one more article about your great uncle's death. It says that he was a married man. Unfortunately, no name is given.
Will PM with details
RK
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Hi again,
Some of the articles give his address - 20 Glasgow. I will have a look in some Toronto directories to see if any other family members are mentioned.
The same article that says he was a married man also says he was a veteran of the Boer War. It has a photo of him in uniform. It also says that he came from Ireland 38 years ago (would be about 1880). So, he was likely with the Canadian forces during the war????? Perhaps there is a military record that mentions family .... have a look at the Library and Archives Canada site.
Do you know when he was born? If he has been in Canada since 1880, he should show up on Canadian censuses - hopefully with family :)
RK
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1919 directory show Wm Mitchell at 20 Glasgow. I read through all of the other Mitchells - none are listed as living at 20 Glasgow :'(
The 1920 directory is not available through the library site. In 1921, a Jeff Welch is listed as the resident of 20 Glasgow.
Looks like the directories aren't helping out in the search...
RK
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Hi RK, I believe that he was born in Scotland (not Ireland) in 1880. I was looking for his brother, (David Grant Mitchell) for many years. I finally found his grave site in England. Now I am trying to find William, to complete their family tree. I have been in touch with their relatives in Scotland and Australia. Once the two brothers left home, they were never heard from again! I knew they were living in Toronto, but not together. I have their death certificates. William's does not give any names at all. He is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Toronto - an unmarked grave. I wanted to find an obituary or a death notice hoping to find other family members of his. I am beginning to think now that there isn't an obituary because his name and death have been mentioned so often in these newspaper articles. I have never been able to find anything about William, I don't even know when he arrived in Canada, I only know when and how he died.
So anything that anyone can find would be a great help to me. I will try your suggestion of looking at the Library and Archives Canada site and see if I can find anything. Thank you for that suggestion.
gram L.
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...The same article that says he was a married man also says he was a veteran of the Boer War. It has a photo of him in uniform. It also says that he came from Ireland 38 years ago (would be about 1880)....
Hi RK, I believe that he was born in Scotland (not Ireland) in 1880.
Do you know if the article is incorrect, or, perhaps he came to Canada when he was very young?
The 1918 Toronto Directory has
Wm Mitchell, munition wkr, 20 Glasgow
if that is of any help
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Hi,
Well, it wouldn't be the first time that an article in the paper had some incorrect information!!
There are a couple of entries in the 1911 census for William Mitchells born in Scotland about 1880 - and living in Toronto. Search for free here (or on the Library and Archives Canada site)
http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11/index.jsp
What were his parents' names, did he have a middle name?? Perhaps there is an Ontario marriage record for him?
RK
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Hmmm - I reread your post and you said he is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery. That is a Roman Catholic Cemetery. I checked the 1911 census records for William Mitchells of the right sort of age, and none of them in Toronto at the time say that they are RC. :'(
RK
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It's very difficult to say for certain that it's the same William MITCHELL who was born in Scotland,isn't it? Just looking at an Ancestry tree-he seems to have had a middle initial of "B".?
Maureen
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Hello again, I originally found out where the Mitchell family lived from the Mormon's Family Search Library in London, On. They told me the names of the children and that they were all born in Dundee, Angus Scotland. The explanation I was given for William Mitchell's birth in Ireland was - whoever gave the information about his death didn't know exactly where he came from and just said Ireland !
I have never found a birth certificate for William. He did not come to Canada as a young boy. His parents names were John Mitchell and Margaret Christie Dow. His middle initial (according to the Mormon Library) was B. He could have married in England, or Scotland, or Canada. His wife (if he was actually married), may have been RC. He was buried in a pauper's grave.
I guess there is a lot to find out about William Mitchell's life.
Regards, Gram L.
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OK
I see him on the 1891 Scotland census in Dundee, his middle initial is B. He was born in Dundee in 1881.
Parents are John (1845) and Margaret (1851). Brother David G is there too (1884).
Other sibs are
Elizabeth - 1874,
James D 1876
Jessie Dow 1879
Margaret 1888
RK
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Yes, that is the correct family. David G. Mitchell is my grandfather.
gram L.
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1881 Dundee Census
John and Margaret Mitchell and their children:
Elizabeth, James D, Jessie B D and
William B, age 10 months
According to the internet, the 1881 Scottish census was taken on the night of April 3/4, 1881. So, William could have been born around May or June 1880.
Do you know the occupations of his brothers and father? Perhaps if he had the same occupation that could help with research? (Labourer wouldn't help too much, though.) ;)
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Citing this Record
"Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JK7V-L4J : accessed 7 July 2015), William Mitchell, 19 Jul 1918; citing Toronto, York, Ontario, yr 1918 cn 4778, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,862,692.
The death certificate is accessible via FS (says born Ireland)
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His regiment (poss a Scottish one) may have returned to barracks in Ireland after service in the Boer War. Presumably many enlisted men would be discharged and he chose to start a new chapter in Canada
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Hi Gram L:
Do you know for a fact that your relative died in Toronto in 1918? Is there any chance that another William Mitchell died in 1918? If you know that your relative died in 1918 from an accident, then he most likely is the correct man, but if your family didn't have the facts before researching him, perhaps it is another Mr. Mitchell? :-\
We were mislead with an Irish ancestor who had an unusual name and it took over 30 years to realize our mistake. :(
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I had never looked at things that way before. You could be correct. I knew that William Mitchell lived in Toronto (and so did his brother, David Grant Mitchell) because my parents gave me a letter that was written by their mother (in Scotland) asking why they didn't write home. The letter refers to both William and David. That was my starting point to search for my roots.
I was more interested in David (my grandfather) than Wm., therefore anything that I happened to read about Wm. I did not check further, I just set it aside! Now that I have found David (and yes it is the correct person), I am looking into his brother, Wm. Mitchell.
I guess I will have to start all over with trying to find Wm.'s birth in Scotland, where the family lived for years. Thank you very much for pointing this out to me. When I started searching years ago, I did not know I had to prove things that I found about a person.
Thank you, Gram L
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Hi Gram L:
It's a long story, but when I was about 12 years old, when we visited Ireland, we found whom we believed was a distant relative on our Ovens side. There were several reasons why my mum and "Jane" believed we were distantly related, our connection being our ancestor, John Ovens. A few years later, when I started researching my family and mentioned trying to find proof of the connection, Jane would write back and every time say not to worry, that we were related.
Several years ago (and 30+ years after our visit to Ireland), I found another Ovens researcher who without doubt was related by "our" John Ovens. While I believe we are related to Jane (by a cousin or nephew of the other John Ovens), I have yet to find proof.
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Going back to your search, and rereading the posts...
You are looking for William Mitchell. His brother was David Grant Mitchell. William believed to have been born in Dundee, Angus, Scotland, c1880. Parents: John Mitchell and Margaret Christie Dow. David buried in England. Once William and David left home, they were never heard from again. "...William Mitchell lived in Toronto (and so did his brother, David Grant Mitchell) because my parents gave me a letter that was written by their mother (in Scotland) asking why they didn't write home. The letter refers to both William and David."
Possible death?
July 19, 1918, York County
Age 38 years, born Ireland. Died Toronto General Hospital. Buried Mt. Hope*. Labourer. Married. Informant: E.S. Matthews, Toronto. Cause of death: Electrocuted. Dated July 22, 1918
*Mt. Hope - RC Cemetery
Globe and Mail and Toronto Star have a total of three articles about the death of Mr. Williams and another man.
They were accidentally electrocuted while working. Address given for Mr. Williams: 20 Glasgow. Veteran of the Boer War. It has a photo of him in uniform. Came from Ireland 38 years ago (so, around 1880).
1881 Dundee Census, April 3/4
John and Margaret Mitchell and their children
Elizabeth, James D, Jessie B D and
William B, age 10 months (born cMay/June?, 1880)
1891 Scotland census, Dundee
John 1845 and Margaret 1851
Elizabeth 1874
James D 1876
Jessie Dow 1879
William B 1881
David G 1884
Margaret 1888
1911 Toronto census
No William Mitchell, born c1880 was Roman Catholic
1918 Toronto Directory
Wm Mitchell, munition wkr, 20 Glasgow
1919 Toronto Directory
Wm Mitchell, 20 Glasgow
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Have you seen the photo from the 1918 newspaper? If so, does he look like any family members?
Could William have left Toronto after (or before) David left?
Do you know when David left Canada?
Ontario Marriage: David married March 25, 1908, Grocer, lived in Toronto. Presbyterian. Witnesses: Annie Roberts, Ethel McArthur. Was William not yet in Toronto, or at least not an "official" witness to the marriage? Can an article about the wedding be found, possibly listing relatives?
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There were quite a few William Mitchells arriving in North America in the early 1900's :-\ including someone who had similarities (but not your William): William B Mitchell, born c1882, Hamilton, Scotland immigrated in 1909. His father was William Mitchell.
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Have you tried contacting the Mount Hope Cemetery office to see if they might be able to provide further details? (You most likely would have to explain your relationship to the deceased.) They may be able to tell you if anyone else is buried in his plot, or possibly may be able to tell you when or where he was born. When I contacted one Toronto cemetery office, they would not provide any details (I was the granddaughter of the deceased). However, when I tried a different Toronto cemetery office, they provided every detail for that ancestor, including the exact birthplace of my "brickwall" ancestor.
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1901 Dundee Census - St. Clement
Margaret (c1851, Dunbog), James (c1876, Dundee - Iron Driller) and Maggie (c1888, Dundee)
18 Lawson Pl
1901 Dundee Census - St. Clement (From an online tree)
Jessie (Mitchell) Salmond (c1879, Dundee) and her husband David (Grocers Shopkeeper) and son William
20 Lorimer St
I was hoping that if I found other family members in 1901, William or David might be close. Haven't found them yet. I don't suppose there might be a date on your letter (from their mother)? :-\
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in 1901 there is a William Mitchell in Preston born Scotland
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Ontario Marriage: David married March 25, 1908, Grocer, lived in Toronto. Presbyterian. Witnesses: Annie Roberts, Ethel McArthur. Was William not yet in Toronto, or at least not an "official" witness to the marriage? Can an article about the wedding be found, possibly listing relatives?
Had a look - I don't see any marriage notice in the paper.
It would be really helpful to know what the B stands for in William's name.
RK
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Hi again,
Looking for David G in the Toronto Directories - to see if there is a William at the same address. No luck so far.
Found David and wife Louella in 1911. On Sullivan Street (same street, but different number, from 1912 directory address).
http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11/SplitView.jsp?id=52249
The census says David was born in Scotland and came to Canada in 1902. Religion is Congregationalist. David is a clerk. There seem to be a lot of lodgers living with them, but no William.
1909 and 1912 Directories say that he is foreman current department, Eby-Blain (which is a wholesale grocery business).
https://archive.org/stream/torontodirec191200midiuoft#page/1034/mode/2up
1913 says David is a clk. Still living on Sullivan.
https://archive.org/stream/torontodirec191300midiuoft#page/n1095/mode/2up
RK
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Marriage that Lisa found for David G in 1908 (wife is transcribed as Luella here)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSZD-G3J
Birth record for David's wife in 1890 (transcribed as Lucilla)
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMWQ-W4W
1891 census in Kent, Ontario with her parents - is Lewella.
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1891/jpg/30953_148148-00120.jpg
RK
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These do refer to my grandfather, David G. Mitchell, when they were first married, he was working in a grocery warehouse, that is correct. Luella's name is spelt different ways in different records, but they all refer to the same person.