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Messages - Peter the Pirate

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1
Canada / Re: Surnames (on photos) from Ontario Co. 1860-1890 & Halton and York Co.
« on: Friday 05 September 08 02:22 BST (UK)  »
There are some Cowans in my tree.

Lydia Peer married Robert Cowan in 1861 in Whitchurch, ON.

Lydia was the daughter of Stephen and Ann (Forster) Peer. Ann was a sister to my gr gr gr grandfather, Matthew Forster.



2
Canada Lookup Request / Re: Hopkins family uxbridge area ontario
« on: Friday 23 May 08 01:07 BST (UK)  »
I've recently discovered the Ajax/Pickering Digital Archive and on page 339-341 of "The Ontario Village of Brougham - Past! Present! Future?", there's a short bio of Levi Hopkins, a grandson of George. There's also a small amount of info about George and family as well.


http://www.pada.ca/

3
Durham Completed Look up Requests / Re: M Inscriptions for Etherley, St Cutberts
« on: Thursday 22 May 08 23:37 BST (UK)  »
The Forster inscription please!

4
The Lighter Side / Re: Unfortunate surnames of the past
« on: Wednesday 23 January 08 02:03 GMT (UK)  »
Mercy (Fish) Butts is the one in my tree that always makes me giggle!

I've been transcribing some California coroners' records and one really caught my eye. There is a box for place of birth and for a physical description. One woman's entry read "California Blonde"




5
Northumberland / Engineering Education early 1800s
« on: Sunday 13 January 08 21:54 GMT (UK)  »
I'm not sure if this should go here or in Occupations.

Anyway, I've recently come across a biography of my gr gr grandmother's brother and in it, it says that their father, Mathew Forster, born in 1807 in Northumberland, possibly Hexham area and who emigrated to Canada ~1830 was an Engineer and Machinist by trade. When he got to Canada he worked on steamships in the Great Lakes. Later he had a machine shop in Markham.

I was wondering if anyone could point me to a source for technical education in the Newcastle area in the early 1800s. Would he have gone to a university, or would he have apprenticed to an engineer? His father John "was engaged in the lead and coal mining business" so I'm assuming there was money for education.

Any assistance is appreciated!

Lyle

6
The Lighter Side / Re: Do we idealise our ancestors?
« on: Monday 07 January 08 01:27 GMT (UK)  »
In the beginning I did, but once the bad news came rolling in I stopped. Actually, I almost gave up on the whole project at one point but I took some time off, stepped back and decided on a new approach.

There are at least 9 Peter Copelans in the family, thus the guy in my avatar became "Peter the Pirate", another became Peter the Pauper, another Peter the Quaker, etc, etc. I think that in order to compile as thorough and as honest a family tree as possible, it's important distance oneself somewhat. Not only that but to look at it with a sense of humor.

There are some very admirable people in my family and some not so admirable. Since there's very little information about most of them, it would do them a disservice to apply "good" or "evil" labels to them.

My great grandfathers were known to my parents and their cousins but I have yet to have any real sense of who they were as so much of the information is conflicting. Other than the fact that one of them was the town drunk.

We can only document what we find.

7
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Re: Could someone tidy up GR Gr Grandpa Peter?
« on: Friday 14 December 07 04:58 GMT (UK)  »
Many thanks for all the hard work. He looks much, much better. The next time I update my website, it'll look wonderful.



China, the relative who said he remembered Peter coming from Land's End is 89 years old and is unfortunately becoming more forgetful. I agree that he probably sailed from Falmouth.

Thanks again,

Lyle


PS Peter the Pirate is my nickname for the Peter in the photo. There are 8 or 9 Peter Copelans in the family, one of them my grandfather and it got rather confusing when talking to relatives. I liked the alliteration and people definitely remember him now. Actually, my grandfather is probably more of a pirate, albeit landbased, but that's another story altogether.

8
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Re: Could someone tidy up GR Gr Grandpa Peter?
« on: Thursday 13 December 07 21:36 GMT (UK)  »
Thanks! He looks much, much better!

9
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Re: Could someone tidy up GR Gr Grandpa Peter?
« on: Thursday 13 December 07 21:24 GMT (UK)  »
Quote
Fabulous picture, very different! Do you know how this Peter lost his eye? What part of England was he from, and when did he arrive in Canada? Just curious.

Young Peter the blacksmith was "full of piss and vinegar". One fine summer's day he was outside the blacksmith shop and needed something from inside. In those days the smithies had large, door-sized windows that were opened in the summer to let the heat out. Rather than go around the side to the door, Peter decided to jump through one of the open windows. Just inside the window, hanging from the rafters was a large hook......

He was born in Penryn, Cornwall in 1823 and christened in Perranarworthal.

I've been unable to discover exactly when he emigrated. He's in the 1841 census for Mylor, Cornwall and was married in Markham, Ontario in 1851 where he's also listed in the 1851 census of Canada.

I'm assuming the photo was taken in Canada, but there are no markings on the case.

One relative remembers hearing that "he came from Land's End". I've been unable to find any ships that actually sailed from Land's End but am still looking.

They moved to Iowa, USA in 1882 and then to North Dakota, USA in 1899. He died in North Dakota in 1907. Of all the people in my family tree, there's no doubt that he and his offspring moved the most and have proven to be the most challenging to trace. It's been quite an adventure though.


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