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.
