M Spooner RMS Empress of Ireland disaster

[sami]

Perhaps Ralph and Mary married in Quebec. Can't find a marriage for them in B.C.

Just for interest - This past summer I was travelling in Nova Scotia and the Pier 21 Museum in Halifax had an exhibition on the Empress of Ireland disaster. It was a very interesting display.

sami

[swanandprasad]

For other Spooner researchers,
Found the death cert of Margaret Ethel Spooner
http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/c46d9c3a-70aa-44de-b2b8-37cf138df3a6

[sami]

Hi again:

Not sure how much information you already have on the Spooner family. But here is a small newspaper announcement for the marriage of Margaret Spooner and a W. Russell in the "Greater Vancouver Chinook", page 3, dated Saturday May 2, 1914.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01j2q/

sami

[swanandprasad]

Well, on the 1911 Canada census, Ralph Spooner (born Dec. 1878) is living with his wife Mary (born Dec 1877, immigrated to Canada in 1906). They are living beside Ralph's parents. Can't find the marriage for Ralph and Mary yet, but they must have married between 1906 and 1911.

http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1911/jpg/e001942027.jpg
sami

Sami can you read the street name on that census. If you familiar with Vancouver you might see things i can't. I read 4340 easily but not the street.

[sami]

Not easy to read the street name. I've done some looking in the Vancouver City Directories held at the Vancouver Public Library.

In the 1910 Directory there is a Ralph W. and Margaret Spooner living at 983 7th Ave W, and a R. Spooner, blacksmith, living at Gartley Rd Cedar Cottage.

In the 1913 Directory Ralph and Margaret E. Spooner are living at 4368 Gartley Rd.

I lean towards Gartley as the street name on the 1911 Census but the first letter on the census doesn't seem much like a 'G'.

The Directories can be searched online:

http://www.vpl.ca/bccd/index.php/browse/index

sami


Added.........Apparently the name Gartley Road was changed to Welwyn Street. In the 1915 Directory there is a R. Spooner listed for 4348 Welwyn. The city directories were not updated every year.

[swanandprasad]

Thank you for going so far out of your way.
Ralph jnr was a Blacksmith so that is the right address. I should be able to trace the street with so much info.
It has taken me all day to add only half of the data into my software, phew.
And along the way i have discovered so many search possibilities which are new to me.
Thanks again.

[swanandprasad]

In the 1910 Directory there is a Ralph W. and Margaret Spooner living at 983 7th Ave W, and a R. Spooner, blacksmith, living at Gartley Rd Cedar Cottage.

Again a goldmine!
Was it normal for the wife to be listed? I am just wondering why Ralph Jnr the Blacksmith doesn't have his wife Mary of 1911 census with him in 1910.

[sami]

The directories can be quite inconsistent so someone not being listed doesn't necessarily mean they were not there (if that makes any sense  ). Note the following:

"NOTE: The city directories at the Archives were compiled by various companies, so the organization of the information contained within the directories may vary significantly among volumes and publishers."

There is a reference guide for searching the directories, it's worthwhile to have a look at it if you are going to be searching. Especially the part concerning the abbreviations used:

http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/archives-reference-guide-city-directories.pdf

You may also be interested in searching British Columbia Wills on FamilySearch:

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2001882

sami

[swanandprasad]

Thanks again Sami.
I wish other provinces were as good at record's accessibility as BC.
I got lost today tracing the movements of another branch of my family through the streets of Vancouver.
Shame those Family Search Wills only go up to 1939. I found one of the above family on the index which i would like to look at.