(1st- Barbara Di Mambro, 2nd- Parkin Alton, 3rd- Leonie Parkin)
Elizabeth was my paternal great-grandmother. We called her Gammie. In my research of her family line, initially it was complicated. I was given her last name as Derbyshire even though Frost had come up.
Documents can be convoluted.
Her father is Johnathan Frost. But somewhere along the line, he is out of the picture. Her mother was Anna Butterfield. The Frost family originated from Hockering, Norfolk County, England. I am still researching about the Butterfield line.
I even bought the book House of Industry for Athens, Leeds and Grenville counties, Ontario where the family had resided to see if he had been an inmate there. An email received in 2001 from Marjorie Hankins in Newmarket said Jonathan Frost went to the House of Industry where he died. Friends claimed the body for burial. She quotes the Athens Reporter- June, 15, 1898. Elizabeth was no longer in Athens at that time.
I do not have a birth certificate for Elizabeth but the date on her tombstone is July, 1871. Thus she is not found in the 1871 Canadian Census. Her parents and brother, James are there.
In the 1881 Canadian Census, Bastard & Burgess South, Leeds South, Ontario Canada, Libbie Frost age 10 , born 1871 is living with Johnathan Frost age 47; Annie Frost age 28; James Frost age 11; Amelia Frost age 8; Byron Frost age 6; Henery Frost age 4; Ida Frost age 3; and Rufus Frost age 2.
There are census records that have an Elizabeth living with an aunt? mother? and Uncle Benjamin Derbyshire. Probably not our Elizabeth as the age was 9 on the Census Records.
Corresponded with family of brother Jimmie, confirmed our Elizabeth was his sister.
A half-sister named Gertrude Derybshire, or Aunt Gertie as we knew her brings confusion too. Did her mother remarry.? I was still trying to find some birth and death information on her.
So Elizabeth married in 1890. On her marriage certificate, she is Libbie Frost. Charles WM Parkins married Libbie Frost, age 18 January 1, 1890 in Athens, Leeds, Ontario, Canada. He was the son Robt Parkins and Hannah Parkins. ( I wrote an article for Leeds and Grenville Newsletter- 01-34 to 01-35) Charles had Keeler cousins in the area and I surmised that is how they met.
Elizabeth was the daughter of John Frost and Ann Frost. Of course Libbie can be a nickname for Elizabeth. She married at the home of Benj Derbyshire, an uncle, in the Township Rear Yonge and Escott.They were both cited as Methodist. It is interesting to note her father is a John and not a Jonathan.
Again names can be both as nicknames and short forms are often used.
In the 1891 Canadian Census, they are living in Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada. Charles Perkins, age 24?, Lydia age 19, Hannah mother widow, age 62 and Martha sister, age 23. Why did he call her Lydia?
They had two children. their daughter Leonie's birth information has Violet Leona Parkin born October 28, 1891 to C.W. Parkin and Lydia Derbyshire.
Cecil Robert Benjamin Parkin was born October 14, 1893 and died February 4, 1894 in Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada. Parents are listed as Charles Parkin( the s has been dropped) and Libbie Derbyshire. Little four month old Cecil died from inflammation of the bowels after 3 days. There are no parents listed on the death information.
In the 1901 Canadian Census , Charles W. Parkins age 33, head; wife Elisibeth A. Parkins, age 29; Leonie V. Parkins, daughter age 9 and /// on Annie, Domestic, age 12.
When Leonie Violet Parkin married Cortland Alton June 30, 1914 in Lindsay, Victoria County, Ontario Canada she was cited as being the daughter of Chas W. Parkin and Elizth Anne Derbyshire. It is interesting to note that Leonie's first and second names get reversed.
On her daughter's Leonie Violet Alton death information her name was Elizabeth Ann Derbyshire. Leonie died June 5, 1944 in Belleville Ontario. The informant on the certificate was Cortland Alton.
So why the Derbyshire name. Yes there was a connection. her aunt married a Derbyshire. Clarification is need if her mother's second marriage was to a Derbyshire thus Aunt Gertie
( Gertrude) being a Derbyshire so I thought. Was the disconnect from the Frost name due to some family issue or scandal? It is interesting to note that with the exception of Jimmie and Gertrude, her other siblings are not mentioned in family information nor are there pictures of them. I am still trying to track to discover what happened to them.I have included the picture of Elizabeth with Jimmie and Gertrude.
So back to Gammie.
I remember the day in 1988, I went with my father to the Lakeside Cemetery. When I saw Elizabeth Ann Frost on the tombstone, I realized hours of Derbyshire research had been a futile journey.
On the tombstone interred with her husband Charles William Parkin there is the Frost name. Tombstones often are cut with family names including the living and not deceased present on the stone. I would imagine it cut down the cost. Was it possible that Gammie did not complete any of the documents but another family member did? She approved what information was placed on the tombstone. Would she have approved of her nicknames Libbie and Lydia being on important documents? On Charles Parkin's death information the informant is Elizabeth Parkin. No nickname. Did she complete it?
Deciding which documents to trust and to re-evaluate all information is a must for all our family lines. But spelling errors, poor transcription and nicknames may replace the proper given name as it did with Elizabeth Anne. Initially when researching my family history, I acquired copious amounts of Derbyshie lines. Yes there is an uncle- Benjamin Derbyshire. All the research did reveal one important fact, her real name was not Gammie.
Endnotes
1. Birth Certificate- still trying to locate registered birth information on Elizabeth Anne. Tombstone- Valentia Cemetery has a date. Site visit 1988.
2.1881 Canadian Census. Family Search.Org. Canada Census, 1881. Bastard & Burgess South, Leeds South, Ontario, Canada. Household ID 561712. Digital Folder Number 4465517. Image Number 00473. GS Film Number 1375868.
3. Marriage record- Ontario Marriage Records. 1869-1927. Reference ID 006969. GS Film Number 1870307. Digital Folder Number 004529216. Image Number 00338.
4. 1891 Canadian Census- Mariposa Township. Census of Canada, 1891,. Ontario. Victoria South, District Number-121.Sub-District. Name-Mariposa. household Number-82. Reference-RG31-Statistics. Canada.
5. Birth Certificate 1891- Violet Leona Parkin. Family Search.org. Canada Births and Baptisms, 1661-1959. Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, 28 Oct 1891, Reference item 1 u 17 p 65; FHL microfilm 1846446.
6. Cecil Parkin- Born October 14, 1893. Family Search. Birth Certificate. Ontario Births 1869-1911. Reference ID cn 33362. GS Film Number 1846228. Digital Folder Number 004756730. Image number 00392. Death Certificate- February 4, 1894. Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario. Reference ID yr 1894 cn 17473. GS Film Number 1853584. Digital Folder Number 4172067. Image Number 454.
7. 1901 Census of Canada- Mariposa Township, Victoria County ( South/Sud), Ontario. District Number 120. Subdistrict Number-d-2. Archives microfilm- T-6501.
8. Leona Violet Parkin's marriage certificate. Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927.Reference ID 0211774. GS Film Number 002022063. Digital Folder Number 004705225. Image Number 00902.
9. Leonie Violet Alton death information. Office of the Registrar General Ontario. Registration No: 1944-905-039172.
10. Tombstone Lakeside Cemetery- Personal visit 1988. Photo of tombstone by Barbara Di Mambro.
11. 1921 Census of Canada- Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario. Polling division no. 2, all lots from 14 to 24. Digitized page of Census of Canada, e003044066. Courtesy Library and Archives Canada.
12. Coldwater Cemetery, Severn Township, Simcoe County- waynecook.com/CEMI-Coldwater.html
Written by Barbara Di Mambro
September 10, 2017
Copyright 2017
#grandparentsday#Frost#Parkins#Keeler#Alton#mariposatownship#Athens#VictoriaCounty#ElizabethAnne#Lakeside Cemetery#Valentia#familyhistory#genealogy#waynecook
I have all the answers to this post. I am Descendent of all the people in this post
ReplyDeleteMy name is Dennis Frost..defrost396@hotmail.ca