Nameless Faces

I have several pictures from my father's family that give very few clues as to who they are of. I'm not even certain if they are from his maternal or paternal line.

A pretty girl. Was she a Kelly? Or perhaps a Hollington or Berry?


Is this the same girl?
My grandmother, Mary Kelly Berry or her sister, Isabelle?
I see myself in this picture so I lean towards Mary.


And who is this very unhappy looking soul?

On the back, written in pencil and hard to see, is "Age 81". On the front is Sproule & O'Connor, Ottawa, Can. The first time I find Sproule and O'Connor listed together in the Ottawa City Directory is 1896.

Edited 7 January 2008 - Janet Isles was kind enough to send me a corrected link for the city directories above and some additional information.

I have two books that I checked for you that go beyond the coverage of what is online. They are derivative sources but are well done.

Phillips, Glen C. The Ontario Photographers List, vol 1 1851-1900 and vol. 2 1901-1925 Milton, ON : Global Heritage Press, 2002 (2nd ed.)

Vol 1
p. 59
Sproule & O’Connor 1896-1900

Vol. 2
p. 46
Sproule & O’Connor 1901-1903

In 1903 Harry W. Sproule is shown listed separately 1903-1908.

So it looks like the photo was taken between 1896 and 1903.

Being from Ottawa it must be from my father's side of the family. I am guessing that it is a direct line ancestor but it could be an aunt. I feel I can eliminate all those that didn't live to 81 years. Grandma Lottie only lived to 68 and her mother only to 34. Sarah Lower Ross made to to only 72. Ann Berry made it to 81 but she died in the UK at Shipston Union Workhouse, so we can eliminate her.

So I still have six possibilities that lived to age 81.

1. Agnes Adam Craig 1802-1882 Dalhousie Twp.
   
2. Isabella Craig White 1826-1908 Dalhousie Twp
3. Isabella White Kelly 1865-1951 Syracuse, lived Ottawa
4. Eliza Ewing Hollington 1815-1897 Ottawa
5. Jane Rawlings Berry 1830-1914 Ottawa
6. Mary Kelly 1830's-aft 1900, Adams, NY

Agnes Adam Craig died in 1882 and I don't believe that Sproule and O'Connor were working together that early so it is unlikely that this is a picture of her. *Janet also sent me Agnes' death information. She died 14 August 1882, so she was only 80 and her death date is well before 1896 so the picture is not of her.

I have many pictures of Isabella White Kelly and since she lived until 1951 I can safely eliminate her as a possibility.

Isabella White Kelly, year unknown

Isabella Craig White and Mary Kelly never lived in Ottawa as far as I know but I believe they both may have visited family there so I cannot totally eliminate them. *Based on the new information from Janet, Sproule & O'Conner worked together from 1896 to 1903. Isabella would have turned 81 in 1907 and Mary in 1911 so I can eliminate them.

Jane Rawlings Berry and Eliza Ewing Hollington lived near each other in Ottawa and are the most likely candidates. Eliza would have been 81 in 1896 when I first find Sproule and O'Connor together. Jane would have been 81 in 1911. I don't know if the photography studio was still open then. Are the glasses a clue? Two of Jane's grandson's, Thomas and Kimberly Berry, both wore glasses. They are the only descendants of hers that I have pictures of. Some of Eliza's descendants wore glasses and others did not. *So I can now eliminate Jane too. Leaving me with Eliza Ewing Hollington as the most likely candidate. This could of course be someone else, a great aunt perhaps.

For comparison here is a picture labeled Kim with Aunt, another mystery to be solved. Was this aunt a Hollington or a Berry?

Maybe someday I'll find a cousin that also has copies of these pictures, only their copies will be labeled!

This was written for the 9th edition of Smile For The Camera, Who Are You?"

These pictures have previously been highlighted at The Apple Doesn't Fall far From the Tree on 10 June 2006 and here at Apple's Tree on 7 February 2007.

Canadian Roots

My paternal ancestral tree has it's roots firmly planted in Canadian soil. My grandfather literally married the girl next door, both living on Metcalf St, Ottawa, Ontario. Shortly after their marriage in 1922 they moved to Syracuse, NY where my grandfather's uncle resided.

My grandfather, Kimberly Powell Berry, was born in Ottawa on 6 January 1900, the son of Joseph Berry and Charlotte T. K. Hollington. Joseph was born 22 May 1871 in Blockley, Worcestershire, England and emigrated to Canada with his family when just a toddler in 1874, most likely with the aid of one of the emigration societies of the time. The Berry's would have been in the Agricultural Laborours Class in England so their economic and social status was greatly improved by their move across the ocean. I have written more about the reasons for their move to Canada here.

left: Kim Berry c.1935, right: Joseph Berry date unk.

Charlotte Hollington was born 3 October 1875 in Ottawa to James Hollington and Sarah Ann Ross. James was born 7 Aug 1845 in Quebec City to James Hollington (born about 1805 in England) and Eliza Ewing (born April 1815 in Ireland). Family lore states that James, Sr. was in the military and sent to Canada, where he stayed. I have no idea where in Ireland Eliza was from or why she left for Canada. Sarah Ann Ross was born 1848 in Quebec City to Richard Ross (born 1821 Kent, England) and Sarah Ann Lower (born 17 September 1823, Sussex, England). Again, I have no idea when or why they moved to Canada. I don't even know in which country they married.


My grandmother, Mary Leith Kelly, was born 6 June 1900 in Calabogie, Renfrew County, Ontario, the daughter of James Kelly and Isabella White. I know very little about the Kelly's. James was born 18 March 1856 in Adams, Jefferson County, NY, the son of Michael and Mary Kelly. His eldest brother, John, born about 1854, listed his place of birth as Canada on the 1880 census. My best guess is that Michael and Mary left Ireland for Canada at the time of the potato famine, stayed a short while and then moved on to northern New York where they remained. I do not in which country Michael and Mary met and married and I have few clues as to Mary's maiden name. I have no idea why James moved north to Ontario. Does my grandmother's middle name, Leith, hold a clue?

Isabella White was born 6 April 1865 in Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario, the daughter of James M. White and Isabella Craig (born 1826 Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland). James M. White was born November 1824, Dalhousie Township, Lanark County, Ontario, the son of John born abt 1806 in Scotland. I have not worked much on these lines. I have yet to discover who was the mother of James or why the White and Craig families emigrated to Canada.





This was written for the first edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival hosted by Looking4Ancestors. Since my father's death in 2000 I have not worked very often or very hard to fill in the gaps about my Canadian ancestors, preferring instead to research my maternal lines while Mom is still here to enjoy the journey with me. I do still find little gems now and then, usually when looking for something else. Hopefully this new Carnival will inspire me to dig just a little bit more each month.

Eliza? Jane? Mary?

I ran across the original of this photograph today and looked at it a little more closely. On the back, written in pencil and hard to see, was Age 81. On the front is Sproule & O'Connor, Ottawa, Can.


Being from Ottawa it must be from my father's side of the family. I am guessing that it is a direct line ancestor but it could be an aunt. I felt I could eliminate all those that didn't live to 81 years. Grandma Lottie only lived to 68 and her mother only to 34. Sarah Lower Ross made to to only 72. Ann Berry made it to 81 but she died in the Shipston Union Workhouse, so we can eliminate her.

Agnes Adam Craig 1802-1882 Dalhousie Twp
Eliza Ewing Hollington 1815-1897 Ottawa
Isabella Craig White 1826-1908 Dalhousie Twp
Jane Rawlings Berry 1830-1914 Ottawa
Mary Kelly 1830's-aft 1900, wish I knew more about her, I don't know if she ever lived in Ottawa
Isabella White Kelly 1865-1951 Syracuse, lived Ottawa

I can probably eliminate Agnes Craig and Isabella White because they did not live in Ottawa but they could have traveled there to see family and had a picture taken.

I have no reason to think that Mary Kelly lived in Ottawa but she, too, could have visited there and had a picture taken. Her son, James, lived in Ottawa and I can't locate her after the 1900 census.

I have pictures of Isabella Kelly so I know it isn't her.

That leaves:
Eliza Ewing Hollington 1815-1897 Ottawa
or
Jane Rawlings Berry 1830-1914 Ottawa

The clothing makes me think it must be Eliza taken in 1896, which would have been the year that Sproule and O'Connor started their photography business (or at least the first year they were listed together in the city directory.) But it is possible it was taken in 1911 and is Jane.

Any thoughts? Do any of these others resemble her? I've never been good at making facial comparisons.