Susanah Johnson

[Janet]

In 1954 my mother's cousin Laverne Davis, b. 23 December 1912, applied for a birth certificate from the Province of Ontario, Canada. She has filled it all out in her own hand, using the original spelling of her given name: Leverne. She gives her father's name as George H. Davis and her mother's "maiden name" as Susannah Wynne. She's guessing on their ages because she's off when she states age 45 for both of them.
Leverne Davis birth (http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/8838/40281_263395-00772/3202408?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3frank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d1%26ms T%3d1%26gss%3dangs-g%26gsfn%3dlevern%26msmng0%3dsusannah%26msmns0%3dW ynne%26cpxt%3d0%26catBucket%3drstp%26uidh%3d9uh%26 _83004003-n_xcl%3dm%26cp%3d3%26pcat%3dROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3d32 02408%26recoff%3d7%2b26%2b27%26db%3dontario_births %26indiv%3d1&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord)

William James Callow Wynne had married Susanah Johnson in Islington St Jude, Mildmay Grove, on 26 December 1877 (bottom right).
1877 Wynne-Johnson marriage (http://interactive.ancestry.com/1623/31280_197114-00175/2843492?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2 fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dLMAmarriages%26gss%3dsfs28_ms _db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1% 26gsfn%3dWilliam%2bJames%2bCallow%26gsfn_x%3d1%26g sln%3dWynne%26gsln_x%3d1%26msgpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msyp n__ftp_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3d9uh&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults)

I found George and Susanah together in London on the 1881 UK census. He is a boarder and she is the wife of the head of household, Wm. Jas. C. Wynne.
1881 UK census - Wynne household Islington (http://interactive.ancestry.com/7572/LNDRG11_251_255-0123/14260618?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com% 2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3duki1881%26gss%3dsfs28_ms_db%2 6new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26msT%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsf n%3dGeo.%26gsfn_x%3d1%26gsln%3dDavis%26gsln_x%3d1% 26msbdy%3d1860%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbpn__ftp%3dEvercr eech%252c%2bSomerset%252c%2bEngland%26msbpn%3d8713 0%26msbpn_PInfo%3d8-%257c0%257c0%257c3257%257c3251%257c0%257c0%257c0%2 57c5283%257c87130%257c0%257c%26msbpn_x%3d1%26msbpn __ftp_x%3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1% 26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3d9uh&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults)

After that I think I find them on board the Corean departing London in May 1887, arriving Quebec, Canada on 19 May 1887.
Geo Davis and Susannah Davis arr. 19 May 1887 (http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1263/e003546795/440386?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk% 2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3frank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d1%26ms T%3d1%26gss%3dangs-c%26gsfn%3dGeorge%2bHenry%26gsln%3dDavis%26msbdy%3 d1861%26msbdy_x%3d1%26msbpn__ftp%3dEngland%26msbpn %3d3251%26msbpn_PInfo%3d3-%257c0%257c0%257c3257%257c3251%257c0%257c0%257c0%2 57c0%257c0%257c0%257c%26cpxt%3d1%26uidh%3d9uh%26cp %3d3%26pcat%3d40%26h%3d440386%26db%3dCanadianPL%26 indiv%3d1&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord)
(Ancestry transcribed the 1921 Canada census to say they immigrated in 1882, but I think Ancestry is reading a 2 for a 7.)

I did not succeed in finding them on the 1891 Canada census.

This looks like them on the 1901 (right names, ages, place) but why are they saying he is Methodist and she is Baptist whereas everywhere else they are C of E, and who is the adopted daughter Ivy?
1901 Canada census George H Davis and Susannah Davis (http://search.ancestry.ca/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gss=angs-c&new=1&rank=1&gsfn=George+Henry&gsfn_x=NP_NN_NIC&gsln=Davis&gsln_x=NS_NP_NN&msbdy=1860&msbdy_x=1&msbdp=5&msbpn__ftp=England&msbpn=3251&msbpn_PInfo=3-%7c0%7c0%7c3257%7c3251%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c&mssng=Susan*&mssng_x=1&MSAV=1&uidh=9uh&pcat=35&h=14076468&db=1901canada&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1)

Here is 1911, definitely them.
1911 Canada census George H Davis and Susanah Davis (http://search.ancestry.ca/browse/view.aspx?dbid=8947&iid=e082_e002037067&pid=6778129&ssrc=&fn=George+H&ln=Davis&st=g)

And the 1921 I referred to.
1921 Canada census George Susan Leverne Davis (http://interactive.ancestry.com/8991/1921_103-e003056623/43038?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fc gi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fgst%3d-6&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults)

Susanna Davis died 6 July 1921.
Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947 for Susanna Davis (http://interactive.ancestry.ca/8946/ONMS935_274-1005/340498?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.ca%2fc gi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3dontario_deaths%26gss%3dsfs28_ ms_r_db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn %3dSusan*%26gsfn_x%3dNP_NN_NIC%26gsln%3dDavis%26gs ln_x%3dNP_NN_NS%26msbpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msddy%3d1921% 26msddy_x%3d1%26msdpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d 1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3d9uh&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults)

Here is my (obvious) problem. Can anyone find me a death or a divorce to terminate Susanah Johnson's marriage to William James Callow Wynne? Or a marriage of George Henry Davis to Susannah Wynne nee Johnson? (Yes, it's Johnson not "Johnston" as on her death cert. See the Wynne-Johnson marriage: father Robert Johnson. Also, one witness is [the same?] Robert Johnson. And lo and behold the other witness is a Davis.)

[Shona]

This is William J Wynne in 1891: http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/6598/LNDRG12_181_183-0015?pid=11934807&backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2f%2fcg i-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3duki1891%26gss%3da ngs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26gsfn%3dwilliam%26gsfn_x%3 d1%26gsln%3dwynne%26gsln_x%3d1%26gskw%3dnorthampto nshire%26gskw_x%3d1%26cpxt%3d1%26cp%3d11%26MSAV%3d 1%26uidh%3dfpy%26pcat%3d35%26fh%3d0%26h%3d11934807 %26recoff%3d%26ml_rpos%3d1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true

William J Wynne, boarder, single, 37, joiner, born Brackley Northamptonshire

I note he is recorded as being single, but would a carpenter/joiner have the financial resources to afford a divorce back then? Or did Susannah take up with the boarder and run off with him to Canada?

[kiterunner]

On the 1911 census Susannah is still a Baptist. Maybe she switched to the Baptist church for a while then went back to C of E?

The year of immigration looks like 1882 to me on both the 1901 and the 1921 censuses. Of course that doesn't mean it is correct.

But I would have thought that the "obvious problem" wasn't so much that George and Susannah may not have been legally married, but that Susannah was too old to be Leverne's biological mother?

[kiterunner]

There is a Susanna Johnson baptism 8 Jun 1856 at Mattishall, Norfolk, parents Robert Johnson and Susanna Cooper. This fits with her being "full age" on her marriage to William Wynne. And she is 5 on the 1861 census. So she would be 56 by the time Leverne was born.

[Shona]

Well spotted - very curious.

[kiterunner]

who is the adopted daughter Ivy?


Searching Ontario births for females born 9 Nov 1890, I am surprised to see how few have no father's name (and when I searched for those born on Leverne's dob, I saw none without father's name.) There is a Jessie Lillian Patterson, illegitimate, born 9 Nov 1890 in Toronto, York county, mother Maggie Patterson. I suppose we could try to trace her to see if we can rule her out. (Just thinking an adopted child is more likely to have been illegitimate.) Of course the stated dates of birth for both Ivy and Leverne could be inaccurate though.

[kiterunner]

Not got anywhere with tracing that Jessie Lillian Patterson, but here are George and Susanna on the 1891 Canadian census, with Susanna's father Robert Johnson:
http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1274/30953_148181-00620/3131849?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk %2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1891Canada%26gss%3dsfs28_ms_r _db%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26MS_AdvCB%3d1%26gsfn%3dg eo*%26gsfn_x%3d1%26msbdy%3d1860%26msbdy_x%3d1%26ms bdp%3d1%26msbpn__ftp%3dEngland%26msbpn%3d3251%26ms bpn_PInfo%3d3-%257c0%257c0%257c3257%257c3251%257c0%257c0%257c0%2 57c0%257c0%257c0%257c%26msbpn_x%3d1%26msbpn__ftp_x %3d1%26msrpn__ftp_x%3d1%26msypn__ftp_x%3d1%26mssng %3dsus*%26mssng_x%3d1%26MSAV%3d2%26uidh%3dvm5&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnSearchResults

[Janet]

Oh my goodness, yes indeed. Thank you, Kite! So she has her father with her in 1891.

You're right, the age of Susanna is the more obvious problem, and I apologize for neglecting to point out that the family always said that Laverne was adopted.

[Janet]

Searching Ontario births for females born 9 Nov 1890, I am surprised to see how few have no father's name (and when I searched for those born on Leverne's dob, I saw none without father's name.) There is a Jessie Lillian Patterson, illegitimate, born 9 Nov 1890 in Toronto, York county, mother Maggie Patterson. I suppose we could try to trace her to see if we can rule her out. (Just thinking an adopted child is more likely to have been illegitimate.) Of course the stated dates of birth for both Ivy and Leverne could be inaccurate though.

Yes, could be.

This is William J Wynne in 1891: http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/6598/LNDRG12_181_183-0015?pid=11934807&backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2f%2fcg i-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3duki1891%26gss%3da ngs-d%26new%3d1%26rank%3d1%26gsfn%3dwilliam%26gsfn_x%3 d1%26gsln%3dwynne%26gsln_x%3d1%26gskw%3dnorthampto nshire%26gskw_x%3d1%26cpxt%3d1%26cp%3d11%26MSAV%3d 1%26uidh%3dfpy%26pcat%3d35%26fh%3d0%26h%3d11934807 %26recoff%3d%26ml_rpos%3d1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true

William J Wynne, boarder, single, 37, joiner, born Brackley Northamptonshire

I note he is recorded as being single, but would a carpenter/joiner have the financial resources to afford a divorce back then? Or did Susannah take up with the boarder and run off with him to Canada?

Thanks, Shona. Not dead, then. I had the same thought.

[kiterunner]

You're right, the age of Susanna is the more obvious problem, and I apologize for neglecting to point out that the family always said that Laverne was adopted.

I don't think I've come across an adoptee registering their own birth to their adoptive parents before.

[Janet]

Thanks, Kite. That's interesting. If you haven't seen it, I don't know who would.

I thought perhaps GHD was Laverne's biological father because in family photos they look rather alike to my eye.

Dinner's being served. Back later. You'll probably all be asleep across the pond.