Friday, March 18, 2011

JAMES DEVITT B. ABOUT 1870 MINNESOTA

James Devitt and Catherine Delaney of Irish parents were both born in Rosemount, Dakota County, Minnesota.  They moved to Winnepeg, Canada, where James Cyril Devitt was born and raised.  It was told to me that the reason he left the US was he didn't like the taxes.  I believe the railroad coming through before 1900 allowed them access out of Minnesota and up to Winnepeg.   Winters aren't much different!    James Cyril Devitt married Fanya Rodman (Grandma Russia as we call her) and they moved to Windsor, Canada, to a small place called Sandwich.  They have been found in the old city directories there.  Grandma said she took a ferry from Detroit to Canada and found a lovely cottage with flowers that she just had to live in.  There are many records of Cy and Grandma coming across to the US a few times.     Cy's brother Lewis was a family secret until we uncovered him.  Grandma did not know her husband had a brother.   He had several children in the US as well.    James Devitt, Cy's father died in Detroit around 1930.  Cy was a dispatcher and had very good carpenter skills which mom inherited, as well as Jack.  And Bill!

Richard Barlow

After 20 years of looking for Richard Barlow's father, Charles, in Lancashire, we finally found him in Yorkshire. That section of Yorkshire/Lancashire was called the Riding area.  It was an industrial area where mostly cloth was manufactured.  It was like going from North Salt Lake into Salt Lake for all the factories were together but some were in different counties.  So we found Charles because he was known to be a "dyer" as stated on his son's marriage certificate.  On the 1851 census (after Richard has migrated to Wisconsin) we asked the search engine to find all Charles Barlow's born about the time he would have been born,  and found  a Charles "a dyer" in Yorkshire.   The street was Rawthorpe and when we checked Richards' one child's birth certificate, it was in Yorkshire on that street at that address!  We always wondered why that child was not born in Lancashire. Charles's wife was Hannah Jubb, and she was from that section of Yorkshire. 

Fanya Rodman Devitt - Cathy's side

I found grandma's marriage entry.  It was in Michigan, not Niagra Falls.  I thought she told me she was married in Niagra Falls...guess she just went on her honeymoon there.  She relayed to me that she took Tillie Wirth (then Soloman) her best friend,  with her on her honeymoon with Cy.  She laughed about that.   When they married grandma stated her residence was Michigan, in 1924 and Cy also.  Her occupation:  actress....  laugh for all those who knew her!.  Drama queen yes, actress.. ??? .maybe her dancing shows had her acting in some portions.  She once told me of a male dancer who threatened to throw her off his shoulder into the orchestra pit, and she just yanked hard on his hair to stop him.  She said the life of "road dance performers" was sickening.   

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Richard Barlow

After 20 years of looking for Richard Barlow's father, Charles, in Lancashire, we finally found him in Yorkshire. That section of Yorkshire/Lancashire was called the Riding area.  It was an industrial area where mostly cloth was manufactured.  It was like going from North Salt Lake into Salt Lake for all the factories were together but some were in different counties.  So we found Charles because he was known to be a "dyer" as stated on his son's marriage certificate.  On the 1851 census (after Richard has migrated to Wisconsin) we asked the search engine to find all Charles Barlow's born about the time he would have been born,  and found  a Charles "a dyer" in Yorkshire.   The street was Rawthorpe and when we checked Richards' one child's birth certificate, it was in Yorkshire on that street at that address!  We always wondered why that child was not born in Lancashire. Charles's wife was Hannah Jubb, and she was from that section of Yorkshire.

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