Steve’s Genealogy Blog

When I visited the grave of Allister Daniel Rawding and Family in 2005, I obtained a copy of the cemetery record for the lot. The employees at St. John’s Cemetery in Worcester, Massachusetts were very gracious and provided me with all the help I needed to find the gravesite.

The Cemetery Record of Allister Daniel Rawding and Family - Page 1

The Cemetery Record of Allister Daniel Rawding and Family - Page 2

SOURCE: The Cemetery Record of Allister Daniel Rawding and Family. St. John’s Cemetery, Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts. Record printed on 09 Sep 2005.

The cemetery record shows that:

Phyllis A. Crowley was buried on 17 Jun 2005 in Lot 16 1N/OT
Allister D. Rawding was buried on 09 Dec 1964 in Lot 16 1N/EX
John W. Rawding was buried on 19 May 1975 in Lot 16 Grv-CEN/AH
Hannah C. Rawding was buried on 28 Feb 1956 in Lot 16 Grv-CEN/RD
Lot 16 1S/OT is reserved
Allister D. Rawding was buried on 18 Jan 2000 in Lot 16 1S/EX

All plots are in the St. Jude section of St. John’s Cemetery.

Phyllis A. Crowley, John W. Rawding, and Allister D. Rawding (in Lot 16 1S/EX) are three of the children of Allister D. Rawding (in Lot 16 1N/EX) and Hannah C. Rawding.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Cemetery Record of Allister Daniel Rawding and Family.

The record indicates that the lots were purchased by Allister D. Rawding Jr., residing at 8 Cardinal Road, Worcester, MA. He purchased the property on 27 Feb 1956, apparently on the occasion of the death of his mother, Hannah C. Rawding, who was buried on the next day. He paid $300 on 03 Jan 1957. The property included 6 spaces and 3 burial spaces in a 10 x 10 area, suggesting that the burials were made two deep.

When recording the source of cemetery records, it is important to record the date on which the record was printed. The record itself will not always include that information, and so the researcher may need to add that information by hand.

Burial information may change with time if additional burials take place in the same lot or if a casket is removed and reinterred elsewhere. The date the record was printed helps the researcher to know the state of the grave at a given point in time.

Realizing that the state of a grave may change with time, the researcher may find it necessary to obtain a new copy of the cemetery record at a later date.

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

Allister Daniel Rawding was the grandfather of several of my maternal first cousins. He immigrated to the United States from Nova Scotia, Canada and died in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He is buried in St. John’s Cemetery in Worcester with his wife and three of his children.

The Gravestone of the Allister Daniel Rawding Family - Front

The Gravestone of the Allister Daniel Rawding Family - Back

SOURCE: Grave Marker of Allister Daniel Rawding and Family, St. John’s Cemetery, St. Jude Section, Lot 16 (Worcester, Worcester Co.), Massachusetts, photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 09 Sep 2005.

The inscription on the grave states:

FRONT:

RAWDING

OUR LADY - PRAY FOR US

BACK:

ALLISTER D. RAWDING SR.
MAY 19 1893 - DEC 5 1964
HIS WIFE
HANNAH CURRAN RAWDING
JUNE 8 1889 - FEB 25 1956

JOHN W. RAWDING
OCT 5 1916 - MAY 8 1975

ALLISTER D. RAWDING JR.
JAN 14 1925 - JAN 15 2000

John W. Rawding and Allister D. Rawding Jr. are sons of Allister D. Rawding Sr. and Hannah Curran Rawding. Although not listed on the monument at the time this photograph was taken in 2005, a daughter, Phyllis A. Rawding Crowley is also buried here.

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

After finding the family of John Rawding in the 1901 Census of Canada, I searched for the family in the 1911 Census, but couldn’t find the family.  I did find a John Rawding in Nova Scotia in 1911, but he is in Halifax County, not Kings County, and he is listed alone as an inmate in Nova Scotia Hospital.  The rest of his family is nowhere to be found.

1911 Census Record for John Rawding (Left Side)

1911 Census Record for John Rawding (Right Side)

SOURCE: John Rawding, 1911 Canada Census, Schedule 1, Nova Scotia, District No. 45 - Halifax County, Sub-District No. 4 – Cole Harbour, Dwelling House 90, Family or Household 96, Page 17, Line 13, Library and Archives Canada Micropublication T-20359.

Click on the link for a PDF Copy of the 1911 Census Record for John Rawding.  The record shows that:

• John Rawding is listed as an inmate in the Nova Scotia Hospital in Cole Harbour, Halifax County, Nova Scotia
• John is 53 years old and a widower
• John was born in Nova Scotia, was of Scotch origin, Canadian nationality, Baptist religion, and could read and write
• He was a lumberman by trade

Some of the information (Dwelling Number, Family Number, and Place of Habitation) are not listed on this page of the census, but are listed on page 10, where the enumeration of the residents of the Nova Scotia Hospital begins.  In addition, some of the information (Place of Birth, Racial Origin, Nationality, and Religion) are noted on line 13 by ditto marks and are inferred from the lines above John Rawdings enumeration.

The location of this John Rawding in Nova Scotia is a good sign, but he is in Halifax County, not Kings County.  He is, however, in the hospital in 1911 which may explain why he is in a different county.

John’s age is about right, and it is quite possible his wife died between 1901 and 1911, leaving him a widower.  The birthplace of Nova Scotia is correct, and his Scotch origin, Canadian nationality, Baptist religion, and ability to read and write are all consistent with what is written in other records.

His occupation, however, is listed as “lumberman” in 1911.  In 1901 he was a farmer.  Did John change occupations?

The questions remain, is this the correct John Rawding?  Most of the information seems to match up, but the occupation is different.  And, if this is John Rawding, where are his children?

Copyright © 2006 Stephen J. Danko

Yesterday I wrote about the World War I Draft Registration Card I found for Allister Rawding.  The images I presented were downloaded from the internet and were fairly difficult to read.

While filing that record, I found I had electronic images from FHL US/CAN Film 1684748 that I had saved several years ago.  To my surprise, the record I had saved from the Family History Library microfilm was of much better quality than the image I obtained from an online database.  Compare the images below with those I published yesterday and see for yourself:

WWI Draft Registration for Allister Rawding - Front

WWI Draft Registration for Allister Rawding - Back

SOURCE: Allister Daniel Rawding, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Micropublication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration), Roll MA40, Microfilm No. 1684748, Family History Library [FHL], Salt Lake City, Utah.

Click on the link for a PDF Copy of the World War I Draft Registration Card for Allister Rawding.  I was surprised at how much clearer these images are than the same images I had downloaded from the internet.  I suspect the difference in quality of the electronic images was related to the quality of the microfilm from which the electronic images were prepared.

Many historical documents have been microfilmed multiple times, by different agencies.  Sometimes I’ve found that the Genealogical Society of Utah (the Family History Library) has, itself, filmed the same documents multiple times, with one filming of much better quality than another.

But even the Family History Library does not necessarily have the best microfilm copies of a set of records.  Several years ago, I looked up some newspaper obituaries on microfilm at the Family History Library, but found them almost unreadable.  I found a different filming of the same newspaper at a Local Public Library that was incredibly better.

The lesson here is, if the microfilm copy of a set of documents is of poor quality, there might be a better film housed at some other facility.

Copyright © 2006 Stephen J. Danko

Allister Rawding, the father-in-law of my Aunt Nat, registered for the World War I Draft on 05 Jun 1917.  In 1901, he was living with his parents and siblings in Nova Scotia, but in 1917 he was living in Norwood, Massachusetts, the United States of America.

WWI Draft Registration for Allister Rawding - Front

WWI Draft Registration for Allister Rawding - Back

SOURCE: Allister Daniel Rawding, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Micropublication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration), roll MA40.

Click on the link for a PDF Copy of the World War I Draft Registration for Allister Rawding.  The document states that:

Allister Daniel Rawding, age 24, registered for the World War I Draft in Norwood, Norfolk County, Massachusetts on 05 Jun 1917
Allister lived at 49 Prospect Ave, Norwood, Massachusetts with a wife and child
He was an alien, an English subject, born on 19 May 1893 in Millville, Kings County, Nova Scotia
He was married, Caucasian, and worked as a steamfitter for the Geo. H. Morrill Ink Mill in Norwood, Massachusetts
Allister was tall, of medium build, had light blue eyes, dark brown hair, and no disabilities
Based on this information and that in the 1901 Census, Allister emigrated to the United States, married, and had a child between 1901 and 1917.

As a final note, not all microfilm copies of a record are equal.  The images shown here are from the Ancestry.com database, but the microfilm copies at the Family History Library are of much better quality, even though the films are of the same records.

Copyright © 2006 Stephen J. Danko

While searching for the 1901 Canadian Census Record for John Rawding and his family, I came across several other records for this family.  In particular, I noticed that some of the family members traveled back and forth between Canada and the United States and left behind the records of those journeys.

Many records of alien arrivals at various United States ports of entry have been preserved.  These records include Card Manifests (Alphabetical) of Entries through the Port of Detroit, MI, 1906-1954, United States National Archives microfilm publication M1478, 117 rolls.  The record for James Rawding, son of John Rawding, entering the United States at Detroit in 1923 is recorded on roll number 83.  Better yet, Ancestry.com has digitized these records and access to these records is free for the rest of the year 2006.

Detroit Card Manifest for James Rawding, Front

Detroit Card Manifest for James Rawding, Back

SOURCE:  James Rawding; December 12, 1923, in Card Manifests (Alphabetical) of Entries through the Port of Detroit, MI, 1906-1954; micropublication M1478 (Washington: National Archives), roll83. 

James Rawding’s Card Manifest was recorded on Form Spl. 187A, Primary Inspection Memorandum.  The information recorded on the front of this card is similar to that recorded on the Ellis Island Passenger Manifests and is transcribed in the attached PDF file.  The back of the card was used to record information if an alien appealed a decision barring him from entering the United States.  The card for James Rawding has a few notes on the back of the card, but was apparently admitted.  Information on the front of the card includes the following information:

• James Rawding, a single male born and living in Aylesford, Nova Scotia entered the United States on 12 Dec 1923 at Detroit, Michigan
• James was 34 years old, was of Scottish race and Canadian citizenship, and was employed as a steamfitter
• James had a brother Fred in Aylesford, Kings County, Nova Scotia
• James had previously been in the United States, specifically in Vermont, from 1920-1922
• On this trip, James intended to go to a hotel, intended to stay in the United States for a month, and did not intend to become a citizen
• James was described in good health, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with fair complexion, brown hair, and blue eyes
• He had a ticket, paid for his passage himself, and had with him $50.00

Now that I know these records exist, I’m going to start looking for border crossing records for others I know entered the United States through Canada.

Copyright © 2006 Stephen J. Danko

Today, I participated in an online chat for the Canadian Records courses I’m taking through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  During that chat, I mentioned that I was interested in finding Canadian immigration records.  None of my direct ancestors lived in Canada, but three of my aunts and two of my uncles married spouses with roots in Canada.

The instructor, Brenda Merriman, mentioned that Canadian immigration records were only maintained starting in 1865.  I knew that most of the families for which I was searching had immigrated before that, so I’d have no luck looking for immigration records for most of them.  One family, the Rawdings, was still a possibility.  I knew that my Aunt Nat’s father-in-law, Allister Rawding, was born on 19 May 1893 in Millville, Aylesford, Nova Scotia, but I didn’t know when the family immigrated to Canada.

Brenda suggested that I search the 1901 and 1911 Census Records for Canada to find the year of immigration.  I quickly searched the Ancestry.com database and, to my surprise, I found Allister Rawding in the 1901 Census living with his parents, John and Melissa Rawding!

1901 Census Record for the John Rawding Household (Left Side)

1901 Census Record for the John Rawding Household (Right Side)

SOURCE: John Rawding Household, 1901 Canada Census, Schedule 1, Nova Scotia, District No. 36 - Kings County, Sub-District No. S – Millville, Dwelling House 1, Family or Household 1, Lines 1-8, Library and Archives Canada Micropublication T-6453. 

Click on the link for a PDF Copy of the 1901 Census Record for the John Rawding Household.  The record states that:

• The household consists of John Rawding born 6 Apr 1853, his wife Melissa born 3 Sep 1851, and their children Bernard born 14 Jul 1883, Ernest S. born 19 Sep 1884, James M. born 14 Dec 1885, Minnie S. born 23 May 1886, Frederick born 3 May 1889, and Allister born 19 May 1893
• Everyone in the household was born in Nova Scotia, was of Irish origin, was of Canadian nationality, was of Baptist faith, could read and write, and spoke English, but none spoke French
• John’s occupation was farmer working at home in a mill, Bernard’s occupation was [illegible] son, and Ernest’s occupation was mill hand working at home in a mill
• John and Ernest worked 6 months in a factory and 6 months at home, each earning $120 in their occupation
• James, Minnie, Frederick, and Allister were in school 10 months of the year

Well, clearly, if John and Melissa were born in Nova Scotia in the 1850s, I don’t need to search Canadian immigration records, since their families were in Canada before the immigration records were maintained.

However, this clearly was an early Christmas present.  I now have information on the Rawding family I didn’t have before, and this information may lead to more records, especially the Canadian Census records from 1861-1891.