Well then.
Something I could never imagine has happened. Today's post could appear on
both my family blogs- 52 Ancestors 52 Weeks
and The Boulton Blog. No, I’ve not found out we are actually related - but it got me wondering!
At a recent Prairie Lane Consignment Auction
sale at Souris, I was just about to leave empty handed when I took one last stroll around the tables of treasures. I’m not sure how I missed
it the first look around, but sitting on the table with items waiting for the
top bidder was this picture! I'm sure my chin hit the floor and looked around to see if someone had a hidden camera on me.
As featured in this previous post, it shows the
Boulton family in front of their 1892 home south of Reston around 1910! An identical picture hung on the wall in the
old house for many years and was moved to hang in the new building in the yard a few
years ago. As I sat there (trying to look cool) waiting for it to come up, I wondered where it had been
in the 108 years since then. It has a mark in the corner to indicate it was
taken by the Reston photographic company Boynton & Eaton. The RM of Albert history book from 1984 includes the same picture and identifies the people as (standing on veranda) Herb Boulton, Susan Bigney, Annie Kendrick, (standing beside) Stanley Boulton , Anthony Boulton, Thomas Boulton
(Randy’s grandfather) ,
Louisa Roe, Russell Roe, Ann Boulton (Randy’s great
grandmother) and little Tom Roe sitting in front. Wherever it's been, the picture is now framed and takes its place on top of the old Boulton sideboard buffet in our home alongside pictures of the next generations.
The same consignor, #16, had another beautiful old portrait for
sale and the more I looked at it, the more I thought I saw facial similarities to some of
Randy’s cousins. When I sent him a photo
of it, he agreed the face looked familiar so I was waiting on pins and needles
again. (I really had to visit the washroom
but just couldn’t leave and risk missing it come up for bids! haha) It and a few others in the lot went up to $30
before the auctioneer looked at me and said "Sold!" I may have scared the other bidder out with my waving frantically...
After getting it home, Randy took the shingles off
the back of the portrait. I was so
excited to see if there was a name on the back.
We had guessed it was likely Louisa Roe, Grandpa Thomas Boulton’s
sister. When the first board was off, I
could see there was indeed pencil cursive writing on the back of the
picture! The second board was removed to
a gasp - Jas Milne, Griswold, Man.
Whaaaat? Milne’s are my
relatives!
Milne is a common name in the North East part of Scotland and a Milne who I found on Facebook and a former resident of Griswold has helped me immensely in my research by telling me there were 3 families of that name in Griswold when she was growing up and none were related! As we talked, we found we had shared Milne roots with the same great great grandfather John! My Grandma Kinnaird’s first cousin was Roy Milne, the UGG grain buyer at Griswold for 30 years.
I have done some online (and on ground) research and have made a
few discoveries about this Milne family. I found a James Milne and his wife Isabella Bean are buried with matching marble
stones in Griswold Cemetery. He died in
1907 at the young age of 44 and she at 60 years old in 1924. He came to Canada in 1887 and she in 1891.
- Eric James born July 23, 1892. He died in WW1 on April 17, 1917 and is buried in Nine Elms Military Cemetery in France. his name appears on the war memorial in Griswold.
- Victor Maurice born January 30, 1894. He was buried in Griswold Cemetery after his death on March 17,1963. He had married Mabel Sanders on October 16, 1935 and she died in 2005 and is buried at Griswold.
- Coralie Isobel born September 24,1895. She went on to marry Edward Senkbeil and they farmed near Kemnay
- Cecil Vivian born April 25,1898
If the portrait was taken in the 1880's, it may be of Isabella or perhaps it is James' mother back in Scotland. Maybe I have the wrong people altogether! If anyone knows any descendants of James and
Isabella, please let them know that I have this picture and would be glad to
get it back to them. When I contacted
the auctioneer, she told me that Consignor 16 is looked after by the Public Trustee. She had spoken to the Public Trustee on my behalf and unfortunately all information is confidential and cannot be released. Those beautiful pictures will remain a mystery, she said. She obviously doesn't know my genealogy detective skills!😉
