The Yarn of Captain Bushby

Wow! Randy's cousin Linda just knew I would love this picture! The faded carte de visite picture has to have an amazing story, right?  It was a challenge to my Google detective abilities and fun to find out all I could about Captain T. Bushby from the few clues written on the picture.  It was among the picture collection of Linda and Randy's grandmother Elsie.  First was to find where Coquimbo is and it turns out it's a port on the north end of Chile in South America. 

In the mid 1800's, copper ore was mined in the Norte Chico District of Chile and sent back to England for smelting.  The boats were then loaded with coal for the return trip to Chile to help with the mining process.  That's why Captain Bushby was on his way to Coquimbo.

A helpful site here links to a book that recounts the shipwrecks on January 21, 1860.  There were actually four of them listed but only one started out at Swansea, Wales and was heading to Chile with a load of coals.  The ship called "William Marsland" was built in 1853 in Shoreham and was identified as having a capacity volume of 350 tons. Charles Cheesman was the owner.

Not the actual ship but one similar credit to T G Purvis [Public domain]

It was classed as a "Barque" which Wikipedia says is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts having the fore- and mainmasts rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) rigged fore-and-aft.

The report in the February 1, 1860 edition of the Morning Chronicles in London says the barque foundered after colliding with another ship, the Stalk, and 11 of the 12 crew and passengers on board were drowned.  The location is described as 100 miles west of Lisbon at 38.5 N 12W.  The collision with the ship carrying barley happened at 2:00 am in a strong wind on a heavy sea.  Many of the crew and passengers from the Stalk were saved by getting into their "jollyboat" along with one miner from the William Marsland by name of William Mill from Redruth, Cornwall.  There is no mention of T. Bushby and was it not for the picture and the writing on it, he may have been lost to history as well as to the Atlantic Ocean.  

But who was T. Bushby?  Great Grandfather James was born in 1852 so he would have been 8 when the accident occurred. There is a Thomas Bushby born 1825 on this page but I haven't yet found any records for him.  I am led to guess this may have been James' uncle, a brother to his father Henry (1819-1877) and son of Frances Bushby (1784-1843) and his wife Frances Artlette (1785-1860). 

The landlocked members of the Bushby descendants that I am familiar with are so far away from their English coast ancestors.  I am glad to be able to find parts of this story and any further information would be most welcome!

Helping To Picture the Bushbys

Just over 2 years ago, thanks to cousins Ann and Wendy, a wonderful package of Elsie Boulton's letters written from 1913 to 1957 arrived in my lap. They helped me get to know some of the Bushby family so I wrote several blog posts about them in the fall of 2017. Another cousin Linda has recently gone to a huge amount of work to scan  pictures that likely accompanied these letters so many years ago. I imagine that Elsie would have been treasured these pictures as family she would never have the opportunity to see in person. I've linked back to the original blog post and hope others enjoy seeing the faces behind the names as much as I have.  

Reading Frances "Lena" Carpenter's letters to her sister Elsie becomes so much more personal when you see the above picture of Lena and Jim and their daughters Barbara and Kitty. I wonder if it is their wedding picture from 1906 and the girls were born in 1908 and 1910 to help date these moments in time. 

The above group is second youngest sister Dorothy, known as Dorrie and her husband Ewart Pickett. He was a church organist at one time and looks the part in this portrait.  They did not have children but Dorrie looked after their father James William Bushby when he returned to England. Cousin Sharon has this picture of the two of them out in the garden on a sunny day in England.  

 

These nieces of Elsie's are the daughters of her brother Walter and his wife Martha. Dorothy Francis (top two) was born in 1913 in New Jersey and her younger sister Edna Martha (below) in 1915.  Elsie had named her own daughter Edna and ironically, the letters announcing the birth and naming of the cousins crossed in the mail! What are the odds??  

Youngest sister Gertie came to Canada with Elsie in 1913 and I'm sure held a special place in her heart.  She sadly died right after the birth of her daughter June in 1929, who bears a striking resemblance to her in the side by side pictures. 

 

These five photos of June above show that Gertie's widower husband Charlie made sure Elsie saw her niece June in pictures.  

The distinguished portrait of Elsie's father James William above helps me think of him of the talented artist and carpenter he was. His letters to his daughter are full of affection and love. 

Many thanks to Randy's cousins who make this blog possible.  So many stories to tell and I'm glad that retirement gives more time to tell them!  

Bushby History - with Photos!

Last week I opened my email to a wonderful collections of Bushby family pictures.  Drusilla took photos of old cabinet cards her Uncle Jimmy has in Sweden and generously shared them with me.  Thanks heavens to the person who wrote the names on the back and even a few details that a genealogist loves to see! I wonder if that person was “Lena” Eleanor Frances Bushby Carpenter, sister of Randy’s Grandmother Elsie Boulton. Lena was Jimmy’s grandmother  and great grandmother to Drusilla.

Having birth, death, marriage and census records already, the photos have really bought these ancestors alive for me.  It makes me so curious about their everyday lives.  Thanks so much for Drusilla and Jimmy for sharing this family history and hopefully this blog post helps share it even farther.

Henry Bushby is Randy’s 2nd great grandfather. He was born in 1819 in Sussex, West Ferring, England to Francis Bushby and Frances Arlett and christened at Sompting.  He was employed as a consulting engineer for the Midland Railway Company, the back of his portrait says.  

 

On March 27, 1842 Henry married Eleanor Moore at old church St Pancras Parish Chapel. Eleanor was born 1819 in Ferring, Sussex, England and she died in January of 1903 at 84 years old in Camberwell.

The photo below seems to be labeled Aunt Moore, who could be Eleanor’s sister born 1825 or perhaps her other sister Harriet born 1823.

Henry Bushby and Eleanor Moore had 3 sons including J. W., Arthur Frank, 1856-1919 and Henry 1844- along with three daughters Elizabeth 1843-1918, Frances Ann Buckman 1847-1906 and Harriet Ellen “Nell” Willoughby 1850- whose husband George is in this dashing photo.

The mother of Lena Carpenter was Patience Emily Wooler and her mother was unwed Ann Wooler.  I believe that Ann’s parents Edward 1805-1887 and Sarah 1814-1888 raised Patience as she can be found in their household on the census of 1860 and 1870. The photo to the left is identified as them.  Edward lived at Plackett Cottage in 1881 in Hailsham,  Arlington listed as a 76 year old labourer and his wife Sarah as a launderess.

Louie Wooler is the name on the back of this one and the photographer is G. Glanville at Tunbridge Wells. I am guessing this is a sister to Ann and an aunt of Patience.  The mother of Sarah was Lucy Vine so she was likely named for her grandmother.  Continued research will need to be done for her.    

Mother and Dorothy must refer to Patience and her daughter who was called Dorrie and was born in 1892. 

This photo was not labelled but it looks like another I have seen of James William Bushby and his calling card would likely be from around 1880.

Finally this unique portrait taken at Worthington.  What do you think it says - Aunt Monk Petersfield Hants...

What wonderful moments in history were captured and my thanks again for sharing them with me. 

Note from J.W.B. - Are We Heirs to an Estate??

Isn't this a find!  When her children were going through Randy's late Aunt Mary Milliken's genealogy papers and mementos from her trip to England, this note was one thing they passed on to me.  A genealogist's dream!  Mary's mother was Elsie Norah Bushby Boulton (pictured to the left about 1900) and the J.W.B. initials at the bottom are Elsie's father, James William Bushby. 

With Google and the internet, I can sit at home and find out things that would have taken Mary miles and volumes to learn.  I vaguely remember some of the lessons in High School when reading Chaucer and Shakespeare about some of the Scottish and English battles but had to read this note several times to make sense of it.

Cousin Faye has a typed copy of the same message.

James Cunnigham, the 14th Earl of Glencairn can certainly be found easily and this picture is from Wikipedia although it says he died in 1791, not 96. He seems to be most remembered for his friendship with the poet Robbie Burns .  He was succeeded by his brother John, the 15th Earl who did die in 1796 and is buried in Edinburgh.  He and his wife had no children so the online source says the title went dormant. Lady Harriet Don is mentioned  as being Lady Henrietta Cunningham (born 23 Sept 1752; died 12 Mar 1801), married in 1778 to Sir Alexander Don of Newton Don.  

Lady Harriet's portrait from about 1800 was found online here .  She had 2 daughters who were drowned young and a son, Alexander (1780-1826) who had no children of his own but did have a step son William (1825-1865)who went on to be an actor.
In my Ancestry research, James Bushby's paternal great grandmothers don't seem to match this lady but I've only traced his maternal side to his mother Eleanor Moore (1819-1903). 

The link to this clipping from the Ottawa Journal in 1968 includes some Bushby family names but a different title - Lord of the Manor of Wormley, Hertfordshire.  

Sorry cousins - the fortune seems to be a Google dead end. But I'll keep looking... 

Heaps of Love - Eleanor Frances "Lena" Bushby Carpenter (1881-1950)

Today's blog post is about Lena, the last of the Bushby sisters that I've got to know from her letters to Elsie Bushby Boulton. 

On February 10,1881, Eleanor Frances Bushby was born the second child to James and Patience but she seems to have been always called "Lena".  In 1906 at age 25, she married Jabez Arthur "Jim" Carpenter who was the same age. 

By the 1911 census, they had their family of 2 girls, Barbara Eileen and Patience Katherine who they nicknamed "Kitty".  Jim was listed as a brewery worker and two of Lena’s sisters, Myra (known as "Queenie") and Dorothy Bushby boarded with them and worked as draper's assistants.

Five years after Arthur and Walter Bushby emmigrated, Elsie, her sister Gertrude and their father James left England for Canada in the fall of 1913.  Keeping their special sisterly relationship alive with letter writing began. 

1916 from Lena. The war is awful and things are so dear, one dare not think of luxuries. It is a good job I have and the two children or I do not know how we should live but as I have always been used to struggles, it does not come as hard to me as others.

In 1918, Elsie received a letter of sympathy on loss of her baby Emily Patience and Lena advises her not to let her husband go into the war as Jim has been gone many months with no word from him. The sentiment below from about 1920 is touching:

I was so glad to hear from you fancy only the week before you wrote me.  I dreamed you tapped at the window and we both said hello.  We had not seen each other for such a long time.  I am sorry that you have had such a lot of trouble and hope this year will be brighter.  What a little family you have already. 

 Lena and Jim lived in Harrow, a part of northwest London although they moved a few times over the years.  She wasn’t one to always date her letters but the return addresses are there to help order them. The Carpenters were right in the middle of the bombing  in World War Two and it must have been a terrible time, although she doesn't write much about it to Elsie.  The end of the conflict brought celebration with it for the Carpenter family.

1924 -  We have been very busy this year , all of us being in the Pagent of the Empire. It was held at the Exhibition Wembley a tram ride from us. I wondered if you would have come over this year as I believe there were cheap fares. I wish you could try to come next year. We went down into Somerset for our holiday, it was miserable. We could not get put up at Milton. Dorothy and Ewart came to stay  for a few days to see the Exhibition he plays the piano nice.

Googling the Pageant of the Empire did indeed find information about this event which involved an incredible 15 000 performers whose aim was to celebrate the British Empire in the summer of 1924.  The letter included below would have been written around 1930 addressed to Elsie's brother and sister-in-law Lou and Arthur Bushby as well.  

I was glad to get a letter from you & I hope dear your foot is better, & take care of yourself, as you are needed with all your little family.  I expect dear you do get tired and weary & a young baby is rather trying.  Well Dear I went away with Kitty this last year as I knew we truly needed it, after what we have been through.  Lou would not like Milton now & you would scarcely know it.  All the old faces gone bar Mrs. Witt & Mrs. Hamp are all getting old.

The letter below from 1944 helps learn about Lena's children and grandchildren at that time.  Three children were born to Barbara and her husband James Andrew Baldwin - Jean, Diane and Jimmy. Another son Robert was born after the war. Middle daughter Diane Claire became locally famous in the 50's as an Aero girl  to advertise for the chocolate bar and there is an extensive online resource about it here.  Diane was an artist who drew comics as detailed online.  

Kitty and Henry Brown had 2 daughters - Gay and Barbara. Kitty tragically died in 1947.  Although Lena's letters mention photos she enclosed for Elsie over the years, they were not with the letters. I would gladly add a picture of Lena and her family to this post if anyone has one to share. 

Thank you so much to Aunt Mary's family who passed the letters on to me this summer.  I have spent many happy hours reading them and would love to share them with anyone interested! 

Getting to Know Dorrie - Dorothy Bushby Pickett (1892-1967)

I recently spent a snowy morning getting to know Dorothy Bushby  through her letters to her sister, Elsie Boulton written from 1914 to 1957. 

Dorothy or  “Dorrie” as she was called, was born on September 25,1892, making her 8 years younger than Elsie.  Her mother Patience  died when Dorrie was 16 and on the 1911 English census she is found living with her sister Lena and her husband Jim Carpenter and their 2 daughters.  Her father James along with Elsie and another sister Gertie left for Canada in September of 1913.  On October of 1915, Dorothy married Frederick “ Ewart “ Pickett who was one year older than her in St John, Northfield,Hampshire, England. Dorothy died in December of 1967, a year after her husband. These are the basic facts I knew through family and online records.  The letters filled in the gaps and brought Dorrie to life for me. Thanks to cousin Sharon F. for the pictures of Dorothy and Ewart from 1963. 

July 1916 Ewart has been under the doctor for about six weeks, if he is well enough when he gets back, he is going to enlist.  People here are beginning to look on young men now if they don’t enlist with contempt & think they are cowards.  I certainly hope he will go, for one thing it will do him a world of good.  His mother coddles him up too much.

December 1916 I went up to Waterloo to see him off am glad to say that all the boys were very cheerful. Shall be very glad when I get a letter from him now to know within a little where he is.  They had three days leave so of course we went down to see if Mrs. Pickett & of course to tell her we are married to our surprise when we told her she said that she had known for some long time & everything went off O.K. They are all very nice to me. I am very glad that they know. 

In July of 1917 Dorrie writes that Ewart’s wounds are healing well in hospital at Swansea.  At this time Dorrie works at buying for the glove department of a local store. The letter below from February 1918 when Elsie would have been 7 months pregnant with her fourth daughter, Violet.  Dorrie's life in England was quite different.

April 1920 Yes, old dear. It would be nice to see each other again, one gets a bit lonely at times.  I am wondering if by this time you have got your baby? I do hope for your sakes it will be a boy this time you have quite enough girls now. (Indeed it was a boy - Randy's Dad Edwin was born that month!) My dear, it is quite hopeless about we, we cannot indulge in those sort of things we have not yet got a home. A house is quite out of the question it’s impossible to get one, rooms are just as scarce and one is just not wanted if you have children.

Letters from 1922 tell that they moved to a two room place 78 Melbourne Road in Leicester.  They rent a  sitting room and bedroom for 18 shillings a week but the bedroom is up 32 stairs!  They have a piano in their sitting room as Ewart is organist at Belvoir Street Baptist Church which pays 40 pounds/year. Ewart earns his living as an insurance claims inspector - a job he was very lucky to get according to Dorrie, after leaving the army. She often writes about their holidays like a travel diary - boat trips through the Orkney Islands and a driving trip to see old castles and tourist stops to include their old hometown of Milton on the south coast.  She encourages Elsie's children to get a map and follow their route. In 1926 they moved to the house next door at 80 MelbourneRoad , now a schoolyard. 

She tells Elsie their father is ailing and asks her to send money as her sisters are doing for his care.  James Bushby lives with her throughout the next few years and although his eyesight had failed, he enjoys listening to the wireless with Dorrie's cat Billie on his knee by the fire.  He died in her home on August 8, 1931. 

Her love of all things green shows through in her letters and I think she knows Elsie would be most interested in these descriptions.

June 1931 Ewart's sister took me for a little ride in her car last Friday and the hedgerows were a mass of cow parsley and pink campion and they did look lovely. The May is now out in full bloom and the woods are a sheet of blue with bluebells in fact everywhere is looking beautiful with all the different shades of green especially as we have had lots of rain.  I love Springtime.  My garden is beginning  to look nice and soon I shall have some roses. Do you remember that pink shrub we had a Priory Cottage? Well I have a tree of it in my garden and it’s been a mass of blooms.

In the thirties, Dorrie sent clothes to the Boulton house that were well received due to the lack of crops and money on the prairies and the favours go back in the war years.  Dorrie also says to pass along their address to any Canadian friends who are on their way overseas in the forces.   

Dorrie writes that she fears for her sister Lena and her family during the raids:

They are right in the front line of fire. I wrote to them and asked if they would like to come and share out home but they say they are going to try to stick it out. It seems to me that the noise  of the gunfire worried them more than the actual bombs.  It seems that Lena and Jim have gone to live with Kit and Henry and they have an Anderson shelter but Barbara said that her children sleep under the stairs and they have a bed downstairs. It seems to me that one has to take once’s chance....

In May of 1941 Dorrie writes that it is their night to be on fire duty and she has just got up at 2 am to let Ewart get some rest.  Pulling the blackout curtains at night, the rationing and growing food in her garden for the first time are news she shares.  March 1943:

In April 15, 1956 a letter arrives from Zachary Morton Recovery Home and she tells Elsie that she had a lump in her left breast and had it removed.  Ever the cheery letter writer, she talks about the wonderful care and the birds. The ward she is in is on the top floor and they feed birds crumbs on the windowsill-chaffinch, blue tits, blackbirds, thrushes .  She says she is there under the National Health Scheme so it will not cost her a penny and later that year she writes to say she has had daily radiological treatments for a month.

The last of her letters in 1957 tells she is doing all her own work now and talks about the roses in her garden.
The letters made for fascinating reading and I was sorry to come to the end of them.  The pile from their sister Lena waiting for me next!