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Charles Joseph PURNELL c.1874 in Canada

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date
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MargaretM

MargaretM Report 26 Oct 2013 19:59

But that 1911 Canadian census says that he emigrated 1911. Surely he would have known if he'd emigrated a few months ago or a few years.

mgnv

mgnv Report 26 Oct 2013 20:25

Presumably his landlord/landlady answered all the enumerators questions.
Unlike the English census at that time, forms weren't dropped off beforehand for the householder to fill in before collection on the day after census day, but in Canada, the enumerator went round and asked questions on the threshold (or kitchen table in the more rural areas). So maybe they just didn't know - I'ld be hard-put to give my sis-in-law's immig year.

MargaretM

MargaretM Report 26 Oct 2013 20:36

I don't know, mgnv, surely the landlord/lady would know if he's just arrived or been here a few years. He/she knew when the other lodgers emigrated 1910, 1908, 1909.

Flip

Flip Report 26 Oct 2013 22:00

The same thought occurred to me Margee, I'm not sure the census is him - when he travelled it was to go to Winnipeg, and he was a railway ?? something, can't read it.

mgnv

mgnv Report 27 Oct 2013 03:52

Chas was a labourer at a factory - James Hutichson was a switchman for the Railway - it's easy to lose track of lines as you scroll across the page.
It's clear the landlord/lady answered the questions and didn't check with her lodgers - presumably out at work. Only the Turners have birth months given.
My guess is James Hutichson is James Hutchison - it's a fairly common name in Aberdeen, and the guy is a Presbyterian. However, like all the other lodgers, he's said to be born in England with an English father - I think his mother's nationality was unknown, and the enumerator later decide to add ditto marks. I mean, how likely is it that 5 guys, aparently unrelated should all be born in England, all with Canadian mothers.
I think they probably didn't know when they all came over, and just said when they started lodging there in the unkown cases.

However, none of my doubts can be easily confirmed, and one still doesn't know if this guy is your guy - I'm open on this, myself.

MaureeninNY

MaureeninNY Report 27 Oct 2013 05:42

Does not help at all...
FMPast...it's the person who arrives as Charles J-the ticket numbers are the same.
Britain: outbound passenger lists leaving UK 1890-1960 - person transcript

Name: C PARNELL
Date of departure: 20 March 1908
Port of departure: Liverpool
Destination port: Saint John NB
Destination country: Canada
Date of Birth: 1887 (calculated from age)
Age: 21
Marital Status: Single
Sex: Male
Occupation: Rlyman

Ship: EMPRESS OF IRELAND
.........


:-S :-S :-S
Maureen
Edit: Sorry-meant to add that I'm not sure of his age.

MaureeninNY

MaureeninNY Report 27 Oct 2013 07:19

Peter...

Is /was there another thread about this?
Maureen

Peter

Peter Report 27 Oct 2013 08:23

Many thanks to all who have added to my post while I have been away.

Maureen............ There may have been a post many years ago when I first started looking for CJ Purnell's death but the Canada connection is new and this is the only post on that subject.
Looking at your outbound passenger info it says he left on 20 Mar 1908. The Canadian one I added at the beginning says he arrived on 25 Mar 1908. Looks like something isn't correct because I am not sure ships crossed the Atlantic in 5 days >

Peter

mgnv

mgnv Report 27 Oct 2013 08:27

The UK outgoing record Maureen posted puts his age of 21 in the Scotch column for males either unmarried or else unaccompanied by wife.

The Canadian incoming image whose URL I posted gives his age as 24 and says he's single - he's also a Rlway Conductor.

patchem

patchem Report 27 Oct 2013 08:33

Just for info:

'By the early 20th century (1907), the liner Mauretania with a capacity of 2,300 passengers was able to cross the Atlantic in 4.5 days,'

(That was for New York)

And if left on 20th and arrived on 25th that is up to 6 days.

Peter

Peter Report 27 Oct 2013 08:43

Thank you Patchem

I am not sure how big the Mauretania was but the Empress of Ireland was only 8028 gross tonnage so I don't think she would have been as fast.

Peter

Peter Report 27 Oct 2013 08:47

mgnv...... thanks again.

I think my original post was taken from your URL but they read his age as 34??
His occupation is hard to read but my guess was Railway Constructor (Labourer) perhaps.

MaureeninNY

MaureeninNY Report 27 Oct 2013 09:00

Really think,Peter.

This is the fellow following the Charles J on the incoming,

Britain: outbound passenger lists leaving UK 1890-1960 - person transcript

Name: W HIGHFIELD
Date of departure: 20 March 1908
Port of departure: Liverpool
Destination port: Saint John NB
Destination country: Canada
Date of Birth: 1879 (calculated from age)
Age: 29
Marital Status: Single
Sex: Male
Occupation: Lbr

............
Cripes-it's NB......it IS the middle of the ocean.

EDIT: So what's "off" ..I think it may be the arrival date?
Can't really see it on the manifest.

patchem

patchem Report 27 Oct 2013 09:21

Empress of Ireland:

http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/empressofireland.html

14000 tons?

(Mauretania 32000?)

mgnv

mgnv Report 27 Oct 2013 19:48

Peter - I read it as Rlway Conductor, but it's hard to be sure.
I note in Maureen's outgoing record, his age is listed in the Scotch column.

You're right to doubt 5 d xing:

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/passenger/001045-100.01-e.php
Ship: EMPRESS OF IRELAND
Shipping Line: Canadian Pacific Railway Co.
Departure Port and Date (yyyy/mm/dd): Liverpool, England - 1908-03-20
Port and Date of Arrival: Halifax, N.S. -
Saint John, N.B. - [1908-03-28]
Reference: RG 76
Microfilm: T-508

NB
Passenger Lists: Saint John 1900 - 1922
Microfilm Starts with: Ends with:
T-507 1906 Jan. 26 1907 March 28
T-508 1907 March 28 1908 Apr. 17

I emigrated on the Queen Mary - NY took a couple of hours over 5d, but this was in June, so one could take a more northerly route, closer to the great circle, and the QM was a much faster ship - her blue riband runs averaged over 30 kn, although she normally went in the high 20s. The Empress of Ireland averaged 18 kn - and in March one would have to travel slower and further S - Quebec & Montreal, her normal POAs, would not be ice-free for another month. In spite of having to travel 1000km up the St Lawrence, Montreal is marginally closer to Liverpool than NY is. St John NB isn't even in the same time zone as NY - it's an hr closer to the UK @ 4 hrs diff.

Peter

Peter Report 28 Oct 2013 09:20

My thanks to everyone for their input. I am not sue whether I am any closer to establishing if CJ Purnell is my missing ancestor or not but it's been fun finding out all the facts.

Regards

Peter