Genealogy Chat

My maternal grandmother's (Isabella Dorcas [mis-spelt as Darkies on cert] Platt, b.1876 in Liverpool) brother together with their sibling Thomas Henry Platt, b 1884. All born in Liverpool, of Henry Platt, b 1848 and Sarah Ellen Curzon, b 1849.

James emigrated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, sometime before the first world war, as we have a photo of him in Canadian Army Uniform, 'putties' and all !, together with his wife, first name Jennie, maiden name unknown. Also in the photo is their infant son Thomas, in a little sailor's uniform. They kept a shop in Toronto, general goods and groceries I believe. Great-uncle Jim was a frequent visitor to UK after Jennie died. He visited our home several times when I was around age 10, to see his siblings and their families.

If anyone knows about his marriage, and their deaths in Canada, I would be grateful.

Have you looked on FreeBMD for a possible marriage .?

Actually,it looks as though he was born as Robert James PLATT in 1887 in Runcorn.

Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928 about Robert James Platt
Name: Robert James Platt
Birth Place: England
Age: 27
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1887
Father Name: Henry Platt
Mother Name: Sarah E Curzons Platt
Spouse Name: Jeronie (Jennie) Harding
Spouse's Age: 22
Spouse Birth Year: abt 1892
Spouse Birth Place: England
Spouse Father Name: George Harding
Spouse Mother Name: Jennie Harding
Marriage Date: 18 Feb 1914
Marriage County or District: Carleton


Maureen

WOW!! MaureeninNY you've been an' gone an' 'cracked it' at the first go!

What a resourceful lady you must be! Seriously!

Thank you for your interest and your superb skill.

We were all a Runcorn family, where I still have lots of cousins having the Platt origins! Isabella was born in Liverpool, but moved to Runcorn before she was married to my grandfather.


'Horrace' :-)

This also figures correct MaureeninNY because my grandmother named her first boy child Robert James ...after her brother, it would appear. :-)

Thank you too, Shirley, for your input, which I would have used if Maureen hadn't been so accurate...ha ha!

Best wishes!

'Horrace' :-)

I'll leave this thread open for a while to see whether anyone has pinpointed their deaths...and as a bonus (to me, that is!) the birth and marriage of their son, and any of his siblings.

I don't want jam on it, do I ? Ha ha!

Horrace, a word of advise - never close a thread! Always leave it open and go back to it from time to time as you never know what might turn up.

His service record:

Canada, Soldiers of the First World War, 1914-1918

Name: Robt Jas Platt
Residence: St Edin
Birth Date: 30 Mar 1886
Birth Location: Recerions Cheshire, England
Relative: Jennie Platt
Relationship: Wife
Regiment Number: 904563

Links to the images:

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-119.02-e.php?image_url=http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gpc014/580219a.gif&id_nbr=580037

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/cef/001042-119.02-e.php?image_url=http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gpc014/580219b.gif&id_nbr=580037

1916 Canada Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta

Name: Robert Platt
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Age: 29
Est. Birth Year: 1887
Birthplace: England
Year of Immigration: 1910
Home in 1916: 09D, Edmonton East, Alberta
Address: 9308 105 Str, Sarcee Camp
Racial or Tribal Origin: English
Relation to Head of Household: Self
Spouse's Name: Jennie Platt
Sub District Desc.: (A - I) inclusive, City of Edmonton, such portion as is situated in this district according to the Representation Act, 1914.
Household Members:
Name Age
Robert Platt 29
Jennie Platt (age illegible) born England. Arrived Canada 1901
James Platt 1

I'm not 100% sure about this, but it does seem highly possible. They're at a Forces Camp in Edmonton and James Robert had attested at Edmonton in March 1916.

Note this man arrived 1910.

Did he remarry at some point?

Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1957

Name: Robert James Platt
Arrival Date: 10 Oct 1948
Age: 61
Birth Date: 30 Mar 1887
Birthplace: Runcorn Cheshire
Gender: Male
Race/Nationality: English

Port of Arrival: Detroit, Michigan
Accompanied by: Wife Mildred (age 63)
Departure Contact: Son James Platt - of Toronto
Arrival Contact: Brother-in-law Rainsford Heath of Portland, Oregon

He was a window dresser of 2636 Danforth, Ontario.

They were in transit on their way to Vancouver

This could well be his outward voyage:

UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960

Name: Robert J Platt
Gender: Male
Departure Date: 30 Sep 1910
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Destination Port: Quebec, Canada
Ship Name: Victorian
Shipping Line: Allan Line
Official Number: 121216
Master: E Outram

Occupation just says "lab" but it wasn't uncommon for them to put labourer for anyone who worked.

This is the arrival in Canada:

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935

Name: Robt Platt
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1887
Date of Arrival: 7 Oct 1910
Vessel: Victorian
Port of Arrival: Quebec
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Roll: T-4772

He was headed to Montreal where he intended to be a tram conductor.

I think this is him in 1911 - he seems to switch between his names. The arrival year of 1910 fits, as does the month and year of birth match the Detroit crossing (both records are 1 year different to his attestation papers)

1911 Census of Canada about James Platt
Name: James Platt
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Age: 24
Birth Date: Mar 1887
Birthplace: England
Relation to Head of House: Boarder
Immigration Year: 1910
Tribal: English
Province: Quebec
District: Hochelaga
District Number: 160
Sub-District: Montréal
Sub-District Number: 20
Place of Habitation: 853 Ceñtre

Household Members:
Name Age
John Parkinson 32
Martha Parkinson 30
John Parkinson 10
Cecil Parkinson 5
James Platt 24

Labourer in a sawmill.

Horrace, the births marriages and deaths are probably too recent to find on-line, Canada has a much stricter sense of privacy than we do.

Hello MarieCeleste,

Goodness me!

You absolutely overwhelm me at your research skills, with this unexpected cornucopia of information about my great-uncle Jim. I never knew he re-married, neither that he either lost Jennie through death, or divorce, or whatever! :-)

It's going to take some digesting, so I'm printing it off so that your work is preserved for my family. I just can't find the words to thank you enough Marie.

I'm so excited by your contribution that I haven't even clicked on those links yet, nor really 'digested' all that is here.

I'll get back to you with my reactions at this wealth of information.

You've helped me greatly in the past too. It's never forgotten!

I'll leave all my threads open from now on, as you wisely advise.

Best wishes,

'Horrace' :-)

My mother was christened Jennie (that exact spelling) by Isabella Dorcas Platt. Probably after Jennie Platt, her brother James's first wife, of course.


Horrace

:-)

You're very welcome Horrace!

I found Robert James' baptism, thought it handy to post it as the birth date verifies what has been found on the overseas records:

Parish Record Collection - Baptism Record

Forenames: Robert James
Surname: Platt
Sex: Male
Baptism Year: 1887
Baptism Date: 14 Apr 1887
Date of Birth: 30 Mar 1887
Age:
Location: Runcorn, Halton Road Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Runcorn
Father's Forenames: Henry
Father's Surname: Platt
Mother's Forename: Sarah Ellen
Mother's Surname: Platt
Parish: Runcorn, Halton Road Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
City or Town: Runcorn
County: Cheshire
Record source: Non-Conformist & Roman Catholic Baptisms 17th century-1910
Data provider: Cheshire Archives and Local Studies

Abode: 40 Norfolk Street, Runcorn.

Horrace

A tip, if I may.

When estimating birth years...............consider the mother's age..............and the birth years of siblings

Plus, in this instance, the fact that he emigrated before the start of WW1

And always remember to look for info yourself on freebmd..............

Hi Reggie,

Constructive comments like yours are always welcome with me R.

Yes, as you advise, I'll have to 'get into' looking in freebmd. I never seem to consider that source unless I'm desperate, or 'stuck' on a point.

Horrace

.

Hello MarieCeleste,

Thank you for Robert James Platt's baptism information.

This afternoon I've been sorting through hundreds of our old family photographs to find great-uncle Jim's photos, and have found four of them, all taken in Canada.

I've scanned them into my Picasa3 album and I'm wondering whether there's a way to send them to you through Genes R. And failing that, by e-mail

One is of the three of them, with Robert James in uniform, and Jennie wearing a Maple Leaf brooch on what also looks like an army uniform skirt and blouse, with little James in his sailor suit. A note on the back in an unknown hand says: "Baby, Jennie, and Jim. Baby is only 20 months, what do you think of him and his pants?" There is a later note underneath that by the Platt family over here, which says that they owned the business until Jennie died in early 1950.

There's another one of little James, in a larger sailor suit ! at about 5/6 years old.
No 'useful' comments on the back of this one.

The 3rd one is of Robert James and Jennie, nee Harding (Both UK nationals by birth) It looks as though it could be on their ( or someone else's) wedding day, as they're both wearing flowers: a buttonhole and a corsage.

The final photo is of a shop-front. It's looks a strange business, hard to identify, with the exception of the advertisement of "Sweet Caporal Cigarettes" very evident! There appears to be a lot of framed photographs of people in the window, neatly arranged and in portrait style, with a large Maple Leaf showing as a centrepiece. Could this be James's handy-work as a window-dresser? It could be their own business of course, which great-uncle Jim seemed to suggest at the time of his visit in around 1949/50, which was of course around the time of Jennie's death, as we have just noted.

I'd like you to see them MarieCeleste!

Best wishes,

Horrace :-)