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Up until about 15 years ago, I thought my grandmother only had 2 sisters, then a chance conversation gave rise to an older sister who had emigrated. Her name was Nellie, I was told, and she married a Canadian service man and moved to Canada after the first world war. They thought his name was Spence.
So my search began. I looked for a birth for Nellie Mackness but couldn’t find one anywhere. This was before things were online, so I went to record offices. Eventually I put the search on hold as I had a young family, and time wouldn’t permit.
Finally, the 1901 census came online, and I saw a chance to find her at last. The 1901 entry showed her name was Eleanor, and she was born in 1885. So, now at least, I knew who I was looking for. Visits to the Family Record Centre eventually paid off, after much trawling. I found a marriage but the name was entered incorrectly. She was listed as Ellen Mackness. She married in 1905, and her spouse was Stephen Spencer, also a native of Northampton.
So, I’d been sent on a wild goose chase from day one! Never mind, I thought, the information was now accurate. But how to find her now?
I had an Ancestry membership, but I increased to a worldwide subscription, since there were Canadian records on there. She didn’t appear on there, though, nor did her husband, Stephen.
Then I had contact from an interested member on genesreunited. June Wright was descended from the Spencer family, and since I had put Eleanor and Stephen’s details on my site we had a link. She knew nothing about Stephen emigrating to Canada, but she did have people in Canada, anyway, that she was looking for.
We met up and our searches began in earnest. June was looking for a marriage for Stephen’s sister Margaret, and she finally ordered the correct one. Margaret married Henry Bull. She discovered that they had emigrated to Grimsby, Ontario, and made contact with somebody who said that Eleanor and Stephen were there, too.
A look on the 1911 Canadian census showed that Henry and Margaret were there, and also showed an Edward Spencer lodging with them. Edward was Stephen’s middle name, and he was the correct age to be my great uncle, but there was still no sign of his wife.
I looked up Grimsby on the internet and found a website for them. I contacted a name on there, not really expecting to get a reply, asking if there was any way to find out about Eleanor and Stephen.
To my surprise, I was contacted by a lady saying that there was a record of a plot being purchased at the local cemetery by Mrs Stephen Spencer. Further investigation showed it to be the resting place of a daughter, aged 2 years, Eleanor Mary. She had no further information, though.
I then contacted the Grimsby family history society, who began searching.
I found that there was a phonebook on Ancestry, so I sent letters to everybody with the surname of Spencer living in Grimsby, again not expecting any results, but happily, one lady wrote back, saying that she didn’t know anything about the family, but that she had contacted the local museum, who did. She even gave me the phone number. So I rang, and spoke to Janet Cannon, who promised to see what she could find.
She found the burial plot for Stephen in the local cemetery, and where they had lived up to 1940, but she had no more information.
I began to look further afield, and contacted the Hamilton family history society. After much searching, they came up with obituaries that were to prove my lifeline. I had them for Stephen, Eleanor, and their son, Arthur, and his wife. Arthur had six children, and they were all named, along with where they were living.
On impulse, I looked up the Canadian phone book online and was amazed to see a number that looked right, so I rang it. The man answered, and I asked,
“Excuse me for the intrusion, but are you Jack Edward Spencer?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Are you the son of Arthur James Spencer and the grandson of Eleanor Mackness?” I asked.
“Yes,” he replied, sounding very mystified.
“My grandmother was Eleanor’s sister, so that makes me your cousin!”
The line went silent for a moment, then we had a chat and he put me on to his wife Margaret. She gave me her email address and so began our communication. They were thrilled to bits that I contacted them. I also told June and she made contact with them.
Then, earlier this month, I was contacted by one of Jack and Margaret’s nieces, who wanted to meet us.
So, now, June and I have finally booked our flights, and in June next year we are going to Cleveland to meet the Ohio branch of the family, and after a week with them, we are going up to Hamilton, Ontario to spend a week with the rest of the family.
I never imagined, a year ago, that I would ever find them, and soon, not only will I be going out there, but they will come over here, later, to to visit their roots.
Without genesreunited this wouldn't have been possible
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