The Genealogy & Family History Social Network
One Brick Wall Down, couple more to go
Found my great-great-grandfather by a few clues. Related to Oliver Lodge the physicist, wife's name Katharine, profession: surgeon, served in the U.S. Civil War, a daughter born in New York. This found over years in various web sites. The clincher for me was a small packet from NARA with a handwritten letter from Katharine requesting a widow's pension outlining some details about her husband Charles Lodge which matched other details. My hands shook as I read the letter in her hand. A man whose name or story I never heard was brought to life. I found more and more, about his family and relatives.
Now I am trying to find his grandchildren by his daughter Geraldine under Baker-thats harder than Lodge!
Now I am trying to find his grandchildren by his daughter Geraldine under Baker-thats harder than Lodge!
Views: 45
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Kate Steere on
-
What information do you have on Geraldine?
-
-
-
Hi-
I found a family tree for Geraldine, and a memorial for her on FindAGrave. Do you have more information on Richard Baker? I also found her death record on familysearchlabs, if you haven't seen it yet. No luck on her children, as I can't find her on census records yet, as Geraldine Baker or her stage name. -
-
Permalink Reply by Myss Story on
-
Hi Kate,
yes, ironically, the FindAGrave article came out by someone else shortly after I had been in communication West Laurel Hills cemetery. They only had her name, I put in a small bio which is to appear in a commemorative book in the next few months. I have not found birth records on line. It's likely her father, Dr. Charles Lodge, delivered her and her sibs. His widow said he lost all the birth documents in the US Civil War (thus she never got the pension). It's likely that Geraldine entered the theater out of necessity as her father died soon after returning to England with the family. I've found traces of her in various articles in English Theaters. 1886 she retnd to US, still single. She is discussed in a book "Mr Ballyn and The Bunns of St Albans" which says she and her husband (Richard Baker) wintered in Florida in 1894.
They toured the south and west with various companies. No mention of "confinement" or births so far, the Ballyn book just mentions 3 children. So, they were born between 1886 and 1902. I can only find 2 mentions of Mr. Baker. -
-
-
Hi-
I looked at Genealogybank at the death notice for Geraldine, and it indicated that Richard was from(of)Detroit, Michigan. I also saw a listing of a minor, Frederck Richard Baker, I believe in reference to a bank acct in Philadelphia in 1902. It was interesting because on the death notice for Geraldine, it indicated Richard's middle initial was F(possibly Frederick). -
-
-
Hi,
would you be able to send the details of that article or a copy of it as attachment to me? Genealogybank.com is new to me, but I can't subscribe just yet. -
-
-
I have two family trees, one on Rootsweb and one in Ancestry-the Ancestry is more detailed and up-to-date. Also Carole Sarvis (who invited me here) has posted the same information in her tree. We share a common ancestor. So those are what you have found. She doesnt appear in any other Lodge/ Baker family tree so far.
Other than the book I mentioned, my best resource has been Google Books. Also I have used Papers Past, a New Zealand archive of news, and the Australian Digital Newspaper project with some success. The NY Times Obit I found, and since I posted it in the Ancestry tree, it has been repeated, nearly verbatim in the Wiki-whatevers. I've tried all sorts of letter combinations as her stage name is mangled in transcription. I have her in 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901. She should be in 1860 US but none of the family appears, unless the name Lodge was mistranscribed, a possibility -
-
-
One of the things I've noticed is that many of the people I was looking for have this in common
The handwriting is difficult to understand for modern reader/transcribers so its a guess, often wrong
Geography and place names have changed for modern transcribers who are unfamiliar with the locale
other than those two biggies
People either leave errors uncorrected in their records
People give different places of birth, different dates of birth
People who gave census info at time may have misheard the info which is recorded
Given that, I love less than common first names, ie Geraldine. I search for "Serald", "Lerald" anywhere in England. or ie D'Elmar Delmar, D. Elmar, Elmas, Clas etc. Gertrude, another fam name is often Lertrud Sertrud. Learning the transcriber trend helps.
So when I have trouble locating somebody I know exists, I do not take for granted the usual identifiers, name, dob, etc. -
© 2024 Created by IIGSExecDirector.
Powered by
