Sunday, November 23, 2014

52 Ancestors #46: Beloved Matriarch: Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton

No Story Too Small has issued a New Year's Challenge: "Have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor.” 

This week's post is about my grandmother "Nana" Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton. She was a beloved matriarch who:

  • was born to a father who was a military man with the Royal Garrison Artillery and fought in World War I (WWI)
  • lost her mother when she was only six years old
  • grew up in a foster home in Halifax while her father served in WWI
  • survived the Halifax explosion by having the good fortune of visiting out of town that day with her foster family
  • wrote poetry and had it published in the newspaper as a young girl (12 years old)
  • raised seven children in Tuft's Cove and later on Chester Avenue in Halifax
  • devoted herself to the Anglican church
  • seperated from her husband and moved away from Nova Scotia in the 1950s
  • was a single mother 
  • went back to school at 53 years of age to earn a nursing degree
  • was a prolific "crafter" knitting and crocheting for family and charity
It has been challenging to gather the information on Dorothy's life and there are likely some errors and/or omissions. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to see something added or corrected.
1909
Dorothy Claire Moreland is Born

Dorothy Moreland with her mother Florence Mary (Curd) Moreland

Dorthy Clara Moreland was born the 14th of March 1909 on McNab's Island Nova Scotia. to soldier John Moreland and mother Florence Mary Curd.

McNabs Island is the largest island in Halifax Harbour.



1915 
Dorothy's Mother Dies

Dorothy's mother Florence (Curd) Moreland died on February 3, 1915 of tuberculosis at 29 years of age. She had been suffering with the illness for two years. Dorothy was only six years old when she died.

1916 
Dorothy's Father Serves Overseas


Dorothy Moreland with her father John "Jock" Moreland 

John Moreland fought in WW1. John re-joined the RCGA with the 8th Siege Battery in 1916 and was sent to France until Dec 1919. Seven year-old Dorothy and her baby sister Florence were sent to live with a foster family in Halifax.


1917 
Dorothy Survives the Halifax Explosion




Dorothy's foster family was out of the city visiting when the explosion happened. The house they were living in was destroyed.



1921 
Dorothy's Poetry Published

When I conducted an oral history interview with Dorothy in 1988, and I asked her about her childhood, Dorothy was most proud of a piece of poetry she had written that was published in the Halifax newspaper when she was twelve years old. Efforts are being made to locate the poem and I will post it here when I find it.


1929
Dorothy Marries Frederick Creighton


Dorothy Claire Moreland (20 years) married Frederick Doughlas Creighton (22 years) on the 15th of October at Trinity Church in Halifax Nova Scotia.(Trinity Church no longer exists. It was torn down about 5 years ago. It’s now a parking lot.)

Trinity Anglican was  torn down 4-5 years ago,
It is the white church steeple in the lower right. Now it's a parking lot,

1930-1953
Fred, Dorothy and Dawn Creighton

Dorothy Raises Her Family 


Fred and Dorothy's children

Fred , Dorothy, Claire, Jack, Fred Jr
The Creighton family lived in Tuft's Cove and later at 23 Chester Avenue in Halifax. There were seven children: three boys and four girls.

1953 
Dorothy Devotes Herself to the Anglican Church


Above is a newspaper article from The Halifax Mail-Star (1953, now the Chronicle Herald) where Dorothy as St. Philips Church of England Choir Director presents a gift to John Whittaker.

Dorothy played a role in St Philip's Church (now the Anglican Church of the Apostles) and when the church celebrated an anniversary in 19**, Dorothy returned to Halifax for the celebration. Dorothy's name appears on a cornerstone there.

1953

Dorothy Creighton, Myron Huston and
Dorothy's youngest daughter


1957
Dorothy in Courtenay-Comox, B.C.



1959



1962 
Dorothy Becomes a Registered Nursing Assistant





1962


1963




Dorothy Passes On the 6th of December 2000 


Every year, my father places a wreath on Dorothy's grave 

Glendale Memorial Gardens


Halifax, N.S. Links
Nursing Links
Dorothy's Sister 
Florence May (Moreland) Smith 
1910-1995

Florence's family: Martin - Pearson - Smith 
L to R: Florence (Moreland) Smith, Dawn (Creighton) Moynahan
and Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton


Saturday, November 22, 2014

52 Ancestors #47: Frederick Douglas Creighton (1907-1976)

No Story Too Small has issued a New Year's Challenge: "Have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor.” 

This week's post is about my maternal grandfather Frederick Douglas Creighton who was born 29 May 1907 in  Halifax, Nova Scotia and died 19 October 1976 (in  Halifax).


1907

Frederick Douglas Creighton's baptismal certificate


Frederick Douglas Creighton (1907-1976) was the son of Charles Creighton (1884-1911) and Effie Tomlin (1886-1947). His father was a stevedore (a person employed, or a contractor engaged, at a dock to load and unload cargo from ships.) Effie was the daughter of a coal dealer in Halifax.

1911

Frederick's father Charles died on the 28th of December 1911 (from mitral regurgitation after twelve days in the hospital) when Fred was only four years old. At the time, the family was living at 18 Cornwallis St., Halifax.

1916

William and Effie (Tomlin) Melhuish
(circa 1940)

Frederick's mother (Effie) later remarried (the 31st of October 1916 at St.George's Anglican church) William Melhuish and they had three children together: Arthur, Edith and Gladys.

The Family Tree: Tomlin/Creighton/Melhuish

1929
 
When Frederick Doughlas Creighton was 22 years old, he married Dorothy Claire Moreland on the 15th of October at Trinity Church in Halifax Nova Scotia.(Trinity Church no longer exists. It was torn down about 5 years ago. It’s now a parking lot.)

Frederick's signature
1930-1940
 
Between 1930 and 1940 Frederick and Dorothy were raising their family of three boys and three girls in various locations in Halifax, Nova Scotia
 
In the early years, the family lived in Tuft's Cove and the voter's list for that period showed that Frederick was initially employed as a butcher and later as  an iron worker. Tufts Cove looked very different in the 1930s than it does today (it is now an energy Generating Station).
 
1935
 
1935 Voters List
 
 1940

1940 Voters List
 
Undated photograph of Frederick with daughters
 
Undated photograph of
Frederick and Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton (and Dawn)
 
Undated photograph of
Frederick and Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton
 
Undated photograph of  Creighton children
 
 
1945-1956
 
Between 1945 and 1956 the family of Frederick and Dorothy moved and lived at 23 Chester Avenue. Frederick was employed as an iron worker.
 

1945 — Age: 38 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
1945 Voters List

 
1949 — Age: 42 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
1949 Voters List


1953 — Age: 46 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

1953 Voters List
 
1956
 
By 1956, Frederick's wife Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton 
left Halifax with their youngest daughter.
 
1956: Frederick with daughter (my mother) Dawn Maureen Creighton
 
1956: Frederick with son-in-law (my father) Ernest J. Moynahan
 
1962-1976
 
Frederick went though periods of unemployment and finding work in the shipyards and as a crane operator. Also at this time, Frederick underwent heart surgery and had a pacemaker implanted.
Frederick Creighton at his home in Halifax in the 1960s
 

1962 — Age: 55 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
1962 Voters List
1963 — Age: 56 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
1963 Voters List

1965 — Age: 58 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
1965 Voters List

1972 — Age: 65 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 
1972 Voters List
 
 
1976
 
Frederick Douglas Creighton dies on the 19th of October 1976
 
 
 
 

Halifax Homes
 




 


Created in loving memory of my mother Dawn Maureen (Creighton) Moynahan