A place to honour my ancestors: Moynahan, Coughlin, Broderick, Annal, Brennan, Hussey, Hess and Duffy. (Essex & Kent County Ontario, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Ireland, Scotland); and Creighton, Moreland, (Nova Scotia, England and Scotland); and Foreman (Ireland, Scotland and Norway)
On the morning of December 6, 1917, there was an explosion in the Halifax Harbour that injured 9,000 people and killed 2,000.
This blog post is an update to previous posts about the impact of this explosion on our ancestors:
My grandmother Dorothy Moreland was only seven years old and was living with her sister Florence at a foster home because her father John Miller Moreland was overseas fighting in WWI. The foster home at 500 Gottingen was destroyed.
My 2nd great-uncle Francis Clifford Tomlin was a tinsmith at the Hillis & Sons Foundry and searched day and night through the ruins of north end Halifax and the next day's blizzard looking for the bodies of his daughter, mother-in-law, 4 sisters-in-law and their families; 3 brothers-in-law; all those who worked with him at the Foundry. He died of meningitis on March 21, 1918 and when the Halifax Relief commission refused to give his widow, Maggie a survivor's pension, she was angry and made a point of carving into her husband's headstone that he was a victim, putting the date of the explosion before the date of death. This post is the story about his family that survived.
As a family historian and genealogist, I know that there is only so far I can go in recreating the lives of our ancestors from paper records. The very best information about the lives of our ancestors is often found in thestories and conversations with their descendants and extended family.
In 2009, Carolyn Tomlin, (the grand daughter of Frank C.
Tomlin (1882-1918) shared a lot of information about our Tomlin-Nickerson Nova Scotian roots and I have her permission to share it here.
Francis Clifford Tomlin's Headstone (1882-1918)
Francis C. Tomlin's Headstone at Fairview Cemetery, Halifax, N.S.
(Source: Photo taken by Carolyn Tomlin)
The Tomlin story starts with this photo of a headstone that held clues to anotherwise unknown factaboutFrancis C. Tomlin (a tinsmith who worked at the Hillis Foundry, Halifax) and the Halifax Explosion of 1917.
Carolyn explains:,
"This (head)stone is at Fairview Cemetery, Halifax.
Francis C. Tomlin searched day and night through the ruins of north
end Halifax and the next day's blizzard looking for bodies after the
Halifax Explosion. He lost his daughter, mother-in-law, 4 sisters-in-law
and their families; 3 brothers-in-law; all those who worked with him at
Hillis Foundry where he was a tinsmith. He caught pneumonia, typhoid
and then died of meningitis on March 21, 1918. The Halifax Relief
commission refused to give his widow, Maggie, a survivor's pension and
she was angry when she put the stone up - she made a point of carving in
stone that he was a victim, putting the date of the explosion before
the date of death."
Detail of Francis C. Tomlin's Headstone at Fairview Cemetery, Halifax, N.S.
Read "Injured By The Explosion Dec 6, 1917; Died Mar 21, 1918" (Source: Billion Graves)
Francis Clifford Tomlin (1882-1918) is Effie (Tomlin) Creighton's Brother Our 2nd Great-Uncle
The tree above demonstrates how we are descended from Francis C. Tomlin
Carolyn said that when she was growing up "... in Halifax; our back yard shared a fence with my Dad's cousin Gladys (Melhuish) Garrison, whom ......was Effie Tomlin's daughter." See the picture below with Effie on the far right and Clyde Garrison (second from the left) who married Gladys Melhuish.
Photo fromBarbara Huston Collection: (L to R): Emily Creighton, Clyde Garrison, (my grandmother) Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton and Effie (Tomlin) Creighton-Melhuish (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Photo from Doreen Evan Collection: (L to R): Emily (Creighton) Rudge, Gladys (Melhuish) Garrison, and Edith (Melhuish) Laidlaw
A Missing Tomlin? Twin Albert Clarence Tomlin
According to Carolyn, a Tomlin
is missing from our family tree: "Effie's third brother Albert, who left N.S. for Massachusetts.
American census info indicates he lived in a boarding house, unmarried,
and somewhere else I heard he worked in factory."
When I looked, I found Albert at Family Search and he was a twin!
Twin boy: Albert Clarence Tomlin was born 12 Feb 1877 (Source: "Canada Births and Baptisms, 1661-1959," database, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLG4-MLB : 27 November 2014),
Albert C. Tomlin, 12 Feb 1877; citing Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 12
Feb 1877, reference ; FHL microfilm 1,318,438.)
Twin girl: Frances C Tomlin was born 12 Feb 1877 (Source: "Canada Births and Baptisms, 1661-1959," database, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLG4-MLR : 27 November 2014),
Frances C. Tomlin, 12 Feb 1877; citing Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 12
Feb 1877, reference ; FHL microfilm 1,318,438.)
I have been unable to locate the twin sister. She does not appear with him in the 1891 census so we can only assume that she died (a death record has not been located)
I did locate Albert. In the 1896 McAlpines Halifax Directory he is working as a cotton weaver and in Halifax at King's Place with his father Samuel.
By 1918, Albert is living in Massachusetts and enlisting in the Army for World War I.
Massachusetts, World War I Selective Service System draft registration cards, 1917-1918) Film
MASSACHUSETTS North Easton City, no. 41, T - Z Fairhaven City, no. 42, A - R
Source: "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBRT-HCM?mode=g&i=135&cc=1968530
: 14 May 2014), Massachusetts > image 136 of 652; citing NARA
microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and
Records Administration, n.d.).
The Tomlin House
Carolyn wrote that "The whole family of Samuel & Emily appear in the 1881 Canadian
census, under the name Twomlin on King St. Halifax. The house still
exists, except it has been moved round the corner to Robie St. This
happened when I was a teenager; my Dad pointed it out to me as his
grandfather's house."
I checked the two following Wikipedia websites and could not see a house that fit this description.
I sent an email to Heritage Nova Scotia asking for assistance in locating this house (if it still stands) and I was redirected to the Nova Scotia Archives who responded:
"There was only one house part of James Dempster’s
North End Planning Mill on the 1879 Hopkins City Atlas of Halifax, Plate
No S. See Maps on our web site and you can look at the atlas. The Goad
Fire Insurance Plans of 1895, 1899, 1911
have a small two storey building or residence on the south side of the
street. By 1914, the house has a one storey addition at the rear. The street appears on the 1878 City Atlas but we did not find it laid out on
the 1889, 1895, 1899 Goad Atlas. The 1911
atlas show the street but it is unnamed. The 1911 Atlas calls it
Garrack Street.
We perused the Halifax City Directories on-line and
found Samuel Tomlin listed as a labourer at 84 Grafton Street. By 1880,
he is listed as a coal hawker and later as a coal carrier. The first
year he resided on King’s Place is 1888 and
his home was on the east side of the street. The only street in the
area where that fits this description is Love’s Lane later known as
Kings Lane and today is June Street. This street runs from Cunard to
West and was originally a cow path.
Please forget the previous. We checked a 1901
Halifax City Directory and found Samuel Tomlin living on King Street
which ran between North Street and St. Alban’s Street west of Robie
Street. This is where Francis “Frank” G. Tomlin and his
daughter Veronica Tomlin lived when they were killed as a result of the
1917 Halifax Explosion."
The Nickersons
The last of the oral history shared by Carolyn Tomlin is about the Nickersons:
" ....But Emily Tomlin was Emily Nickerson, daughter of
James Nickerson & Esther Purdy.
Plug those names into the search engine on
Ancestry, and it'll take you back to the 1500's in England.
The 1871 Census of
Canada shows Emily - but Esther is dead by then and a stepmother is there;
and in our home town of Clark's Harbour on Cape Sable Island there is the
Archelaus Smith Museum, which has hand-written records of the local families,
and one Emily Nickerson married to a Samuel Thomlin of Halifax. Voila! I have a
picture of it which I can't lay my hands on, but I will find it.
The Nickersons
came from Cape Cod after the expulsion of the Acadians to take over the Atlantic
fishery."
Carolyn Tomlin concludes her message by saying, " I kept my Tomlin name when I married because I am literally the last of the
Tomlins."
Halifax Explosion Postcards
I am grateful to another distant cousin (Doreen Evans) who is filling in more of the Nova Scotia gaps with wonderful photographs.
I have added four postcards below depicting the Halifax Explosion so that you can have a better idea about the conditions that poor Francis Tomlin searched for his lost family members. They are scanned from the photograph archive held by Doreen Evans (granddaughter of Effie Tomlin)
Daughter Veronica Tomlin died in Explosion
As you recall from the beginning of this post, "Francis C. Tomlin searched day and night through the ruins of north
end Halifax and the next day's blizzard looking for bodies after the
Halifax Explosion. He lost his daughter," and many, many other family members and co-workers.
You can
view the death certificate and other information about his daughter
Veronica Tomlin who died in the Halifax Explosion Dec. 6 , 1917 here: https://novascotia.ca/archives/remembrance/list.asp?ID=1731 Veronica is buried st Mount Olivet Cemetery, Halifax, NS.
You will read from the photograph of her death certificate that she died from "shock due to injuries in explosion" which was the standard cause of death in most of these death records at the time of the explosion.
Ashpan Annie, an infant survivor of the Halifax Explosion on 6 December 1917.
Another Explosion?
Doreen Evans also sent photographs of smoke clouds that appear to be coming from the opposite shore in Halifax and at first I thought they were related to the Halifax Explosion but then I looked more closely at the clothing in the photo below.
Above: Young folks walking with smoke visible in the background
You can see the young women above are wearing short dresses (below the knee)
which would make it a different time period than the 1917 explosion.
When I researched further, I came across a reference to the Halifax
Explosion II. This referred to an explosion of munitions at the Magazine
near Dartmouth, (The Bedford Magazine explosion) (July 18-19, 1945)
Above: Young Men in foreground looking at the smoke
Cloud of smoke over the rooftops
I cant be entirely sure, but I believe these photographs may have been taken of the explosion of munitions at the Magazine
near Dartmouth. If you have any thoughts, please add them to the comment section below.
Many thanks to distant cousins Carolyn Tomlin and Doreen Evans for helping to fill in the stories about the Tomlins, Nickersons and Melhuishes in Nova Scotia. There are so many more stories waiting to be told. Nova Scotia is a beautiful place with a wonderful history that I love to research.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 weeks post is about Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton's mother Florence Mary Curd 1886-1915 from Dover England
Florence Mary (Curd) Moreland (1886-1915) with
daughter Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton (1909-2000)
1886 Birth Record
Birth Register 1886
Florence Mary Curd was born March 1886 in Dover, England to parents Alfred Curd (1862 - 1911) and Jane Ann Wellard (1866-1907).
In the 1891 census, Florence is listed as a scholar meaning at 5 years of age she was attending school. Florence's father is listed as a "Carter". A carter is someone who "carries or conveys goods in a cart".
I have not been able to locate the Curd family on the 1901 census. I did locate some of the family on the 1911 census but by this time both parents had passed on and Florence had left England for Canada.
It is said that: "Florence met John "Jock" Moreland while he was stationed with the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) at Dover (Dover Castle) and they fell in love. He left for Halifax in 1907 and sent for Florence to join him in 1908. Below is the passenger list from the S.S. Dominion showing "Florrie" Curd (22 years of age) aboard March 12, 1908
Florence's Mother Jane Anne (Wellard) Curd had died in June 1907 at the early age of 41 years.
On April 15 1908 she married John Moreland in Halifax Nova Scotia. The other information we learn from Florence and John's Halifax marriage record is that John Moreland (26y) is listed as a "gunner" and his father Charles Moreland is listed as a "seaman". Florence Curd's (22y) father Alfred Curd is listed as a laborer.
On the 14 of March 1909, the first child of Florence and John Moreland, Dorothy was born. Pictured below
1915: Florence Dies From Tuberculosis
Florence (Curd) Moreland died on February 3, 1915 of tuberculosis at 29 years of age (see her death certificate below). She had been suffering with the illness for two years.
Florence's two daughters, Dorothy (my grandmother) and Florence, were removed to a foster home while their father John Moreland was overseas fighting with the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery (RCGA) as a gunner in World War 1(1916-1918).
Notably, the foster family's home was devasted in the Halifax Explosionbut the family survived because they were visiting friends outside the city that day - December 6, 1917.
My grandmother Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton visited her Curd relatives in England in 1968.
Here are some photos from Nana's visits to England.
Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton in red dress holding hands with cousin Dorothy Knight (behind
Dorothy Knight is her husband, Charlie Knight).
The young couple holding
the two girls are Dorothy and Charlie’s daughter Diane, her
husband and their two children.
The man standing in the doorway is Will Chandler (married Clara Alice, known as Alice).
Standing behind Dorothy Creighton is Dorothy Knight’s
son
Far left: Dorothy's Aunt May (Curd) Daniel (b 1902-1989),
Ken Chandler (Alice and Will Chandler’s son)
wife and two sons.
Curd descendants Peter and Wendy (and friend Alan)
Dorothy (Moreland) Creighton seated at centre of Curd family descendants.
Dorothy Knight (left of Dorothy Creighton) and Dorothy's
daughter, husband and children.
The Curd Family Tree
In September 1968, The Curd family reunited with the Canadian Moreland-Creighton clan and one of the "England cousins" drew this lovely family tree as a remembrance of the occasion. I have covered over the names of all living descendants for privacy reasons.
The Carriers Arms Pub was established in 1871 and has remained there ever since. When we found the Curd family on the 1891 census, Richard Beechum was the "Beer House Keeper".
