How do i find a mason from the year 1916?

Question

i am doing a family tree my grandfather was born in England in 1883 he was a mason he left England to Ontario Canada i think and then came to USA Michigan

Answer 1

Do you mean he was a mason as in bricklayer, or he was a Mason as in member of a Masonic lodge? Where did he live in Michigan and did you pull his death certificate yet? The more detail you can share, the easier we can help you find him.

OK, here's what I found on him based on what you've emailed to me.

While in Canada, he lived at 98 West Ave No. in Hamilton. He worked as a musician and resettled originally in Pontiac (Oakland Co). He had actually received Canadian citizenship and renounced it when he became an American citizen. He was 5'9" and had brown hair, a light complexion and brown eyes.

He came to Canada in March, 1912 and came through Halifax, then took a train west to Ontario.

He resettled at 333 Oakland Ave, Pontiac in August, 1923. He crossed from Windsor into Detroit.

Dora Walker arrived in the US in November 1923. She went to meet George in Pontiac. She came to Canada on Sept 20, 1913 on the SS Emperor of Ireland, landing in Quebec. By November, George had moved to 476 Harper St, Pontiac. There is a notation about her doing something at St. Albans VT in 1941, but I can't figure out what it is. It's just a notation on an immigration record.

George later entered the country by train in April 1924. He was once again using a Hamilton permanent residence. But Dora wasn't with him. Dora did make one other trip back and forth to Hamilton in December 1923. She returned with Olive (12), Alma (9), Roger (6) and Alan (4). They came on a Grand Trunk Railroad train and again entered from Windsor into Detroit.

George was naturalized as a US citizen on 1/15/31 in Detroit. You can request a copy of his full naturalization petition from the US Archives in Chicago or the Archives of Michigan in Lansing.

Dora Annie Walker was naturalized in Detroit District Court on 9/26/41. Her date of birth was 12/21/1888. Again, both Lansing and Chicago will have a copy of her Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petition.

In the 1930 census, they were living at 2013 Antoinette Ave, Detroit. He was a musician at a theatre. She was a sales lady at a cigar store. That record shows he was 24 and she was 20 when they got married. Alma was born in Quebec. Roger was born in Ontario. Alan was born in England. There were no other kids after Alan.

The Michigan Death Certificate Index does not have a record for either one of them. The usual reason for that is if they died in the City of Detroit. Only County Clerks are required to submit death certificates to the index. But the City of Detroit issues their death certificates through the City Dept of Health. If you want a copy of their death certificates, you would have to go to the Coleman A Young Building downtown and get them from the City of Detroit side of the building. Same building, but far different records than the County.

ETA: I found a little more on the family. Alma was born in 1914 in Darlington England. She was naturalized in Detroit on 10-10-1941. Olive was born in Darlington in 1911, but there's no record that she was naturalized.

I'm not positive, but this is possibly your Roger:

Name: Roger H Walker

Birth Date: 28 Aug 1917

Death Date: 13 Aug 1975

Gender: Male  

RESIDENCE: Farmington, Oakland, Michigan

Place of Death: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan

Answer 2

if you know where he was a mason (england or in the USA) you could contact the appropriate grand lodge. if you could verify your relationship they would likely help you out.

ugle.co.uk (grand lodge of england)

http://www.gl-mi.org/ (grand lodge of michigan)

Answer 3

UK answer.

I have done a search for George's birth details and unless you know for sure what area he was born in or what the birth month was, it would be quite difficult to track the right George Robert for you.

There are two George Robert Walker listed the first one was registered as being born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he was born in the J/A/S quarter the volume number is10b and the page number is 60 the year was 1883.

Then there was this record, George Robert Walker, born in Gateshead Tyne and wear, O/N/D quarter, the volume number is 10 a and the page number is 898.

The numbers are unique to the GRO and you would need to quote either set of  numbers if placing an on line order with them.

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

If you could tell me what month he was born in then that might be a lead for all of us to help you.

Edit:

This is the 1891 census index for the George born in Gateshead. You will notice it gives his birth year as 1884, this is quite normal as here in the UK we have always had 42 days (six weeks) from the birth date  to register  the birth, so it could  be that he was born towards the end of November and the birth wasn't registered until the beginning of January, it happened a lot.

1891 England Census

about George R Walker

Name: George R Walker

Age: 7  

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1884  

Relation: Son  

Father's Name: Roger D

Mother's Name: Eliz

Gender: Male

Where born: Gateshead, Durham, England

  

Civil Parish: Heaton  

Ecclesiastical parish: St Michael  

Town: Newcastle  

County/Island: Northumberland  

Country: England  

  

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

  

Registration district: Newcastle Upon Tyne  

Sub registration district: Byker  

ED, institution, or vessel: 45  

Neighbors: View others on page  

Household Members: Name Age

Eliz Walker 39  

George R Walker 7  

John W Walker 6  

Roger D Walker 29

I found this George Robert on the 1901 census living with his mum Elizabeth and his step -dad George Wilson. The address at the time was given as 39 Albandale Street, and young George worked as a coal miner ( heaver).

1901 England Census

about George Walker

Name: George Walker

[Geroge Walker]  

Age: 18  

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1883

Relation: Stepson (Son)  

Mother's Name: Elizabeth

Gender: Male

Where born: South Shields, Durham, England

  

Civil Parish: South Shields  

Ecclesiastical parish: st thomas;westoe  

County/Island: Durham  

Country: England  

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: South Shields  

Sub registration district: South Shields  

ED, institution, or vessel: 21  

Neighbors: View others on page  

Household schedule number: 120

Household Members: Name Age

Elizabeth Walker 16  

George Walker 18  

William Walker 11  

Charles R Wilson 1  

Elizabeth Wilson 42  

George Wilson 49  

Georgina Wilson 3

The next index is for the 1881 census, which shows George's dad Roger D (Rodger ). After the 1891 census I have been unable to find Roger, he may have died and Elizabeth remarried, he could have been in prison, the trail has gone cold for Roger D, by the way the D initial stands for Dance, a very unusual name.

1881 England Census

about Rodger D. Walker

Name: Rodger D. Walker

Age: 19  

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1862  

Relation: Son  

Father's Name: George

Mother's Name: Charlotte

Gender: Male

Where born: Gateshead

  

Civil Parish: Gateshead  

County/Island: Durham  

Country: England  

  

Street address: 15 Quarryfield Road

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Occupation: Fitter And Turner (En)

  

Registration district: Gateshead  

Sub registration district: Gateshead  

ED, institution, or vessel: 36  

Neighbors: View others on page  

Household Members: Name Age

Elizabeth Preston 83  

Charlotte Walker 40  

Charlotte Walker 2  

George Walker 43  

George C. Walker 12  

James P. Walker 17  

John W. P. Walker 21  

Robert P. Walker 9  

Rodger D. Walker 19  

Septimus Walker 7  

Steven E. P. Walker 14

Answer 4

There are lots of George Walkers.  Do you know when he came to Michigan?  What was his wife's name?

Could this be him?

Name: George Robert Walker

Birth Date: 20 Sep 1883

State: Michigan  

Locality, Court: Detroit, District Court

Title: Index Cards to Naturalization Petitions for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, Detroit, 1907-1995  

Description: W-425 Walczyna, Iganacy-W-445 Wilhelm, Magdalena  

Series: M1917

Answer 5

Look for him in the1891 census and 1901

How does 1916 figure in this?