Violet Wood (1885 - 1962)

Born 25 Mar 1885 in Scarborough, York, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Died 19 Jan 1962 at age 76 in Ontario, Canada

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Biography

Violet Wood is born on March 25, 1885 in Scarborough Township, Ontario (now the city of Toronto, Canada) [1][4]. Her parents are John Henry Wood (1859-1897) and Margaret Isabella Paterson (1862-1899). ). Her father, John Henry, is a farmer who has a farm very close to, if not beside, Violet’s grandfather – Elias Wood (1830-1910) [2]. Her grandmother, the wife of Elias, was Mary Ann Mason (c1835-1863) who died 22 years before Violet was born. Elias had remarried – Rebecca, born in England -- sometime prior to 1881.

In the 1891 census, Violet is six years old, living with her family on a farm in Scarborough [3]. The next farm in the record is that of her grandfather (and step-grandmother). Her parents die in 1897 and 1899 and Violet, along with five of her siblings, go to live with their grandparents. In the 1901 census record, the 16-year-old Violet is living with her grandparents [4]. In the 1911 census records, Violet is still living on the farm in Scarborough, but now it is her brother and sister-in-law who are the head of the family [5].

By the time of the 1921 census records, Violet has moved out west to Alberta to live with her younger brother – John George Wood (1891-1982) [6]. John George – he goes by the name “George” – is a widower and presumably Violet has moved in with him to help raise the two children. She moves back to Ontario at some point (she is not living in her brother’s house in the 1926 census of the Prairie provinces) and, in 1957, she can be found back living in Agincourt [7]. She dies on January 19, 1962, and is buried with her parents in the cemetery at St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux Anglican Church, Scarborough [8].

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Sources

[1] The 1968 Paterson family tree by Marjorie Paterson shows Violet as the 2nd child of John Wood & Margaret Paterson.

[2] The historical maps at McGill University -- http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/ -- for 1878. This shows that Elias Wood owned a farm in Lot 27, Concession 4 and Lot 28, Concession 4. The Atlas does not give the lot size for this farm and, while a perusal of the map clearly shows the land in Lot 27, it is not obvious where the land in Lot 28 was located unless it is a tiny piece of land where the railway track curves slightly to the east.

[3] 1891 census, Ontario, York East, 130, Scarborough, pg 98, household 489: John H. Wood (31), farmer; Margaret (28); Alfred (8); Violet (6); Elias (3); Henry (1). They are C. E. (ie, Church of England); they have one farm labourer living with them and they are living next to Elias Wood (61), born in England and his second wife Rebecca (73).

[4] 1901 census. Ontario, York East 129, Scarborough, E-7, pg 2, family #17: Elias Wood (70) born May 30, 1830, farmer; Rebecca (82), born Apr 17, 1818; Alfred (17), born June 13, 1883, farmer; Violet (16), born May 25, 1885; Elias (13), born Dec 22, 1887; Henry (11), born Sept 7, 1889; George (9), born July 5, 1891; Leonard (8), born Mar 25, 1893. Elias & Rebecca were born in England; the rest of the family was born in Ontario. Elias & Rebecca immigrated to Canada in 1851 [? Or 1857]

[5] 1911 census, Ontario, 136 York Centre, Scarborough, pg 3, household #24: Alfred Wood (27), born June 1883, farmer; Maria (29), wife, born Apr 1882; Violet (26), sister, born March 1885; Leonard (18), brother, born March 1893; Alvin (1), son, born Oct 1909; Richard Beckett (26), farm labourer. The family lives in Lot 28, Concession 4. The family’s religion is Anglican, and their racial or tribal origin is English. t [6] 1921 census, Alberta, Calgary East, pg 13, family #159: George Wood (29), widower, born in Ont., parents born in Ont., occupation is a butter maker in a dairy; Violet (30), sister, born in Ont., no occupation shown; Murray (5); Campbell (3). Both boys were born in Alberta. There is also a lodger living in the house.

[7] 1957 Paterson Reunion contact list: “* A Miss Violet Wood, Agincourt, R.R. #2, Ont.” The “*” indicates she attended the reunion; the “A” indicates she is from the Andrew branch of the Paterson family tree.

[8] St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux Anglican Church, Scarborough, cemetery, headstone: “John H. Wood died Jan. 3, 1897; aged 37 years 4 m. Margaret I. wife of the above died May 30, 1899; aged 37 years 5 m. Violet their daughter Mar. 25, 1885 Jan. 13, 1962” Margaret is actually 36-yrs + 5 months old.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Fred Nix for creating Wood-9022 on 23 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Fred and others.