I'm looking for Dorothy Davis born @ 1912 from Newfoundland. I found her in the 1935 census.

Question

How might I find who Dorothy Davis is? She is from Newfoundland and I believe she was born in 1912. I found her in the 1935 census.

Answer 1

Familysearch.org (FS) has the following information available which I hope may be of use

Dorothy Davis FS ID GS9X-TYH born about 1912 Safe Harbour, Newfoundland – died 26 October 1988 Pinehurst, Moore, North Carolina – buried 1988 Pinehurst, Moore, North Carolina

Spouse Percy Samson FS ID GS9X-YNS born about 1903 Flat Islands, Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland 

Dorothy’s Parents

FATHER: John Gill Davis FS ID 9VWS-L5G born 9 October 1882 Safe Harbour, Newfoundland – died October 1967 Bowmansville, Durham, Ontario, Canada

 

MOTHER: Emma Jane Attwood FS ID LKG4-XF9 born 27 January 1889 Safe Harbour, Newfoundland – died 19 February 1993 Whitby, Durham, Ontario, Canada – buried 22 February 1993 Whitby, Durham, Ontario, Canada

 

John & Emma were married on 26 December 1907 Safe Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada.

They were the parents of 3 boys & 2 girls Dorothy was the eldest.

 

I suggest you go to Familysearch.org to check ALL the other information that is available 

NOTE: I am passing this on for your information – I can only be guided by what is on that site, correct or not. Sources may/may not be available

 

Cheers Ross Geissmann

 

Comments

Wow, thanks Ross! I'm just beginning to start my family tree and wouldn't have been able to find that info without your help! Can you tell me if the Dorothy Davis that you told me about is the Dorothy Davis that I found on the 1935 census of Newfoundland? Do you know how can I find her living relatives?

Answer 2

Janet, I think I found your same Newfoundland Census 1935 record.  Dorothy Davis, 23, divorced, born Newfoundland about 1912, working as a domestic in the home of William and Byrd Mishoe, East Valley Road, Humber, Newfoundland.

Same record?

"Newfoundland Census, 1935," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9Z-SL4D : 17 March 2018), Dorothy Davis in household of William Mishoe, East Valley Road, Humber, Newfoundland, Canada; citing Humber District, p. 171, household ID 39, reference ID , Department of Tourism, Culture, and Recreation, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; FHL microfilm 2,166,822.

The heading on the page says district of Humber from Corner Brook East to Corner Brook Bridge.

A Dorothy Davis, age 28, died of tuberculosis 23 Sep 1940 at Corner Brook Hospital, Humber, Newfoundland.

"Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQF-88GZ : 11 March 2018), Dorothy Davis, 23 Sep 1940. Cert No 220121-235351.

There's not enough information to determine whether this is the same person.  Neither record gives any family information, and as a divorcee, it's not clear whether Davis was her maiden or married name.

I hope that helps.

Comments

Herbert

I am so new at this and I'm not sure if this is the same person or not. The above post from Ross points to a different Dorothy Davis. How can I determine which one it may be? How can I find out if she had any children or other living relatives?

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I don't know what to tell you Janet.  I assume Dorothy is related to you or important to you in some way, and you know more about her than I do.  I used what you put in your question to find original records that seem to fit.

To evaluate the other answer, I think you have to find those people in FamilySearch and see what the underlying records, if any, say.  Maybe they match up with what you know, maybe not.  Maybe you have some other info proving your Dorothy was alive after 1940.  The more you know and the more you share, the better help you can get here.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I tried picking apart the info about Dorothy Davis and Percy Samson, to see if I can match them to the 1935 Newfoundland Census, or rule out a match.

Here's Dorothy's death certificate from North Carolina, which matches the parents and dates in the first answer:

"North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGZ4-GL1 : 18 July 2017), Dorothy Davis Samson, 26 Oct 1988; citing Pinehurst, Moore,North Carolina, cn 45903, State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh; FHL microfilm 1,991,470.

Pearce/Percy Samson died in Florida, also in 1988:

"Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VV48-D12 : 25 December 2014), Pearce Samson, 02 Feb 1988; from "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 2004); citing vol. , certificate number 12059, Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, Jacksonville.

Their FindAGrave memorials show them buried together with a shared headstone.

Percy came to the US in 1927, and was still single in the 1930 Census:

"New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXLW-KL8 : 12 March 2018), Percy Samson, 1927; citing Immigration, New York, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication T715 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4LV-LLD : accessed 6 May 2020), Percy Samson in household of Freeman Butt, Brooklyn (Districts 1501-1750), Kings, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1633, sheet 11B, line 66, family 159, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1516; FHL microfilm 2,341,251.

Here are Percy and Dorothy in New York in 1940, with three children, the oldest (Max) born in New York about 1935:

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQLT-95Z : 18 November 2019), Percy Samson, Assembly District 12, Brooklyn, New York City, Kings, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 24-1383, sheet 9B, line 78, family 184, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2582.

The record for both of them states they lived in the same place in 1935.  I could not find a marriage record.

So:  Dorothy who died in 1940 was definitely not the same Dorothy in the first answer.  It's not impossible that Dorothy in the 1935 Newfoundland census is the same Mrs Samson, but I think she would have to have been pregnant with Max already.  Overall, I'd say the timing favors Dorothy Davis Samson being an entirely different person, and 1935 Dorothy Davis is the Dorothy who died in the same town in 1940. 

I hope that helps you work out which Dorothy is the one of interest, and gives you a bit more to go on.

Good luck!