Nicholls, Joseph - Wingham & London, Ontario - need ancestry.

Question

Joseph Nicholls married my great great grandmother in Wingham, Ontario and they eventually moved to London, Ontario by 1891 where he worked as Sheriff's Clerk. Need his ancestral origins.

Answer 1

What was your grandmothers name? There is in www.findagrave.com a Elizabeth Ellis Nicholls

Comments

Hi.  Thanks for your suggestion.  My great-great grandmother's name was Parmellia Sophia Brace.  She married Joseph Nicholls.

Answer 2

The 1891 Census record where he is in London, Ontario working asa bookkeeper in a Sherrif's Office must be this one: link

He is given as age 64 born in England, Wife given as Permelia age 45 and son Henry age 18 both born in Ontario.

That family appears to correnspond with the marriage register entry at Wingham, Huron, Ontario dated 28 Sep 1859 for a Joseph Nicholls, age 30, born England, residing Goderich Twp. son of Thomas Nicholls and Sophia Hudson who married a Pamella Brace, age 21, born and residing at Goderich, daughter of Henry Brace and Margaret Fisher. (Archives of Ontario MS248, Reel 8).

A number of other children appear in the 1881 Census at Wingham where Joseph is listed as a carpenter at age 52 (or 62) and Pamila is age 38:

William age 20, Henry Joseph age 9 (age 19 struck out), Alfred John age 17, George L age 15, Mary Ann age 13, and Charles E age 11. Also an elder of wife Pamella is also cohabitating.

The same family is found at Turnberry Twp., Huron Co. in the 1871 Census here and here another child not already accounted for by the 1881 Census record is also given, daughter Sophia Age 9.

In Census 1861 they are still residing at Goderich Twp.

The Death Register at London City, Middlesex County gives his date of death as 3 Nov 1906, age 77 years, 6 months. address 462 York St. (Registration 549 stamped 018464; Archives of Ontario MS935 Reel 126)

The Find a grave entry indicates a birth on 17 April 1828 and indicates he was buried at Woodland Cemetery. This date of birth is also that recoreded on Census 1901. This census record also indicates his wife might have actually been born in the U.S. and arrived in Canada as an infant. The immigration date for Joseph himself appears ot be 1855,

There is a nearly perfect Match for a Josph Nicholls, son of Thomas and Sophia baptised at St. Martin in the Fields, Middlesex Co., England on 17 Jun 1827. This record gives his father's occupation as sailor and their residence as King (st?) (Page 297, scan counter 00335, DL/T/093, Item 048)

 

Comments

The baptism record I mention above may say Thomas Nicholls was a Tailor .

Also, just to be clear the baptism record I mention is just one possibility - there are many Thomas and Sophia Nicholls in England at the right time to have been parents to Joseph. For example there is a marriage of a Thomas Nicholls to a Sophia HUDSWELL on 18 Mar 1821 and St. George Hanover Square

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Thanks very much for your answers - extremely interesting.  I did find the marriage of Thomas Nicholls to Sophia Hudswell and thought that was pretty close.  The match in St. Martin in the Fields is interesting too.  I think both these families lived in downtown London, by the look of it.  I mustlook up St. George Hanover Square - have not looked at it but am guessing it is downtown.  I always have been suspicious of Joseph Nicholls because he never says anything other than "England" as his place of origin.  I've looked at the Canadian censuses and that's always what he says.  There are no patriation papers for him, no immigrations papers for him, no naturalization papers for him ... I am wondering if he came up from the US to Canada.  Anyway, thanks so much for your amazing response - so fast and so experienced.  I am just new to all of this research.  I am a Brace, apparently.  Fischer/Brace marriage 1817 Toronto. GR x 4 grandparents or something (I lose track).

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The fact that Joseph was a builder/carpenter on earlier censuses might also be a useful clue to keep in mind - skilled trades are often passed down generations. He might have come through the U.S. before coming to Canada but given the consistency with which England is given as birthplace I think it is probably right.

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Good advice, so I should keep looking through British records and keep an eye out for builder/carpenter or something like that.  The tailor possibility you mention is interesting because although he had bookkeeping skills and building skills, his daughters were dressmakers and one had her own fur salon - designing the furs herself.  I thought he was a "mystery man" but it looks as if he was legit and from England as he says.  Those early Canadian census forms actually meant "what is your nationality or country of origin" when people responded "England" or "US" that's sometimes what they meant.  On one census this same wife of Nicholls says she is German and she was born in Canada or the US, but her family - at least her mother's family - were Pennsylvania Germans.  I think people just wanted to get rid of the census taker as quickly as possible.  Anyway, thanks very much for your help.  Good to know there are relatives possibly still in the London, Ontario area.  Maybe they have pictures.

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Now this is a pure shot in the dark but looking over Nicholls' baptised at Westminster St-Martin-in-the-Fields... all by parents Thomas and Sophia Nicholls there are:

Child/Baptism date/residence/father's occupation

Thomas 25 Dec 1821 - res. Bedford Covent; Occ: tailor

Sophia 11 May 1823 - res. 2 Tavistock Row; Occ: tailor

John 17 Jul 1825 - res. 7? King street; Occ: tailor

Joseph 17 Jun 1827 - res. King street; Occ: tailor

Maria 9 Aug 1829 - res King street covent garden; occ: tailor

William 21 Aug 1831 - res King street covent garden; Occ: tailor

Alfred George 11 Aug 1833 - res King street covent garden; Occ: tailor

Being a sucker for exploring coincidences I couldn't help but notice the similarity of this family to the names of most of Joseph's children: William, Sophia, Alfred John, George, Mary Ann.

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Wow!  Now that is certainly right on the money, isn't it.  They all fit  - both Sophias had a first name of Permillia.  I actually remember my great-grandmother Permillia Sophia and everybody called her Sophia.  And there was a Permillia further back in the Brace tree -  I think you have hit paydirt.  He was so much older than Permillia Brace, his wife.  The "elder" you mention in one of the census' was Permillia Sophia Nicholls' father Harvey Brace - an American.  A bit of a swash-buckler.  But I have been puzzling over Joseph Nicholls for ages - now this tailor thing being so entrenched goes along with the family legend that there are Jews in the line - I have looked at my Stewarts who are so Scottish it's ridiculous, settling in Canada in 1830 straight from Lanarkshire, and the Braces of New York seem to be descended from Worcestershire people (de Bracey or something) - so the only people left seemed to be this mysterious Joseph Nicholls - there is a legend that my great-grandmother who was the furrier journeyed to Russia to buy furs with an Aunt or cousin or something.  I'm not saying all tailors are Jews and couldn't care less anyway - but to me it just makes a family more interesting if true.  Now, Sophia's fur salon also employed her sister and husband and a couple of cousins, if family lore serves me.  I just remember she was slim and dark and wore black and helped me with my food at Christmas dinner, not saying a word - I liked her.  She died about 1948 I believe.  Sometimes these family stories are just nonsense or maybe even malicious, but it is fascinating to ferret out the truth or as close as one can get.  The name "Maria" relates to "Mary Ann" - and also Permillia Sophia Nicholls' mother's name was Mary Ann Fischer, well I think you've found the missing link.  Thank you so much!