In his early childhood, the family moved from Scotland south to York. The 1861 England Census[2] shows that he was living at Providence Place in the Micklegate area of York.
In the 1871 England Census[3], the family were living in Hull in the Myton district at 8, Belle Vue Crescent. He was 12 years old and employed as an office boy.
By the time of the 1881 England Census[4], the family address was 71 Seaton St., and George was aged 22 and working as a joiner.
On 3 Oct 1881, he married Frances Annie Rudd[5] in the Sculcoates district of Hull. Individuals named on the official record are George Christie, Frances Annie Rudd, Edward Harper and Jane Rudd.
His wife, Annie, made a trip to the USA in March 1882[6]. It is not clear whether George accompanied her on the sailing.
On 6 Oct 1893, George and Annie's only child, Douglas, was born[7][8].
The Christie Patent Stone Company
This is the story told to me by family members who knew George and Douglas Christie personally and were still around in the 1960s to tell me these family stories, with comments by me in the light of new information.
George Christie began his working life in the building trade as a joiner. In 1894, with the financial backing of his family members, he began running his own business manufacturing artificial stone[9]. His business was called The Christie Patent Stone Co., which at first was in Stepney Lane, Hull. His business did well and he moved to larger premises on Bournemouth Street, Hull.
At the time of the 1901 England Census[10], the family lived at 19 Temple St., Hull. George's occupation is given as Manager, Artificial Stone Manufactory.
Later he opened a branch of his business in Stretford, Manchester. The 1911 England Census[11] shows the family living in Christie Road, Stretford, Manchester. His business was very successful.
The link below takes you to a video on YouTube. It is about Stretford, Manchester. Part of it is about the work at the Christie Patent Stone Co. factory and there is film footage of people working there and making stone cornices and fittings for the new Stretford Town Hall.
During the First World War George apparently decided to leave the UK to avoid the risk of his son being killed at the Front[12]. George, Annie and son Douglas went to Liverpool and on 28 Oct 1916 boarded a ship called SS St Louis bound for New York[13]. They arrived in New York on 6 Nov 1916[14]We always understood that they were going to San Francisco. Perhaps that was their plan, but they actually went to Waynesboro, Augusta County, Virginia, and remained there for the rest of their lives.
SS St Louis
Back in England the Christie Patent Stone Company continued trading until 1948, when the company was dissolved. This was reported in the London Gazette (Issue 38412, Page 5153) on 24 September 1948[15].
According to family members, George also had a daughter, who did not go to the USA. I have found no trace of her.
In Virginia, George bought an orchard. At some point, his son Douglas became the owner of a local newspaper company, the Waynesboro News Virginian.
Death
George passed away on 15 Aug 1939[16]
According to family recollections[17], Douglas had died and that his father George died some years later. At that time George left a will and bequeathed all of his assets to the local Methodist church. His daughter-in-law Mary Christie (nee Haines) in the USA contacted George's family members in England (Jessie (Christie) Lawson) in an attempt to get their support in mounting a legal case to contest his will. Family members who remember the story told me that Jessie (Christie) Lawson was unwilling to get involved in the litigation. The final part of the story from the UK is that Douglas's widow, Mary , went to live with her "rich sister" Genetta Reeder Haines, who was known as Nettie.
George Christie's funeral announcement mentions the names of his daughter-in-law in the USA and surviving family members in England:
George was buried with his late wife at Plot: Block 29 Lot 9A, Riverview Cemetery, Waynesboro[18].
George and Annie (Rudd) Christie Gravestone
Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 17 August 2018), memorial page for George Christie (21 Oct 1858–15 Aug 1939), Find A Grave Memorial no. 39582704, citing Riverview Cemetery, Waynesboro, Waynesboro City, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by JLB (contributor 47105907)
Funeral services for George Christie, 81, will be held tomorrow (Thursday) morning at 10:30 o'clock from the home of his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Douglas Christie, 607 West Main Street, conducted by Rev. J. Calvin Dugger, pastor of Main Street Methodist Church. Burial will be in River View Cemetery.
Mr. Christie died yesterday morning, just before noon, at his residence in the home of Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Via on Highland Avenue.
He was born October 21, 1858, at Burnt Island, Scotland, and lived most of his life at Hull and Manchester, England, prior to moving to the United States and to Waynesboro in 1916. In England he was president of the well known Christie Stone Company.
Here he was first associated with his son, the late C. Douglas Christie, in the orchard business but had been retired for some years. His wife died here in 1929, and his son three years ago.
Pallbearers at the funeral will include: active-W. E. Moore, W. L. Dally, E. W. Barger, Dr. Ernest Mosby, Dr. C. C. Bowman, and J. S. Ellis; honorary-J. E. Drumheller, E. Austin Via, R. G. Vance, S. H. Hall, C. G. Quesenbery, Walter Arnold, A. Rosenthal, G. H. Branaman, J. H. Michael, Gains Baylor, and S. G. Crews.
Source: Christie1740_3 1871 England Census, Class: RG10; Piece: 4791; Folio: 58; Page: 5; GSU roll: 847347 Ancestry Record 7619 #10066168
Source: Christie1740_4 1881 England Census, Class: RG11; Piece: 4760; Folio: 103; Page: 12; GSU roll: 1342150 Ancestry Record 7572 #26115927
Source: Christie1740_5 England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915, Sculcoates, Vol 9d, Page 362 Ancestry Record 8913 #5345398
Source: Christie1740_6 New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, Year: 1882; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 447; Line: 1; List Number: 266 Ancestry Record 7488 #85845745
Source: Christie1740_14 New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957, Year: 1916; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 2499; Line: 14; Page Number: 67 Ancestry Record 7488 #4015582472
Mindy