Canada 1925 to 1929

[Peter_uk_can]

The Rev Asher Douthwaite is mentioned in 1932 and 1967 New York Newspaper articles.

I certainly don't wish to take issue, but would like to add that as an Episcopalian Priest, his views opinions and beliefs would be somewhat different from perhaps others members of his family. The newspaper reports and the fact that he pursued his beliefs for over 20 years seems to indicate a person of certain character and maybe "strabge" does not do justice to a person who in fact didn't conform in the eyes of others.

I am envious of all those who have "characters" in their history.

Please PM if you can't access Newspaper images...

[Nicolina]

thanks Peter but I do have ABC's full details and am in close contact with his grand-daughter. He was my Grandmother's cousin and they were raised together. He 'supposedly' went to a school that didn't exist, worked for Scarborough Council Engineer's Dept. (1911 Census) he then turns up at a school 'down south', in 1912. He was supposed to be a teacher, yet by 1913, when he emigrated, his occupation is "Carpenter". Yet what is strange, to me, is for him to become a priest. He certainly wasn't raised to be religious.
A conversation, overheard by his son in 1925, was that he had a secret which his mother refused to keep quiet about any longer.
There is much more, that l proved to be pure fantasy and which I believe his mother was responsible for.
thanks Mary Anne. At 5' 10" he must have been head and shoulders above the other family members. (One was only 5' 1/2") On a photograph, that I have of him, he looks skeletal.
What makes me want to find out everything about this family is that he was never mentioned whilst I was growing up. By accident I found him in the SSDI and then found his grand-daughter who had no idea that she had relatives in the UK. I called her and we spoke for over an hour that first time, it was unbelieveable. As soon as work commitments permit she wants to come over for a visit.

[Mary Anne]

The mystery man! He must have 'got religion' before he emigrated, then, since he stated on the manifest of the Megantic in 1913 he was going to do 'mission work'.

'Course there are them as thought we needed that here in the Wilds...

'specially out there in Saskatchewan...


Nicolina - how great you have made contact with his grand daughter! What fun you'll have when she comes to visit.

His mother sounds like a piece of work. Perhaps she felt the need to be seen as a 'keeper of secrets' in order to make herself feel better - perhaps about something she had done? or not done? Family secrets are so interesting and perplexing!

[Nicolina]

on the Ship's Manifest that I found on FMP his occupation is Carpenter, so maybe he changed his mind on the trip over. hehehe!!
Nothing would surprise me with that family. The stories that Sarah Jane told my grandmother about the family were so far-fetched, I'm surprised no-one discovered the truth before I did. She told ABC totally different ones that were passed down to his grand-children. Adding the two lots together would beat any Mills & Boon novel.
For a while Sarah Jane lived with my Grandparents and when my mother used to visit she and my Aunt shared a room. Sarah Jane used to eaves-drop on what the 2 girls used to say (as teenagers will) and then the next day she'd blurt out their secrets to everyone.
I have one strange family. Thank goodness I am normal.

[Nicolina]

things are getting even weirder with this family. Thanks to a link that I found, on this site, I've managed to find out that ABC Douthwaite and his first wife must have been living apart, most of the time, whilst in Canada.
It all brings to mind, " be sure your sins will find you out". (even after 80 years or more)