Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Ancestors of Ellen Topper

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Ancestors of Ellen Topper

Generation No. 2

      2. John White Topper, born 1850 in England. He was the son of 4. John Topper and 5. Sara. He married 3. Mary Walsh December 02, 1878 in Toronto, York County, Ontario, Canada.

      3. Mary Walsh⁸, born 1850 in Ireland; died December 02, 1878 in Dunbarton, Ontario County, Ontario, Canada ⁹. She was the daughter of 6. Bernard Walsh and 7. Anna Ryan.

Notes for John White Topper:
There are other White families living in Ontario. I was wondering if it was through a White family connection that John White Topper left England for Canada. There are also other Topper families living in Ontario such as William and George Topper in Scarborough Township, Ontario, Canada, but a connection to John White Topper has not been determined.

In 1900, John Topper was living with the family of William Rhodes, a grain farmer in the Judicial Township #5 of Merced County, California. By 1910, John was no longer on the farm and William Rhodes had died. John Topper was not found in the California Census Indexes for 1910 and 1920. I suspect that he may have died by this time. But I was unable to locate him in the California state death index and he was not found in the county records. No certain confirmation made yet.

Topper, John W. (not confirmed)
County: Olmsted Reel: 1
Code: 2 Volume: A
Page: 329 Operator: CONRA
Date: 28 January 1997 Time: 09:57
Document Type: Declaration of Intention Years: 1858 -1884
Numbers: 1-590

More About John White Topper:
Census: 1900, Topper, John W., servant, born March 1850, widowed, born in England, immigrated in 1870, 30 years residing in US, Naturalized ¹⁰
Occupation: Bridgeman, ironworker

Notes for Mary Walsh:
Mary Walsh was born in Ireland in 1850. She may have been about 1 or 2 years old, traveling with her parents to the New World. Her sister, Catherine was born in Quebec, September 15, 1852. I suspect that Bernard and Anna Ryan immigrated to Canada between 1850-1852 and perhaps arrived at the port of Quebec City.

After the death of Mary Topper, Nellie and John were left in the care of their grandparents. John Topper left, never to be heard from again.

More About Mary Walsh:
Cause of Death: Consumption/ Tuberculosis ¹¹
Census: 1871, Occupation: servant ¹²
Medical Information: Death Registration No. 010451-78 age: 28 years 9 months Informant: John Topper Religion: R.C. Physician: B. Field, M. B. ¹³

Marriage Notes for John Topper and Mary Walsh:
014403 No. 711
John Topper and Mary Walsh are both 25 years old, residing in Toronto. John and Mary are listed as residents of Toronto. Mary is a domestic servant, and John is a laborer. John's parents are listed as John and Mary Topping. Mary's parents are listed as Bernard and Anne Topper. (Obvious misprints.) John was born in England in 1850. Mary was born in Ireland in 1850. Witnesses: Ellen Walsh and Philip Riley of Toronto. The groom is affiliated with Church of England and the bride is affiliated with the Roman Catholic religion. L- license is listed. Minister (Laurent)


Children of John Topper and Mary Walsh are:

	1	i.		Ellen Topper, born October 11, 1876 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada; died October 17, 1961 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York; married Edward William Herrmann June 18, 1901 in Buffalo, Erie County, New York.
		ii.		John Topper ^14,^15,¹⁶, born November 10, 1878 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada ¹⁷; died October 14, 1966 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada ¹⁸; married Lillian Arrowsmith December 18, 1901 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada ¹⁹; born 1880 in England ²⁰; died October 06, 1964 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada.

Notes for John Topper:
John and his sister, Nellie, are enumerated with Thomas Moody, a neighbor of Barney Walsh. Thomas is listed as the enumerator during the 1891 census in the area where they lived.

note: There is a Ben Marson buried with this family. at the rear side (side 2) of the headstone is his engraved name and information. Benjeman (sic) Marson 1858-1944.

I received a letter from Karen Emmink, Local History Room of the Pickering Public Library, One, The Espanade, Pickering, Ontario, Canada, L1V6K7 dated June 1, 2001. She sent me copies from various sources helping me to trace the family history and events. From the Pickering News, Vol 65, # 40, May 31, 1946, page 2- " Lightening Strikes in Village - The electrical storm that passed over the village during the evening last weekend, left it's mark in a way this place has not been subjected to in some years- lightening striking. Mr. John Topper's residence on Elizabeth St. appears to have received a direct hit. The chimney was knocked off, the lightning travelling down into the house where Mr & Mrs Tripp and children share a few rooms. The latter were in bed at the time and received burns, and one of the children, the same. Curtains on one window took fire, but were extinguished. Strange is the way of lightning - it's a wonder they were not all killed. The homes of Walter White and John Bentley were also included in the "targets", but in this case, appear to have come into the house on light wires - a bulb and fixture in the White house were melted, and a plug from the radio to an outlet was blown out in the Bentley house." I noticed the name White in this article. I wonder if this person is related to John Topper, as we know that the middle name of John's father was White.

From The Pickering News, Volume 63, # 29, March 3, 1944. "Section Foreman Retired After 37 Years Service on C. N. R. - After 37 years service on this Division, and on Sections 24 and 25, here, at Pickering, John Topper retired from the service. Railroaders retire on pension at 65 and on November 10, 1943, Mr. Topper had reached the retiring age. On his retirement, he was presented by members of the Division Staff, with a beautiful modern end table, and pipe rack combined, also a purse of money. Congratulations to Mr. Topper on his conclusion of a lengthy period of "honorable discharge of duties" with Canadian National Railways."

More About John Topper:
Burial: October 18, 1966, Erskine Cemetery, Pickering, Ontario, Canada, Section B, Concession 2 Lot 26 ^21,^22,^23,²⁴
Census: 1891, John Topper, age 12 ²⁵

Notes for Lillian Arrowsmith:
The Church of England is the religious affiliation listed in the 1891 for the Arrowsmiths.

Message #18 Friday, April 28, 2000 Subject: Pickering ARROWSMITHS Posted by: Tom Henley Message: "Good morning - LILLIAN ARROWSMITH is the daughter of ELIJAH and ELIZABETH (HALL?) ARROWSMITH. Elijah is my gr-gr grandfather. After Elijah died in 1917, Elizabeth removed to Scarborough, ME to live with her eldest daughter SARAH (SADIE) ANN (ARROWSMITH) SKILLINGS, my Gr Grandmother. Elijah and Elisabeth and some of the family immigrated to Pickering in 1885 from Schropshire, England. ALICE (who married another Scarborough SKILLINGS) and GEORGE ALFRED ARROWSMITH were born after the immigration in Toronto (Pickering). I certainly would be interested in working with you to fill in the blanks. Other researchers in Schropshire, England and New Zealand are all working on the Schropshire connections, we need to fill in the Canadian ones. A Mr. Claude Augur in Ottawa is related to this family and is a great help. Regards, Tom Henley, thenleyme@hotmail.com"
another note:
About 3 weeks ago, myself and other associated family members( Harmons and Snows) got together at the Scarborough, Maine Library to see who had what for mementos. Judy (Harmon) Williams had Elizabeth Arrowsmith's post card album. It contains all of the post cards that family members had sent her, some from "Lil." We all, in total, had a lot of photographs. Mostly of the Scarborough relatives, but a very good portrait of ELIJAH ARROWSMITH. The big one, a painted picture of Elizabeth Arrowsmith's mother done by the lady who employed her in Schropshire as a domestic. All of our female relatives
from Schropshire seem to have been domestics. My g grandmother Sarah was a domestic for a Canadian family who summered in Scarborough, she meet Alpheus Skillings during one of these visits. They married in 1890. Claude Auger is related to the daughter Alice who appears to have been born
in Toronto shortly after (or during) the trip from Schropshire. His address is: cauger@ustpaul.uottawa.ca"

More About Lillian Arrowsmith:
Burial: October 09, 1964, Erskine Cemetery, Pickering, Ontario, Canada, Section B, Concession 2 Lot 26 ^26,²⁷

Marriage Notes for John Topper and Lillian Arrowsmith:
From: "Anne Trabold" <petact@cfl.rr.com>, 27 Jul 2000
[ONT] #001007-02 (Toronto): John TOPPER, 23, farmer, Canada, Pickering, s/o John
TOPPER & Mary WELSH (or Walsh), married Lillian ARROWSMITH, 21, England,
Pickering, d/o Elijah & Elizabeth, witnesses were James MOUNTSTEPHEN &
Mildred PEARSON both of Toronto, Dec. 18, 1901 at Toronto (by John Pearson) .

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