McDonnell Update

Yesterday I received the death certificate for Sydney McDonnell who accidentally drowned in the River Humber in 1926 aged 7 :o( Sydney would have been my granddad's brother. His death certificate said he was the nephew and adopted son of Harry Dixon of 42 Lee Smith Street. Harry would have been Alice Dixon's brother and can be found on the Crowle Street Kids website (link in sidebar) living at 42 Lee Smith Street from 1935.

Harry is listed as living with a Sarah whom I assume was his wife I've narrowed it down to Sarah J LONGSTER in 1907 or Sarah A STOW in 1915 from Yorkshire BMD - I will have to await the 1911 census to confirm I think.

I've ordered Sydney's birth certificate as my records so far place Edward McDonnell in Australia in 1915 in the Australian Imperial Force. His papers suggest they were passed to the department of repatriation in about 1931/32. So far I've been unable to find Edward coming back to the UK, or Alice going out to Australia. Sydney's birth was registered in Q4 of 1918.

Using the Crowle Street Kids website I've managed to find a marriage for Edith Dixon, another of Alice's siblings, to a William Rawson in 1920, and I think four children Ethel, Vera, Jeffrey and Betty. Now hopefully soon I'll be able to put together Harry's marriage and find out who Sydney's adoptive mother was.

Last left on the list for Alice's siblings is John B Dixon born abt 1883.

Granny Dixon - Pitts Terrace

Following on from my post the other day about the Crowle Street Kids (link on the left) website, I've uploaded the picture that started my journey to find this website. Granny Dixon, as noted on the back of the photo is, I am sure, Emma Grainge. Emma Grainge was born in about 1861 in Skirlaugh, Hornsea, Yorkshire, England. Her parents were John Grainge and Jane Short.

In 1882 Emma married John Thomas Dixon in Glanford Brigg, Lincolnshire.

Emma and John had four children John B Dixon, born abt 1883, Alice Dixon born 1884 Harry born abt 1887 and Edith born abt 1897.

On searching for more information on Pitts Terrace so I could find out more about the photo I came accross the Crowle Street Kids website and was surprised to find that Emma Dixon was living on Pitts Terrace at number 14 during the 1940's and 50's. She appears to have been living with her daughter Edith and her daughters husband William Rawson. Also living there was Edith and William's son Jeffrey Rawson.

Edith and William look to have married in 1920 and had four children, Ethel, Vera, Jeffery and Betty.

It appears the family lives in and around the area at the turn of the century with the Dixon's living at Crowle Avenue in 1901, my grandfather being born in Wilfreds Terrace, Raven Street, and my great grandparents giving their address as Crowle Street in 1905.