The
Rushton Family

The
house in St. Thomas, Ontario, where Hiram and Eliza
Rushton lived.
That's Hiram sitting on the porch steps. I think
the woman standing
is his daughter Blanche and the girl is her daughter,
Violet.
My
grandmother was raised by her grandparents, Hiram
Rushton and his wife Eliza Schmachtenberger. Hiram
was born in England in 1853 and his family emigrated
to Canada shortly after. My grandmother told me
he had 10 brothers and sisters. She told me he worked
for the railroad in St.Thomas, Ontario, Canada and
that the train travelled west to Indiana, where
he met Eliza Schmachtenberger. She was also from
a large family.
The
information from my grandmother helped me quite
a bit in my research. She said she knew she had
family in Indiana, but had never met them. She also
knew her grandmother's birth and death dates, but
never told me Eliza's parents' names. However, through
census records and LDS site information, I was able
to put together Eliza's entire nuclear family, and
beyond.
Back
to the Rushtons. The only information I had for
quite awhile was what my grandmother had told me
and the 1871 census which listed a single Hiram
from England, 18 years old, living in Brant, Ontario.
There was a George Rushton in Brant who was the
right age to be his father. I have since come across
an envelope in my grandmother's cousin's handwriting
that lists Hiram's father as George, with the same
dates as the George I found.
I found George with Ann Hartly Rushton in the Ontario
Cemetery Finding Aid, buried in Brantford, Ontario.
I have also recently come across some great old
family pictures, and, finally, went to the cemetery
in St. Thomas, where I found Hiram, Eliza, their
son Horace, and many others.
After
putting together some of this Rushton info, I was
fortunate to come across a woman named Linda Grant
in several message boards in Rootsweb.
She is a descendant of George's sonand Hiram's
brotherWilliam. We have been corresponding
ever since, and she has supplied a wealth of information
and photocopies of records, including Hiram's birth
certificate and Eliza's death certificate. She has
been in contact with other Rushton descendants,
and with her great information and help, I have
put together a pretty good tree for Hiram and the
Rushtons.
Photos
(Identified Rushtons)
This
picture was found in a moldy box in my late Aunt
Ariel's house in 2002.
It's George with his son Hiram, granddaughter (my
great-grandmother)
Bertha Rushton Watson, and great-granddaughter,
Ariel Watson (b. 1900).
Most of the following
photos are from 2 family
albums belonging to Ariel Watson Billings and
Violet Letitia Lodge (both are granddaughters to
Hiram Rushton). The other photos are from Linda
Grant, descendant of Hiram's brother William.
William
Rushton
Joseph
Rushton
Sarah
Rushton - coming soon
Margaret
Rushton - coming soon
Facts
and Records
Hiram
Rushton's birth record
Photos of Unidentified
Rushtons
These are a mix of Linda's and mine. We're closing
in on some of the identities, but still need many
of these identified. Unidentified
Rushtons.
Genealogy
Reports
The
descendants of George
Rushton of Colne, Lancashire, England.
Census
Pages
Robert and Mary Daragh Rushton
with daughter Valma in the 1901
St. Thomas census.
Archives
Rick and I went to St. Thomas,
Ontario, where I finally got to the cemetery. Story
and photos in December
2001 archives.
Links
The
Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid
There are Rushtons listed
in this great index, including some in St. Thomas,
Brantford, and St. Catherine's.