GREAT GRANDPARENTS: John Albert Cooper & Annie Kyte

My Grandmother Gertrude Georgina Cooper was the youngest daughter of John Albert Cooper and Annie Kyte.

John Albert Cooper was born April 2, 1855 in Eastham, Worcestershire, England to John Cooper and Mary Ann Rudd.  Annie Kyte was born in April 1856 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England to William J. Kyte and Caroline Evans.

I have not been able to access an actual marriage record of John and Annie, however their marriage was registered in the First Quarter of 1881 in Herefordshire, England.  They appear as a married couple in the 1881 census as visitors in the household of William and Caroline Kyte.  The 1881 census of England was to have been enumerated on April 3, 1881.  John was listed as a gardener, the same occupation as his father-in-law.

The 1891 census shows John and Annie, with 3 children, at 7 Edgar Street in All Saints, Herefordshire, England.  John was still working as a domestic gardener.  By the time of the 1901 census, the family had grown to 6 children and were living at 2 Upper Glantowaen [sp?] Terrace in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, Wales.  John's occupation was listed as railway drayman.  The household also included John's widowed father, John.

 Their youngest child, Reginald George, died at the age of 13 months and was buried January 25

Tunisian

1902  in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, Wales.  Just a few months later, on August 2, 1902 the family sailed from Liverpool, Lancashire, England aboard the Tunisian, enroute to Canada.  The ship arrived in Quebec City two weeks later on August 15th.  The ship's manifest indicates that the family was enroute to Toronto, Ontario.  The eldest son, Albert John, was not with the family during that voyage as he had emigrated to the United States in May 1901.  He had sailed from Liverpool on May 1 1901 and arrived at Ellis Island on May 9th aboard the Majestic.

John and Annie settled with 4 children in Mimico, Etobicoke Township, York County, Ontario (just outside of Toronto).  By the 1911 census for Canada, only youngest daughter Gertie was still living at home with her parents.  John's occupation was listed as and angle workman aat club house.  According to family stories, he worked as a green grocer in Mimico at some point as well.

The family will have moved from Mimico at some point after the 1911 census as Annie died of throat cancer on July 30, 1917 at Lot 8, Concession 1 in Sunnidale Township, Simcoe County, Ontario.  She is buried in the Sunnidale Public Union Cemetery in Bethel, Sunnidale Township, Simcoe County, Ontario.    The cemetery is also known as the Bethel Cemetery.  John was buried with her on October 10 1931 after his death.

The 1921 Canadian census shows widowed John living with son Harold and his family in Brentwood,
Sunnidale Township in Simcoe County, Ontario.  Neighbours included daughter Gertie living with her husband Harry and his parents.  Like my great-grandfather William Daisley Allen, John Albert Cooper had the pleasure of spending time with his young grandchildren.

John remarried on April 26 1929 in Orillia, Orillia Township, Simcoe County, Ontario to spinster Elizabeth Hill.  John died October 8, 1931 in Brentwood.  His cause of death is listed as angena pectoris and pericardites after only a 3 day illness.

After John's death, Elizabeth continued living in Brentwood as shown on the Canada Voters' Lists of 1935 and 1945.  To date, I have very little information on my great-graandfather's second wife.  My mother does vaguely remember the woman as not very friendly.  She told me once of a comment made by my grandmother, Gertie in reference to her step-mother.  After the marriage, she asked her new stepmother what she should call her and was informend "Mrs. Allen".

Elizabeth and John may have been well matched.  According to my Aunt Dora, her Grandfather John had a falling out with son Frederick who then went West.  She did not know the cause.  Records show that Frederick William Cooper continued to live in British Columbia where he married a woman with two children.  Aunt Dora also told a story that her Uncle Fred showed up at the Allen farm one day and his sister Gertie did not recognize him.  And one time, my Uncle Ivan was travelling in British Columbia and tracked down his Uncle Fred but did not get a warm greeting.

I never knew either John Albert Cooper or Annie Kyte, nor do I have as many family stories about them as I do other great-grandparents.  They were the last of my ancestors to arrive in Canada - all other lines had been in Canada before the mid-1800s.  My grandmother Gertie would have only been about 23 years old when her mother died, but did remain close to her siblings, excluding Fred.  Uncle Bert was often visiting from Toronto when we would be in Brentwood.  He suffered from dementia and would often head out of the house to walk back to Toronto.  I can remember sitting in our car on the side of a country road while my father attempted to convince his uncle to get in the car so that he could drive him back to my grandparents.  Uncle Harold died when I was a baby, but his son, Harry Everard, would visit his Aunt Gertie as well as attending some of the Allen family BBQs.  My Aunt Dora was also in frequent communication with him.