Theme: Live Long | Images: Click on many to enlarge
Henry Melbourne RICHARDSON in the 1950s, Seattle WA My Great Uncle Melbourne RICHARDSON lived to the age of 102, dying in his 103rd year in Seattle Washington. His youngest sister, my maternal grandmother Nell (Richardson) ANDREW, lived to be almost 98 and was heard to remark sometime earlier in her 90s:"Why would anyone want to live this long?". Regardless of whether her brother Mel had similar feelings, they both had remarkably long lives. So many changes occurred in the world about them during their lifetime.
Born in St Eleanors, PEI Canada on 6 Apr 1886, Henry Melbourne RICHARDSON was the eldest child of Sydney RICHARDSON and Isabella Harriett "Ella" COMPTON. His first name Henry was likely in honour of his paternal grandfather Henry Proctor RICHARDSON; he was usually known by his middle name of Melbourne or Mel, which doesn't seem to be associated with other family members at all.
In a story he wrote about his younger years, Melbourne talks about growing up on a farm, helping and learning the ways of farming from his father and maternal grandfather George Compton. He lists crops, animals, tools and equipment used to make a living off the land. There were always morning and afternoon chores, and between them he attended the Sherbrook 1-room schoolhouse one mile to the east.
Born in St Eleanors, PEI Canada on 6 Apr 1886, Henry Melbourne RICHARDSON was the eldest child of Sydney RICHARDSON and Isabella Harriett "Ella" COMPTON. His first name Henry was likely in honour of his paternal grandfather Henry Proctor RICHARDSON; he was usually known by his middle name of Melbourne or Mel, which doesn't seem to be associated with other family members at all.
In a story he wrote about his younger years, Melbourne talks about growing up on a farm, helping and learning the ways of farming from his father and maternal grandfather George Compton. He lists crops, animals, tools and equipment used to make a living off the land. There were always morning and afternoon chores, and between them he attended the Sherbrook 1-room schoolhouse one mile to the east.
The story Melbourne wrote later in life about his youth unfortunately ends before he leaves PEI, with only a hint that he was heading to Winnipeg to try homesteading. We know he went to Winnipeg when he was about 19, but haven't found any homestead records for him. According to my grandmother, Melbourne went to "Winnipeg first [and] learned mattress making. Then he built a place in Victoria, he was married and during the depression he lost it. There were no jobs to be had. So he went to the Portland, and lived there for a while, and then came to Seattle and he was running a mattress factory there, there was 5 with himself, and then the war came on, and they took all the small factories, into one big [one]... So he was out of a job."
Other than these few sentences, which I have not yet fully confirmed from records, this period of Melbourne's life still contains mystery. Details about his time in Winnipeg are still unknown, and I have found only 2 records that mention Victoria. A sighting in the 1912 Victoria city directory shows a H M Richardson renting rooms at the YMCA. This might be him. In 1909 Melbourne shows up on a border crossing document with a relative Walter Bruce COMPTON, both in transit from Winnipeg to Seattle via the Port of Victoria. This might have been a quick trip across the border for both of them because later that same year Walter was back in Canada living in Calgary where he set up his own business. I think that both young men were out trying to find the best work opportunities, perhaps while enjoying a bit of a holiday in new parts of the world.
Again in Seattle on 28 Mar 1913, Henry M Richardson married Marion H Smith in the Manse, Seattle, Washington. He must have been working in the States in order to have met and married Marion in 1913, yet he retained a residence in Victoria until officially immigrating in 1915. On his 1916 US naturalization papers he says that he left Victoria aboard the Princess Charlotte and arrived in Seattle on 12 January 1915. Somehow in the process of border hopping, he avoided both the 1910 US census and the 1911 Canad census, or at least I haven't found them yet in this crucial period.
Other than these few sentences, which I have not yet fully confirmed from records, this period of Melbourne's life still contains mystery. Details about his time in Winnipeg are still unknown, and I have found only 2 records that mention Victoria. A sighting in the 1912 Victoria city directory shows a H M Richardson renting rooms at the YMCA. This might be him. In 1909 Melbourne shows up on a border crossing document with a relative Walter Bruce COMPTON, both in transit from Winnipeg to Seattle via the Port of Victoria. This might have been a quick trip across the border for both of them because later that same year Walter was back in Canada living in Calgary where he set up his own business. I think that both young men were out trying to find the best work opportunities, perhaps while enjoying a bit of a holiday in new parts of the world.
Again in Seattle on 28 Mar 1913, Henry M Richardson married Marion H Smith in the Manse, Seattle, Washington. He must have been working in the States in order to have met and married Marion in 1913, yet he retained a residence in Victoria until officially immigrating in 1915. On his 1916 US naturalization papers he says that he left Victoria aboard the Princess Charlotte and arrived in Seattle on 12 January 1915. Somehow in the process of border hopping, he avoided both the 1910 US census and the 1911 Canad census, or at least I haven't found them yet in this crucial period.
Melbourne Richardson standing proud and tall Mel proudly mentions doing a man's work as soon as he was able. And not just on the farm. His father ran the first cheese factory in the area, and in his teen years he helped at the factory between May and October for 4 seasons. He talks about day-long trips, picking up and hauling wood for the boiler from 8 miles away. He also had to keep the boiler stocked and filled with water from the deep well hand pump. The work was hot and labour intensive. He seems to have attended the 2-room high school in St Eleanors on a part time basis, curtailed somewhat by his work schedules. But he got at least some schooling in Algebra, geometry, Latin and French.
Other later jobs included working for Mr Massy the town clerk in Summerside where he learned bookkeeping and sometimes acted as recording clerk for the Police Court trials. Another time he worked as delivery boy for Mr Lidstone's general store and grocery. He also tried Oyster fishing in season with a friend.
Even recreation was hard work. In order to play hockey (with skates that screwed onto their shoes), they first had to clear off a level piece of ground, then flood it with many bucket loads of water that first had to be hand pumped. If they were lucky they'd get a couple of days practice before more snow had to be cleared away. The team in Summerside had a covered rink, which may have given them the edge, with better practice conditions and home team advantage. Melbourne's team lost by a large margin.
Other later jobs included working for Mr Massy the town clerk in Summerside where he learned bookkeeping and sometimes acted as recording clerk for the Police Court trials. Another time he worked as delivery boy for Mr Lidstone's general store and grocery. He also tried Oyster fishing in season with a friend.
Even recreation was hard work. In order to play hockey (with skates that screwed onto their shoes), they first had to clear off a level piece of ground, then flood it with many bucket loads of water that first had to be hand pumped. If they were lucky they'd get a couple of days practice before more snow had to be cleared away. The team in Summerside had a covered rink, which may have given them the edge, with better practice conditions and home team advantage. Melbourne's team lost by a large margin.
Melbourne and Marion RICHARDSON visit his father Sydney in St Eleanors PEI in 1946. In 1932 Melbourne became a full citizen of the US and lists his occupation as mattress manufacturing. At this time all 5 children were living at home. By 1940 their 2 oldest sons had left home. The Second World War was already underway but the US had not yet got involved. In 1942 Melbourne was 56; although he completed a draft card I doubt that he fought. His son Sydney, however, joined and served in the 41st Signal Comp, and died late in 1945. This would have been an unbearable blow for the family, and added another blow to Melbourne's grief over the loss of his sister Lulu in 1940 and his brother George in 1943.
In 1946 Mel and Marion decided to go on a cross Canada trip, from Vancouver Island BC in the west (just north of Seattle) to Prince Edward Island in the east, visiting their remaining relatives in both locations. In Westholme on Vancouver Island they visited his brother-in-law Harry ANDREW and part of his family, along with some COMPTON relatives. In St Eleanors PEI they visited Melbourne's father and ailing mother and his sister Nell who was nursing their mother. Two of Nell's daughters were also nearby. They also visited COMPTON relatives in Charlottetown PEI.
In 1946 Mel and Marion decided to go on a cross Canada trip, from Vancouver Island BC in the west (just north of Seattle) to Prince Edward Island in the east, visiting their remaining relatives in both locations. In Westholme on Vancouver Island they visited his brother-in-law Harry ANDREW and part of his family, along with some COMPTON relatives. In St Eleanors PEI they visited Melbourne's father and ailing mother and his sister Nell who was nursing their mother. Two of Nell's daughters were also nearby. They also visited COMPTON relatives in Charlottetown PEI.
Ella (Compton) RICHARDSON on the left; Mel and Marion RICHARDSON on the right. Swimming at Lake Sammamish WA, July 1928. 3 generations. My grandmother must have been right about the poor job situation because during his early years of marriage he seems to have traveled and moved around the Pacific northwest in search of work. Their second son Sydney was born in Portland Oregon in 1917, which ties in with my grandmother's memories of Oregon. In September 1918 when he completed his WWI draft registration form, Mel was living in a hotel in Tacoma and working as a foreman ship fitter for Todd Drydock & Construction Co. His wife remained in their home in Seattle. Things hopefully settled down a bit after that because I have found Mel living with his family in Seattle in the 1920, 1930, and 1940 census. In 1940 he was the owner manager of his own mattress factory. According to his 1942 WWII draft registration document, his company was the Rainier Mattress Company on 26th South and Jackson in Seattle.
Between 1914 and 1930, Melbourne and Marion RICHARDSON had four sons (Roy Compton, Sydney William, John Bruce and Ralph Hunter) and one daughter now living in Washington State. In the summer of 1928, Melbourne's mother Ella made the long journey to Seattle from her home in PEI to visit him and his family and get to know her grandchildren. They enjoyed some family outings including camping and swimming at nearby Lake Sammamish. Wonderful pictures were taken. Swimming "costumes" have certainly evolved since then!
Between 1914 and 1930, Melbourne and Marion RICHARDSON had four sons (Roy Compton, Sydney William, John Bruce and Ralph Hunter) and one daughter now living in Washington State. In the summer of 1928, Melbourne's mother Ella made the long journey to Seattle from her home in PEI to visit him and his family and get to know her grandchildren. They enjoyed some family outings including camping and swimming at nearby Lake Sammamish. Wonderful pictures were taken. Swimming "costumes" have certainly evolved since then!
Life continued back in Washington state, until Marion died in 1960 in Renton at the age of 67. I know that Melbourne and his sister Nell (who had moved to Vancouver Island in about 1950) visited one another on occasion. On one of his visits to Duncan, Nell introduced him to Kay Whiteside, a primary school teacher who taught her granddaughters (including me). I don't know how Uncle Mel manage to court Kay from a distance, but they obviously "hit it off" because on 7 September 1963 the two were married in St Johns Anglican Church in Duncan BC. The couple returned to Seattle to start their life together. In 1962, before their marriage and during the Easter holidays that year, I remember traveling to Seattle for the first time to see the Seattle Worlds Fair. We stayed with Melbourne in his house on 63rd Ave South for a few days, but missed some of the fair when we got the stomach flu. His house seemed big and he was all alone. We were thrilled to discover he had a TV with more channels than the 1 or 2 we could get back home. It was there I was introduced to "Mr Ed" the talking horse show and was thoroughly entertained!
My grandmother Nell (RICHARDSON) ANDREW with her brother Melbourne RICHARDSON and cousin Nonie (COMPTON) CAMPBELL
Melbourne and Kay had almost 25 ears together until he died on 24 Jun 1988 at the age of 102. His lifetime spanned the age of horse and buggy, the automobile, computers, spaceships and a man on the moon, and everything else in between. He lived through the Spanish American war, the two world wars, the Vietnam war and other conflicts. He made his home in both Canada and the USA, lived on a farm in a small community and in large cities, and worked hard in a number of jobs, including farming, ship building and mattress manufacturing. Like his father he loved to garden, and was particularly proud of his large sunflowers. And he was a caring family man who raised five children. I think he made very good use of his 102 years.
"52 Ancestors" is a reference to the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge I am participating in.
Reference the No Story Too Small blog by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow for more details.
It is giving me the much needed incentive to write and publish my family stories.
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