George Cyrette
| George Cyrette | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1904 Red Cliffe, Wisconsin |
| Years in Thunder Bay | at least 1924–1938 |
George Cyrette (also written Cyrett; born c. 1904) was a fisherman of the Fort William community. On 16 December 1924, at age 20, he married Clara Singleton at the Fort William Mission. The marriage affidavit gives his place of birth as "Red Cliffe - Wisc" (Red Cliff, Wisconsin) and his residence when married as "Squaw Bay - Indian Reserve". His parents are named as Ambroise Cyrette and Agnes Gordon.[1]
The identification of those parents with Ambrose Jr. Cyrette and Agnes Cyrette of the Fort William Band, enumerated together in 1901, is very strong. The 1901 return enters Leyrette Ambrose Jr, age 25, with wife Agnes, 18, and daughter Eliza, 3, on the Fort William Band schedule (the enumerator wrote Cyrette as Leyrette).[2] The 1924 affidavit writes the father's name Ambroise Cyrette and the mother's maiden name Agnes Gordon. The names are distinctive; both records belong to the same Fort William / Squaw Bay community; Ambrose Jr. died at Squaw Bay in 1920; and a son born about 1904 fits a couple who were about 25 and 18 in 1901. No second couple of these names is known in that community.
Red Cliff census rolls
The 1924 affidavit gives his place of birth as "Red Cliffe - Wisc". The Red Cliff schedules of the United States Indian Census Rolls (NARA microcopy M595) for 1903–1907 (roll 239, La Pointe Agency) and for 1912, 1914–1917 and 1919–1922 (roll 417) do not list a Cyrette, Sirette, Syrette, Cyr, or Leyrette household or individual.[3] That is a negative search and does not, by itself, overturn the affidavit.
Marriage
The licence (No. D 67229) was issued on 15 December 1924 at Fort William, and the affidavit (registration no. 019211) was sworn the same day at the city of Fort William in the county of Thunder Bay. The couple were married on 16 December 1924 at Fort William Mission, District of Thunder Bay, by V. Renaud, S.J., of Mission Fort William, a Roman Catholic priest. The witnesses were Frank William and Josephine Dick, both of Mission Bay, Fort William. George is entered as a fisherman, a bachelor, 20 years of age, and Roman Catholic. Clara is entered as a spinster, 17½ years of age, and Roman Catholic, living at and born on the Mission Reserve. Age 20 on 16 December 1924 implies a birth about 1904.[1]
1938 notice
Cyrette was the subject of a biographical notice, with a picture, in the Fort William Daily Times-Journal of 8 June 1938, described in the newspaper social-column index as canoe building at Squaw Bay.[4] The 1924 residence "Squaw Bay - Indian Reserve" and the 1938 Squaw Bay notice concern a man of the same name at the same locality; they are treated as the same person.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Archives of Ontario, marriage affidavit, registration no. 019211, marriage of George Cyrette and Clara Singleton, 16 December 1924 at Fort William Mission; and marriage licence no. D 67229, issued 15 December 1924 at Fort William. FamilySearch, "Canada, Ontario, Marriages, 1869-1927", ark:/61903/1:1:QKM5-PTXY (affidavit, image 1429) and ark:/61903/1:1:QKM5-PTXR (licence, image 1428). Archived: affidavit, left column, affidavit, statistical table, licence.
- ↑ 1901 Census of Canada, Ontario, district 44 Algoma, sub-district 78 Fort William Indian Reserve, Book #2 page 15, family 344, LAC reel T-6554, image 827. Archived.
- ↑ United States, National Archives, Indian Census Rolls, 1885–1940 (M595), roll 239 (La Pointe Agency, Red Cliff, 1903–1907) and roll 417 (Red Cliff, 1912, 1914–1917, 1919–1922). Internet Archive, indiancensusroll239unit and indiancensusroll417unit. The Red Cliff name pages of those years were read; page lists are on Talk:George Cyrette.
- ↑ Fort William Daily Times-Journal, 8 June 1938, p. 1