The Charters and Boats (II)

Although the sailor genes in our family seem to come from Jennie Evans and her parents, there is also a possibility that the Charters were also boaters or boat-builders. I'm trying to work out if we are any relation to the John Charters who in 1846 was listed as working at Tinning's Wharf. This wharf was founded around 1830 by R. Tinning and was at the foot of what is now called York Street; it was demolished in 1886 by the CPR according to the Toronto Historical Association.

Tinning's Wharf also has its own interesting history. R. Tinning was one of the first in the city to make lifeguarding and water safety an important priority. His wharf was the port of call for steamboats that took Toronto passengers on daytrips to Niagara Falls. Recently its remains were discovered during a dig for a new condo building.

The photo below was taken around 1890 at the wharf at the foot of Yonge Street. The steamer is the Macassa, which went to Hamilton. The Toronto custom-house was also at the foot of Yonge Street in 1846: I imagine this was probably where many of the boats came in from the US.

I'm not sure how to find out if John Charters was a relative. So far I've just started to map out his family. John had a son, Thomas Charters, who became a moulder, and who worked at the same foundry as William Blashford in 1866. He also had two daughters. There was also another relation who lived with them, Charles Charters, who was a carpenter like John, but he seems to disappear after 1866.

The Charters and boats (I)

My grandfather Harvey Charters was an avid sailor and canoeist. According to my grandmother, it was Harvey's mother, Jennie Evans, who taught him to paddle. Her father, Alfred Evans, was a boat-builder from England.

The city directory of 1877 lists Alfred Evans as a boat-builder, with his workplace on Esplanade at the foot of Princess Street.

These days the south side of the Esplanade is land, but in the nineteenth century it was still water. Alfred worked on the south side of the street. In fact, here is a city plan from 1889 showing how the south sides of the lots are surrounded by the lake. Princess Street is at the far right of the map.

(Digitzed map from Photobucket)

What did the area look like at the time? It was pretty industrial! Here is a photo of the Esplanade and Berkeley Street, further west.

Photo from Torontoist and City of Toronto Archives

One of Alfred's relations may have been William Evans, who according to the 1866 Toronto directory was living at 76 Elm Street and whose profession was listed as "mariner." Perhaps it is also just a complete coincidence, but in 1866, Richard Blashford was also living on Elm Street, at No. 82. Richard Blashford was Joseph Charters's uncle; Joseph Charters was the man who married Jennie Evans. The only Willie Evans in my family tree, however, is Alfred's only son, born in 1889, who did not survive his first year.