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ArchivesRe: Can't find this name anywhere
in reply to a message by Raftan
Oops, my name isn't actually Raftan btw.
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Hi, everyone at http://www.behindthename.com/messages/37068.html,
My ancestor's name was Raftan Canning, born around 1832, either in England or France. The spelling with the -an ending, not -on, is clearly on his marriage record in 1862, but by later that year, it was being spelled Rafton. He was married in Paris, to Mary Anne O'Connor, teacher, who was somehow affiliated with the court of Napoleon III. I've always wondered how he "scored" such a well-connected bride.
There is quite a mystery about Rafton Canning. No one EVER mentioned his name in the family, even among his children and grandchildren. He had 3 sons, all born in Paris during the years of the American Civil War. All 3 sons became distinguished: one a Canadian mounted policeman and internationally-acclaimed photographer of the wilds of Canada; one the Secretary of Cleveland Iron and Forge; one a notary and accountant. Yet none of Rafton's sons saw to it that the name Rafton, as being their father, was put on their own death records. One said, "Father: Unknown." One said, "Father: George Canning." One said, "Father: Davidson" (his mother's second husband). The last son even changed his name away from Canning, to "Rafton-Canning."
The middle son, my great grandfather, George Canning of Cleveland, had no photo of his father, but did have a photo of a serious young man wearing a sort of bow tie, on the back of which George wrote: "One of my uncles, who my mother often said looks so much like my father that this photo could be taken as a photo of my father Rafton Canning."
I think it is possible that Rafton Canning did not exist, that he was actually the same man as his brother, Botrinne Canning.
My ancestor's name was Raftan Canning, born around 1832, either in England or France. The spelling with the -an ending, not -on, is clearly on his marriage record in 1862, but by later that year, it was being spelled Rafton. He was married in Paris, to Mary Anne O'Connor, teacher, who was somehow affiliated with the court of Napoleon III. I've always wondered how he "scored" such a well-connected bride.
There is quite a mystery about Rafton Canning. No one EVER mentioned his name in the family, even among his children and grandchildren. He had 3 sons, all born in Paris during the years of the American Civil War. All 3 sons became distinguished: one a Canadian mounted policeman and internationally-acclaimed photographer of the wilds of Canada; one the Secretary of Cleveland Iron and Forge; one a notary and accountant. Yet none of Rafton's sons saw to it that the name Rafton, as being their father, was put on their own death records. One said, "Father: Unknown." One said, "Father: George Canning." One said, "Father: Davidson" (his mother's second husband). The last son even changed his name away from Canning, to "Rafton-Canning."
The middle son, my great grandfather, George Canning of Cleveland, had no photo of his father, but did have a photo of a serious young man wearing a sort of bow tie, on the back of which George wrote: "One of my uncles, who my mother often said looks so much like my father that this photo could be taken as a photo of my father Rafton Canning."
I think it is possible that Rafton Canning did not exist, that he was actually the same man as his brother, Botrinne Canning.
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