Jenette, also called Jeanette, Janet or Jane, Dougan was born on Feb 19, 1860 in Glasgow, Scotland. She moved with her family to Ontario, Canada about 1866, and was living at home in the 1871 census there. At ten years of age, she was already working as a factory hand. At twenty, she was living at home in Fall River, Mass. and working in a cotton mill.
Janet married Thomas Chew on Nov. 30, 1882 in Fall River, and they had 10 children. Ada, the oldest, was born on Feb 17, 1884. Ada never married, but became a career Navy nurse. Isabella, born next on Nov. 19, 1885 in Fall River married John William Grady at some point after the 1910 census, probably in Fall River. They had 4 children: John William Grady, Jr., born in 1913 according to Army enlistment records for WWII, most likely in Fall River; Thelma, born about 1916, also likely in Fall River; Henry, born Nov. 12, 1919 in Fall River who died in Easthampton, Mass. on Sept. 4, 1995; and Helen G., who was born on Oct. 18, 1925 in Fall River. Helen married about 1943 and had 6 children. I have no further information on Helen’s siblings.
Janet and Thomas’ third child was a still born daughter, born and died in Fall River on June 28, 1888. She was never given a name in the official records. Next born was James Longsworth Chew, born on Sept 19, 1889 in Fall River. James married a woman named Edith A. in 1919, and they had a son Robert L, who was born on Sept. 3, 1925 in Fall River. James’ WWI draft registration lists his date of birth as Sept. 27, 1890, and his WWII draft registration gives it as Sept. 27, 1889. Interestingly, the 1910 census lists him twice! On the 27-28 April he was at home with his parents in Fall River, but by June 2 he was living with his sister Ada in Freetown! I have found this in other cases as well – if in your own searching it appears your relative was in two places at once, remember to check the date at the top of the page. Even though census returns are supposed to reflect the location of a person on a particular date, it sometimes happens that it reflects the location of a person on the date the enumerator showed up at the door, instead. James died in May 1965, most likely in Taunton, Mass., as did his wife Edith on Jan. 14, 1975. Robert died in Berkley, Mass. on May 12, 1994. I have no record of other descendants of James.
George Woodcock Chew was born next, on Oct. 7, 1891, also in Fall River. He married in 1917 to Gertrude M. Sherman. They had at least two children: Harvey Lincoln Chew on Jun 2, 1918 and Priscilla C. Chew, born about 1924. Harvey married about 1943 and had at least two sons, who also married and had children. Harvey died on May 7, 2007 in Danvers, Mass. I have no further information on Harvey’s sister Priscilla. George died in Arizona in August 1964.
Alexander Lawson Chew was the sixth child of Janet and Thomas. He was also a twin and was born on Sept. 18, 1893 in Fall River. He married about 1917 to a woman named Florence D. Williston, who was born in Fall River on Feb. 1, 1893. Florence died on July 18, 1990 in Fall River. Alex and Florence had at least 3 children (Note: edit due to more information, Feb. 1, 2011), all born in Fall River: Dorothy W., born about 1918; Russell L., born on Mar. 13, 1920; and Frederick D., born on Jun. 6, 1924 (Note: other 2 previously listed were not children of Alex. One was a spouse of a child, the other was an error in source information used. Feb. 1, 2011). Dorothy married and had at least two children. She died on December 4, 1983 and is buried in Fall River. Russell also married, though I have no record of children. He died on Nov. 23, 1999 in Fall River. Fred married and had at least two children. He served in the Army during WWII, and to my knowledge is still living. (Reference to twins deleted – Feb 1, 2011) Alex died on Oct. 14, 1968 in Fall River.
Harriett B. Chew was Alexander’s twin. She married James Francis Sullivan about 1922 in Fall River. They had at least six children. James, born in Fall River in 1923, died there on April 18, 1926. Janet Frances, was born on Dec. 20, 1924 also in Fall River. She married and had at least two children, who also married and had at least one child each. Janet died in Los Angeles, Ca. on Jun 14, 1999. Next came Thomas, born in Fall River in 1927. He died there on July 19, 1933. Mary Louise was born in 1929. She married and had at least 3 children. Harriett had two other daughters, both born after the 1930 census, both of whom also married and had children. Harriet died on Jan. 23, 1977 in Fall River. Her husband James died there on Dec. 19, 1956.
Ruth Lyman Chew was born to Janet and Thomas in Westport, Ma. on April 20, 1896. She married John L. Sherlog between the 1920 and 1930 census returns, and had at least three children: Ruth, born on Dec. 11, 1923 who later married and had at least one son; John L., Jr., born Jun 30, 1926 and who served in the Army during WWII; and Ralph E., born on Mar. 11, 1928 in Providence, R.I. and died there on Apr. 27, 1929. I have no marriage info or children for John Sherlog, Jr. Ruth Lyman (Chew) Sherlog died Sep. 23, 1970 in Fall River.
The ninth child of Janet and Thomas was Thomas W. born on April 22, 1898 in Fall River. He died there less than 4 months later on Aug. 19, 1898. Janet W. was the tenth and last child. She was born in 1901. She appears living at home in the 1910 and 1920 census, but I have no definitive information for her after this time. I believe she married and had at least one child, a son, but have found no definitive source for this information.
Janet Dougan Chew died in Fall River on Nov 12, 1939. Her husband Thomas died in Freetown, Massachusetts on Aug. 10, 1944.
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