Tracking Peter Jordan in the Quebec City Directory

A wonderfully useful tool when tracking an ancestor’s movements is the City Directories. My ancestor Peter Jordan was born in 1878 in Quebec City, in the 1881 census he is living with his grandparent’s as his father was a widow and off soldiering in Kingston, ON.

In the 1891 census Peter is reunited with his father, brother Samuel, a new mother Agnes and 3 more siblings Mary, John Brown and William.

Peter was married Oct. 22, 1900, in St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Quebec City to Caroline Norton.

They had signed a marriage contract two days before their wedding, which I found thanks to the Quebec Archives.

Searching the 1901 census has been futile. I have tried many variations but I have not been able to find Peter in the census. I have yet to sit down and scroll through page by page. On September 28, 1901, their first child was born, Beatrice was baptized Oct. 13, 1901.

Since I can’t find them in the census and I know they later make a move to Montreal I decided to utilize the Quebec City Directories that are on-line at the Quebec Archives /Banq.

1898-1901 – No Peter Jordan in the directory.

Peter does start showing up in the Directories in 1902-1903 and his is occupation is listed as a laundry-express driver and living at Conroy Street in house/apartment 21.

Following Peter through the directories we know he had many different jobs as well we learn where the family lived. Later I could use this information to try and find a photo of the family home.

What I have been able to learn so far is:

1904/05 – Peter worked in a restaurant at St. Louis 86 1/2, the family has relocated from 21 to 12 Conroy Street (unless this was a misprint in the directory). This is the year their son Peter was born August 31.

1905/06 – He was the proprietor of the Mikado Restaraunt on Palace St. (it doesn’t list his home address). A son Samuel joins the family Nov. 4, 1906.

1906/07 – Peter has again switched jobs and is managing The Eastern Provision Co. and his address is given as Conroy 12.

1907/08 – No Peter Jordan listed.

1908/09 – There is a Mrs. Peter Jordan living at St. Patrick’s Street.

1909/10 – this could be when the family moved because I cannot find them in any subsequent directories.

The Jordan family is found in the 1911 Montreal census and is living at 518 Cartier Street.

Their last child Herbert William joined the family August 12, 1914.

Next up will be following the family through the Montreal Directories which are also on the Archives website.