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Record #13381
Name :
: Jemima RIDDELL (1882 - 1896)


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 21 Jun 1882

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 12 Jul 1896   Notes : Accidental Shooting
Abode (1) : Place of BirthScotland, Lanark, Glasgow

85 Florence Street
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialCanada, Frontenac, Kingston
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 8 Jun 1896
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Siberian

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Quarriers
NotesA birth registration was found for Jemima Riddell: Date: June 21, 1882, 12:30 pm; Place: 85 Florence Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland; Parents: James Riddell, warehouse porter, and Hughina Johnston, married October 3, 1870 in Oban, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

A death registration was found for James Riddell, Pauper, Lunatic, formerly Tea Merchants Porter (married to Hughina Johnstone): Date: August 14, 1883, 11 pm; Place: Govan Parochial Asylum, Merryflatts, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland; Age: 42 years; Parents: William Riddell, eating house keeper and Jane Hunter; Cause: Cerebral-Paralysis, Bedsores.

A death registration was found for Hughina Riddell, widow of James Riddell: Date: February 6, 1891, 6 am; Place: Mathieson Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland; Age: 41 years; Parents: David Johnston and Elizabeth Fraser; Cause: Broncho Pneumonia, 1-1/2 months duration.

In 1896, Jemima Riddell, 13, arrived at Quebec, Canada, in a group of 122 Quarrier children from Glasgow accompanied by Mr. Burgess and en route to Brockville, Ontario, Canada.

On July 12, 1896, at Kingston, Frontenac, Ontario, Canada, Jemima Riddell, 14, born in Scotland, died after being shot accidentally.

From the Globe and Mail of July 14, 1896, page 12

"
A YOUNG GIRL KILLED.

Jemima riddle Accidentally Shot by a Boy.

WRIGHT MAKES A CONFESSION

Jury Return a Verdict of Accidental Death.

A Mysterious Case at Glenvale Cleared Up--The Victim an Adopted Daughter of Mr. Glassford.

Kingston, July 13.--(Special)--Yesterday afternoon the usually peaceful Village of Glenvale was thrown into a frenzy over a tragedy which happened at the residence of Mr. Alexander Glassford, a respected farmer, who resides within a quarter of a mile of the village. Mr. Glassford and his adopted daughter, Jemima Riddle, aged fourteen years, of the Brockville Home, and Willie Wright, aged sixteen, of the Kingston Orphans' Home, had just returned from service in the Methodist Church. Soon after they entered the house Willie Wright hear the report of a gun, and crossing from the front of the house to the woodhouse in the rear found the little girl, Jemima Riddle, lying in the woodshed in a pool of blood. The left side of her forehead was riddled with shot, which had been placed in the gun for the purpose of shooting crows. The boy ran and called Mr. Glassford, and he ran up to his wife's room and called Mrs. Glassford. They then proceeded to the woodshed and tenderly raised the unfortunate girl, and placed her on a table in the dining room. Mr. Glassford went to Mr. Cramer's, his nearest neighbor, but he was not in. He then went to Mr. Kiell's house, and Mr. and Mrs. Kiell came over. The girl was unconscious when she was picked up, and lived only twenty-five minutes after she was shot. Mr. Kiell went for Dr. McBride, Cataraqui. Mr. Gordon went to Cataraqui and summoned the Coroner, Dr. Kilborn, and Mr. Burgess, Superintendent of the Home at Brockville. Drs. Kilborn and Abbott hastened to the scene and thoroughly examined the premises. Just who killed Jemima Riddle is a mystery which it will be for the Crown to solve. The only person who was near the place at the time of the tragedy was William Wright, the boy from the Orphans' Home, who has lived with Mr. Glassford for over five years. Even he was at the other end of the house when the tragedy took place. The gun used was one of the condemned store from the penitentiary supplies, and was purchased about three years ago. It was used for shooting crows, and stood on a beam in the woodshed. The boy Wright and the girl were on the best of terms, and had never had any quarrel. When the boy was asked if he knew anything about the deed, he denied all knowledge of the crime, and told a perfectly straight story, and has stuck to it ever since. The theory that the girl killed herself could not hold good, for whoever did the shooting placed the rifle back in the same place, where it is accustomed to stand. The gun was loaded before the mishap, and when examined after the tragedy it was found to be empty. One of the theories put forward by the neighbors is that some person unknown was fooling with the gun and accidentally shot the girl. When he saw the terrible deed he had committed he ran away. The locality which surround Mr. Glassford's farm house would render escape easy. There are a number of barns near, and a deep thicket a short distances from his house. Miss Riddell was about fourteen years of age. She had a very pleasant disposition, and was well liked by the Glassford family. She had been living with them two months, and came from the Barnardo Home [sic] at Brockville. The whole affair is a mystery, which will take time to unravel. Coroner Kilborn, County Attorney Whiting and Dr. Abbott went out to the scene of the tragedy this afternoon to hold a port-mortem examination and inquest.

WILLIE WRIGHT CONFESSES

To-night Willie Wright, alias John Babcock, aged seventeen, confessed that he accidentally shot Jemima Riddle [sic], aged sixteen, both adopted children of Mr. Alex. Glassford of Glenvale. He said he went to shoot a hawk when the gun was discharged and killed the girl. He put away the gun and said he would not tell because he was afraid. Mrs. James Gordon took him to a room and said that God was listening and he should tell the truth. Then he confessed. The girl's head was pierced by over 150 lead pellets. She never spoke after being shot, though living ten minutes. She was rendered instantly unconscious by the wound. The jury acquitted Babcock and rendered a verdict of death by the accidental discharge of the gun."

Jemima Riddell is remembered at The Brockville Cemetery Est. 1861 aka The Old Protestant Cemetery, Highway 2, West of Brockville, Leeds, Ontario, Canada on a stone "erected by the Fairknowe Scotch boys and girls in loving memory of their departed companions." 
ContributorsCreated : 2011-01-23 21:52:56 / From original database

Last Updated : 2011-01-24 21:49:00 /

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Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  4 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
14675 RIDDELL, Amelia1875ENG, LAN, Liverpool Jun 1883 : Sardinian CAN Board of Guardians (Various)  
8092 RIDDELL, Daniel1913SCT,    , Edinburgh Apr 1927 : Athenia CAN Quarriers  
14771 RIDDELL, Elizabeth1874ENG,     Jun 1883 : Sardinian CAN Board of Guardians (Various)  
13381 RIDDELL, Jemima1882SCT, LKS, Glasgow Jun 1896 : Siberian CAN Quarriers