Inherited Craziness
A place to share all the nuts found on my family tree

Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts

Monday, 28 October 2024

Samuel John Regelous and Emma Byatt

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Saffron Walden, Essex
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © N Chadwick - geograph.org.uk/p/5562692

Samuel John Regelous (b. 15 Jul 1848 in Saffron Walden, Essex), son of John Regelous, Policeman, and Sarah Pilstow, married Emma Byatt (b. 1847), daughter of William Byatt and Ann Poole, on 28 Oct 1866 at St Mary the Virgin, Saffron Walden - the largest non-cathedral church in Essex.

Samuel and Emma had four children, but only one survived infancy:
  1. Sarah Emma Regelous b. 1867 S Qtr in SAFFRON WALDEN Vol 04A Page 401. Died 1867 D Qtr in SAFFRON WALDEN Vol 04A Page 229.
  2. Charles John Regelous b. 19 Oct 1868 D Quarter in SAFFRON WALDEN Volume 04A Page 403, bap. 12 Mar 1871 in Saffron Walden.
  3. Emma Elizabeth Regelous b. 1870 J Quarter in SAFFRON WALDEN Volume 04A Page 415, bap. 12 Mar 1871 in Saffron Walden. There was an Emily Elizabeth Regelous buried on 13 Aug 1872 in Hackney, Middlesex. (There was family in Mile End to place them in the area).
  4. Henry John Regelous b. 1871 S Quarter in SAFFRON WALDEN Vol 04A Page 393. Listed as John Henry Regelous died, aged 2, in Kensington, in 1874 J Quarter in KENSINGTON Vol 01A Page 51.
In 1871, in Saffron Walden were Samuel Jn Regelous (22) Warehouseman; Emma (23) from Little Canfield; Charles J Regelous, Son was listed as 2 months (he'll have been 3 years) and Sarah E Regelous was listed as 4. I have no explanation why they listed Sarah who had died in the first three months of her life, but not listed Emma Elizabeth who'll have been a year old.

In 1881, at 53, Portland Road, Kensington, London, were Samuel Regelans (sic) (39) Carman; Emma Regelans (sic) (33) and Charles Regelans (sic) (12). 

In 1891, Samuel J Regelous (43) Servant Gardener and Emma Regelous (43) were living in Underhill Road, Camberwell, Southwark, London with Arthur Ralfe (15) Grocers Porter, who was listed as Adopted

Various records suggest they emigrated to Canada between 1891 and 1895.

In 1901, in Macdonald, Manitoba, Canada, were Sam J Regelous, Head; Emma Regelous, Wife; Charles J Regelous, Son; Margaret Regelous, Daughter-in-Law; William Regelous, Grandson; Edward Regelous, Grandson; Bessie Rowls (sic) (10), Lodger and Albert Rowls (sic) (6) Lodger. Arthur Regelous (24), also in Macdonald, Manitoba, was a Lodger in the household of Thomas R McCartney (whose sister, Evelyn, he later married.)

In 1911, Samuel Rebelous (sic) and Emma Rebelous (sic) were living in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada with Albert Rolls living with them, listed as being born in 1873 and as Adopted. 

Emma Regelous died on 15 Apr 1912 and is buried at Sidney Cemetery, Sidney, Manitoba, Canada.

Samuel John Regelous remarried on 7 Jul 1914 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to an Elizabeth Elliot. (Found no further details for her.)

In 1916, Samuel J Regelous (67) Widowed, was living in North Norfolk, Neepawa, Manitoba. 

In 1926, Samuel John Regelous (78), father, was living in the household of Arthur Regelous (49), in Springfield, Manitoba, Canada. 

In 1931, Samuel J Regelous (83) Widowed, was again living with Arthur Regelous (54), Evelyn Regelous (49) and their son, Victor William Regelous (18), in East Kildonan Rural Municipality, Manitoba, Canada.

Samuel John Regelous died, aged 84, on 21 Aug 1933 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and is also buried at Sidney Cemetery, Sidney, Manitoba, Canada.

  • Charles John Regelous married Margaret Rolls on 5 Nov 1896 in Carbery, Manitoba, Canada. In 1891, Margaret, with birth year listed as 1871, had been living with Thomas Rolls (b. 1864 in England) in Marquette, Manitoba, Canada, with their two children, Bessie Rolls (3) and Joseph Rolls (4m). I haven't found a birth record for Elizabeth (Bessie) Rolls in 1888, however, the birth record for Joseph H Kellaway Rolls on 16 Feb 1891 in North Norfolk, Manitoba, Canada lists his mother as Margaret Stephenson, his father's name is left blank and his parent's marriage status given as unknown. I haven't found any record of a marriage, anywhere, between a Thomas Rolls and a Margaret Stephenson, so it may be that the couple were never married. On the 1901 Census, Margaret's year of birth is given as 1866, which is more reasonable, but either date, with only the information that she was born in England, it has not been possible to identify her origins. Charles and Margaret had a further two sons: i. Charles William Regelous b. 23 Aug 1897 in North Norfolk, Manitoba; ii. Edward Samuel Regelous b. 22 Apr 1899 in North Norfolk, Manitoba. On the birth record for Charles William, his mother is listed as Margaret Stephenson and this time, it is specified that his parents were married. In 1906, Charles J. Rylous (sic) (39) was living in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada, with wife Margaret (36), Bessie Rolls (17) Daughter; Joseph Rolls (15) Son; Willie Rylous (sic) (8) Son; Edward Rylous (sic) (6) Son and R Davis (22) from England, Boarder. in 1911, in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada, were Charles Regelous, Margaret Regelous, William Regelous [Charles William], Son; Edward Regelous, Son; Elizabeth Rolls, Step-Daughter; Joseph Rolls, Step-Son, along with seven male lodgers.  Charles John Regelous died at 46, on 20 Sep 1915 and is buried at Sidney Cemetery, Sidney, Manitoba, Canada. In 1916, Margaret Regelous (46) Widow, was living in Tupper Street, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada with Bessie Regelous (26) Daughter; William Regelous (18) Son; Edward Regelous (16) Son and a Lidia Setter (22) Lodger. In 1926, Margaret's son, Joseph Roles (sic) (listed as 28) was living in Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada with wife Viola Doris (26) and son William Joseph (1). Grandsons, Charles William Regelous died on 3 Apr 1942 and is buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Edward Samuel Regelous died on 20 Dec 1944 and is buried with his brother at Brookside CemeteryJoseph Kellaway Rolls died on 26 Nov 1955, aged 64, and is buried at Carberry Plains CemeteryCarberry, Manitoba, Canada
  • Adopted son, Arthur Regelous married Evelyn Matilda McCartney, presumably in Canada between 1901 and 1906. In 1906, Arthur Regelous (listed as 39) was living in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada with wife Evelyn M (24) and their family. In 1911, Arthur Regelous was living in Winnipeg with Evelyn (30), and three of their children. In 1916, Arthur Regelous (39 again) was living at 412 Victor St, Winnipeg Centre, Manitoba with is wife Evelyn (34) and four children. Arthur Regelous died on 18 Feb 1949 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Sunday, 13 October 2024

Charles Frederick Burden and Sophia Baker

Watney Street and entrances to Shadwell Stations
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Ben Brooksbank - geograph.org.uk/p/3999191

Charles Frederick Burden (b. 22 Oct 1858, bap. 15 Apr 1860 at Holy Trinity (built 1844, demolished 1963), Milton-Next-Gravesend, Kent), son of William Henry Burden and Mary Elizabeth Sharland, married Sophia Baker (b. 1858), daughter of Charles Hoile Baker and Amelia Young, at Christ Church Watney Street, St George in the East, on 13 Oct 1878. Witnesses were Charles Richard Baker, the bride's brother, and Elizabeth Pearson. Charles' father's occupation was listed as a Tidewaiter - who was a customs officer who boarded ships on their arrival to enforce the customs regulations.

Charles and Sophia had six children:
  1. Amelia Mary Burden b. 1879 S Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 409. Died, aged 3, in 1883 S Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 275
  2. Jessie Edith Burden b. 1881 J Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 402
  3. Ethel May Burden b. 1883 J Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 411
  4. Hilda Irene Burden b. 1884 S Quarter in POPLAR Volume 01C Page 652
  5. Alfred Charles Burden b. 1886 J Qtr in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 48
  6. Christopher Frederick Burden b. 26 Nov 1887, Reg: 1888 M Quarter in WEST HAM Volume 04A Page 57
All of the registrations show the mother's maiden name as Baker.

In 1881, Charles F Burden (22) Bricklayer was living at 27, Watney Street, St George in the East with wife Sophia Burden (22) and Amelia M Burden (1). Living there also were Dan and Sarah Jane Tompson (formerly Sarah Jane Baker, Sophia's sister); Eliza Louisa Tompson (12); Sarah Sophia Tompson (5), Mabel Grace Tompson (3) and Mary Adcock Tompson (0).

In 1891, Chas Fredk Burden (32) Surveyor, Sophia (32), Jessie (9), Ethel (8), Irene (6), Alfred (5) and Christopher (3) were in Stamford Road, East Ham.

In July 1900, C F Burden (40) Architect, arrived in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, having sailed from Liverpool on the SS Tunisian.

In 1901, Sophia Burden (42) Married, listed as head of the household was living in Daubeney Road, Hackney with Jessie E Burden (19), Ethel M Burden (18), Hilda J Burden (16) and Alfred C Burden (15). Christopher F Burden (13) was staying with his Aunt Amelia, his mother's sister.

In 1911, Sophia Burden (52) Married and once again head of the household, was living in Lower Clapton, London with Alfred Charles Burden (25), Christopher F Burden (23) and Hilda Irene Burden (26). (Ethel May had married in 1902 and Jessie Edith in 1903). While, Charles F Burden (listed as 56) was head of a household, living in Algoma East, Ontario, Canada.

Chas Fred Burden arrived in Canada again in Feb 1911, on the SS Sardinian, which I think also sailed from Liverpool, so he presumably visited the UK, with destination Massey, Ontario and shows he'd previously lived in Canada for 10 years, from 1900 to 1910, which concurs with the 1900 record.

In 1921, Chas Frederick Burden (62) was, once more, the head of a household in Algoma East, Ontario, Canada and living with him were Arthur Albert Hallett (41), Emily Hallett (35) and what appears to be their four children. Sophia Burden (62) Housewife, meanwhile, was living at 173, Chatsworth Road, Hackney, with three young gentleman boarders.

Sophia Burden died, aged 73, in 1931 D Qtr in HACKNEY Vol 01B 388.

Charles Frederick Burden, Architect, Widower, died, aged 77, in Massey, Ontario, Canada, on 14 Dec 1935 with cause of death given as chronic myocarditis. The record of his death specifies his length of residence at the place of death and length of residence in Canada as being 35 years, which again agrees with the record of him arriving in 1900. His obituary describes him as "a grand old man, liked by all". What records don't tell us is whether Charles and Sophia had separated, or why she didn't also go to Canada.

Monday, 2 September 2024

Daniel Thompson Botterill and Jessie Elizabeth Maslin

St. Nicholas' Church, Deptford Green, SE8 - porch
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Mike Quinn - geograph.org.uk/p/1499613

Daniel Thompson Botterill (b. 1882), engineer, son of Dan Stephen Thompson Botterill and Mary Jane Harris, married Jessie Elizabeth Maslin (b. 27 Mar 1883), daughter of James Maslin and Jessie Elizabeth Dunford, at the church of St Nicholas, Deptford Green, on 2 Sep 1905. Witnesses were William Wilson and Florence Charlotte Maslin, the bride's younger sister.

Daniel and Jessie then had two sons: 
  1. Joseph Daniel Botterill b. 1907 S Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 1203. Died 1908 M Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 761 and was buried on 25 Jan 1908 at Charlton Cemetery
  2. Daniel Thompson Botterill b. 1908 S Quarter in GREENWICH Volume 01D Page 1064
Both birth registrations list the mother's maiden name as MASLIN. The second boy, like David Copperfield, was a posthumous child, because Daniel Thompson Botterill had died, aged 26, in 1908 M Quarter in WOOLWICH Volume 01D Page 760, at 26 Inverine Road, Charlton and was buried, on 18 Jan 1908, also at Charlton Cemetery (Greenwich). 

Not unsurprisingly, Jessie Elizabeth Botterill remarried, in 1910, to Welshman, Evelyn John Gutton Budge. Confirming that I'd found the correct spouse, Jessie Elizabeth Budge was living with her son, Daniel Tompson Batterell (sic) (2), in 1911 in Gillingham, Kent. Her new husband, however, was boarding in the household of a Henry Webb in Chatham. That doesn't seem far enough away for him to be boarding there for work, so I'd suspected an estrangement, but I've found no evidence for a divorce.

In 1912, Jessie Elizabeth Budge was listed on the Electoral Register at 80 Queens Road, Peckham (2nd floor), a mystery in itself as she would not have had the vote until at least 1918 and only then if she had enough wealth.

Evelyn John Gutton Budge arrived in Quebec, Canada in Jun 1911 and appears to have travelled alone. In 1913, he crossed the border into the United States, where he appears to do Military Service during WWI and, in 1917, married nurse, Mabel Dorothy Morris. They applied for Naturalization in 1918 and he died in Los Angeles, California on 2 Sep 1969.

Jessie Budge (37) and son her Daniel (11) - listed incorrectly with his surname dittoed as Budge - are shown sailing on the RMS Empress of France (1913) from Liverpool to Quebec on 8 Jun 1921. Their last address in the UK was given as 5, Clarence Mansions, Bromells Road, Kent (Clapham, London) and their country of intended future residence as Canada.

Jessie Budge bearly stepped ashore when she married, for a 3rd time, to Gerald Foll (b. 30 May 1865), son of John Foll and Sarah Anne Linnell of Stowe, Northamptonshire, on 20 Jun 1921, in WinnipegManitoba. Gerald Foll died on 10 April 1947 and is buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg

Jessie Elizabeth Foll died on 24 Sep 1965 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Searches reveal that Jessie's first cousin, Arthur Andrew Maslin, son of her father's eldest brother, Joseph Maslin, died in Vancouver, British Columbia, on 26 Dec 1955, which may explain why she was in that area.

Daniel Tompson Botterill married Edith Evelyn Benson, in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1939. They had three children. Daniel died in Winnipeg on 18 Jul 1964.

Sunday, 18 August 2024

Andrew Ephire King and Annie Jones

The former St. Luke's church
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Jonathan Thacker - geograph.org.uk/p/5436811

Andrew Ephire King (b. 10 Nov 1894), Chief Yeoman, United States Navy, son of Joseph Damos King and Josephine Martel, married Annie Jones (b. 30 Sep 1890), only daughter of Nicholas Jones and Ellen White, at St Luke's Church, Cork, Ireland on 18 Aug 1919. Witnesses were Frederick Joseph Lee and Nelly Jones. The couple met in 1917, wrote their daughter, Margery, later "... when Dad was on one of the destroyers sent by the US Navy to patrol the south coast of Ireland and convoy supply and troop ships to English and French ports." Later, "When Cork became "out of bounds" to the crews of the US Fleet when the Sinn Féiners attacked them, Dad asked Mum to come down to Rushbrooke / Queenstown to visit him. In this way, Dad became acquainted with Nellie and the rest of her family, often going to Rushbrooke for tea when he had a few hours liberty when his ship was in port." 

From Andrew's diary: April 24, 1918: "Liberty was granted today. I went ashore at 4:30 p.m. and went to see Nellie Jones. Today was her 24th birthday. She had made a chocolate cake and some cookies so we had a quite nice little tea party. I gave her a gold pendant for a gift. Novak came up about 7:30 with a fruit cake that his sister in Portland, Oregon had sent him. We had cocoa and some of the cake. Returned to the ship at 10:30 p.m."

After they married, Annie King applied for permission to depart for the United States, expecting to sail on USS President Grant on 6 Sep 1919, giving her future address in the US as 31 Chapel Street, Dover, New Hampshire.

Andrew and Annie King had three children:
  1. Douglas Andrew King b. 23 Mar 1921 in Norfolk, Virginia
  2. Edith Mary King b. 22 Feb 1923 in Brooklyn, New York
  3. Margery Ellen King b. 6 Apr 1927 in Cork, Ireland
In 1920, Andrew King (25) and Annie King (29), were living in Duval, Florida.

In 1921, Annie King applied for a US Passport for herself, accompanied by her minor child, Douglas Andrew King.

In 1930, in Norfolk, Virginia, were Andrew E King (36), Annie King (40), Douglas A King (9), Edith M King (7) and Margery E King (3). In 1935, they lived in Portsmouth, Virginia. A record shows that on 7 Jul 1935, Douglas Andrew King (14) travelled from Cobh (Queenstown), on the RMS Laconia, arriving in Boston in 14 Jul 1935. Margery remembered them visiting the family in Rushbrooke in the 1930's.

And by 1940, they had moved out to San Diego, California, with Andrew E King (45), Annie King (49), Edith M King (17) and Marjory E King (12).

Andrew Ephire King sailed from Pearl Harbor on 7 Aug 1942, on USS Henderson, while she did service as a transport between California and Hawaii during World War II, arriving in San Francisco, California on 15 Aug 1942. He was still serving in WWII. Was he in Pearl Harbour the year before?

On 5 Apr 1945, Douglas Andrew King (24) married Daisy Mae Hadlock (19), daughter of Ivan Hadlock and Esther Smith, in Hampton, Virginia.

Margery and her mother travelled to Ireland and England, visiting Dave and Kitty in Rushbrooke, Queenie and Alice in Cork City, my grandparents in Birmingham and stayed with Marcella in Portsmouth, in 1946. Margery wrote that, "My mother had kept in touch with her cousins all through WWII while we were in the USA and was anxious to see them all again."

A licence had been applied for, for the marriage of Margery Ellen King to a Donald William Gemmel in January 1950, but this marriage never took place. Margery never mentioned this. No surprise. I always knew her as Mrs Margery Hamilton, but haven't been able to find any record of a marriage for her.

Edith Mary King married John Kenneth Crawford, in Cork, on 7 Aug 1950. Her parents went to Ireland for the wedding, and returned on RMS Franconia, leaving Liverpool on 21 Sep 1950, arriving in Quebec on 29 Sep 1950. The Crawfords had at least one son (name and birth date unknown, but thought to be still living in Ireland), as Margery often mentioned her nephew - to whom she said she had given all of Andrew Ephire King's detailed diaries.

Annie King of 28 Oceana Avenue, Ocean Park, Maine (wife of Andrew Ephire King, Retired Lieutenant Commander U.S.N.), died on 21 Dec 1950, at the Trull Hospital, Biddeford, Maine, aged 60, leaving her effects to her husband. Annie King is buried at, New Town Cemetery, Rollinsford, New Hampshire.

On 26 Sep 1953, Margery King left Cobh on the MV Britannic, presumably for her father's marriage, on 24 Oct 1953, at the Methodist Church, Plymouth, New Hampshire, to divorcee, Elma Marguerite Wyman (née Dunphy).

Andrew Ephire King, who died on 1 July 1983, Lieutenant commander United States Navy Mexican Border, WWI & WWII, is also buried in the family plot at New Town Cemetery, Rollinsford, New Hampshire.

Douglas Andrew King died on 13 Mar 2002.

We visited Margery in Ireland in 2014. Her sister, Edith, had died not long before. Margery must have died in 2016, which, sadly, we only discovered when the Post Office returned my correspondence. Her contribution to this research has been invaluable: even when the family stories she was told weren't quite true, they provided valuable clues that I continue to pursue and hope that I can also answer some of the questions she left unanswered.

Thursday, 15 August 2024

Dan Tompson and Mary Ann Green

Junction of Cable Street and Watney Street, Shadwell
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Robin Stott - geograph.org.uk/p/6067988

Dan Thompson (b. 12 Oct 1848 in Broughton, Northamptonshire), son of Daniel Thompson and Mary Adcock, at 19, married married Mary Ann Green (b. 3 Jul 1849 in Bethnal Green), 18, daughter of Edward Green and Eliza Goodman, at the Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Limehouse (bombed in 1940 and since demolished) on 15 Aug 1867. Witnesses to their marriage were Robert Davis and Harriet Blundell (in 1861, Harriet, then 12, had been a visitor in the household of Mary Ann's parents, so may have been family.)

Dan and Mary Ann had two children:
  1. Eliza Louisa Tompson b. 24 Aug 1868 at 299 Cable Street (1868 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 417)
  2. Dan Edward Green Tompson b. 12 Mar 1870 (1870 M Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 466). Died 1870 J Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 288.
In 1851, Dan (2) was with his parents, in Broughton. Following his father's death in 1854, by 1861, the 12 year old Dan was living in the household of his eldest brother, George Thompson (b. 1836), who appeared to have taken over the family carpentry business in Broughton, along with their widowed mother, Mary Thompson (née Adcock). Dan's brother Benjamin (19) was then living with their aunt and uncle, in St George in the East, Middlesex. So it's presumably as a result of this latter connection that Dan also went to London and it seems to be that when the brothers reach the East End they drop the aitch from Thompson. My mother always insisted it was Tompson.

Mary Ann Tompson, wife of Dan Tompson, Bricklayer (present at the death), died on 19 Mar 1870 at 363 Cable Street, St George in the East, after giving birth to their son. The causes listed on Mary Ann's death certificate state "Childbirth 7 days, Scarlet Fever 4 days, exhaustion". She was just 20.

In April 1871, the widowed Dan Tompson (22) was lodging in Cable Street, while his daughter Eliza Louisa (2) (listed as Thompson), was living with her widowed maternal grandmother, Eliza Green, then landlady at The King and Queen Public House in Tait Street, St George in the East (Wapping).

On 4 June 1871, Dan Tompson (23) remarried to Sarah Jane Baker (19), daughter of Charles Hoile Baker and Amelia Young, at Christ Church, Watney Street, Stepney (four of the five Tompson siblings married in this church). Witnesses were Charles Richard Baker, Sarah Jane's brother; Amelia Baker, who was either her mother or sister and Louisa Tompson, Dan's sister.

Dan and Sarah Jane went on to have a further TWELVE children:
  1. Amelia Mary Tompson b. 1872 D Qtr in STEPNEY Vol 01C Page 473 (Died, aged 1, in 1874 M Qtr in MILE END OLD TOWN Vol 01C 399)
  2. Jessie Elizabeth Tompson b. 1874 D Quarter in MILE END OLD TOWN Vol 01C Page 597 (Died, aged 1, in 1876 M Qtr in Vol 01C Page 433)
  3. Sarah Sophia Tompson b. 9 Oct 1876 (1876 D Quarter in MILE END OLD TOWN Volume 01C Page 523), bap. 5 Jun 1895 in Waddesdon
  4. Mabel Grace Tompson b. 6 Aug 1878 (1878 S Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 443), bap. 25 Dec 1890 in Waddesdon
  5. Mary Adcock Tompson b. 1880 S Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 371 (Died, aged 1, in 1881 J Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 280)
  6. Dan Baker Tompson b. 1882 D Quarter in ST: GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 385 (Died 1883 J Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 274)
  7. Charles Frederick Tompson b. 1884 M Quarter in ST GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 409 (Died, aged 3, in 1887 M Quarter in POPLAR Volume 01C Page 451)
  8. George Daniel Tompson b. 1885 S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST Volume 01C Page 349, bap. 25 Dec 1890 in Waddesdon
  9. Ernest Wilberforce Tompson b. 1888 D Qtr in POPLAR Vol 01C Page 641 (Died, aged 1, in 1890 J Qtr in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 81)
  10. Amelia Mary Tompson b. 14 Nov 1890 (1890 D Quarter in AYLESBURY Volume 03A Page 648), bap. 25 Dec 1890 in Waddesdon
  11. Ellen Hoile Folville Tompson b. 22 May 1893 (1893 S Quarter in MELTON MOWBRAY Volume 07A Page 323), bap. 5 Jun 1895 in Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire
  12. Ivy Maud Tompson b. 23 Feb 1895 (1895 J Quarter in AYLESBURY Volume 03A Page 761), bap. 5 Jun 1895 in Waddesdon
The mother's maiden name on all of these birth registrations is BAKER.

In 1881, Dan Tompson (32) and Sarah Jane Tompson (29) were living at 27 Watney Street, St George in the East, with Dan's daughter Eliza Louisa Tompson (12) - listed as Elizabeth L - Sarah Sophia Tompson (5), Mabel Grace Tompson (3) and Mary Adcock Tompson (0). (Living at the same address were Sarah Jane's younger sister, Sophia and her husband Charles Frederick Burden. Both couples followed similar naming patterns for their children, with Dan and Sarah Jane naming one son Charles Frederick, which suggests they were close. Burden went to Canada in 1900. Did this have a bearing on Dan and Sarah Jane's decision to emigrate in 1912?)

On 4 Oct 1886 Mabel Grace and on 1 Nov 1886 Sarah Sophia, daughters of Dan Tompson of 106 High Street, were enrolled at Bow High Street School (Closed in 1932). This record provides their actual birth dates.

Mabel Grace (b. 1878), George Daniel (b. 1885) and Amelia Mary (b. 1890), were all baptised on Christmas Day 1890, in Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire.

In 1891, in High Street, Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire were Dan Tompson (40) Bricklayer; Sarah Jane Tompson (39), Mabel G Tompson (12), George D Tompson (5) and Amelia M Tompson (0). Eliza Louisa Tompson (22) 'Fancy box maker' was living with William and Ellen Burton, in Knapp Road, Bromley, Poplar, listed as their niece (Ellen Burton (née Baker) was Sarah Jane' sister). Sarah Sophia Tompson was visiting her aunt Mary Thompson, widow of her father's brother, Benjamin, at the Spotted Cow, Hither Green, Lewisham.

St Michael & All Angels,
Waddesdon - Font
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon
geograph.org.uk/p/3267102
Sarah Sophia, Ellen Hoile Folville (b. 1893 in Ashby Folville, Leicestershire and Ivy Maud (b. 1895) were also baptised, in Waddesdon, on 5 Jun 1895. The denomination on all of the baptisms is listed as Anglican, so I assume this was at the church of St Michael & All Angels, Waddesdon. In later documents, Dan lists himself as Wesleyan and there is a Wesleyan Chapel in Waddesdon High Street.

In 1901, Dan Tompson (52) and Sarah Jane Tompson (49), are listed as living in Gracious Street, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire with George Daniel (15) Bricklayer; Amelia Mary (10), Ellen T H (7) and Ivy Maud (6), plus lodger, William Warren (61), described as 'Draper But Not In Occupation'.

Dan's obituary details that, in 1904 he was elected to the Whittlesey Urban District Council and that "Mr Tompson came to Whittlesey in July 1896 and became landlord of the "King's Head" (now in residential use, see image) in, Gracious Street, which he kept until he left for Canada in 1911."


Gracious Street, Whittlesey (1897) A decorated house on Whittlesey’s Gracious Street during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria in 1897. Image Peterborough Images Archive

In 1911, Dan Tompson (63), Sarah Jane Tompson (60), Ellen Hoile Folville Tompson (18), Ivy Maud Tompson (16) and William Charles Kritzer (7), Grandson, were living at Lattersey Field, Whittlesey; Mabel Grace Tompson (29) a Lady's Maid in the household of Sir Philip Hickson Waterlow, 2nd Baronet (Waterlow and Sons) in Carlton House Terrace; Amelia Tompson (23) from Waddeston, Bucks was a Domestic Servant in the employ of James Hainsworth Ismay (son of Thomas Henry Ismay, founder of the White Star Line) at Iwerne Minster HouseIwerne Minster, Dorset.

R.M.S. Corsican Image: Eric Eggertson Some rights reserved

Family stories, at best, usually have a mere grain of truth in them, almost universally contain large measures of exaggeration and "self-aggrandisement" and sometimes, huge amounts of complete fiction. Researching family history, therefore, becomes an exercise in debunking the family myths. Some relatives are more prone to bigging themselves and their forebears up, so you learn to question (read completely disbelieve) their tales, so you could honestly have knocked me down with a feather when I found this one was mostly true.

My mother said that one of the Tompsons had gone to Canada and set up a business. The story wasn't without some exaggeration, as she did make it sound like they'd set up a massive corporation and given the impression that if one were to go to any place in that vast country and mention "Tompsons" everyone would instantly know the household name - when reality was a couple of self-employed brickies - but they do turn up in Canada.

To be fair, she will have got this story too from her grandmother, Eliza Louisa Sweeney (née Tompson), but my mother didn't seem to know who among the Tompsons had gone to Canada and the way the story came across is as if it was some distant relative, not Eliza Louisa's own father, Dan Tompson.

Son George Daniel Tompson, had travelled, initially to the US, in 1908, but on 6 Jul 1912, Dan Tompson (63), with daughters Amelia (21) and Ellen (19), embarked in London bound for Montreal on the R.M.S. Corinthian. Curiously, they're listed on the passenger list under "The Salvation Army Pantel", with Dan's Profession, Occupation or Calling listed as "Farming" and of the girls, "Domestic". They travelled 3rd class, or Steerage.

Then separately, on 18 Oct 1912, wife Sarah Jane (listed as 36, was actually 61), youngest daughter, Ivy (17) and Willie Thompson (8) - this has to be the grandchild listed on the 1911 Census as William Charles Kritzer - embarked in Liverpool aboard the SS Corsican, also bound for Montreal.

House on the left 131 Morrison Avenue, Toronto, Canada

The family set up home in the Earlscourt neighbourhood in Toronto, settled in 1906 by labourers from the British Isles. Even in 1914 it still had a “shack town” reputation. This article about the area, which talks of a "Building Boom", indicates why the Tompsons went there, "The modest sized lots on empty fields appealed to those looking for affordable land, low taxes and lax building regulations." Reading between the lines, my belief is that the family acquired one of the plots and split it between father and son. George Daniel initially lived in the house on the right of the picture, 133 Morrison Avenue and Dan settled in the house on the left, 131 Morrison Avenue. Given they were bricklayers, there's a good chance they built the houses themselves.


In the 1913 Toronto City Directory, Dan Tompson is listed at 131 Morrison Avenue, Toronto, as a bricklayer. In the 1917 directory, Dan is listed at 73 Ashburnham Rd, Toronto, with George at 131 Morrison Avenue, Toronto.

On the 1921 Census of Canada, Dan (72), Sarah Jane (69), Amelia Mary (31), Ellen (29), Ivy Maud (27) and Willie Christie (18) - the grandson with the ever-changing surname - were all living at 131 Morrison Avenue, Toronto.

Dan Tompson died on Friday, 1 Aug 1924, at his home of 131 Morrison Avenue, Toronto. The record of his death says it was from "Senility", although his obituary contradicts that saying, "He was 77 years of age, but his vigour of mind made him appear younger." He was actually only 75. Dan was buried on 3 Aug 1924 at Prospect Cemetery, Toronto, Section 17, Plot 509. (Plan)

Grave of Dan Tompson at Prospect Cemetery in Toronto

August 23, 1924

DAN TOMPSON of WHITTLESEY
A Noted Builder's Death in Canada
Whittlesey Council Meetings of the Past

Old friends in the Whittlesey neighbourhood will learn with regret that Mr Daniel Tompson, formerly a well-known Whittlesey resident, of whom many will have lively and pleasing recollections, is dead.

The following is culled from the "Toronto Evening Telegram":- The Lloyd George of Earlscourt is dead. Dan Tompson he was to strangers, but Lloyd George to the hundreds of Earlscourt residents who saw a likeness to the British statesman in the shaggy crop of hair and the rugged, honest face - who watched him as he stood at rate payers' meetings denouncing some condition which he thought unjust - who heard his ejaculate "Shame!" at some big public gathering, when overpowering indignation forced a remark from him. Dan Tompson died on Friday at his home, 131 Morrison Avenue. He was 77 years of age, but his vigour of mind made him appear younger, and he rarely missed a meeting of his favourite organisation, the British Imperial Association. Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, he lived over 30 years in London, and was nine years on the Whittlesey Urban Council. In 1912 he came to Toronto, and lived in Earlscourt for the last seven years. He was a member of the Church of England [?] And Royal Alexandra [?] No 2459. Surviving him are his widow, Mrs Sarah Jane Tompson; one son, George, 124 Hatherley Road; and six daughters, Mrs J Sweeney, Mrs J Christie and Mrs Mabel Martin, of England and Misses Amelia, Ellen and Ivy at home. He was always an outstanding figure at meetings. Head thrown back and blue eyes flashing, he could speak from his extensive experience on practically every subject which was under discussion.

The last paragraph of the above report is indeed a tribute to Mr Tompson's powers of expression and volubility.

His Whittlesey Associations

Mr Tompson came to Whittlesey in July 1896 and became landlord of the "King's Head" in, Gracious Street, which he kept until he left for Canada in 1911. Always original, and by no means hide-bound by convention, he combined the role of publican with that of a local preacher, truly a strange combination, and one not often seen nowadays. But "Dan" as he was intimately known to hundreds, could well sustain this dual role. There was one occasion when his dignity suffered a severe shock, and that was at Pond's Bridge. He had been invited over there in his capacity as a local preacher to take the service at the little chapel, which was given to the hamlet by Lord de Ramsey, and being unused to the pulpit, which was of [unreadable] design, he had no sooner got into it he tripped out!

By trade he was a builder and a very efficient and reliable contractor too. Among works undertaken by him was the building of the New Whittlesey Brick Company, now known as the Victory Brickworks, and he also assisted in the building of the Gildenburgh Brick Works, now known as the United Brick Company. An employer of labour, he was most generous and paid his men liberally. Inclined towards Liberalism in politics, and delivered many stirring orations in his advocacy of the cause. As will be realised by "Sub Rosa's" accompanying article, a meeting at which Mr Tompson was present was never dull and although Dan's electioneering motto - or shall we say, battle-cry - was "Actions speak louder than words", he was never a believer in the quiet subdued style of advocacy, but went "all out" with a force that told.

Besides the wider realm of national politics, local government attracted him, and in 1904 he was elected to the Whittlesey Urban District Council, fourteenth on the list of the eighteen successful candidates. Again in 1907 and 1910 he was returned, improving his position each time, and he retained his seat on the Council until he left for Canada in 1911. Arrived in the Dominion, he carried on his business as a builder.

His wife, who, as the Canadian report states, survives him, was a charming lady, and made a host of friends in Whittlesey.

Their daughters must have travelled back to the UK, because on 17 Sep 1926, Amelia Mary Thompson (35) and Ellen Hoile Thompson (32), embarked in Liverpool, bound for Montreal on the R.M.S. Regina. Interestingly, they gave their last address in the United Kingdom as c/o Mrs Sweeney, 102 Fore Street, London (my great-grandmother, their half-sister).

On the 1931 Canada Census, Sarah Jane Tompson (81) widowed, arrival date 1912, was still listed at 131 Morrison Avenue, Toronto with Amelia Mary Tompson (41), Ellen Hoile Tompson (38) and Ivy Maude Tompson (36).

Then on 19 Sep 1931, Ellen (38) and Ivy Maud (36) made the crossing from Liverpool to New York, in transit to Canada, on the R.M.S. Adriatic. They stated they were citizens of Canada. (Until 1947, settlers from Britain were considered citizens of Canada without needing to naturalize.)

The three Tompson girls then all appeared in the Toronto Centennial City Directory of 1934 at 131 Morrison Avenue, Toronto.

Sarah Jane Tompson died on 4 Aug 1937 and was buried with her husband.

In 1939, the three spinster daughters were back in the UK, living together at Way Homesteads, Broadway, Yaxley, Cambridgeshire. Amelia and Ellen were dressmakers, while Ivy was a School Teacher (Technical). Their brother George Daniel's father-in-in law, George Oldfield's parents were, George Oldfield and Mary Haddon and, in 1851, Mary was listed as having been born in Yaxley, then in Huntingdonshire. This may well explain why the three sisters were in Yaxley after they returned to the UK from Canada. None of these three sisters ever married and they then returned to Whittlesey.

On 12 Sep 1939, Probate was granted to Amelia Mary Tompson and Ivy Maud Tompson on the estates of both Dan Tompson and Sarah Jane Tompson. They left effects of £400 (worth around £26,000 today), hardly a fortune. 

Ellen died on 14 Jan 1976. She will have been 82. Amelia Mary Tompson of 81 Benwick Road, Whittlesey, died on 4 Mar 1986. She was 95. Ivy Maud Tompson of Keneydon House, 2 Delph Street, Whittlesey (a Residential Dementia care home) died on 12 Feb 1991, just eleven days before her 96th birthday. 

Tuesday, 18 June 2024

William Eastman and Elizabeth Trick

St George's Church, Monkleigh
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Philip Halling - geograph.org.uk/p/4437956

William Eastman (bap. 2 May 1790 in Monkleigh, Devon), son of Robert Eastman and Mary Morish, married Elizabeth Trick (bap. 12 Oct 1806, in Monkleigh, Devon), daughter of William Trick and Elizabeth Trick (yes, both were named Trick), at St George's Church, Monkleigh, on 18 Jun 1834.

Elizabeth Trick already had at least three illegitimate children before the marriage and added six more children with her husband:
  1. Louisa Martin Trick b. 25 Oct 1827, bap. 26 Mar 1828 at Bideford, Methodist Circuit. The record makes it look likely that her father was Edward Martin. Perhaps the baptism was made in this manner to attempt to get him to take responsibility for the illegitimate child.
  2. Thomas Trick bap. 12 Sep 1830 in Monkleigh, Devon, the record specifies that he is the son of Elizabeth Trick, Single Woman. 
  3. William Trick b. 1834, bap. 18 Apr 1834 in Monkleigh, Devon, also makes the point that he's the son of Elizabeth Trick, Single Woman. William Trick leaves blank or states Not Known for his father on his subsequent marriages, so I'm convinced that he's not William Eastman's child, despite the proximity of his birth to his mother's marriage.
  4. Mary Eastman bap. 22 May 1836 in Monkleigh, Devon.
  5. Pamela Eastman b. 1838 D Quarter in THE BIDEFORD UNION Volume 10 Page 65, bap. 28 Oct 1838 in Monkleigh, Devon.
  6. Maria Eastman b. 1841 J Quarter in THE BIDEFORD UNION Volume 10 Page 61, bap. 4 Apr 1841 in Monkleigh, Devon. Died, aged 10, in 1852 S Quarter in THE BIDEFORD UNION Volume 05B Page 324.
  7. Rebecca Eastman b. 1843 D Quarter in THE BIDEFORD UNION Volume 10 Page 71, bap. 28 Jan 1844 in Monkleigh, Devon.
  8. John Trick Eastman b. 1846 S Quarter in THE BIDEFORD UNION Volume 10 Page 59, bap. 23 Dec 1849 in Monkleigh, Devon. Died, aged 6, in 1852 S Quarter in THE BIDEFORD UNION Volume 05B Page 324.
  9. Elizabeth Ann Eastman b. 1849 M Quarter in THE BIDEFORD UNION Volume 10 Page 73, bap. 4 Apr 1849 in Monkleigh, Devon. Died 1849 J Quarter in THE BIDEFORD UNION Volume 10 Page 47.
In 1841, William Eastman (45) Agricultural Labourer, Elizabeth Eastman (30), William Eastman (7) [William Trick] - that he was listed as Eastman is most likely an unchallenged assumption and in no way infers parentage - Mary Eastman (5), Pamela Eastman (2) and Maria Eastman aged 3 months were living in Monkleigh Village. Meanwhile, Louisa Martin Trick (13) was living in the household of Thomas Fursman (25) in Bideford, where there is a Residence Note on the record which reads "Outhouse Bibery". Most likely she was a servant. There was a Thomas Trick (10) employed as an Agricultural Labourer by Christopher Quick (40) Farmer at Pickhoe, Monkleigh. 

In 1851, in Monkleigh were: William Eastman (62) Pauper Ag Lab; Elizabeth Eastman (48) Glover; Mary Eastman (16), Pamela Eastman (12) Glover, Maria Eastman (9), Rebecca Eastman (6) and John Eastman (3). Louisa Trick (23) from Bideford, Devon was a Nursemaid in the household of Samuel John Sayce (38) Stock Broker, in Aberdeen Place, Westbury-on-Trym, Gloucestershire. Thomas Trick (20) was a Farm Servant to Thomas Newcombe (30) Farmer of 65 Acres, in Monkleigh.

In 1861, and still in Monkleigh Village were William Eastman (71) Formerly Ag Lab, Elizabeth Eastman (53) Charwoman and Pamela Eastman (22) Glover (cotton). There was a Rebecca Eastman (16) House Servant in Marlborough Street, Stoke Damerel, Devon, which may well be relevant.

William Eastman died, at 72, in 1862 J Qtr in BIDEFORD Vol 05B 365.

In 1871, Elizabeth Eastman (64) Widowed Needle Woman from Monkleigh, Devon, Mother, was living with Louisa Martin Trick (42) Needlewoman, Single, Daughter from Bideford, Devon, in Mile End Old Town, Stepney

Elizabeth Eastman died, at 67, in 1874 M Qtr in LEWISHAM Vol 01D 560.
  1. Pamela Eastman had married Albert Wonnacott in Great Torrington, Devon in 1861. Albert Wonnacott b. 1841 J Quarter in TORRINGTON UNION Volume 10 Page 269, was the son of George Wonnacott and Mary Bastard. Yes, that really was her surname, and her dad's. Albert and Pamela had three children: Louisa Wonnacott b. 1862 S Quarter in TORRINGTON UNION Volume 05B Page 499 (no further records); Mary Jane Wonnacott b. 1864 M Quarter in EAST STONEHOUSE Volume 05B Page 313 and Albert Wonnacott b. 1866 D Quarter in EAST STONEHOUSE Volume 05B Page 300 who died at a year old in 1867 D Quarter in BIDEFORD Volume 05B Page 345. Pamela Wonnacott was a witness at the marriage of her half-brother, William Trick, in 1871. Pamela Wonnacott died, aged 33, in 1872 M Quarter in EAST STONEHOUSE Volume 05B Page 243 - hence the widowed Albert married Pamela's elder half-sister, Louisa, two years later. 
  2. Louisa Martin Trick, according to the record, married Alfred Wonnacott on 15 Apr 1874 at the church of Saint Philip The Apostle, Stepney, London. On the marriage certificate, 'Alfred' lists his father as George Wonnacott, Hatter. Louisa lists her father as Edward Trick, Doctor. (This adds weight to him being Edward Martin, but most likely not a Doctor.) When we catch up with them again on the 1881 Census, living at 66, Blair Street, Bromley, Poplar, London, it becomes clear this is Albert Wonnacott (39) Hatter (Unemployed) with Louisa Wonnacott (52) and Mary A Wonnacott (sic) (17) Daughter - she is Mary Jane Wonnacott, Albert's daughter with is first wife, Pamela Eastman (see above). If Louisa had been Pamela's full sister, this marriage would surely have been illegal. We lose sight of all three of them after this.
  3. Mary Eastman married William Jones, in Bideford district, in 1856. They had six children in England, but by 1871, were living in Vaughan, York, Ontario, Canada. There they added at least three or four more children. William Jones died in 1915. Mary Eastman died on 28 Jan 1928. She is buried, along with her husband, at Richmond Hill Presbyterian CemeteryRichmond Hill, Ontario. Mary's age at death was 91, not 93, so the headstone is wrong, despite being "set in stone". Also, she was baptised and married plain Mary and not Mary Elizabeth. 

Sunday, 12 May 2024

Frederick William Penfold and Harriet Mary Tubb

Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda SeanMD80 (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0

Frederick William Penfold (b. 20 Jul 1863 in Hartfield, Sussex), son of William Penfold and Mary Ann Charlotte Gunn, married Harriet Mary Tubb (b. 21 May 1867 in Sheppey), daughter of Edward Tubb and Sarah Elizabeth Joy at the Wesleyan Chapel, Tottenham on 12 May 1888.

Frederick and Harriet had five children:

  1. Harriet Mary Penfold Tubb b. 1884 Q4 in CHELSEA Vol 01A Page 338
  2. George Edward Penfold b. 7 Mar 1889 in SHEPPEY Vol 02A Page 892
  3. Grace Joy Penfold b. 27 Aug 1892 in DOVER Volume 02A Page 982
  4. Frederick William Penfold b. 8 Oct 1896 in FULHAM Vol 01A Page 305
  5. Bert Penfold b. 14 Aug 1898 in ISLE OF WIGHT Vol 02B Page 599
Looking at this succession of birth locations: i. Frederick's mother, Mary Ann Penfold (55) died in in Chelsea, in 1886, so it may well have been to her that Harriet had gone; ii. Sheppey makes sense that Harriet was able to return to her own mother for the birth of her first legitimate child; iii. this is the year after Frederick left the navy, so unsure why Dover (Harriet's mother's family, perhaps); iv. Fulham is where Frederick's younger brother Charles lived and makes sense to go to his family for this birth, her own mother having died in 1895 and v. the Isle of Wight is where they'd moved in 1898.

Frederick William Penfold, had enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1878, at 15, as a Boy 2nd Class. His father had died in 1873, which may well have been motivation for going to sea. At that time he was 5ft tall, had dark brown hair, brown eyes and fair skin. He'd previously worked as a Gardener. Later, he grew to the lofty height of 5ft 5in and his complexion became ruddy. On 20 Jul 1881, his 18th birthday, Frederick signed up for a further 10 years.

Frederick William Penfold's Naval Career:

In 1881, Frederick William Penfold (18), Signal boy from Hartfield, Sussex, was listed under Royal Navy At Sea, Ships and Overseas Establishments with HMS Northampton, in Camber, Bermuda (Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda)

  • 16 Dec 1882-2 Apr 1884 HMS Duncan (1859) which had been flag ship at Sheerness since 1879. (Exactly the right time and place for Frederick to meet Harriet, who was born and lived in Sheerness. Harriet's father, Edward Tubb, died in Jan 1884. We might conclude that Harriet, 16, sought solace in Frederick.)
  • 3 Apr 1884-30 Jun 1886 HMS Carysfort (1878), which in 1884 and 1885, landed men for the naval brigade at Sudan (during the Mahdist War, which claimed the life of Gordon of Khartoum). During this time, there is a note on Frederick's service record saying "Mily Gaol Alexandria 42 days" (Gabbari military prison, Alexandria, Egypt). Doesn't give the exact dates or what for, but 42 days is unlikely to be too serious. Drunk maybe? Apr 1886 Mediterranean. 8 May 1886 Serving in Greek Waters. 19 Jun 1886 Malta.

Crossing Malta's Grand Harbour by Water Taxi


In 1891, Frederick W Penfold (27), Qualified signalman, married, was a 'Member of crew' of HMS Excellent in Portsmouth Harbour. Harriet Mary Penfold (26), Harriet M Penfold (6) and George E Penfold (2) were visiting Harriet's mother, Sarah E Tubb (61) in Trinity Road, Minster in Sheppey.

In 1898, George Edward Penfold, son of Frederick William Penfold, Commercial Agent, of 22 West Street, Newport, was enrolled at the Newport Board School in Newport, Isle of Wight. His previous school was Board School Southsea. But the next record we find, is on 22 Sep 1899, when George Penfold, aged 9, from Barnardo Homes, sails to Toronto, Canada on the vessel Arawa. We also read that, "According to the Barnardo records [Grace Joy] was admitted to the Barnardo's Homes in England on July 22, 1899 at the age of 7 with her brother George." [Source]

In 1901, Harriet M Penfold (32) listed as married, was at 49, Trafalgar Road, Newport, Isle of Wight, with Frederick W Penfold (4). George E Penfold (12) was listed as a Domestic in the household of a David White from Scotland, in Assiniboia East, Northwest Territories, Canada.

Frederick William Penfold, house painter (journeyman) of 2 Seagrave Rd, Fulham, died, aged 37, on 7 Apr 1901, of a cerebral hemorrhage (stroke) in Fulham Infirmary. His elder brother, John Robert Penfold of 52, Hogarth Buildings, Westminster is listed as the informant and was in attendance.

We read here that, "According to family hearsay Fredrick left the family at some stage prior to his death and Harriett could not keep the family together and it seems that her son George was put into a Barnardo’s Home and sent to Canada in 1899 at the age of 10." Sadly, the records do bear this out.

On 31 July 1904, G J Penfold (11) Female (Grace Joy) from Barnardo Homes sailed to Toronto, Canada on the vessel RMS Southwark.

Then on 3 May 1907, the youngest, Bert Penfold (8) from Barnardo Homes sailed to Toronto, Canada on the vessel SS Dominion.

So it wasn't just George who was sent to Barnardo Homes, but George, Grace and Bert, who became Home Children sent to Canada: "​From the late 1860s right up to 1948, over 100,000 children of all ages were emigrated right across Canada, from the United Kingdom, to be used as indentured farm workers and domestics. Believed by Canadians to be orphans, only approximately 12 percent truly were". "For the most part, these children were not picked up from the streets but came from intact families, who, through sickness or even death of one of their parents, had fallen on hard times."

In Oct 1910, Harriet Mary Penfold (40) Domestic and Frederick William Penfold (13) at School, made their way to Quebec, Canada (and apparently on to Bracebridge, Ontario) on the vessel Lake Manitoba, travelling steerage from Liverpool. Next to Harriet's name is the stamp, British Bonus Allowed, which was a commission paid by the Canadian government's Immigration Branch to steamship booking agents (not to the immigrants themselves).

In 1911, Fred Penfold (listed as born 1897 and immigration year 1910) was in Guelph, Wellington South, Ontario, Canada in a household with two English ladies: Letia Camocott (b. 1865) and Alice Merridon (b. 1873) Lodger. It doesn't say in what capacity, but as he would then be 15, presumably Fred was either working for them or elsewhere and boarding there. Meanwhile Bert Penfold (12) that year was a Boarder in the household of Canadian couple, George Gilbert (b. 1873) and his wife, Etta, in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada.

All three boys: George Edward, Frederick William Jr and Bert, it seems served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, during World War I.

Grace Penfold (23) married Benjamin Folie (24), son of George Folie, on 10 Aug 1914 in Toronto, Canada. On the marriage record however, in the space where her parents names should be, it has 'unknown' written across the space, so I think we have to assume that her mother had not reencountered her.

In 1916, H M Penfold (48) Female (Harriet Mary) - immigration year 1910 - was in the household of Englishman, Charles M C Westaway (32) in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, seemingly employed as Housekeeper.

Harriet Mary Penfold (née Tubb) died, aged 67, on 27 Aug 1934 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Saskatoon.


Their name liveth forever

These pages are my notes on work in progress. Follow That Page can monitor changes, as further research is done. Where something is unconfirmed, I've tried to make this clear, but include the information as it may provide further clues.

General Register Office (GRO) references for births and deaths, where appropriate, are quoted, so that you can more easily locate certificates. I do not routinely purchase certificates for any, other than my direct ancestors, which I'm willing to share.

If you have information, certificates, etc., you can offer, please get in touch.