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Author Topic: Help needed about Canadian immigrant.  (Read 337 times)
Lillith
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Help needed about Canadian immigrant.
« on: Wednesday 11 November 09 15:14 UTC (UK) »
My late father-in-law Alfred William Thorne was born in Cerne Abbas,Dorset in 1889. He next turns up in Portage-la-Prairie in 1915 when he enlisted in the Canadian Army. I have obtained his Army paper work but I have no idea about what he did in Canada before then. I think he probably arrived around 1912. When he returned to England  after the War he worked as a saddler. He said very little about his past and had a habit of changing his date of birth regularly! Any information would be    very welcome. Th.e only thing he told us was that he fought at Vimy Ridge which I gather is an important event in Canadian history
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KarenM
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My Grandpa Stanley has the hanky in his pocket


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Re: Help needed about Canadian immigrant.
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 11 November 09 17:32 UTC (UK) »
Hi Lillith,

Here is Alfred's arrival in Canada

Alfred Thorne
Age 22
Born:  England
Destination:  Ft. Stanley, Ontario
Occupation in country which from:  Saddler
Intended occupation:  Farmer
Church of England

Date of Arrival:  March 2, 1912
Ship:  Empress of Britain
Port of Arrival:  St. John, New Brunswick
Port of Departure:  Liverpool, England

Here is a link to the original passenger lists at Library and Archives Canada

http://www.rootschat.com/links/07gf/

Karen
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Gandley (but known as Stanley in Canada)- Ireland to Birmingham
Ball, Kempson & Franklin - Birmingham
Shorter - Surrey
Dyer - Devon
Dawkins - Co. Cork, Ireland
Heffernan - Ireland
Huck - Alsace, France
Reinhart - Baden, Germany
Bowman & Ellis - England
Etheridge - Gloucestershire

Who all came to Canada in a little row boat, clap clap, clap your hands!!
jorose
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Re: Help needed about Canadian immigrant.
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 11 November 09 17:42 UTC (UK) »
The WWI paperwork shows that he was 2 years in the Dufferin Rifles and then in the 100 Winnipeg Grenadiers, which would suggest he was living in Ontario first, then Manitoba.
When you say you have his army paperwork - do you have just the attestation papers or the full info from the archives?

I think his destination in Canada might have been "Port Stanley" - right sort of area for the Dufferin Rifles.
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Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
KarenM
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Re: Help needed about Canadian immigrant.
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 11 November 09 17:46 UTC (UK) »
Quote from: jorose on Wednesday 11 November 09 17:42 UTC (UK)

I think his destination in Canada might have been "Port Stanley" - right sort of area for the Dufferin Rifles.


Your right Jorose  Smiley  Should have caught that as my gr grandfather was in the Dufferin Rifles  Embarrassed
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Gandley (but known as Stanley in Canada)- Ireland to Birmingham
Ball, Kempson & Franklin - Birmingham
Shorter - Surrey
Dyer - Devon
Dawkins - Co. Cork, Ireland
Heffernan - Ireland
Huck - Alsace, France
Reinhart - Baden, Germany
Bowman & Ellis - England
Etheridge - Gloucestershire

Who all came to Canada in a little row boat, clap clap, clap your hands!!
J.J.
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Posts: 6162


Census Crown © www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


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Re: Help needed about Canadian immigrant.
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 12 November 09 03:44 UTC (UK) »
Vimy Ridge- considered a first significant victory of the first war

A video/movie  http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=14742
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Canadian  census  transcribed  data  ©  2005 www.AutomatedGenealogy.com
Lillith
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Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Re: Help needed about Canadian immigrant.
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 12 November 09 07:06 UTC (UK) »
Thanks for the information received so far. I got his attestation papers but they are mainly about the state of his teeth and his weight. The rest they tell me I already knew. Why would he join the Dufferin Rifles if he wanted to be a farmer? Were they a part time job? I have wondered if he left England under a cloud so would that prevent him from joining these organisations?
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J.J.
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Census Crown © www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


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Re: Help needed about Canadian immigrant.
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 12 November 09 22:06 UTC (UK) »
I believe he may have stated "farmer" because an immigration agent may have convinced him to do that,because homestead grants of 160 acres were available for free...( need for farmers in western Canada) It was tougher than most folks thought it would be though... Especially here in the west...
He says on attestation, however, that his occupation is saddler...i think they were already recruiting to prepare for war by 1913...so he may have been a reserve soldier with the local Militia, and still remained a saddler... He may also have worked for the battallion as they did still use horses back then, and the horses were shipped overseas as well...
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Canadian  census  transcribed  data  ©  2005 www.AutomatedGenealogy.com
J.J.
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Posts: 6162


Census Crown © www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


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Re: Help needed about Canadian immigrant.
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 12 November 09 22:09 UTC (UK) »
Found this!! I think this is a fabulous war diary, and it will give you a sense of what he may have gone through...
Scroll down or read through
http://www.exchangeboard.co.uk/WW1/autobioggreen.htm
~~~~~~~
I read through some of this and enjoyed it very much a good writer, this fellow...
and also gives a brief account of Winnipeg back then as well...
« Last Edit: Tuesday 17 November 09 00:50 UTC (UK) by J.J. » Logged
Canadian  census  transcribed  data  ©  2005 www.AutomatedGenealogy.com
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