Margaret Sawers or Allison

[garydevine]

hi everyone,

i was hoping someone could help me find info on my GT GT aunt Margaret Sawers (m.s Allison). Margaret was born over in Glasgow, Scotland to Walter Allison and Margaret McFarlane in 1877 (she might possibly have the middle name McFarlane). she lived with her parent right up until 1905 when she married Robert Sawers in Glasgow and it was pretty much a love less marriage because they only had one child, a boy. she then moved to Toronto i believe in Canada and my gran said they heard news that she died in the 1950's, could someone help fin her death certificate?
Any help would be much appreciated,

Gary

[Jacquie in Canada]

There is a Form 30 for Robert Kennedy Sawers arriving in Quebec on the Metagama. He departed from Glasgow on 22 Jun 1923 and arrived in Canada on either the 28 or 29 Jun 1923 (hard to read the date). He indicates he was destined to Wainwright, Alberta to join his brother, Alexander and his closest relative in the UK was his wife, Margaret Sawers, 645 Cathcart Road, Crosshills.

I can't find when Margaret joins him yet. Did their son come with them or stay in Scotland?

You said "it was pretty much a love less marriage because they only had one child, a boy". I really don't see how the number of children proves a marriage was loveless.

Jacquie

[garydevine]

oh that's them Jacquie. i had no idea Robert went over to Canada i thought it was just Margaret and her son. that's the write address for Margaret and Margaret and Roberts son might have been called Alexander after Roberts brother. my gran said Margaret and her son went over when he was a little boy she told me that a few hours ago, i would think the boy would be under the age of 10 when he went with his mother. the son went over with margaret and during WW2 he used to go visit my gran while he was over in Glasgow, he was in the services. my gran said he married a girl called Connie over in Canada, she was welsh and he met her in Canada, and they had 2 or 3 children.

Gary

[LesleyG]

Hi Gary,

Are you sure they stayed in Canada?

There is a passenger list entry on the Queen Mary, March 1939, travelling from New York to Southampton.
Margaret Sawers age 62 (born 1877)  Housewife
Alexander Sawers age 25 (born 1914) Medical Orderly
Proposed address in UK is 63, Smith St, Nelson, Lancs
Country of last permanent residence is England
Country of intended residence is England


There is also a marriage of Alexander Sawers to Constance Williams, September quarter 1942, Surrey North Eastern, Surrey

And a birth of Alexander R J Sawers (mother's maiden name Williams), June quarter 1946, Surrey North Western, Surrey


Names and ages seem to fit.

Regards,
Lesley

[Jacquie in Canada]

Hi Gary,

Are you sure they stayed in Canada?

There is a passenger list entry on the Queen Mary, March 1939, travelling from New York to Southampton.
Margaret Sawers age 62 (born 1877)  Housewife
Alexander Sawers age 25 (born 1914) Medical Orderly
Proposed address in UK is 63, Smith St, Nelson, Lancs
Country of last permanent residence is England
Country of intended residence is England

That same Margaret and Alexander returned to Canada on the Duchess of Bedford. They left Liverpool on 31 March 1939 bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia. The same address in Nelson is listed on the outgoing passenger list as the address where they stayed while in the UK.

Jacquie

[Jacquie in Canada]

It appears your grans' recollection may be a little out as it appears Margaret and Alexander actually went to South Africa before coming to Canada.

I found Margaret (44) and Alexander (14) on an outgoing UK passenger list at Find My Past for the Grantully Castle which departed from London on 2 June 1927. Their last address in the UK was 645 Cathcart Road, Crosshills (the same address Robert gave for Margaret on his Form 30). They were destined for Capetown, South Africa.

Next is an incoming UK passenger list for the Guildford Castle with Margaret Sawers (41) and Alexander Sawers (15) whose intended UK address was Farme Castle, Farme Cross, Rutherglen and they arrived in London on 16 Apr 1928 with their departure port being Mombasa, Kenya.

Then the two departed from Greenock and arrived in Quebec on the Laurentic on 21 Oct 1928. Alexander was 15, a motor engineer, born in Lanark and his fare was paid for by B.I.C.A. Margaret was 36, a housewife, born in Glasgow and her fare was paid for by Empire Settlement. Their destinations were listed as B.I.C.A., Montreal and Women's Hostel, Montreal respectively. No mention of a father/husband was made. The person listed as their nearest relative in the country from which they came was a friend, Mr. William Black of Farme Castle, Farme Cross, Rutherglen.

The addresses link the passenger lists together and to Robert Sawers although Margaret looks to have shaved a few years off her age as she got older.

Jacquie

PS
According to Library and Archives Canada, B.I.C.A. stands for British Immigration and Colonization Association and Empire Settlement was:

Under the Empire Settlement Act of 1922, the Canadian government offered assisted passage to young men and women, in the form of loans and reduced fares, to encourage the immigration of farm labourers and domestic workers.

Both were immigration schemes.

[Jacquie in Canada]

There is also a marriage of Alexander Sawers to Constance Williams, September quarter 1942, Surrey North Eastern, Surrey

And a birth of Alexander R J Sawers (mother's maiden name Williams), June quarter 1946, Surrey North Western, Surrey

Alexander did join the Canadian military to fight in WWII and it looks like Constance was a war bride. I have found an entry in the outgoing passenger list database at Find My Past which lists Constance Sawers and her son, Alexander R.J. Sawers (5 months) on a list entitled "Canadian Wives' Bureau - Civilian Repatriation Notice". Alexander isn't mentioned by name but it gives his Regiment Number and Rank (M24041, Sgt) and the address in Canada listed was Mrs. M. Sawers (mother in law), 703 8th Ave W, Calgary, Alberta. The only date listed is 1946.

Jacquie

[garydevine]

WOW!,

What fantastic work both of you have done.

You are all on the right path for sure. i managed to get the duchess of bedford record from someone on the Rootschat Chatter box yesterday because i asked for help on this subject about a month ago but no one replied so i made it shorter to see if anyone would help but it looked like, again, no one would help so i asked on chatterbox if they would help and they did but i only got the duchess of bedford details nothing else. i am so pleased you have both gotten this far. I was wondering see the bottom post about Constance and her son Alexander, where was it that the shipped to. and i was wondering if you would be bale to find a deathcert possibly for Margaret sawers and her son Alexander sawers. gran said Margaret died in the 50's. also, hope i am not being cheeky, but see if any of you have pictures could you send them to my email address or my mums email address, i would love to see the records.

you have both been a great help,

Gary

[Jacquie in Canada]

I was wondering see the bottom post about Constance and her son Alexander, where was it that the shipped to. and i was wondering if you would be bale to find a deathcert possibly for Margaret sawers and her son Alexander sawers.

The information about Constance and Alexander was on a typewritten sheet, not an actual passenger list. The Calgary address was listed under the heading "Address in Canada" so I would assume that is where they were going. A specific date or ship was not listed either.

As for death certificates, the registration of BMD evens is a provincial jurisdiction so there is no central registry like the UK has. As well, privacy laws in Canada can be quite strict. If Constance and Alexender stayed in Alberta, it will be difficult to find anything as there are few Alberta resources online and both deaths may be covered by privacy laws.

Having said that, I googled the words "Alexander Sawers" Calgary and found an obituary for a daughter of his who died a few years ago. She was predeceased by both parents and her brother Robert (likely what R in Alexander R.J. stood for) and 2 sisters. It looks like Alexander and Constance moved their family first to Swift Current, Saskatchewan and then to Lethbridge, Alberta where they settled. It does mention other children born to Alexander and Constance. Here's a link to the funeral home obituary:
http://www.lethbridgefuneralhomes.com/obituaries/obit_details.asp?obitid=1067

If Alexander and Constance stayed in Lethbridge, perhaps the Lethbridge Public Library might be able to help. Here's a link to their website:
http://www.lethlib.ca/

Jacquie