My family and I have been looking for a while now for what happened to my Grand-father Daniel Phillips' brother - Alfred John Phillis DOB 24.12.2008 Liverpool UK. He was sent to Hightown Industrial school Liverpool UK with my grand-father Daniel, after their mothers death.. We have looked at the records from the Industrial school and found this record:
'22nd July 1921 John Fisher, Alfred Phillips, Peter Kearns, John Nolan - left for Canada on the SS Minnedosa under the auspices of the Catholic Emigration Society. The boys had a rousing send off and each received a present from the boys and staff.'
(From Albert's Grand-daughter:)- James (Jimmy) the elder brother had been working and looking after the two boys, while Albert was coming and going to New York etc as a Ships Fireman, and occasional Waiter, and living with his wife’s family. Then Jimmy and Albert found out that the boys had been taken away, and now they had news they were being sent off to Canada.They went to the Industrial school and demanded Danny and Alfred be returned.But when they got there, they found Alfie had already sailed to Canada.
Albert and Jimmy, got Danny (My grand-dad) back, and put him secure with someone, and they set off to get Alfie back. They took a ship and worked their passage over to New York and jumped ship. Got onto the Railway, and travelled up with the Bums ( Tramps) in the rail road cars, upwards to the Canadian Border, when they got there, they lost the trail. They had to come back without him.
Granddad got Danny, a job down on the docks, so when the men came out or work, he stood and sold them newpapers.
Then I guess, Albert (Granddad), had to wait, and eventually he managed to make contact with Alfie, who was legally bound to stop in Canada for 5 years. We do know from tales that Albert has told, that Alfred ran away from here, after his finger was chopped off in an accident.
We have been able to find no trace of him after this.
We do know that Alfred then went to the St Georges home in Ottowa. We have been in contact with the Catholic immigration society and received reports from them, he was sent to a farm - Le Praire near Hemmingford. The last report we have is this:
C:\Users\JACKIE\Pictures\alfie.png
We have been in contact with his other brother Albert's relative, who has also been searching. She has been in contact with a J. Sylvestre, who is my Contact as the descendant of Mederic Denault.The farm at La Prarie, near Hemmingford .We believe the family still own the farm.The Church where they attended was also at Hemingford . In one of the reports it sated that he often hears from his brother who crosses over from Liverpool to Montreal-Albert. Not long after my grand-fathers death in 1977, we do know that Alfie posted a notice - we think in the Liverpool Echo, looking for his family (I seem to remember there being a postal strike on in Canada at the time so my mum could not write back- I was only 12 so I am not sure of the details, then she lost the advertisement.) Albert's family also remember the notice, so we are pretty sure he was alive then. This story has been passed down , and that is why we are still anxious to carry on our search. Any help that you can give us in pointing us in the right direction would be helpful.
