Home Child: Walter Claydon

[Shari Handley]

There seems to be so many knowledgeable and helpful people here, I'm hoping someone can help me find my lost grand uncle, Walter Claydon.

Walter was born in 1904 in Marylebone, London area. I've found him several times with his mother (Annie [Sullivan] Claydon) and brothers Daniel (my grandfather) and James, having been admitted to the Northumberland Street workhouse.  According to the Catholic Children's Society (Westminster) records, Annie died, and their father (George Claydon) had previously abandoned them. Therefore, they were admitted to St. Vincent's, Mill Hill, London in 1912. In 1913, James and Daniel were sent to Canada aboard the Corsican - James being sent to the farm of Michael Loftus in Ellaton, Norfork County, Ontario, and Daniel to the farm of Alex D. St. Louis in a French-speaking enclave of Tecumseh, Essex County, Ontario.

Young Walter was sent to Canada the following year, 1914, aboard the SS Victorian at age 9.  He was sent to the farm of Dosithe Denault in LaPrairie, Quebec, and seems to have been re-homed with the family of Thomas Morrissey in Victoria, Emily Township, Ontario. At some point, he returned to Quebec, where he shows up in multiple voter lists as a journeyman living with wife Elsa in Montreal. The most recent listing was from 1957.

From there, he and Elsa seem to have dropped off the edge of the earth.  I would dearly love to find out what became of him, where he's buried, whether he had any children, etc.

Thank you all!

Shari Handley
Armada, Michigan

[JDC]

Hi Shari,

Have you looked at the Catholic church records (Drouin) for your ancestors? These are in Ancestry - not sure which dates they cover up to though. If you know the location where they lived you may want to contact the local library and family history group. The Province of Quebec Archives may have info as well - land/property, business records and such.

Hope this helps,

JDC

[*Sandra*]

Drouin Colection Covers 1621 - 1968 Walter and Elsa do not appear to be listed. No burial listed at Notre-Dame - Des Neiges.

Sandra

[alanmack]

Hi Shari,
            It might be useful to add his name to the RootsChat BHC database, to join his brothers. You certainly have enough information as a start and it might catch someone's eye via the search engines there.

alanmack (data co-ordinator, BHC database)
           

[J.J.]

Hello, Shari...Was he listed as in the city of Montreal? At what address were they listed in 1957 ?

[*Sandra*]

Hi JJ

Canada Voters List - Walter Claydon (occupation - Litter) and Elsa Claydon  - Montreal -  Jacques-Cartier-Lasalle  - 1953 - 768   144 eme avenue. (also Don Evans - aviation at the same address)

Sandra

[J.J.]

hello Sandra!!1Might have been "fitter" as in 1954/55/56 directory has a Walter occ: assembler dominion bridge in Lachine living 768 14th avenue
using reverse lookup, I can't find this number in 1957...Thought I might trace them that way... no time to look for any more right now

http://bibnum2.bnquebec.ca/bna/lovell/index.html

[J.J.]

Too bad you never answered the postings Shari...as I wasn't notified & forgot to keep working on this thread...
A clue to a child...1948 Has a "Miss E" ( see image) occ: steno living with Walter Claydon employed at Dom Bridge -living 1682 Piche ( Lachine )

[Janibou]

Hi Shari!
I am Walter Claydon's granddaughter. I knew he was a home child who came to Canada as a 9 yr old in 1914 but never knew much about his parents and siblings. He passed away when I was a young child but his daughter, Ethel (my mom) is still alive. She's 86 now and still going strong. I've heard only bits and pieces of his life but will be seeing my mom later today and will fill her in on your search.
You have done amazing research already and I an so thrilled to have found this link and this info on Walter and his family.
I only started to look into this last night when I read an online news article on CTV news Montreal and a link to a lecture on Home Children today at a Montreal Library.
Hope to connect with you to further discuss our Grandfathers
Janice Murphy-Bouttell
Kirkland, Quebec