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Research in Other Countries => Canada => Topic started by: Flamingjune on Sunday 28 March 10 22:48 BST (UK)
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I'm trying to find any information about my great grandmother's brother William Lewis who emigrated to Canada about 1881. He was Welsh, aged about 18 and came from the Cardiff area. I know he settled in Langley Prairie just outside Vancouver and eventually went to live at Vananda on Texada Island, but I don't know if he stayed there. I think he died sometime in the late 1940s. Family knowledge has him working as a prospector (possibly for precious metals, minerals etc) for a company in New York (?) and going on expeditions to Morseby Island and Alaska. It is also believed that he was married 3 times but didn't have any children. I don't know where to start with my research but would be grateful for any help. I would also like to find any of his family who would be willing to contact me.
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What were his parents' names (in case he married somewhere other than BC)?
The BC Archives has a searchable index of deaths up to 1989 and marriages up to 1933:
http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-D88532/gbsearch/Births,Marriages,Deaths
If you find William in it then post the information in this thread and one of the very helpful BC RootsChatters should be able to obtain a copy of the registration to confirm whether it is your William.
You can search the 1881 and 1891 Canada census for free at Library and Archives Canada. You can view images of the census pages there. Here are the links:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1881/index-e.html
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/census-1891/index-e.html
You can search the 1901 and 1911 Canada census for free at this website which has links to the images at LAC:
http://automatedgenealogy.com/index.html
Jacquie
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Hi Jacquie, thanks for replying so quickly. Was just going to log off and go to bed as it's 1.30am here in Wales (& we lost an hour last night due to British Summertime), but decided to look to see if I'd had a response to my post. Thanks for all the places to search for information, I'll be trying them in the morning when I'm more awake. You asked me for William's parents' names. They are William and Mary Lewis. William and his parents were all born and lived in a little village called Leckwith just outside Cardiff, Glamorganshire, South Wales.
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A possible death... there is a William Lewis who died 22 Apr 1952 at the age of 91 in Powell River, BC (that's the registration district that I believe Texada Island is part of).
Jacquie
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I picked up the death record Jacquie found in the BC Index. It would appear to be the William Lewis is question since his residence is Vananda, Texada Island and his occupation is retired gold miner, born Cardiff, Wales. Informant was his wife.
If you send me a PM with your email address I will send the record to you.
John
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Searching for information about my great grandmother's brother - William Lewis -who went to Canada about 1881 aged about 18. He was Welsh, from a little village called Leckwith, just outside Cardiff, Wales, UK. For some time he lived in the Langley Prairie area, working a farm with a river running through it. He was married and it is believed that his brother-in-law may also have lived there as well. Unfortunately, do not have names of his wives (apparently he was married 3 times!).
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Have you tried posting this on the Canadian Board requesting a look up with his name DOB migration date if you know it.
You could post again on here requesting a look up for his sailing date and the ship he travelled on.
If he was just 18 would I be right in saying that he was not already married when he left, so all 3 marriages would have taken place abroad.?
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Hi thanks for replying.
I have no information about how he got to Canada. He was on the 1881 Wales census living at home and family legend has it that he left home fairly soon after that was taken and left from Cardiff train station. Family legend also has it that he worked his passage on a ship but we have no knowledge of when and where he sailed from, or when he arrived in Canada. As far as we know he was single but of course he could have met and married someone between leaving home and arriving in Canada. At present it's very much like searching for a needle in a haystack.
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You can search the 1901 and 1911 Canadian Census for free at www.automatedgenealogy.com
Karen
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Hi KarenM, thanks for your reply. I've just used the link you gave me to automatedgenealogy and done some quick searches on both censuses. I found a few possiblities, but nothing definite at present, so I'll try again. It would have been useful to have had addresses on the censuses for the persons listed.
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Here's a link to the 1891 through Library and Archives Canada, which is also free.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/search-recherche/anc.php?Language=eng
When searching automatedgenealogy, remember to click on "split view" and you can view the original census.
Karen
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http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-C7CE34/gbsearch/Births,Marriages,Deaths
You can search BMDs for BC at this site. If you find possibles there are some wonderful people on this forum who have access to the BC records and are willing to do lookups.
http://www.discovervancouver.com/GVB/langley-city.asp
Some information on Langley Prairie
Debbie
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Thanks for the information and link. I've just had a quick search but without success. However, will keep trying. Have a feeling my William Lewis worked his way across Canada until he got to BC. Think my next move is to find out if Langley Prairie (or Vananda, Texada Island where he seems to have ended up), have local history societies I can contact for more help. That's my task for the next day or so as will be logging off soon. Thanks again.
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John has already picked up the death registration for a William Lewis who died in Vananda, Texada Island, BC and has gotten to FlamingJune.
Jacquie
Edited to remove link to another thread which has since been merged with this one.
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http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11/SplitView.jsp?id=61154&frag=e078/e001939526&dir=1911a
Possibly William Lewis in 1911 census transcribed as Jarvis
Possibly the same couple in 1901 although it gives William's place of birth as England. Mary shows a place of birth of Germany which could tie in with the 1911 census.
http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/ViewFrame.jsp?id=59887&highlight=33
Occupation for William is in the mining business.
Debbie
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The census records that Debbie has linked are interesting. The informant was his wife with a different name (Christine) on the death record. So maybe his 2nd wife in the census? I don't see any obvious Mary Lewis deaths with the right age in the BC Index between 1911 and 1952 but there are a couple possibilities which are probably worth checking.
John
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Mary Elizabeth Lewis New Westminster Reg#1917-09-096762
1917 Jan 26 / died age:41 Microfilm #:B13091 (GSU # 1927119)
age is out but is in correct area?
Oh, I didn't see 2nd page right away, duh...always a newbie, me! See what you mean, John the Mary Elizabeth Lewis Kelowna death is closer in age ;D
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I had a look at the 1917 death for Mary Elizabeth Lewis and think it is the wrong person because this one was born in Canada which doesn't agree with the census. The 1936 death for Mary Ann Lewis in Creston was not her since husband was Fred Lewis.
I only checked the two. If there are other probables let me know and I will check them.
John
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You may have already found this but, if not, someone here might be able to help you:
http://www.texadaheritagesociety.com/
:)