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Research in Other Countries => Canada => Topic started by: KAberdein on Tuesday 22 March 11 21:03 GMT (UK)
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Hi
I hope someone can help me.
My mums nan Margaret Gibbons was one of three girls taken into care by Barnardos in the 1920's. Margaret's sister Olive Gibbons was sent to Canada on assisted emigration in 1925 when she was just 15 years old. We have her file from Barnardos but it does not have much information about her life in Canada. We know that she married and had 3 children, 1 boy and 2 girls. The eldest was a girl and nicknamed Bambi but we have no idea what her real name was. My mums mum, Margaret's daughter, did receive a Christmas card from one of Olives daughters but unfortunately my mums mum has advanced dementia and cannot recall any details.
I would dearly love to try and trace any descendants that I have in Canada and get in touch but I really don't know where to start.
If anyone has any ideas that might help, I would be very grateful.
Regards
Kate Aberdein
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The Form 30 for Olive indicates she sailed on the Canada which departed from the UK on 13 Jun 1924. She was 15 and going to be entering into domestic service. She was destined for the Church Hostel for Girls in Toronto. She listed her grandmother, Charlotte R.E. Hodges of Croydon as her nearest relative in the UK.
There is no central registry for BMD events in Canada. It's a provincial jurisdiction. If she settled in Ontario, marriages are currently protected by privacy laws up to 1931 however Ancestry's database only goes until 1926 and the LDS Family Search site up to 1927 or 1928. Births from less than 100 years ago are protected by Ontario privacy laws as well.
If she stayed in Toronto, you're best bet might be trying the Toronto Star archives Pages of the Past to try to find a marriage or birth announcements. Here's a link:
http://pagesofthepast.ca/
It's a pay site and the cost varies depending on how much time you wish to buy. You can purchase as little as an hour.
Jacquie
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Hi,
There is a thread on the Rootschat Canada Resources page that has links for people who are researching Home Children. Maybe something here will help you.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,355348.0.html
RK
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Do you know her parents' names?
Familysearch has a marriage for Olive Winnifred Gibbons, born 1909 - but in BC. Her parents were Frederick George Gibbons and Caroline Marian Middlemarch. She married Abram Gammer in 1930.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0cdo/
I know it is a longshot - but people did move around a lot.
If this is the correct family :-\, cemetery results for Gammers in BC:
http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/nonmarketoperations/mountainview/burials/ga-gn.htm
No idea if this is her or not, but some of the information fits.
RK
**ADDED - Not her. I found her with her parents on the 1916 Canadian census. You can discount this one.
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Hi,
Have you had any luck with the links on the Home Children thread? I have been looking online and I haven't found anything yet. I can check the 1920s Toronto directories at the Toronto Reference Library - though that would be in a few weeks. I am not in Toronto right now.
Here is the image of the Form 30 A Ocean Arrivals that Jacquie found. It is free on the Library and Archives Canada site.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0cfl/
The LAC has other information on Home Children. I know it is in the Canada Resources links thread, but here it is again.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/022/022-908.009-e.html
It looks as if you might be able to find information from the inspection reports. There is a genealogy request form that you can fill out. I wonder if a librarian would check the indexes of these reports for you and find out if Olive is there. If you knew where she ended up, it would be easier to find marriage notices etc. She may have been sent to a family outside of Toronto.
RK
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Hi
Thanks for your replies and suggestions, they have been most helpful. I will post on the home children message today, I have been reading it all week and there is a lot of information to look at!
My mum and I had a good look through all my nans paperwork that came out of her house when it had to be sold for her care and we actually found an old address book that looks like it may have an old address for one of Olives daughters! We are so exited to have found it but it looks to be in a really odd form? Not sure how postal addresses in Canada work but there does not appear to be a street name or house number like there are in the UK?
But at least it gives her daughters married name, husbands name and 2 children so its a lead!! More than we knew a few days ago. Her daughter was Barbara who married a William Stephenson and she had 2 children Tony and Debby. Barbara would be my nans cousin so a similar age of about 80 I guess. Children mid 50's like my mum?
Thanks for all your help to date though and if anyone has any further suggestions on tracing Barbara I would love to hear them!!
Kate
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Hi Kate
Great news that you found the address book which gives you some names for the descendants.
Addresses in Canada consist of a street number and street name OR if it's a rural area then a P.O. Box...plus the city/town/village and province, and a postal code such as V9V 1H1.
If you have the postal code, you can do a reverse look-up to find the address or area that is covered by the postal code.
http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/fpc/business/findAnAddress?execution=e3s1
You can also search in the online directories at www.canada411.ca or www.whitepages.ca for a name and the results list phone numbers and sometimes addresses.
Susan
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If you post what you have for the address, someone may be able to figure it out.
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Thanks for the advice! I have no idea how Canadian addresses work. This is what it looks like in the address book:
Mr and Mrs W.M. Stephenson
RRH (not sure about the H could be 1 T?)
Greater Ontario
M or H 0 M 1 U Dor 0? (M0M 1UD maybe?)
Sorry but nans writing obviously meant somthing to her but not much to anyone else reading it!!
If anyone can help that would be great
Many Thanks
Kate
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The RR part of your address would be Rural Route and then the number of that Rural Route so your choice of 1 would be appropriate. That indicates they were living outside of an urban centre.
Canadian postal codes are letter, number, letter, space, number, letter, number per susano's example.
Your can use these links to try and narrow down your interpretations of handwriting. Since postal codes beginning with H are found in Quebec that eliminates that choice. For example if Greater Ontario was actually Granton, Ontario the corresponding postal code is N0M 1V0. Since this is a rural postal code it might be a possibility.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_N_postal_codes_of_Canada Postal Codes
http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/canada/ON/Granton-ON.html Another Postal Code source
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0cg0/ Place names on Ontario
Debbie
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Shoot - Ancestry's Canadian Phone and Address Directories database had an L.P. Stephenson in Granton up to 2002. I just checked Canada 411 and there are no longer any Stephenson entries for Granton. I did a reverse look-up of the phone number listed in the Ancestry entries and it is listed to another person now.
Jacquie
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Hi,
I was at the Toronto Library today and I looked for Olive Gibbons in the Toronto Directories.
There is no Olive listed from 1924-1928. Perhaps she is with a family outside of the city - or if she happens to be in the City, she might not be listed individually. Sorry I can't help with her first years in Canada.
But, there is an Olive Gibbons, maid, who turns up in the 1929 and 1930 directories. In 1929, she is living at 76 Douglas Drive. I found her in the aphabetical listings. Then I looked up the Street listings to see who else might have lived there. The home belonged to Mr. Edwin B. Raymond. I guess she lived with that family.
In 1930, she is living at 61 Alvin Avenue. The Street search shows that this is the home of Mr. Walter L. Rawlinson.
I checked the 1931, 1932 and 1933 directories, but she wasn't there. I wonder if this is when she got married? She would have been 22 in 1931.
RK
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Wow! Thanks for thinking of me and having a look RK, thats very helpful.
Since I last posted I have found a possible address for William Stephenson up to 2002 which is as far as our ancestry online goes.
I also spent some time with my nans (much) younger brother Tom to look at a giant box of family photographs that came out of my nans house when she went into care. My immediate family haven't been able to identify anyone in the pictures and hoped that Tom might remember some of the faces.
Imagine my shock when he pulled out about 8 photos and said "These are from Canada, and thats Auntie Olive!"
So I now have a face to put to her name, which is very exiting! There are photos from a family wedding which I think is Barbara and William Stephenson in the mid to late 60's. There are also some photos of the bride and groom with a tiny baby and on the back is written Nov 6th 1966, 2 Weeks old. I think the baby might be Debby Stephenson which would make her younger than I had originally guestimated. Theres another of the groom holding a toddler that says May 1967 on the back so could be the grown baby from the other picture?
The other interesting thing that Tom said was that Olive had a best friend called Ivy that went over to Canada with her on the same boat and they remained lifelong friends. How could I identify Ivy without knowing her surname?
Is there any way I can check the BMD for Canada online or do I need a researcher in the area?
Thank You for all your help and ideas
Kate
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On the Canada departing June 1924 was Ivy Beryl Stimpson, age 14 1/2 years, b. Paddington. She was part of the Waif and Strays Society going to 661 Huron St. Toronto, Church Hostel for Girls.
An online ancestry tree gives her birth as 6 May 1909 Paddington with a death in 1992 in Toronto. She didn't seem to have married and had a brother Albert George in Rochford Essex (1905-1989). Mother was Jessie Stimpson (1872-1918).
There is no central registry for BMDs in Canada. Each province handles this responsibility separately. Therefore what information is available varies from province to province. What is consistent are the privacy laws in Canada and current information as to BMDs is not publically available to anyone.
Debbie
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If you look at the first post by Jacquie, you will see there isn't a central registry in Canada for bmd's and there are strict privacy laws. Jacquie gave you a site for Pages of the Past which is through the Toronto Star. It may be possible to find births, marriages and obituaries through this site.
It appears that Ivy B. Stimpson would be the name of Olive's friend. If you go to the Home children site at LAC and put in Olive Gibbons, it will bring up her information and at the bottom of the page you can access the group of children traveling together. There is an Ivy B. Stimpson, age 15 traveling in the same group.
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/index-e.html
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Hi,
I just had a quick look for Ivy Stimpson's death notice in the Toronto Star. It mentions "possible surviving relatives in England" - and that is all for relatives! It mentions a surviving friend - Eileen Bigley of Toronto (who may have been the person to place the obit). Ivy is buried in Mount Pleasant cemetery.
The notice is in the Tuesday Sept 8 1992 paper. Ivy died in Toronto on the 7th.
RK
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Thanks for all the looking up you are doing for me!
Ivy does indeed have surviving relatives in the UK. There is a tree on GenesReunited and ancestry so have emailed both tree owners. If Ivy and Olive were lifelong friends then Ivy would have mentioned Olive in a letter maybe? Someone might know what her married name is/was! We shall see
Kate
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I've been reading this thread with massive interest................my husband is Ivy Stimpson's great nephew!!!! Kate (or her Mum) have been in touch, unfortunately I wasn't able to offer any information, but it was lovely to see the photo (Barbara's wedding) of Ivy and Olive together.
I notice that RK has been able to do a little lookup in the Toronto directories for Olive.........so.........RK, would it be at all possible to do the same for Ivy Stimpson? My husband's family did keep in touch with Ivy to a degree (she came to visit in the 70s and my husband's sister went to Toronto to say with her also in the late 70s) but that communication was only sporadic in her later life. The family were informed of her death (I don't know by whom - maybe Eileen Bigley?) but have no idea what happened to her effects. It was thought that Ivy was a companion to someone who worked for the Canadian Red Cross but have no proof. If you could shed any light on her life in Canada we would be so grateful. By the way, I appreciate I have totally hi-jacked Olive's thread, should I repost this as a new subject?
Many thanks for any help in advance, and good luck with your search for Olive's family Kate.
Regards,
Kim
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Hello Kim,
I am so glad that you and Kate managed to find each other. I am sure Olive and Ivy would be thrilled :) :) :)
I just reread Ivy's death announcement in the Toronto Star. I see that she died in the Riverdale Hospital. The hospital is under a different name now, but I know for certain that in 1992 it was a rehabilitation facility with a long term care section. It wasn't an acute care hospital. I am surprised that she died there - but she may have been in the long term care section instead of the rehab part.
http://www.alanbrown.com/TorontoHistory/Pages_PQR/Riverdale_Hospital.html
Here is the plaque outside the building. As you can see from the transcription of the plaque, the hospital became a chronic and rehabilitation care facility in 1963. It was still operating as that in 1992.
It is now Bridgepoint Health - and I think a huge renovation/rebuild is in the works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgepoint_Health
The obituary is really short. It just says where and when she died (Riverdale Hospital on Monday Sept 7, 1992), that there are believed to be surviving relatives in England and that she would be fondly remembered by her friend Eileen Bigley of Toronto. It further says that Ivy requested no service and she was to be cremated and interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Toronto). That's it...
I can look in the Toronto Directories for you if you would like, though it won't be for a couple of weeks. The directories are in the downtown Reference Library and I have an appointment near there at the end of the month.
RK
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Thank you so much for that information RK, how sad that Ivy should end her life in care and even sadder that she request no funeral service! I wonder if Eileen Bigley is still alive? Anyway, any information that you could procure for us would be very much appreciated, it's really very very kind of you. Coincidentally, my husband and I were living in Alberta at the time of Ivy's death, he was serving with the British Military and we lived on the prairies for 2 yrs! Our daughter was born in Medicine Hat General Hospital and is the proud owner of a Canadian Passport!!
Thanks again for your time and help,
kind regards,
Kim
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www.canada411.ca
There are only 28 Bigley's listed in all of Canada on the on-line telephone directory. Only 3 in Toronto and 20 in Ontario. I think it would be worth sending off letters by post to see if anyone has information on the people you are looking for. It is unlikely that Eileen would still be alive but family members may have information for you. It would be worth a try. There is usually one person in every family who has an interest in history and genealogy. You just need to find the one in the Bigley family.
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Thanks Valerie, I'll follow that one up. I know it seems unlikely, but Eileen Bigley needn't have been as old as Ivy, she could have been much younger.
Thanks for your advice and time,
regards,
Kim
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even sadder that she request no funeral service!
I wouldn't say it was sad that she didn't want a funeral service. Maybe she wasn't religous or didn't want her friends to have to pay for a funeral or maybe she just didn't like funerals - there are lots of reasons why a person requests no service and it's not uncommon.
Jacquie
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Perhaps I'm just old fashioned!!!!
Regards,
Kim
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Hi everyone!
Hi Kim, Glad you found it to this site! I'm Kate, Sues daughter.
Well I am so exited as I was also in touch with another person who remembers Olive and had an old letter from one of her friends and Olives married name was HISSA!!!
Its so unusual that I am hoping to be able to find some information about Olive. I have found a private tree on Ancestry of a Barbara Olive Hissa and have emailed them. I don't really believe in coincidence but the combination of names can't be one!
Fingers crossed
Kate
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www.canada411.ca
has 10 surname Hissa in Ontario with mailing addresses and phone numbers in case you need to go this route.
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I'm soooo excited for you Kate!!!! That is quite an unusual sounding surname so I'm really hoping that Barbara Olive Hissa is the person you want her to be. I really do believe in coincidence and this one sounds like it was meant to be.
Let us know how you get on.................uhhhhhhh, you must be on tenterhooks?!!!!
kind regards,
Kim
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There is also a public tree at Ancestry that has Olive Gibbons married to a Martin James Hissa. I don't know if this link to the tree will work (I don't know if you need to be logged in to Ancestry or not) but here it is:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0d7d/
I've found a brief obituary for Olive Hissa, widow of Martin Hissa in the Toronto Star. She died 7 Dec 1980. She and Martin had 4 children - Olive was predeceased by one daughter. If you PM me your email address I can send you the obituary as it has the names of her other children who may still be living.
Jacquie
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Thats amazing Jacquie. Thank you so much. Have PM'd you my details!
Kate
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Woop woop!! It gets even better!!!! Good luck...............
Kim
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Hi,
I just found the death notice for Olive's daughter Dianne Elizabeth. She died on Tuesday, Sept 3, 1968. It looks like she had cerebral palsy and passed away in a special nursing home. She was 24. Her parents are Olive Hissa and the late Martin J. Hissa. Her siblings are named - including one with the nickname Bambi (as you mentioned in the your intial post on this thread.) I will PM the rest of the details.
RK
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Sorry I didn't mention it in my other post, RK, but I sent the obits from the Toronto Star for Olive, Martin and Dianne to Kate. I've also provide Kate with the date of an obituary for one of Olive's other daughters (Barbara Stephenson) that was in the London Free Press on November 1st and 2nd, 1999.
Jacquie
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Hi folks,
There was mention of a Granton Ontario address earlier. This place is very small rural place near St Mary's between London and Stratford Ontario. As Jacuuie as done, it might be worthwhile checking the newspapers in London (London Free Press) as well as Stratford (The Beacon Herald) through the public libraries' newspaper archives. Hope this helps.
JDC
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Hi I came across ur posts when i was searching foe any of my family history. My names Korey Hissa Father is Martin Hissa Grand mother Janet Powell firtst husband Martin James Hissa her maiden nane is Robinson i belive.
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Hi Korey,
If you are still looking at these forums, I have sent you a private message and would very much like to hear from you.
Regards
Kate
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Hi Korey and Kate
In order to use the Rootschat PM system, you have to have made at least 3 posts. If Korey makes 2 more posts here on this thread - she can just say "Hi" :) - then you can communicate with each other by PM.
RK
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Thanks RK, I wasn't aware of this. I hope that Korey gets the notifications then!
Kate
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Rather than starting a new thread you should continue to post to the other thread. Korey will only receive notification of the thread that he has responded to. In case you need this information, you can find the surname Hissa at the online directory
www.canada411.ca
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Hi Kate,
My name is Shari Diamond. I am a grand daughter of Olive Gibbons. My mother is the 'Bambi' you mentioned in an earlier post. Her name is actually Nannette:) I sent you a private message but based on the above information, I think I have to post a couple of times before you would get that. I would love to share anything I can about your Canadian family if you are still interested. I have a couple of old photos I can pass on to you. It was funny to read of the baby in the photo. I think it must be me. I was born October, 1966. I think My cousin Deb is a few years older, so it wouldn't have likely been her. Would love to hear from you:) take care.
Shari
(Winnipeg, Canada)
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Think it is great that some living cousins are sharing family info here :-)
JDC
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This is a photo of my Nana (Olive) on the left, my mom (Bambi...aka Nannette) in the pink , my paternal grandmother Velma Hobbs and my dad (Doug Hobbs). Would have been around 1977 as my mom is pregnant with my sister Tammi.
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This post is to Kate Aberdein....
I am another granddaughter of Olive Hissa and daughter of Barb Stephenson. I am trying to put together a family tree for my children and would love to exchange any information you/I may have.
If you receive this message, please reach out to me.
Many thanks, Deb