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Research in Other Countries => Canada => Topic started by: Floss on Friday 28 January 11 18:05 GMT (UK)
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HI
I've also posted this on the US board
I'm trying to find the burial place of Lilian Maude Bingham (nee Cutsforth) . The story is quite sad. Lilian moved over to Canada to marry Joseph Pasco Bingham - her cousin, he had emigrated from the the UK around 1906, Lilian arrived in 1911. Family stories say that she was unhappy in Canada and went home with her 2 children Ivy and Lily but Joseph wanted her to come back. Lilian and the 2 children arrived back in Canada on 19th December 1919 on the Empress of France. Shortly after arriving they boarded a train and this was involved in a head on collison. Lilian and her daughter Lily ( aged 3) died. I haven't been able to prove yet that Lilian and her daughter were actually on the train as I can't find any passanger lists for the train but the story ties in with what I've been told from family members. The crash happened near Onawa Maine and I was wondering how I would find out where their bodies were buried and if there is a gravestone
Thanks Fiona
This is the report from The New York Times
20th December 1919
C.P.R. TRAIN WRECK KILLS 23, INJURES 50
Freight and Negro immigrant special in head-on collision in Maine
Wreckage catches fire
Many of the dead and injured burned - engineers of both trains among the dead
Onawa, Me, Dec 20 - Twenty three deaths resulted from a head-on collision between an immigrant train and a freight train on the Canadian Pacific Railway two miles west of Onawa station today. Seventeen persons were killed outright and six died after being removed from the wreckage. Fifty passengers were injured, many of them seriously. Fred Wilson and William Bagley, engineers and Henniger and Hutchins,fireman, of the trains, are amongst the dead. Six of the other victims were children. Fourteen bodies had been taken from the wreckage tonight. Those of the engineers and one of the fireman had not been recovered.
The passanger train was running as the third section of the immigrant special, two sections of which had passed the freight while it was on a siding. On board were a few returned Canadian soldiers and nearly 300 immigrants, mostly English and Scotch, who were landed from the steamer, Empress of France at St John NB yesterday. They had come over in the steerage but most of them were well dressed and had a large quantity of baggage all of which was destroyed in the wreck. So far as could be learned tonight, the collision resulted from a misunderstanding of the orders given to Bagley, engineer of the freight train. The fact that the train was running in three sections is believed to have led to the confusion, the engineer apparently thinking that he had a clear track when he left the siding.
The engine and the first two cars of the passenger train were telescoped by the freight, The wreckage caught fire and two coaches the baggage car were burned. A special train was rushed to the scene and most of the injured were taken to Brownsville Junction. There they received treatment in the railroad YMCA building. More than half of them were suffering from broken limbs or severe injuries to the body. After receiving first aid twenty of them were sent to Bangor on a special train tonight and placed in hospitals there. Six of the most seriously injured remained in Onawa tonight, their condition being too critical to permit removal.
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Hi Fiona
It appears from the passenger list of the Empress of France that Lillian and daughters, Ivy and Lily (both shown as being born in the US), were destined to Isabella, Manitoba.
Through a google search, I've found reference to a History book of Isabella and there is a Joe Bingham listed on the page. The page is just an index but there is a contact name and email for more information.
http://www.kenora.net/manitoba/towns/isabella.htm
This possibly could lead to more information about the fate of Lillian and the children.
Susan
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On the Manitoba Vital Stats site, there is a death for a Lillian Bingham on April 11, 1940, age 47, in Brandon.
Isabella was a community (now pretty much deserted from what I've read) north-west of Brandon, Manitoba.
http://vitalstats.gov.mb.ca/Query.php
Susan
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Hi Susan
Thank you so much for the info. I will email the contact on the web site. I have Joseph Bingham returning to the UK with his other daughter, Ivy, in 1920 but had not been able to find him going back to Canada/US after that date
Will also look into the vital stats Manitoba site.
Thanks gain
Fiona
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From the posting on the US board, it looks as though the deaths of Lillian and baby were confirmed. How very sad!!
So it would seem that the Manitoba death is not for your Lillian. The history book entry may be a red herring but worth a try to see if there is any information about your Joseph.
Susan
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Maybe this time?
http://www.islandnet.com/ocfa/search.php
Name Cemetery County Township Reference
BINGHAM, Lillian M. Mt Hope, Brantford Brant Brantford BT-208
Now, you may be able to contact the Brantford Library, to see if they have a transcript.
Or, you might try the Brantford Historical society.
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Edited to delete incorrect information and to add some correct information.
There is an article in the Winnipeg Free Press dated 22 Dec 1919 with a list of the people who died in the crash. There is mention of Mrs. J. Bingham of Isabella being one of the passengers killed. The article also says her 3 year old and 2 month old were killed and a 7 year old survived.
If you PM me your email address I can send you the article.
Jacquie
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Were Joseph's parents named Joseph and Mary? I was looking in the outgoing passenger lists at FindMyPast and there was an entry for Joseph Pa?? Bingham (it was typed but there was a misspelling and they typed over it - definitely looks like it could be Pasco to me) travelling with a Clifton James Bingham (15) and they were going to Melbourne, Australia. Joseph was 31 and a farmer. The Borda departed on 14 Jan 1921. I then did a search for Ivy Bingham and there was an entry for an Ivy who was 9 years old travelling with Joseph E (61) and Mary H (57) Bingham who were on the Ceramic to Melbourne which departed on 28 Jan 1922.
Jacquie
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The Free BMD has an entry regarding the registration of a birth for a Joan Bingham whose mother's maiden name was Cutsforth. It was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1919 in St Austell, Wiltshire (vol 5a, page 115). She would be the right age to be the other daughter who was killed.
By the way, I did post in the US thread that there was a third card in the Maine death database for Girl Bingham (3) who died in the crash so all three Binghams (Lillian, Lily and baby) are accounted for in the death index.
Jacquie
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vbain - Thank you for the info, I will try and contact the Brantford Library :)
Jacquie - Have pmd you :)
Thanks for the info about the birth of a baby, Joan, will look into it :)
Yes Josephs parents were Joseph and Mary, Clifford is his brother. I've just been in contact with someone from Australia who is descended from Clifford, I never knew he went there so that you've found this info is amazing.
Thank you
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I am looking for the list of the deaths in the Onawa, ME Train Wreck, Dec 1919. My grandfather Perley S. McIntire died in a train wreck December 1919 (the death certificate said Sudbury Ontario Dec. 16th 1919, but the exact day may be wrong). He was a locomotive fireman for the Canadian Pacific Railroad. His family was from Maine and his wife was Marie C. (Atkins) Mcintire. They had two small children, Virginia Pearl and Cecelia (Cecelia was born in Ontario CA and Virginia was born in August 1919 in Portland Maine). Virginia was my mom and I have a letter from her aunt about my grandfather dying in a train wreck around Christmas time and that he worked for the CP railroad. If anyone has a list of the dead and injured, can you please let me know. I'm at a bit of a dead end.
.. .
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The Ontario death registration states that he died between Sudbury and I believe Cartier while working on December 16, 1919. An Ontario death registration would not have been issued for a death in Maine. His burial was to take place in Maine but it does not specify a cemetery. His place of birth was given as "probably East Newport Maine".
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A list of fatalities (albeit incomplete) of the Onawa ME crash appeared on page 1 of the Montreal Gazette on December 22, 1919.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/018th/
However, your grandfather's name is not on the list. This is not really surprising - as Cosmac says, an Ontario death certificate would not have been issued for a death in Maine.
It may be worth checking with the Sudbury Public Library to see if they can find a newspaper account of a local rail accident in mid-December 1919.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/018ti/
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As well, the Onawa crash occurred on December 20, 1919 so Perley died before it occurred. Even if the exact date Perley died is incorrect, his death was registered on December 17, 1919.
Jacquie