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Research in Other Countries => Canada Lookup Request => Canada => Canada Lookup Requests Completed => Topic started by: madand on Monday 08 August 11 12:54 BST (UK)
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My father, David Anderson, arrived in Quebec on SS Laurentic on 1st June 1929 and we believe that he went to Vimy Ridge Farm in Guelph. Does anyone know of any records of his time there and where he went afterwards?
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I would contact the Guelph Public Library at
www.library.guelph.on/ca/index.cfm
They appear to have an extensive history section and may have knowledge about the Vimy Ridge Farm.
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I imagine he might have been a home child or sent to train as a "farm worker" ( farm boys scheme to train boys for farm life in Canada) How old was he, and where was he born?
http://books.google.ca/books?id=Qs3uIWGetJAC&pg=PA231&lpg=PA231&dq=#v=onepage&q=%22Vimy%2BRidge%2BFarm%22&f=false
Although it is said online that it first housed WW1 wounded soldiers, and thusly named, so not for the orphans of ww1...although Guelph historians can clear that up....
added:
I don't see him in the Homechild database.
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He wasn't a home boy but was probably on the farm boys scheme. He was born at Upper Corskie, Cluny in Scotland in 1912. He intended to remain in Canada but returned to Britain in 1932 on the Duchess of Bedford arriving in Glasgow in October 1932.
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www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/index-e.html
Immigration Records
Reel T14753 1929 Volume 8 page 52, There are 3 volumes on this reel which really makes the page 465 when looking through the lists.
Information as on the passenger list for the Laurentic
David Anderson
age 17, single, Dunecht, Scotland, farm work, Ontario Government, Guelph, landed immigrant, passage paid by self
Father - David Anderson
Gardners Croft, Newmacher, Aberdeenshire
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Doubt that we can trace a 3 year stay in Canada...if he was here for the census, you'll have a long wait to see where he may have been living. ( 100 yr privacy law in Canada )
Welcome to rootschat, by the way!...Hopefully we can help you somewhere on the boards for other branches of your family.
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It appears that Vimy Ridge Training Farm was part of the Empire Settlement Act, a subsidized emigration program and allowed boys 16 and over to come to Canada and lean about farming. Some of the boys went to agricultural colleges and others just went to the farms to learn. Supposedly, there are volumes on this program including lists of the people in the National Archives.
The golden bridge: young immigrants to Canada 1833-1939 by Marjorie Kohli
page 231 and 232
Vimy Ridge Farm
In 1923, the British government, in conjunction with the government of Ontario, purchased Ballagh Farm located on lots 9 and 10 of the 5th Concession of Puslinch township, Wellington county near the city of Guelph. Named Vimy Ridge Training Farm, it was used as an agricultural training farm for the young boys coming to Canada with the Oversea Settlement Committee.
The Local Architectural Conservation Association of Puslinch township designated the site for its historical significance in 1991. The desgnation read in part
It is assumed manuy were World War 1 orphans as the farm was named "Vimy Ridge". The woodworking shop, built by the Sorbys (previous owners) became a dormitory for the boys placed at Vimy Ridge. A covered alleyway was contructed between the dormitory and the house, as the boys took their meals in the farmhouse.
The farm could house a minimum of 250 boys. But, at Vimy Ridge only public school boys were elegible. (Public schools in England were not schools supported by public funding, rather they were private schools such as Eton) The property was sold in 1932.
If he returned in 1932, perhaps he was still at Vimy Ridge when it closed in 1932.
Library and Archives Canada
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca
Under the search all, put in Vimy Ridge Farm and Vimy Ridge Training farm to see what comes up. It definitely appears that there are records pertaining to Vimy Ridge Farm held at the Nationald Archives. I think I would contact the library in Guelph to see what they can tell you. There are probably societies in the area that are interested in the history of the farm. There could be books on the subject as well.
From other information that I found approximately 1800 boys went through Vimy Ridge Farm, some went on to own their own farms.
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Thanks for your replies. I have now sent a message to Guelph libraries asking if they have any lists. Where are the microfiche in the collectionscanada.gc.ca held?
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There is a contact section for Library and Archives Canada at
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca
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We are now in Canada and yesterday searched the archives in Ottawa. We found that my father - in - law was sent to the farm of a Lewis Binkley in Carlisle, Ontario. We are hoping to visit Carlisle on Tuesday. Does anyone know how we can find the name of the farm.
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I live in Puslinch.
Your best bet would be to go to the University of Guelph - I believe the earliest agricultural college. They have many of the records.
Wounded soldiers would mend and learn agricultural skills.
You might also contact the The Wellington archives, in Fergus, Ontario..
They would have a great deal of information
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I did a search to find where Carlisle was and it is a community in Flamborough, Hamilton, Ontario. It also states that Carlisle lies at the intersection of Carlisle Road and Centre Road about 15 km north of Waterdown.
I went back to the 1911 census to see if I could find Lewis Binkley and it appears that they lived in Ward 4 and he was a farmer. The 1901 and 1911 census only list him and his wife so I don't think they ever had children. Sadly, the names of the farms aren't included on the census. I also went to www.canada411.ca to see if any Binkley's still lived in Carlisle and nothing. There is a branch of the Hamilton Public library in Carlisle but it is not open on Sundays. I think I would contact the Hamilton Public Library (main) to see if they have any records that could help you.
www.myhamilton.ca/public-library
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The Binkley family were first settlers in Carlisle , so the townspeople/area residents may be able to point you in the right direction. He's had his training, so was now was going to likely help this couple as a paid farm help. The farms were for the most part individually owned and so not named other than for the owner...
I would make sure someone might be willing to lead you there and back to show you the place if it still interests you, or even exists as a farm?
http://www.reynolds-lake.ca/genealogy/histories/Carlisle/main.php
http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/census11/SplitView.jsp?id=30201
( added: most likely the one below)
This site say: Report on Faunal Remains from the Binkley Farm Site, Hamilton
which sounds as though it may no longer have been a farm back in 1990 but hard to say
http://www.unb.ca/fredericton/arts/departments/anthropology/pdfs/dwblackshortcvfeb09.pdf
Wait there was also one born 1885 as well, http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/census11/SplitView.jsp?id=30921 married for second time in 1929, born, lived & died in Carlisle...
http://www.e-familytree.net/f2134.htm#f63218
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=roncox&id=I43400
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I kept looking for Lewis Binkley as it just didn't seem like the first one that I found would be the one as he would have been around 70 in 1930.
I found Lewis Edwin Binkley born in 1885, Carlisle, Ontario
son of Harmannus and Rebecca, farmers
Wentworth South, Flamborough East
In 1911, he is living with his brother Howard, mother Rebecca, widow at lot 9, concession 7 Wentworth, East Flamborough, all farmers. He is listed as 25 in 1911 and this would make a lot more sense.
This particular Lewis E. Binkley married in Dec 1929 Campbellville, Ontario and died 28 Feb 1954 in Carlisle, On.
As of 1995, there was a living daughter with the married name of Stroud. Also, grandchildren with the surname Stroud. I can't post the names of the living but I did do a check of the names through canada 411 and couldn't find a definite match that I could give you.
This particular Brinkley family, parents, siblings etc. are all buried at Carlisle Cemetery so I would think that the farm would not be all that far from the cemetery and church. You may never find the exact farm but may be able to find the general vicinity.
Hope that this helps in your search.
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The 2 children have descendants listed on the site I gave you with contact info, but unfortunately one is in Winnipeg and the other in Medicine Hat... a family memeber would have been great to show you around, but looks as though you'll have to wing it...
Good luck with your search J.J.
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Welcome to Canada! Weather hasn't been very nice here in Ontario, but the sun is supposed to come out again on Wednesday :)
My grandma was actually born at Lot 1, Con 7 in Carlisle :)
Karen
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Thank you for your good wishes. We are planning to visit Carlisle tomorrow as we fly home on Thursday. Are places still known as lots and concessions? Do you know much about Carlisle?
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A concession is the land between two roads.
It later was used to designated roads. So, if roads were being numbered, say, from west to east, The first road that was encountered would be Concession 1 FRONT
The next road would be concession 1 Rear
When I stood in Concession 2, facing north,I would see Con.2 Rear to my left, and Concession 3 Front on my right.
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Thank you for your good wishes. We are planning to visit Carlisle tomorrow as we fly home on Thursday. Are places still known as lots and concessions? Do you know much about Carlisle?
Yes, they are still the same lot and concessions, they don't change.
Karen
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Thanks for all the help that we have had with this topic. Today we drove out to Carlisle. We found the churchyard and the grave of Lewis Binkley. There was a ladies meeting taking place at the church. One of the ladies had lived on the farm next to Lewis Binkley so was able to tell us exactly where the farm was. It was on the 8th concession and is now a fruit farm. The lady at the farm was very friendly and allowed us to take pictures. We never thought when we set of for Canada we would achieve so much. Thanks again.
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I am so glad that you were able to find the farm. Hopefully, you enjoyed your visit to Canada.
Val
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Awe, nice people to help you out like that! ;D Did they say what type of farm it was back then?
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mixed crops and animals
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Too bad that I just saw this conversation now. I currently own Vimy Ridge Farm. I would have loved to show you the property and the Dormitory where he would have slept during his training. I'm in the process of slowly restoring the property.
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What a pity you didn't see this earlier. We did go to Vimy Ridge Farm and saw the bottom of the drive. It would have been great to see inside. Thank you for the offer anyway.
We do have a photograph of the group of boys on the ship on the way to Vimy Ridge. If that would be of any interest to you we could email you a copy.
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That would be great!! Where is the picture from??
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molsonmutt
If you make one more post, you can use the PM (personal message) and exchange your mailing information that way.
The pm is the little green scroll beneath your name on the thread. If you have trouble using it, someone on the site will help
Val
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If I click on the PM button, I can create a personal message but it doesn't seem to allow me to attach a picture. Can anyone help please?
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I have just reread the post. I understand now that you mean that I can send my email address by a PM. Sorry I misunderstood.
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i would be interested in the pic of him on the ship tks
please contact through email if you have that working tks
may be able to send a pic to you by email of dormitory where they slept on arrival
i have written a book on vimy ridge farm, grew up there, still live on a section of the farm
anderson g. d. sailed laurentic nov 9/28
is this him?
prev yrs show placement
or anderson david laurentic may 24/29