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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: HubbellGen on Thursday 07 March 19 04:53 GMT (UK)

Title: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: HubbellGen on Thursday 07 March 19 04:53 GMT (UK)
Frederick Arthur White was born in 1877, Barton’s Bank, Aston Manor, Warwickshire to Arthur and Lydia (Ward) White. He married Florence Rebecca Allison in 1908 in Birmingham and his job as a jewelry salesman took him to Toronto, Ontario, Canada where he lived near his brother Ernest who had moved there in 1905. On Sept. 5, 1914 Fred enlisted in the 5th Field Ambulance Canadian Regiment.

He served in France for 2 years, 3 months, where he sustained a serious schrapnel wound and was hospitaliized in several hospitals over the next several years until discharged (demobilized) September 15, 1919 in Canada. He gave his intended address at that time as 3 Kenwood Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. His address in 1920 was 24 1/2 Arlington Avenue, Toronto but the record does not mention family. Did he remain there?

Throughout his service his monthly allowance was delivered to his wife “Becky” at a number of various addresses all in England: 159 Birchfield Rd, Birmingham; c/o Mrs. Stevenson, Grove Bridge House, Sellindge, Hythe, Kent; 175 Holyhead Rd, Handswrth, Birmingham; 16 Brunswick Rd, Grove Lane, Handsworth, Birmingham. The final address was within a block of his parents’ home on Antrobus Road.

Once he left the service I’ve lost track of him, Becky, and their son Frederick Norman White born in 1908. Did he return to Birmingham? Did Becky and Norman join him in Toronto? His brother Ernest had married and left Toronto for Inglewood, California, US years earlier.

Fred was my English grandmother’s little brother and she did not mention him as she did her other siblings. Other family said his healing and hospitalization was tough on him, but that is all I know from family. As I am located in North Carolina, US, I have limited access to the typical records I might use and am not sure where to go from here. Are there some obvious places I might look to follow this family? Your ideas would be very welcome. Thank you very much.
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: ShaunJ on Thursday 07 March 19 08:43 GMT (UK)
Florence A White and Frederick N White (10) arrived Halifax Nova Scotia on the Adriatic from Southampton on 10 September 1919. Destination Toronto.
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: scotmum on Thursday 07 March 19 09:04 GMT (UK)
Could Frederick junior have returned to England? There is a 1908 b Frederick Norman White in the Birmingham area death indexes for 1978, albeit not necessarily your chap.
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: HubbellGen on Thursday 07 March 19 20:56 GMT (UK)
I believe you are correct, even though he seems to have accompanied his mother to Canada after the war, there is nothing that says he remained there. That is one more piece in the puzzle now in place.
I will see if I can locate a ship's record for his return.  I don't know what his occupation was, but both his father and his father's siblings worked in the jewelry business and his mother's parent and siblings did as well. That was not an option in Canada as it would have been in Birmingham.
Now to find his father and mother, possibly in Toronto.
Thanks for the information.
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: HubbellGen on Thursday 07 March 19 21:18 GMT (UK)
You said, "Florence A White and Frederick N White (10) arrived Halifax Nova Scotia on the Adriatic from Southampton on 10 September 1919. Destination Toronto." - That certainly sounds like the family in question.  I saw no mention of Frederick Norman on the outgoing record from Southampton but the incoming record shows him with his mother on arrival in Halifax with destination of Toronto.
I suppose if Fred and Becky remained in Toronto Norman would have gone back to England once he was eighteen or so to find work there. Or perhaps other unknown reasons.
Great help, thanks.
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: *Sandra* on Monday 11 March 19 11:46 GMT (UK)
UK Return Passenger List - Montréal, Québec to Liverpool arriving 25 October 1920 on the Minnedosa.
Frederick White aged 33 years - artist - Frederick N White aged 9 years - Florence White aged 33 years. Going to 16 Brunswick Road, Hardworth, Birmingham. Intended future residence England.

Born 1887 not 1877

Sandra
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: *Sandra* on Monday 11 March 19 11:56 GMT (UK)

The christening date for Frederick Norman White (son of Frederick Arthur White and Florence Rebecca) was 18 October 1908 - that would sit alongside the death mentioned earlier for Frederick Norman White  - born 22 September 1908 passed away June 1978 - Birmingham - Volume 32 - 0514

Sandra
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: *Sandra* on Monday 11 March 19 12:15 GMT (UK)
Midlands, England, Electoral Registers 1922 - Frederick Arthur White - 16 Brunswick Rd. Handsworth.
Also Arthur White and Lydia Ann White

Frederick is living with his parents.

Arthur and Lydia still there in 1925/1927/1935 - no Frederick

Sandra
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: *Sandra* on Monday 11 March 19 16:10 GMT (UK)
Wonder if this could be a possibility  ???  ??? ??? Birth date sllightly out  ??? ???
Fred White - 1884 - December 1931  - Death Age 47
Registration district Birmingham South Warwickshire
Volume 6d Page 92

Sandra
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: *Sandra* on Monday 11 March 19 17:08 GMT (UK)


Possibility  ??? ??? ???

Florence R White 1885 - September 1925 - aged 40 years
Registration district Birmingham South Warwickshire
Volume 6d Page 69

Sandra
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: HubbellGen on Tuesday 12 March 19 02:21 GMT (UK)
Sorry to be slow in response, I'm learning to use the site and not up to speed yet.
Your notation looks like it could be right on target. What would be the name of that record group so I could track it myself? I use Ancestry, Family Search and a couple of others, but don't have a lot of experience with available record groups in the UK.
You've been very helpful and I think you've got the right wife for Fred. I wonder if he was still alive, that's awfully young for her to die. There must be a reason for that. He's the one I would have thought might not live a long life due to the results of his war injuries .
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: HubbellGen on Tuesday 12 March 19 02:32 GMT (UK)
OK, I just located your information and source citation on FamilySearch.
I think you are right. Thanks again.
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: HubbellGen on Tuesday 12 March 19 02:49 GMT (UK)
And now I've found the ship's list for their return to their home in Birmingham. It's coming together. Now for his death record.
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: *Sandra* on Tuesday 12 March 19 16:09 GMT (UK)

Great. Happy Hunting.

Sandra
Title: Re: Fred White Enlisted in Toronto 1914, Where Did He Die?
Post by: HubbellGen on Tuesday 12 March 19 18:27 GMT (UK)
Although failing to find his death information, one of the best results to come from this part of his search is learning something from the ship's passenger list when Fred, Becky and son Norman sailed back to England in 1920. His occupation was given as "artist", confirming what I'd heard from the family and from two pieces of his work in my possession; one is a watercolor of "Beauchief Abbey", the other a lovely pencil sketch of my grandmother that he did when he was roughly fifteen years old. I've been waiting to see some confirmation of his talent other than "jewellery salesman", "traveller" in records. He seems so much more real now. I appreciate the direction I've gotten here.
Carol