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Warwickshire Lookup Requests / The disappearance of Fred DUCKHOUSE
« on: Tuesday 06 August 13 15:19 BST (UK) »
Between 1 Apr 1901 & 10 Mar 1910 2 of my wife's greatuncles, brothers Stephen & Albert Edward DUCKHOUSE, were taken into Dr Barnardo's care.
On 10 Mar 1910 they were shipped out to Canada on SS Tunisian from Liverpool, arriving in Halifax on 18 Mar 1910 - part of the disgraceful British Home Children episode. Albert's name appears in the shipping lists as Alfred E DUCKHOUSE.
Apart from a 1911 Canadian Census entry for Albert, boarding on the THOMPSON family farm with 3 other British Home Children, nothing else is known of him. It is believed that his life there was traumatic and possibly short.
Conversely, the Canadian McPHAIL family with whom Stephen was placed treated him as one of their own, so much so that he appears in their Ancestry family tree. All that happened to Stephen from the time of his arrival in Canada is known about. They have his original Barnardos trunk in the barn of the farm which they still own. They have invited my wife to go and stay there with them on 4 Sep 2013 (in 4 weeks time) and have asked for as much family background information as possible - hence my sudden quest for information.
I have found the following post-1900 references to the family:-
31 Mar 1901 Census Ref / RG13 / Piece 2925 / Folio 144 / Page 46 / 304 Warwick Road, Greet, Worcs
- Frederick DUCKHOUSE - Head - Married - 29 - Cycle packer - b. Wednesfield Staffordshire
- Ellen DUCKHOUSE - Wife - Married - 30 - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- John DUCKHOUSE - Son - 8 - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- George DUCKHOUSE - Son - 6 - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Stephen DUCKHOUSE - Son - 4 - b. Acocks Green, Worcs
There is also an entry for the eldest brother, Fred, living with his grandparents:-
31 Mar 1901 Census Ref / RG13 / Piece 2933 / Folio 52 / Page 38 / 3 Poplar Ave, Acocks Green, Worcs
- William PARDOE - Head - 42 - Married - Labourer - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- Eliza PARDOE - Wife - 42 - Married - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- James PARDOE - Son - Single - 14 - Errand boy - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Frederick T DUCKHOUSE - Grandson - Single - 10 - b. Hednesford, Staffs
Q4/1901 Birth Registration at Solihull / 6d / 631
- Albert Edward DUCKHOUSE
Q4/1905 Birth Registration at Solihull / 6d / 593
- Walter DUCKHOUSE
2 Apr 1911 Census Ref / RG14 / Piece 18659 / SN 333 / Coronation Bldgs, Waterloo Rd, S Yardley, B'ham
- William PARDOE - Head - 63 - Married - gardener - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- Eliza PARDOE - Wife - 63 - Married - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- James PARDOE - Son - Single - 24 - butcher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- William COTTERALL - Grandson - 10 - school - b. Birmingham, Warks
- Fred DUCKHOUSE - Grandson - 20 - Single - butcher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Hellen DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 41 - Married - millinery warehouse cleaner - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks / Married 20yrs / 8 children / 6 still living
- John DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 18 - Single - cycle polisher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- George DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 16 - Single - cycle polisher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Walter DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 5 - school - b. Birmingham, Warks
1 Jun 1911 Canadian Census in Wentworth, Ontario - living on the McPHAIL family farm
- Stephen DUCKHOUS - single - b. Mar 1896 - age 14 - English - yr of immigration 1910 - domestic servant - "home boy" - no wages
1 Jun 1911 Canadian Census in Muskoka, Ontario - living on the THOMPSON family farm
- Albert DUCKHOUSE - single - b. Oct 1901 - age 9 - English - yr of immigration 1910 - boarder
5 Nov 1911 Marriage at St James the Less, Ashted, Birmingham
- Groom: Frederick Thomas DUCKHOUSE - age 20
- Bride: Emma BARLOW - age 20
- Groom's father: Frederick Thomas DUCKHOUSE
- Bride's father: Thomas BARLOW
Q4/1911 Marriage Registration at Aston / 6d / 370
- Frederick T DUCKHOUSE
- Emma BARLOW
Q2/1919 Marriage Registration at Aston / 6d / 1185
- Ellen DUCKHOUSE
- John BAGGOTT
The 1911 Census shows Ellen DUCKHOUSE's status as "married" but I can find no trace of the father, Thomas Frederick DUCKHOUSE, after the 1901 Census - no death, re-marriage, census, electoral register, migration, military, poor house, prison record or anything else - he just disappeared into the ether. Perhaps he changed his name again - maybe to HOUDINI.
We have requested information from Barnardos but this will not be forthcoming until months after my wife's return from Canada.
Can anyone throw any light on this matter, please.
On 10 Mar 1910 they were shipped out to Canada on SS Tunisian from Liverpool, arriving in Halifax on 18 Mar 1910 - part of the disgraceful British Home Children episode. Albert's name appears in the shipping lists as Alfred E DUCKHOUSE.
Apart from a 1911 Canadian Census entry for Albert, boarding on the THOMPSON family farm with 3 other British Home Children, nothing else is known of him. It is believed that his life there was traumatic and possibly short.
Conversely, the Canadian McPHAIL family with whom Stephen was placed treated him as one of their own, so much so that he appears in their Ancestry family tree. All that happened to Stephen from the time of his arrival in Canada is known about. They have his original Barnardos trunk in the barn of the farm which they still own. They have invited my wife to go and stay there with them on 4 Sep 2013 (in 4 weeks time) and have asked for as much family background information as possible - hence my sudden quest for information.
I have found the following post-1900 references to the family:-
31 Mar 1901 Census Ref / RG13 / Piece 2925 / Folio 144 / Page 46 / 304 Warwick Road, Greet, Worcs
- Frederick DUCKHOUSE - Head - Married - 29 - Cycle packer - b. Wednesfield Staffordshire
- Ellen DUCKHOUSE - Wife - Married - 30 - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- John DUCKHOUSE - Son - 8 - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- George DUCKHOUSE - Son - 6 - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Stephen DUCKHOUSE - Son - 4 - b. Acocks Green, Worcs
There is also an entry for the eldest brother, Fred, living with his grandparents:-
31 Mar 1901 Census Ref / RG13 / Piece 2933 / Folio 52 / Page 38 / 3 Poplar Ave, Acocks Green, Worcs
- William PARDOE - Head - 42 - Married - Labourer - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- Eliza PARDOE - Wife - 42 - Married - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- James PARDOE - Son - Single - 14 - Errand boy - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Frederick T DUCKHOUSE - Grandson - Single - 10 - b. Hednesford, Staffs
Q4/1901 Birth Registration at Solihull / 6d / 631
- Albert Edward DUCKHOUSE
Q4/1905 Birth Registration at Solihull / 6d / 593
- Walter DUCKHOUSE
2 Apr 1911 Census Ref / RG14 / Piece 18659 / SN 333 / Coronation Bldgs, Waterloo Rd, S Yardley, B'ham
- William PARDOE - Head - 63 - Married - gardener - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- Eliza PARDOE - Wife - 63 - Married - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks
- James PARDOE - Son - Single - 24 - butcher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- William COTTERALL - Grandson - 10 - school - b. Birmingham, Warks
- Fred DUCKHOUSE - Grandson - 20 - Single - butcher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Hellen DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 41 - Married - millinery warehouse cleaner - b. Stratford on Avon, Warks / Married 20yrs / 8 children / 6 still living
- John DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 18 - Single - cycle polisher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- George DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 16 - Single - cycle polisher - b. Hednesford, Staffs
- Walter DUCKHOUSE - Visitor - 5 - school - b. Birmingham, Warks
1 Jun 1911 Canadian Census in Wentworth, Ontario - living on the McPHAIL family farm
- Stephen DUCKHOUS - single - b. Mar 1896 - age 14 - English - yr of immigration 1910 - domestic servant - "home boy" - no wages
1 Jun 1911 Canadian Census in Muskoka, Ontario - living on the THOMPSON family farm
- Albert DUCKHOUSE - single - b. Oct 1901 - age 9 - English - yr of immigration 1910 - boarder
5 Nov 1911 Marriage at St James the Less, Ashted, Birmingham
- Groom: Frederick Thomas DUCKHOUSE - age 20
- Bride: Emma BARLOW - age 20
- Groom's father: Frederick Thomas DUCKHOUSE
- Bride's father: Thomas BARLOW
Q4/1911 Marriage Registration at Aston / 6d / 370
- Frederick T DUCKHOUSE
- Emma BARLOW
Q2/1919 Marriage Registration at Aston / 6d / 1185
- Ellen DUCKHOUSE
- John BAGGOTT
The 1911 Census shows Ellen DUCKHOUSE's status as "married" but I can find no trace of the father, Thomas Frederick DUCKHOUSE, after the 1901 Census - no death, re-marriage, census, electoral register, migration, military, poor house, prison record or anything else - he just disappeared into the ether. Perhaps he changed his name again - maybe to HOUDINI.
We have requested information from Barnardos but this will not be forthcoming until months after my wife's return from Canada.
Can anyone throw any light on this matter, please.