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Thanks again Casalquidi...

Quite so, I visited the census and found what I needed !   A sad affair..., it’s like saying adieu to an old friend !  Lol !   I had a similar upset with another James but that time it was a McArthur..., and it was Monica that put me right.   It’s amazing all the time used in researching suddenly to be binned in less than a few minutes !

I had another look at Edwards' papers.   In fact everything had been sent by the Canadian military archives directly to my father.   From them, my father had quite rightly copied two, where the date was officially 02/03/1896..., but there are another two with 16/05/1896.  As you say, a loss of memory.

Casalquidi..., I remember listening to a BBC ancestry program some time ago concerning gypsies and travellers.   Was it you they interviewed ? 


I'll need to update some of this but the following is a résumé taken from the doccuments.

Quote:


   1896:  Born on the 02 March 1896, Canterbury, Kent, England.
   1911:  Edward aged 15, Cecilia aged 13 and BENICA aged 11 departed on the 29th June 1911 from London to Quebec as Dr Bernardo’s children. (Celia became Celia Mordon, Uxbridge, Ontario)
   1915:  1st Canadian enlistment on the 01 June 1915.  Nigeria Camp, Ontario..., 18th Canadian Infantry.   His next of kin is indicated as Mary (Maude) Elizabeth Wood, (Dennett) living at Saint Mildrids Passage, Canterbury. (this is before the wedding date so she was probably only his finance)   Later, on the 10 June 1915 she is mentioned as living at 23, Shellons Street, Folkestone, Kent, England. (for the eventual marriage certificate, this is the address mentioned)
   Rank/number...  Private, 409249.
   Scars etc:  Brown patch on back of left arm/ scars on left breast.
   Physical characteristics: Fair / dark hair..., grey in 1941) / blue eyes with good vision in both / 5ft 6ins / chest 37.6ins / heart, lungs, joints and limbs healthy / not subject to fits.
   Religion:  Church of England.
   Theatres of service:  Canada / Britain / France.
   War casualty:  March 1919...   “Taking on strength 08 March 1919 and returned to unit 02 June 1919.”   During this convalescence, he obviously returned to England to marry Mary in March 1919. 
   Leave:  10 days 01 October 1917 / 14 days 22 September 1918.
   Medals:  British War Medal / Victoria Medal / Defence Medal / Canadian Volunteer Medal with Clasp.
   Discharge:  Honourable, on the 11 August 1919. (Halifax, N.S.)
   Marriage:  31 March 1919 to Mary Elizabeth Dennett at the Congregational Chapel, Tontin Street, Folkestone, address 32 Shellons Street, Folkestone..., witnesses Stella Strickland / Henry Dennett / G.M. Taylor. (Mary..., born 08 July 1900 and died on the 30 April 1958 with my family in Glasgow, Scotland from a gangrened leg, war-wound as a nurse..., probably the reason how she met James !)
   Divorced with two children..., my father Ernest and his brother Frank : 
   1934:  Next of kin... Mrs. R.A. Wood, (wife) 29, Pleasant Avenue, Toronto. (this info was on an army document, despite the fact that the 2nd enlistment date is 1939)
   1939:  2nd Canadian army enlistment on the 11 September, 1939.  Toronto, Canada.
   1940:  Absent Without Leave..., 23 February 1940. (two days restricted pay)
   Army details:  Private / N° 83966 (smaller number ?!?) / painter / driver (passed driving licence test on the 29 February, 1941 /
   1941:  Scar on the back left wrist. (could this be the war-wound) /  SOS to Canada / Discharge 02 April 1941, Toronto. (“unable to meet required military physical requirements”) War Medal 1939 - 45 
   Residence:  Intended place of residence, Longstaff, Ontario. 

PS  Funnily enough, in 1939 he is officially quoted as saying that he has no children and no wife. 



   

Hi all..., me again !  Sorry !

Despite all your research and kindness for this Wood-family line..., I still have a tiny problem !

But before I explain, I must mention that as a Christmas gift, my wife offered me a subscription to Ancestry.   As such..., I’m slowly leaving the realms of “newbie” and entering the sphere of “newbie-ish.”  Lol ! (for those of you who have Ancestry..., I’m Iain Wood)
Oh..., by the way..., my father died on the 4th of December 2011, so I’ll no longer be able to pass on your information !   

Now that I have access to other Wood-family trees around the world, I’ve suddenly encountered other similar families so I’m slowly becoming aware of the traditional genealogical traps !   My problem in fact is Edward Thomas Wood, (my grandfather) and his link to his presumed father James, b1860..., husband of Emma b1863..., and son of John Dunc Wood b1826..., Stonar, Kent.   

I suppose a birth certificate could eventually solve the problem..., but try as I may, my “newbie-ishness” is faced with another wall.   If a birth certificate is unavailable..., how should I go about verifying his real father ?

I have a ton of information concerning Edward..., but with a seemingly “rich to rags” life concerning his father combined with a Bernardo’s Children affair where Edward is not mentioned with “his” sister Celia and Benica..., plus the first world war with him in the Canadian Army while serving in Britain and France, the information-quagmire is becoming confusing and chin-deep.

Too much info..., and all could be explained by a simple birth certificate !   

Thanks in advance..., Iain.

Hi,
He might be listed in a directory:
http://www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/
Nanny Jan

Nanny Jan..., that's a brilliant site !  Thanks !   Pity there's nothing for organ-grinders from Canterbury !    (in the black..., no VAT !)

PS  I discovered that reading the pages is relativly difficult as they are fuzzy.   But if you select a page and download it to your computer, the page suddenly becomes easier to read.

This is really helpful thanks. I'll contact the Campbeltown Courier and make a wee trip if they have anything.
Thanks for replying
R

While there Rhoda..., give them a kick in the pants and ask them to get all their pages online !