Mary Alice Williams in Nanaimo?

[Clio]

Hi
I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction please. I'm looking for Mary Alice Williams and her husband Thomas Edward Williams. Mary Alice was born in Wales in 1887. She married in Wales in February 1910 and arrived in Quebec in May 1910.

I believe they settled in Nanaimo. I think I have found Mary Alice on the Nanaimo FHS passenger list - she arrived at Quebec on 7th May 1910 on Virginian. I couldn't find Thomas but maybe he left earlier?

I have a photograph of Mary Alice who was known as Polly with 3 daughters but there are no names or dates. I do know that her brother Gershom Matthias went out to visit Mary Alice in Canada and as I can't find him in the UK 1911 census I wondered if he was included in the Canadian census?

Thanks
Clio

[Jacquie in Canada]

Mary Alice, Thomas and their 6 month old son are listed in Comox-Atlin District in British Columbia on the 1911 census. Gershom is with them. Here's a link to the census image at Library and Archives Canada (starting on line 17):
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/1911/pdf/e001935836.pdf

Gershom Mathias departed from Liverpool on the Victorian and arrived in Halifax on 1 Dec 1910. Here's a link to the passenger list at LAC (line 19):
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e148/e003685543.jpg

If you haven't viewed Mary Alice's passenger list, here's a link to it at LAC (about line 19):
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e143/e003561077.jpg

I found Thomas' original 1906 arrival on the Virginian which departed Liverpool and arrived in Montreal on 1 Jun 1906. Here's a link to the passenger list:
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e147/e003660401.jpg

Jacquie

[cosmac]

There is a death for Mary Alice March 10, 1958 Cumberland at  70
Death for Thomas Edward Williams Feb 8, 1923 @ 36 also Cumberland
Death for Thomas Edward Williams Sep 25, 1932 @ 20 in Cumberland

Debbie

[cosmac]

I looked at UK incoming passenger lists - unfortunately I don't have access to the images - but there is a reference to a G Matthias arriving Southampton.

I then looked at marriages on FreeBMD and there is a marriage for Frances Jones and Gershom Matthias Dec 1916 Wrexham 11b 411.

There are a number of births in that area after 1916 for Matthias with Jones as the maiden name of the mother.

Debbie

[Clio]

Thank you so much Jacqui and Debbie.

This time yesterday I didn't know where to start looking and now I have so much information to go on. From what I've seen so far you have both found the family I'm looking for. I had no idea Mary Alice had a son and Cumberland never came up in the conversations I've had with the family.


Thanks again

Clio

[Jacquie in Canada]

Just to make sure we're on the same page, Debbie meant Cumberland, British Columbia. Cumberland is about an hour from Nanaimo. I think the registration area of Cumberland covers the area where they were living on the 1911 census.

Jacquie

[Clio]

Jacquie - apologies for misspelling your name! I was just replying to you. I spotted Cumberland on the passenger lists so presumed it was in Canada - just about to look it up. Research in Canada is very new to me as you've probably guessed so I don't know yet just what resources are available.

Debbie - where did you find the death records for Cumberland? I'm thinking that the births will be registered there too? I'd love to find out the names of the other children if possible.

Many thanks both for your support.

Best wishes

Clio

[Jacquie in Canada]

Here is a link to the BMD database at the British Columbia Archives:
http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-1F8676D/gbsearch/Births,Marriages,Deaths
It has births from 1872-1903, marriages from 1872-1933 and deaths from 1872-1988. Any BMD events after these years are covered by privacy laws. It will be a while before more births are accessible as I believe they changed the cut off date from births less than 100 years to less than 120 or 125 years ago.

If you want to get a copy of the death registrations there are volunteers at the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness website - http://www.raogk.org/ - and here who do or have done look-ups.

Jacquie

[jfremont]

Did you obtain the three death records mentioned by Debbie in reply #2? I picked them up today and will send them if you send me a P.M. with your email address.

Cumberland was a coal mining town. The father, Thomas Edward Williams died in a coal mine explosion. Although son, Thomas Edward Williams was also a coal miner he died from other causes.

John