WWI soldier mystery

[manawakian]

This has the marriage of Willam OVENDED widower and Annie MCCARTNEY widow 30 Sep 1900 in New York

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24SD-KCC

Curious as to which of Harry/Henry's 8 sisters he stayed with in New Brunswick 1917-19?

[shellyesq]

There is a New York marriage from 1898 for Henry Thomas and Elveretta Erbb that has the same parents for Henry as the Annie McCartney/William Ovended marriage.  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24Z8-SYC  Looks like Henry's birthplace was Shrewsbury, so that matches with the attestation papers.

[shellyesq]

Uh oh, looks like Henry may not have been such a nice guy.  A few different New York newspapers on fultonhistory.com have an article from 24 Nov. 1901 entitled Violent Day in Greater New York.

"The knife was used twice in anger.  Elveretta Thomas, 39, being badly wounded by her husband, Henry Thomas..."

[*Sandra*]

Oh dear - not good Shelly 

Looks like Elverette was with her parents 1871/1881 and 1891 in New Brunswick

1891 New Brunswick

Sith Erb   57 Isabel Erb   54
Elveretta Erb   25 Seth W Erb   16
Lilley H Erb   14 Bessie M Erb   12
syler M Erb   9

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1891/pages/1891.aspx

1881 New Brunswick

Seth Erb   47 Isabela Erb   43
Absolomon Erb   21 Mary Erb   20
Elveretta Erb   19 Melburn Erb   16
Lilly Erb   13 Hannah Erb   12
Everilla Erb   9 Willard Erb   7
Tilly Erb   5 May Erb   2

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1881/pages/1881.aspx

Everette is with brother Willard in 1921 Royal (Counties of Kings and Queens) Springfield New Brunswick

Willard Erb    45 and Elveretta Erb   54 Single. Sister.

http://automatedgenealogy.com/census21/View.jsp?id=1930

Sandra

[shellyesq]

More detail about Henry's arrest here - https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50360280/?terms=elveretta%2Bthomas

It looks like Elveretta was previously married in 1891 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FD2N-5XP  (or this may have been her very similarly named younger sister)

She may have had a son with an unnamed father in 1886 who died in 1887 - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXDK-SQ9
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NW33-P5L

Possible death in New Brunswick, Canada for Elveretta in 1945 - http://automatedgenealogy.com/gen/record?surname=THOMAS&givens=ELVERETTA&ref=dc&year=&framed=true

[lilybell]

I wonder if tarnwater has sent for a copy of Harry's military file.

The cost is about $15.00 Canadian but it might take some time to get it as they are always backed up.

It might be interesting to see what he was like while serving in WW1 CEF. If there were any issues it
would be noted on his record.  Did Thomas go to jail and for how long. How did he get into the military if he had a criminal record? Just throwing out more ideas. More questions.

The newspaper article is pretty scary reading.


Lilybell

[shellyesq]

I wonder if they were really able to check criminal records, especially from another country, back then.  Maybe they just had to rely on the word of the enlistee.