Ellen Mary Kay Born 23 March 1912 in Birkenhead, England

[Derekmw01]

Ellen Mary was taken to Canada by her mother (Sarah Ann Kay nee Foster) - leaving the rest of the family behind (Father Major Keaton Kay) in 1914. Years later (date we think early 1930’s) a card was sent by Ellen Mary to her sister Elizabeth Harriet, who remained in England.
We can track Ellen Mary in Canada up to about 1940 - she appears at the USA border in 1916 with her mother and they were refused access. Sarah Ann remarried in 1917 in Fernie, B.C. They appear in the 1921 Census on Vancouver Island, we can see that Ellen Mary became a hair dresser and then moved from the island to Vancouver - but in 1939 she became a Nurse. Mother Sarah Ann also moved from the island (but not living with daughter) and she died in 1962 and is buried near Vancouver.

We suspect that Ellen Mary having just become a Nurse joined the forces and may well have got married abroad somewhere - cannot find any trace of her after 1939 - can anyone help please?

[carol8353]

You already started a thread on exactly the same subject yesterday.
You may need to give people longer than one day to reply 

[Derekmw01]

Sorry new to this, I originally posted under Cheshire, England as that was where the lady was born. Later thought it made more sense under Canada, which is where we have the last known address fro same.

[sarah]

Hi Derek,

Welcome to RootsChat, I have just moved your original post from Cheshire to Canada. If you need any posts moving you can ask a moderator to move it by clicking on the "report to moderator button"

Regards

Sarah

[Derekmw01]

Thanks very much Sarah,

Rgds
Derek

[dbree]

Hi Derek and welcome to Rootschat 

There is a marriage in 1940 Vancouver,
Ellen Marie Kay, age 28, hairdresser b. England father Keaton Kay b. England, mother Sarah Frances
b. France to Melville Gladstone Curry, age 34, born BC, father Robert Curry b. BC
mother Mary Jane Wall, b. BC.

Noted on the top of form, marriage dissolved Feb. 21, 1945.
http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/ab114099-473e-425a-8d41-2cb589ceb21b

DB

[Derekmw01]

Thanks very much, all matches including the address she was living at and parents names. Major Keaton Kay was father - Major being his first name rather than rank. Mother kept changing her middle same from Ann to Florence etc.

Bit frustrating that I have missed this in the past, have been on the Royal BC Musuem site many times, indeed her mother’s death is recorded on same!

So now onto 1945 onwards! Brief check have not seen any children from the marriage so far.

Rgds
Derek

[dbree]

Hi Derek,

You're welcome. The Royal BC site can be finicky 

1945 Canada Voters List, 840 Dunsmuir St. Vancouver
Curry, Mrs. Ellen, beauty parlor

In the BC directories you can search by name, street and classified business directory.
By name, 1946
Curry, Ellen K. prop. Ellen Kay Beauty Salon, 840 Dunsmuir
https://bccd.vpl.ca/

Then she disappears under Curry and or Kay.

Under classified business directory, Ellen Kay Beauty Salon is there into the 50's.

DB

[Derekmw01]

HI DB,

Again thanks very much, have some work to do now going through all of them. No doubt will be more questions then! I just noticed you questioned “France” as being the birth place of Ellen Mary’s mother (she was born in Canterbury, Kent in England) . Sarah Ann did alter the facts quite often - when she remarried in Fernie 1917 - she declared herself to be a widow, but her husband in UK did not pass away until 1935. That being said - from reading between the lines, I don’t think she had a happy time as an adult in the UK. In the 1921 census Ellen Mary was listed as being born in Ireland, again incorrect she was born in Birkenhead.

Rgds
Derek