Looking for Ontario BICA boy info

[BICA_research]

Hello everyone! I’m trying to find any links with the farm labourer boys who came over from Britain 1928-1930 as part of the BICA program.

I have a connection to Jameson ‘Bill’ Adams, who was a key person running the program back in the UK (Yorkshire / Northumberland area).

 In March 1930 he arrived on the Duchess of Richmond and embarked on a 30 day hitchhiking mission across south Ontario to visit as many of the boys as he could to make sure with his own eyes that they were settled, well looked after, happy and healthy.  He was joined by his colleague Barney Charlesworth - they must have made quite an eccentric impression, hitching around, making friends with farmers and communities to track down the boys and, in cases where the placements weren’t going well, relocating them to better jobs.

In his papers he mentions specific people and places - can you help with any of them?

1. Farm near Winchester - Mr Howbow ran the egg grading station - Mr Summers ran the dairy - the BICA boy was called Alfred (arrived 1929)

2. Telford family - small farm in Ivanhoe - originally a mining family from Durham in the UK

There are others too, some with letters home - but these are the first two on my list!

So grateful in advance for any help from you all!

[DonM]

What you are asking for without the lads names is impossible.

But I will leave you with this...

There are two Summers in Canada 411 (online telephone directory) residing in Winchester, ON you could call them and ask.

Telford in Ivanhoe or nearby, none. 

Don

[eileenwilson]

There are several Summers families in Winchester in the 1921 Canadian Census -- all are farmers; not noted separately that they ran the dairy. No one with the Howbow name in Winchester in that timeframe -- likely a misspelling or transcription.

There is a marriage for an Edward Telford in Madoc (north of Ivanhoe), aged 21, in 1934, born in England.  Parents' names are Frederick Telford and Bessie Menis(?).

Online tree shows Edward born in Sedgefield, Durham on 22 June 1912, and died July 22, 1940 in Matheson, Cochrane District, Ontario.  Married to a Verna Ellen Vanclief matches marriage above.  His parents are Frederick Telford and Bessie Mains.  Outbound passenger record for Fred and Bessie, and a bunch of children gives their residence in England as Croxdale Colliery, Durham.  They are found in later Voters' Lists in Belleville in Hastings County as well.

[eileenwilson]

Fred & Bessie arrived aboard the Duchess of Richmond as well in April 1930.  On the incoming record to Canada, they give R. Telford as their destination c/o Mr. H.M. Wood, Ivanhoe Farm, Crookston, Ontario.