Under the topic "England to Canada 1940s" Cosmac replied to Blue-Spirit regarding the likely arrival in Canada of Ada Elizabeth Fincham in the passenger list of the Tunisian for November 7th 1903. Under "Ross Healy" *Sandra* confirmed her interpretation. Both agreed that the hand-written entry for page 3, line 10, reads: Miss A.E.Fincham, 25, born Norfolk, occupation cook, destination Montreal. (She was born in 1879 in Attleborough, Norfolk.) She thus sailed from Liverpool to Montreal, arriving November 7th 1903 on the Tunisian. Did she travel alone as a single lady, unaccompanied? Travel arrangements for Alfred John Baker are not recorded in passenger lists for either 1902 or 1903, though he was thought to have left England in 1902. He was born in Chelmsford, Essex, in 1865 (although he gives his age as 52 in the 1921 census, hence 1869, making himself 10 years older than Ada; he also declares that they both entered Canada in the same year, 1900, an error of 3 years). AJB was a leather finisher by trade (1891 census, Wimbledon, and 1901 census, Wandsworth). In Montreal he continued this trade as a glove cutter (probably with the Hudson Bay Co.) as recorded in both 1911 and 1921 censuses (St Laurent/Laurier Ward Montreal). In England, Ada had been a servant girl living with the Carlton family in Attleborough, Norfolk, in 1891, aged 12; and a servant with the Lacks family in Wimbledon, Surrey, in 1901, aged 22. Note, Wimbledon.
Back to the Tunisian passenger list. We have this interesting conjunction of names in lines 10 and 11:
10. Miss A.E.Fincham 25 Cook England Norfolk Montreal
11. Geo. Foster 35 Leather finisher England Essex Montreal
The most parsimonious interpretation of this circumstantial evidence is this:
Alfred John Baker in fact arrived in Canada in 1903 on the same ship. He travelled under an assumed name, George Foster, accompanying a single lady, Ada Elizabeth Fincham, 10 years his junior, whom he may have known in Wimbledon. He gives the game away by declaring himself a leather finisher, originating from Essex! Is this pure coincidence? Can anyone shed further light on this speculation?
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Topic: Ross Healy (Read 2929 times)