Alan Edward Elton in Montreal b1877

[eileenwilson]

Well done bbart.  Unfortunately, I'm not seeing either name in the Montreal directories of the time.

[eileenwilson]

I'm also seeing a John Elton, also a trooper in the Imperial Light Horse, Service #1586, also references services #40755 which links to a William Johnson which must be a mistake.

[bbart]

I'm also seeing a John Elton, also a trooper in the Imperial Light Horse, Service #1586, also references services #40755 which links to a William Johnson which must be a mistake.

Found your John Elton..... he was also transcribed as an Etton, but no change to his service number on the index I am looking at.  He's  British, NOK a stepmother, Mrs S Flint, in Tonbridge.
Or maybe this is his first enlistment?   Getting confused here!
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBM%2FWO126%2FLAFEF%2FABW%2F040925

[FionaRC]

Thanks everyone for looking into this for me- it's really appreciated.

A very tiny bit more info:
His service number when he first enlisted was 2859.  It is also attached to a second service number of 39399.
The 39399 has him mistranscribed as surname "Etton".  The index for his reenlistment (at Green Point, which is by Cape Town) in Dec 1901, (had been discharged from 2859), says he was Canadian, a planter, and NOK was his brother, D. Etton, residing Montreal.  Sadly no address, just GPO Montreal.

So possibly the Wm Elton, his first NOK, was his father?

Does anyone happen to know what a 'planter' would do?

also can I ask the best place to look at boar war records? I tried to search for service number 39399 on 'find my past' and got someone else entirely!

[FionaRC]

Ignore that last part! I managed to find him under 39399 when I tried again. Thanks for this hint. Very interesting- although I can't find any evidence of a D Elton in Montreal either unfortunatley.

[Ashtone]

Not sure if there is any connection between AE Elton and this passenger (Miss Elton) --

Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960

Title    Miss
First name(s)    -
Last name    Elton
Birth year    1882
Occupation    Civil servant
Departure year    1914
Departure port    London
Ship destination port    South Africa

I mention the above because AE Elton's occupation is "Civil Servant" when he travels from Southampton to Durban in 1912 and 1922.

Some other UK to SA passenger records for him:

1901 - occupation is "Planter"
1914 - occupation is "Police"
1920 - occupation is "Police"
1925 - occupation is "Pensioner"

[*Sandra*]

Seems to travel quite a lot between South Africa and UK but nothing so far for Canada...........

Information you probably already have but it sometimes helps others looking.

Doesn't help but...........

Started trying to fathom who the Isabel Campbell was mentioned in his will .........

So the Isabel M Campbell whom Alan E Elton married ( registered September 1920  St Giles London 1b 1404 )
must be the same Mrs Isabel Campbell who lived in Perthshire, Scotland and was mentioned in his will  - stranger in blood, in terms of the will of the deceased.

(Strangers in blood: Persons who have no tie between them by blood or
valid marriage)  Intriguing, hadn't heard that expression before.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLR2-Y51X

Arrived on UK incoming passenger list in 9 December 1914 - Isabel Campbell - aged 29 years - teacher -  Cautley Doncaster England written in red underneath

Think she was under Miss J M Campbell on the outward passenger list 11 July 1914 -  - teacher - aged 30 years -

[eileenwilson]

They weren't married for long as he was on the next ship (almost) back to SA in 1920.  Fiona's online tree indicates that Isabel Campbell (nee Cameron) had been married before whose husband died in 1914.  She remarried again in 1943 to a John Stewart.

There seems to be a site (Anglo Boer War) which may have the records, but it's currently offline.

[FionaRC]

Isabel Campbell is my great grandmother. My great grandfather died in SA not long after Isabel's arrival and she was pregnant with my grandfather when she returned to the UK in December.

We only know that Alan existed because we have his medals alongside my great grandfather's (a civilian boar war medal). Him being married to my great grandmother came as quite a shock to my family. I can’t find any divorce records, so I presume they must have stayed married until he died? Despite neither of them seemingly saying anything and living on different continents.