Our Canadian Family Page

Part of the Jackson Family History

Alternative web address: www.hilarymaryjackson.co.uk/Canada.htm

Page updated 12 June 2010

The Empress of Ireland - Members of the Gash family emigrated to Canada on this ship.  Gladys Gash was only 4 years old when she made this journey with her Mother and Father, brothers, sisters, Aunts and Uncles and their children. 

I found the copy of the above postcard on the "Great Ships" website belonging to Jeff Newman.  I have emailed asking permission to use this picture.  His website can be accessed by following this link: http://www.greatships.net - for the page containing the Empress of Ireland just follow this link - http://www.greatships.net/empressireland.html

According to the above website the Empress of Ireland was built in Glasgow by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering.  She was launched in 1906, making her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Quebec on 29 June 1906.  Early on the morning of 29 May 1914, eastbound from Quebec, Empress of Ireland encountered dense fog in the St. Lawrence River and after an approaching ship was sighted, she put her engines astern. However, she was struck broadside, between her funnels, by the Norwegian collier 'Storstad'. The damage to Empress of Ireland was so great that her watertight doors could not be closed. In addition, she had no power so she could not be beached and only four lifeboats could be launched. Fifteen minutes after the collision, Empress of Ireland sank to the bottom of the river with over 1,000 deaths. 172 crew members and 840 passengers died, the largest number of passenger fatalities of any peacetime maritime accident.   http://www.greatoceanliners.net/index2.html - this website contains more information on the history of the Empress of Ireland.  

The Empress of Ireland disaster occurred 4 years after their voyage - Gladys related that it went down in the St Lawrence seaway, in Quebec, Canada - adding that "They couldn't afford to go on the Titanic, so they took this ship!" 

Gladys was the daughter of David and Alice Gash and she was born in Rawmarsh, near Rotherham, Yorkshire in 1906.

The first member of the Gash family to emigrate to Canada, though, was the youngest sibling, Esther Gash - Esther came to Canada alone, on the "Empress of Ireland" when she was just 19 years of age.  The ship left Liverpool on 29 June 1906* - the destination port was Quebec, Esther was one of 1,217 passengers on that voyage.  Not much information is given other than Esther was single, age 19, her occupation was given as "Domestic" and her ticket number was 109772/392. There's a little more information on the Collections Canada shipping list - Esther's destination was given as 'Wolsey, Sask'; and she originated from Yorks, England.  Here's Esther in the 1901 English census.

David and Alice Gash also travelled from Liverpool on the "Empress of Ireland" - David's sister Emma and her husband, Thomas Herbert Simms were on this same voyage.  The date of their departure was 11 March 1910.  The list shows D. Gash as a Farmer, age 40; A. Gash, Wife, age 37; D. Gash Son, age 15; A. Gash, Daughter, age 11; and Gladys, Daughter, age 4 - they had ticket number 43109.  T. Simms, Farmer, age 35; E. Simms, Wife, 31; Wm. Simms, Child, 8 - with ticket number 126932.  Their destination was St. John. 

The next to leave England from Liverpool was James Gash with his partner Esther Ann.  The "Empress of Britain" left Liverpool on 2 December 1910 and on board were J. Gash, Miner, age 33; E. Gash, Wife, age 31, R. Gash, Son, age 12; J. Gash, Son, age 4; E. Gash, Son, age 2. Their Ticket number was 127170 and they were bound for St. John.

Samuel and Clara Gash followed on 7 April 1911 on the "Empress of Britain" leaving Liverpool and bound for St John.  They had Ticket number 126940 and shown listed on this ticket as S. Gash, Farmer, age 38; Mrs. Gash, Wife, age 42; A. Gash, Farming, age 14; and Edith Gash, child, 4.

It wasn't until 1914 that the Wallwork family emigrated on the "Empress of Britain", leaving Liverpool on 24 July 1914.  On board were Mrs R. Wallwork, Wife, 40; John Wallwork, Lab., 19; Alice, Dom., 18; Albert, Lab., 14; Willie, child, 9; May, child, 4; Amy, infant, 10 months.  Their ticket number was 184084 and they were bound for Quebec.  I note that Rosehanna is listed as "Wife", yet I can't find her husband John on the lists.  I have searched for a death but I can't find one as yet.

* I have received an email from the chairperson of the Empress of Ireland Committee, Marion Kelch.  This committee has been established to try and keep all the artefacts from the sunken vessel in Canada - and house them in a Canadian museum for all to see instead of being sold to another country or bought by a private buyer when no one would have access to them.  http://www.empressartifacts.org/ is the home page of their website.  Marion had found my Canadian family webpage and informed me that she has started a collection of photographs of the people who emigrated to Canada on the Empress of Ireland.  The date of 29 June 1906 when Esther Gash sailed has some significance in that it was the Maiden Voyage of the vessel.

http://www.empressartifacts.org/index1.htm contains an open letter from Marion concerning the proposed sale of artefacts to destinations outside Canada. Marion is trying to contact all descendants of the people who travelled to Canada on the Empress of Ireland.  Please use the links above and contact the committee with your family's experience.

Another Great Ocean Liner found on the Great Ocean  Liners  website is the ship 'Aquitania' - my brother David Roy Braithwaite emigrated to Canada in 1949 on this ship.  According to the information given, he must have been on one of the final voyages of this Liner as her last voyage was in 1950.  The four images on the right show 2 postcards sent by my brother to Olive College (our lodger) and my parents on his arrival in Canada.

My friend, Anne Thompson, printed me an entry from the Passenger lists leaving UK 1890-1960.  We found a "Donald Braithwaite" in the index of passengers who travelled on the ship, "Aquitania", Cunard White Star Line; departing from Southampton on 25 October 1949 bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia. As that was the year my brother, David Roy Braithwaite emigrated, I thought it worth checking.  Sure enough it listed my brother: 

Ticket No. 215187; To Port of Halifax; Braithwaite D.; Tourist Class; Male, age 22;

From 50 Kilnhurst Rd., Rotherham; Occupation Plumber; From England; bound for Canada.

Some of the first names were typed in full and others showed just an initial; on some of the entries with an initial, their names were handwritten alongside the initial letter.  On my brother's entry the writing is very faint and impossible to read, but it looks nothing like "Donald"!  I have asked Findmypast to amend their index. 

I have tried to find the voyage or voyages my brother and his wife made in 1953 after their marriage in Leicester, but no sign of the passenger list with their names on can be found to date, although the lists have been transcribed to 1960.

---o0o---

The pictures shown on the right were taken in Canada in 1993 on a visit to see Gladys and Ian McElwee at Coquitlam.  The 1st picture shows Gladys and Mack; the 2nd picture, from left to right: me, Hilary Jackson, my sister-in-law Alma Elizabeth Braithwaite (nee Driver), Gladys McElwee (nee Gash) and my daughter, Wendy.  Gladys had a huge collection of hats and we had great fun trying them on.    Please click on each photo to get the bigger picture and 'back' button to return.

A letter from my cousin, Chris Gash contained information on Gladys Gash and her family, and enabled me to "bridge that gap".  Although we met Gladys and her husband Ian Robertson McElwee (known as 'Mack'), I unfortunately did not make a note of his name, nor did I realise how they were related to our family.  I was not at that time following our family's history.  Another good opportunity missed!  Please follow this link to the Gash Family page to see Gladys's place in our family tree.

I received an email 28 Dec 2004 from Ian and Gladys McElwee's family, from Bernie Stelzl - Bernie has supplied me with more up to date information regarding this branch of the family:

Gladys Lorraine Gash was born in Birchwood, Rawmarsh, Yorkshire on 17 January 1906.  She was 100 years of age in January 2006.  Gladys married Ian Robertson McElwee in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1924.  They were married for 72 years before Ian died on 15 March 1996. 

Ian Robert McElwee served in two world wars.  I have obtained Ian's attestation particulars from the Library and Archives Canada website, http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/cef/001042-100.01-e.php   but unfortunately only one page was available - I repeat some of the information here -

Gladys and Ian had three children:

Irene married Martin Colter and they had a daughter named Margaret.  Sadly Martin Colter died six months before Margaret was born.  He was killed in Surrey, England, when a shell exploded whilst in the army - he was only 19 years of age - this happened in 1942. 

Irene didn't re-marry, and in 1950 she was crossing a creek when she slipped on a wet rock, fell into the water and hit her head on the rock - there was no one around to help her and she drowned. 

Their daughter Margaret was 7 years old and was thereafter brought up by her Grandparents, Gladys and Ian McElwee.

Margaret married Bernard Stetzl in 1960 and they have two boys - Mark and Todd.  Mark has a daughter Amy who was 16 in 2004.

Bill McElwee, Gladys and Macks' only son passed away on 8 November 1987, aged 58. He was married twice - his first wife was Ruth and they had three children; Bill's second wife was Connie and their two children are Kenneth and Maureen.

Kathleen McElwee married and has four children - Fred, Shayne, Peter and Laura.

My nephew David Braithwaite emailed me the following pictures, supplied by Gladys - a larger image can be seen by clicking on to each picture, to return then press the "BACK" button, top left:

Picture 1: Uncle Mac and Aunt Gladys McElwee and their first child Irene

Picture 2: Front row, left to right are Aunt Elva Gash, Uncle Hedley, Aunt Elva's mother, Aunt Gladys, Uncle Mac; At the back, left to right. Lorie, daughter of Hedley and Elva Gash and the girl sat with Lorie is not yet known; this photograph was taken in Calgary.

Picture 3: Aunt Gladys with Uncle Mac's cousin Jack from Chicago, on the Grouse Mountain chairlift in West Vancouver.

Picture 4: Aunt Gladys with her grandson, Freddy in the Columbia Icefields, Rocky Mountains, Canada.

Picture 5&6: Uncle Mac (far right) with his WWI buddies, somewhere in Britain - this letter was on the back of photo number 5.

Picture 7: Aunt Gladys and Uncle Mac.

Picture 8: Gladys McElwee nee Gash celebrating her 100th birthday with family and friends on 17th January 2006. Sadly Gladys died later that year on 6 September 2006.

---o0o---

On 8 July 2005 I received an email from George D Kilvington.  George had been surfing the net for genealogy information when he found my Gash Family website.  George is a descendant of David and Alice Gash and is currently residing in Duncan, Vancouver Island in Canada.  George promptly got in touch with his cousin Susan who has studied the family's history and has documents and photographs.  Susan Principe then emailed me and kindly provided me with more information, documents and photographs of their side of the family some of which appear further down this page.

The daughter of David and Alice Gash and older sister of Gladys, namely, Alice Edna Gash was 2 years old and living in Greasbrough, near Rotherham at the time of the 1901 Census.  (See the Gash family website)

Alice Edna Gash married John Wallwork and they were George's maternal grandparents. 

Susan wrote:

As you know, David Gash and Alice Ward Gash came to Canada and settled in the coal mining town of Fernie, British Columbia. My grandmother Alice was 12 at the time. She later met John Wallwork in Fernie, where they were married. He and his family were originally from Wombwell, I think. They had six children; two were still births, but four survived. They were Robert Douglas, Kathleen Elsie (my Mom), Doris May, and George David. Uncle Bob and my mom are the two still surviving. My mom, Kathleen, just turned 85 years young on June 24, 2005. 

The English 1911 Census shows John and Rose's address as 29 Carnley Street, West Melton and showed that they had been married 23 years:

On the BC Archives website, I found three marriages taking place in Fernie B.C.:

 Alice Wallwork to William Phillips on 18th October 1915

John Wallwork to Alice Edna Gash on 29 May 1919

Ivy May Wallwork to John Evan Smith on 16 November 1926

The 1901 Census shows John, aged 6 born Wombwell and living in Wath upon Dearne in the Townend area, in 4 rooms:

In the 1891 Census, John and Rose Hannah Wallwork were living near Wombwell at 162 Hemmingfield, in 4 rooms:

The 1881 Census has John, lodging at 59 Wombwell Main Colliery Houses with the Gaunt family:

I have received an email from a descendant of the Caunt family, Doug Caunt was born in Skegby, near Mansfield, Notts but now lives in Australia - Doug tells me that the surname should have read "Caunt" and that Thomas Caunt was born in Calverton, Notts

John Wallwork married Rose Hannah B Sanderson in 1888, registered at Barnsley June Quarter of 1888, vol 9c page 298 -  Rose was living in Wath upon Dearne in the 1881 Census with mother Mary Ann Pettinger. 

In 1871 John Wallwork, senior, was shown, age 13, living with his parents in Victoria Road at Parkgate, Rawmarsh near Rotherham:

In 1861 their address is given as Wombwell Main, Wombwell, Barnsley:

In 1851 Joseph and Martha were in Farnworth, Lancashire, their address is given as Nan Lane, Sugar field:

Looking at FreeBMD for a marriage, I found two possibilities:

1  In June 1846 a marriage was registered at Chorlton, vol 20 p127 for a Joseph Wallwork; also registered was a Martha Ivill

2. In March 1848 a marriage was registered at Chorlton, vol 20 p109 for a Joseph Wallwork; also registered was a Martha Harrison

---o0o---

George Kilvington tells me that

"My grandfather, John Wallwork, served in the First World War with the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, and was gassed in Ypres.  He suffered ill health the rest of his life from wounds received there.  He was also "mentioned in dispatches".  He settled with his family in the Coal Creek area of British Columbia, where my mother, Doris May was born.  Coal Creek is now a ghost town.  They relocated to Fernie, B.C., where John worked in the coal mines there.  During the Depression of the Thirties, they briefly relocated to Candiac, Saskatchewan, then to the Burke Mountain area east of Vancouver, where the family took up homesteading.  "Mac" and Gladys McElwee also homesteaded the same area along with them.  Poor health caused my grandfather to quit the homestead, and they moved into Vancouver, where they spent his remaining years.  My grandmother resided with her daughter Kathleen and her husband Karl, and my uncle George in Port Coquitlam, outside Vancouver, then moved to Victoria, where she lived out her remaining years.  Kath and her family still live in the Victoria area.   It seems coincidental that in my service in the R.C.M.P., (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) my last posting was Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam, where the family lived for many years, and now, in retirement, I have located in Duncan, B.C., where my Great Grandfather and Amy had lived years before. I recall as a child, visiting "aunt" Amy on a small farm outside Duncan.  My Great Grandfather, David, lived in Sidney, B.C., then Duncan.  My memories of him are rather vague, but I do remember him in a three-wheeled, self-propelled chair festooned with flags of the Empire on Victoria Day, and, a lasting childhood memory of him sitting with me whilst we ate Jello, and referring to it as "dithering pop".  Strange what memories remain from early childhood!"  

More about George can be found on this website:

http://www.rcmpsite.com/?content_action=RCMP_mus_frames

I found John Wallwork's attestation particulars on the Library and Archives Canada website, http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/cef/001042-100.01-e.php

Alice Edna and John Wallwork had the following children:

John Wallwork died in 1954 and Alice Edna Wallwork died in 1992.

Their son, Robert Douglas Wallwork married Anna Helena von Krueger and they had three sons:

Robert John's wife is Joan and they have two children: Andrew and Katherine

Ronald Thomas married Janeen and they have one son Thomas who is currently attending medical school

Gary David married Flori Haynes and they have two children, Eric and Brenda. Gary David died in 1999.

Kathleen Elsie Wallwork married Karl Heinz Peter Hanisch who came to Canada from Germany.  They were married on 14 April 1960.  Their daughter Susan Alice Hanisch was born on 20 January 1961.

Susan is a registered nurse, working in the intensive care unit of one of the hospitals in Victoria, BC.  Susan's husband is Philips DeLara Principe - born in the Philippines.

Doris May Wallwork married George Kilvington - born in Port Alberni, British Columbia; George was born in B.C. but grew up in Calgary, Alberta.  He came to Victoria, B.C. as a result of having joined the Canadian Navy in 1939, serving on the North Atlantic convoy escort duties throughout the war.  He participated in at least one convoy escort to Murmansk and also minesweeping duties in the Atlantic, serving on the HMCS 'Kelowna' and the HMCS 'Medicine Hat'

George was posted to the West Coast in preparation for the proposed invasion of Japan which fortunately never took place.  George met Doris May Wallwork whilst on leave in Vancouver where Doris was working at the Boeing Air plant as a riveter at Sea Island, just south of Vancouver.  The Kilvington family originated from Thirsk, North Yorkshire - there are two small villages called North and South Kilvington just north of Thirsk.

Doris and George Kilvington's two sons were:

Unfortunately Ronald Dwayne died two days after he was born.

George Donald born, 1 January 1948 married Susan Lee Craven in 1971.  George served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for 28½ years and is now retired and living on Vancouver Island.

George David Wallwork, the youngest child of Alice and John died in 2004 from lung cancer.  He had married later in life, but had no children.

I also found David Gash junior's attestation paper on the Library and Archives Canada website, http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/cef/001042-100.01-e.php

Whilst John Wallwork and David Gash were overseas news of their progress was being relayed to residents of Fernie and the surrounding area in the Fernie Free Press. The news in the boys letters home were forwarded to the paper and someone very kindly transcribed them from the archives and forwarded them to me when they found this website.

---o0o---

The following series of pictures have been sent by my distant cousin Susan Principe, a larger image can be seen by clicking on to each picture, then using the "BACK" button to return:

Picture 1: David Gash, senior, born 1870 Chapel Hill, Dog Dyke, Lincolnshire

Picture 2: David and Alice Gash (formerly Alice Ward) married 21 August 1894 in Greasbrough, Rotherham

Picture 3: Alice Gash (on the left) with a friend.

Picture 4: David Gash - George Kilvington remembers his Great Grandfather in his three-wheeled vehicle festooned with flags.

Picture 5: Left to right: John and Alice Edna Wallwork, Doris Kilvington and David Gash.  My distant cousin George Kilvington emailed me to let me know that the baby in Alice Edna Wallwork's arms was him as a relatively newborn baby, dating the photograph to be sometime during 1948 as George was born in January 1948 and the photo was taken at Alice and John's home on Wall Street in Vancouver.

Picture 6: Lydia Grundy, the 2nd wife of David Gash - married at Cranbrook on 27 Jul 1928

Picture 7: The grave of David and Alice Gash in Fernie, BC; Alice died in Dec 1924; David died on 9 August 1952

Picture 8: I took this photograph in September 2008 whilst we were on a tour of the World War I battlefields.  David Gash Jnr was in the trenches close to Mouquet Farm - this photo is taken looking across the fields towards the present Mouquet Farm.  Behind me is the Thiepval Memorial.  The memories of David Gash's campaign can be read on the Fernie Free press page - he wrote letters home and these were included in reports in their local paper.

Picture 9: Minnie and David Gash; David born Coningsby, Lincolnshire - age 6 at the time of the 1901 census, son of David and Alice Gash. Minnie was David's first wife.  David Gash married Miriam Buckler in 1919 in England during the time David was in England with the 54th Battalion.  Minnie died shortly after they returned to Canada after the war in April 1920 - as reported in the Fernie Free Press. I recently contacted Annette R. Fulford who is preparing a book about the World War One Canadian war brides - Annette would like to hear from anyone who has photographs or information; Annette's blog can be found here - http://ww1warbrides.blogspot.com/ Annette very kindly sent me details of the voyage to Canada in 1919 on the ship "Orduna" of David Gash jnr and his new bride, Miriam  - see photograph below. Annette also sent me copies of Miriam's death registration which stated that the cause of death was Salpingitis, a Pelvic Inflammatory disease - Annette who found the information very hard to read said it also stated pregnancy and a few other words which were hard to read.

I also have been in correspondence with Patricia A. Rogers who is associated with the 54th Kootenay Battalion, Patricia emailed me asking for more information on David Gash for their website - this is now on line and can be seen by following this link:

http://www.54thbattalioncef.ca/  please take a look as there's lots more information about the people serving in the Battalion and stories and photographs of men who lost their lives. David and Minnie's photograph is shown on the home page and more information can be found by clicking the photo.

Picture 10: A newspaper cutting announcing the death of David Gash, jnr sent to me by Lorie Keith*.

Picture 11: The daughter of David and Alice Gash, Alice Edna Wallwork (nee Gash) born 1 October 1898.

Picture 12: John Wallwork, the husband of Alice Edna Gash, he served in the 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, in WWI.  John was gassed at Ypres.    He was also "mentioned in dispatches"

Picture 13: Robert Douglas Wallwork, eldest child of John and Alice Edna Wallwork (nee Gash)

Picture 14: Kathleen Elsie Wallwork, eldest daughter of John and Alice Edna Wallwork

Picture 15: George Wallwork, youngest child of John and Alice Edna Wallwork

Picture 16: George Kilvington and his wife Doris May (formerly Wallwork).  Doris May - 2nd daughter of John and Alice Edna Wallwork.

Picture 17: Alice Edna Wallwork (nee Gash) with grandson George Donald Kilvington.

Picture 18: The parents of Susan Principe; Kathleen Elsie Wallwork and Karl Heinz Peter Hanisch on their wedding day 14 April 1960.

Picture 19: Susan Alice Hanisch, daughter of Kathleen and Karl Hanisch - age 1.

Picture 20: Robert Douglas and Anna Helena Wallwork February 1994   

Picture 21:  Sons of Robert and Helena Wallwork, Gary, Robert and Ronald (left to right)

Picture 22: Doris and George Kilvington

Picture 23: Alice Edna on her 90th birthday with her  children, from left to right, George David, Kathleen Elsie, Doris May, and Robert Douglas

Picture 24: The same occasion with sister Gladys, brother-in-law Mac and brother Hedley.

Picture 25: Susan Alice Hanisch and Philips Principe were married on 14 June 1986.

Picture 26: Susan Alice and Philips Principe with their miniature schnautzer, Ilsa.

Picture 27: George Donald Kilvington, son of George and Doris May Kilvington.

Picture 28: George Donald and Susan Lee Kilvington formerley Craven.

Picture 29: Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman, George D. Kilvington

Picture 30: George Donald and Susan Lee Kilvington enjoying their holiday cruise from San Francisco to Mexico.

Picture 31: Ronald Thomas and Janeen Wallwork

To be continued - more pictures

---o0o---

Susan had also solved a mystery for me, whether my Great Uncle Samuel Gash emigrated with his brothers and sisters; this is her reply to my query:

Samuel and Clara Gash did move to Canada with their children, Arthur and Edith. They bought a wheat farm in Candiac, Saskatchewan, near Regina. By all reports, it was one of the largest farms in the province at that time. They were very fortunate not to have been severely affected by the drought ("dust-bowl") during the Great Depression. Apparently, there was a natural spring on the property that was sufficient for irrigation, which sustained their crops and farm. During the depression, my Nanny Alice Edna and Grandad John Wallwork lived and worked on the farm because the Fernie coal mine had closed operations. Nanny cooked and Grandad was a hired hand. My Mom, Kathleen Elsie was a little girl when they were there. She recalls going to the local  general store close to the farm to buy a lollipop. Uncle Robert and Aunt Doris were there, but Uncle George had not been born then. Mom recalled that Uncle Samuel was a quiet and kind man. Aunt Clara, apparently, was not a good cook, so my Grandmother tried to teach her while they were there. They lived on the farm until both their deaths. Both died of cancer; Samuel from stomach cancer, and Clara from breast cancer, which was prevalent in the Dobson family. Arthur married and had children, but we did not have any further contact with them. Edith married Tom Cheers and they had two daughters. Aunt Edith and Uncle Tom settled in White Rock, British Columbia. Tom worked for the border crossing between Canada and the United States until his retirement. Aunt Edith was a very talented crafter; sewing, needlework, and all sorts of projects. I remember one Christmas she made bookmarks from felt, embroidery thread, and hairclips. I still have mine in the writing desk. She also made me a laminated wooden plaque which housed an old photo of my Mom holding me as a baby. It is on the wall beside me here in our home office. Both Tom and Edith passed away in the 1970's or '80's. 

Here's Samuel and Clara Gash's son Arthur's attestation details obtained  from the Library and Archives Canada website, http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/cef/001042-100.01-e.php   only one page was available though - I repeat some of the information here -

Arthur's place of birth was given as "Sand Hill" - this is a series of streets adjoining Ryecroft in Rawmarsh, Rotherham, Yorkshire, very close to where my family lived on Kilnhurst Road at Rawmarsh. Barry and I's first home was on a new housing estate built at Sandhill - we used to live on Grange Road.  In the 1901 Census Samuel and Clara Gash are shown as living at 4 Peashill Street, Rawmarsh.

The Canadian 1911 Census is now available thanks to volunteers at the following website:

http://automatedgenealogy.com/index.html and today I found my Great Aunt Emma's family and her brother Samuel Gash's family residing with them in Saskatchewan in Qu'Apelle Township - No.36; Place: 6-15-9

Head of the Gash family, Samuel is not present at the time of the census.   As can be seen, there was more information requested on the Canadian census than shown on our English census forms. 

Samuel Gash's family are also shown on the English 1911 Census - they must have left England a week after the census was taken and they were residing at separate addresses in Dewsbury, Yorkshire - details shown here, on the Gash family page.

I found Thomas and Emma Simms on the new Family Search pilot project, this is a partnership with Ancestry.com to transcribe the Canadian 1916 Census. They were in District No. 26 - Township Qu'Appelle - Township 14, Range 10, Meridian 2, Camp Hughes, on page 31:

The other information shown for Thomas and Emma was - emigrated in 1910; Religion - Anglican; Born England; Both spoke English but not French; both could read; Nationality - Canadian. The numbers were relating to the location of their workplace. Their son Herbert was not shown on the Census form. I later found him working - YET TO BE COMPLETED

Samuel and Clara Gash were now living in their own homestead - District No.26 - Township 15, Range 10, Meridian 2, Montmartre, on page 29:

Other information: emigrated in 1911; Religion - Methodist; Born England; All spoke English but not French; they could all read.  They all gave "Canadian" as their nationality.

I have just met a descendant of Samuel and Clara Gash, Dorothy Galenzoski nee Gash, their Grandaughter and daughter of Arthur Gash was visiting her son who now lives in Stockport, Lancashire.  Dorothy emailed me on 12 May 2008 and we met on the day before she returned to Canada. 

The photo on the left shows Dorothy with me in front of Wentworth Woodhouse Stable block.  Dorothy lives in Surrey a suburb of Vancouver and she is to speak to her cousin, who is the daughter of Edith Cheers nee Gash (daughter of Samuel and Clara Gash) - Edith and Tom's daughter has researched the family history and will be able to let me know more about that side of our Gash family. Since she returned to Canada, Dorothy has also put me in touch with another Gash 'cousin' from Great Aunt Esther's family, Larry Gifford. 

Samuel and Clara Gash's son, Arthur Gash married Pearl Giles on 1st November 1939 in Candiac, Saskatchewan, Canada and they had four children:

 Dorothy has sent me the following photographs:

Picture 1 - Grave of Samuel and Clara Ann Gash in Wolesly, Saskatchewan. Samuel died in 1934, age 62 and Clara in 1938, age 73.

Picture 2 - Arthur Gash in his Canadian Army Uniform - Arthur enlisted in WW1, his attestation papers are shown above.

Picture 3 - Arthur Gash and Pearl Giles on their wedding day - 1st November 1939 at Candiac, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Picture 4 - Phyllis Van Overbeke's grandson in front of Candiac Hotel and Post Office.  Phyllis is the 1st daughter of Arthur and Pearl Gash. Candiac is now what is known as a "Ghost Town".  There is a website which shows quite a few buildings which remain deserted by its former residents -  http://www.ghosttownscanada.ca/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/578 on this website, image 3130 (page 2) shows another view of this building.

Picture 5 - The 40th Wedding anniversary photograph of Arthur and Pearl Gash, standing behind Arthur and Pearl are their daughters and son, Evangeline, Dorothy, Jim and Phyllis.

Picture 6 - Arthur Gash celebrating his 90th birthday surrounded by his family - back row: Herbert Galenzoski, Charles and Edward Van Overbeke, Brian Gash, Mitch ?, and James Gash.  Middle row: Charlene ?, Phyllis Van Overbeke, Dorothy Galenzoski, Lori Gash, Charlene Gash, Casandra ?, Cindy and Trina Van Overbeke, and Donna Gash.  Front Row: Kim Galenzoski, Arthur and Pearl Gash, and Albert Galenzoski.

Picture 7 - Dorothy and her son Warren Galenzoski at Upper Haugh, Rawmarsh - Warren lives in Stockport, Lancashire.

---o0o---

Dorothy put me in touch with the granddaughter of Arthur's sister Edith Gash.  Juanita lives in Burnaby, British Columbia and subsequently contacted her mother, Joy Chornley who sent me the following information:

Samuel and Clara Gash had two surviving children, Arthur and Edith Gash - both were born in Rawmarsh, Rotherham, South Yorkshire but Samuel and Clara tragically lost several babies - some of the following information is from the FreeBMD records but the actual dates shown are from death announcement cards which Edith Cheers nee Gash had saved:

Edith Gash married twice, her first husband was William Chapman, a  merchant seaman, born in England.  They married at Moffat, Sask on 14 July 1925. Their daughter Phyllis Joy Chapman was born at Candiac, Saskatchewan, in 1930. William's ship sank in the China Sea during the Japanese Chinese War and William was never found.  He was declared dead on 7 November 1939.  The family learned later that he had survived but know nothing more about him. 

Edith married Thomas Albert Cheers at Glenavon, Saskatchewan on 4 December 1939 and their first child Christine Alana was born in 1940 at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, but survived only a few minutes.  Their 2nd child, Judith Alberta Cheers was born one year later at the Royal Victorian hospital in Montreal. Tom Cheers was born at Birkenhead, near Liverpool, England on 24 April 1906.

Phyllis Joy Chapman, known as Joy, was adopted by Tom Cheers on 30 October 1940.  Joy married David Frederick Chorney in 1950 at Regina, Saskatchewan, and they had two children:

There are photographs of Edith and Tom on Photo Gallery 1 and one of Edith lower down this page.

---o0o---

The above batch of thumbnail pictures were in my parent's collection - can anyone please help identify the unknown people and the locations? To view, just click on each picture and a larger photo appears; press the back button on the top left to return.

Picture 1: Esther Ann and James Gash with James's sister Esther

Picture 2: Extreme left Great Aunt Emma Simms nee Gash, 2nd left her sister Esther Johnson formerly Taylor nee Gash.  I don't know the identity of the other two people.  Can anyone identify them please? The Grandson of Esther, Larry Gifford has supplied me with the missing names - they are Bill  and Hannah Mulroy nee Johnson.  Hannah was the older sister of Oscar Johnson, Esther's 2nd husband.  The photograph was taken in front of Esther and Oscar Johnson's house in Duncan, B.C.

Picture 3: Left to right; Unknown lady, Great Aunt Emma Simms, her sister Esther, and Esther's 2nd husband Oscar Johnson.

Picture 4: This picture was taken in front of Aunt Emma's house - left to right David and Lydia Gash; James and Esther Ann Gash; Esther and Oscar Johnson and Emma Simms.

Picture 5: The same people appear in this picture.

Picture 6: Aunt Emma's house - I'm not sure whether this is in Saskatchewan, Qu'Apelle Township or in Duncan, Vancouver Island.

Picture 7: This picture has been sent from my brother's collection - left to right Samuel, Lydia, Emma, Esther Ann, James and Herbert Simms.

My thanks to Great Uncle Jim's granddaughters for identifying/amending some of these names.

---oOo---

* I have corresponded with another distant cousin Loretta Keith (Lorie) who lives in Calgary - Loretta is the daughter of Hedley Fernie and Elva Maud Gash and these are her pictures - please click on each one to see a larger picture:

Picture 8: Edna, Gladys and Hedley Gash, children of David and Alice Gash

Picture 9: Alice Ward Gash with son Hedley.

Picture 10: Hedley Gash with his Grandfather 1915-17 - is this David Gash, senior?

Picture 11: Robert Douglas Wallwork and Hedley Gash circa 1910.

Picture 12: Three Great Aunts: Emma Simms nee Gash, Esther Taylor nee Gash, and Clara Ann Gash nee Dobson with their nephew, Hedley Gash.

Picture 13: David Gash with son Hedley at Alice Ward Gash's Grave.

Picture 14: Elva Gash in 1930.

Picture 15: Hedley and Elva Gash 1930

Picture 16: Hedley, Elva and Carley Gash 1934 

Picture 17: Hedley Gash, Canadian Pacific Railway - Hedley is on the extreme right in uniform and his crew on the Railroad (he worked 46 years on C.P.R.)

Picture 18: Lorie wrote: "Mom and Dad's house in Calgary. This is the house my sister and I grew up in. Picture taken September 1967. "

Picture 19: Lorie told me that "This was  Mom and Dad on their 60th Anniversary. Carley, my sister is with Dad and that's me with Mom. (1989)"    

Picture 20(Right): Great Aunt Emma striding out - probably in Vancouver or Victoria.

Picture 21: From my parent's collection of photographs - my Mother wrote on the back "John Wallwork on Granville Street, Vancouver", however my Canadian cousin, Susan thinks that this is Hedley. However Lorie Keith, daughter of Hedley Gash has let me know that its definitely not Hedley. So who is this? I'm thinking it might be Great Aunt Emma's second husband Will Taylor . . ?

Picture 21: This article celebrates Lorie's Mom and Dad's 65th Wedding Anniversary in 1994.

Picture 22: Another newspaper article from the Calgary Herald celebrates Gladys and Ian McElwee's 71st wedding aniversary.

---oOo---

Esther Gash was the first of William and Mary Gash's children to emigrate.  In the 1901 Census she was in Rawmarsh, near Rotherham in Yorkshire, age 14 working as a domestic servant.  My cousin Chris Gash wrote that Esther emigrated to Canada at the age of 19/20 years in 1906.  Esther worked at a farm in Saskatchewan, and wrote to her brothers in England saying she was thinking of marrying the son at the farm.  However she married John Taylor thought to be the farmer!  He was then aged 60*.  Esther and John Taylor had two children:

* I think the following entry shows Great Aunt Esther in the 1911 Canadian Census in Saskatchewan in Qu'Apelle Township - Place: 2-15-10 and as can be seen John Taylor was probably 49 or 50 when they married:

Esther and John Taylor, in fact had three children as shown in the above census.  The family in England had the wrong information:

Searching the Canadian 1906 Census, I found Great Aunt Esther working as a servant in the Taylor household in Saskatchewan, Qu'Apelle Township, Aunt Esther's surname though was transcribed as "GROH"!:

The originals were hard to read and the transcriptions did not repeat everything on the schedules.  I think that the "Ont" alongside the Taylors' entries means they were originally from Ontario;  "Wolsels" was under the column Post Office Address, I've typed Wolsels but this is probably wrong, it is hard to decipher.  The three servants originated from England in 1906.  Alongside the "Head of Family" it gave the Location as numbers for Section, Township, Range and Meridian and again this entry is hard to read.  The Taylors' entries didn't give the year they came to Canada.  This census certainly does disprove that John Taylor had sons living with him as it shows John as being "Single".

---o0o---

Thomas Herbert Simms also enlisted in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force - here's his Attestation Paper details from the collectionscanada.gc.ca website:

My Canadian cousin, Susan Principe sent me the first two photographs shown on the left.  Great Aunt Amy said they were of Great Aunt Emma Simms nee Gash but I'm not sure as Great Aunt Emma was married in England in Brampton Bierlow on 5 September 1900, as can be seen on her marriage certificate.  Susan looked again at Great Aunt Amy's records and found that the first photo was taken on 13 October 1914, I thought this might be the marriage of Great Aunt Esther to her 2nd husband, Oscar Johnson, as the second photo is of Great Aunt Esther Taylor nee Gash who was Post Mistress at Candiac.  Susan went on to say that Great Aunt Emma was a government nurse and midwife, although as can be seen below Mrs Emma Simms was Postmaster at Candiac for a period. 

Great Aunt Esther's Grandson, Larry Gifford states that these photographs are definitely not his grandmother, Esther Taylor nee Gash.  Therefore it must be Great Aunt Emma Simms nee Gash and the soldier must be her husband, Thomas Herbert Simms, just as Great Aunt Amy said!  Looking at Thomas Herbert's attestation papers he enlisted on 10th June 1916 and 17 August 1915 at Regina, but this picture shows him in uniform on 13 October 1914 - 4 years after their marriage in England (5.9.1900).

After receiving these pictures, one being  in the Post Office, I then looked at the Canadian Collections website - this wonderful resource for family historians in Canada has lists of Postmasters and I was able to find that:

Federal Electoral District: Qu'Appelle (Saskatchewan) - Candiac Office

"Mrs Emma Simms" had been Postmaster from 8 January 1914 to 16 March 1917 and from 15 August 1918 to 5 July 1920 and

"Mrs E. Taylor" had served from 30 April 1917 to 27 May 1918 and "Mrs Esther Taylor" from 25 August 1920 to 20 October 1938 and

"Mrs. Esther Johnson (Same)" from 9 February 1939 to 12 April 1946.

This reveals that they both were Postmaster at Candiac!  And that Esther's 2nd marriage was to a Mr Johnson - which might well be Oscar as we did not know his second name! 

Searching the same page for David Gash, Gladys had told my nephew that David had been Postmaster at Fernie, I found David not at Fernie, which is in the Federal Electoral District of Kootenay East (British Columbia) but in Burton, in the Federal Electoral District of Kootenay West (British Columbia):

David Gash had served from 1 February 1923 to 24 September 1923

My distant cousin Dorothy put me in touch with Larry Gifford, grandson of John and Esther Taylor and Larry posted me the following 1-6 photographs and also the ones of Great Aunt Amy - pictures 8 and 9 were sent to me by my nephew, David Braithwaite:

Picture 1 - John and Esther Taylor nee Gash with their oldest child and son, Robert George Taylor born 3 July 1907, died 24 May 1992 - Larry thought that this photographs might have been taken late 1907 or early 1908.

Picture 2 - The wedding photograph of Esther Taylor (formerly Gash) and Oscar Johnson, 30 October 1938

Picture 3 - Oscar and Esther Johnson at the Peace Arch Memorial Park, on the border of Canada and United States of America, taken June 1964

Picture 4 - Great Aunt Esther taken October 1963

Picture 5 - Esther with her daughter Mary R Gifford nee Taylor, also taken October 1963

Picture 6 - Oscar Johnson and Esther's grandson, Larry Gifford taken the day after Esther Johnson's funeral at White Rock, British Columbia in June 1967.

Picture 7 - Great Uncle Oscar from White Rock, British Columbia. My cousin Susan identified Uncle Oscar as Aunt Esther's second husband. "They were married later in life and had no children. I have wonderful memories as a young child, going with my parents to visit them in their home in White Rock. Aunt Esther would make us dinner or tea and goodies. Afterwards the adults would talk, and I would sit in their solarium and rock in the big old wooden rocking chair 'til I fell asleep." 

Picture 8 - Great Uncle David and Great Aunt Esther with Edith Cheers and her daughter, Judy.

Picture 9 - Oscar and Esther Johnson, Emma and her son Herbert Simms; Larry thinks that the lady might be Herb's first wife, and the boy might be Barry Simms (Herb and Betty's son).

Picture 10 - My mother, Irene Braithwaite with her Aunt Amy visiting the grave of Amy's husband Will Taylor

Picture 11 - Great Aunt Amy on her 89th birthday surrounded by her cards and flowers.

Picture 12 - Larry identified this photograph - That is my grandmother, Esther (nee Gash) Taylor Johnson.   It was taken by my Mother's cousin, Edith (nee Gash) Cheers.   It was taken at Edith and Tom Cheers home, which was at 1926 King George Highway, White Rock, B.C.

Picture 13 - Larry also sent me a copy of Esther's obituary which appeared in a Saskachewan newspaper on 19 July 1967 - It does state that Esther was born in Newark but she was actually born in Lincolnshire, her birth was registered in Boston, Lincolnshire September quarter of 1886; in the 1891 English Census she was shown to be born in Pelham Lands, Lincolnshire and in 1901, her place of birth was given as Chapel Hill, Lincolnshire - her actual date of birth was 8 September 1886. Pelham Lands is an area near Swineshead and Kirton in Holland; and Chapel Hill is also quite close.

The Grandson of John and Esther Taylor, Larry Gifford informed me that -

John Taylor was a widower and living with his son William.   This was my Great-Great Grandfather, John Taylor.   He and my Great-Great Grandmother had come to Canada  from Clanford County, Gallway, Ireland, in 1838.   They settled northeast of London, Ontario at a place called Parkhill, Ontario.   My Great-Great Grandparents had six sons and two daughters.   My Great-Grand-father Robert Taylor married Rebecca Mahon and they had eleven children.   My grandfather, John Taylor was the second child and the second son of Robert and Rebecca Taylor.   Thomas and John Taylor left home in their early years (1880) Thomas was 26 and John was 24 to homestead in Assiniboia, Northwest Territories.  This area became the province of Saskatchewan.   They filed for land on August 3rd, 1882, they each had 160 acres next to each others farms.  

 In 1906, John Taylor, my grandfather, went down East to Ontario to purchase some horses and to also visit his parents Robert and Rebecca Taylor.   Esther Gash, was a domestic/servant in Robert and Rebecca Taylor's household.   John and Esther met and married. He was 50 years old and she was 20 years old.   They returned to the home-stead in Sask.   They had three children, Robert George, John Wesley (Bus) and Mary Rebecca (my Mother).   After my Grandfather John Taylor passed away on  Sept. 22, 1936, my grandmother Esther (Gash) Taylor was only 50 years old.   On October 30th 1938, Esther (Gash) Taylor married Oscar Johnson of Woseley, Sask. They lived in Candiac, Sask, until the Fall of 1946, When they moved to British Columbia. 

I searched the 1881 Canadian Census shown on the Mormon Church website and found the following entry which might be the Taylor family in 1881.  The Census place was given as "Stephen, Huron South, Ontario and all the household were shown to be of Irish origin and their religion was given as C.C. Methodist:

---o0o---

Great Uncle James Gash was one of the family members living in Canada I remember well. Uncle Jim came to visit our house in the 50s and we toured round the country visiting relatives.  Photo Gallery One and the Copley family page includes photographs taken at that time. I recently received an email from the grand daughter of James and Esther Ann Gash letting me know that she had found my website and that they were starting to research their family tree -

What we know so far is Grampa & Gramma met and left England and came to Fernie with Gramma's son Ralph Winstanley  and their 2 sons James and Ernest. In Fernie they  had a 3rd son Fred our Dad. Ralph was never adopted but used the name Gash. Ralph was 17 when was killed in a mine accident in Fernie. We went to Fernie in July and visited the grave and saw his grave stone and it engraved Ralph Gash and the writeups in the papers refer to him as Ralph Gash. They both used talk of him often and loving. 

As already mentioned James Gash and Esther Ann Winstanley left Liverpool on the 2nd December 1910, also on board were Ralph Winstanley and sons, James and Ernest.  Their son Fred had died 2 December 1910.  The mine accident which killed Ralph was reported in the local newspaper and this can be found amongst the stories from Fernie Free Press.

Great Uncle Jim was born at Tattershall in Lincolnshire on 3 Dec 1877.  The family always maintained that they were living at Tattershall Castle at this time.  Edith's daughter, Joy Chorney wrote -

Regarding the information on the family living at Tattershall Castle: There is a family story about one of the younger boys - a baby. Since Uncle Jim was born there I presume that it is about him. The story goes this way. Every time that he was carried down the stairway he would scream and point, but there was never anything there to see. The problem became so bad the family felt that they were forced to move from there. Some time after they had moved they learned that the castle was supposedly haunted and the ghost was a man wearing a plaid weskit who stood on one of the stairs. This story came from Aunt Emma. I have a picture of the castle and will send it at a later date.

Aunt Emma Gash Simms used to tell about her father going around the house doing the "white glove" test to make sure the kids had dusted properly. He also was a coal miner and wore white shirts to work . He always expected them to be snowy white.

I looked on the National Trust website for the history of Tattershall Castle and it is quite possible that they lived there during that period as the castle had fallen into decline and its moats were filled in and the grounds used as part of a local farm.  My grandmother Mary Gash was also born there, two years previous to James and my Mother always said that the family lived there and that her mother was  born there, so they could have been there for about four years.  My mother used to say that William had been "Head horseman at Tattersall Castle".  Barry and I visited a few years ago and asked the National Trust volunteers, but they were sceptical and said that during that period it was a ruin and no one lived there.  I do intend to visit Lincolnshire Archives this summer to see if there is any information available.

 ---o0o---

Updated  10 June 2010