Albert E Billam arrived in Canada

[scotcross]

off the SS Montclare that sailed into St John on 26th March 1928.
Apart from a couple of letters, long lost, and some photographs with a daughter no-one heard from him again after 1944. Can anyone give me any pointers please.

[v.wells]

Did you get this information from the shipping manifests on findmypast.com? You could try www.canada411.ca . St. John is in New Brunswick, St. John's is in Newfoundland/Labrador. If you know of his last address you might try to find a newspaper in that area and see if there are archived obits. Check out the Canada forum for a huge list of resources for searching in Canada. It is not as easy as Britain but well worth the effort.:)

[susan-y]

When was his daughter born and where did/does she live.... did she ever hear from him again? What about her mother?
Sue

[v.wells]

off the SS Montclare that sailed into St John on 26th March 1928.
Apart from a couple of letters, long lost, and some photographs with a daughter no-one heard from him again after 1944. Can anyone give me any pointers please.

There is no record of any Billam leaving UK for St. John NB, Canada in any year. What is the name he travelled under and who was he with? Did he travel via the US? Tried Albert, Albert E., A. Billam and Billam. I also checked ships - there was the Montclair, Montclaire and Montclare - nada on any of them. Don't have enough credits left to view the ships manifests and without more information couldn't do it. How positive are you of the information. What was his wife's name and when/where was he born?

[scotcross]

My info is from the National Archives of Canada Immigration records (1925-35).
He arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the Montclare on 25/03/1928.
No more information than that and a couple of photographs with a small child who we believe to be his daughter.

[v.wells]

No record on findmypast but found this:

Albert Edward Billam b 1905 Ecclesall Bierlow, Derbyshire, Yorkshire-West Riding
1Q vol 9c p 386

marriage

Albert E A Billam
Abigail Aldis 1927 Lodden, Norfolk 3Q 4b p 500

Maybe this is him?

[scotcross]

Well that throws a spanner in the works, but if it is him whats with the documentation in the Canadian Immigration Dept, also dont forget letters were received at first.

[scotcross]

By the way that is the reference of his birth, although its Ecclesall Brierlow, Sheffield, Yorkshire, he was born at Crookes which is fairly central not on the Derbyshire border.

[Mary Anne]

Sorry, scotcross, what am I missing - why does that birth and marriage info throw a spanner in the works? :confused:

Do you have other birth info for Albert that contradicts the 1905 birth? And could the marriage not also be explained -- If this is the same guy as the birth, and he married Abigail in 1927, he would have been 22 years old, so that's OK. Then the follow-on question is: did he leave Abigail when he went to Canada in 1928, or did he take her with him?

And the National Archives of Canada Immigration information - is it from an online database or from physicial research with the microfilms? Only, one would THINK you should find him in the passenger list information that the National Archives (now Library and Archives Canada) has posted on its website, and it appears, from Vanessa's research, that he's not there...

Or, the simpler explanation -- there are 2 Albert E. BILLAMs |doh|



scotcross, we seem to have cross-posted -- Seems ot me these places are not far apart -- I make at least one Ecclesall and and one Crookes that are actually (today) within Sheffield City...the first is off A57 to the west and the second is off A625 to the southwest...of course, there could be other ones :)

[v.wells]

Well, I tried every which way but loose with his name on findmypast- nada. Don't you know where he was born? Who is he? :confused: Is he your relative? Who are the parents? If you have access to findmypast you could try Bullam, Bullan but I don't think he is there unless there is a total transcription error.

You said that the letters were lost, so what else do you know about him? A true mystery to me! Unless he came over in another yr and Canada Immigration transcribed it wrong. Do you know how old he was?
Is there any writing on the back of the photos?

The above person would only be 22 at travel time married with a child? The plot thickens!:D

[v.wells]

Or, the simpler explanation -- there are 2 Albert E. BILLAMs |doh|

|computer|

[scotcross]

I don't want to sound rude and I really do thank you for your help, but I know Sheffield like the back of my hand, yes he is my relative, theres is no writing on the pix, there maybe more than one Albert E Billam but mine as far as I know got on the Montclare at Liverpool and got off again at St John.I will of course check that he was married before he set off, that will be my next step. I quite trust the Canadian Archives as I think they would be the most accurate of all. Once again thanks for your help.

[Mary Anne]

scotcross

Of course you know Sheffield a whole lot better than me ;) but I just thought to have a look at the map...so are these places both in Sheffield, or is there another one of each somewhere else? (I would be glad to learn from your knowledge...I find English places so confusing when trying to compare what used to be and what is now :confused:)

I also trust the Canadian Archives (I AM Canadian after all ;)).

OK, I have found the reference you saw - here he is, and he seems to be the only BILLAM in the database (i.e. no wife):

Surname: Billam
Given Name: Albert E.
Age: 23
Sex: M
Nationality: En
Date of Arrival: 1928/03/25 (YYYY/MM/DD)
Port of Arrival: St. John
Ship: MONTCLARE, Canadian Pacific
Volume: 1928; volume 3; Page Number: 44
Microfilm reel: T-14851

Since you have this from the database, you may wish to order a copy from the Library and Archives... it tells you how to do that here: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/immigration-1925/001012-130-e.html#e...
they will photocopy it for you and send it, charging only the cost of the photocopy and postage (it should not be more than a maximum of about $5 CDN). There may be additional information on the page - like whether or not he is married...

You do still need to keep in mind that the database is a transcription of the microflim...so it still may not be accurate...and the wife may also be there, but mis-transcribed. In that case, the only way to find her would be to look at the microfilm.

What about trying to find some information from street directories for St. John at the time after he arrived? You could make an enquiry at the New Brinswick Genealogical Society http://www.nbgs.ca/ I am sure there is someone there who would be pleased to help you.

Mary Anne

[v.wells]

I don't want to sound rude and I really do thank you for your help, but I know Sheffield like the back of my hand, yes he is my relative, theres is no writing on the pix, there maybe more than one Albert E Billam but mine as far as I know got on the Montclare at Liverpool and got off again at St John.I will of course check that he was married before he set off, that will be my next step. I quite trust the Canadian Archives as I think they would be the most accurate of all. Once again thanks for your help.

Of course you know Sheffield, I'm from Lewisham. You did not provide all those details you have just provided thus the confusion on my part if at all. He may have married and then removed himself to Canada for whatever reason he may have had. If you had just said where he was born ect. But I make no apologies!

Follow Maryanne's advice.

[scotcross]

I'm sorry you did not really understand my post, I was asking for info on Albert Billam from when he set foot in Canada. I have his British details here. I should have made myself clearer.

[Mary Anne]

Well, it is going to be tough from where you are, scotcross.

Start from the ship -- DO get a photocopy of the actual Immigration entry -- it could have additional information (such as his expected Canadian address, a Canadian sponsor? who knows). This may not have been in the transcription that is posted online at the Library and Archives website.

Then, try the St. John city directory for 1929 as a first. Now, only a few Canadian directories are actually online. Try Googling "Canadian city directories" and you may have some luck - I know there is at least one site, but it seems to me it is Montreal and Québec City directories only... Anyhow, try going from what you know...that is, in 1928 he set foot in St. John, New Brunswick.

Census will give you no joy as there are none released after 1911.

Newspapers MIGHT, but again you will need to go from what you know - he was in St. John in 1928. Try www.paperofrecord.com and see if they have any St. John newspapers.

I really would try the New Brunswick genealogical society...these are the folks who will have access to old directories and possibly other local information on people who emigrated and landed there.

Failing all of that, hire a Canadian researcher to do the work for you - preferably someone in Ottawa, who has access to the Library and Archives Canada materials.

If he did not stay in St. John, then you are s*** out of luck, buddy, unless you can find the name of another place where he went to -- it's a big country, Canada!

Good luck.

[Peter_uk_can]

I guess, like others, I have been doing this genealogy thing long enough to know that the only certain thing about it all is the uncertaintity of it all.

I also know Sheffield very very well and in the whole scheme of things the places mentioned are within spitting distance, and I ain't a good spitter.

I also looked for the errant Albert E Billam in Canada, and tried all the variations that came to mind.

For whatever reason, I have a feeling that this research should be looked over again.

[scotcross]

I spoke to my Mum today, she was just 10 weeks old when he left. He was not married then, but whilst in Canada got married and had a daughter called Ruth.She did remember the letters that came regularly until she was about 15 years old were from Toronto. She remembers that he was working on the merchant ships but not another word came from him after 1940. Maybe he was lost in the war, I can't find any info on that when I have looked before.
I registered on the paper site its very interesting, thankyou.

[Mary Anne]

OK, Toronto - Ontario is one of the more difficult provinces for BMDs. They are all held on microfilms at the Archives of Ontario. And you have to look at the index first, to find out which is the microfilm you really want. THis site tells you how to find the microfilms - you can borrow them on interlibrary loan... http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/interloan/vsmain.htm

In this case, I would write to the Ontario Genealogical Society www.ogs.on.ca and enquire if someone would look up city directories and newspaper entries for you. And you can also search yourself on the Toronto area newspapers that are on Paper of Record. I think these would be your best bets for finding anything.

If he was in the merchant navy - and many of them participated in WW2 - you will have difficulty, I think, finding records, as it was so recent. Canadian government and the provinces more or less sticking to a 92-year release schedule...

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

Mary Anne