Emigration to Canada

[Lucia]

My ancestor Arthur Rolfe Church married in 1903 in Bucks to Minnie Elizabeth Swain and then emigrated sometime after. I have copy of his enlistment papers which show that he was living in Edison Avenue, Peterborough, Ontario in 1915. How can find out when he emigrated and whether he has any descendants?
Thanks
Lucia
:)

[CanadianJP]

Lucia,
Greatings from chilly Canada!! CollectionsCanada has a database you can search for those enlisted in WWI and Arthur R Church is listed. It's quite interesting as it's a view of the original document so it includes his signature. Document also states he spent 3 years in the Military in the Territories. I'm assuming that would be western Canada as it was part of the Territories until the early 1900s. If this is the case, you know he was in Canada in 1912. May narrow down your search. This may be the enlistment papers you refer to. If not, the website is:

www.collectionscanada.ca

Go to Canadian Genealogy section where you'll find the database you need
Go to Military section and choose Soldiers of the First World War
Search the database by name
Instructions are then given to print the document.
This may be a starting point for you.

I've actually been researching family history in Peterborough, Ontario, as well. Have you any idea which port of arrival in Canada? Any passenger lists I've been able to find seem to list by port of arrival. I've listed a website that includes many lists:

http://genealogy.about.com/od/canada_immigration

It may take quite a bit of searching. You may want to find Arthur Church's death records/location and work backwards from there. I have several websites I use for Ontario and can provide them to you. Shall I list them on this message board or would you rather I email to you (there are several).

A quick search of the websites I use show numerous records for Church. As well as some websites having searchable databases, there are a group of volunteers willing to do lookups for you by county. I can also provide you with that.

Let me know the best way to provide you with this information.

Janette

[Lucia]

Thanks Janette, I really appreciate your reply. I have seen his attestation papers and have ordered a copy of his military records. I will try your suggestions and look at the passenger lists website. I did look at Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid which said that there was an Arthur R Church buried in West-Gwillmbury, but it doesn't give any more information. Do you know how I can find out more? Can you post the website details on this forum? Thank you so much for helping me out with this - I'm really stuck!
Lucia
:-)

[Patrisia]

I have been following the other threads with interest as I was totally stumped until recently.

I am looking for descendants of William Herbert John Peters, b.1918 in Cardiff, Wales. His parents were William Henry Peters and Elsie Gertude Fanny (nee Beszant). William Jnr and his mother went to Canada on the Carmania, arriving at Halifax 20 Dec 1929, I had assumed William Snr had gone ahead, until last week when I was idly googling with Beszant+Canada and came up with her burial in 1971 on www.interment.com (http://www.interment.com/) It not only gave her details but also those of her husband who died in Cardiff in 1929 before she left. She may have joined her sister Amy MALLINSON, husband Arthur - an elderly aunt said they both went to Canada.
The cemetery is in Binbrook Township, Wentworth County.

Any ideas of where I go from here?|help|

I have gone through all the sites kindly posted but not got anywhere so far.
Is there anyway I can find BMD index records or similar?
Hamilton Gen Society seem to have earlier records, so I'm not sure if they could help.
Or is it worth going with a researcher?

Grateful for any ideas!

[CanadianJP]

Patrisia,
I'm assuming you're trying to locate relatives at this point. It looks like birth / death records are available to the late 1920s. Personally, I wouldn't quite yet go to a professional genealogist. There are several good websites I'd check first and, as well, there are several volunteers willing to help.

Try www.ontariogenealogy.com

This site provides several indexes (indices) by County. Once you find your names there, you can try the lookup services:

Random Acts of Genealogy Kindmess - www.raogk.org/ontario.htm
Ontario Lookup Volunteers - www.rootsweb.com/~canghl/on.html

You could also try posting at one of several Bulletin Boards. I'll try to locate some bulletin boards that may be of assistance and let you know.

Janette

[Patrisia]

Hi Janette,

Many thanks for the sites, though sadly neither Ontario Genealogy or Ontario Lookup Volunteers specifically covered Wentworth County.
So I have taken a chance and emailed a volunteer on www.raogk.org/ontario.htm (http://www.raogk.org/ontario.htm) who specifically searches public records in Hamilton area, Wentworth County.
So keep your fingers crossed for me:)

Regards!

[CanadianJP]

Patrisia,
You'll have to let me know how you make up. I've had a few of the volunteers go out of their way to help me. I will keep my fingers cross for you!
Janette

[clive_t]

Hello, I read this thread with great interest, as according to a cousin our grandfather went across to Canada around 1909-12 but then subsequently returned.

I searched all the passenger lists etc on the sites mentioned earlier for 'Badman' (Edward Walter), but no luck. I wonder, might he have sailed to a US port instead? Was that a common thing for people bound for Canada? Can anyone point me at US passenger lists from the UK around that period? Sorry, loads of questions I know...

Clive

[Geoffers]

Hello, I read this thread with great interest, as according to a cousin our grandfather went across to Canada around 1909-12 but then subsequently returned......Can anyone point me at US passenger lists from the UK around that period?

Not a lot of help unless you know at least the year and port of departure - but - The National Archives (TNA) at Kew hold Outward Passenger Lists 1890-1960 in class BT27. If you know the ship on which someone emigrated between 1906 and 1951, then first use the Registers of Passenger Lists in BT32, which records the port from which a ship departed.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[clive_t]

Janette, that's a very interesting set of URLs you've posted there... one of them led me to the British Columbia Vital Events Index (the equivalent of our BMD indexes I guess), and they show up 2 very intriguing entries (well, for me anyway)...

Name Date of Death Age Place
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ernest Badman 12/03/1957 73 Essondale
Alfred Badman 17/11/1938 56 Vancouver

The ages subtracted from the year of death, give a year of birth that in the case of Alfred is 1 out from what I have from the England/Wales BMD index, and in the case of Ernest is spot-on! Possibly a coincidence, but I can't help but wonder if these 2 are my great-uncles! I must try and work out how to get copies of those certificates. Can anyone please tell me if a Canadian death certificate would show if someone originated from another country, and/or the date they set foot on Canadian soil?

Another entry in this website shows a marriage between Ernest Badman and Annie Molovitch dated 21/12/1917. Whether this is the same Ernest Badman I'm not 100% sure, although it appears that "Annie Badman" (possibly the widow of Ernest?) died in Vancouver in 1967, aged 67.

Regards

Clive

[clive_t]

Not a lot of help unless you know at least the year and port of departure - but - The National Archives (TNA) at Kew hold Outward Passenger Lists 1890-1960 in class BT27. If you know the ship on which someone emigrated between 1906 and 1951, then first use the Registers of Passenger Lists in BT32, which records the port from which a ship departed.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

Oops, sorry - forgetting my manners again... thanks Geoffers!

[CanadianJP]

Clive,
If you go to
http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/textual/governmt/vstats/v_events.htm
and scroll towards the bottom of the screen, it allows you to view samples of the records so you might know what to expect. In the death registration sample is does show "where born" but the sample lists England so I'm not sure if specific enough for you.

If you check the British Columbia Cemetery Finding Aid at:
http://www.islandnet.com/cgi-bin/ms2/rsd/search
you will find an Alfred Badman buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver. There is a reference number at the right. If you check the "address section" for this reference number, it provides a link to their website where it says they will do limited searches for you. May be worthwhile if you feel this is your Alfred.

There is also a site, Genealogy Helplist Canada, where volunteers are listed, by province, you may find someone listed in British Columbia who can help you - http://www.rootsweb.com/~canghl/

Hope these help and are not a total waste of time.
Janette

[Jfremont]

The BC death certificates show more than what the Uk ones do. They give both parents names and the place of birth for the individual for example. Of course this applies if the informant knows this and sometimes they don't.
A copy of the cerificates are available from the Vancouver library for the cost of printing them off the microfilm. They can be ordemessage=The BC death certificates show more than what the Uk ones do. They give both parents names and the place of birth for the individual for example. Of course this applies if the informant knows this and sometimes they don't.
A copy of the cerificates are available from the Vancouver library for the cost of printing them off the microfilm. They can be ordered from the site but are rather costly.
I go to the library from time to time so can obtain a copy for you. Please send me details off line so I am sure I have the proper details for what I am looking for.
John

[clive_t]

Thanks again Janette, most kind.

From one of those pages I found a page of 'volunteers' who will photograph headstones, so hopefully I'll be getting that sorted out for our Alfred.

It appears that the example marrage certificate also shows place of birth. So it might be worth ordering one up for Ernest.

Regards

Clive

[clive_t]

The BC death certificates show more than what the Uk ones do. They give both parents names and the place of birth for the individual for example. Of course this applies if the informant knows this and sometimes they don't.
A copy of the cerificates are available from the Vancouver library for the cost of printing them off the microfilm. They can be ordemessage=The BC death certificates show more than what the Uk ones do. They give both parents names and the place of birth for the individual for example. Of course this applies if the informant knows this and sometimes they don't.
A copy of the cerificates are available from the Vancouver library for the cost of printing them off the microfilm. They can be ordered from the site but are rather costly.
I go to the library from time to time so can obtain a copy for you. Please send me details off line so I am sure I have the proper details for what I am looking for.
John
John I have sent you a PM on this, thanks very much.

PS I visited Vancouver myself many years ago now (at the tender age of 18), I remember a street or a square with a steam-powered clock in the middle of it! London buses too... Unfortunately, whilst I was there my Canadian relations were themselves away on holiday! Ah well such is life... sorry to digress!

[Jfremont]

Clive

The steam clock is in Gastown. Yes the double decker buses are used to take tourists around. The place to really find "old England" is Victoria. In some ways Victoria may be what English towns and cities were 75 to 100 years ago, like time stood still.

John

[kath]

Hi Clive
When I was looking for canadian relatives buried in Mountain View I did a Google search and found the cemetry's web site. I e-mailed and they kindly sent information. I got the reference numbers from the bc archives bmd. The iformation was more detailed than I thought it would be.

Regards

kath

[clive_t]

Hi Clive
When I was looking for canadian relatives buried in Mountain View I did a Google search and found the cemetry's web site. I e-mailed and they kindly sent information. I got the reference numbers from the bc archives bmd. The iformation was more detailed than I thought it would be.

Regards

kath

Thanks Kath. I wonder, could I be really cheeky and ask you please to post that website address? I tried the google search thing, and it gave me pages and pages of stuff.

Regards

Clive

[chuck]

I was thrilled to hear of this - right under my nose. I have numerous ancestors buried here.

http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/nonmarketoperations/mountainview/burials/burials.htm

[kath]

Hi Clive

Sorry I haven't got back to you before. I have been in Scotland visiting my son.

The chap I dealt with was Glen Hodges

[email protected] there is an underscore between glen and hodges ie _

My great uncle ws buried in the masonic section. The masons were kind they seem not to have much in the way of an archive.

Good luck

kath

[clive_t]

Thanks Kath for the email id, and Chuck for the web page