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Research in Other Countries => Canada => Canada Lookup Request => Topic started by: grlune on Thursday 17 October 24 19:38 BST (UK)
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Hi
Greetings from England.
I've just discovered Alfred Albert Taylor death 09.06.1968 at Comox. All I know is that he was born 1912 in England, was an orphan at St George's home Ottawa. His father was Alfred, mother Alice. He was sent to Canada in 1922. Can anyone help with finding his obit please ? Am trying to find more about him and whether he had family.
Any information would be sincerely appreciated.
Thanks
Graham
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Hi Graham.
Do you already have the passenger records for his trip to Canada? I found those and can send it if you need it. I'll see what I can find for an obituary.
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He was not in Comox in 1955. The site has directories for 1955 and prior years.
https://bccd.vpl.ca/title/1955/Victoria_City_and_Vancouver_Island_Directory.html
[Click on “Towns”, C, and Com]
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This is possibly him...
Alfred Albert Taylor
son of Alfred & Alice Taylor
baptised 4 Dec 1912
at Church of the Acension, Kings Norton, Birmingham
Address: 59 Midland Road
Father's occupation: Motor Driver
If so, he had a brother called George Edward Taylor who was baptised on the same day.
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Hi,
This is his death cert. from the Province of British Columbia. Keep in mind the information was given by a friend.
Alfred Taylor of Dyke Road, Comox, B.C. age 55, b. New Zealand 19 Nov. 1912, single, fisherman, parents unknown b. New Zealand, he was in municipality 19 years and 9 years in his occupation, in
Canada 33 years. Informant S.Woods, friend of the same address. Burial Courtenay Civic Cemetery, Courtenay B.C.
https://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/95c2be08-164a-48fd-a38c-6406b509c765
Greetings from Canada :)
DB
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... I'm a bit confused now. I was given the death date by another source but the Alfred I'm looking for was definitely born in England to English parents. I have the siblings baptisms thanks.
I've seen the passenger list also but cannot identify him on any Canadian census.
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... It must be his death Cert. His birth cert states gives d.o.b as 19.11.1912. I guess only being 3y/o when orphaned and taken to the home, his understanding of his origins may not have been known to him or indeed the person giving the details to register the death. I'm just wondering if anyone can find him anywhere and with any family ?
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He is registered with the British Home Children Registry: https://www.homechildrencanada.com/registry?id=81258.
He went to St. George's Home, as you already know: https://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com/st-georges-home---ottawa.html. This website mentions that many of the children were sent to St. Albert, Saskatchewan. I'll check the 1931 Canada Census.
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.. Doh ! Just realised his death Cert states he was single so may be an obit may provide more details.
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Michelle, Brilliant, thank you !
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Home children are notoriously difficult to track. There's a possibility he was adopted and his name was changed.
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Hi,
An assumption on my part, I thought perhaps you knew he was a BHC. Sorry.
With BHC there were inspection report cards carried out on most of them. There is usually one page per child showing name, age, year of arrival and ship name. I think this is the one for Alfred. It appears he remained in and around Ottawa Ontario until 1929 whereby his address become unknown.
Page 1899
https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_t15426/1899
DB
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Hi Michelle and dbree, really appreciate your interest and help..
Do you think there is any way of finding Alfred's whereabouts for the time between 1929 to his death in 1968.
Since his name was the same at time of death that would suggest perhaps that he didn't assume another name, but can't be ruled out altogether I guess ?. Also, the report card, I can't quite read the name of his placement but it looks like Wm. Moriarty, would you agree and could this be a lead perhaps.
I was also thinking if an obit. may provide more info about his life in Canada? As he was single (according to death cert) it's highly unlikely to be any descendants which is a pity. May be with a bit of luck he can be found somewhere in between the places between Ottawa and Comox. I can only hope.
Thanks again
Graham
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Sorry, really apologise for my lack of geographical knowkedge, I didn't realise BC was so far from Ottawa. I guess it'll be virtually impossible 😣
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Possibly the death certificate informant was incorrect but it was stated that Alfred had been in Canada (and the province) 33 years and in the municipality 19 years - so c1935 for his arrival. Possibly he arrived in Canada in 1922 and arrived in British Columbia c1935, he left Canada at some point and returned in 1935, or the information was just wrong.
Since he supposedly had been in the province for decades, it would be time consuming, but perhaps he might be listed in one of the city directories, as mentioned previously.
It would be a long shot, but depending upon how long he lived in one of the homes, could he have picked up a slight accent (from someone in the home) after he arrived in Canada, making his accent less British? :-\ This might account for the New Zealand “birth”. I’ve known a few people who have acquired slight accents after living in a different country.
He was not in Comox in 1955. The site has directories for 1955 and prior years.
https://bccd.vpl.ca/title/1955/Victoria_City_and_Vancouver_Island_Directory.html
[Click on “Towns”, C, and Com]
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I wonder if this might be him in 1931: https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-content/view/1561583:62640?tid=&pid=&queryid=71f68301-b62d-432d-8ab5-7fb52fda5cff&_phsrc=CBq19762&_phstart=successSource.
This is Seymour, Ontario, which is now called Trent Hills, Ontario. It is about 237 km from Ottawa.
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Hi,
Yes that could be him. He is headed in the right direction to the west of Ontario.
1929 was the stock market crash followed by the depression, so a terrible time. Perhaps Alfred felt Western Canada held more opportunity for him and slowly worked his way across Canada.
Not having any luck with his obit.
Yes, I think it is William Moriarty on the inspection report. I can see him on the 1931 census
with his family in Stormont. He was born in Ontario and when he married in 1918 he was a farmer
in Stormont. He dies in 1973 and is buried in Stormont.
DB
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I wonder if this might be him in 1931: https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-content/view/1561583:62640?tid=&pid=&queryid=71f68301-b62d-432d-8ab5-7fb52fda5cff&_phsrc=CBq19762&_phstart=successSource.
This is Seymour, Ontario, which is now called Trent Hills, Ontario. It is about 237 km from Ottawa.
Can anyone read what was written under Seymour (his residence place)? Could it have been his last residence?
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Hi,
I think it's someone who has gone back to fix the fading of a few entries. If you flip forward
a couple of pages there is a very faint Seymour that didn't get the corrected darker ink.
DB
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Death registration: Alfred’s occupation - Fisherman (retired)
Informant for his death: S Woods. A Syd Woods lived in Courtenay, BC.
Canada Voter List, 1963
Alfred Taylor, Fisherman, Courtenay
Could this be your Alfred?
Added: S Woods’ address was Courtenay.
The voter list for Courtenay includes part of Comox District.
Thank you, DB. :)
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Hi Lisa, Michelle and dbree
Great work, thank you. I now feel some headway is being made and everything you all say and found seems to make sense and fit. Based on what was said earlier about Alfred possibly leaving for England and returning I've been searching incoming passengers to UK 1930+ and found this on Ancestry:
Hope you can open the link. Could it be Alfred ? Age fits and occupation is fisherman ?
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Grimsby was a major fishing port so may be with the Canadian recession he went back for work. Looking now for a return trip back to CA.
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I'm not sure. I'd like to see some evidence that he travelled across the country to take up fishing. By 1929 (the last date on in his BHC record), he only had experience farming. There are lots of Alfred Taylors around the same age in the Vancouver area that were already fishermen by the 1930s. One of them could easily have traveled to the island to fish in a new area.
Is there any proof that your Alfred Taylor is the one that died in Comox?
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Mmm.. Yes I see what you mean Michelle. The D.O.B on the death cert. matches his birth certificate. That's about as much evidence really. I had noticed other Alfred Taylor's too. I don't think we'll ever know for sure unfortunately. But I will keep digging 😊
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Registration of Death - Alfred’s birthdate was recorded as November 19, 1912
Alfred Taylor (Albert’s father) WWI Service Record - child mentioned: Alfred Albert, 19th November 1912
There could have been two men in Canada named Alfred Albert Taylor, with the exact birthdate, one born in England, one supposedly born in New Zealand. I wonder how common that would be? (To have exact names, exact birthdates.)
Added:. The death registration is for Alfred Taylor. No middle name. So, they didn’t have exact names.
Added: There’s always a possibility that Alfred was adopted and changed his name. :-\
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Perhaps a search could be done for Alfred
Albert Taylor, born 1912, New Zealand. It might be possible to confirm that the 1968 death was actually for this man. Can he be found prior to 1965.
[His death registration did not include a middle name.]
Also, a search for Alfred Taylor in Grimsby, England, c1933 and later, might also shed clues.
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... I can't see him on the 1939 England Register so if it is Alfred may be likely he returned to Canada between 1933 to 1939. Can't identify him on any lists leaving England for this period however.