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That is interesting Chris - the Fred you mention is my grandfather. But what really interests me is the Canada story. My father, Walter Percival Reeves, went to Canada and so did his brothers, Joseph and Jack (Frederick John) and they settled in Saskatoon - he is at Reed House (the Post Office) in Chilcompton in the 1911 Census working in the business - so is his brother Joseph but not Jack. I am not sure when he actually went to Canada - I think he is probably the Reeves I have found in the passenger lists in 1913 - he enlisted in the Canadian Dragoons in 1915 in Saskatoon. He went back to Canada after the war and was demobilised and I think he came back permanently to the UK in 1923.

What was the name of your wife's grandfather? I wonder if a number of them went from Chilcompton, not just the Reeves. I went to Moweaqua where Tom Candy Ponting settled - he lived in the Ponting Mansion which looks a bit like a "gone with the wind" southern mansion! I know that one of his nephews, Richard Stone, lived with him and I wondered why my father didn't go to him rather than the colder wastes of Canada. As you know from the autobiography, Tom Candy had been back to visit relatives in the early 1900s.

I went to the church at Foxcote - met a milk lorry on the way so you can imagine. Parked in the farmyard opposite the church but the church was locked. Would like to see the photo you have.

I wonder if there is anyone still watching this thread - I have only just joined rootchat. My name is Diana Reeves and my great great grandfather was Frederick Ponting, one of Tom Candy Ponting's brothers. We always had a copy of Tom Candy's autobiograhy and it was always my ambition to follow his trail from Illinois to Texas. I did that in 2009 - what an experience - and it would be fantastic to touch base with people who have contributed to this thread. In hope....