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John Norwell's eldest sister (and therefore Martha Anderton's sister in law) Isabella Scott Norwell was now the only member of her immediate family remaining in the UK.  On 28th July 1920, she too sailed for Canada, accompanying her sister-in-law Martha Anderton and niece Joyce. They travelled 3rd class from Liverpool to Quebec on the Empress of France.  On the outgoing passenger manifest, Isabella’s initials are confusingly given as IL, her age as 29 years, and her occupation as ‘domestic’; none of these details are correct. The accompanying M Norwell is described as 'wife' (this was the usual designation for a married woman, regardless of whether she was accompanied on the voyage by her husband), and the infant is stated to be four months old, though Joyce was by now almost two years of age.  The Canadian landing records from 4th August 1920 are more accurate.  Isabella was described as a 35 year old teacher (place of birth Scotland, nationality Scottish, religion R.C.).  She was stated to be visiting her parents at 65 Jarvis Street, Toronto; they had paid her passage.  In the space on the landing card for ‘nearest relative in the country from whence passenger came’, Isabella stated ‘None’.  Martha meanwhile indicated that she was travelling to rejoin her husband, giving the same address in Toronto as Isabella had done, and stated as her nearest relative in the UK her sister, a Mrs W Walker of NW London.   Surprisingly, in the light of what Diggs says about Martha being a staunch Protestant and member of the Salvation Army, and subsequent information (see below), Martha's religious affiliation was also recorded as R.C. on her landing card.

I have recently received information from the priest in charge of St Ann’s Church, Toronto that Martha converted from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism in April 1922, her godmother was a Mrs M Norwell (possibly the wife of brother Thomas?).

The initials of daughters, mentioned on obituary notices which RunKitty refers to, seem to fit with the names Diggs mentions. Baptismal records at St Ann’s RC Church, Toronto show that an Isobel (sic) Norwell was god-mother to a John Raymond Norwell (actually christened Raymond John), who was born on July 25th 1922  and whose father was John Norwell (born in England) and whose mother was Martha Anderson (sic); this could be his aunt Isabella Scott Norwell, who was in Toronto round about this time, on a teacher exchange, or his grandmother Isabella Norwell (nee Ramsay). Obituary notices in the Toronto Star show that John Raymond (sic) died on 1st May 1946 at St Catherine's. Ontario; his parents' address at that time is given as 42 Cromwell Avenue; sisters J, H and B are mentioned, and the interment was in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

If you would like a more detailed story of the family, from the perspective of Isabella Scott Norwell, please send me a PM and I will be pleased to share it with you

Kind regards
Elaine

As you can see from my original post, it is the family of Martha's husband John Archibald Norwell that I have been focusing on.  John and Martha married in London in the last quarter of 1918; their first daughter, Joyce, was born in the same quarter.  I have not yet ordered the marriage and birth certificates, so cannot confirm exact dates or locations at present.

A search of the British censuses shows a Martha Anderton of approximately the right age (12 years) living at 30 Waldo Road, College Park, Fulham, London in 1911.  Her birthplace is given as Hammersmith, London.  In 1911, she was living with her father Thomas (a sweeper), mother Elizabeth, sisters Elizabeth (aged 17) and Alice (aged 20, and married, with her married name being Tobin) and her niece Ivey (aged 1, daughter of Alice).  The census shows that there had been a total of 5 children born to the marriage of Thomas and Elizabeth, all 5 of whom were still living, and that Thomas and Elizabeth had been married for 16 years.  Tracking back to the 1901 census, Martha was 2 years of age, and the family were again living in Waldo Road, albeit at number 24.  All five children - William (13), Alice (11), Thomas (9), May (who appears to be calling herself Elizabeth by 1911!) (7) and Martha (2) are listed, along with parents Thomas (on this occasion, described as a landscape gardener) and Elizabeth.  Martha's age in the censuses suggests that she was born c.1899.  A search of BMD records shows a Martha Anderton born in the 4th quarter of 1898 in Fulham, London (for administrative purposes, Fulham and Hammersmith appear to be inter-changeable).

The next post will provide further information about John & Martha

Kind regards
Elaine

Does anyone on the forum have access to the WWI memorial in Doune United Free Church? If so, can you please tell me whether Duncan McColl is commemorated on it? Duncan was an ancestor of my husband and was killed in action near Ypres on 2 July 1917 whil serving with 1/6th Black Watch. He is commemorated on the civic memorial in Doune. He was married in the UFC manse in January, so has a connection to that church.

Thanks
Elaine

Records of outgoing passengers on FindMyPast show a Mr DS King of 99 Birch road, Hundstead, Rochdale (which is in Lancashire), aged 26 and a motor mechanic, travelling with a Mrs King (no initial or forename given), aged 39 (which would mean a date of birth c. 1908), on the Capetown Castle, from Southampton to Capetown, South Africa, departing on 9th January 1947.  They were onward bound for Southern Rhodesia.

Also on the same page, though not necessarily in the same travelling party, is a 28 year old Mrs King, of 19 Jobs Lane, Coventry, travelling onwards to Northern Rhodesia.

DrElaine

I have now found further information on Isabella's experience as an exchange teacher.  Sadly, due to religious prejudice, the visit was not as Isabella had hoped. A report in the Toronto Star of March 24th, 1923 tells how Isabella was removed from her teaching post at Earl Haig school, when the trustees discovered that she was a Roman Catholic.  Attempts were made to find her a teaching post in another public school, with a different school board, but these were unsuccessful.  Eventually, she was given a post as a temporary school secretary at Davenport High School.  There was a hiatus of several weeks between her removal from Earl Haig and her employment at Davenport, but at least she continued to be paid during this period.  The Toronto Star quizzed Chief Inspector Cowley, business administrator WW Pearse and Mr Burns, secretary to the Trustees at Earl Haig regarding Isabella’s dismissal.  Mr Burns stated “She was placed in Earl Haig school and it is true that she was taken out on account of her religion. Before the teachers came over from England, Mrs Orde Marshall, who was in charge of the party, cabled us to know if the board would have any objection to a Catholic teacher coming.  We replied that under no consideration would we allow it as Catholics cannot teach in our schools and we have no national schools as they do in England.  If anyone is to blame it is the people who sent her over here.”   It was not known who reported Isabella to be a Catholic, but as soon as the information came to the attention of the trustees, Trustees Douglas and Berlis effected her removal from the school.  An official told the Toronto Star that “It was thought that it was all right to place her in a collegiate as both Catholics and Protestants pay taxes in their support”.