John HOWEY Home Children 1911

[Kollies]

Hi everyone

I was hoping you could assist me in finding out more information about my Great Grandfather, John Joseph Howey, and his Canadian life.  Here is what I know about him so far:

Name: John Joseph Howey
DOB: 28/05/1898
Baptism: 28/05/1898

Immigration: 26/05/1911
From: Liverpool, England, UK
To: Quebec, Canada
Vessel: SS Corsican
Other: Listed as one of a 'Party of Boys'
Link to immagration: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/home-children/001015-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=79374&&PHPSESSID=ms4dojj760qfb4snnjdp1dh144

Army
Name: HOWEY, JOHN
Regimental number(s): 1036012
Reference: RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 4558 - 34
Date of Birth: 28/05/1898
Battalion: 238th

In particular I am looking for any information between the years of going to Canada and joining the army, also any information about when he left Canada would be useful if possible (I'm assuming he stayed in the UK after he left the army, but have no proof)

If you can help I'd be very grateful, if not, thanks for reading and have a great weekend

Regards

Keith

[valeriec]

It appears that the group of children he was with were destined for Ottawa, Ontario and he also enlisted in the CEF in Ottawa. If he went back to England at the end of the war, he wasn't in Canada for very long.

Do you know if he married in Ontario/Canada or in the UK. If you provide his wife's name, we may be able to find more information on them.

At the site at Collections Canada using the info from his attestation papers, you can order his complete military file. This will give you his destination on release from the CEF. It will also give his debarkation dates and the ship that he returned to Canada on. The files contain a lot of information as to transfers within battalions, pay documents, medical information, etc.

The 238th Battalion, Canadian Forestry Corp
embarkation
Port - Halifax, Nova Scotia
SS Scandinavian
September 13, 1916
He is listed on the nominal roll for the above.

www.cefresearch.com/matrix/contents.htm
The Matrix Project is one of the best sites for looking for information for WW1. The 238th is listed under moved to CFC about halfway down the page. It will give a time frame from 1916 to 1920 of where the battalion was and what it was doing. I don't think the War Diaries have been transcribed for the 238th as yet.

I checked the 1911 census of Canada and couldn't find him listed in either Quebec or Ontario. His attestation papers do list his address in Ottawa and that he was a farmer so someone more familiar with Ontario research may be able to find somehting more on him. It does appear that he was only in Canada for about 5 years 1911-1916, then off to war. If you have his date of marriage, that will narrow things down as well.

[valeriec]

have you checked the incoming passenger lists at ancestry.

[Kollies]

Hi

Thanks for the above.

I know he married in the uk in the 1960's, however he fathered several children to the same woman (his future wife) Gladys Osborne (born Gray) from 1930ish onwards in the UK.

I havnt checked incoming passenger lists, ill have to go the library at some point this weekend and see if i can find anthing.

[Kollies]

Getting a copy of his military records would be useful, do you know how much it costs approximately?

[valeriec]

There are usually around 25 pages per file and I bought 3 files for $66 Canadian including shipping.

The 1921 Canadian census should be available aometime after 2013 and he may show up on that.

I checked the 1909 and 1912 city directories for Ottawa and the address on his attestation papers, 390 Nepean St. and couldn't find anything that would connect to him although did find a Thomas C Graham in 1909 and John Currie in 1912 living at the address. Could be a short term rental place.

On his attestation papers, it states his occupation as farmer so I would assume that he was probably placed on a farm on his arrival in Canada. Many of the home children were placed on farms as they were cheap labour.

If you know the birth date of his first child that should narrow down your search for his incoming passenger list on ancestry, which may be available at your library.

I would definitely order the military file as it is well worth the money. You will find out a great deal about your great grandfather and his war years through it.

[valeriec]

interesting site

www.bytown.net/homekids.htm

[Kollies]

Thanks for your help and advice valeriec, I will order the service records I think it will be a very interesting read.  As for his life whilst in Canada I fear that I may never find out any information other than what I alread yknow, he wemt there, he was a child farmer, and he joined the CEF.  However I live in hope that I will one day find a small breakthrough.

Thanks once again

Keith

[polarbear]

This website has contact info under 'addresses' that may lead to records of John's early years in Canada if they survive. I expect he would have been in the St Georges Homes in Ottawa, which w/h been the RC home there (the passenger list indicates all the children were RC).

http://jubilation.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/children/Organizations/catholic.html

PB