Edith Dennis, b 1882 or 1883, connected with Wells

[s4rah]

Hello all

In 1930, aged 4, my grandmother Ida Margaret Walker was sent from Canada to England by her parents to live with an aunt. We think Edith Dennis was her chaperone on the crossing; the ship was the Cunard Alaunia & it docked in London on 16th June 1930. Edith Dennis' age was stated on the ship's documents as 46, and her intended address was 6 Stanley Terrace in Wells, although her 'permanent intended place of future residence' states 'Other part of the British Empire' (i.e. not UK or Eire).

The story is a legend in our family & I would love to hear it from the other side, if anyone can help.

I hope this is an OK request under the rules, apologies if not 

[avm228]

Edith departed from Southampton on 16 August 1930, again on the Alaunia which was bound for Montreal.

Her age of 46 would put her birthdate about 1884, and her occupation of housewife would suggest she was married. Her intended future permanent residence was Canada.

Her UK address on the outbound passenger list is given as 6 Stanley Tce, Devizes.

There does seem to be a Stanley Terrace in Devizes.  I can't easily see that there is one in Wells.

Where did the aunt live?

[avm228]

Edith Dennis had crossed the Atlantic before.

She arrived at Liverpool from Montreal on 29 May 1921. Aged 36, housewife. Last permanent residence Canada, intended future permanent residence England.

Address in the UK: 6 Stanley Terrace, Devizes, Wilts.

[avm228]

Edith Dennis had crossed the Atlantic before.

She arrived at Liverpool from Montreal on 29 May 1921. Aged 36, housewife. Last permanent residence Canada, intended future permanent residence England.

Address in the UK: 6 Stanley Terrace, Devizes, Wilts.

When she returned "home" to Canada later that year, in July 1921, she gave more information:

Edith Daisy Dennis, married, 37. English, born in Devizes, but with Canadian citizenship. Religion C of E.

Home in Canada was 1466 17th Ave, Edmonds, B.C. with husband Mr C. Dennis.

[avm228]

More information, this time from the 1930 return to Canada when again her full name was stated as Edith Daisy Dennis.  She had lived in Canada since 1911, and her husband's given name was Christopher.

[avm228]

Edith Daisy Dennis died in Saanich, British Columbia on 24 Mar 1969 aged 84.

[avm228]

The birth of an Edith Daisy Spencer was registered in Devizes in Jun qtr 1884 (per FreeBMD).

[s4rah]

That is some fantastic information, thank you so much!

Auntie lived in Bedfordshire but was from Salford, my grandmother was taken there first to see her grandmother & then back to Beds.

I think Edith was a friend of my great-grandmother, but I don't know where they met.

[avm228]

You're welcome 

Just to round off, she seems to have been calling herself Daisy in the 1911 census of Canada, when she and Christopher were in New Westminster, B.C. with two children.  They had sailed from England on 2 April 1911 so will just have missed the English 1911 census which was taken on the night of 2 April!

Christopher's birth name (registered 1872, Isle of Wight) was actually Christopher Alexander Dennes rather than Dennis, though the family seem to have changed usage to Dennis in due course (they were still Dennes in the 1911 migration and Canadian census records but both died in B.C. as Dennis).

I can't see a marriage for them.  Christopher in fact seems to have married a Susan Smart in the Isle of Wight in 1893 so the emigration to Canada may have been an escape route from a marriage which had broken down.