Hunter BENNETT Saskatchewan

[tigger88]

Afternoon all
I am trying to trace the birth of Hunter BENNETT, son of Nellie (nee Harris) and William BENNETT, born Saskatchewan, according to the 1911 census where he is aged 2 years.
I have managed to trace his brothers Harold and Walter but Hunter is proving elusive.
Vital Statistics cannot seem to find him so any ideas would be gratefully accepted.  Thank you 
Also, where is the best site to find Canadian deaths.

Cheers
L.

[*Sandra*]

Hi,

There is no Central registries/indexes in Canada for BMDs.  Canada has very strict privacy laws and each province imposes its own even further.  Additionally, some provinces are more research friendly than others so researching in Canada can be challenging.  The last available Canadian Census was 1911 apart from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta which was 1921.  As a guide BMD Records are only available for births more than a 100 years ago, marriages 85 years ago. Sometimes by using newspaper announcements, cemetery records, obituaries, telephone directories, http://www.canada411.ca/ etc it is possible to trace the families forward if we are lucky.

Regards
Sandra

[tigger88]

Thank you for the info Sandra.  I was beginning to realise just how hard it is to find people in Canada, almost as bad as Ireland.
I am aware of the '100 year' rule, it is the same in Australia and NZ but I thought as we are now in 2015, I would have been able to find a birth in 1909!
Well the newspapers beckon so will keep looking.
Thanks again.
Lesley

[Jacquie in Canada]

Unfortunately Saskatchewan's Vital Stats database hasn't been updated for at least 6 or 7 years which is why you can't find the birth for Hunter. If they stayed in Saskatchewan, the database has deaths prior to 1917.

The last available Canadian Census was 1911 apart from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta which was 1921. 

Correction to Sandra's post: The last federal census available is from 1921. The last Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta census available is from 1916.

Jacquie

[Jacquie in Canada]

You may have the information here and in the next posts already but in case you don't...

I've found two census entries on the 1911 census Nellie. One has her with sons Wilfred, Walter and Hunter at the residence of Elizabeth Harris in Humboldt District, Saskatchewan. The other has William and Nellie Bennett with sons Wilfred and Walter in Saskatoon. No Hunter with the family.

I've also found William and Nellie on the 1921 census with sons Wilfred, Walter and Clifford (4). Again no Hunter. Is it possible he was known under another name?

You had me a little confused with Harold but I see from his birth record that he was born Harold Wilford Bennett on 20 Nov 1906 in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba but was listed as Wilfred on the census. Have you seen his entry at the Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial website:
http://svwm.ca/casualty-display/?ID=A000006702

The same website has an entry for Clifford William Bennett who is listed as the son of William and Nellie (Harris) Bennett. He was born 30 Oct 1916 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Here's a link to his entry:
http://svwm.ca/casualty-display/?ID=A000006698

Clifford's entry at the Canadian Virtual War Memorial indicates he had a wife named Edna:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01f1q/

Jacquie

[Jacquie in Canada]

From the Winnipeg Free Press dated 2 Sep 1945:

Gunner Wm. Bennett
Wounded in Action

Portage la Prairie, Man., Sept. 2.
(Special)—Word was received Aug. 31 by Mrs. William Bennett that her son, Gunner Wilfred Bennett, was wounded in action Aug. 13. Enlisting in Saskatoon, he proceeded overseas in 1940. His mother has just recently returned from Saskatoon where she attended a memorial service for another son, Clifford Bennett, R.C.A.F., who was reported missing off Newfoundland in December, and is now presumed dead.

And from 5 Feb 1945:

Gnr. W. Bennett, Portage,
Dies Of Wounds

Portage la Prairie, Man., Feb. 5.
(Special)—Word was received here Feb. 3, that Gnr. Wilfred Bennett, 36, son of Mrs. Bennett, Saskatoon, formerly of Portage, and the late William Bennett, had died of wounds in a United Kingdom hospital on Jan. 28. Enlisting in 1933, he trained at Dundurn and Camp Shilo. He was wounded on Aug. 9, and since that time has been in hospital. He is survived by his mother and a brother in Saskatoon, while another brother, Sgt. Clifford Bennett, R.C.A.F., was reported missing December, 1943. and officially presumed dead June, 1944.

The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix dated 3 Feb 1945 also has an article about his death which includes a picture:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01f1r/
This article says he was survived by his mother and brother, Walter. It certainly appears that Hunter must have died between 1911 and 1921.

Jacquie

[Jacquie in Canada]

There is an obituary for William Bennett in the Winnipeg Free Press dated 6 Jul 1944 which I've attached below.

Also this looks to be Nellie's death registration from British Columbia:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01f1p/

Jacquie

[tigger88]

This is brilliant Jacqui thank you so much. There is so much info here. Elizabeth Harris was Nellie,s mother who emigrated from england to spend time with Nellie then ended up in the US. Not sure about the other census entry. I got Hunter's name from the census but haven't been able to find anything about him. Have now got something to work with.  It is so nice to be able to have some closure.  Once again,many thanks your work is much appreciated.
Cheers fromAustralia
Lesley

[Jacquie in Canada]

It's not that uncommon for people to show up on the census twice. The Saskatoon family is definitely your Bennett family. That's confirmed by the information regarding the deaths of William and Clifford during WWII.

Maybe Hunter is mentioned in that.  According to the Saskatoon Library's obituary index, there is an obit for Nellie in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. To order a copy costs $5 Cdn. Here's a link: http://spldatabase.saskatoonlibrary.ca/internet/OBIQuery.htm
Maybe Hunter is mentioned in that. If not, maybe the Humboldt enumerator made a mistake and there was no Hunter Bennett.

Jacquie