1931 Canadian Census -- early research

1931 Canadian Census

On June 1, 2023, the 1931 Census was released with digital images only. Ninety-two years ago, enumerators began to visit their assigned area. They were given a list of instructions on how to interpret the questions that they were to ask each family.

     Not long after the release, Library & Archives Canada ran into difficulties. Needless to say, genealogists were anxious to search for their families. Many, like me, have parents who were recorded during that time. Both of my parents were listed on the 1921 census. In 1931, both were living in the same localities as they had in 1921. My mother’s family had not moved, but my father’s had. I knew where they lived in 1931 from city directories.

    Because the Library & Archives site was giving errors in linking to the images. Genealogist Ken McKinlay discovered a workaround and posted the information on Facebook. I followed his advice and I was able to locate my father with his family.  I went through each sub-district in North Grey, Ontario, and I noted that Owen Sound was divided into three wards – Bay district, which included mainly the east side of town in the valley and up on the east hill, likely north of 10^th Street; the West District and the River District, which included the family and north of 10th Street. I would have to look more closely at a map and the census to accurately to narrow which ward to look at.

By the second day, I found my mother and her family after Ancestry posted the images. It was helpful that I could move page by page within a sub-district.

    They were on a farm and my great-grandmother was enumerated at the next house. They lived across the lane from each other.

     I noticed that the family names near where my father lived were the same as when I was a child.  We lived across the road from my grandparents.

    In addition, I have gone through the Markham area, noting which places were included in each sub-district. My interest there were the surnames of families who came in 1794 with William Berczy/

    In the past, I never sought out the instructions for the commissioners and enumerators, but I did this time.

    Library & Archives Canada has resolved the initial problems.

 

I will continue to share what I learned, in separate postings,  

 

© 2023 Janet Iles

Check Documents Carefully for All Details

It is interesting that you can look at a document many times and not realize you missed some information or did not realize some information was missing. 

In the Post  "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Uncertainty," I wrote about the uncertainty of when my great-grandfather George Iles came to Canada from England. Was it 1903 or 1904? He was not on the passenger list with the rest of the family. I have yet to find a list with him on. This past week, I realized that several of my grandfather's siblings were not on the passenger list with him. 

George and Emily (nee Pugh) had eight children: Edith Emily (1883), William George (1885), Alice (1888), Ethel (1890), Albert Valentine (1892), Emmanuel James (1895), Harold Edward (1897), and Lillian Ruth (1900).

There are two passenger lists for the family:

1. the list created for their departure from England

2. the list created for their arrival in Canada

UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960

They departed Liverpool, 27 April 1905 on board SS Ottawa of the Dominion Line. 

Columns: Ticket #, Names of Passengers; Adults; Children; Infants; Profession, Calling or Occupation of Passenger; the next columns are divided under English/Scotch/Irish Foreigners and within each male and female under: Age of each Adult 12 years and upwards Married / Single; Ages of children between 1 and 12; Infants

Ticket # 5178 

Emily Iles, Housewife,  44 [she is the wife of George] 

Lily, Domestic, 21 [she is the wife of William]

William, Laborer, 20

Edith, Domestic, 22 [sister of William]

Albert, child, 11 [brother of William]

Emmanuel, child,  9 [brother of William]

Harold, child, 7 [brother of William]

Lily, child, 4 [sister of William]

Emily, infant [daughter of William and Lily -- should be Edith May]

Missing from the list are Alice and Ethel.

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935

British Bonus: a commission paid by the Canadian government's Immigration Branch to steamship booking agents in the United Kingdom for each suitable immigrant who purchased a ticket to sail to Canada. The immigrants themselves did not receive a bonus.

The Canadian Passenger List provides different information. 

• No. of Passengers.
• Number of Railway Order.
• Amount of Cash. To be filled in by Immigration Agent at Port of Landing.
• Name of Passenger.
• Age of Adults.
• Children under 14 years of age.
• Able to
• Read
• Write
• Married or Single.
• Profession, Occupation, or Calling of Passengers.
• Nation or Country of Birth.
• Counties in British Isles from which Passenger came.
• Births at Sea.
• Deaths at Sea.
• Place of ultimate destination of Passengers excepting “Tourists and returned Canadians,” who are to be so described.

For the family, ages for children are stamped over with "British Bonus Allowed" All are shown as from Gloucester. All are going to Owen Sound

Emily Isles,  44 Wife [looks like RR written over something] [She is mother of William, Edith, Albert, Emanuel, Harold, and Lily].

Lilly,  21, domestic 

William, 20, labourer [RR added]

Edith, domestic

Albert, son

Emanuel, son

Harold, son

Lily, daughter 

Edith, (written in larger script as if a correction was made) daughter [daughter of Lilly and William not Emily]

 

The missing two girls travelled together on board the Tunisian leaving Liverpool, 6 October 1904. -- Why did Ethel and Alice go before the rest of the family?

On the Outward bound passenger list, they are listed as what looks like child, but are counted in the adult line as both were over 12. Alice is 16 and Ethel 14 Their ticket number is not near the number of the others listed on the page, so it looks like they did not travel with someone else. 

On the Canadian Passenger list, both Alice and Ethel are shown as Domestics from Gloucester and bound for Owen  Sound.

The Iles family had been living in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. Not everyone in the family was born in Gloucestershire.

Not all information on forms will be correct. It will be only as good as the person providing the information and the person recording the information.

Next steps: I will need to update the family history story with the information about Ethel and Alice. New questions come to mind. How did the family feel when George left? Was it difficult for them to say goodbye to Alice and Ethel as they left to cross the ocean on their own? What were William's wife Emily Lily's feelings as she had to say good-bye to her mother and sister?

Sources:

UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 [database on-line]. Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Outwards Passenger Lists. BT27. Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments. Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England viewed on Ancestry.ca

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935 [database on-line].Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Series: RG 76-C; Roll: T-484 viewed on Ancestry.ca

Information from Library and Archives Canada website re Immigration

© 2020 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2020: Uncertain

My great grandfather, George Iles, was not on the ship's passenger list for the Ottawa, when his wife and most of his children came to Canada. William was already married, but he was there with his wife and baby. They left Liverpool, England, on the 27 April 1905, and arrived in Montreal,  Quebec, on the 7 May 1905.

So when did Great grandpa George come to Canada? I am uncertain of the exact date. I never found a passenger list entry for him; neither the one for his departure from England or for his arrival in Canada had his name. I have made several searches of databases using a variety of spellings for Iles. When his family came to Canada, the incoming passenger list showed that they were headed to Owen Sound. From this, it would most likely indicate that George was already in Owen Sound or vicinity.

The 1911 Census for Derby Township, Grey County, Ontario, (part of lot 17, concession 3, Springmount, on the outskirts of Owen Sound) shows 1904 as George's year of immigration and for the rest of the family as 1905.  Ten years later, the family are living in Sydenham Township at the time of the census. This time it gives 1903 as the year of immigration for the whole family.

So, there are two possible years for his arrival in Canada. Therefore, his date of coming to Canada remains uncertain.

Update 29 July 2020: George's daughter's Alice (aged 16) and Ethel (aged 14) arrived in Canada on 15 October 1904 on board the Tunisian. I had looked at the passenger list for the Ottawa many times and I hadn't noticed that the two girls were missing.


© 2020 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - 2019 -- Week #28: Reunions

Back in 2009, I wrote about the Iles family reunions. Check the link for some photos. We had our last one 24 years ago, in 1995 in Kolapore, Town of the Blue Mountains, Grey County, Ontario, Canada. My mother passed away the following January. The ones we had in the past were for the descendants of my great-grandfather George Iles.

Well it is about time we had another one. This time it is planned for the descendants of my grandparents, William George Iles and Lily Dudley. Except for an aunt by marriage, all the children and their spouses are deceased. I am now part of the senior generation (although certainly not the oldest). One of my cousins is turning 80 in August and his family decided why not have a reunion and extend it beyond his siblings and their descendants. When I was contacted, I said, let's do it.

We have had one planning meeting. My sister and I are helping them to get the word out. Thanks to Facebook and email, I am making connections with the descendants of a couple lines. Since the last reunion, some who attended as young children have children of their own.

In preparation, I as a genealogist want to include some family history. I have prepared a four generations couples hourglass chart. I based it on the 5 generation couples hourglass chart using Excel found in the Facebook Group "Genedocs Templates" files.  The chart shows my grandparents in the centre with their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. I added my grandparents photo. It would be from around the time they married. I also put at the bottom of the chart the name of each of their children who lived to adulthood and their spouses names.

Here is a screenshot of a portion of it.

I am having the chart enlarged and I will have it on display at the reunion in August. I will likely post photos of past reunions.

I am looking forward to seeing cousins who I haven't seen in years and to meet new ones for the first time. It will be potluck for the first course and of course birthday cake.

© 2019 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #25 The Name is the Same

In my family tree, I have three men named Emmanuel Iles. All three men were my uncles but from different generations. One I knew well. One, I am not sure if I ever met. One, I could not have met as he lived in England and lived long before I was born. 

The one I knew well was my uncle, Emmanuel Kenneth Iles (1923-1983). I always knew him as my Uncle Manny. In the business world, he was known as E.K., Kenneth or Ken Iles. Work took Manny to western Canada but he returned to this area for the latter years of his work in the banking industry. He died at the age of 60.

My great uncle Emmanuel James Iles (1895-1960) came to Canada from England with his mother and siblings in 1905. His father, George, had already emigrated. The family lived in the Owen Sound area. In 1913, he moved to Chesley, Ontario in the county to the west.  In World War I, he was in England with 118th Battalion of London. He was a gas victim in war and suffered with chronic asthma the rest of his life. Manny was a trombone soloist in the Chesley Citizen's Band. He was choirmaster at the Geneva Presbyterian Church for 20 years and was also on the board of management of the church. His trade was wood working. 

Some of my recent research has focused on Emmanuel Iles, (1864 - 1928) my 2nd great grand-uncle. I have not located a baptismal or birth registration for Emmanuel. Although the early census records indicate that his place of birth was Guiting, Gloucestershire, later census records and his pension record indicate he was born at West Field or Westfield, Gloucestershire. This gives a more precise location. Emmanuel was the tenth known child of James Iles and Louisa Belcher. James worked as a agricultural labourer with some of his records showing him as a shepherd.

According to his pension record, Emmanuel was born 17th February 1864, in West Field, Gloucestershire.[1]. By the time of the 1871 census, Emmanuel had already begun school and the family was enumerated in Guiting Power. [2] 

When the family was enumerated in 1881 at Ford, Temple Guiting, only two children remained at home-- Emmanuel and Timothy -- but a grandchild aged six and named William Hitchman was there. Emmanuel was working as an agricultural labourer. It is interesting that the place of birth for each member of the family is listed as unknown. The question is who gave the information to the enumerator. [3]

Emmanuel left Gloucestershire and went to London. On 6th August 1883, he joined the police force at Gipsy Hill, an area in south London.[4] Emmanuel met Elizabeth Child, daughter of James Child, from Upper Norwood, Surrey. He was living in Camberwell. They exchanged their marriage vows on 18 June 1887 at the Emmanuel Church in the Parish of Camberwell, Surrey after their intention to marry had been announced from the pulpit three times. [5] This beautiful church operated from 1843 to 1963, but unfortunately, it was demolished in 1968. [6] 

By the 1891 census, Emmanuel and Elizabeth had two children: Ethel (1 year) and Ernest (2 weeks). [7] The family continued to grow with the addition of Frederick, Alice and Sidney as shown in the 1901 census. [8] 

Before Emmanuel's retirement in 1908, his weekly remuneration included pay of 1 pound 13 shillings 6 pence; 4 pence for coal, aid for rent of 1 shilling 6 pence and reserve pay of 1 shilling 6 pence. When Emmanuel retired, he was entitled to a pension of 54 pounds, 3 shillings and 10 pence per annum after serving 25 years and 4 days with the O Division of the Metropolitan London Police. [9]

His pension record also gives a picture of Emmanuel's physical features. He stood 5 foot 9 1/4 inches. He had dark hair but was slightly bald on top. His eyes were hazel and his complexion dark.

The last publicly available census in England is the 1911 census. [at the time of writing] Each household has its own page. By this time, Emmanuel had retired from the police force and was receiving a pension. He was only 46 years old. Five children were still living at home. This included May E and Maude who were born since the last census.

 Also enumerated with the family in 1911 were Emily Child, sister-in-law to the head (Emmanuel) aged 34. Two of her children were also there: Sidney, 12, and Cyril, 8. All three are shown as having been born in South Africa. The children are shown as British Subjects by Parentage. [10]

Three men with the same name but of different times. 



[1] London, England, Metropolitan Police Pension Registers, 1852-1932 [database on-line], entry for Emmanuel Iles; digital image,  Ancestry (Ancestry.ca : accessed 10 July 2018),  citing Metropolitan Police Pension Registers MEPO 21.,The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England. 
[2] 1871 Census of England, Gloucestershire, Guiting Power,  RG10, Piece: 2656; Folio: 70; Page: 12, James Iles household; digital image, Ancestry (Ancestry.ca : accessed 10 June 2015), citing microfilm 835337, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.
[3] 1881 Census of England, Gloucestershire, Temple Guiting, RG11; Piece: 2564; Folio: 44; Page: 6, James Iles household; digital image, Ancestry (Ancestry.ca : accessed 10 June 2015), citing microfilm 1341618, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.
[4] London, England, Metropolitan Police Pension Registers, 1852-1932 [database on-line], entry for Emmanuel Iles.
[5] London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932, entry for Emmanuel Iles and Elizabeth Child, 18 June 1887 [database on-line]; digital image, Ancestry (Ancestry.ca : accessed 8 July 2018), citing  London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: p73/emm/020
[6] Camberwell Churches, Emmanuel Parish Church, Camberwell, London, England (http://www.famloc.co.uk/towns-and-locations/camberwell-churches/ : accessed 8 July 2018).
[7] 1891 Census of England, London, Camberwell, RG12; Piece: 467; Folio: 11; Page: 16, Emmanuel Iles household; digital image, Ancestry (Ancestry.ca : accessed 8 July 2018), citing National Archives of the UK.
[8] 1901 Census of England, London, Camberwell, RG13; Piece: 496; Folio: 140; Page: 30, Emmanuel Iles household; digital image, Ancestry (Ancestry.ca : accessed 8 July 2018), citing National Archives of the UK 
[9] London, England, Metropolitan Police Pension Registers, 1852-1932 [database on-line], entry for Emmanuel Iles
[10] 1911 Census of England, London, Camberwell (district 27) Camberwell North (sub-district 26), RG14; Piece: 2510;, Emmanuel Iles household  digital image, Ancestry (Ancestry.ca : accessed 8 July 2018), citing Niational Archives of the UK

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #5: In the Census

Census records show where people lived on census day. The records give a snapshot of a community. That does not mean they are always correct. Along with other records, they help you develop a timeline of a person's life. They are the most available record.

I have chosen three examples of census records, two in England and one in Canada.

The first example is my great-grandparents, George Iles and Emily Pugh. Early in my online research, but before I had access to images either on microfilm or online, I did a search for them.  I searched the English Census of 1881 for Emily Pugh in Gloucestershire. Because my grandfather, William Iles, was born there, I used it as my starting point. No luck. I searched for George Iles. Because Iles is often written as Isles, I used the wildcard * to show there might be another letter between the I and the l. I found one that looked like it might be a match. 

I found George Illes, age 21 and born in Condicote listed as a visitor in the household of Wm. Clifford, age 56 and Hannah Clifford, his wife, age 54 in the census for Broadwell. Emily Rew, age 20, and born in Stow on the Wold is identified as the grand-daughter of the head of household. 

When I viewed the microfilm of this 1881 census, I could see why the indexer transcribed her surname as Rew. It looked like Pew not Pugh. The enumerator wrote her surname like he heard it. Until I did further research, the fact she was listed as "grand-daughter" led me astray. [1]

The second example is James Iles, father of George Iles, an agricultural labourer in the 1851 census. Later census records list him as a shepherd.

James married Louisa Belcher 10 July 1845. In the 1851 census, James is not enumerated with Louisa and the children. She is shown as the head of the household. On the night before census day, James was in the household of John Lees. He worked on the 560 Acre Soundborough Farm. John Lees employed 15 labourers. The enumerator for this area gave more details than is usually found in census records. This household started on page 17 but James is listed on page 18. [2] Where are Louisa and the children listed? They are on page 17 living at White Hill. [3]

The final example is the households of my grand-father William George Iles and the household of his parents and siblings in the 1911 census of Canada. Peter Garvie enumerated both families. He did his rounds on the 8 and 9th of June 1911. 

The household of William George Iles comprises William, his wife Emily and their children: Edith May, Ivy Ella and Daisy Alice. William worked as a polisher in a foundry. What is interesting is they are listed as born in Ontario. William, Emily and Edith May were born in England. Who provided the information? They lived at part lot 17, concession 4, Derby Township. Also living on the same lot are Robert and Leslie Penner households. [4]


The household of William's parents and siblings comprises George and Emily Iles and their children: Edith, Manuel, Harold and Lillian. They are all identified as being born in England. George came to Canada in 1904 according to the 1911 census and the rest of the family in 1905.  George's occupation is listed as gardener. [5]

[1] 1881 census of England, Gloucestershire, Broadwell, RG 11/2563, ED 5, folio 84, p. 18; William Clifford household; digital image, citing microfilm 1341618, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[2] 1851 Census of England, Gloucestershire, Broadwell, Class: HO107; Piece: 1969; Folio: 333; p. 18, John Lees household, entry for James Iles; digital image, Ancestry.ca citing microfilm 87369, Family History Library, Salt Lake City Utah. John Lees household begins on page 17.

[3] 1851 Census of England, Gloucestershire, Broadwell, Class: HO107; Piece: 1969; Folio: 333; p. 17, Patience Iles household; digital image, Ancestry.ca citing microfilm 87369, Family History Library, Salt Lake City Utah. 

For more information about Sevenhampton and the Soundborough property, check 
http://www.sevenhampton.org/parish-council/sevenhampton-parish-council-minutes/home/listed-buildings/

https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101089368-barn-and-open-fronted-store-soundborough-sevenhampton#.WnUtaainHIU

[4] 1911 Census of Canada, Ontario, Grey North (district 73) Derby (sub-district 1), p. 8, household 79, William George Iles household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (Ancestry.ca : accessed 4 February 2018), citing microfilm T-20373, Library & Archives Canada, Ottawa. 


[5] 1911 Census of Canada, Ontario, Grey North (district 73) Derby (sub-district 1), p. 9, household 87, George Iles household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (Ancestry.ca : accessed 4 February 2018), citing microfilm T-20373, Library & Archives Canada, Ottawa. 
© 2018 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2018 #2 Favourite Photo

It is a challenge to pick a favourite photograph. You don't want to favour one ancestor over another. You don't want to favour one side of the family, but by choosing only one, I did. 

I decided to show the photograph of my great-grandmother Emily Iles nee Pugh. I have told her story and used documentation about her when I talk about the research process or perhaps it can be described as a hunt. It has not always been very systematic. I have written about her on this blog. They have been tagged Pugh family.

I am not sure when or where this photo was taken and by whom. A couple of  years ago, a cousin brought me this photograph. Up until then, I had never seen a photo of her. I couldn't imagine what she looked like. She is all dressed up with her fancy bonnet on her head. It is interesting that this photo has been posted on Ancestry by others researching families that connect with my line.

 She was born in July 1860 in the Maugersbury Workhouse, near Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire.  Her mother, Hannah Pugh,  nee Cowley and her 11 year old sister, Mary Ann, were living in the Workhouse. Hannah saw to it that her daughter was baptized but no birth registration has been found. No father is mentioned on the baptismal record. When Emily married George Iles, she gave her father's name as Charles Pugh. Her mother had been married to Charles Pugh. 

© 2018 Janet Iles

Harold Edward Iles -- Died August 8, 1918 in France - We will Remember

Harold Edward Iles --
28 October 1897 Cheltenham, Glos. England -
 8 August 1918, France

Death information - Ancestry.ca

First memorial cross

Listing in Toronto Cemetery, Demuin, France

To read more about my Grand Uncle Harold's life, check this earlier article on this blog.

© 2017 Janet Iles

Another delayed marriage

I wrote about the delayed marriage of Richard Iles and Patience Blandford in my last post. It appears that this also happened to Patience's daughter, Harriet.

On 4 November 1821, Patience brought her twins, Reuben and Harriet to the Brimpsfield Parish church to be baptized.  Harriet's brother died when he was only seven months old. She was baptized as Harriet Blandford. [1]

Harriet, it seems, to have gone by the name of Iles after her mother married Richard. She is listed as Iles in the 1841 census [2] and when she got married.

Harriet married widower Job Burbidge / Job Burbridge?, a stone mason from the Parish of Cowley on 17 November 1864 in the Brimpsfield Parish Church. His father's name is Bradford Burbidge, blacksmith. Her father is listed as Richard Iles, labourer. Their witnesses are George Snow and Elizabeth Iles. [3]

I found two sets of publishing of banns in the Brimpsfield Parish Church. The first was in July 1860 with the readings on the 1st, 8th and 15th of the month. [4] The second set was in October 1864 with the readings on the 2nd, 9th and 16th of the month. [5]

In the first viewed on Ancestry, her surname was transcribed as Kes. The banns say that they are both of this Parish. In the second set, it says Job Burbridge, widower of the Parish of Cowley and Harriet Iles of the Parish of Brimpsfield.

So what happened that they didn't get married until 1864?

In 1871 the couple was living in Stockwell, Parish of Cowley, Gloucestershire. Job was 69 with his occupation given as stone mason. Harriet was 56 years old with an occupation listed as dress maker. [6]

[1] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Parish Baptismal Register, baptisms of Reuben and Harriet Blandford, microfilm  991292 item 1 p. 10, no. 86, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.
[2] 1841 Census England, Gloucestershire, Brimpsfield, District 6, Folio 9, p. 11, line 1, Richard Iles household, H0107, Piece 367, Book 7; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 11 May 2014), citing microfilm  288775, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.
[3]Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Bishop's Transcript, Marriage Register, Iles - Burbridge; citing Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, England; Reference Numbers: GDR/V1/485
[4]  Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Parish banns for Harriet Iles - Job Burbidge, p. 33, Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, England; Reference Numbers: P58 IN 1/10
[5] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Parish banns for Harriet Iles - Job Burbidge, p. 36, Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, England; Reference Numbers: P58 IN 1/10
[6] 1871 Census of England, Gloucestershire, Cowley Parish, Stockwell Class: RG10; Piece: 2662; Folio: 29; Page: 7, Job Burbidge household; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 9 July 2016) citing microfilm: 835331, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.

© 2016 Janet Iles

Patience Blandford and Richard Iles Marriage Delayed

When doing genealogical research it always pays to revisit previous research. New records become readily available and you check them out or you find research of others that points you to records that are new to you. This was the case in learning more about one of my ancestors.

I have written about Patience Iles nee Blandford before here and Richard Iles here. They are my great-great-great grandparents. I had borrowed the microfilm from the Family History Library a number of years ago and had found their marriage that took place on 21 October 1822 at the Brimpsfield Parish Church in Gloucestershire, England. [1] Ancestry now has both the Parish register and the Bishop transcript

One family history on Ancestry mentioned that the banns had been published the year before in December 1821, so I looked at each of the records that this researcher had included. Here is what I found.

The original publishing of the banns in the Parish church happened on 2, 9 and 16 of December 1821. Notice that the curate added a note on a piece of paper that stated the curate, John Davies, read the banns on October 6, 1822. There is no indication that the banns were read the customary three times the month before the wedding.

No explanation is given in the records why there was a delay in the marriage. [2] Patience had three children prior to her marriage. On 4 November 1821, she brought her twins, Reuben and Harriett to the parish church to be baptized. [3] Her son, Reuben died when he was seven months old. [4] Was this a factor in the delay in their marriage?

You never know what you will find when you look at previous research.


[1] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Parish Marriage Register,  entry for Patience Blandford and Richard Eyles, microfilm 991292 item 1, p. 6, no. 16, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.
[2] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire). Parish Register - banns; entry for Patience Blandford and Richard Eyles, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 9 July 2016) citing Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, England; Reference Numbers: P58 IN 1/8.
[3] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Parish Baptismal Register,  entry for Harriet and Reuben Blandford, microfilm  991292 item 1 p. 10, no. 86, Family History Library, Salt Lake City.
[4] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire). Parish Burial Register, entry for Reuben Blandford, p. 8 no. 64; Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed 9 July 2016) citing Gloucestershire Archives; Gloucester, England; Reference Numbers: P58 IN 1/9

© 2016 Janet Iles

Harold Edward Iles - Remembering

Ninety-seven years ago today, my grand uncle, Harold Edward Iles was killed in France. I have written about him before in this article. 

Harold Edward Iles was the brother of my paternal grandfather. Harold was the seventh child of George Iles and Emily Pugh.He was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England on the 28 October 1897.  He came to Canada with his mother and siblings in 1905. His father had come likely the year before.

Harold signed up to serve in the Army and became a soldier in the 34th Battalion. He sailed aboard the SS California, leaving Canada on the 23 October 1915. He served his country for almost three years. On 26 August, 1918, George Iles received the tragic news that his son, Harold had been killed in action.

What military records can be found online about Harold? 

At the Library and Archives Canada website, his attestation papers are online. His full record is not there yet but I ordered his file years ago. Ancestry.ca, has both pages of these papers. It is important when looking at records to check to see if there is a second page. Look in both directions.

Ancestry has the following that can be found when searching for Military Records for Harold.

War Graves Register Circumstances of Death

 

Library and Archives Canada; War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Death; Box: 196

On the Verso of the card was the location of the Grave in the Toronto British Cemetery.

War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves

Library and Archives Canada (LAC); War Graves Registry: Commonwealth War Graves. RG150, 1992-1993/314, Box 39-244; Box: 82

War Graves Index

Commonwealth War Graves Commission; London, United Kingdom; The War Graves Of The British Empire, The Domart-Sur-La-Luce Group Of Cemeteries France

Find A Grave
The following item was listed in a search on Ancestry. It linked to Find A Grave -
Ancestry.com. Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

That links to the second monument erected for him. It is the standard monument for Canadian military.

Where else could I look to find information related to his military experience? Library and Archives Canada page about the First World War is a good resource to check. Not all records are available online. Some would require you or someone going on your behalf to Ottawa.

War Diaries - He went over with the 34th Regiment according to his attestation papers but on the records at the time of his death, he is listed with the 14th Battalion (Quebec). Searching for the War Diaries is done by an Image Search. - 14th Battalion - MIKAN 2005904 on web page 25 of that series. Mouse hover over images will show the month and page with in it.

Other Site
He is remembered on the Canada at War site. An interesting item on this page are the names of men in his Regiment who also were fallen on 8 August 1918. = October 5, 2018 -- this link no longer works.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

 © 2015 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #27 Richard Iles

This is my twenty-seventh  posting for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge.

Richard Iles [Eyles, Ayles] is my great-great-great-grandfather.  He married Patience Blandford who I wrote about in week 26.

Richard was born in about 1794. On an agricultural labourer's wage, he raised about sixteen children. We know that he was father to fourteen. We don't know if he was the father of the three children that Patience had prior to their marriage. The children used his last name.

Richard lived his life in Brimpsfield, Gloucestershire, a village in the Cotswolds. Richard died 16 September 1878 of apoplexy. His daughter, Hester Large of North Cerney, was present at the time of his death and was the informant for the information provided.



© 2014 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks : #26 Patience Blandford

This is my twenty-sixth  posting for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge.
I wonder if my great-great-great grandmother, Patience Blandford, lived up to her first name. Through research, I have identified that she gave birth to at least 17 children. Thanks to an English researcher who contacted me and led me to the Parish records of the Parish Church of Brimpsfield, I learned about this ancestor and her children.

Prior to her marriage to Richard Eyles (Iles) and while still single, Patience brought three children to the Brimpsfield Parish Church for baptism. First was Mary Ann Blandford who was baptized 14 April 1818. Three years later Patience brought her twins, Reuben and Harriet, to the church on 4 November 1821.

  © Copyright John Salmon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence 

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3306420, (photo location)

Brimpsfield, St. Michael's

On 21 October 1822 in the same parish Church, Richard and Patience exchanged vows after the publishing of the banns. John Davies, the curate, performed the ceremony. Both Richard and Patience made their marks. William Blandford and John Edginton witnessed their marriage. [1]

For about 23 years, Patience was either pregnant or caring for and likely nursing a little one. First she gave birth to James, my ancestor, who was baptized 14 September 1823. Next came Isaac who was baptized 12 December 1824. He was followed by Edwin who was baptized on Christmas Day 1825.

Finally, Richard and Patience had a baby girl, Charlotte. She was baptized 3 December 1826. Two more boys followed: George was baptized 29 March 1828 and Richard was baptized 20 December 1829. Hester came along next and she was baptized 16 January 1831. Jeremiah was baptized 18 March 1832.

Then came a run on girls. Jane was baptized 13 October 1833. Eliza was baptized the 2 February but she was dead before the end of the month.  Richard and Patience also named their next child, Eliza. She was baptized 14 February 1836. Martha was baptized 7 March 1837. Catherine was baptized 10 February. The last known child of Patience and Richard, Elizabeth, was baptized 25 July 1841.

As far as it can be determined, Patience lived all her life in the Parish of Brimpsfield. She died 14 November 1879. [2] Her daughter, Charlotte Snow, was the informant on her death registration.
Four days later, she was buried in the Parish graveyard. [3]


[1]Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire) Parish Register, marriage entry for Patience Blandford -- Richard Eyles, microfilm  991292 item 1 p. 6 no. 16, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
[2] General Register office. Death registration for Patience Iles registered Cotswold, Cirencester District, Gloucester, 17 November 1879 certified copy DYA 923296
[3] Church of England. Parish Church of Brimpsfield (Gloucestershire), Parish Register, burial entry for Patience Iles, microfilm, 991292 item 1 p.60 #474, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.


© 2014 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #19 James Iles

This is my nineteenth posting for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge.
Last week, I highlighted his wife, Louisa.

When I  research my ancestors, I hope that there will be some identifying feature about them that will help me to distinguish between two or more individuals of the same name. If a record includes an occupation of labourer or agricultural labourer, I am disappointed. Why not some more specific information? With my great-great grandfather James Iles, I am happy when records list his occupation as a shepherd.

First, two things led me to finding out about James Iles, who his parents were and where he lived. It certainly wasn't the death registration for his son, George. Their names were in an email received just before Christmas 2000 and the information from the registration from the second marriage of George Iles.

1.  I subscribe to the Rootsweb web mailing list for Gloucestershire, England. From time to time, I have responded to queries mainly focusing on methodology. In 2000, one of the reader's saw my name and sent me an e-mail wondering if we had any family connections. John listed his direct line. I couldn't see a connection, so I wrote him back (off-list) with mine.

On December 20, 2000, John wrote back.

Thank you for your Email. Do you believe in Father Christmas? Well you should, for your GGGF James was the brother of my GGGF Edwin.
They were the sons of Richard Iles and Patience nee Blandford and were baptised at Elkstone in the parish of Brimpsfield as EYLES. James was baptised 4.9.1823 and Edwin 25.12.1825 - with Isaac in between on 12.12.1824!
So far I have traced no less than 16 children of the marriage - poor Patience, she was certainly well named!

2. When George Iles married for the second time, he gave his parents as James Iles and Louisa Belcher.

James Iles
James Iles [Eyles] was the son of Richard Iles and Patience Blandford. His parents took him to the Brimpsfield Parish Church to be baptized 14 September 1823. He was the eldest child of fourteen known children of the couple. His mother had three other children before her marriage to Richard. 

In the 1841 census he was not with the family. There is a James Iles in Birdlip (part of Brimpsfield parish) listed in the household of William Newman. In 1851, although married 10 July 1845 to Louisa Belcher, he is not enumerated with her and the children. On the night before census taking, James was  in the household of John Lees, working as an agricultural labourer. John Lees must have been a more prominent farmer in Sevenhampton as it mentions that the farm was 560 Acres and he employed 10 labourers. The enumerator for this area seemed to give more details about a person's employment than is usually found in census records. 

In 1861, James and Louisa and eight children were living in Condicote. James was working as a shepherd. In 1871, James and Louisa lived in Guiting Power with four of their children.  James was employed as a shepherd. Ten years later, James and Louisa have two children  and one grandchild at home on the night before the census. Now James was listed as an agricultural labourer. In 1891, James and Louisa were living alone. His occupation was shepherd. By 1900, James had retired and he and Louisa were receiving poor relief but his former occupation of shepherd was acknowledged. They were living on a farm in Cutsdean, Worcestershire.  "Cutsdean is a small village in the Cotswolds, located close to the Gloucestershire town of Cheltenham.."

James died  19 June 1907. Louisa had predeceased him. On James' death registration, it shows that he died at the Union Workhouse in Cheltenham. His address was indicated as "of 6 Pittville Terrace". It gives his occupation as shepherd. 

Updated 18 July 2018.
© 2014 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #17 Louisa Belcher

This is my seventeenth posting for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge.

Louisa Belcher was born in Withington, Gloucestershire and baptized 4 February 1827 in North Cerney. Her parents were Thomas and Jane Belcher. On 10 July 1845, she married James Iles in Brimpsfield.

The couple is known to have eleven children. The first child was Albert who was baptized 31 August 1845 in Withington. Next came Isaac who was baptized 23 May 1847 in Brimpsfield. Then she had three girls who were all baptized 2 November 1856 in Lower Swell. Eliza Jane was born about 1849; Susan was born about 1850 and Mary Jane was born in about 1853. Daughter Alice was baptized 1 February 1857 in Lower Swell. George, my great grandfather, came next. He was born 7 December 1858 in Westfield, Guiting Power. Next came two more daughters: Charlotte born about 1861 and Lydia in about 1863, both in Condicote. The final two children were Emmanuel, born about 1864, and Timothy, born about 1870, in Guiting Power.

Louisa died 1 March 1903 in Cheltenham.

© 2014 Janet Iles

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #16 George Iles

This is my sixteenth posting for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge.

George Iles, my great-grandfather, died when my father was 20 years old. Despite that, it was not until I began researching the family in England that I learned about his life before coming to Canada. His obituary said that he had brothers and sisters in England. I don't know if my father knew anything about his aunts and uncles.

George was the seventh known child of James Iles and Louisa Belcher. He was born 7 December 1858, in West Field, Guiting Power, Gloucestershire. He was baptized 2 January 1859 in the Parish church. 

His father was a shepherd and the family moved to where James could find work. George married Emily Pugh 15 October 1881 in Stow-on-the Wold. George worked as a bone and rag man, hawker and and later a grocery carter, so his family also moved many times. 

George and Emily had eight children; all born in England. Only William had married before they left England. Three never married: Edith, Albert and Harold. By the time of George's death, he had twenty grand-children and nine great grand-children. 

George came to Canada before Emily and all his children. He is not listed with them on the passenger lists. In the 1911 and 1921 census returns, his year of immigration is given as 1903. His wife and the children came in 1905. 

The family lived not only in Owen Sound but also in Derby Township and Sydenham Township. In Sydenham Township, George farmed at a location known as Starvation Corner. He also did market gardening and had a small "corner" store in Owen Sound.

George's first wife, Emily, died 20 January 1913.  The following year, he married Mary Thompson nee Briant/Bryant 16 September 1914 by licence purchased at D. C. Taylor. 

1936 - George Iles

George died 14 October 1936. Three years later Mary died 28 August 1939. 


© 2014 Janet Iles