分类: Andrew

Paul Sinclair ANDREW (1908-2000), Artist - #42 (52 Ancestors)

10/21/2015

Theme: Proud | Images: Click on many to enlarge

Self portrait by painter Paul Sinclair ANDREW, c1939

I am proud of my mother’s first cousin, Paul Sinclair ANDREW, a talented and well respected artist who painted until he was over 90 years of age. During his career he witnessed and contributed to the emergence of a unique Canadian art identity, starting in the early 1900s with the famous Group of Seven and their contemporaries including BC’s own Emily Carr. In the 1930s, Montreal was the centre of further change where a group of ten women known as the Beaver Hall Group veered away from the landscapes painted by the all-male Group of Seven still based in Toronto. These Montreal modernists focused more on painting still lifes, the human form, and cityscapes. Paul followed the tides of change, painting landscapes in the Laurentians in Quebec “en plein air”, plus beautiful still lifes, portraits and figures, including a self portrait. He studied with Edwin Holgate, one of the later members of the Group of Seven, among others. For a time his studio was in the centre of the action on Beaver Hall Square in Montreal.

In 1988 when he was 80, Paul Sinclair ANDREW celebrated his life as an artist with a sixty-year retrospective exhibit. A short biography, together with his career timeline and lists of exhibits, paintings and professional affiliations, were published in his art exhibition flyer. I have transcribed the contents of this flyer as follows:

Paul S. Andrew, A Sixty Year Retrospective

During the 1930’s and 40’s, Paul Andrew’s involvement with the Montreal Art community established his position as a gifted and dedicated painter of his time. For over 20 years his work was seen frequently in exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, the Royal Canadian Academy and in travelling exhibitions sponsored by the National Gallery of Canada.

Sixty years after these auspicious beginnings, Paul Andrew is now being recognized as a prominent figure in the second wave of painters and sculptors emerging from an important period in Canadian art history. This group of artists are now gaining prominence in the Canadian art community after long being overshadowed by the awesome critical and commercial success of The Group of Seven. Andrew’s long association with these artists of the Beaver Hall studios, (who formed the nucleus of the Montreal academic art community), provided the springboard for a long and rich journey in search of his own painterly vocabulary.

Six decades later, Mr. Andrew’s paintings have recorded this journey, resulting in an impressive and unique body of artwork. The early influences of his teacher Edwin Holgate and the work of James Wilson Morrice are seen clearly in the work of the late 30’s; when the sombre and meticulously painted still lifes, interiors and portraits gave way to a looser approach and bolder palette. Later, work of the French Impressionists lured Andrew even further from his academic roots, becoming the catalyst for a deep and lasting change in his creative sensibilities.

In recognition of both Mr. Andrew’s accomplishments of the past 60 years, and the 80th anniversary of his birth, we are proud to present this retrospective exhibition of one of Canada’s most dedicated and undeservedly overlooked painters.

BIOGRAPHY - Paul Sinclair Andrew
Born February 16, 1908 St Antigonish, Nova Scotia to Rev. A.E. Andrew (Hon. Capt) and M.E. Sinclair.
Attended military school - Windsor, Nova Scotia. Learned telegraph and Morse Code at Western Union - North Sydney.

1926 - In Search of employment moved to Montreal. Worked during summer at CN Telegraph. Studied commercial art during winter with Wilfred Barnes (ARCA)
1927-28 - Worked as commercial layout artist for Bill Finch and George Adams
1929 - Began figure drawing classes wih Paul Caron ARCA in effort to enhance commercial art skills
1930 - Prompted by Caron - entered a red chalk (sanguine) drawing into the MMFA Spring Exhibition - hence, the first sale
1931 - Moved into a studio in Beaver Hall Square. Began fine art study with Adam Sheriff Scott RCA. Accepted as a member of Montreal Arts Club (Leslie Smith recommendation)
1932-33 - Regular sittings in Paul’s studio and Scott’s classes produced a number of portraits and figures. From this period forward Paul’s involvement became more extensive and he began to exhibit regularly at the MMFA Spring Exhibitions (Archives records show his work exhibited: 1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1954).
1934 - Involvement in Montreal Arts Club provided creative nourishment and life long friendships: T.R. McDonald, David Morrice, Bob McKay, Sam Borenstein, Norman Bethune.
1935 - Began regular sketching trips with A.S. Scott RCA in Laurentians
1936 - RCA Exhibition - moved into Scott’s studio - St. Famille St. MMFA Exhibition
1937 - RCA Exhibition - “Wall of Honour”. MMFA Exhibitiion
1938 - RCA Exhibition - Began studies with Edwin Holgate RCA (member Group of Seven). MMFA Exhibition
1939 - RCA Exhibition in Toronto - moved into Robert Pilot’s studio (next door to former studio). MMFA Exhibition. November - concluded studies with E. Holgate. Married.
1940 - Canada enters World War II - after an unsuccessful bid as a war artist, enlisted in Signal Corps. Served Canada overseas until 1945.
1945 - Returned to Montreal confirmed Capt. Paul S. Andrew
1946 - Moved to Town of Mount Royal. Formed Mount Royal Arts School on Cote de Neiges St. with Audrey Gautiere, Jean Dunn
1947 - Exhibited One Man Show RCA arranged by R. Pilot PRCA. MMFA Exhibition
1948-52 - Taught Art School Town of Mount Royal. Organized exhibitions Town of Mount Royal Hall. Ran art school for CNR Headquarters
1953 - Exhibited MMFA
1954 - Two Man Exhibition MMFA with Paterson Ewen
1969 - Retired from CN
1970 - Moved to Glovertown, Nfld. Resumed painting full time. Exhibitied several times in Maritimes.
1978 - Moved to Vancouver [BC Canada]
[ARCA = Associate of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA)]
[MMFA - Montreal Museum of Fine Arts ]

Reproduction of Paul's painting printed
on back of 1988 exhibition flyer, with
handwritten note to his Aunt Nellie

Probably in 1988, Paul sent a copy of this flyer to his Aunt Nell ANDREW nee RICHARDSON (my grandmother). At some point it was folded an extra time, unfortunately leaving a white line through the images. Paul had handwritten a note on the back above the image of his still life painting “Laughing Nymph / Orange Roses” circa 1935 which said: “Nellie, Hope to sell this one to Halifax Art Gallery. P". I’m sure Granny would have loved to attend this special event, but at the age of 94 she was in a care facility in Duncan BC and unable to travel.

The flyer doesn’t list the location of the exhibit, and at first I assumed it was held in Montreal. But I’m rethinking this because his note mentioned Halifax, and he had connections to a variety of other Canadian cities as well. My aunt told me that Paul used to spend summers in Newfoundland (his wife Daphne’s home) and winters in Vancouver, BC (where his brother Geoffrey ANDREW lived). She also mentioned that they were invited to a showing of his self portrait being held in Halifax Art Gallery, but they did not attend due to cost of travel. As a picture of his self portrait was included in the flyer, and as his obituary said the "the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia owns an exceptional collection of Andrew portraits from the 1930's", I’m now betting that the 1988 exhibit was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Paul Sinclair ANDREW had an earlier connection to Nova Scotia, as he was born there on 16 Feb 1908 at St Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish. He grew up primarily in Pictou Nova Scotia where his younger sister and brother were born. WWII started when he was only six, and his father left for a time to serve overseas as chaplain. Paul was the fourth of six children born to Rev Canon Albert Edward ANDREW and Minnie Ethel SINCALIR. An older brother Geoffrey C ANDREW was Dean and Deputy President of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. His younger brother Arthur J ANDREW was a Canadian diplomat overseas after WWII, and his oldest brother Gerald W “Bill” ANDREW worked in banking. He had two sisters Marjorie and Elaine.

Most of his father’s ANDREW relatives lived across the water on Prince Edward Island (PEI) where his father was born. As children there were a number of trips back and forth between NS and PEI during the summer months to visit cousins and grandparents. Thankfully a few photos were taken, mostly by Paul’s Uncle Fred MAY who was the one with the camera. The earliest photo I have of Paul is as a baby in the arms of his grandmother Harriet ANDREW nee COMPTON, surrounded by his 3 older siblings. Another photo from his pre-teen years, shows that, at that time, he was taller than his older brother Geoff. I’m not positive of the identity of the two young children in another photo of this family, but based on relative ages I think it must be Paul and his younger sister Elaine. Two other photos show Paul as a teen visiting in St Eleanors PEI.

Paul Sinclair ANDREW, painting in 1936 ...

on location, Laurentians, Que.

As mentioned in Paul's art exhibit flyer, he "began regular sketching trips with A.S. Scott RCA in Laurentians” in 1935. As luck would have it, Fred MAY’s albums contained two special photos with the caption "Paul Andrew 'In Action' in the Laurentians, Que. 1936”. It looks to me that Paul was doing more than sketching, and actually painting on location. “En plain air” painting is still a popular practice today.

I do not know a lot about Paul’s home life, except that he married Dapne in 1939, and she died a number of years before Paul did. They had a son and a daughter. Paul died in Vancouver BC in Aug 2000 (either on the 1st or the 5th, sources vary). He was 92 years young, and left behind an impressive legacy of paintings which can be enjoyed by art enthusiasts wherever they are on display.

REFERENCES and FURTHER READING

Paul Sinclair Andrew, artist index - Canadian Heritage Information Network website
Paul Sinclair Andrew, art - on artnet site
Paul Sinclair Andrew, art auction history - art sales index site
Canadian Painting in the 30s - a book by Charles C Hill - from the National Gallery of Canada site
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA)
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) History - RCA site
RCA History pdf book - covers 1880 to 1933
Group of Seven Art
The Collection - The Group of Seven - McMichael site
Beaver Hall Group - book previews on google books
"By Woman’s Hand", a 1994 documentary film about the Beaver Hall Hill Group - National Film Board of Canada
En Plein Air Painting
For one of Paul Andrew's art teachers:
Paul Caron Biography - Lock Gallery site
Paul Caron Biography - Klinkhoff Art site
Paul Caron Art - Alan Klinkhoff Gallery site

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Arthur Julian ANDREW (1915-1994) - #36 (52 Ancestors)

9/6/2015

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Theme: Working for a Living | Images: Click to enlarge

Arthur Julian ANDREW in Aug 1962
during a meeting withKadish Luz and Golda Meir
[cropped from a public domain photo, courtesy of wikipedia]

My mother’s first cousin Arthur Julian ANDREW ended his working career as a visiting professor in the King’s College School of Journalism in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the early 80s. His own education was extensive, having attended King’s College School in Windsor NS, subsequently graduating from Dalhousie with both a BA and an MA. He was also granted an honorary Doctorate in Civil Law from the University of King’s College in 1970.

Arthur started his working life with the Canadian Press, and served overseas with the Princess Louise Fusiliers. But he is more publicly known for his distinguished career as a Canadian diplomat. When a relative is accomplished enough to be included in Canada’s Who’s Who, it’s something to be bragged about!

While in the Foreign service Arthur held six important posts. His first posting was as Charge d’affaires to Austria in 1953 and 1954 during the “cold war”, around the end of the post-war Allied occupation of Austria. It was a volatile time in Europe, with worker strikes and uprisings in nearby East Germany.

Between 1957 and 1960, Arthur held the position of Charge d’affaires to Czechoslovakia, which was then a “people’s democracy" and a satellite state of the the Soviet Union under President of Antonin Novotny. In Canada it was the start of the Diefenbaker era, supporting human rights and reforming Canada’s immigration laws.

Between 1962 and 1965 Arthur simultaneously held the foreign posts of High Commissioner to Cyprus, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Israel. He had his hands full! Cyprus had been a British Colony and the a Crown Colony until 1960, and joined the United Nations as an independent nation in 1961. But the continuing unrest between Greek and Turkish factions on the island and the need for international intervention must have created repercussions for Arthur. The Jewish State of Israel, since it’s creation in 1948, has been frequently in the spotlight. They were involved in the Suez-Sinai War in 1956, and the Six-Day War in 1967. In 1963 during Arthur’s posting, Israel had a change of president, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, no doubt causing some upheaval in the diplomatic realm. In August 1962, Arthur had the pleasure of meeting with Golda Meir, Foreign Minister from 1956 to1966, and Kadish Luz, Speaker of the Knesset from 1959 to 1969.

In his final two positions, Arthur served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. In Sweden between 1965 and 1969, the country was enjoying stable years of prosperity. On the other hand, Greece (where Arthur was posted between 1975 and 1978) was in transition. Their military dictatorship that had seized power in 1967 had ended in 1974 when Constantine Karamanlis became the new Premier. But the war in Cyprus and the Greek Junta Trials of August of 1975 helped create turbulent times during Arthur's tenure in Greece.

Cousins Alice, Arthur and Mabel ANDREW
on a visit to Greenhill, Nova Scotia in Sep 1936

Between his postings abroad, Arthur took time to write a book published in 1971 titled "Defence by other means;: Diplomacy for the underdog”. In 1969, he acted as Foreign Service Visitor to the University of Toronto. In 1980 he retired from the Foreign Service.

But where did Arthur get his start? He was born 20 Nov 1915 in Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada, the youngest of six children of Rev Canon Albert Edward ANDREW and Minnie Ethel SINCLAIR. The family had moved to Windsor NS by 1921, and later to Newport and North Sidney, Nova Scotia before returning to live in Pictou in 1926. So Arthur attended grade school in Nova Scotia. Most of his ANDREW first cousins (including my mother) grew up in Prince Edward Island (another maritime province), and there were some summertime family visits in both direction. especially as the children grew older. One of my favorite photos was taken on such a visit to Greenhill Nova Scotia on 2 Sep 1936. It shows three smiling faces of three first cousins, each the child of a different ANDREW brother. Alice ANDREW (daughter of Horace) was born 1918, this Arthur ANDREW (son of Albert) was born 1915, and my mother Mabel ANDREW (son of Harry) born 1918. There were actually two cousins with the name of Arthur ANDREW, the second one born to Horace in 1920 in PEI and the brother of Alice. So the Arthur in Nova Scotia was dubbed “Arthur Pictou” by his cousins.

All the cousins grew up and went their separate ways. Arthur married Joyce Mowbray SIRCOM at the age of 25 in 1940, and together they had two daughters. Arthur died on 31 May 1994 in Halifax, NS at the age of 78.

This branch of the family has fostered several accomplished, humanitarian and service-minded individuals, often involved at a national and international level. Such was Arthur’s life, and his achievements certainly deserve much admiration.

REFERENCES and FURTHER READING

Arthur Julian Andrew Career - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
Arthur Julian Andrew Bio
Arthur Julian Andrew - wikipedia
Arthur Julian Andrew, author - amazon
Allied Occupied Austria - wikipedia
Cold War (1953-62) - wikipedia
Canada and the Diefenbaker Government, 1957-63 - Canada Channel site
History of Czechoslovakia - wikipedia
History of Cyprus - wikipedia
Israel Modern History and Timeline - Jewish Virtual Library site
Golda Meir
Sweden History - Local Histories site
Timeline of Modern Greek History - wikipedia

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Geoffrey Clement ANDREW (1906-1987) - #35 (52 Ancestors)

9/6/2015

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Theme: School Days | Images: Click to enlarge

Geoffrey Clement ANDREW, 1974, on a fishing trip
Courtesy of UBC Library Digital Collections

When one thinks of school days, the first thing that comes to mind is grade school children attending classes. Of course there is also post-secondary and post-graduate studies to consider, as well as adult education for continued lifelong learning. Regardless of the level, thoughts usually run to the students involved. But where would we be without the teachers?

In 1973 when I lived in Vancouver BC for a year, attending the University of British Columbia as an undergraduate, I was kindly invited to the home of my mother’s first cousin Geoffrey ANDREW. Not only was Geoff a relative, but he had worked in management and on the teaching staff at UBC between 1947 and 1962. So for a shy young woman from a small town, not used to the big city nor experienced in mixing with important academics and professionals, the thought of visiting Geoff and his family was somewhat intimidating. But Geoff was very skilled at putting me at ease, and seemed interested in my education and plans for the future. And I got a sense of family from him. Perhaps his voice as well as his appearance seemed familiar to me (I have recently found an audio recording of one of his lectures online, and his patterns of speech and his sense of humor remind me of my Uncle Dean Andrew, Geoff's first cousin). Of course as I look back I see the missed opportunities for learning more about his own family and life. Now I have so many more questions to ask! But I had a lovely visit and meal at their home on West 13th Avenue, also meeting his wife Margaret and youngest daughter, my second cousin.

Geoff ANDREW in his school days,
throwing discus.

Geoffrey Clement ANDREW was born 3 Jul 1906 in Bayfield Nova Scotia, the third of six children born to Rev Canon Albert Edward ANDREW and Minnie Ethel SINCLAIR. He grew up primarily in Pictou and Windsor NS. According to his family, he had fond memories of his summer holidays on Prince Edward Island, and the "wild antics" he would get into with his cousins there. He attended Kings College in Windsor NS (which burned down in 1920), and earned a BA at Kings College at Dalhousie University in Halifax NS, and a BA and MA at Balliol College, Oxford. Life was not all cerebral as I'm told he played hockey while at Kings. And according to one family photo, he also knew how to throw a discus.

When it was time to start his career, Geoff gained experience as an English Teacher and Senior Housemaster at Upper Canada College in Toronto Ontario, which (according to wikipedia) is a long-established private school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program.

He met and married Margaret Monro GRANT in 1937. She was the daughter of William Lawson Grant, and granddaughter of George Munro Grant, the distinguished president of Queen’s University. Margaret was a graduate in economics, social work and librarianship. They started a family, and it is no surprise that their five children have inherited their parents' combined drive, interests and scholastic abilities.

During the Second World War, Geoff was the Secretary of Wartime Information Board in Ottawa from 1943 to 1945. He subsequently held the position of Director of Canada Information Services from 1945 to 1947. In 1947 he was approached by Norman "Larry" Mackenzie who he had worked with during the war and who was then the president of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver BC. So in September 1947, Geoff and his young family moved west and he started work at UBC as Professor of English and Executive Assistant to President Mackenzie. In 1953 he was promoted to Dean and Deputy President, and became a member of the UBC Senate. Also in 1953 he was appointed by the Carnegie Foundation to study university administration in Canada, the USA, Great Britain and Europe. Sometime before 1960 he was part of an international team that spent three months in New Zealand as consultants to their government on higher education development. I really don’t know where he found the time for it all!

Geoff ANDREW at his desk at UBC (undated)
Courtesy of UBC Library Digital Collections

Judging by the many photos online from the UBC Library Digital Collections, Geoff's responsibilities at UBC also included public relations and participation in ceremonies. He accepted and gave out awards, gifts and money to sponsors, graduates and unidentified individuals. He unveiled art and new plans for the university, dug sod in preparation for new buildings, attended social functions, welcomed dignitaries, and even escorted the young granddaughters of the visiting Lieutenant-Governor Vincent Massey. And of course he gave lectures, did research and wrote articles. He led a very busy professional life.

Geoff decided to leave the University of British Columbia in 1962, and his new job took him back to the nation’s capital as Executive Director of the Canadian Universities Foundation. In 1964 he visited Vancouver and gave a lecture on "Provincial and Federal Responsibilities for Higher Education" for the Vancouver Institute. The organization's name changed in 1965 when it became the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), and Geoff continued working there until his retirement in 1971. He was then 65 years of age.

Geoff and Margaret returned to live in Vancouver where he was active in the Alumni Association, and enjoyed fly-fishing expeditions with his friends in the Harry Hawthorn Foundation. Margaret became active in the school board, which seemed to entail "30 hour days". They were active supporters of the arts and humanities in the community, including involvement in the Vancouver Festival.

On a personal note, I sent Christmas cards to Geoff and Margaret for a few years after my visit in 1973. And in return I was thrilled to get not a card, but a poem written by Geoff, creatively updating us on their past year's activities. Thankfully I have managed to retain three of these special poems, which bring back wonderful memories.

In June 1981, Geoff and Margaret ANDREW attended a dinner at the UBC Faculty Club in his honor. The following month he turned 75, and a year after that his wife passed away. Geoff died at home in Feb 1987 from cancer at the age of 80. He is surely well and dearly remembered. A memorial tribute to Geoff ANDREW was recorded by the UBC Senate. Included were statements about Geoff's character and his roles outside their university:

With the passing of Geoffrey Andrew, this University has lost one of its last links with the great period of its expansion which occurred after the Second World War. Geoffrey Andrew was an active witness to U.B.C.'s transformation from a small provincial university to a major national centre for teaching, research and public service. ...

Dean Andrew participated in a wide range of public service activities —Chairman of the Vancouver Branch of the Canadian Institute for Public Affairs, President of the Vancouver Arts Council, a Director of the Canadian Institute for the Blind and Director of Community Chest.

Geoff Andrew was a passionate believer in liberal education and a staunch defender of the role of the arts in society. He was also a tireless spokesman for greater accessibility to higher education and gave strong support to the expansion of educational opportunity throughout the Province of British Columbia.

From 1962 until his retirement, Geoff Andrew served as executive director of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. His voice in promoting the cause of universities was heard in every corner of the nation.

Geoffrey Andrew maintained his deep affection for this University throughout his retirement years. As an educator in the classic university mould [sic] he had few equals. ...

REFERENCES and FURTHER READING

Photos of Geoffrey ANDREW - UBC Library Digital Collections
Lecture for the Vancouver Institute: Socialized Education in New Zealand [misnamed] - by Geoffrey C Andrew, recorded 1960-11-05 - introduction includes speaker bio
Vancouver Island Institute Lectures, 1950s
UBC, Charles Woodward Memorial Room Collections - transcribed 1985 interview with Geoffrey ANDREW regarding the startup of the medical faculty at UBC
UBC Calendar, Officers and Staff, 1947-1948: Geoffrey C ANDREW listed on pages 9 (Staff) and 18 (English)
The Harry Hawthorn Foundation Collection - Geoff ANDREW's friends for extracurricular fly fishing
University of King's College - wikipedia
A Brief History of the University of British Columbia

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Ida Alice ANDREW (1871-1956) - #34 (52 Ancestors)

9/2/2015

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Theme: "Non-Population" | Images: Click to enlarge

Updated: 9 Sep 2015, added move to Norfolk Nebraska in 1945

Miss Alice ANDREW, my Great Aunt.

My Great Aunt Alice ANDREW didn’t have any children. So I guess you could say that she created "no additional population”. I'm really taking liberties with the theme this week, but I couldn’t seem to focus on any ancestors who might have been in the “non-population” census schedules for agriculture, industry, manufacturers or even the 1890 Union veterans. Although we have no shortages of farmers or agricultural laborers in our trees, I have not yet done justice to these additional sources of information.

Ida Alice ANDREW was known in the family as “Aunt Alice”. She was the eldest of nine children born to William ANDREW and Harriet Washbourne COMPTON on 10 August 1871 in St Eleanors, Prince Edward Island. As the family grew, her mother must have relied on her to help care for the younger children on their family farm. By 1881 five children had arrived, and by 1891 all nine children had been born and were living with their parents. Harry ANDREW, the baby of the family and my grandfather, was then only age one, going on two. I cannot find Alice in the 1901 census, but according to a short published memoir about her father, Alice was a professional nurse in Charlottetown by 1906. She might also have taken her nurses training in Charlottetown like her younger sisters Isabel ANDREW (who was also trained by 1906) and Mabel ANDREW (who graduated in Charlottetown later in 1918).

By 1911, Alice had moved to Winnipeg Manitoba and was working as a nurse, earning an annual salary of about $485. She was 33 years old, still single, and lodging in a women’s boarding house with many other single nurses at 373 Langside (the poor condition of the census image leaves some of these details open to interpretation). At some point Alice met Rev. Ernest John SECKER who was born in Norwich Norfolk England in 1886 and emigrated to Canada about 1910. On 5 Jan 1916, Alice and Ernest married in Winnipeg; Alice was 44 years old and Ernest was not quite 30. Alice's age might have been the key reason why they didn't have any children. By the time of the 1916 census they were living in Marquette Manitoba just north west of Winnipeg. Sometime before 1923 they moved to Selkirk Manitoba, north east of Winnipeg.

As a clergyman in 1923, Ernest accepted a posting to Florence Nebraska to take charge of St Marks Church.
Florence was the earliest settlement in Douglas County in north east Nebraska and had been annexed by the City of Omaha in 1917. On 24 Jan 1923, Ernest and Alice left the Winnipeg area and crossed the US Canadian border bound for Nebraska. In their immigration documents, Alice is described as age 53, 5 foot 7 inches tall with a dark complexion and dark brown hair. Ernest was only 36, 5 foot 5 inches with medium complexion, dark brown hair and brown eyes. I wish I had a photo of them together.

Alice sometimes traveled on her own back to Prince Edward Island during the summer months to visit relatives and perhaps to lend a hand. My Great Uncle Fred MAY (her brother-in-law) had a camera, and in the 20s and 30s at least, Alice would often be included in his photos. In July 1927 she is pictured twice, once outside her sister Mabel MAY’s house in North St Eleanors, and again on a ferry boat with her sister Mabel, perhaps bound for Nova Scotia to visit their brother Albert ANDREW. (Mabel’s hat looks a trifle moth eaten to me!) On 1 Aug 1935 Alice was part of a large family group photo, sitting next to her sister Mabel. That same summer she’s shown having a more casual meal with Mabel in the May’s back garden.

Miss Alice ANDREW prior to 1910 with three of
her brother's children: Marjorie, Gerald, and Geoff ANDREW;
the youngest was born 1906

Probably the earliest photo I have of Alice was taken prior to 1910 and shows her with a niece and two nephews. What a marvelous hat she wore, which helped soften her tailored suit. Thanks to another relative, I also have a lovely photo of Alice ANDREW in a long light-colored dress and accompany hat and dark parasol (see the beginning of this post). As her maiden name was written on the back of that photo, it was presumably taken before she married Ernest in 1916 as well.

Alice and Ernest continued to live in Nebraska for the rest of their lives. In 1930 and 1940 their address was 8011 31st Street in the north end of Omaha quite close to the Missouri River. There is no such address today. At that time, St Marks Episcopal Church was located at 31st and Young Streets (today that location is occupied by the Promised Land Worship Center, 8019 North 31st). So they were living just down the road, if not next door, to St Marks Church. In 1945 Ernest became the priest at Trinity Church in Norfolk Nebraska in Madison County, north west of Omaha.

Alice died in Omaha in 1956, with Ernest following her in 1976. They were buried side by side in the Prospect Hill Cemetery, Norfolk Nebraska.

REFERENCES and FURTHER READING

Historic Florence Nebraska
Florence Nebraska History
Douglas County Historical Society
Florence Nebraska, Wikipedia site
D G Paz, “A Study in Adaptability: The Episcopal Church in Omaha, 1856-1919,” Nebraska History 62 (1981): 107-130
Trinity Episcopal Church, 111 South Ninth Street Norfolk, NE 68701

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Harriet Compton ANDREW (1922-2009) - #28 (52 Ancestors)

7/14/2015

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Theme: Epic Road Trip | Images: Click on many to enlarge

MAP OF THE CLARK FAMILY ROAD TRIP ACROSS CANADA AND THE USA
JULY 1953 - EAST TO WEST LOCATIONS
PEI: Linkletter PEI; NEW BRUNSWICK: Chatham, Bathurst, Dalhousie, Campbellton; QUEBEC: Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Montreal;
ONTARIO: Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston, Belleville, Toronto; MICHIGAN: Port Huron, Flint, Bay City, Straits of Mackinac;
MINNESOTA: Aitkin, Detroit Lakes; NORTH DAKOTA: Bismarck; MONTANA: Billings, Bozeman;
WASHINGTON: Spokane, Moses Lake, Seattle, Winslow, Lofall, Port Angeles; BC: Victoria, Langford, Duncan.

Harriet C and Charles B CLARK, PEI Canada

Canada is a BIG country; from coast to coast it extends a maximum of 9,306 km (5,780 miles) and contains six time zones. As you head east from the Atlantic you encounter the four maritime provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick), followed by Quebec and Ontario. The three prairie provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, are bordered on the west by the majestic Rocky Mountains, gateway to British Columbia, the western-most Canadian province. Of the many islands off its Pacific coast, by far the largest is Vancouver Island, greater in size than the whole province of PEI. Surprisingly the large city of Vancouver is not on this island but on the adjacent mainland. The smaller provincial capital of Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.

It’s a long way to drive across Canada or the northern states in the USA, but that is what my mother’s sister Harriet Compton (ANDREW) CLARK did in 1953 with her husband Charlie CLARK and 3 children. How fortunate we are that she kept a diary of their journey that started in Linkletter PEI (near Summerside and St Eleanors), and ended in Duncan BC on Vancouver Island less than 50 miles northwest of Victoria. That’s a distance of over 9,000 km, with about two-thirds of their road trip routed south of the border - the logical route after stopping in Toronto. Harriet's travel journal is filled with amazing details of their cross continent trip, focusing on their timeline, distances traveled, weather, key place names (particular where they had meals and stopped each evening), the scenery (usually if it was monotonous), car trouble, and trip expenses. I’ll share some of the highlights here.

Harriet and oldest son Arnold CLARK, 1945, PEI

Harriet was the last of her immediate ANDREW family to leave PEI. Her parent and six siblings had already headed west after the war, and for the most part settled in the Duncan BC area, although some ended up in Ontario. Harriet and Charlie (who had married on 25 Sep 1942 in St Eleanors PEI) had no immediate plans to follow them, but in early 1953 Harriet was hospitalized with double pneumonia and pleurisy. She blamed her illness on their “big old cold house" that had belonged to her RICHARDSON grandparents, who both died in 1951. Although renovations had updated the house with electricity and improved oil heating, it wasn’t enough to make the house comfortable during the hard winter months. So in February 1953, Charlie insisted they move to BC where the winters were much warmer and where there was family to welcome them. So the planning began.

As Charlie was a mechanic, tinkerer extraordinaire, and lover of all things on wheels, of course they had to drive the distance, although Harriet thought longingly of the train. In his “spare” time between two jobs, Charlie organized their “covered wagon”, a 1948 International Metro 3/4 ton cab over engine van, retrofitted with bunk beds made from BC fir plywood, and stuffed with their belongings and supplies for the trip. Harriet, while still recovering from her illness and dealing with their three young children, had the daunting tasks of selling off most of their possessions in preparation for leaving. They were so exhausted they couldn’t even enjoy the farewell parties.

They planned their route and schedule with great care. The trip was to last 19 days with a 10 night break in Toronto to visit Harriet’s oldest brother George ANDREW and family plus her youngest brother who was there apprenticing for an auto mechanic. From the above map you can see that the eastern leg of their route remained in Canada until after they left Toronto, and then crossed the border into Michigan at the south end of Lake Huron Lake. They then headed north to the head of Lake Michigan Lake, crossing the Straight of Mackinac by ferry. Remaining in the United States, they drove west all the way to Seattle on the Pacific coast. And finally they headed north to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula where they caught a ferry to southern Vancouver Island.

Harriet CLARK visiting with her brother George ANDREW's family
at 56 MacPherson Avenue, Toronto in July 1953

The trip was scheduled to start on Thursday 2 July 1953, and that day arrived all to quickly. It was 5am when Charlie, Harriet and their three children left from Charlie’s parents place on Linkletter Road (near Summerside PEI). They took the ferry over to New Brunswick and ended up for the night near Campbelltown NB with only an overheating radiator causing them trouble. But it was also emotionally draining to realize they had just left their homeland behind. Their feelings must have see-sawed between excitement, worry, doubt, sadness and expectation. Harriet was probably too tired to explain these mixed emotions because all she wrote was: “Slept very well ‘considering everything’. Kids good.”

When on the road they drove hard, often getting up before dawn to cover the necessary miles. Sometimes they continued driving into the evening after putting the kids to bed in back. On Sunday July 5 they were delayed by a flat tire, and after getting it repaired in Cornwall Ontario (a new tube and patch cost them $9.50), they drove 375 miles before arriving in Toronto at 11:30pm.

During their stay with relatives in Toronto (from 11:30 pm Sunday July 5 to 6am Wednesday July 15), they were convinced that their van was no longer a suitable vehicle. I think the concern was that it was too heavy a vehicle and wouldn’t make it over the Rockies. No doubt there were mechanical reasons as well. Harriet doesn’t mention why, just that they decided to trade their van in on a brand new but very small car …

We decided we would have to change out transportation - sell the Van and get something else, to see us to the west coast. The only deal we could make to get a few dollars out of the Van was to trade it in on a 1953 “Volkswagon Beetle” Car “Brand New” “out of the box so to speak”. Charlie was fed coffee & doughnuts while our “BUG” was assembled, painted, and upholstered from scratch !!!! But to make this drastic change it meant undoing all the interior of the Van, the bunks and all clothing, bedding Dishes, etc. we bought large steamer trunks and packed & repacked [and then shipped west], left the plywood & sponge rubber, fragile dishes with George & June and started out for the second leg of our journey west. … Our little V.W. Beetle was a funny looking sight, we had a roof carrier loaded on top with a lot of stuff, so the wheels looked a bit pigeon–toed.

Can you imagine traveling all that way with five people crammed into a VW bug? But in Harriet’s words: “Car really good even if it was slightly crowded.” Their new car drew a lot of attention and when they arrived in BC they learned that theirs with the very first of its kind in BC. One of my favorite stories in Harriet's trip diary involves this car:

[On Friday July 17] After lunch on the road again it was about 1.30pm. we were traveling at around 100 mph when suddenly there was a loud BANG and our windshield literally crumbled in on us like very course salt, glass was everywhere it gave us all an awful scare!!!!!
Charlie cleaned out the glass & I quieted the kids, we had scratches on our arms, Charlie and I had sun glasses that clipped on over our glasses and there was tiny chips of glass imbedded in them, it was the shock more than anything. As the kids were sleeping – it was a rude awakening, Cleaned up and on the road again we drove slower till we reached a little town called Atkin Minnesota, about 10 miles of driving without a windshield, we found a glass cutting & (Body) and auto wrecker’s, run by a man by the name of “Wright” he cut us a windshield out of a 36 Chev. one ton truck windshield, just a bit of trimming to make it fit, an hour an a half later we were on the road again. Suddenly it pores rain and thunder what a relief from the extreme Heat!!

Harriet CLARK and her three children on their epic and
exhausting (yawn!) road trip across America in 1953.

Yet they still managed to drive 421 miles that day! Their expenses were $19.00 (installed windshield), $10.00 (cottage for the night), and $2.80 (groceries for supper). The day before they had filled up with gas at a cost of $3.30. Prices sure aren’t what they used to be!

Their trip across the central States was uneventful, with "very tiresome scenery, desert & Hills ". On Monday July 20 they got up at 5:15am and were on the road by 6:30 am to drive through the Rocky Mountains. Their VW handled the terrain well: "VW very good passed lots of boiling radiators, struck about 12 miles of road construction, dusty gravel slowed us down considerably, but we reached “Spokane” Washington State at roughly 6pm.”

I think their longest and most grueling day must have been their last of the trip - Tuesday July 21. They were up at 3:30 am, leaving Spokane and arriving in Seattle by noon. and took a ferry to Winslow by 2 pm, ended up in Port Angeles at 4:20 pm. The CPR ferry Princess Elizabeth to Victoria was delayed until well after 8:30 pm due to high winds and rough seas. Harriet and son Arnold both got sick on the voyage. Harriet notes that the German officers on board and the Customs Officials were quite interested in their German “Folksvagon”.

Once on shore in Victoria they drove as far as Langford before being intercepted by their welcoming committee. Harriet’s mother Nell ANDREW and her sister (with husband Vern JONES and two young sons) had driven down from Duncan to escort them to their new home. What a welcome reunion that must have been! But the winding, narrow and scary Malahat drive was still ahead of them, which they drove at 50 mph most of the way. They finally arrived in Duncan at 1:30 am July 22, “totally bushed” but only a few hours behind schedule.

With their journey now over, they spent several weeks living with her parents in Duncan, but conditions were very cramped in the two bedroom house. Charlie, always extremely resourceful, quickly got a job at a GM car dealership, and through a customer quickly bought a small but comfortable house on nearby Alderlea Street for $50 down and $50 per month at 4%. Just like that! Very pleased with their good fortune, they wasted little time getting ready to move in, buying all their "new" second hand furniture locally. So they settled in, happy to be in their very own home on this Pacific side of Canada.

A final but very important note about their marathon trip is that Harriet was already expecting their fourth child at the time. So you could say the baby-to-be also came along for the ride! Charlie quickly had to make renovations to their new house to accommodate a nursery for their new daughter, born in February 1954. Their youngest son wasn't born until 1960. It wasn't long before they needed a bigger house!

Harriet’s handwritten trip diary was later transcribed by Charlie, who added the following note at the end:
“This is the Diary that Harriet did on our way from PEI to BC I have finally got it in the computer 52 years and 10 houses later.”

Harriet Compton (ANDREW) CLARK, 1922-2009

It should be evident by now that Harriet and Charlie CLARK were both very personable, outgoing and enterprising people who didn’t shy away from trying new experiences. Not only did they continue to move their home frequently (always in Duncan or the surrounding area), but Charlie owned about 96 vehicles (give or take) during his lifetime. He also had uncounted computers starting in the 1980s as soon as they were available. The Clarks hosted the Andrew family reunion in 1959 and Charlie took the photos. Of course he had a camera, and for quite some time he even developed his own film.

Harriet Compton (ANDREW) CLARK, the middle of seven children born to Harry Charles ANDREW and Eleanor Louise “Nell” (RICHARDSON) ANDREW, was born 17 May 1922 on their family farm in North St Eleanors, PEI, Canada. She described herself as “the brazen one”, I think in comparison to her siblings. A petite woman with a positive outlook and a wonderful whit, she was also energetic, very organized and didn’t suffer dust or clutter gladly. She was a a great cook and could bake up a storm anytime. I was always happy to get some of her cookies at Christmas, and the church bazaars always benefited from her skills and generosity as well. Harriet later worked side by side with Charlie in their family locksmith business. As a child I always enjoyed visiting the Clarks and playing with their two daughters. Their two older sons acted as our babysitters for a time. And as adults we kept in contact, and always enjoyed our visits.

Harriet and Charlie CLARK's burial at St Marys Anglican Cemetery,
North Cowichan (Duncan) BC on 20 Apr 2015

Charlie and Harriet CLARK were active members of the Anglican Church, first at St Johns and then St Peters, but they chose to be buried in St Mary’s Church cemetery on Somenos Road. Harriet died first from recurring cancer on 2 Jun 2009, age 87. They had been married almost 67 years and had such a strong love for one another that Charlie was devastated. Charlie CLARK died five and a half years later on 11 Jan 2015 at the age of 94. I attended their memorial tea on 19 Apr 2015 at St Peter’s Church Hall in Duncan, where both their ashes were on display, encased in beautiful wooden marquetry boxes hand crafted by their older daughter. The following day, on what would have been Charlie’s 95th birthday, they were buried together beside their eldest son Arnold CLARK and Harriet’s parents Harry and Nell ANDREW. All much loved and not forgotten.

I am selfishly grateful that Harriet and Charlie CLARK decided to drive from coast to coast back in 1953 to start a new life in the town where I grew up, swapping one island life for another. If they hadn’t, I probably would not have gotten to know and appreciate my darling Aunt Harriet and her wonderful family.

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William ANDREW (1848-1920) - #25 (52 Ancestors)

6/23/2015

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Theme: Homestead | Images: Click on many to enlarge

William ANDREW with his 2 oldest grandsons Gerald (Bill)
and Geoffrey ANDREW, c1908, PEI Canada

I decided to look up the definition of “homestead” in several dictionaries and found a good number of variations. My favorite simply said “an ancestral home”. Another said “any dwelling with its land and building where a family makes its home”. Several mentioned property, a Homestead Act and government land grants for settlers - these were closest to my previous concept of the word. But now my horizons are broadened.

Homesteads play a part in my previous stories about my paternal grandfather Henry Angus HENSON who homesteaded in Alberta after getting a government grant, about my 4 times great (4G) grandfather Harry Childeroy COMPTON who settled in Lot 17 PEI in 1803 as proprietor, and about my 2G grandfather Charles S ANDREW who arrived in PEI in 1842 and also settled on land in Lot 17, previously owned by Harry COMPTON. So now I would like to continue the story of my ANDREWs of PEI, taking advantage of this broader definition: “ancestral home” .

William ANDREW, my maternal great-grandfather, was the son of the above-mentioned Charles ANDREW and his wife Mary HOPGOOD (not WOOD as the published story claims). William was born on the family “homestead” in North St Eleanors, PEI on 10 June 1848, the fourth of their nine children. I only have one photo of William, taken with his two oldest grandsons Gerald “Bill” and Geoffrey, sons of his oldest son Albert Edward ANDREW. I get the impression he was a relatively tall man, with a long face, strong straight nose and prominent cheek bones. Am I imagining a twinkle in his eye? On the other hand, his wife was a tiny little lady with a much rounder face. They were married on the 27 Oct 1870 in St Eleanors and together they had nine children, the youngest being my grandfather Harry.

As further reported in a biographical article on William ANDREW, published in the 1906 vanity book “Past and Present of Prince Edward Island” by B.F. Bowen & Co. of Charlottetown, PEI, and written by “the most gifted authors of the Province”:

“... [William] passed his school days in St. Eleanor’s, continuing his studies until his sixteenth year, when he engaged in clerking in a store at St. Eleanor’s, in which he remained two years. He then returned to the homestead, where he remained until attaining his majority, at which time his father [Charles] purchased the Hope farm and [Charles? or William?] located on it. About this time the subject of this sketch [William] married and bought the Alfred Compton farm and a portion of the Schurman property, thus coming into possession of two hundred [200] acres of as good farming land as can be found in this locality. He entered at once upon the active cultivation of these tracts and during the following years carried on a diversified system of farming in which he has been distinctively successful. During recent years he has done an extensive business in the raising and fattening of hogs, which he has found a profitable line of enterprise. The place is well improved with a neat and well arranged residence, substantial and commodious barns and other farm outbuildings, and is considered one of the most productive homesteads in Lot 17. Mr. Andrew and his son operate the properties jointly.

"Mr [William] Andrew married Miss Harriet W. Compton, of St Eleanors, a daughter of Harry Compton, and a niece of Hubert C. Compton, and to this union have been born the following children: Alice, a professional nurse in Charlottetown; Albert Ed, a clergyman of the Episcopal church and located at Antigonish, Nova Scotia; Delores, engaged in clerking at Summerside; Horace, who owns the Benjamin Schurman farm of one hundred [100] acres at St. Eleanors; Isabel, a trained nurse; Fanny, Mabel, Sadie and Harry. In religion Mr. Andrew is a member of the Episcopal church in which he has served as an elder for many years and enjoys the sincere respect and the absolute confidence of all who know him.”

Two COMPTON names were mentioned. Hubert C COMPTON was William's wife’s uncle, a prolific writer who was often published in local newspapers. It's possible that Hubert was the author of this particular biography on William. Harry COMPTON, William's father-in-law (either Harry Albert or Albert Harry, but known as Harry), was the grandson and namesake of Harry Childeroy COMPTON, the immigrant who owned this part of PEI in the early 1800s.

I find it interesting that other names involved in the land transaction are mentioned, specifically Hope and Schurman. Properties seem to have changed hands quite often; sometimes borders shifted and parcels were subdivided. The following two maps, created only seventeen years apart, show many similar names but shifting ownerships. Thankfully they provide the locations of the changing ANDREW homesteads.

1863 PEI MAP - North St Eleanors

1863 - Charles ANDREW has 2 properties south of the road,
as does Harry COMPTON. H N Hope and B Schurman
are shown north of the road, North St Eleanors, PEI

1880 PEI PLOT MAP - N St Eleanors

1880 - Charles ANDREW has now moved north of the road
and his sons John and William have plots to the south
in North St Eleanors, PEI.

The word “homestead” is used twice in the above article, once in reference to Charles ANDREW's property where William was born and grew up, and secondly in reference to William's farm. Were these the same, or perhaps two different locations? Various stories and maps offer conflicting clues as to where Charles' original homestead was. The above article says that William bought his own property upon his marriage in about 1870, which implies that he had his own different homestead. However, the 1863 Lake map of PEI (shown above) seems to indicate that his father "C Andrews" already owned 2 properties on the south side of North St Eleanors Road, roughly corresponding to where his sons John and William later lived in 1880. Ten years after William's marriage, th 1880 plot map of this same area shows “Wm. Andrews” owning and/or residing on 2 adjacent plots on the south side of North St Eleanors Road. His brother John was 2 lots to the west, and his father Charles was now living across the road on waterfront property (this parcel might be the one previously been owned by H. N. Hope and perhaps Mr Schurman according the 1863 Lake map of PEI). These maps seem to indicate that Charles was the one to move, while William took over one of Charles' previous properties, perhaps the one including his childhood home. The maps aren't detailed enough, and without land records for these multiple properties, its hard to tell for sure what transpired.

By 1906 when the above article was written, it says that William and his (unnamed) son operated the properties jointly. This son was likely Horace (still single at this time) who is said to have operated the “Schurman" parcel (the 1863 map showed a B Schurman living near H N Hope on the north side of the road, so perhaps this is where Horace farmed). William's youngest son Harry, being only 17 at the time, would have been helping his father on their home parcel. 1906 was also the year that immigrant Charles ANDREW died. Could Horace have been the one to take over his grandfather Charles' farm?

Unlike his father and many of his own children, William ANDREW lived his whole life on Prince Edward Island. The house where he raised his family was a wood frame building, two stories high with a roomy attic. It had a lower wing added to the back for the kitchen and eating area. In one of my conversations with either my mother or grandmother before they passed away, I asked her about their home in St Eleanors, and even drew a rough sketch of the floor plan of the main floor under her direction. At some point, part of the house was divided off into a small apartment, used by "Granny Andrew" (William's wife Harriet) until her death in 1923, and by their daughter Mabel and her husband Fred MAY, perhaps after their marriage and while they were building their own home nearby. There were also some sizable outbuildings on the property including a barn that allowed them to care for livestock as well as store crops during the cold winter months.

William’s home farm remained in family hands after his death, and was run by my grandfather Harry ANDREW. By the time of William’s death on 29 Jul 1920 at the age of 72, son Harry was married with only two young children (five more yet to come). So neither my mother nor any of her six siblings got to know their grandfather Andrew. My aunt once told me, though, that William won an award in school for his penmanship, and either this award or an example of his handwriting was proudly displayed on their wall when she was growing up. If so, I don't know what became of this keepsake.

During the Second World War, the government decided to build an air base in North St Eleanors, and the Andrew property was one of those conscripted for this purpose. Their barn at least was sold and moved to another nearby property that had been spared, but I don't think their farm house survived. Of course the land itself remains, now part of the large Slemon Park aerospace and business complex close to Summerside. I have not yet visited the site where the Andrew home once stood.

William ANDREW's homestead house and outbuildings,
North St Eleanors, PEI - taken 1929 after his death.
In front are 7 of his grandchildren - they never knew him.
L to R: Alan, Dean, Eleanor, Mabel, Syd, Harriet and George ANDREW.

Main floor plan sketch - William ANDREW's homestead,
North St Eleanors, PEI

The large new barn on the ANDREW farm.

William ANDREW was buried in 1920 in the St Johns Anglican Cemetery in St Eleanors PEI, not far from his homestead. In 1938 when St Johns celebrated its centenary, William's family erected a bronze plaque inside the church to honour their parents William and Harriet ANDREW and their service to the church. Written by their eldest son Rev Canon Albert Edward ANDREW, William is described as the "High Sheriff of Prince County" and "a just and upright man, staunch Churchman, loyal subject, and citizen approved. Faithful in all the occasions of life."

REFERENCES and FURTHER READING

Past and Present of Prince Edward Island, published in 1906 by B.F. Bowen & Co., Charlottetown
PEI Lake Map from 1863 - Island Register site
The Lost Settlement : North St. Eleanors, Lot 17, Prince County - book by Wylie Barrett
Slemon Park -now on land previously occupied by the Andrew farm and others.

I have posted additional information on my ANDREW families elsewhere on this website.

"52 Ancestors" is a reference to the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge I am participating in.
Reference the No Story Too Small blog by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow for more details.
It is giving me the much needed incentive to write and publish my family stories.

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George Richardson ANDREW (1916-1976) - #23 (52 Ancestors)

6/11/2015

1 Comment

Theme: Wedding | Images: Click on many to enlarge

Wedding of June LEE and George ANDREW, 21 Apr 1945, Toronto, Ontario.
My mother Mabel ANDREW, sister of the groom, is the attendant on the left.

My mother Mabel ANDREW was an attendant (probably the maid of honor) at her older brother George’s wedding. The only photo I have of that wedding is this informal shot, with Mom the only one looking directly at the camera, and the others caught unaware. That's likely why Mom was given this photo, and of course I like it, but I wish I had more of the bride and groom.

Baby George ANDREW with his mother Nell, about 1917, at their home in North St Eleanors, PEI

George & his sister Mabel ANDREW, about Dec 1919, PEI

George and Mabel were the oldest children of Harry Charles ANDREW and Eleanor Louise RICHARDSON, who raised their seven children on their family farm in North St Eleanors, PEI, Canada. George was born on October 15, 1916 during the Great War, just 16 months before his sister Mabel. He was an outgoing and fun-loving guy who was also known to be a prankster on occasion. Growing up during the depression, he also would have learned to work hard and help take care of the family.

When WWII started in 1939, George was 23. At some point he enlisted, perhaps while still in PEI, or perhaps he had already moved to Ontario. I know very little about his military and wartime experiences, except what I was once told: he joined the Army Motorcycle Corp, attended Camp Borden near Toronto, and served in war. While in Ontario he met his future bride, June, in Creemore in Simcoe Country, north of Toronto and west of Barrie.

George Richardson ANDREW married Marjorie June LEE on the first day of Spring, 21 Apr 1945, in Toronto Ontario. George was in uniform, as was his best man, as the war had not yet ended. But celebrate they did! Germany was soon to surrentder on 8 May 1945, and Japan was to follow suit on 14 Aug 1945. Then the war was over, another cause for great celebration.

George ANDREW in 1932 (about age 16) at their home in North St Eleanors, PEI

Brothers Dean & George ANDREW who both enlisted in WWII

June and George ANDREW
with their first child.

George and June settled in Moncton New Brunswick for a short time after the war before returning to Ontario where they raised their four daughters. Over the next few years George's parents and siblings took turns traveling west to settle in British Columbia, some stopping to visit George and family on the way through. The last to make the trip was his sister Harriet in 1953, traveling with her husband Charlie Clark and their three kids.

In 1959, George and at least some of his family traveled west to Duncan BC to visit his parents and attend an Andrew reunion held at Harriet and Charlie's home. It was the first time I met my Ontario cousins. Over the years there were only a few other trips west for reunions and anniversary celebrations, so I never got to know them well.

The last time I remember seeing Uncle George was in June 1975 when he attended his parents 60th wedding anniversary dinner held at the Village Green Inn in Duncan BC. He was already sick with lung cancer, but never said a word. George died on March 27, 1976 in Ontario, and was buried in Stayner Union Cemetery in Staynor, Simcoe County. He was only 59 years of age.

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Hetty Mabel ANDREW (1883-1958) - #22 (52 Ancestors)

6/3/2015

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Theme: Commencement | Images: Click on many to enlarge

Nurse Mabel ANDREW (front row, left) graduated from
PEI Hospital School of Nursing, Charlottetown in 1918
"Easily the best" class

My maternal great aunt Mabel ANDREW was my mother's namesake. She graduated at the top of her class in 1918 from the PEI Hospital School of Nursing in Charlottetown, PEI. Mabel was 35 years of age and single, although she later married Major Fred MAY. My grandmother and Mabel's sister-in-law Nell (Richardson) ANDREW took credit for encouraging Mabel to take up nursing, something Nell wished she had done herself.

The PEI Hospital where Mabel trained was first incorporated in 1884 and operated as a public hospital and a training school for nurses. A new facility was built in 1898 on Kensington Road, Charlottetown. By 1918, the Matron was Miss Louise Mackinnon, who later became Mrs Arthur Allen. Mabel's six classmates were Mary Isabel Wright (Mrs Frank MacNeill), Lela S. Acorn (Mrs Lambros), Carrie Acorn (Mrs Ham Brehaut), Jennie May Puncher (Mrs Edwin Weeks), Florence Bruce Martin, and Mae Minchen (Mrs Webster).

From the following nursing photos in Fred May's albums, it looks like this class had fun as a group, although I'm sure there was also lots of hard work involved. Some of the photos may be copies of official school photos, but I believe others were taken with his personal camera.

I don't know why Mabel waited so long to start her nurse's training. She was born 12 Oct 1883 in North St Eleanors PEI, and baptised as Hetty Mabel ANDREW on 14 February 1884, seventh child and youngest surviving daughter of William ANDREW and Harriet Washbourne COMPTON. She would have spent her early years helping out on the family farm and attending school in St Eleanors. Her younger sister Sadie died of cancer in 1906 at the age of 20, which must have been terribly hard on the family. Perhaps Mabel got experience nursing her sister at home, and that could have influenced her decision to eventually take formal nursing training so she could learn how to better care for patients in need. But if so, she delayed making a commitment.

In 1912, the Prince County Hospital in nearby Summerside started accepting students to its new Nursing School, and its first nurses graduated in 1915. So why didn't Mabel enroll at this school only a few miles from her home? Perhaps it was too close, and the bigger provincial capital with its more established school beckoned. Mabel's mother's cousin Anna Mary (COMPTON) HASZARD had previous graduated from the Charlottetown School of Nursing around the turn of the century, so family tradition could have weighed in its favour. But it might have been the war itself that was Mabel's final motivator, knowing more nurses were needed to help tend the wounded.

The Prince County Hospital School of Nursing fonds (Acc4702 on the PEI Archives site) offers a brief outline of how that particular school operated:

... [Nursing] Students at that time were allowed to enter at various times throughout the year and finished their training when three years were completed, with the emphasis placed on clinical performance rather than academic ability. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, more instruction and classes were offered and exams were written. In the early years of the school, lectures were delivered by the medical staff on an irregular or 'as time permitted' basis. Mrs. Robert Palmer, hired in 1942, was recorded as the first full -time instructor. In 1956, the nursing students on PEI began to write the National League for Nursing examinations. Prior to this, exams were set and corrected on PEI. In 1970, Canada wide exams were introduced.

On the assumption that some of these operational practices were generally followed by other nursing schools in this time period, and if the Charlottetown school also offered a three year program, then Mabel could have enrolled in 1915 in order to graduate in 1918 at the end of the Second World War.

A 1919 news article in the Charlottetown paper mentions "Nursing Sister Andrew, at present in the city", referring to her as a sister of Rev. Albert Edward ANDREW who received his Military Cross medal. The term "Nursing Sister" is usually reserved for military nurses, but we cannot find any records of Mabel enlisting, nor of her working after graduation (except for this one news reference). It is possible she worked at a public and/or military hospital in Charlottetown, but if so it wasn't for long. Mabel's father's health was failing and he died on 29 Jul 1920, so Mabel probably returned home to St Eleanors to do some private nursing.

I need to backtrack a bit because another factor was a play here. Sometime while she was still in Charlottetown, Mabel met officer Frederick F. MAY, a banker with previous military training and experience who had enlisted in 1914 to go overseas with the 26th New Brunswick Battalion in the First World War. He was wounded early in the war and invalided home, later becoming a recruiting officer in New Brunswick. One theory is that Mabel met Fred while he was recovering in hospital in Charlottetown, perhaps as early as 1915 when she was a nursing student. From the number of nursing photos in Fred's albums, he likely knew and even dated more than one nurse in Charlottetown.

After the war Fred chose Mabel to be his bride, and their engagement was announced on 2 Feb 1921 in the St John Telegraph paper (New Brunswick). Mabel's father William ANDREW had died the previous summer, and Fred's widowed mother Henrietta MAY had passed in December in Charlottetown, so the couple decided they would settle in St Eleanors near her family and aging mother.

The following marriage announcement was published in the Charlottetown Guardian on 16 July 1921:

MAY-ANDREW NUPTIALS
At an early hour on the 14th, inst., at St John Anglican Church St Eleanors, PEI, the marriage took place of Major Frederick F May, only son of the late Robert and Henriette F May of Charlottetown, to Miss Mabel H Andrew, youngest daughter of the late William and Mrs. Andrew of North St Eleanors. Owing to recent bereavement in the families of both bride and bridegroom, only the immediate relatives and friends were present at the ceremony. The church was prettily decorated with flowers by friends of the bride, who is a graduate nurse of the PEI Hospital. The bride looked charming in a navy blue travelling dress with a hat to match and carried a bouquet of Ophelia roses, while the groom wore the service uniform of his old Overseas Battalion, “the Fighting 26th”, the NB and PEI unit. The wedding was performed by Rural Dean White, rector of Summerside and St Eleanors. and there were no attendants.
After the ceremony Major and Mrs. May left for a wedding trip to the mainland. On their return they will reside in St Eleanors. Numerous presents were received by the bride from her many friends. The Guardian joins in happiest congratulations.
(St. John Papers Please Copy)

Mabel ANDREW and Fred's horse Tom on
13 July 1921, the day before her marriage

I do not have any photos of their wedding. Their honeymoon was a grand trip to Quebec, and there are enough photos of their journey in his album to warrant a separate story on this.

As married women did not work in those days, Mabel became a housewife. In 1921 Fred built a house for them in St Eleanors, but it tragically burned down early one morning from unknown causes just before it was ready for occupancy. Thank goodness they weren't already in residence. Although they had very little insurance, they quickly built another house in 1922.

Mabel MAY with a box of new chicks
at home in St Eleanors PEI, 1925

Mabel wanted a family in spite of her advancing age - she was almost 38 when she married and Fred was only six days younger than her. Mabel became pregnant in about 1922, but the child was stillborn. Family stories say that there were complications at birth and the doctor waited too long to take necessary action, otherwise the baby would have been healthy. They also say that Mabel was then unable to have further children and again they laid the blame for that on the attending doctor. It was a double misfortune for the couple. Her niece and my Aunt Harriet, who was born about this time, once told me that Mabel wanted to adopt Harriet so she could still have a child, but her mother Nell wouldn't agree to it. Harriet remembers being sent to visit the Mays a fair bit as she was growing up, perhaps to compensate. So Fred and Mabel remained without children.

They both were avid gardeners (flowers as well as vegetables), and kept chickens. Fred had a horse named "Tom", a beautiful animal who pulled their buggy and sleigh, perhaps even after they got a car. The couple kept involved with their Andrew relatives, visiting, having them over for meals, taking them places in their car (picnics, fishing etc.), and traveling farther afield with some of them. In 1936 a family group traveled to Nova Scotia to visit Mabel's brother Albert and family. As Fred had been an only child who lost his father at a young age, he was overwhelmed at times by the large and often boisterous Andrew clan.

Mabel's brother Harry ANDREW with Mabel and Fred MAY
on 19 Aug 1935 on a trip to Shediac NB

After the Second World War when Mabel's younger brother Harry and Nell decided to move west to Vancouver Island, Fred and Mabel decided to move too. They bought a small 2-bedroom bungalow at 667 Coronation Avenue in Duncan BC. It had a huge cedar tree in the front yard and a small detached garage on the left towards the back of the property. Mabel planted primulas, pansies and snowdrops in the borders, and fragrant honeysuckle on the trellis to the right of the front door.

After less than five years in Duncan, Mabel was widowed in 1951 when Fred collapsed from a heart attack in their home. Sometime in the ensuing seven years Mabel developed bladder cancer, and my grandmother Nell Andrew helped care for her. In the end she died of a stroke on 8 Dec 1958 at Kings Daughters Hospital in Duncan. I have an early memory of my mother getting a call from my grandmother who had been keeping vigil, saying that Aunt Mabel had passed on. I'm sure we must have visited Mabel at her house on occasions before she was went into hospital, but I have no clear memory of that.

In her will, Mabel left her house to my mother Mabel, her namesake and a widow with two young children. I have very fond memories of that little house where we lived for about five years.

REFERENCES and FURTHER READING

Prince Edward Island Hospital School of Nursing - Class of 1918, Acc4670 - Archives Council of PEI site (7 photos not displayed)
Prince Edward Island Hospital (Charlottetown) collection, Acc4840 - Hospital history on PEI Archives site.
Prince County Hospital (Summerside, PEI) School of Nursing, Acc4702 - Hospital history on PEI Archives site.

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Rev Canon Albert Edward ANDREW (1872-1961) - #21 (52 Ancestors)

5/26/2015

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Theme: Military | Images: Click on many to enlarge

From a booklet on the clerics and history of
"St. John’s Anglican Church, St. Eleanor’s, P.E.I., Canada",
published by Irwin Printing Co. Limited, Charlottetown, P.E.I., undated

My great uncle Albert Edward ANDREW not only distinguished himself in his chosen career as cleric with the Church of England, but he also displayed courage, valor and leadership during his military service as an army chaplain in the Great War.

Albert, the oldest son of William ANDREW and Harriet Washbourne COMPTON, was born 12 Sep 1872 in St Eleanors, PEI, Canada. His baby brother Harry ANDREW was my maternal grandfather. Albert knew his calling at a young age, as by 1891 he was already a divinity student. He attended high school in Summerside PEI, then King’s College in Windsor NS, receiving his BA degree 1894. Albert taught at St Peter’s boys School in Charlottetown before ordination. He was ordained Deacon in December 1895 at St Lukes Cathedral in Halifax, and served as curate of St Peters Cathedral in Charlottetown in 1895 and 1896. Late in 1896 he was ordained Priest and served in Glace Bay Nova Scotia (1896-1899), then Antigonish and Bayfield (1899-1908).

Albert married Minnie Ethel Sinclair early in 1900 in her home town of Bridgetown Nova Scotia. In 1901 the couple lived in Heatherton, Antigonish NS with her widowed mother Margaret SINCLAIR nee WILLETT (who continued to live with them until at least 1921, if not until her death in 1935). In 1908 Albert's job took them to Pictou NS where by 1911 they already had 5 of their 6 children: Marjorie, Gerald, Geoffrey, Paul and Margaret Elaine. Their youngest son Arthur was born in 1915.

Soldiers pick their way through the ruins at Cambrai, 1918. ARCHIVES OF ONTARIO—C224-0-0-10-37

In 1916 they moved to Windsor NS. Albert resigned his cleric position and enlisted in the fighting ranks in Halifax on 16 Dec 1916 as Lieutenant. He received officers’ training and qualified for the Heavy Siege Battery. In April 1917 he was declared fit to go overseas, and on 3 May 1917 he set sail aboard the S S Justicia, disembarking in England on 14 May 1917. Initially second in command of the 10th Section of the 5th Division Ammunition Column, he transferred to Canadian Chaplain Services on 13 Sep 1917 while in England. He received postings in turn to Shoreham, Brighton Hospital, Seaford and Sunningdale. On 23 Mar 1918 he arrived in France as a reinforcement and was first attached to the Canadian Stationary Hospital. Albert was transferred to the 3rd Division headquarters on 1 Aug 1918 for duty with Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR). These details are recorded in his military file; other news accounts vary as to when he went overseas (England, France) and in what capacity.

I don’t know why he transferred to Chaplain Services, but perhaps he or his superiors saw a greater need for him to support the troops through his religious rather than military training. One unsourced news clipping says that "He enlisted first as a combatant, having failed to secure a chaplaincy, going overseas as lieutenant with 100 men whom he and Lieutenant Gunn recruited for the ammunition column. He transferred overseas to the chaplain service of the Royal Canadians, and was closely associated with the men in the trenches." So perhaps it was his original intent. But his military training still proved very useful because in September 1918, when the Canadian Regiment was hard hit on the front lines near Cambrai France, he advanced to the front on his own initiative and did what he could to alleviate the situation and save lives until replacements arrived. For his actions near Cambrai, Captain (Rev) Albert Edward ANDREW was awarded the Military Cross on 8 Dec 1918.

In the last days of 1918 Albert became sick with bronchitis, and on 3 Jan 1919 he was evacuated from France and hospitalized for a time in London. He recovered and ended the war in England, sailing back to Canada on 12 Apr 1919, and demobilizing on 23 Apr 1919.

News of his Military Cross award reached local PEI newspapers after an RCR soldier, who fought in this second battle at Cambrai, sent a letter home to his mother (as quoted in the Island Patriot 19 Feb 1919, pg 2, col 1-2):

A Brief Commentary on The Military Cross awarded to Lt. Col. A. E. Andrew, MA, MC, ED.”

The following Brief Commentary is made by me from facts partly given by my Brother-in-law, Col. ANDREW, as well as from other Officers whom I have met, as follows:-

At the Battle of Cambrai the Royal Canadian Regiment came under very heavy fire from the enemy. As a result, all the regimental officers and most of the N.C.Os were either killed or wounded, and put out of action.

Hon. Captain (as he was then) A. E. ANDREW was in the support lines, when he met three of the R.CR. retreating back from the front line, badly wounded. These men told Captain ANDREW of the state of affairs in the front line, with the result that Capt. ANDREW at once went forward to see what he could do to help matters. As a Chaplain, he was expected to remain out of range in the reserves, but that was NOT his nature. On his arrival at the Front Line, he found things as described. At once he began to organise bearer parties, who carried out the wounded and brought in ammunition and supplies. And for FORTY hours, Capt. ANDREW remained on the field, directing operations, ministering to the wounded, burying the dead, as well as directing the fire and maintaining the morale of his Regiment, the R. C. R. At the end of FORTY hours selfless Devotion to Duty, help arrived to assist Captain ANDREW and he and the regiment were relieved and sent back to the reserve lines for necessary rest and reinforcements. And Capt. ANDREW, having acted without orders and not being a combatant officer, was recommended for ONLY the Military Cross. When in the opinion of many military men whom I have met, the exploit just mentioned deserved a much higher award, even the VICTORIA CROSS.

Island Clergyman Gets the M.C.

Capt. (Rev.) A. E. Andrew, rector of the Anglican Church in Pictou who went overseas as Chaplain with the Nova Scotia Highlanders, has been awarded the Military Cross. Rev. Mr. Andrews is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Andrews of St. Eleanors, and before his ordination was on the teaching staff of St Peter’s Boys School in Charlottetown. He is a brother of Nursing Sister Andrew, at present in the city. Particulars as to how Captain Andrew won this honor are contained in a letter from Pte Dan Campbell of the R.C.R. to his mother Mrs. Alex Campbell of Central Caribou NS who wrote:

‘Our Chaplain, Rev. A.E. Andrew, has been decorated with the Military Cross. He did well earn it. He went “over the top” and tended the wounded under heavy shell and machine-gun fire. While dressing one fellow he (the wounded one) was struck three times with machine-gun bullets It was at Cambrai he did the good work. When I got there, - for it was at Cambrai I joined them Mr. Andrews was with us We got orders to go over the top. When we went about a hundred yards every machine gun the Germans had was turned loose on us. An officer told Mr. Andrew that it was no place for him but he said: “If the men can go I can.” However, we did not get over that day, and we lost twelve men out of forty. Next morning our artillery pounded the hill for two hours and two other battalions succeeded in capturing the position.’

Military Cross medal, courtesy of thercr.ca

The following is another personal account, this time written by his brother-in-law Major Frederick F May in 1944, about Albert's bravery and subsequent medal during the first war:

The official version of his commendation was published 4 October 1919 in the Second Supplement to the London Gazette, Issue number 31583, Page number 12352:

Rev. A.E. Andrew and friend leaving
Buckingham Palace after receiving
his M.C. from His Majesty.

Rev. Albert Edward Andrew, Can. Chaplains Serv., attd. R. Can. R., Nova Scotia R.
"For conspicuous gallantry during the operations near Cambrai, from 27th September to 1st October, 1918. For forty hours, without any interval for rest, he made repeated trips into No Man's Land, often in the face of heavy machine-gun fire, bringing back into our lines wounded. On several occasions he organised and guided stretcher parties to a dressing station through heavy shell fire. Throughout he displayed fine devotion to duty."

After the war Albert decided to further his education, and earned his MA degree in 1920. Returning to cleric duties, he became rector in turn in Newport NS, North Sidney NS, and again in St James parish, Pictou NS in 1926. In 1932 when Albert was still in Pictou NS, he was invited to preach in his home parish of St John’s in St Eleanors PEI for their 100th anniversary celebrations. The following year in May 1933 Albert was promoted and appointed Canon of All Saints Cathedral in Halifax NS.

Rev Canon Albert Edward ANDREW at his home in Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada, 4 Sep 1936
BACK ROW: his son Paul, wife Ethel, niece Mabel M Andrew *
FRONT ROW: niece Alice M Andrew *, Albert, and brother-in-law Fred F May*
[* Visiting from PEI]

In 1938 his native parish celebrated another centenary in honor of their current St Johns church building (their earlier church had been destroyed by fire in 1835 and the replacement wasn't completed until 1838). Albert again delivered a sermon and was present at the unveiling of a bronze memorial plaque he wrote in honor of his parents. The inscription on this Andrew Tablet, dedicated Sept. 25, 1938 at St John’s Church, St. Eleanor’s, reads (as published in The Charlottetown Guardian, September 28, 1938, page 8, column 5, 6):

To the greater glory of God
and in Proud and Affectionate
Memory of
WILLIAM ANDREW
High Sheriff of Prince County
1849-1920
Native of St Eleanor’s and son
of Charles Andrew who emigrated
from Kilkhampton, Devon, England,
in 1842. A just and upright
man, staunch Churchman, loyal
subject, and citizen approved.
Faithful in all the occasions of life.

HARRIET WASHBOURNE
COMPTON
his wife,
1850-1923
Native of St. Eleanor’s and Great
Granddaughter of Colonel Harry
Compton, proprietor in 1803 of Lot
17 in this Province. Her life of
genuine piety, deep maternal love,
and selfless service to need, has
given a lasting fragrance to her
name.
“I thank my God always on
your behalf”
1 Cor. 2-4

This tablet has been erected by
the sons and daughters (and their
families of the late Sheriff and
Mrs. Andrew, to their parent’s
memory).

Rev. Canon A.E. Andrew , age 86,
celebrates the
62nd anniversary of his ordination.

Rev. Canon A.E. Andrew, age 86, retired
The Halifax Chronicle-Herald, Thursday, December 19, 1957, page 3

So Albert and his siblings did truly “honor thy father and thy mother” [Exodus 20:12].

Although released from military service in 1919, Albert continued to receive citations for his wartime service. In 1933 he was Chaplain of Colchester and Hants Regiment with rank of Major, as was also a Provincial Chaplain for Nova Scotia. He was awarded the King George V Jubilee Medal in 1935 for Militia Service. In 1936 he received the Canadian Efficiency Decoration as “Hon. Major. A.E. Andrew, M.C., C.C.S.”.

After long service in the Diocese of Nova Scotia, Albert retired in Sept 1936 at the age of 64 due to ill health. He then lived for three years in Cape Breton before moving to Windsor NS, where he enjoyed gardening, his books and researching his family history. On an extended trip back to PEI in 1940, Albert presented his private Holy Communion set used during the War in France to Saint John’s parish. In 1967 it was still in active use and hopefully still is. As reported in The Charlottetown Guardian, October 19, 1940, page 8, col 2-3:

Rev. Canon Andrew has presented St John’s Church in his native parish a very beautiful portable silver communion service, which was used by the Canon on active service in the last Great War. The following inscription is engraved in silver on the case of the service. “The Communion set was presented to the church of St. John, St. Eleanors, P.E.I. as a permanent possession for the use of the Rector. It was carried on the field by Canon A.E. Andrew when Chaplain with the Royal Canadian Regiment during the last hundred days of the Great War 1914-1915 [sic].”

Andrew family graves.

Retirement must have been good for his health. In 1946 Albert celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination as Anglican Priest. Then in December 1957 at the age of 86, Canon A.E. Andrew celebrated the 62nd anniversary of his ordination as Deacon back in 1895. In his later years, perhaps after his wife Ethel died in 1947, he lived with his daughter Marjorie and family.

Canon Andrew died suddenly on 7 June 1961 while working in the garden of his home "Twelvetrees" at Curry's Corner, just outside Windsor, Nova Scotia. He was 88 years of age. Albert and his wife Ethel were buried in Maplewood Cemetery, Windsor Nova Scotia, along with their 2 daughters and sons-in-law, and next to their son Gerald.

REFERENCES and FURTHER READING

Island Newspapers - search PEI newspaper online
"Old St John’s & The Village of St. Eleanor’s Prince Edward Island” by Robert Critchlow Tuck, 1967 - digital book online courtesy of Island Lives site - see image 16 for reference to Canon Albert E. Andrew

Library and Archives Canada - digitized WWI records
The Royal Canadian Regiment and The First World War - 1914-1919 - Regimental Rogue site
RCR Military cross (MC) Recipients - list, medal image and description. Includes Rev. Albert Edward ANDREW
The First World War - a multimedia history
Second Battle of Cambrai (1918) - wikipedia
CEF Book summaries, including one on the 2nd Battle of Cambrai (1918) - King and Empire site, also battlefields.ca
Researching a Canadian Soldier of World War I - a how-to and resource book in pdf format, from gooselane.com

I have posted additional information on my ANDREW families elsewhere on this website.

"52 Ancestors" is a reference to the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge I am participating in.
Reference the No Story Too Small blog by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow for more details.
It is giving me the much needed incentive to write and publish my family stories.

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Henry Melbourne RICHARDSON (1886-1988) - #16 (52 Ancestors)

4/23/2015

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Theme: Live Long | Images: Click on many to enlarge

Henry Melbourne RICHARDSON in the 1950s, Seattle WA

My Great Uncle Melbourne RICHARDSON lived to the age of 102, dying in his 103rd year in Seattle Washington. His youngest sister, my maternal grandmother Nell (Richardson) ANDREW, lived to be almost 98 and was heard to remark sometime earlier in her 90s:"Why would anyone want to live this long?". Regardless of whether her brother Mel had similar feelings, they both had remarkably long lives. So many changes occurred in the world about them during their lifetime.

Born in St Eleanors, PEI Canada on 6 Apr 1886, Henry Melbourne RICHARDSON was the eldest child of Sydney RICHARDSON and Isabella Harriett "Ella" COMPTON. His first name Henry was likely in honour of his paternal grandfather Henry Proctor RICHARDSON; he was usually known by his middle name of Melbourne or Mel, which doesn't seem to be associated with other family members at all.

In a story he wrote about his younger years, Melbourne talks about growing up on a farm, helping and learning the ways of farming from his father and maternal grandfather George Compton. He lists crops, animals, tools and equipment used to make a living off the land. There were always morning and afternoon chores, and between them he attended the Sherbrook 1-room schoolhouse one mile to the east.

The story Melbourne wrote later in life about his youth unfortunately ends before he leaves PEI, with only a hint that he was heading to Winnipeg to try homesteading. We know he went to Winnipeg when he was about 19, but haven't found any homestead records for him. According to my grandmother, Melbourne went to "Winnipeg first [and] learned mattress making. Then he built a place in Victoria, he was married and during the depression he lost it. There were no jobs to be had. So he went to the Portland, and lived there for a while, and then came to Seattle and he was running a mattress factory there, there was 5 with himself, and then the war came on, and they took all the small factories, into one big [one]... So he was out of a job."

Other than these few sentences, which I have not yet fully confirmed from records, this period of Melbourne's life still contains mystery. Details about his time in Winnipeg are still unknown, and I have found only 2 records that mention Victoria. A sighting in the 1912 Victoria city directory shows a H M Richardson renting rooms at the YMCA. This might be him. In 1909 Melbourne shows up on a border crossing document with a relative Walter Bruce COMPTON, both in transit from Winnipeg to Seattle via the Port of Victoria. This might have been a quick trip across the border for both of them because later that same year Walter was back in Canada living in Calgary where he set up his own business. I think that both young men were out trying to find the best work opportunities, perhaps while enjoying a bit of a holiday in new parts of the world.

Again in Seattle on 28 Mar 1913, Henry M Richardson married Marion H Smith in the Manse, Seattle, Washington. He must have been working in the States in order to have met and married Marion in 1913, yet he retained a residence in Victoria until officially immigrating in 1915. On his 1916 US naturalization papers he says that he left Victoria aboard the Princess Charlotte and arrived in Seattle on 12 January 1915. Somehow in the process of border hopping, he avoided both the 1910 US census and the 1911 Canad census, or at least I haven't found them yet in this crucial period.

Melbourne Richardson standing proud and tall

Mel proudly mentions doing a man's work as soon as he was able. And not just on the farm. His father ran the first cheese factory in the area, and in his teen years he helped at the factory between May and October for 4 seasons. He talks about day-long trips, picking up and hauling wood for the boiler from 8 miles away. He also had to keep the boiler stocked and filled with water from the deep well hand pump. The work was hot and labour intensive. He seems to have attended the 2-room high school in St Eleanors on a part time basis, curtailed somewhat by his work schedules. But he got at least some schooling in Algebra, geometry, Latin and French.

Other later jobs included working for Mr Massy the town clerk in Summerside where he learned bookkeeping and sometimes acted as recording clerk for the Police Court trials. Another time he worked as delivery boy for Mr Lidstone's general store and grocery. He also tried Oyster fishing in season with a friend.

Even recreation was hard work. In order to play hockey (with skates that screwed onto their shoes), they first had to clear off a level piece of ground, then flood it with many bucket loads of water that first had to be hand pumped. If they were lucky they'd get a couple of days practice before more snow had to be cleared away. The team in Summerside had a covered rink, which may have given them the edge, with better practice conditions and home team advantage. Melbourne's team lost by a large margin.

Melbourne and Marion RICHARDSON visit his father Sydney in St Eleanors PEI in 1946.

In 1932 Melbourne became a full citizen of the US and lists his occupation as mattress manufacturing. At this time all 5 children were living at home. By 1940 their 2 oldest sons had left home. The Second World War was already underway but the US had not yet got involved. In 1942 Melbourne was 56; although he completed a draft card I doubt that he fought. His son Sydney, however, joined and served in the 41st Signal Comp, and died late in 1945. This would have been an unbearable blow for the family, and added another blow to Melbourne's grief over the loss of his sister Lulu in 1940 and his brother George in 1943.

In 1946 Mel and Marion decided to go on a cross Canada trip, from Vancouver Island BC in the west (just north of Seattle) to Prince Edward Island in the east, visiting their remaining relatives in both locations. In Westholme on Vancouver Island they visited his brother-in-law Harry ANDREW and part of his family, along with some COMPTON relatives. In St Eleanors PEI they visited Melbourne's father and ailing mother and his sister Nell who was nursing their mother. Two of Nell's daughters were also nearby. They also visited COMPTON relatives in Charlottetown PEI.

Ella (Compton) RICHARDSON on the left; Mel and Marion RICHARDSON on the right. Swimming at Lake Sammamish WA, July 1928. 3 generations.

My grandmother must have been right about the poor job situation because during his early years of marriage he seems to have traveled and moved around the Pacific northwest in search of work. Their second son Sydney was born in Portland Oregon in 1917, which ties in with my grandmother's memories of Oregon. In September 1918 when he completed his WWI draft registration form, Mel was living in a hotel in Tacoma and working as a foreman ship fitter for Todd Drydock & Construction Co. His wife remained in their home in Seattle. Things hopefully settled down a bit after that because I have found Mel living with his family in Seattle in the 1920, 1930, and 1940 census. In 1940 he was the owner manager of his own mattress factory. According to his 1942 WWII draft registration document, his company was the Rainier Mattress Company on 26th South and Jackson in Seattle.

Between 1914 and 1930, Melbourne and Marion RICHARDSON had four sons (Roy Compton, Sydney William, John Bruce and Ralph Hunter) and one daughter now living in Washington State. In the summer of 1928, Melbourne's mother Ella made the long journey to Seattle from her home in PEI to visit him and his family and get to know her grandchildren. They enjoyed some family outings including camping and swimming at nearby Lake Sammamish. Wonderful pictures were taken. Swimming "costumes" have certainly evolved since then!

Life continued back in Washington state, until Marion died in 1960 in Renton at the age of 67. I know that Melbourne and his sister Nell (who had moved to Vancouver Island in about 1950) visited one another on occasion. On one of his visits to Duncan, Nell introduced him to Kay Whiteside, a primary school teacher who taught her granddaughters (including me). I don't know how Uncle Mel manage to court Kay from a distance, but they obviously "hit it off" because on 7 September 1963 the two were married in St Johns Anglican Church in Duncan BC. The couple returned to Seattle to start their life together. In 1962, before their marriage and during the Easter holidays that year, I remember traveling to Seattle for the first time to see the Seattle Worlds Fair. We stayed with Melbourne in his house on 63rd Ave South for a few days, but missed some of the fair when we got the stomach flu. His house seemed big and he was all alone. We were thrilled to discover he had a TV with more channels than the 1 or 2 we could get back home. It was there I was introduced to "Mr Ed" the talking horse show and was thoroughly entertained!

My grandmother Nell (RICHARDSON) ANDREW with her brother Melbourne RICHARDSON and cousin Nonie (COMPTON) CAMPBELL

Melbourne and Kay had almost 25 ears together until he died on 24 Jun 1988 at the age of 102. His lifetime spanned the age of horse and buggy, the automobile, computers, spaceships and a man on the moon, and everything else in between. He lived through the Spanish American war, the two world wars, the Vietnam war and other conflicts. He made his home in both Canada and the USA, lived on a farm in a small community and in large cities, and worked hard in a number of jobs, including farming, ship building and mattress manufacturing. Like his father he loved to garden, and was particularly proud of his large sunflowers. And he was a caring family man who raised five children. I think he made very good use of his 102 years.

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Paul Sinclair ANDREW (1908-2000), Artist - #42 (52 Ancestors)

Arthur Julian ANDREW (1915-1994) - #36 (52 Ancestors)

Geoffrey Clement ANDREW (1906-1987) - #35 (52 Ancestors)

Ida Alice ANDREW (1871-1956) - #34 (52 Ancestors)

Harriet Compton ANDREW (1922-2009) - #28 (52 Ancestors)

William ANDREW (1848-1920) - #25 (52 Ancestors)

George Richardson ANDREW (1916-1976) - #23 (52 Ancestors)

Hetty Mabel ANDREW (1883-1958) - #22 (52 Ancestors)

Rev Canon Albert Edward ANDREW (1872-1961) - #21 (52 Ancestors)

Henry Melbourne RICHARDSON (1886-1988) - #16 (52 Ancestors)

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