Notes
Note N112
Index
I have found his attestation papers from January 9, 1885. On that date, he joined the Royal Irish Rifles in Belfast. He was 18 years old and a labourer. He was not married. He had received notice from a Sergeant Major, one E. Courtney. He was listed as being born in the Parish of Newry, near the Town of Newry, in the County of Down. He was 5' 5", 119 pounds, with a chest of 33". He had a tattoo of his initials and a flag on his left forearm, and dots between the fingers and the thumbs of both hands.
The next page is also quite interesting. It says that he joined as a private, that he was promoted to something I cannot read on May 16, 1886, and then to corporal on October 1, 1886. Obviously, that does not add up to 12 years.
The next document is an application for enlistment in Section D of the 1st Class Army Reserve, dated January 12, 1897. It refers to a discharge from Section B on January 7, 1897. He seems to have simply been re-enlisting in the Army Reserve.
The next document is a bit puzzling. It is a Statement of Service for David. It says that he reached the rank of sergeant on January 15, 1900, and that he received the regimental colours. I say a bit puzzling because it refers to a discharge in 1892. Page two of that document is more clear. It says that he was appointed acting sergeant on November 3, 1888 and sergeant on discharged on November 7, 1889. He had been promoted to something else I cannot read on August 15, 1889. On that same page there is reference to him being transferred to the Army Reserve on January 7, 1892. Finally, it says that he was discharged on January 7, 1892, after 12 years of service.
The next document confirms that I have the right person. It says that he lives at 16 Kandle Street, Belfast. He lists his next of kin as his father David, his older brother William, and his younger sister Margaret. I have to wonder why he did not list his new spouse Ellen Henderson?
According to the marriage license of his son William, he was a labourer in Belfast living at 64 Cumberland St. in 1886. He was supposedly born between the late 1820's or the early 1830's. His first wife was Margaret Robinson (or Robson) and second wife Ellen Henderson. All were born in and around Belfast. Helen Dunn, the daughter of Maisie Dunn, says that he was a tailor.
Helen also says that her mother says that the first child, William, was born when David and Margaret were living at Warrenpoint but, by the time that Margaret was born, they had moved to Tombe St. in Belfast. David then worked for Francis Curely, a tailor located on the High St. in Belfast. Later he worked on his own on Northumberland St. He and his family lived next door. The two numbers were 35 and 37 Northumberland St.
Cousin Janice read to me from a paper saying that according to a family story this David Kennedy was a Catholic living in southern Ireland who quit the church and moved to the north due to a conflict with the local parish priest who refused to allow a daughter get married in another parish to a boy who lived there. His marriage certificate would tell me where he was from.
In the Index of Marriages for Ireland for 1863 there were two David Kennedys marrying in that year: in Magherafelt in volume 7 at page 567; and in Newry at volume 8, page 602. When I cross reference this with Margaret Robinson, I find one for Newry in volume 8, page 602 (There are no other Margaret Robinsons, so that would seem to be eliminated. So check the marriage records for Newry for 1863. For 1864, there were no Davids, so for the moment, I am assuming that they were the ones married in 1863 given that they had a child in 1864. Newry was a civil parish in County Down. It was also a Diocese in the Church of Ireland. The existing records for Newry as a civil parish cover births from 1822; marriages from 1784; and deaths from 1824, so I can do the marriage search and possibly go from there. The records are in local custody. I note that Warrenpoint was also a civil parish in County Down.
In the Irish Householders Index for Co. Down, in Newry parish, there is a Kennedy at G7 and a Robinson at G5. This is in the Barony of the Lordship of Newry , Newry Union, Co. Down 66. The map reference is 70. The "G" followed by the number indicated the number of householders with that name in the parish.
Notes
Note N113
Index
According to Helen Dunn, Ellen Foster was his second wife.
He was shoemaker living at 43 Pennish St. Belfast when his daughter married William Kennedy. His name is spelled with and without the "e" between the last two consonants.
There is a John Allely baptised July 20, 1817 in Clones. His parents were George Allely and Letty Stewart who is referred to as Letitia Steward on the baptism of a George Allely on 1806. All of the Allely information comes from Batch #C700681 of the IGI.
Notes
Note N114
Index
He met this wife while serving in Belgium. I now know that her last name was Baes. That was gained from their marriage certificate which gave me the details of her parents, etc. They lived in Vancouver and had three children - two girls and a boy.
I have found his attestation papers too. He enlisted on August 26, 1916. Like his brother, he listed his mother as his next of kin. He said that his birth date was March 26, 1885 and not March 27. I now have his entire army record. He was discharged a corporal. At one point in 1918, he gave his temprary address as C/O Mrs. G Golding, Barretts Green, Hawkhurst, Kent. Who was she? Thoams seems ot have gone there to live after he was discahrged. I have found a George Thomas Golding lving at that address in the 1911 census. His wife was Harriett and his son was Georgie. George Thomas was 39 years old wihc would make him born in 1872.
I have found him coming back to Canada after WW1. He arrived December 27, 1919 on the ship the SS Tunisian. His wife Marie Josephine was with him. They were headed to Vancouver. It is a bit puzzling as it says that he was in Canada before in 1916, in Vancouver. That makes no sense, unless he was already living there.
In 1925, on December 6, on the ship SS Melita, he was coming back alone from Antwerp, Belgium, to Canada. He arrived in Saint John, New Bruswick. He was recorded as a saddle maker, living in Vancouver. He was going home to 520 Beatty St., Vancouver. He appears in the 1926 City Directory for Vancouver as a harness maker at Stacey & Campbell, living at 520 Beatty.
In 1927, Josephine in the company of the two girls, Dorothy and Rita, arrived at Quebec City on their way home. Had she and they stayed in Belgium after a trip there in 1925? The address for the home in Vancouver was 4143 Trinity St. They were still at that address in 1930 in the Vancouver city directory. He continues over the years at Stacey and Campbell but by 1930 he was living at 4123 Trinity Street. He lived in Burnaby for awhile but i am not sure exactly when.
I was able to find him and Josephine in several city directories up to 1985. Thomas is last seen on 1974, which confirms his death date. He appears as retired and living at 4381 Quebec St., Vancouver from 1954 on. I have a picture of him with his left up on a chair and ottoman which, according to a photo I have of him, was a gift to him from the "boys at the shop" when he retired. Presumably the note on the back of the photo was written by Josephine, as "foot stool" is spelled "foot stoul" and "match" was spelled "mache". From the directories, he worked his whole career at Storey and Campbell, as a harness maker. I have a picture of the two of them looking out the upper front window of a house. Given their appearance in the picture, I thought that it was probably the Quebec St address. Using Google Maps Street view, I confirmed that.
In the 1963 Canada Voters' Liat, he and Maire are living at 4381 Quebec Avenue; Ernest is there as well and is shown as retired. Why, as he was only 20 years old?
The death registration for Thomas Ernest says that he died in the Shaunessy Hospital in Vamcouver. He had lived 63 years in the province. That means that he had lived there since 1910. The death registration was signed by his wife Marie. He was cremated at the Garden Chapel at the Forest Lawn, Ocean View Mortuary. He died of chronic heart failure, congestive heart failure, and chronic brain syndrome. He was still living at 4381 Québec Street. It noted that he had worked as a harness maker at Storney and Campbell.