Sunday 23 March 2014

52 ancestors in 52 weeks # 5 William Swadling - Kamloops

Just over twelve months ago I changed my Facebook Swadling One Name Study status from private to public. One of the first questions I was asked was from one of my many distant cousins. She asked:- William Swadling born 1883 in East Hendred married Gertrude Elizabeth Carter and moved to Canada. Are any of his descendants still living in Canada?

William Swadling was born in East Hendred and his parents were George Swadling (who was another brother of my Great Grandfather James) and Mary Maria Spicer. His birth was registered in the June quarter of 1883 but I have seen his birthday listed as 7th March 1882. William had several siblings, including Ellen, Frank, and Kate. In 1901 William and his parents were living on Oxford Street in East Hendred.

Gertrude Elizabeth Carter was born on the 11/12/1883 in Childrey Berkshire. Her parents were Charles and Mary Ann Carter and she had an older brother James. In 1911 Gertrude had moved away from the family home in Oxford Street in East Hendred and was working as a cook in Woodford Green, Essex for the Lea family.

In 1905 William travelled from England to Winnipeg in Canada and decided to immigrate to Canada in 1908. The reason for his initial visit and subsequent move is unknown but he must have returned home from time to time because in 1912 he married Gertrude Elizabeth Carter in his home town of East Hendred.

Shortly after their marriage William and Gertrude sailed from London via Le Harve on the vessel “Lake Eire”. The “Lake Eire” was built in Glasgow in 1899. She was 446 feet long and 52 feet wide. She had one funnel and four masts and had a speed of 13 knots. The journey, for the 150 second class passengers and the 1,000 third class passengers, would have taken between 10 and 14 days. They arrived in Montreal, Quebec on the 19th August.

The following June their daughter Hazel was born in British Columbia and a son William Ralphe was born in 1919.

On the 1921 Canadian census William and Gertrude were living at 726 Douglas Street in Kamloops, British Columbia together with Hazel and William.

On the 1935 Canadian Voters List William and Gertrude were living in Kamloops, British Columbia.  William’s occupation was a labourer and Hazel was working as a stenographer.

William and Gertrude never moved from Kamloops. William died on the 12th August 1949. He was only 65 years old. Gertrude died on the 6th April 1974 at the age of 90. They are buried together Pleasant Street Cemetery in Kamloops.

In the 1960’s Hazel was living with her mother at 539 Third Avenue. She never married but she worked as a teacher for many years.

In 1960, when Hazel was 47 years old, she returned to England for a five week visit. She travelled from Montreal to London on the “Sylvania”. The ”Sylvania” was built in Glasgow in 1956 and was 570 feet long by 80 feet wide with one funnel and one mast. Her 150 first class passengers and 700 tourist passengers travelled at a speed of 20 knots. The passenger list states that Hazel was travelling with a Gertrude Swadling, who was single and 41 years old. Had Hazel got a younger sister? I think that this Gertrude was her mother as their birth dates are the same, 11th December. How the mistake occurred I am not sure but I am sure that “single” Gertrude’s details were wrong.

 I am not sure when Hazel died. I have found several teaching publications on line that have made reference to her comments between 1969 and 1980 and when her brother died, the obituary referred to her as his late sister.

Hazel’s brother William Ralphe was born on the 19th September 1919 in Kamloops, British Columbia and married Freeda Ziegenhagel in 1943. In 1962 he was living on Nicola Street Kamloops and his occupation was a railway engineer.  William Ralphe and Freeda had three children who all married and had children of their own. Freeda died in 2009 but William Ralphe only passed away last year.

So thanks to the Canadian Ancestry website amongst others the answer to your question is simple. Yes, William does have living ancestors in Canada!



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