Ada Harland's Diary: Death of Ada and husband Bert Ashby

In 2011 Olive Tree Genealogy began transcribing a diary kept  in 1914 by English woman Ada Harland. It is a small diary with a photo of Ada that I purchased years ago. The first post was called Ada Harland's Diary 1914 England 

Recently Ada's death certificate, and the death certificate of her husband Herbert (Bert) Ashby (who she talks about in the diary) became available online. I have added them here to complete the story of Ada and Bert.

Bertie was with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI)and during WW1 was stationed in England.

Bertie and Ada were married in Yorkshire England in the first quarter of 1919 and in the fall of that same year Ada sailed to Canada on the ship Scandanavian to join her husband in Vancouver B.C.

Bertie died in Vancouver in November 1960 and his widow Ada died in Vancouver March 1977.

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Album p. 5-1 Coldstream Guards 1915

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One.  

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain. 

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with permission. 

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left-hand side page. 

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Album p. 5-1 Coldstream Guards 1915

 


Autograph.
1. "If you have a friend / then keep them so. / Let not that friend thy secrets / know. / For if that friend should turn / thy foe. / Then all the world thy secrets know.
2. Signed Cpl. G. H. W. 1st Coldstream Guards.
3. Date 16 - 6 - 15

Nursing Sister Phillips WW 1 Album Roberta MacAdams Loose Photo 1

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One.  

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain. 

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with permission. 

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left-hand side page. 

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

This photo of Nursing Sister Roberta Catherine MacAdams was loose in the album. 

Miss Roberta Catherine MacAdams. Lieut. C.A.M.C., Ontario Military Hospital, Orpington, Kent. 

A search of the online CEF database on Ancestry.com reveals that Roberta was born in Sarnia Ontario in 1880. Her father was Robert MacAdams. She joined the Nursing Sisters in January 1916.

The 1891 census for Sarnia lists 10 year old Roberta as the daughter of Robert born Ireland and Catherine born Scotland. We know that Roberta survived the war for in September 1920  at the age of39 she married Harvey Stinson Price. Harvey was a former soldier in the CEF and that makes me wonder if they met in one of the military hospitals in England.

 

 

WW 1 Photo Album Archive page 28

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is the 28th page in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album. I am not sure who is in these photos but they were likely taken ca 1920s. The older woman in the bottom photo looks like Auntie Cordie (Cordelia Cook Simpson) but I am not sure if the child with her is Doris.

WW 1 Photo Album Archive page 25

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is the 25th page in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album.

Simpson Photo Album Toronto Ontario Canada ca 1920s

There are only 2 photos on this page. In the photo on the left I am fairly confident that is my Grandmother Ruth (Simpson) Fuller Richardson Bates (the taller woman). The photo on the right is Doris herself (with the tie at her neck) and I think that is her mom Cordelia (Cook) Simpson standing beside her.

WW 1 Photo Album Archive page 24

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is the 24th page in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album. It looks like we are in to the mid 1920s now.

 This page in the album only held 2 photos. On the left is Doris' cousin Vera Simpson born 1925, and on the right is Doris with her dog.

 Vera was the daughter of my grandmother's brother Sydney (Uncle Syd) Simpson and his wife Ellen (Aunt Nell) Webb.

WW 1 Photo Album Archive page 17

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is the 17th page in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album.

 Auntie Cordie is 2nd from the right. Doris is partially hidden in a dark dress, 4th from the right.

Auntie Cordie (Cook) Simpson with daughter Doris ca 1920

Cousin Doris Simpson with dog ca 1920

WW1 Photo Album: Page 15 Canadian Soldiers in the CEF

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is page 15 in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album.

There are only two WW1 soldier photos on this page. Unfortunately they aren't labelled and I don't recognize the individuals. I suspect the one soldier on horseback was in the same Cavalry Unit in Toronto as my Uncle Ernest Simpson.

WW1 Photo Album Archive page 14

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is the 14th page in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album.

3 of the 4 photos here were taken in Toronto Ontario. One was in Ramsgate England

 Uncle Ern Simpson on the right, unknown man on left

Front Left to Right: Auntie Cordie (Cook) Simpson, Uncle Ern Simpson, unknown woman. Unknown man in back (Same man as in photo above)

A very unusual photograph of a woman in a WW1 uniform! Is it a joke? It looks like Auntie Cordie and if so, she must have been playing around and dressed in Uncle Ern's uniform

Grandma's sister Lilly Simpson and their father David George Simpson. Taken in England

LAC to Digitize WW 1 Military Records But Is it All Good?

From personal collection of Lorine McGinnis Schulze

This year, 2014, is the commemorative 100 year anniversary of the start of World War 1. Library and Archives Canada recently announced it plans to digitize 640,000 First World War Service Files. These are the stored files for soldiers and nurses in the First World War’s Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)

This all sounds wonderful! And it is. It will be a tremendous boon to genealogists to have access to these military files. However there are a few drawbacks. LAC will temporarily close portions of the service files while they are being digitized. The first quarter, beginning with the letter A through D, will be closed as of March 2014 and will be available on-line as of Summer 2014.

Quoting from the Library and Archives Canada Blog 

"The files to be digitized will complement the approximately 13,500 service files and the more than 620,000 attestation papers already available on LAC’s website. At the end of the project, expected in 2015, Canadians will be able to research high-quality digital copies of the 640,000 newly digitized service files from the comfort of their own home and will no longer have to pay reprography fees."

From personal collection
Lorine McGinnis Schulze

Do you spot anything in this quote that doesn't seem quite right? It is the fact that the project is due for completion in 2015. This means that for much of 2014, the commemorative year, the service files of soldiers will not be accessible! Since 2014 is the 100 year commemorative year, it instantly leaps to mind to question as to why LAC did not start this project much sooner so it would be completed in time for the 100 year anniversary. 

It seems to me that 2014 is the year that many new genealogists, authors and historians will be wanting to access the records of their military ancestors and heroes. I am quite sure there will be a lot of publicity over this 100 year anniversary and can only imagine the disappointment that will arise with the record access restricted or curtailed. 

Read the full story at Library and Archives Canada to Digitize 640,000 First World War Service Files

WW 1 Photo Album Archive page 13

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is the 13th page in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album. 

This is one of my favourite pages in this album. On the bottom right is my Uncle Ern Simpson. I don't know who the other soldiers are. 

Uncle Ern was stationed at Stanley Barracks in Toronto Ontario but I don't know if this photos are from that time period. He was in a Cavalry unit at one point. 

WW 1 Photo Album Archive page 12

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is the 12th page in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album. 

Sadly I don't know who anyone is on this page! 

WW 1 Photo Album Archive page 11

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is the 11th page in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album. 

There were only 3 photos on this page and the only person I can identify is the bottom photo of my grandmother's brother Sydney Simpson.

WW 1 Photo Album Archive pages 9 & 10

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here are the 9th and 10th pages in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's  photo album. These photos were all taken ca 1916 and are mostly of my Grandfather and Grandmother Fuller and their two daughters - my aunt Lily and my mother.

Auntie Cordie's sister, Lillian Simpson, Cordelia (Cook) Simpson front

Grandma Fuller and mother with clothes hanging to dry

Grandpa Fuller & Mother

Grandma Fuller's sister Lillian Simpson

Lillian Fuller

Lillian and Joan Fuller

My mother ca 1916

WW1 Photo Album Archive Page 8

Continuing on with my WW1 Photo Album archive here is the 8th page in my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's album.

 

This page was an exciting find for me because it holds photos of my grandparents and my mother as a baby.

The gal on the left is my grandmother's sister Lillian Simpson. I don't recognize the woman on the right.

I am not sure if this is Uncle Ern Simpson and his wife Cordie

The woman is Lillian Simpson again but the little girl is not known to me

This is my grandfather Fuller! I have very few photos of him as he died in 1941 before I was born.

 This photo almost makes me weep due to the loss of photo quality. It is my Grandfather and Grandmother Fuller with my aunt Lily (child in front) and being held is my mother Joan as a baby!. I am going to see if this photo can be restored professionally.