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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

ww1 soldiers father help needed


weshallremember

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3 minutes ago, weshallremember said:

UNLESS THE SO CALLED MARRIAGE IN 1903 CAN BE FOUND

Sorry to have complicated the story.

Perhaps the Canadians presumed it happened in UK and UK presumed it happened in Canada?

What happened to Albert Edwin Bonfield? NB name easily misspelled as Banfield when searching. I didn't see him returning empty handed to England.

Good to see the tablet with James's name. I wonder what happened to the gold medal.

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I WONDER IF THE MARRAIGE DATE IS CORRECT ???

He
spent two years in active service in Africa, and upon his return to Eng-
land accepted a position as manager of a dye works and subsequently
became a member of the police force at Yorkshire. He was active in that
connection until in the early part of the twentieth century, when he came
to Canada and located in Montreal. There he followed his trade for some
time and later removed to Nova Scotia and thence to Philadelphia. In
1907 he came to Alberta and located at Lethbridge.

WIERD THAT IN 1907 HE RETURNED FROM PHILADELDHIA USA

TO ALBERTA 

IT DOES NOT SAY HIM AND HIS WIFE

WHEN HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MARRIED IN 1903

AND THEIR FIRST CHILD WAS BORN IN 1909

(CLUTCHING AT STRAWS NOW)

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Can anyone make sense of this 1907 US immigration card. There is an Albert Bonfield 30, an Alice Bonfield 34, a Mary Bonfield 27, and some small Bonfields......

"https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/839244:60579?_phcmd=u(%27https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/?name=Albert+edwin_B?nfield&event=_canada_3243&birth=1876&birth_x=2-0-0&count=50&name_x=i_1&types=rt&successSource=Search&queryId=0946019af4adbd08dea3b341a4e0104e%27,%27successSource%27)" https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/839244:60579?_phcmd=u('https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/?name=Albert+edwin_B?nfield&event=_canada_3243&birth=1876&birth_x=2-0-0&count=50&name_x=i_1&types=rt&successSource=Search&queryId=0946019af4adbd08dea3b341a4e0104e','successSource')

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6 hours ago, JWK said:

A short bio of James :
 

As  JWK posted above in this thread James Bowker's Bio

It has compleatly glossed over his previous marraige and the death of his son in ww1

which indicates  that the so called marriage in 1903 may also be a red herring 

extract from his Bio

In October, 1903, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Bowker to Miss
Mary Billett, a native of Dorset, England. To their union four children
have been born : James R., Joseph F., Mary E. and Helen M

it would be intresting to know when were the children recorded as having been born ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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11 minutes ago, RaySearching said:

it would be intresting to know when were the children recorded as having been born

In Alberta, as per the 1916 census (link in that "Bio-post"

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That biography in the Alberta book could ofcourse have been a fabrication of sorts.

40 years ago after my father died, he was very well known in the province, some journalist wrote an obituary in the local paper.

In it that journo made us believe my father was in the army (he was), and that he went to the Netherlands Indies/Indonesia (he never even came close to Indonesia). All that with my mother, his widow, and his children all very much alive, so he could have asked us.

 

 

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Have it now 

James 1909

Joseph 1910

Mary E 1913

Helen M 1915

if married in 1903,married 6 years then four children in quick succesion

suggests the 1903 marraige date  is incorrect

1 minute ago, JWK said:

That biography in the Alberta book could ofcourse have been a fabrication of sorts.

My thoughts exactly

Ray

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1907 james came back to Alberta and located at Lethbridge. from usa

from the book

so did he meet mary ann bonfield in 1907 or 1908  could he have been married in 1908

and what happened to albert edwin bonfield

  

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MY OTHER QUESTION DARE I ASK

IF HE MARRIED IN 1898 TO ALICE

THEN HAD A SON PERCY IN 1899

HE HAD QUITE A GOOD JOB BY THE SOUNDS OF IT

SO WHY  VOLUNTEER FOR THE ARMY 

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The outbreak of the Second Boer War saw displays of patriotism to help the Empire similar to that in 1914. Although recruiting numbers were smaller than 1914 as the enemy was not on the doorstep, it was the height of the British Empire & Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee was only in 1897.

I also assume joining up to serve in far away Africa would be seen as a great adventure.

Travers

Edited by travers61
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The 1923 bio as well as having some journalistic licence, could have an element of what his widow wanted to be know locally or had already been told by both.  In Canada as in other places brits emigrated to great emphasis was put on when a person arrived, so to say they were married before the declared census dates of arrival (if correct) of 1905/6 would look good.

Edited by travers61
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 albert edwin bonfield

trying in find a later census for albert edwin bonfield

to see if mary is still his wife

might help

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GOOD  MORNING RAY

THE NEVER ENDING STORY COMES TO MIND 

HAVE FOUND THIS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HELP

ANCESTRY INCOMMING PASSENGER LISTS 1865 - 1935

THERE IS SOME FOR A JAMES BOWKER

AND ONE FOR A MARY BILLETT

BUT NOT A MEMBER SO CANT ACCESS 

TREVOR

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2 minutes ago, weshallremember said:

GOOD  MORNING RAY

THE NEVER ENDING STORY COMES TO MIND 

HAVE FOUND THIS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HELP

ANCESTRY INCOMMING PASSENGER LISTS 1865 - 1935

THERE IS SOME FOR A JAMES BOWKER

AND ONE FOR A MARY BILLETT

BUT NOT A MEMBER SO CANT ACCESS 

TREVOR

But you can provide the link.

Ray, I saw that 1939 register entry yesterday but thought I had confused matters enough without adding more leads that I couldn't follow up.

The Bonfields of Dorset were a quarrying family and sometimes they call themselves quarrymen and sometimes stonemasons.

Thinking of masons, I note that that features in the Canada reports, masons as in freemasons.

Either we have several similar named families running lives in parallel or the divorce courts were very busy or....?

 

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That first 1906 James bowker is the right man. 27year old Yorkshire pattern dyer.

Heading from Liverpool to Montreal. No other obvious linked names on same page of that particular shipping list .

Edited by charlie962
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8 hours ago, RaySearching said:

just to muddy the waters

bonfield.JPG.a6bf377280dcfd1de4991fd2a84329b6.JPG

1939 register  corresponding date of birth and occupation

I have now tracked this down. It is Albert Edward not Albert Edwin.- unless whoever filled in form got son-in-law's second name wrong- quite possible!!

Here they are both on the 1911 census Portsea. Mother-in-law Wilhelmina is also on that 1939 Register.

Note Albert Edward was a stonemason at HM Dockyard.

"Ancestry.co.uk - 1911 England Census" https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/2352/images/rg14_05612_0109_03?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=nxN489&_phstart=successSource&pId=42515754

 

7 hours ago, RaySearching said:

1933830890_bonfield2.JPG.45c129625620d41f684fd87f1afd4801.JPG

 

Given that is 1913 and that the 1911 census already has Albert Edward Bonfield and Lily Elliott as married it cannot be same couple?? Unless they were getting a foreign marriage registered later in UK?

All thoroughly complicated and needs a very large but if paper to keep track!

Edited by charlie962
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