Branching Out

 


My maternal great-grandmother, Elizabeth “Lizzie” John(s), branched out from her family in Wales, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada. Why did she leave her home? It was done for love!

Lizzie was born August 31, 1882 in Gwindy, a small farm near Whitchurch Pembrokeshire, Wales. (mapcarta.com). Her parents, Charles John(s), a farm laborer and Sarah Nicholas married at the register office in Haverfordwest a month after her birth, on September 30, 1882. My mother told me that Charles always denied that he was her father. Sarah insisted he was the father, even putting his name on Lizzie’s birth registration, even though the weren’t married.

Charles and Sarah had 8 children, one who died as an infant. Lizzie, the oldest, is living with her family in the 1891 Census in Milford, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. However, by the 1901 census she is working as a domestic servant. There are two possible 1901 census records with Elizabeth John working as a domestic. One of them is in Steynton, about 3 kilometres from her parents. The other is further away, in Marloes about 14 kilometres away. There is a family story that involves her brother, James, walking her back to her master’s home one evening which suggests the census record with Lizzie in Steynton is the most likely one. I like the family story because it shows that Lizzie was part of the family even if her father didn’t believe he sired her.

There are no stories of how Lizzie met her sweetheart, William “Bill” Searle(s). Bill lived in Cardiff about 160 kilometres away. How does someone who works as a domestic meet a younger man from Cardiff whose father was a farm laborer, a grocer, and a gardener depending on the census year.  In 1901, Bill was only 13 years old, yes, Lizzie robbed the cradle when she married. Bill was almost 6 years younger than her.

William Searles - was this taken for Lizzie
Elizabeth John - was this taken for Bill

His family decided to leave Wales for Canada in – starting in 1906  with two sisters and brothers-in-law emigrating. Bill was forced to leave his beloved Lizzie and go with his family because he hadn’t reached the age of majority (he was 19 and the age of majority was).  But true love conquered and two years later, Lizzie arrived in Canada and married Bill.

What was the result of Lizzie’s branching out? She was raised in a small village near a fishing port with a protected harbour. Although she was the daughter of a poor farm laborer, life would have been a bit civilized. She and Bill settled on a farm near Cochrane, Ontario just 250 kilometres from the James Bay. It is a land of mosquitos, black flies and cold snowy winters. It was a newly settled area of Canada without many amenities, not what either of them was used to. Life was rough and included losing 2 children, one as a newborn and the other severely burned herself on an outdoor fire. Lizzie remembers holding her child as she died. They had 4 children who survived and thrived in Canada.

Bill and Lizzie Searles at their farm.

It’s hard to tell what drew them together. Lizzie the oldest in her family, was short. Bill, a tall sturdy man, was the only son of 8 children. They stuck it out and their 66-year marriage didn’t end until Bill died in 1974.

Bill and Lizzie Searles at their 60th wedding anniversary party

The result of my great-grandmother branching out and coming to Canada is a tree that is filled with Canadians. There are grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great and even great-great-great grandchildren who have benefited from her decision to travel here and start a new life with her sweetheart.

Sources

1891 England and Wales Census; Town: Marloes; Parish Civil Parish: St. Brides; District: Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire; ED 20; piece 4534; folio 69; page 5; accessed December 23, 2015; www.findmypast.com; [database online]; citing The National Archives, Kew.

1901 Census of Wales; Ancestry.com;  [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005; Class: RG13; Piece: 5128; Folio: 92; Page: 14; citing Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1901. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England.

UK, Outward Passenger Lists; 1890-1960; Searle, Wm; viewed 28 November 2014; Ancestry.com; [ database on-line]; Provo, Utah; citing Board of Trade; Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: BT27; Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments. Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies; The National Archives, Kew, England.

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935; Searle, Wm viewed 28 November 2014; Ancestry.com; [ database on-line]; Provo, Utah; citing; Passenger Lists, 1865-1935; Series: RG 76-C; Roll: T-489; Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario

Elizabeth Johns; Ancestry.com. UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012 citing Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Outwards Passenger Lists. BT27. Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments. Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England

Ontario Marriage Registrations; Searles, William; John, Elizabeth; East Toronto, York; #21560; Microfilm MS 932 Reel 138; viewed 28 November 2014; www.ancestry.com [database online]; Provo, Utah; citing Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Canada.

1921 Canada Census: William Sarell Household; Lamarche, Temiskaming, Ontario; District 129; Subdistrict 128; page 11, family 162; viewed 28 November 2014; www.ancestry.com [database online]; Provo, Utah; citing Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

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