Who are the 52 Ancestors?

Taken from Wikipedia: Genealogical numbering systems (accessed March 25, 2019)

Ahnentafel
Ahnentafel, also known as the Eytzinger Method, Sosa Method, and Sosa-Stradonitz Method, allows for the numbering of ancestors beginning with a descendant. This system allows one to derive an ancestor's number without compiling the list and allows one to derive an ancestor's relationship based on their number.

The number of a person's father is the double of their own number, and the number of a person's mother is the double of their own, plus one. For instance, if the number of John Smith is 10, his father is 20, and his mother is 21.

Helpful chart.

(First Generation)
1 Subject (me!)

(Second Generation)
2 Father
3 Mother

(Third Generation)
4 Father's father (Marlen S. M.)
5 Father's mother (Ruby E. Napper)
6 Mother's father (Malcolm G. S.)
7 Mother's mother (Mary Beaton Cox)

(Fourth Generation)
8 Father's father's father (Marlen E. M.)
9 Father's father's mother (Ruby E. Wade)
10 Father's mother's father (Gordon T. Napper)
11 Father's mother's mother (Winnifred G. Wade)
12 Mother's father's father (John S.)
13 Mother's father's mother (Edith E. Carter)
14 Mother's mother's father (Rowland H. Cox)
15 Mother's mother's mother (Mary C. Beaton)

(Fifth Generation)

paternal

16) 2G GF (Joseph A. M.)

17) 2G GM (Jennie McKeiver)

18) 2G GF (Sidney T. Wade)

19) 2G GM (Elizabeth Holloway)

20) 2G GF (John W. Napper)

21) 2G GM (Mary Ann Botting)

22) 2G GF (Joseph Wade) - same as #36

23) 2G GM (Harriet J. Swaffield) - same as #37

maternal

24) 2G GF (Thomas M. S.)

25) 2G GM (Susan S. Grant)

26) 2G GF (William Carter)

27) 2G GM (Elizabeth Simpson)

28) 2G GF (William C. Cox)

29) 2G GM (Emily M. Gardner)

30) 2G GF (Peter Beaton)

31) 2G GM (Euphemia Campbell)

(Sixth Generation)
paternal
32) 3G GF (Elzear M.)

33) 3G GM (Corinne Aube)

34) 3G GF - adopted, brick wall

35) 3G GM - adopted, brick wall

36) 3G GF (Joseph Wade) - same as #22

37) 3G GM (Harriet J. Swaffield) - same as #23

38) 3G GF (Edmond Holloway)

39) 3G GM (Emma Puffett)

40) 3G GF (William Napper)

41) 3G GM (Harriott/Harriett Cooper)

42) 3G GF (Richard Botting)

43) 3G GM (Jane Cook)

44) 3G GF - Joseph Wade's father, unknown

45) 3G GM - Joseph Wade's mother, unknown

46) 3G GF (Charles Swaffield)

47) 3G GM (Eliza M. A. Copper)

maternal

48) 3G GF (John S.)

49) 3G GM (Euphemia G. Sampson)

50) 3G GF (William Grant)

51) 3G GM (Jane Lamb)

52) 3G GF (William Carter)

53) 3G GM (Hannah Morton)

54) 3G GF (Thomas Simpson)

55) 3G GM (Elizabeth Stapleson)

56) 3G GF (Charles Cox)

57) 3G GM (Margaret Ellen Cooling or Cowling)

58) 3G GF (William S. Gardener)

59) 3G GM - (Emma Harper)

60) 3G GF - Peter Beaton's father, unknown

61) 3G GM - Peter Beaton's mother, unknown

62) 3G GF (Duncan Campbell)

63) 3G GM (Anne McPherson)

#18 Sidney T. Wade (2G GF)

Birth

When Sidney Thomas Wade was born in November 1884 in Maidstone, Kent, England, his father, Joseph, was 32 and his mother, Harriet, was 25.[1]

Early Years

Sidney had an older brother, Joseph Henry Wade (1882), and seven younger siblings:

His brother William Stanley was born in March 1886 in New Southgate, Middlesex, England.

His sister Ruby was born either in December 1888 or May 1889, in Kent, England.

His brother Henry was born on May 13, 1892, when Sidney Thomas was 7 years old.

His sister May Violet was born on May 13, 1892, when Sidney Thomas was 7 years old.

His sister Winnifred Glaydis was born on July 21, 1895, in either Kent or Essex, England.

His sister Edith Phoebe Louise was born on September 28, 1896, in Northamptonshire, England.

His brother Charles S was born on October 11, 1898, in Merstham, Surrey, England.

Death of Father

His father Joseph passed away in June 1899 in London, London, England, at the age of 46. Sidney was only 14.

The 1900 Survey of homes in Essex county showed the following people in the home and their occupations: Harriett; Joseph: bricklayer labourer; Sydney: railway; William: firing on stationary engine; Ruby E., May V., Henry G., Winifred G., Edith P., Charley S., Alice L. Swaffield (niece).

Sidney Thomas Wade lived in Chigwell, Essex, England, in 1901.

Sidney's mother remarried sometime after March 31, 1901 to Timothy William Brown.

His half-sister Ivy Mary was born on October 22, 1901, in England.

His half-brother George Edward Swaffield was born on February 11, 1905, in Gillingham, Kent, England.

Marriage 

Sidney Thomas Wade married Elizabeth Holloway in Middlesex, England, on June 21, 1903. Their marriage record says they were both 19 but according to their birthdays he was 18 and she was 17.[2]

Daughter May Violet was born on August 22, 1903, in London, London, England.

Daughter Ruby Elizabeth Rosina was born on December 14, 1904, in London, London, England.

Sidney and Elizabeth with May and Ruby and Sidney's parents

Son Sydney Thomas was born on July 5, 1906, in London, London, England.

Daughter Winnifred Gladys was born on October 9, 1910, in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England.

In April 1911 Elizabeth, Sidney, and children May, Ruby, Sydney Jr., and baby Winifred were living at 105 Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England.

Son William was born on December 10, 1912, in England.

Immigration to Canada

Sidney immigrated to Quebec, Canada in October 1913 (according to 1921 Census of Canada) while Elizabeth stayed in England with the children.

The children came later in May 1918. A passenger showing May, Ruby, and Sidney travelling from England to Canada lists Sidney's occupation as a lumberman.

It seems Elizabeth would have been pregnant with baby Ethel at the time so perhaps the plan was for her to join them after the baby's birth? When she died William was 6 years old and was considered too young to go and went to live with his maternal aunt Alice Austin (nee Holloway).

Death of Wife and Daughter
His wife Elizabeth passed away on November 8, 1918, in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England. She reportedly in childbirth (baby girl Ethel) from influenza, which could have been the ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic of 1918. Mother and daughter were buried together in Hillingdon Cemetery.

Elizabeth was only 32 and she and Sidney had been married 15 years.

The 1921 Census found Sidney Thomas Wade living in Montréal, Quebec.

Second Marriage

Sidney Thomas Wade married Mary Ann [Polly] Spackman in Canada in 1923 when he was 39 years old. She was a 37 year old widow (Frank Burr) with two children - daughter Evelyn Kate Burr (b. 1907), age 16 and son Charles Burr (b. 1911), age 12.

Sidney and Mary Ann's son George Stanley was born on October 31, 1924, in Montréal, Quebec. Their son Frederick (Freddie) was born in 1928 in Canada. Their daughter Evelyn was born in 1928 in Canada.

Death of Second Wife

His wife Mary Ann [Polly] passed away in January 1930 in Kent, England, at the age of 44. They had been married 7 years.

Sidney Thomas Wade lived in Montréal, Quebec, in 1945.

Death

Sidney Thomas Wade died in 1961 in Montréal, Quebec, when he was 77 years old.

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Sources:

1. England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915

2. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932

#39 Emma Puffett

Birth
Emma Puffett was born on February 5, 1857, in Hammersmith, Middlesex, England, to Hannah Weston, age 41, and Samuel Puffett, age unknown. The name has also been spelled Puffet, Puffrett, and even Paffett.

She was baptised a few weeks later on February 22nd at St. Pauls, Hammersmith, Middlesex, England.



Early Years
Emma had three older sisters: Fanny (b. December 1, 1840), Jane (b. February 16, 1844), and Elizabeth (b. December 5, 1849). She also had an older brother, William (b. approx 1855).

Her father Samuel was working as a carter (someone who drove a cart) when she was born and the family lived at 47 Cliffton Street in the parish of Hammersmith. George Wareham and his family shared the house. [1]

In 1861 he was still working as a carter and Emma's mother Hannah was working as a laundress. The family lived at 23 Wharf in the parish of Paddington. John Thompson, a widower and the clerk and wharf manager also shared their home. [2]

In 1871 the family, now just Samuel, Hannah, William, and Emma, were living at 1 Birds Cottages in the parish of Hammersmith. Samuel and William are working as labourers, Hannah is a laundress, and Emma is a scholar. A six year old grandson, Samuel Bradford, is also listed. He is Jane's son from her marriage to James Bradford. [3]

Historical
The Railway Boom
In 1861, Emma Puffett was living in Paddington, Middlesex, a time when the railroad industry swiftly expanded in England.

Marriage
Emma Puffett married Edmond Holloway at St Luke in Shepherd's Bush, Middlesex, England, on October 13, 1878, when she was 21 years old and he was 24. [4]

Family
Her daughter Ellen was born in Hammersmith before April 3, 1880 as she appears as a one year old in the 1881 census. 

The family lived at 24 Southbrook Street in Hammersmith, with Edmond working as a carman. [5]

Her daughter Alice was born on September 14, 1881, in Shepherd's Bush, Middlesex, England.

Her daughter Elizabeth, my great-great-grandmother, was born on November 17, 1885, in Shepherd's Bush, Middlesex, England.

Death
Emma died between January and March 1886 when she was only 28 years old. Elizabeth wasn't even a year old yet, I wonder who raised her. [6]

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Sources:
1. 1851 England Census, Class: HO107; Piece: 1470; Folio: 395; Page: 33; GSU roll: 87793
2. 1861 England Census, Class: RG 9; Piece: 4; Folio: 148; Page: 44; GSU roll: 542554
3. 1871 England Census, 1871 England Census; Class: RG10; Piece: 65; Folio: 43; Page: 2; GSU roll: 824576
4. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932
5. 1881 England Census, Class: RG11; Piece: 60; Folio: 69; Page: 68; GSU roll: 1341013
6.England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915

#38 Edmond Holloway

Birth

Edmond/Edmund Holloway was born on May 21, 1854, in Hammersmith, Middlesex, England, to Ellen Howard, age 21, and John Holloway, age 26. [1]

He was christened that same year at St. Pauls, Hammersmith, Middlesex, England. [2]

Early Years

Edmond was the oldest of nine children, all of them except for Walter were born in Middlesex, England.

His sister Marian was born on December 30, 1855. 

His brother Robert James was born on November 8, 1857.

The family must have spent a brief time in Wales as his brother Walter John was born around 1863 in Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire, Wales, when Edmond was 9 years old.

His sister Rosina was born on November 8, 1864, in Shepherd's Bush, Middlesex, England.

His brother Thomas was born on February 23, 1870.

His sister Alice Louisa was born around 1872.

His sister Emma was born on September 11, 1875.

His brother Albert was born on July 11, 1878.

First Marriage
Edmond Holloway married Emma Puffett at St. Luke in Shepherd's Bush, Middlesex, England, on October 13, 1878, when he was 24 years old and she was 21. Their address was 18 Melina Road. [3] 

His daughter Ellen was born in 1880 in Hammersmith, Middlesex, England.

In 1881 his little family was living at 24 Southbrook Street in Hammersmith. Emma's brother William was living at number 28 Southbrooks Street. Edmond worked as a "carman," which was a "driver of (horse-drawn) vehicles for transporting goods. Carmen were often employed by railway companies for local deliveries and collections of goods and parcels. Modern day van driver." [4]

His daughter Alice was born on September 14, 1881, in Shepherd's Bush, Middlesex, England. In September 1888 she is registered to attend Saunders Road School in the Hammersmith and Fulham borough and the family is living at Railway Cottage U Rd. [5]

His daughter Elizabeth (my paternal great-great-grandmother) was born on November 17, 1885, in Shepherd's Bush, Middlesex, England.

Deaths in Family
Both his father John, age 54, and his sister Rosina, age 28, died in October 1882.

Death of Wife
His wife Emma passed away between January and March 1886 at the age of 28. They had been married 7 years.

Second Marriage

Marriage banns for Mary Ann Taylor were published on January 12, 19, and 26, 1890 and there is a note next to them saying "run out," since after 3 months the banns would have run out. [6]

Edmund and Mary Ann's son Edmund Thomas was born on September 11, 1890. He was baptised on October 13th at Shepherds Bush, St Stephen, and died on October 19, 1890. Mary Ann is listed as Mary Ann Holloway on the baptism record. His baptism record lists their address as 4 Mardale St, Edmond's occupation was "carman." [7]

Their son Albert was baptized Oct 18, 1891. His baptism record lists their address as 4 Mardale St, Edmond's occupation is "swing proprietor." [8]

The marriage certificate is for June 19, 1892 at St John, Walham Green, England. Edmond was 57 and Mary Ann was 20. They are both listed as living at 25 S. Thomas Road. [9]

Son William James was born in 1895 and passed away on January 19, 1897.

Daughter Rosina was born on July 23, 1897, in London, London, England. Her baptism record lists their address as 40 Askew Crescent, Edmond's occupation is "traveller." [10]

Daughter Florence Emma M was born in 1900 in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England.

The 1901 Census finds Edmund and Mary with daughters Elizabeth (age 15), Rosina (age 3), and Florence (age 1) living at 4 Elthorne Road in the civil parish of West Hillingdon, in Middlesex, England. Edmond is somehow listed as only 45 (he should be 66 since he was 57 nine years earlier), while Mary Ann is 39 (consistent with her marriage age). Ellen (21) is working as a domestic servant to Florence Jones at 202 Trafalgar Rd [11], Alice (20) is married, I'm not sure where Albert (10) is. 

Edmond's occupation is a "Swing Roundabout," coded as Performers, Showmen; Exhibition, Games - Service. [12] More about swing roundabouts.

Family oral history tells that this was a Holloway of "Holloway Circus" connection. According to his grandson, Edmund Holloway travelled with William Beach's fair. he operated swing boats, coconut sheet and dart joint. His son Arthur Holloway (1906–1979) carried on operating the equipment until 1946 when it was sold.[13]

Coronation of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
Edmond's family may have celebrated the coronation of King Edward VII at Westminster Abbey while living in the United Kingdom in 1902.

Perhaps son Edward, born June 24, 1904 in Uxbridge, Middlesex, was named after the king? His baptism record lists their address as 4 Elthorne Cottages, Edmund's occupation is "traveller." [14]

Son Arthur was born on August 23, 1906, in Uxbridge, Middlesex. His baptism record lists their address as Elthorne Cottages, Edmund's occupation is "labourer." [15]

The 1911 census finds the family still at 4 Elthorne Road. Edmond correctly reports he is 56, Mary Ann is 40. Children Albert (19), Rosina (13), Florence (11), Edward (6), and Arthur (4) are at home. Edmond's widowed mother Ellen (77) is living with them. [16]

Edmond is working as a "swing proprietor," coded as Performers, Showmen; Exhibition, Games - Service, and his son Albert is working for him. [12]

England Heatwave 1911
Edmond and his family no doubt suffered along with other residents of Hillingdon, Middlesex when an oppressive heatwave ravaged all of England from July through September 1911.

Great Britain Enters World War I
When Great Britain issued a declaration of war on Germany in 1914, Edmond Holloway was probably living in Hillingdon, Middlesex. At age 60 would he have joined the army?

Son Walter was born between January and March 1914 in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England.

Son George was born on December 27, 1916, in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England.

Deaths in Family
His daughter Elizabeth passed away on November 8, 1918, possibly of influenza, in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England, at the age of 32. She died just a few weeks before English women (over age 30) won the right to vote on November 21, 1918.

His brother Walter John died on June 24, 1921, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

His son Albert passed away in 1924 at the age of 32.

His mother Ellen passed away in June 1926 in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England, at the age of 93.

Death
Edmond Holloway died between April and June 1937 in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England, when he was 82 years old. [17]

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Sources:

1. England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915; England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975; FHL Film Number 1966218

2. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975; FHL Film Number 1966218

3. England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915; London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932

4. RootsChat.Com: Some Special Interests » Occupation Interests » Occupation - Carman. Accessed August 29, 2019

5. London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911; LCC/EO/DIV01/SAU/AD/014

6. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932; page 71

7. London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917; p80/ste/006

8. London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917; P80/LUK/A/01/004

9. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932; page 28

10. London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917; P80/LUK/A/01/005

11. 1901 England Census; Class: RG13; Piece: 540; Folio: 25; Page: 1

12. findmypast: Home/Expert advice/Expert 1911 Occupation Codes. Accessed August 29, 2019

13. per C. E. Holloway, his grandson (September 2019)
14. London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917; DRO/106/A/01/002

15. London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917; DRO/106/A/01/002

16. 1911 England Census

17. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007; and per C. E. Holloway, his grandson.

#19 Elizabeth Holloway

Birth
My great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Holloway was born on November 17, 1885, in Shepherd's Bush, Middlesex, England, to 31 year old Edmond Holloway and his 28 year old wife, Emma Puffett. There is an Elizabeth whose birth is registered between Oct, Nov, Dec 1885 in Fulham, which is only 2 miles from Shepherd's Bush. Shepherd's Bush is a district of west London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 4.9 miles (7.9 km) west of Charing Cross.[1]

Elizabeth had two older sisters: Ellen Holloway (1880–1941) and Alice Holloway (1881–1981).

The surname Holloway was first found in Middlesex at Holloway, a district in the parish of Islington, Finsbury division of the hundred of Ossulstone. Today, it is part of Greater London. There are a few different possible origins of the place name but the generally accepted origin is from the Old English words hol + weg which evolved to mean "the road with a hollow." One of the first listings of the district was in 1307, when it was listed as Le Holeweye.[2]

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Holloway has been recorded under many different variations, including Holloway, Hollway, Holoway, Hollaway, Hollywood and others.[2]

Early Years
Elizabeth's father Edmond was widowed and remarried between 1890 and 1892 when Elizabeth would have been between 5 and 7. 

Edmond and his new wife, Mary Ann Taylor, had 8 children, 5 of which survived: Albert (b 1892), Rosina (b. 1898), Florence (b. 1900), Edward (b. 1905), and Arthur (b. 1907).

In 1901 Elizabeth was living with the family - only Rosina and Florence were listed on the census so perhaps Albert was away.[3] Her father Edmond's occupation is hard to make out but it looks like "swing roundabout traveller." Swing roundabouts were used at fairs.[4] 

The family lived at 4 Elthorne Road in the Parish of Hillingdon West, St Andrew's Parish, in Uxbridge.[3] Hillingdon West had been created a separate parish under the provisions of the “Local Government Act, 1894”; it embraced the ecclesiastical parish of St. Andrew’s, among others, and formed the greater part of the Urban District of Uxbridge. The area is 775 acres and the population in 1891 was 5,121.[5]

Marriage
Elizabeth Holloway married Sidney Thomas Wade (1884–1961) in Middlesex, England, on June 21, 1903, when she was 17 years old.

Family

Elizabeth included a flower theme in naming her daughters.

Her daughter May Violet (1903–1980) was born only a couple of months after the wedding, on August 22, 1903 in Middlesex, London, England

Her daughter Ruby Elizabeth Rosina (1904–1983) was born on December 14, 1904 in Middlesex, London, England.

Her son Sydney Thomas was born on July 5, 1906 (1906–1983) in London, England.

Her daughter Winnifred Gladys (1910–1972) was born on October 9, 1910 in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England.

Her son William was born on December 10, 1912 in England.

Her daughter Ethel was born in 1918. Perhaps she had a middle name that included a flower?

Historical
In April 1911 Elizabeth, Sidney, and children May, Ruby, Sydney Jr., and baby Winifred were living at 105 Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England.[6]

That year the fight for women’s suffrage turned militant. In the Hillingdon borough there is evidence of local women taking part in the activism. Whether it be the more militant actions associated with the suffragettes, or the suffragists who kept their campaigning peaceful, they were part of this important fight. Many campaigners felt that without the right to vote and participate in the democratic process they were being treated as second class citizens, with no rights, no voice and no way of making a change.

July through September 1911 brought an oppressive heatwave that ravaged all of England.

Death
Elizabeth lived just long enough to see the passing of the 'Representation of the People's Act' in 1918 which gave women over the age of 30 the right to vote. The achievement of women's suffrage was a hard fought battle that brought together women from different social backgrounds, from all across the country.

The ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic was prominent in 1918. Elizabeth Holloway died on November 8, 1918, in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England, when she was only 32 years old, reportedly from the flu.

Among those she left behind was my 13 year old great-grandmother, Ruby Elizabeth Rosina Wade.

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Sources:
1. Wikipedia: Shepherd's Bush, accessed April 27, 2019 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd%27s_Bush)
1. House of Names, accessed April 27, 2019 (www.houseofnames.com/holloway-family-crest)
2. 1901 Census, taken on March 31, 1901
3. Find My Past, accessed April 27, 2019 (www.findmypast.co.uk/content/expert-1911-occupation-codes) and Fairground Heritage, Accessed April 27, 2019 (www.fairground-heritage.org.uk/learning/swings-and-roundabouts)
4. Forebears, Kelly's Directory of Middlesex, accessed April 27, 2019 (forebears.io/england/middlesex/hillingdon/hillingdon-west#sid20758)

5. 1911 Census, taken on April 2, 1911

#9 Ruby Elizabeth Rosina Wade (my paternal ggrandmother)

Ruby Elizabeth Rosina Wade (my paternal great-grandmother) was born in Middlesex, London, England on December 14, 1904. Her mother Elizabeth Holloway was 19, and her father Sidney Thomas Wade was 20.

Siblings

Back row: Sydney Jr., May. Sitting: Ruby, Ethel (?), Sydney

Her older sister May Violet Wade (1903–1980) was born on August 22, 1903 in Middlesex, London, England.

Her brother Sydney Thomas (1906–1983) was born on July 5, 1906, in London, London, England, when Ruby Elizabeth Rosina was 1 year old.

She may have had a sister named Ethel but no other details are known about Ethel, other than she may be in this photo.

Her sister Winnifred Gladys (1910–1972) was born on October 9, 1910, in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England, when Ruby Elizabeth Rosina was 5 years old.

Her brother William (1912-?) was born on December 10, 1912, in England when Ruby Elizabeth Rosina was 7 years old.

Ruby's mother Elizabeth (1885–1918) passed away on November 8, 1918, in Uxbridge, Middlesex, England, when she was only 32. She reportedly died of the flu and it could well have been the ‘Spanish Flu.’ This global pandemic in 1918 was one of the greatest medical disasters of the 20th century. 

More people died of influenza in that single year than in the four years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. By the end of pandemic, only one region in the entire world had not reported an outbreak: an isolated island called Marajo, located in Brazil’s Amazon River Delta.[1]

Ruby's father Sidney remarried between 1921, when he was listed as a widower on the Census, and 1923. His wife Mary Ann Burr was known as Polly.

Her half-brother George Stanley (1924–1989) was born on October 31, 1924, in Montreal, Quebec, when Ruby was 19 years old.

Early Years

When the 1911 Census of England and Wales was taken on the night of Sunday, April 2nd, 1911 Ruby lived in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England. Her father listed her as Ruby Rosena Wade.

England Heatwave 1911
Ruby and her family no doubt suffered along with other residents of Hillingdon, Middlesex when an oppressive heatwave ravaged all of England from July through September 1911.

Immigration 
Ruby's father Sydney arrived in Canada in 1913 [2]. He and Elizabeth came to Canada and sent for the children to come. 

Ruby (age 13), Sydney (age 11), and Winnifred (age 8) came with 14 year old May (who was counted among the adults for travel purposes) from Liverpool, England to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on the ship "Aquitania." Apparently William (age 6 at the time) didn't come to Canada and instead stayed with someone in Britain. I wonder what happened to Ethel?


The RMS Aquitania was a British ocean liner of Cunard Line in service from 1914 to 1950. In the wake of the Titanic sinking, Aquitania was one of the first ships to carry enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew.

In 1918, the ship was in troopship service, conveying North American troops to Britain. Many of these departures were from the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia where the ship's spectacular dazzle paint scheme was captured by artists and photographers. On one occasion Aquitania transported over 8,000 men. During her nine voyages, she transported approximately a total of 60,000 men.[3]

On their trip, the Aquitania was destined for New York and was going via Halifax. It departed Liverpool on May 24, 1918 and arrived on May 29, 1918 at 7:00 a.m. 

They travelled in Steerage with 468 other people and their third-class cabins would have had only a small number of bunk beds. 

Thankfully the ship was given a clean bill of health and no one was held at quarantine.[4] 

The children are considered part of the "third wave" of immigration to Canada (1890–1920) and as immigrants from Britain would have been given highest priority.[5] 

Winnifred's name was on the following page.

Marriage
Somehow Ruby met Marlen, born in Schenectady, New York. It seems his family moved to Canada the year after he was born and he had been in Montreal, Quebec from 1908 to 1925.[6] The marriage license was issued in Oakland County, Michigan, U.S.A.

Ruby Elizabeth Rosina Wade married Marlen Elzear M. in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A, on a cold Friday February 5, 1926. He was born in 1907 [7] which would have made him almost 19 but he put down 22 on the marriage license. She was 21.

Family
Ruby and Marlen had two children during their marriage. 

Their daughter May Gloria Jennie (1926–1977) was born on December 7, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.

Their son Marlen Sidney (1928–2017), my paternal grandfather, was born on August 13, 1928, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Her grandchildren called her Nan. Ruby taught her granddaughter Sandra M. to knit and crochet and eventually gave Sandra all her knitting needles and crochet hooks. 

Death of Husband
Her husband Marlen Elzear passed away tragically in a motorcycle accident on March 29, 1930, in Montreal, Quebec, at the age of 22. The Coroner's Jury determined the cause of death to have been: "Crushing of the thorax - motorcycle accident." Marlen and Ruby had only been married 4 years.

Ruby outlived not only her father (Sidney Thomas passed away in 1961), but also two of her sisters (Winnifred Gladys died in July 1972 and May Violet died on October 13, 1980), and her daughter (May Gloria Jennie passed away in July 1977)

Ruby Elizabeth Rosina Wade died on May 26, 1983, in Montreal, Quebec, when she was 78 years old. Her son Marlen and her grandchildren Sandra and John were in the hospital room with her she took her last breath.

She was buried at Mount Royal Cemetery in the Mount Murray section; lot 238.

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Sources:
1. The Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918, accessed March 3, 2019
2. 1921 Census of Canada
3. Wikipedia: RMS Aquitania, accessed March 3, 2019
4. "Canada Passenger Lists, 1881-1922," Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
5. Wikipedia: History of immigration to Canada, accessed March 3, 2019
6. Border Crossings: From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935 
7. 1911 Census of Canada and Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad