He Was a Married Man

Edie Evans, circa 1915, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, digital image.
Original in possession of Kathryn Hogan, Windsor, Ontario, 2003.

The family story about Great-Aunt Edie remaining a spinster all her life was told to me as a young girl. The reason Edie Evans never married was that she had been engaged to a "Whitehouse cousin" but he had died in the First World War.  Who was this cousin? When and where did he die? What happened to him?

I started researching Edie's story a number of years ago when I was looking through a box of family heirlooms. Inside the box was a poster from the Walsall Pioneer, a newspaper from our family's hometown in England. On the poster were pictures of enlisted men from Walsall and surrounding area who had died, been wounded, been killed or were missing in action. One of those men on the poster was Lce.-Cpl. W.H. Whitehouse, died of wounds, Warwicks, (42 Walsingham -street), and beside his name was an "X" marked in black ink. Aha! He must be the Whitehouse cousin to whom Edie was engaged.

Supplement to Walsall Pioneer, 23 Sep 1916, Walsall, Staffordshire, England.
In possession of Kathryn Lake Hogan.

A bit more researching in my family files and online revealed Lance-Corporal William Harold Whitehouse was the son of Thomas Howard Whitehouse and Alice Gertrude Crutchley. Bill had been born about 1888 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England. In 1901, the family had been living at 77 Walsingham Street.
Bill has served in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He had died 15 September 1916 in France & Flanders.

At the time of Bill's death, Edie Evans was just shy of her twentieth birthday.

Last month, I was alerted to a new database of records that had recently became available on the UK Government website at https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/ These are wills that had been made by soldiers who had died in the Great War. A search for William Harold Whitehouse returned a positive match indicating he had made a will. I ordered the will.

A few days later, I received a message in my inbox that my will was ready. Whoo hoo! I downloaded Bill's will. Much of the information confirmed what I already knew: Bill was a Lance-Corporal in the 2nd Battalion...died 15 Sep 1916...
New information was that he had died at Paisley Hospital. And, he left his effects and estate to...

his wife and child. WHAT?! Wife and child??? Yes, his wife. Gertrude Matilda Whitehouse. Whoa. Wait a minute here. He was a married man? I guess so. The executor of the will was Bill's father, Thomas Howard Whitehouse. The will was dated 23 May 1916.

Will of William Harold Whitehouse, 1916, digital copy.
In possession of Kathryn Lake Hogan.

A quick search on Free BMD and I found an indexed marriage entry. Yes, a man named William E Whitehouse [italic emphasis added by me] had married a woman named Gertrude Allum. The marriage had been registered in the December Quarter of 1916 in Birmingham. Okay, that makes sense, since the Warwickshire Regiment was based out of Birmingham. But wait a minute..."my" William Whitehouse had died in September 1916. If this was the same man, then why was the marriage not registered until the last three months of 1916? I don't know. I need to order that marriage certificate.

What about Edie? Did Edie know? Did Edie know Bill had married another woman before he died? I don't know. And, unfortunately, there isn't anyone left to ask.


Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2013.

My 16 Great-Great-Grands

Although it is Sunday afternoon, I feel that it really is never to late to participate in Randy Seaver's "Saturday Night Genealogy Fun". This one is really quite worthwhile.  Here is the assignment:

1) List your 16 great-great-grandparents in pedigree chart order. List their birth and death years and places.
 
2) Figure out the dominant ethnicity or nationality of each of them.
 
3) Calculate your ancestral ethnicity or nationality by adding them up for the 16 - 6.25% for each (obviously, this is approximate).
 
4) If you don't know all 16 of your great-great-grandparents, then do it for the last full generation you have.
 
5) Write your own blog post, or make a comment on Facebook or in this post.

 

Here are my 16 great, great, grandparents:

1) John LAKE, born 1827 in Kirton in Holland, Boston, Lincolnshire, England. He died 6 February 1898 in Wigtoft Fen, Boston, Lincolnshire, England.  English

2) Naomi DOWSE, born 1828 in Sutterton, Boston, Lincolnshire, England. She died 14 August 1907 in Halton Holgate, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England.  English

3) Frank CRAWFORD, born 16 January 1859 in Wainfleet All Saints, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England. He died about 29 April 1938 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England.  English

4) Sarah Ann STAINFIELD, born 10 June 1855 in tutbury, Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire, England.  She died 16 December 1890 in Boston, Lincolnshire, England.  English

5) William Eugene RYCKMAN, born 17 April 1851, Houghton Township, Norfolk County, Canada West (Ontario).  He died 24 May 1921 in London, Ontario, Canada.  Dutch

6) Elizabeth Saphronia RAYSON, born 4 July in Niagara Falls, Stamford Township, Welland County, Canada West (Ontario).  She died 5 November 1929 in Aylmer, Malahide Township, Elgin County, Ontario, Canada.  Possibly Scottish

7) George Edward IRWIN, born 15 August 1866, London Township, Middlesex County, Canada West (Ontario).  He died 6 June 1945, London Township, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada.  Irish

8) Sarah Sylvia GARDINER, born 6 June 1865, Canada West. She died 18 November 1956, London, Ontario, Canada.  English

9) Jonathan GEORGE, born about 1826 in Llangoedmore, Cardigan, Cardiganshire, Wales.  He died 12 April 1882 in Hayscastle, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales.  Welsh

10) Martha NICHOLAS, born about 1822 in St. Dogwells, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. She died 12 August 1870 in St. Dogwells, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales.  Welsh

11) David DAVIES, born about 1826 in Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. He died in the first quarter of 1891 in Cardigan,Pembrokeshire, Wales.  Welsh

12) Lydia JOHN, born about 1826 in Nevern,Cardigan, Pembrokeshire, Wales. She died in the first quarter, 1910 in Pembrokeshire, Wales.  Welsh

13) William EVANS, born 1837 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England. He died 10 July 1885 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England.  English

14) Elizabeth BIRLEY, born 1839 in West Appledore, Bideford, Devon, England. She died 24 April 1910 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England.  English

15) Thomas Matthews WHITEHOUSE, born about 1829 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England. He died 16 June 1871 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England.  English

16) Emma KETLAND/KETTLEDON, born 28 March 1838 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England. She died 4 August 1890 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England.  English

My ancestral ethnicity results is overwhelmingly, European (Y-DNA haplogroup is R, mtDNA haplogroup is H).

Nationalities:
9 ancestors are English = 56.25%
4 ancestors are Welsh = 25%
1 ancestor is Dutch = 6.25%
1 ancestor is Irish = 6.25%
1 ancestor is possibly Scottish = 6.25%

Copyright ©2009 by Kathryn Lake.

Dorothy May Evans

This is a brief biographical sketch of my grandmother, Dorothy May Evans, 1903 - 1981.

Dorothy May Evans was born 24 August 1903 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England. She was the daughter of Robert B. Evans and Edith Whitehouse.

May was not quite two years of age, when she and her family immigrated to Canada in 1905. They settled in Acton, Ontario. In 1916, they family moved to Toronto.

In 1927, when May was 24 years old, she and her older sister, Edie, went on holiday. They were travelling back to their homeland. On board the S.S. Empress of France, May met a handsome man. His name was Joseph Brinley George.

On 28 March 1931, May was married to Brin in Toronto. They honeymooned in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Upon their return, they resided in Windsor, Ontario. May had given up her job as a secretary when she married Brin. She was now a housewife.

In 1935, May and Brin were blessed with the birth of their first child, Robert David. In 1946, a daughter, was born. May and Brin named her Edith Ann.

On 13 August 1974, May became a Canadian Citizen.

On 20 August 1981, May died. She was buried 22 August 1981.


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This entry was posted to meet one of the requirements for the Genea-blogger Group Games. A more detailed account of Dorothy May Evans will be forthcoming in the fall.