Blakely Genealogy

Friday, 1 December 2023

Home Children - Harry and Charles Stafford

Between the 1860s and 1930s,more than 100,000 children were sent from the UK to Canada during the British Child Emigration Movement.

My Great grandfather Harry Stafford and his younger brother Charlie were "Home Children"
The pair came to Canada in Sept 1898 on the ship The Dominion. They had two half sisters (Ethel and Emma)who were admitted to Dr Barnardo's Home many years later in 1912.

In 1897 the boys father William Thomas Stafford had a stroke and was institutionalized. On October 15,1897, Harry and Charlie were admitted to Barnardo's Sheppard House at 182 Grove Road in East London.

This is a copy of Harry's school record from when he was at Sheppard House.

click to enlarge

The ship departed Liverpool on Sept 15,1898 and arrived in Quebec Sept 23,1898. There were 84 boys and 122 girls on board with the brothers, all facing an unknown future in a new country, so far from home.

Passenger list of The Dominion- Sept 1898 with Harry and Charles Stafford
Click to enlarge

Once in Canada, Harry was sent to live with the Henry Thompson in Beatrice,Ontario (just north of Bracebridge) Charles was sent to the same area but with different foster parents.

The boys were able to visit one another and were moved around Ontario to different farmers over the next eight years.

Harry did manage to get back to England for visits in 1907 and 1909.

I do have copies of some of the original records from Barnardos that they sent to me about 20 years ago. They are packed somewhere but I will scan them once they surface.

If you would like to know more about Home children, I have put together a page with links to sites, databases and a bit of history of some of the better known "homes"

Harry Stafford

Sunday, 4 September 2022

Welcome

Welcome to my Blakely Genealogy Blog.

This blog mainly focuses on the ancestry and descendants of Thomas Alberton Blakely of Grey County Ontario Canada. This site also includes my connected branch of STAFFORD.

A list of the people in this blog can be found here. I'm always adding new names and documents so check back often. If you are looking for information that you don't see here send me an email at redwoodretro@gmail.com I haven't entered all of my research online yet and might have the info you are looking for.

Please visit my personal blog on vintage scrapbooking and retro photography

Thursday, 1 September 2022

Thomas A Blakely and Family - Portrait c1910

Portrait of Thomas Alberton Blakely of Grey County, Ontario

L-R Thomas, Clifford, Luella, Lillian, Mrytle, Elmo, Margaret Lever, and the two children in front are Gordon and Aleath

Tuesday, 14 June 2022

Gordon Roswell Blakely

Gordon Roswell Blakely was born on March 4, 1902, in Grey, Ontario, Canada.

He married Gloria Isabella Gaddye on December 4, 1926, in Peel, Ontario, Canada.

They had four children during their marriage.

Donellda, Thomas, Gord and Lorainne.

Gordie died on April 22, 1993, at the age of 91.

Gord feeding a squirrel in High Park Toronto

Gord and his sister Lillian

Monday, 2 December 2019

Margaret Isabella Blakely

Margaret Isabella Blakely was the second born daughter of Thomas Blakely and Isabella Orr.

She was born on July 17, 1869, in Grey, Ontario

On Dec 24,1895 She married Alfred Allen in Toronto.

Alfred Allen

The couple had two daughters

Isabella Alice born Aug 5, 1899 married John Gass

Catherine was born in 1896 married John Ellis

Catherine and Warren Ellis

Isabella Alice and John Gass had 4 children

John R Gass

Nancy Allen Gass

Mary Elizabeth Gass

Margaret Gass

Catherine and John Ellis had 4 children

Wayne Irvin Ellis 1933-1997

Warren Ellis

Joan Ellis

Lee Ellis

Margaret died 13 Apr 1955 and is buried in Ohio

Thursday, 20 June 2019

Thomas Alberton Blakely Jr

Thomas Alberton Blakely was born March 16 1863, in Portlaw, Artemesia Township, Grey County, Ontario, Canada. He was the son of Thomas Blakely and Margaret Isabella Orr.

He had ten siblings.

Mary Jane, married Little
George Henry
Joseph Alexander
Catherine E Cassie
Walter Robert,
Margaret Isabella
Andrew Wilson
John Wesley,
Ephriam
William Guy

Thomas was a jack of all trades and owned several types of businesses around Grey county throughout his life. He also was a Municipal Councillor and a police trustee.

In 1905 Thomas submitted an application for a patent for the double ball bearing. Check out his invention here!

Dec 24,1885 Flesherton Advance

When he was 24, he married Hanna Margaret Lever, daughter of Roger Lever and Isabella Rebecca Holley, on Sept 27 1887 in Flesherton,Ontario

Thomas Alberton Blakely and Hanna Margaret Lever had the following children:

Thomas Clifford Blakely was born on 16 Jun 1892 in Dundalk Ontario Canada (Grey County). He died on 07 Feb 1970.

Aleath Leone Blakely was born on 24 May 1896 in Ontario. She died on 07 Sep 1962 in Dunnville,Ontario, Canada.

Luella Margaret Blakely was born on 30 Jun 1905 in Grey, Ontario, Canada. She died on 13 Oct 1974.

Estelle MYRTLE Blakely was born on 21 Jul 1890 in Flesherton, Ontario, Canada. She died on 20 Oct 1960. She married John Charles Miller on 13 Dec 1913 in York, Ontario, Canada.

Clarence Elverton Blakely was born on 29 Apr 1894. He died on 18 Jan 1896.

Gordon Roswell Blakely was born on 04 Mar 1902 in Grey, Ontario, Canada. He died on 22 Apr 1993. He married Gloria Gaddye on 04 Dec 1926 in Peel, Ontario, Canada.

Lillian Pearl Blakely was born on 06 Feb 1898 in Flesherton, Ontario, Canada. She died on 12 Oct 1988. She married Harry Stafford on 05 Nov 1918 in Toronto, Ontario Canada.

Florence Margurite Blakely was born on 27 Jun 1900 in Flesherton. She died on 11 Sep 1900.

Wilford Elmo Blakely was born on 19 Oct 1888 in Flesherton, Ontario, Canada. He died on 23 Jan 1947 in Bakersfield, Kern, California, USA.

Letta May Blakely was born on 24 May 1896 in Flesherton, Artemesia Township, Grey County, Ontario, Canada (Twin of Aleath). She died on 15 Jun 1896 in Flesherton, Ontario, Canada (Died at birth).