New info on my paternal Grandfather,

Well, the mystery deepens.  Yesterday I saw something on Facebook about a genealogy workshop in Terrace for people to find info on soldiers during the 1st World Way; 1914-1918.  I am friends with a woman on FB, in Terrace, who seems to be very good at researching so I sent her a private message asking about the workshop and if it was just to find people who were from Terrace, in the war.  I told her about my paternal Grandfather, James Lonvill Holmes and how I could find no info about him after the war.  I had his attestation papers, showing him signing up, in Manitoba, that then the trail ended.

Well, it didn't take her long and she had a TON of information!  She'd gone on the Government of Canada website, war records, and there was 50 pages of info on him!  It's actually the same site where I found his Attestation Papers a year or so ago and I guess they've digitized more of the records!  I remember once time that Father said he'd been told his dad was shot as a deserter during the war.......and, actually, a couple of years ago I did find a list of those shot for deserting and his name wasn't listed.  Anyway, here's what I found out.

He did, indeed desert!  I think it was May, 1917 - then he must have re-enlisted or something because his record continues right to 1919, when he was discharged.  I have yet to study all the info in more depth but wanted to just get this information down so there's some recording of it.  Here's the website where his war records is:

http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B4460-S017

SO, did he ever come back to Canada?  Did he have a new family in England?  On one of the papers, he is shown as James Wm Holmes and with a birth place as London, England........what that's about, I have no idea.   He did, apparently, spend 9 months in jail for deserting. 

SO, the next mystery.  When did Grandma actually get together with Patrick O'Brien?  Auntie Bessie, Bessie Lilian O'Brien, was born March 10, 1916.  That makes her only about 18 months older than Father - and he was a Holmes.  Both Auntie Bessie's marriage certificate AND her death certificate show she was born in 1916.  By next year I should be able to access her actual birth record, as they are released 100 years after the birth, I believe. 

Bessie Lilian O'Brien's marriage and death info:

Not sure whether her middle name is spelled 'Lilian' or 'Lillian'. 

I'll keep searching, and Carol, in Terrace is checking England to see if she can find any info on James Lonville Holmes - post World War 1. 

Cheerio,

The naming of my oldest brother......

We have now moved into our condo, where we hope to remain until we tip over.  Got home April 15th, from Arizona via Penticton, and all our furniture was here, everything unpacked.  In the spare room closet were our 8 BIG Rubbermaid tubs of photos and paraphernalia, as well as about the same number of cardboard boxes with stuff like that!

So, Stefan and I decided, since we had NO unpacking or anything to do, we'd tackle these bins etc first thing..........and that's what we did.  Took us the better part of a month but we whittled it down to 2 bins - one containing photos etc from the time we were married, forward; and one that contains heritage/history info/stuff.

While going through everything, I found a photo copy of a bible that must have belonged to my maternal great grandparents, the Millars.  Alexander McDonald Millar (1853) and Fanny McAlpine (1855) My grandmother, Elizabeth McAlpine Millar, was their 2nd child and first daughter, born in July, 1878.

OK - now to the story of my brother, Danny's, birth.  He was born on September 19, 1938, in Prince Rupert, BC.  Mother didn't say how his name, James Daniel, was chosen (well, 'James' was obviously after our father, James Edward) but I do remember her telling me that Grandma (her mother) was quite incensed about her choice and said 'I wonder that you'd name him an Irish name like that'.  Mother said she replied 'well, you named your first born after somebody's behind!' (her older sister was named Fanny).  Anyway, it was a funny story - and typical of Grandma - she was quite a critical person - I remember her always saying things like 'I wonder that you'd wear your hair like that...' and things of a similar nature. 

So, back to the copy of the family bible........  I don't remember seeing these pages before now so I was super interested in reading it.  AND, their 5th child, born December 18, 1884, was named JAMES DANIEL MILLAR!  I was super shocked when I read that, let me tell you, because I clearly remember mother telling me Grandma's reaction when she chose the name!  Then I thought, 'well, maybe that brother died really young and Grandma had forgotten about him....'.  Checked the page - nope, he married Isabel Neill on June 6, 1917 and died on July 16, 1962.  So, the whole name thing remains a head scratcher....  :-)

The photo copied pages don't list where the marriages or deaths took place but, as far as I know, all of the Millar family moved to Canada - and I know Grandma and Grandpa's wedding, on July 16, 1909, took place in Winnipeg.  I wonder how many Millar relatives I have in Manitoba.  I don't think mother knew many of her aunts, uncles and cousins, unfortunately.  There was one, Ruby, who lived in Calgary, but I don't know whose child she was - just that she was a cousin on mother's maternal side. 

I've rejoined Ancestry for another year - only the Canadian one, though - might have to bite the bullet and pay for the 'world' one so I can do more work in Scotland.  We'll see............