The Ironic Life of William Cheesman
written by Lori Oschefski 2009
for British Home Children Descendants
www.britishhomechildren.org
London, England is both the capital of England and of the United Kingdom. In the west side of central London lies the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, created in 1965 from the former boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea. It lies just west of the City of Westminster, the heart of modern London and hosts major museums, universities, embassies, department stores such as the famous Harrods and some of the most exclusive residential districts in the world. A stark contrast to the district in the 18th and early 19th Centuries.
Brompton is a locality within this borough defined by the triangle of Brompton Road, Sloane Street and Sloane Avenue. Today it is the most densely populated local authority in the UnitedKingdom. In 1879, Brompton was almost exclusively an artist quarter.
Near the tip of the triangle of Sloan Street and Brompton Road was a small street called New Street. New Street was a middle class, comfortable neighborhood. It was here that on February 16th of 1878 our Grandfather, William Cheesman, would be born to Ellen Hally, a housewife, and her husband William Cheesman, a carpenter. Ellen was born about 1843 in Caher, Ireland and William, Sr was born about 1834 in Hawkhurst, Kent. Ellen was William Sr's second wife. Hiis first wife had been Elizabeth Cheesman, born about 1836 in Hawkhurst, Kent. Together William Sr and Elizabeth had had two girls, Fanny J., born about 1862, and Mary A., born about 1864. These girls would be half siblings to our Grandfather William and his full siblings, Rose H. (born about 1874), Matilda (born about 1875), Mary E. (born about 1880), and Edward (born about 1881). At this time no more information is know about Elizabeth and the two girls. As the city of London grew New Street became swallowed up by commercial development, eventually the name disappeared and it has became no more than a service alley for the surrounding businesses. William Cheesman Sr. was the son of Richard and Jemima Cheesman. Richard was born about 1798 in Hawkhurst, Kent and died in 1861 at the age of 71. Jemima was born about 1797 in Healthfield, Sussex and died in Kent in 1865 at the age of 68. William Sr's siblings were Sarah (born about 1838), George (about 1840), Jesse (1843) andStephen (about 1829).Little is known at this time about the family of our Great Grandmother Ellen, but it is known that she had a brother named Edward. Edward was born in about 1834 in Catier Coy, Tipperary,Ireland. In 1871, Edward was lodging with the family of George and Caroline Starbuck at 12Sherrard Street in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England. George was a tailor and draper.Edward worked as an animal painter.
Loss
Our William Sr's Grandfather, William's father, died of indigestion at the age of 57. His death is registered in the 2nd quarter of 1890 in the London Borough of Wandsworth. At the time of his death the family was living on Speke Road, Battersea, Wandsworth. Speke road was classedas a “comfortable” neighborhood. Following William Sr's death the family took lodging with Mrs. Roberts at 13 Farmer Street in Notting Hill Gate. Notting Hill is located in West London close to the North West Corner of Hyde Park. It lies within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Farmer Street was found on the southern edge of Notting Hill.
Although a very affluent area today, in fact London's most fashionable area, in our ancestor's day it was a very impoverished area once described as a “massive slum full of multi-occupied houses, crawling with rats and rubbish”. This area was better known as the Potteries (because of the nearby pottery works) & Piggeries (three-to-one ratio of pigs to people) and formally called “Notting Dale”. Notting Hill was decrepit, disease ridden, dirty and rife with criminal activity, drinking and gambling. Although there were some improvements over the years, this area did not improve significantlyuntil the slums were cleared in the 1960's and 70's.Not long after the family relocated here, their situation deteriorated even more with the death ofWilliam's mother. Ellen died of dropsy and her death was registered in the 1st quarter of 1891.This was within a year of the death of her husband.The comfortable middle class life that the family had lived was ultimately shattered following thedeath of their father. Because of misfortune and circumstance, they went from living as a familyunit in a nice area to living in the slum area of Notting Hill. Unfortunately with the death of theirmother, matters became far worse. The children, once described by Mrs. Roberts as “respectable and well conducted” found themselves negativity effected by these circumstances. William and his sisters Matildaand Rose were drawn into immoral and unlawful lifestyles. Their brother Edward was placed inthe St. Mary's Orphanage, a Roman Catholic Home in Brentwood, Essex, and sister Maryplaced in the Carmelite Home, Church Street, Kensington. One can only wonder if thesechildren were to ever see each other again. In 1901 Edward had enlisted with the Royal Navyand was working aboard HMS Dasher as a member of the crew. No other information is knownat this time regarding Williams brothers and sisters.
In light of these circumstances, it is hardly surprising that the normal morals and family valueswe take for granted today were simply not a part of the upbringing of these children. This would have repercussions in our family for years to come.
Barnardos
Two years following his mother's death William, homeless and trying to earn his keep in the streets, was arrested for trespassing. Seeing good in this boy and with hopes that he could be helped and as an alternative to jail he was handed over to the Dr. Barnardo's Home, a shelter for destitute children. He would spend one night at the Receiving House in Stepney Causeway,East London and on 7th October 1893 was moved to the Youth's Labour House.
William was the 14,841th child taken into care by the Barnardo Homes. By 1932, they had admitted 108,500 children. William's date of birth was erroneously recorded as 9th July 1876. He was in fact 2 years younger than his recorded admission age of 17. His true birth date 16th February 1878 would not be discovered for many years to come. The spelling of Cheesman also changed with this admission, as, originally, that name did not contain the middle “e”. This mistake also took many years to discover. William was uneducated and unable to read or writewhich may help to explain why these mistakes were not caught.
William would remain at the Youth's Labour House for just shy of 6 months. On 29th March 1894, he boarded the SS Sarnia and sailed to a new life in Canada. William was 16 and listed as a “laborer.” He arrived in Portland, Maine, USA, on 11th April 1894 at 16:00 hours. The 240 Barnardo boys aboard this ship brought the total number of Barnardo children brought into Canada at this time to 6,810. There were 542 Home Children on this ship, all listed in the Steerage section of the ship.
William was taken to Barnardo's Training Home in Russell, Manitoba, Canada. Russell was the choice for the older boys, who were growing up on the streets of London, and, therefore “rougher” in character. The idea was to remove them far from the destructive influence that city's like Toronto might have. Out in Russell ,they would be trained as farmers with hopes that they would be hired throughout the West or given land by the government and become successful farmers on their own right.
Farming
Shortly after his arrival he was placed in a work “situation” with Ed G Short as a general farm hand. Farmer Short was to pay him $55 per year. Mr. Short was pleased with William, stating, “I think I will like him”. This favorable report was also repeated in a letter from Mr. Short 29th March 1895. This was not to last, however, and on 12th January 1896 William wrote Barnardo's to tell them he had left his situation with Mr. Short and that he was having problems obtaining his wages. Ensuing correspondence shows Mr. Short now complaining about William's conduct and William complaining of Mr. Short's treatment of him.
March of 1896 William placed in a situation with a Mr. Ferguson. In a letter dated 23rd March 1896 to Barnardo's Mr. Ferguson states “Wm Cheeseman is about house – he is well and is a splendid boy, a credit to the Home (Barnardo's) of which he speaks so highly”. On 31th March 1896 Barnardo's wrote William praising him of his good conduct and their pleasure at receiving such a favorable report from Mr. Ferguson. This was also not to last. William absconded from care on 20 July 1896. In his letter to Barnardo's informing them of the situation, Mr. Ferguson writes that William was a good worker although very rough with the stock. He also expressed his opinion that another fella by the name of Wainwright had been bad influence over William. William doesn't surface again until 1901 when he's found working on a farm in Brandon, Manitoba for the family of John P Jones.
On 28th April 1905 William applied for and gained entry to a homestead property which was situated just north of Rosetown. He was granted the South West Corner of section 22, Township 30, in Range 15 West of the 3rd Meridian. He would received the patent for this land on 25th March 1909. Under the Land Dominion's Act. William's cost for this property was the $10 registration fee. As required two of his neighbors, Joseph Woolsey Heartwell and William Wiles provided sworn statements in support of his application for patent. In May of 1906 William built a 14X16 ft sod home worth $130 and a 14X16 sod stable worth $100. Between the years of 1906 and 1909 he also worked threshing in Delisle, Saskatchewan (74.1 km from Rosetown), and in the woods in Prince Albert (252 km from Rosetown).
The 1906 Cenus of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and the 1911 Canadian Census show William as a single male living on this homestead property. The post office location for William would be that same small community called Zealandia where his future bride, Annie, would arrive in 1912.
Annie
March 27th of 1912, 26 year old Annie Reta Marion Prince would board the ship Grampian in Liverpool along with a large group of other single women, whose occupations were listed as “spinsters”. This ship was bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia and would arrive on April 4th 1912. On board this ship was also a group of Home children headed for Toronto. Annie's occupation was listed as “spinster” . Her intended occupation listed as “wife” and her reason for immigration was “to be married”. Her destination was the village of Zealandia, which lays 17.9 km north east of Rosetown.
Annie Reta Marion Prince and William Cheesman were married on 11th April 1912 in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, Canada. This marriage taking place a mere week after Annie arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her marriage to William was in all likelihood an arrangement as the couple could not have known each other prior to this event. William and Annie would settle on his homestead in Rosetown and nine months later, on 28th January 1913, their first child Archibald William was born. Their second child Edward Ralf was born on 23rd December 1914.
Life was not easy for the new couple and by the time their third and fourth children, twins Gwendoline Grace and Helena Mary, were born on 13th January 1917, they were under a considerable financial strain to keep the farm going.
On 25th June 1917, unable to keep the farm going, the property was sold. The family would move to a neighboring section and become tenant farmers there. It is on this section that their fifth child, Sidney Basil Cheesman would be born.
Return to England
Late in the fall of 1919 the family would board the ship Metagama in Montreal bound for England. Their reason given on the Ship's Passenger List for the trip was that the family was on a holiday. They arrived in Liverpool, London, England on 10th November 1919.
Four months after the family arrived in the UK, on 19th March 1920, William boarded the ship Melita in Liverpool and headed back to Rosetown alone. The trip to England was never meant to be a permanent move and William had headed back to tend to the family's farm back in Rosetown. Sometime late in the fall of 1921, William returned to his family in England who by this time were living at Brook Cottage in Lingen, Herefordshire. Sometime in September of 1921 the couples 6th child was conceived.
On the 11th April 1922, coincidentally the 10th anniversary of their marriage, William, once again alone, boarded the ship Empress of Britain in Liverpool. Plans had changed. The decision was made that the family would remain in England. William would return to Canada, sell the family's belongings and was then expected to return to his family. After he left, Annie, close to 7 months pregnant, remained at Brook Cottage with the children awaiting the birth of their baby and the return of her husband. On the 27th June 1922 she gave birth to Olive June (Muriel) alone (the author's mother), William never returned. For reasons we will never know or understand, when he boarded that ship he sailed out of his family's life forever.
In the fall of 1922, Annie along with 9 year old Archie, Ralf almost 8 years, twins Gwen and Mary 5 years, Sidney almost 4 years, and Muriel Olive, just a few months old, left Brook Cottage and entered the Kington Union Workhouse. They would never live together as a family again. There they would remain until June of 1924.
Canada
It was considered by the guardians in 1923 to send Ralf and Archie to Canada alone. When you entered the workhouse you forfeited your rights to your children. If they had immigrated the two boy's alone in all probability Annie would have had no say and no knowledge of it. The boys would have “vanished” from her life, their whereabouts kept from her. The boys also would not have been told what happened to the rest of their family, a fate suffered by many home children. Then, on 16th March 1924 ,Annie was admitted to the infirmary at the Workhouse, ill with flu and a nervous break down.
On June 18th of 1924, Annie and the children were placed together aboard the Ship Ausonia, under care of the Salvation Army, with passage paid by the Kington Board of Guardians. Though their mother was to be on the same ship, the children were considered Home Children. They underwent medical tests at the Kington Union Workhouse just prior to their departure. Annie was separated from her children on this voyage with the exception of the youngest child Olive June. They arrived in Canada on June 27th of 1924, Olive Junes 2nd birthday. They were taken to the Salvation Army's Sheltering home, Clinton Lodge in Toronto, Ontario. Annie was processed for work and the children, with the exception of Sidney and Archie who were situated in an orphanage under care of the Children's Aid Society in Oshawa, were placed in Foster Homes. Eventually the 4 children in foster care were adopted, but the children in the orphanage were not. The Children's Aid Society wrote to Annie in February of 1925 telling her that Sidney was having problems and that they would not be able to place him. They asked that Annie come and get him as he really needed his mother. Annie did, taking Archie as well. By March of that year she had taken the boys and headed to West. Soon after, she marrried Jesse James Rule and would have two more children with him. Annie and Jesse would raise the 4 children on his homestead property just outside of McCord, Saskatchewan. Our family have wondered if she was looking for her husband when she first went back out west. There is evidence that she searched for him when she first arrived in Canada.
William's Fate
There were many rumors about what fate William had suffered after he left the family. The theory that he had sold their belongings and had been murdered for the money was one. When I retrieved his records from Barnardo Homes, they contained letters written between them and William in 1945. Through those letters we were able to trace him to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
What ever the reason was that he left the family, William's final years were spent (in my opinion) as a broken man. There is no evidence that he ever remarried or had any more children. He was a pauper, wandering from place to place. William was ill. When he contacted the Barnardo offices, he was seeking a copy of his birth certificate so that he could apply for his pension (often very difficult to obtain in those days). Not knowing his true age, William was under the impression he was about 69 years old at this time. I wonder what his thoughts were when he found out he was only 67 and he had to wait another couple of years before applying for pension.
In April of 1948 William was ill and admitted to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. He was just 2 months past his 70th birthday and, therefore, 2 months past the qualifying age for the pension. On April 15, 1948, William left this world the same way he arrived in Canada. Alone. Nobody there to love or care for him. Nobody to mourn him. Nobody to comfort him in his final days.
He was buried by the City of Edmonton in a communal unmarked pauper grave in the St. Joachim's Cemetery in downtown Edmonton. For 60 year's William laid in his unmarked grave, unclaimed. Not one person in all those years had even called to inquire about him. But, on April 15th 2008, (60 years to the day of his death) , I called the Holy Cross Office to inquire about the William Cheesman buried there and what they told me that day will haunt me forever.
In 1948 when you were buried under these circumstances your were quite often placed in a communal grave, which means he is buried with a number of other souls. Quite often, where there was a still born birth, these children were placed into one of these graves. William was given 6 stillborn babies with whom to share his eternal rest In life, William had lost his 6 children: Archie, Ralf, Gwen, Mary, Sidney and Olive June. In death he was given 6 children to watch over.
Conclusion
The tragedy of a Home Child is not only what happened to them once they were taken in by the sheltering homes. It is also the suffering endured in their lives which caused them to reach that point in the first place. Yet, the greatest tragedy was what many suffered afterward, lacking the fundamental life skills taught in loving homes. This suffering rebounds for generations to follow. My grandfather through the Barnardo Homes was given a chance for a new life, but what good was that chance when he did not have the fundamental understanding and knowledge to know how to use that new life? In October of 2008, I along with another of his grandchildren, Murray Cheesman visited William's grave in Edmonton, the first descendants to be there. Just prior to this visit, my mother Olive June (renamed Muriel Olive after her adoption), William and Annie's last surviving child had claimed her father and had a marker placed on his grave. She understands and forgives him for leaving her. Through this understanding and forgiveness, she has finally, at 86 years of age, found peace in her life and truly is in a better place.
We will never know or understand why he left his wife and family, but as a member of the descendants he would never know, I forgive him too. I grieve for that young child, orphaned and forced onto the streets and for that boy placed on that ship and brought into a strange country. He would never know what had become of his siblings. He would never see them again. I grieve for his lack of a loving home, kind words, education and nurturing which we all as children, need and deserve. These are basic things which would be unthinkable to live without today. I grieve for my mother and her brothers & sisters for what they had to endure. For the years they spent in the horrible environment of the Workhouse, for the separation they endured from their mother, the loss of their father, the loss of each other and the resulting burdens they have carried in their hearts and souls all their lives.
Yet it is only through knowledge and understanding that we can forgive and lay the suffering to rest.
Brompton is a locality within this borough defined by the triangle of Brompton Road, Sloane Street and Sloane Avenue. Today it is the most densely populated local authority in the UnitedKingdom. In 1879, Brompton was almost exclusively an artist quarter.
Near the tip of the triangle of Sloan Street and Brompton Road was a small street called New Street. New Street was a middle class, comfortable neighborhood. It was here that on February 16th of 1878 our Grandfather, William Cheesman, would be born to Ellen Hally, a housewife, and her husband William Cheesman, a carpenter. Ellen was born about 1843 in Caher, Ireland and William, Sr was born about 1834 in Hawkhurst, Kent. Ellen was William Sr's second wife. Hiis first wife had been Elizabeth Cheesman, born about 1836 in Hawkhurst, Kent. Together William Sr and Elizabeth had had two girls, Fanny J., born about 1862, and Mary A., born about 1864. These girls would be half siblings to our Grandfather William and his full siblings, Rose H. (born about 1874), Matilda (born about 1875), Mary E. (born about 1880), and Edward (born about 1881). At this time no more information is know about Elizabeth and the two girls. As the city of London grew New Street became swallowed up by commercial development, eventually the name disappeared and it has became no more than a service alley for the surrounding businesses. William Cheesman Sr. was the son of Richard and Jemima Cheesman. Richard was born about 1798 in Hawkhurst, Kent and died in 1861 at the age of 71. Jemima was born about 1797 in Healthfield, Sussex and died in Kent in 1865 at the age of 68. William Sr's siblings were Sarah (born about 1838), George (about 1840), Jesse (1843) andStephen (about 1829).Little is known at this time about the family of our Great Grandmother Ellen, but it is known that she had a brother named Edward. Edward was born in about 1834 in Catier Coy, Tipperary,Ireland. In 1871, Edward was lodging with the family of George and Caroline Starbuck at 12Sherrard Street in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England. George was a tailor and draper.Edward worked as an animal painter.
Loss
Our William Sr's Grandfather, William's father, died of indigestion at the age of 57. His death is registered in the 2nd quarter of 1890 in the London Borough of Wandsworth. At the time of his death the family was living on Speke Road, Battersea, Wandsworth. Speke road was classedas a “comfortable” neighborhood. Following William Sr's death the family took lodging with Mrs. Roberts at 13 Farmer Street in Notting Hill Gate. Notting Hill is located in West London close to the North West Corner of Hyde Park. It lies within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Farmer Street was found on the southern edge of Notting Hill.
Although a very affluent area today, in fact London's most fashionable area, in our ancestor's day it was a very impoverished area once described as a “massive slum full of multi-occupied houses, crawling with rats and rubbish”. This area was better known as the Potteries (because of the nearby pottery works) & Piggeries (three-to-one ratio of pigs to people) and formally called “Notting Dale”. Notting Hill was decrepit, disease ridden, dirty and rife with criminal activity, drinking and gambling. Although there were some improvements over the years, this area did not improve significantlyuntil the slums were cleared in the 1960's and 70's.Not long after the family relocated here, their situation deteriorated even more with the death ofWilliam's mother. Ellen died of dropsy and her death was registered in the 1st quarter of 1891.This was within a year of the death of her husband.The comfortable middle class life that the family had lived was ultimately shattered following thedeath of their father. Because of misfortune and circumstance, they went from living as a familyunit in a nice area to living in the slum area of Notting Hill. Unfortunately with the death of theirmother, matters became far worse. The children, once described by Mrs. Roberts as “respectable and well conducted” found themselves negativity effected by these circumstances. William and his sisters Matildaand Rose were drawn into immoral and unlawful lifestyles. Their brother Edward was placed inthe St. Mary's Orphanage, a Roman Catholic Home in Brentwood, Essex, and sister Maryplaced in the Carmelite Home, Church Street, Kensington. One can only wonder if thesechildren were to ever see each other again. In 1901 Edward had enlisted with the Royal Navyand was working aboard HMS Dasher as a member of the crew. No other information is knownat this time regarding Williams brothers and sisters.
In light of these circumstances, it is hardly surprising that the normal morals and family valueswe take for granted today were simply not a part of the upbringing of these children. This would have repercussions in our family for years to come.
Barnardos
Two years following his mother's death William, homeless and trying to earn his keep in the streets, was arrested for trespassing. Seeing good in this boy and with hopes that he could be helped and as an alternative to jail he was handed over to the Dr. Barnardo's Home, a shelter for destitute children. He would spend one night at the Receiving House in Stepney Causeway,East London and on 7th October 1893 was moved to the Youth's Labour House.
William was the 14,841th child taken into care by the Barnardo Homes. By 1932, they had admitted 108,500 children. William's date of birth was erroneously recorded as 9th July 1876. He was in fact 2 years younger than his recorded admission age of 17. His true birth date 16th February 1878 would not be discovered for many years to come. The spelling of Cheesman also changed with this admission, as, originally, that name did not contain the middle “e”. This mistake also took many years to discover. William was uneducated and unable to read or writewhich may help to explain why these mistakes were not caught.
William would remain at the Youth's Labour House for just shy of 6 months. On 29th March 1894, he boarded the SS Sarnia and sailed to a new life in Canada. William was 16 and listed as a “laborer.” He arrived in Portland, Maine, USA, on 11th April 1894 at 16:00 hours. The 240 Barnardo boys aboard this ship brought the total number of Barnardo children brought into Canada at this time to 6,810. There were 542 Home Children on this ship, all listed in the Steerage section of the ship.
William was taken to Barnardo's Training Home in Russell, Manitoba, Canada. Russell was the choice for the older boys, who were growing up on the streets of London, and, therefore “rougher” in character. The idea was to remove them far from the destructive influence that city's like Toronto might have. Out in Russell ,they would be trained as farmers with hopes that they would be hired throughout the West or given land by the government and become successful farmers on their own right.
Farming
Shortly after his arrival he was placed in a work “situation” with Ed G Short as a general farm hand. Farmer Short was to pay him $55 per year. Mr. Short was pleased with William, stating, “I think I will like him”. This favorable report was also repeated in a letter from Mr. Short 29th March 1895. This was not to last, however, and on 12th January 1896 William wrote Barnardo's to tell them he had left his situation with Mr. Short and that he was having problems obtaining his wages. Ensuing correspondence shows Mr. Short now complaining about William's conduct and William complaining of Mr. Short's treatment of him.
March of 1896 William placed in a situation with a Mr. Ferguson. In a letter dated 23rd March 1896 to Barnardo's Mr. Ferguson states “Wm Cheeseman is about house – he is well and is a splendid boy, a credit to the Home (Barnardo's) of which he speaks so highly”. On 31th March 1896 Barnardo's wrote William praising him of his good conduct and their pleasure at receiving such a favorable report from Mr. Ferguson. This was also not to last. William absconded from care on 20 July 1896. In his letter to Barnardo's informing them of the situation, Mr. Ferguson writes that William was a good worker although very rough with the stock. He also expressed his opinion that another fella by the name of Wainwright had been bad influence over William. William doesn't surface again until 1901 when he's found working on a farm in Brandon, Manitoba for the family of John P Jones.
On 28th April 1905 William applied for and gained entry to a homestead property which was situated just north of Rosetown. He was granted the South West Corner of section 22, Township 30, in Range 15 West of the 3rd Meridian. He would received the patent for this land on 25th March 1909. Under the Land Dominion's Act. William's cost for this property was the $10 registration fee. As required two of his neighbors, Joseph Woolsey Heartwell and William Wiles provided sworn statements in support of his application for patent. In May of 1906 William built a 14X16 ft sod home worth $130 and a 14X16 sod stable worth $100. Between the years of 1906 and 1909 he also worked threshing in Delisle, Saskatchewan (74.1 km from Rosetown), and in the woods in Prince Albert (252 km from Rosetown).
The 1906 Cenus of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and the 1911 Canadian Census show William as a single male living on this homestead property. The post office location for William would be that same small community called Zealandia where his future bride, Annie, would arrive in 1912.
Annie
March 27th of 1912, 26 year old Annie Reta Marion Prince would board the ship Grampian in Liverpool along with a large group of other single women, whose occupations were listed as “spinsters”. This ship was bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia and would arrive on April 4th 1912. On board this ship was also a group of Home children headed for Toronto. Annie's occupation was listed as “spinster” . Her intended occupation listed as “wife” and her reason for immigration was “to be married”. Her destination was the village of Zealandia, which lays 17.9 km north east of Rosetown.
Annie Reta Marion Prince and William Cheesman were married on 11th April 1912 in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, Canada. This marriage taking place a mere week after Annie arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her marriage to William was in all likelihood an arrangement as the couple could not have known each other prior to this event. William and Annie would settle on his homestead in Rosetown and nine months later, on 28th January 1913, their first child Archibald William was born. Their second child Edward Ralf was born on 23rd December 1914.
Life was not easy for the new couple and by the time their third and fourth children, twins Gwendoline Grace and Helena Mary, were born on 13th January 1917, they were under a considerable financial strain to keep the farm going.
On 25th June 1917, unable to keep the farm going, the property was sold. The family would move to a neighboring section and become tenant farmers there. It is on this section that their fifth child, Sidney Basil Cheesman would be born.
Return to England
Late in the fall of 1919 the family would board the ship Metagama in Montreal bound for England. Their reason given on the Ship's Passenger List for the trip was that the family was on a holiday. They arrived in Liverpool, London, England on 10th November 1919.
Four months after the family arrived in the UK, on 19th March 1920, William boarded the ship Melita in Liverpool and headed back to Rosetown alone. The trip to England was never meant to be a permanent move and William had headed back to tend to the family's farm back in Rosetown. Sometime late in the fall of 1921, William returned to his family in England who by this time were living at Brook Cottage in Lingen, Herefordshire. Sometime in September of 1921 the couples 6th child was conceived.
On the 11th April 1922, coincidentally the 10th anniversary of their marriage, William, once again alone, boarded the ship Empress of Britain in Liverpool. Plans had changed. The decision was made that the family would remain in England. William would return to Canada, sell the family's belongings and was then expected to return to his family. After he left, Annie, close to 7 months pregnant, remained at Brook Cottage with the children awaiting the birth of their baby and the return of her husband. On the 27th June 1922 she gave birth to Olive June (Muriel) alone (the author's mother), William never returned. For reasons we will never know or understand, when he boarded that ship he sailed out of his family's life forever.
In the fall of 1922, Annie along with 9 year old Archie, Ralf almost 8 years, twins Gwen and Mary 5 years, Sidney almost 4 years, and Muriel Olive, just a few months old, left Brook Cottage and entered the Kington Union Workhouse. They would never live together as a family again. There they would remain until June of 1924.
Canada
It was considered by the guardians in 1923 to send Ralf and Archie to Canada alone. When you entered the workhouse you forfeited your rights to your children. If they had immigrated the two boy's alone in all probability Annie would have had no say and no knowledge of it. The boys would have “vanished” from her life, their whereabouts kept from her. The boys also would not have been told what happened to the rest of their family, a fate suffered by many home children. Then, on 16th March 1924 ,Annie was admitted to the infirmary at the Workhouse, ill with flu and a nervous break down.
On June 18th of 1924, Annie and the children were placed together aboard the Ship Ausonia, under care of the Salvation Army, with passage paid by the Kington Board of Guardians. Though their mother was to be on the same ship, the children were considered Home Children. They underwent medical tests at the Kington Union Workhouse just prior to their departure. Annie was separated from her children on this voyage with the exception of the youngest child Olive June. They arrived in Canada on June 27th of 1924, Olive Junes 2nd birthday. They were taken to the Salvation Army's Sheltering home, Clinton Lodge in Toronto, Ontario. Annie was processed for work and the children, with the exception of Sidney and Archie who were situated in an orphanage under care of the Children's Aid Society in Oshawa, were placed in Foster Homes. Eventually the 4 children in foster care were adopted, but the children in the orphanage were not. The Children's Aid Society wrote to Annie in February of 1925 telling her that Sidney was having problems and that they would not be able to place him. They asked that Annie come and get him as he really needed his mother. Annie did, taking Archie as well. By March of that year she had taken the boys and headed to West. Soon after, she marrried Jesse James Rule and would have two more children with him. Annie and Jesse would raise the 4 children on his homestead property just outside of McCord, Saskatchewan. Our family have wondered if she was looking for her husband when she first went back out west. There is evidence that she searched for him when she first arrived in Canada.
William's Fate
There were many rumors about what fate William had suffered after he left the family. The theory that he had sold their belongings and had been murdered for the money was one. When I retrieved his records from Barnardo Homes, they contained letters written between them and William in 1945. Through those letters we were able to trace him to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
What ever the reason was that he left the family, William's final years were spent (in my opinion) as a broken man. There is no evidence that he ever remarried or had any more children. He was a pauper, wandering from place to place. William was ill. When he contacted the Barnardo offices, he was seeking a copy of his birth certificate so that he could apply for his pension (often very difficult to obtain in those days). Not knowing his true age, William was under the impression he was about 69 years old at this time. I wonder what his thoughts were when he found out he was only 67 and he had to wait another couple of years before applying for pension.
In April of 1948 William was ill and admitted to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. He was just 2 months past his 70th birthday and, therefore, 2 months past the qualifying age for the pension. On April 15, 1948, William left this world the same way he arrived in Canada. Alone. Nobody there to love or care for him. Nobody to mourn him. Nobody to comfort him in his final days.
He was buried by the City of Edmonton in a communal unmarked pauper grave in the St. Joachim's Cemetery in downtown Edmonton. For 60 year's William laid in his unmarked grave, unclaimed. Not one person in all those years had even called to inquire about him. But, on April 15th 2008, (60 years to the day of his death) , I called the Holy Cross Office to inquire about the William Cheesman buried there and what they told me that day will haunt me forever.
In 1948 when you were buried under these circumstances your were quite often placed in a communal grave, which means he is buried with a number of other souls. Quite often, where there was a still born birth, these children were placed into one of these graves. William was given 6 stillborn babies with whom to share his eternal rest In life, William had lost his 6 children: Archie, Ralf, Gwen, Mary, Sidney and Olive June. In death he was given 6 children to watch over.
Conclusion
The tragedy of a Home Child is not only what happened to them once they were taken in by the sheltering homes. It is also the suffering endured in their lives which caused them to reach that point in the first place. Yet, the greatest tragedy was what many suffered afterward, lacking the fundamental life skills taught in loving homes. This suffering rebounds for generations to follow. My grandfather through the Barnardo Homes was given a chance for a new life, but what good was that chance when he did not have the fundamental understanding and knowledge to know how to use that new life? In October of 2008, I along with another of his grandchildren, Murray Cheesman visited William's grave in Edmonton, the first descendants to be there. Just prior to this visit, my mother Olive June (renamed Muriel Olive after her adoption), William and Annie's last surviving child had claimed her father and had a marker placed on his grave. She understands and forgives him for leaving her. Through this understanding and forgiveness, she has finally, at 86 years of age, found peace in her life and truly is in a better place.
We will never know or understand why he left his wife and family, but as a member of the descendants he would never know, I forgive him too. I grieve for that young child, orphaned and forced onto the streets and for that boy placed on that ship and brought into a strange country. He would never know what had become of his siblings. He would never see them again. I grieve for his lack of a loving home, kind words, education and nurturing which we all as children, need and deserve. These are basic things which would be unthinkable to live without today. I grieve for my mother and her brothers & sisters for what they had to endure. For the years they spent in the horrible environment of the Workhouse, for the separation they endured from their mother, the loss of their father, the loss of each other and the resulting burdens they have carried in their hearts and souls all their lives.
Yet it is only through knowledge and understanding that we can forgive and lay the suffering to rest.
