Annie Emily Gevaux
A Letter from Hazel Brae
On February 25 1906, fraternal twins were born to Joseph Alfred John Gevaux and his wife Annie Beatrice Jackson. These children were named James Thomas and Annie Emily Gevaux. Their parent Joseph and Annie seemed to have everything going for them when they married in Bermuda in 1897, but in quick succession seven children were born to them in eight years. Thomas and Annie's older sibling were Joseph Albert John Jr, Florence Julie Joan, Frank Reginald, Alexandra May and Albert Robert. The young couple found themselves with nine mouths to feed.
Joseph, retired from the Royal Marines with testimonies that all spoke of his virtues--intelligent, honest, reliable, etc. The Prudential Insurance Company hired him and promoted him to their branch office in Guildford, a pretty little town in Surrey. Unfortunately, his salary of less than three pounds a week was inadequate for his family's needs, and he began to place bets with customer's premiums.Forces of destruction were overtaking him. With all those mouths to feed on three pounds a week, desperation may have led him into gambling away some of the firm's funds. By the time his little game was discovered, he had stolen over eighty pounds. As a gambler he no doubt believed one big win would pay back the losses.
One Saturday morning in August, Joseph made his way into London. There he visited his step mother Annie Ross. He might have been hoping that she would help him out of the serious trouble he had got himself into despite the fact they were not very close. Soon after she became the second wife of his father, Joseph Alfred John joined the Royal Marines. Annie Ross was much closer to her own children. Joseph's father, Joseph Alfred Gevaux , had died a few years earlier, and couldn't be appealed to. Annie had her own draper's shop, and was successful at it but tight-fisted. If he did make an appeal to her and she turned him down, he may have felt he could not return to Guildford where a warrant was out for his arrest. Instead he felt compelled to leave England immediately and escape punishment. His wife may have suffered even more if he had been sent to prison. It would have been intolerable for her to became known as a convict's wife. People were very cruel in those days.
There was an old family story of the golden sovereigns he supposedly left on the kitchen table. It is thought by family members to be apocryphal, or wishful thinking. If he didn't initially intend to leave his family, why would he leave them gold pieces? It's more likely that when he left he was almost penniless. A gambler with gold coins in his pocket would have been unable to resist throwing them into one last foolish gamble. According to the Barnardo papers, his wife was left with only ten shillings and sixpence.
Unable to care for her children, Annie placed the four youngest, Alexandra 4 years old, Albert 2 years old and her nine month old twins Annie and Thomas into the care of the Dr. Barnardo Homes. The older children stayed with her. The year was 1906. Annie kept in constant contact with Barnardo's for the first few years, requesting v.o.'s (visiting orders to see her children in their foster parents' homes), sent them cards, letters, even a little money although she herself was living way beyond the edge of poverty. Sometimes she didn't have money to buy a ticket for the complicated train journey, and had to borrow it.
On September 23 1921, fifteen year old Annie Emily arrived in Canada. She was brought here by the Dr. Barnardo Homes aboard the Minnedosa. Annie would be the only one of her siblings to come to Canada, she had actually volunteered for emigration. She said she wasn't going to stay in England and be somebody's servant. In fact, in Canada Annie had a fulfilling and eventful life.
Annie would come to Hazle Brae in Peterborough, Ontario. There was a camaraderie at Hazel Brae which seemed very nice. Annie was an intelligent girl who had received a pretty good education from Barnardo's--she'd been with them since she was 9 months old, boarded out until 14, and then returned to Barkingside for training as a parlor maid. She would keep in close contact with her friends and family back in England, writing many letters.
In October of 1921 Annie wrote to the Governor at the Girls Village, Barkingside:
Margaret Cox House
Hazel Brae
Peterborough, Ontario
October 7, 1921
Dear Madam:
As I am busy writing letters I thought perhaps you may like to hear from me. We are still at Hazel Brae because diphtheria has broken out among us. Ruth Millerick and Alice Chappel are in a hospital nearby, and Nora Millerick is in our own infirmary. There are ten other girls whose swabs are positive and if the rest of the girls' swabs are negative we are going to our service places. We have not seen much of Mr. and Mrs. Hobday because, we being isolated, they have kept at Toronto. Mrs. Hobday is lovely; she is exactly like a mother to us, and I am sure all the girls love her.
We had two lots of Canadian ice cream, and it is lovely. When Colonel and Mrs. Carless came to see us, the Colonel told us to line up for a dose of 'castor oil,' and we pulled awful faces. I should like you to have been here and seen the difference in our faces when he gave us the dose, for it was Canadian ice cream. The Colonel also had one and he made out he didn't like it, but at any rate he soon ate it. Yesterday we had some races, and I won a prize for high jump; it was a lovely necklace. We really have a nice time here. When Mr. and Mrs. Hoday and Mr. and Mrs. Carless came to see us, we had a concert and several people sent us things such as apples, oranges, chocolates, and cakes. some of the girls did some dances, which Mrs. Gilling had taught them at school.
The Colonel said they were very good, and we all enjoyed that evening very much. We are all patiently waiting for Mrs. Hobday to come back, when we shall be quite happy. Will you kindly remember me to Miss Macnaughton, and kindest regards to yourself.
I remain,
Yours Truly,
Annie Gevaux
The Governor's reply
4th November, 1921
Dear Annie,
I was very glad to hear from you, but very sorry to hear that diphtheria has kept you at Hazel Brae and that you have not gone into your new home yet. However,by now I expect you have gone out. I wonder where you are, and hope very much that you are happy in your new home. Of course, Mrs. Hobday will always do anything she can for you. I am so glad that you like her so much. I shall be very glad to hear how you get on in your new place. You seem to have had a very gay time on the voyage, in spite of the fact that it was rough and many of you were sea-sick.
I am sure you will do your best to get on well in the new country, and not forget all that you have been taught in the Village here. I shall watch with great interest to see how you all do in your different homes. With every good wish.
Yours sincerely,
Governor
Miss Annie Gevaux
Margaret Cox Home
Peterborough
Ontario, Canada
Joseph, retired from the Royal Marines with testimonies that all spoke of his virtues--intelligent, honest, reliable, etc. The Prudential Insurance Company hired him and promoted him to their branch office in Guildford, a pretty little town in Surrey. Unfortunately, his salary of less than three pounds a week was inadequate for his family's needs, and he began to place bets with customer's premiums.Forces of destruction were overtaking him. With all those mouths to feed on three pounds a week, desperation may have led him into gambling away some of the firm's funds. By the time his little game was discovered, he had stolen over eighty pounds. As a gambler he no doubt believed one big win would pay back the losses.
One Saturday morning in August, Joseph made his way into London. There he visited his step mother Annie Ross. He might have been hoping that she would help him out of the serious trouble he had got himself into despite the fact they were not very close. Soon after she became the second wife of his father, Joseph Alfred John joined the Royal Marines. Annie Ross was much closer to her own children. Joseph's father, Joseph Alfred Gevaux , had died a few years earlier, and couldn't be appealed to. Annie had her own draper's shop, and was successful at it but tight-fisted. If he did make an appeal to her and she turned him down, he may have felt he could not return to Guildford where a warrant was out for his arrest. Instead he felt compelled to leave England immediately and escape punishment. His wife may have suffered even more if he had been sent to prison. It would have been intolerable for her to became known as a convict's wife. People were very cruel in those days.
There was an old family story of the golden sovereigns he supposedly left on the kitchen table. It is thought by family members to be apocryphal, or wishful thinking. If he didn't initially intend to leave his family, why would he leave them gold pieces? It's more likely that when he left he was almost penniless. A gambler with gold coins in his pocket would have been unable to resist throwing them into one last foolish gamble. According to the Barnardo papers, his wife was left with only ten shillings and sixpence.
Unable to care for her children, Annie placed the four youngest, Alexandra 4 years old, Albert 2 years old and her nine month old twins Annie and Thomas into the care of the Dr. Barnardo Homes. The older children stayed with her. The year was 1906. Annie kept in constant contact with Barnardo's for the first few years, requesting v.o.'s (visiting orders to see her children in their foster parents' homes), sent them cards, letters, even a little money although she herself was living way beyond the edge of poverty. Sometimes she didn't have money to buy a ticket for the complicated train journey, and had to borrow it.
On September 23 1921, fifteen year old Annie Emily arrived in Canada. She was brought here by the Dr. Barnardo Homes aboard the Minnedosa. Annie would be the only one of her siblings to come to Canada, she had actually volunteered for emigration. She said she wasn't going to stay in England and be somebody's servant. In fact, in Canada Annie had a fulfilling and eventful life.
Annie would come to Hazle Brae in Peterborough, Ontario. There was a camaraderie at Hazel Brae which seemed very nice. Annie was an intelligent girl who had received a pretty good education from Barnardo's--she'd been with them since she was 9 months old, boarded out until 14, and then returned to Barkingside for training as a parlor maid. She would keep in close contact with her friends and family back in England, writing many letters.
In October of 1921 Annie wrote to the Governor at the Girls Village, Barkingside:
Margaret Cox House
Hazel Brae
Peterborough, Ontario
October 7, 1921
Dear Madam:
As I am busy writing letters I thought perhaps you may like to hear from me. We are still at Hazel Brae because diphtheria has broken out among us. Ruth Millerick and Alice Chappel are in a hospital nearby, and Nora Millerick is in our own infirmary. There are ten other girls whose swabs are positive and if the rest of the girls' swabs are negative we are going to our service places. We have not seen much of Mr. and Mrs. Hobday because, we being isolated, they have kept at Toronto. Mrs. Hobday is lovely; she is exactly like a mother to us, and I am sure all the girls love her.
We had two lots of Canadian ice cream, and it is lovely. When Colonel and Mrs. Carless came to see us, the Colonel told us to line up for a dose of 'castor oil,' and we pulled awful faces. I should like you to have been here and seen the difference in our faces when he gave us the dose, for it was Canadian ice cream. The Colonel also had one and he made out he didn't like it, but at any rate he soon ate it. Yesterday we had some races, and I won a prize for high jump; it was a lovely necklace. We really have a nice time here. When Mr. and Mrs. Hoday and Mr. and Mrs. Carless came to see us, we had a concert and several people sent us things such as apples, oranges, chocolates, and cakes. some of the girls did some dances, which Mrs. Gilling had taught them at school.
The Colonel said they were very good, and we all enjoyed that evening very much. We are all patiently waiting for Mrs. Hobday to come back, when we shall be quite happy. Will you kindly remember me to Miss Macnaughton, and kindest regards to yourself.
I remain,
Yours Truly,
Annie Gevaux
The Governor's reply
4th November, 1921
Dear Annie,
I was very glad to hear from you, but very sorry to hear that diphtheria has kept you at Hazel Brae and that you have not gone into your new home yet. However,by now I expect you have gone out. I wonder where you are, and hope very much that you are happy in your new home. Of course, Mrs. Hobday will always do anything she can for you. I am so glad that you like her so much. I shall be very glad to hear how you get on in your new place. You seem to have had a very gay time on the voyage, in spite of the fact that it was rough and many of you were sea-sick.
I am sure you will do your best to get on well in the new country, and not forget all that you have been taught in the Village here. I shall watch with great interest to see how you all do in your different homes. With every good wish.
Yours sincerely,
Governor
Miss Annie Gevaux
Margaret Cox Home
Peterborough
Ontario, Canada
Annie's first Barnardo's Visitor's Report
In November 1921, Annie was placed with the Morton family in Dundas. Her responsibilities were mother's helper and companion to a 3 year old little girl. In Annie's record package retrieved by her great niece Stephanie Grant Duke, were 10 Visitor's Reports and copies of a dozen letters. Annie had wrote to various friends in England. They are happy letters, written 82+ years ago telling of of her delight in being in Canada, of being treated equally and with respect, of motoring trips to Niagara Falls and the Mountains, of the Mortons teaching her to skate and ski, and other good times. It was Annie's good luck to go to the Mortons. Six months earlier, she was a household drudge in a cottage at Barnardo's Girls' Village, Barkingside, cooking for 18 children and the housemother, and scrubbing stone and wooden floors on her hands and knees every day to keep them "snow white" as she once told her niece.
Her first visitor's report from the Dr. Barnardo Homes
NAME: Annie E. Gevaux
PRESENT AGE: 16
PARTY September 1921.
NAME OF EMPLOYER: Mrs. Clifford Morton, Jr.
POSTAL ADDRESS: Uplands, Governor's Road, Dundas
GENERAL HEALTH, APPEARANCE, AND CLOTHING:
Neatly dressed, clothes good. Tall, dark girl, well developed.
Attractive appearance.
WORK, PROGRESS AND BEHAVIOR:
Very satisfactory-nice mannered-refined girl
TREATMENT BY EMPLOYER AND MEMBERS OF FAMILY;
As a maid - kindly
ATTENDANCE AT CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL;
Attends church and Sunday School regularly
ATTENDANCE AND PROGRESS AT DAY SCHOOL
Blank [Annie at 16 was not required to attend school]
CHARACTER OF THE HOME AS INDICATED BY
GENERAL APPEARANCE OF HOUSE AND SURROUNDINGS:
Mrs. Morton helps with all work. Very nice home-large house-Two
adults-one child.
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS:
Own room - very nice- lock but no key.
NAMES AND ADDRESS OF CORRESPONDENTS WHEN LAST WRITTEN TO:
Mother: Mrs. Gevaux, 17 Hill Place, Guildford, Surrey, England.
TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT EXISTING OR CONCLUDED BY VISITOR:
$15.00
GENERAL REMARKS:
Annie is very happy here and is doing well. Mrs. Morton speaks very
highly of her efforts, and hopes to keep her for some time. Annie wishes to
give $5 to Memorial Fund from her Trust Fund.
On Annie's first visitor's Report, F.L.M. Sharp wrote in the box marked Sleeping Arrangements, "Own room-very nice--lock but no key." The date was March 27, 1922. On the second report dated August 31, 1922, F.L.M.Sharp wrote, ""Very nice room. Tidily kept. Lock and key." The Mortons had complied with Barnardo's lock and key requirement. There were concerns even in those days about abuse of these children. In March 1998 Barnardo's presented a memorandum to a British House of Commons Committee hearing presentations on the history of child emigration.
Section 2.2.6 states: Barnardo's established a small team of workers and an Advisory Committee in Canada. Children were visited and foster homes inspected on an annual basis. There clearly was some abuse of children and efforts were made to counter such concerns as early as 1889 when Miss Stent, Honorary Secretary of the Girls Village Home, was sent to the Girls Home in Canada to try to devise safeguards for Barnardo's wards, requiring employers to provide chaperons and locks to be fitted to bedroom doors and windows.
Her first visitor's report from the Dr. Barnardo Homes
NAME: Annie E. Gevaux
PRESENT AGE: 16
PARTY September 1921.
NAME OF EMPLOYER: Mrs. Clifford Morton, Jr.
POSTAL ADDRESS: Uplands, Governor's Road, Dundas
GENERAL HEALTH, APPEARANCE, AND CLOTHING:
Neatly dressed, clothes good. Tall, dark girl, well developed.
Attractive appearance.
WORK, PROGRESS AND BEHAVIOR:
Very satisfactory-nice mannered-refined girl
TREATMENT BY EMPLOYER AND MEMBERS OF FAMILY;
As a maid - kindly
ATTENDANCE AT CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL;
Attends church and Sunday School regularly
ATTENDANCE AND PROGRESS AT DAY SCHOOL
Blank [Annie at 16 was not required to attend school]
CHARACTER OF THE HOME AS INDICATED BY
GENERAL APPEARANCE OF HOUSE AND SURROUNDINGS:
Mrs. Morton helps with all work. Very nice home-large house-Two
adults-one child.
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS:
Own room - very nice- lock but no key.
NAMES AND ADDRESS OF CORRESPONDENTS WHEN LAST WRITTEN TO:
Mother: Mrs. Gevaux, 17 Hill Place, Guildford, Surrey, England.
TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT EXISTING OR CONCLUDED BY VISITOR:
$15.00
GENERAL REMARKS:
Annie is very happy here and is doing well. Mrs. Morton speaks very
highly of her efforts, and hopes to keep her for some time. Annie wishes to
give $5 to Memorial Fund from her Trust Fund.
On Annie's first visitor's Report, F.L.M. Sharp wrote in the box marked Sleeping Arrangements, "Own room-very nice--lock but no key." The date was March 27, 1922. On the second report dated August 31, 1922, F.L.M.Sharp wrote, ""Very nice room. Tidily kept. Lock and key." The Mortons had complied with Barnardo's lock and key requirement. There were concerns even in those days about abuse of these children. In March 1998 Barnardo's presented a memorandum to a British House of Commons Committee hearing presentations on the history of child emigration.
Section 2.2.6 states: Barnardo's established a small team of workers and an Advisory Committee in Canada. Children were visited and foster homes inspected on an annual basis. There clearly was some abuse of children and efforts were made to counter such concerns as early as 1889 when Miss Stent, Honorary Secretary of the Girls Village Home, was sent to the Girls Home in Canada to try to devise safeguards for Barnardo's wards, requiring employers to provide chaperons and locks to be fitted to bedroom doors and windows.
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"A splendid and capable girl"
description of Annie on a Visitor's Report in 1923. In 1940 Annie married Richard Henry Lear Dinsmore. Annie and Richard would have no children. Annie had lived a fulfilling and happy life. She had become a nurse. In 1937 she had sailed home in style aboard the Queen Mary for the Coronation of Geo VI and Elizabeth. By all accounts she was happy. Richard passed away in 1962, Annie in 1978.
I (Lori Oschefski) pieced together this biography in 2012 from on line notes made by Annie's great niece Stephanie Grant Duke. Stephanie loved to write and was keenly interested in Annie and her British Home Child history.
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The Girls in the Letter
In her letter to the Governor at the Girls Village, Barkingside Annie mentions Ruth and Nora Millerick and Alice Chappel. All three of these girls along with Alice had traveled together aboard the Minnedosa in 1921. Their names all appear on the Hazelbrae Barnardo Home Memorial for that year.
Nora, Ruth and Frank Millerick
Nora, Ruth and Frank were all the children on Frank George Millerick and his wife Mary Elizabeth Baker. Nora and Ruth were twins. They also had several other siblings which included Mary Alice and Kathleen. It is not know what happened in this family which caused these children to be placed in care, but this branch of the family tree never seemed to do well financially. On September 28th, 1921 Ruth and Nora arrived in Canada, brought by the Dr. Barnardo Homes. The girls would be taken to the Hazelbrae Home in Peterborough, Ontario. Their father is listed on their immigration as their next of kin. It is not known at this time where these girls were place.
Nora married Ray Kilmer and had at least one child, Ruth Kilmer on June 20 1936 in St. Thomas, Ontario. Ruth Kilmer passed away on May 25, 1963 in Toronto. Nora lost her husband in 1951. She passed away on March 9, 2002 in St. Thomas, Ontario.
Ruth married Arthur Pritchard on November 30 1929 at the age of 17. Witness to this marriage was her sister Nora who was not yet married. It is not known at this point if Ruth and Arthur had children.
On April 19 1924 their brother Frank also arrived in Canada, brought by the Dr. Barnardo Homes. He was aboard the HMS Montclare. It is not known at this time where he was taken but we do know at some point Frank would return to England. He was married on April 19, 1924 to Agnes Bristow. It is likely they had children. Frank enlisted in the Navy and lost his life on November 16 1940 when the HMS Swordfish he was serving as a Stoker aboard, sunk in the English Chanel. Frank is memorialized on the beautiful Chatham Naval Memorial in Medway, Kent, England.
His Commonwealth War Grave record reads: Casualty Details Name: MILLERICK, FRANK FREDERICK Initials: F F Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Stoker 1st Class Regiment/Service: Royal Navy Unit Text: H.M. Submarine Swordfish Age: 32 Date of Death: 16/11/1940 Service No: C/KX 79882 Additional information: Son of Frank Frederick and Mary Elizabeth Millerick; husband of Agnes Elizabeth Millerick, of Hastings, Sussex. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 38, 2.Memorial: CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
I also found that the oldest sister Mary Alice Elizabeth Millerick went to Canada in Aug 1925. Her passage was assisted by the Ontario government, and she went as a landed immigrant, intending to be a domestic. She married in Canada on April 11 1928 to George Ayling.
Also at some point their father Frank George would also come to Canada. He would return to England in 1954 and passed away in 1963 in Sussex.
Nora married Ray Kilmer and had at least one child, Ruth Kilmer on June 20 1936 in St. Thomas, Ontario. Ruth Kilmer passed away on May 25, 1963 in Toronto. Nora lost her husband in 1951. She passed away on March 9, 2002 in St. Thomas, Ontario.
Ruth married Arthur Pritchard on November 30 1929 at the age of 17. Witness to this marriage was her sister Nora who was not yet married. It is not known at this point if Ruth and Arthur had children.
On April 19 1924 their brother Frank also arrived in Canada, brought by the Dr. Barnardo Homes. He was aboard the HMS Montclare. It is not known at this time where he was taken but we do know at some point Frank would return to England. He was married on April 19, 1924 to Agnes Bristow. It is likely they had children. Frank enlisted in the Navy and lost his life on November 16 1940 when the HMS Swordfish he was serving as a Stoker aboard, sunk in the English Chanel. Frank is memorialized on the beautiful Chatham Naval Memorial in Medway, Kent, England.
His Commonwealth War Grave record reads: Casualty Details Name: MILLERICK, FRANK FREDERICK Initials: F F Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Stoker 1st Class Regiment/Service: Royal Navy Unit Text: H.M. Submarine Swordfish Age: 32 Date of Death: 16/11/1940 Service No: C/KX 79882 Additional information: Son of Frank Frederick and Mary Elizabeth Millerick; husband of Agnes Elizabeth Millerick, of Hastings, Sussex. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 38, 2.Memorial: CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
I also found that the oldest sister Mary Alice Elizabeth Millerick went to Canada in Aug 1925. Her passage was assisted by the Ontario government, and she went as a landed immigrant, intending to be a domestic. She married in Canada on April 11 1928 to George Ayling.
Also at some point their father Frank George would also come to Canada. He would return to England in 1954 and passed away in 1963 in Sussex.
Frank's name on the Chatham Naval Memorial
provided by Mark Power, Kent, England
provided by Mark Power, Kent, England
The Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent, England
photo taken by Lori Oschefski July 2011
photo taken by Lori Oschefski July 2011
Alice Maud Chappel
Alice also came aboard the HMS
Minnedosa in 1921. At this time her mother was still living and listed as her next of kin on Alice's immigration record. Mrs. Chappel was residing in London, England. Announced in a Peterborough newspaper was the June 6 1924 marriage of Alice Chappel of Hull, Yorkshire, England and Walter Eggleton of the Village of Omemee, County of Victoria, Ontario. They were married at the Anglican Cathedral Holy Trinity church in Quebec, Canada.
please click on photo for larger view
Web Links
THE GEVAUX/GRANT PAPERS
blog written by Stephanie Grant Duke
British Home Children's Mailing List
written by Stephanie Grant Duke
Dear Stephanie/Dear Paul
book written by Stephanie Grand Duke
Gevaux Family Website
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission record for Frank Millerick
The Kent History Forum
