George Edgar Beals and Edith/Edythe Mary Wallace - Timelines/Facts

Date George Edgar Beals - Fact or Comment
8/24/1881 George Edgar born in Grand Valley[25] (also called E.Luther), Dufferin Co, ONT, to Robert and Mary Jane Beals [59].  For some unknown reason, George and other family members consistently reported 1882 as his birth year [17] [19] [20].
9/29/1891
 George's sister Eleanor Beatrice born in Grand Valley [60]; George Edgar was 10. [20]
1/20/1892 George's grandmother Ann Beals died in Grand Valley. [116] [112]
c.1894 George's grandfather George Fletcher Beals lived with them in East Luther Township - three generations in one household. [136]
c.1896 George's father Robert moved the family (presumably including George's grandfather) to Point Edward, a suburb of Sarnia, Ontario; George was 15. [133]
8/25/1898 Brother Charles Richard born in Sarnia; George Edgar was 17. [20] [51a] [95].
[BWB: unable to locate a birth registration.]
c.1898-1901
 The family moved to Pt. Edward (suburb of Sarnia), to Victoria St. [98b]
3/31/1901 The Robert Beals family is listed in ONT Census[20], Pt.Edward Village (suburb of Sarnia[26]), Lambton Co.; GEB was 19 and worked as a baker.  George Edgar's grandfather, George Fletcher Beals, was also living with them.
c.1901 Moved to Port Huron MI [62].  [Date based on 1910 MI Census[18], where George reported he'd been in US since 1901.]
Date Edith/Edythe Mary Wallace - Fact or Comment
10/28/1874 Born to William and Mary Anne Wallace in Yattendon, Berkshire Co., ENG [15].
[BWB: Born in England [16] in 1873 according to her son Laverne Wallace Beals, but I believe he was a year off on her birth year.  This is not surprizing as Edythe reported her age inconsistently from age 25 onward.]
William Wallace's parental family were listed in the 1851 census [123]
c.4/1881
 Yattendon Census [89] lists the family, including Edith's brother Henry (12), and sisters Agnes F. (14, who was living in a neighbor's home - probably as a servant), Rose Annie (8), and Isabella Ellen (2).
Another sister, Amelia, was born Nov 3, 1881.[anc]
5/30/1883-
6/16/1883
 A William Wallace stayed two weeks in the Bradfield Union Workhouse in Newbury, Berkshire. [297]  This could be Edith's father, or it could be a 13yo cousin, son of her Uncle George.
12/26/1883
 Edith's father, William, died at age 42 in Ashamstead (where they were now living), of an aneurysm of the aorta.  [258]


6/3/1884
 Edith (9-1/2) and her two younger sisters Isabella (6) and Amelia (2-1/2) were admitted to the Bradfield Union Workhouse, Newbury, Berkshire -- for what would eventually be a stay of over three years.

[BWB:  While the Admission records have been lost, one might surmise that after the death of her husband, Mary Anne had difficulty surviving and therefore could no longer provide for the children.  Note that the three older children were 18-12 and would be expected to get a job, or go out on their own -- and therefore require little/no support from their mother.  William's brother George probably wasn't in a position to help, as he was just a farm laborer and had 8 children of his own to support .]

6/15/1885
 Edith's mother, Mary Anne, died at age 40, of pneumonia following an abscess. [259]  Edith was only 10 years old, and her siblings ranged in age from 19 to 3-1/2 years old.
None of the children acted as "Informant" for Mary's death registration.

1884-1887
 [BWB:  While the girls would have received food and shelter, their existance here was likely miserable.  Other "inmates" couldn't be relied on to be supportive -- it's recorded that "Mr Garland explained the importance of the Guardians doing all that was possible to keep young girls from contact with the able-bodied women which experience was shewn to be very prejudicial to their wellbeing."
Adult "inmates" (likely those 12 and older) were expected (forced) to work.]


8/3/1887		 Edith, 12-1/2, and her two younger sisters Isabella, 9, and Amelia, 5-1/2, were removed from the Workhouse and taken to the Childrens Emigration Home on St. Lukes Road, Birmingham by prior arrangement between the Trustees of the Workhouse and Dr. John T. Middlemore, along with 10 other children. 

Middlemore operated one of the many schemes to send orphan and unwanted children to Canada.  The thinking of the time was that agricultural, rural Canada would provide a better life for children than the overcrowded slums of the industrial cities of England, e.g., Birmingham.  Fortunately, Dr. Middlemore was noted for 'good' placements with foster parents.  Many other children, at the whims of other operators of Home Children emigration, experienced abusive foster parents, multiple foster families, ran away, etc.  There were many 'scandals' !!

Note that Edith's age was understated by a year; Isabella's by two years.

8/5/1887 - 8/15/1887
 The group of 13 children removed from the Workhouse, along with 9 others, were shipped from England to Canada, escorted by a Mr. Price, and arrived at Quebec.  On arrival, they went to Middlemore's Guthrie Home in London, Ontario for placement.  (Their ship's name and passenger list have not been located.)  [296]

(On her death certificate in 1946, her son Laverne said she immigrated to Canada 60 years prior - or 1886 [16].  He also gave her birth year as 1873, not 1874.  Perhaps he was told she immigrated at age 13... so being off by a year on one date caused the other to be off by a year as well.)

8/27/1887
 Edith was placed with the John S. Macrault family of Strathroy Ontario -- where she stayed until age 19.  [296a]

The Guthrie Home tracked the progress of children by visiting each home once a year until they were 21 years of age (or an earlier marriage) -- in Edith's case, to 1895.

Isabella was placed with the J.W.Ferrier family of Springfield, South Dorchester Twp, Elgin County, Ontario -- where she stayed until she married at age 17 to a Jesse Koyle of Springfield, in 1895 and bore at least three children, all boys.  The family moved to St. Thomas before 1919, where she died in 1951.

Amelia was placed with the Richard White family of Bothwell, Ontario -- staying at least until age 21, in 1902.  She married James Outhouse of Thamesville (SW of Bothwell a short distance) in 1905 and bore 4 girls and one boy.  She died of a ruptured appendix in 1928.

[BWB: For more information on Isabella and Amelia, see the Epilog section for their parents William and Mary Wallace.]
c.4/1891
 The Ontario Census lists Edith as a domestic servant living in the home of the John S. Macrault family in Strathroy ONT. [90] 
Age is understated by a year.
c.1894
 After tensions arose over Edith(19) wanting to "stay out at night", Edith left and subsequently found a position with the Dr. and Mrs. Thompson family of Strathroy.
(Since yearly visits by personnel of the Guthrie Home ceased when Edith turned 21 in 1895, don't know how long Edith stayed with this family.)
c.4/1901 1901 ONT Census for Strathroy lists Edith residing with the Hugh McColl family, as their domestic servant. [91]  Mr. McColl was editor of the local newspaper for a time, and was postmaster during this period [181].

The John S. Macrault family apparently had left Strathroy and is enumerated as living in Ekfrid Twp, Middlesex County, Ontario (a township immediately adjacent to Strathroy-Caradoc Twp). 
c.1879-1901
 There was another Wallace family in Strathroy, but relationship to Edith, if any, is unknown. [97] [123] [140]
Date George Edgar and Edythe Mary Beals - Fact or Comment
10/28/1902 George and Edythe married in Strathroy, Middlesex Co, Ont [62] [18] at the residence of Hugh McColl (her employer), by the Rev. D. Dack [96], witnessed by Thomas Blake of Sarnia, ONT (some sources say Port Huron MI) and Edythe's youngest sister, Amelia Wallace of Bothwell ONT. [285] 
Edythe signed the Baptist Church's marriage register as "Edythe", the first record we have of her using this spelling.
She said she was 24yo; she was really 28!  George said he was 22; he was really 21 (and if one uses a birth year of 1882 as the family seems to have done, then he would have been only 20!).
abt. 1903
 George and Edythe moved to Algonac MI, based on not finding any Beals in the 1904 and 1906 Pt. Huron City Directories.
1/1/1905 George's grandfather, George Fletcher Beals, died in Point Edward ONT and was interred in Grand Valley two days later.  [133]  [218]  [53]
ca. 1906
 George had a bakery on Water St. at Pleasant St., Algonac MI.  [311]  [338]  [367-68]
4/22/1908 Son Laverne Wallace Beals born[1], delivered by midwife[2]; probably at home.  He was the only child of the marriage.
4/1910 GEB family listed in US Census[18], in Algonac Village, Clay Twp, St.Clair Co, MI.  US Census data probably understates her age by 7-8 years.
Late 1910?
 Moved to Sarnia, with both home and bakery at 271 Devine St., a high-visibility, corner location.  [98j-m]
c.1913
 Lived and had his bakery at 151 Mitton St. [98n-s], which was next door to his father's shoemaker's shop.
4/16/1913
 George and Edythe were witnesses at the wedding [pix, 368c] of his sister Eleanor Beals, 21, to Thomas Lesly Lane, 31, a widowed farmer from Blenheim, Kent Co, ONT (60 miles south of Sarnia and south-east of Chatham, near Lake Erie), by Rev. Richard Weaver, at the reverend's home in Sarnia. [64]
[BWB: based on 1901 census online, Rev. Weaver was 63yo at this time.]
4/30/1914 George's father, Robert Beals, died in Sarnia ONT and interred 5/2 in Lakeview Cemetery, Sarnia. [105]
c.1914-1922
 Residence unknown..
[BWB: Did not find GEB listed in the 1914-15, 1918, or 1922 city directories for Sarnia, he is not listed in the 1920 Michigan census, I did not find him in the 1921 city directory for Pt. Huron, and did not find him listed in the 1920 or 1920-21 directories for Windsor.  Canada entered WWI in 1914... is this a factor?]
c.1922 Lived in Windsor, ONT [l7] at 736 Moy St. [99c].  Son Laverne would have been 14.
[BWB: a family story is that Laverne used to help out in the bake shop before school.]
c.1923
 Beals' Bakery at 1120 Wyandott St., a middle of the block storefront.  [99d-g]
[BWB: this is the first mention of the name Beals' Bakery.]
c.1924
 George's widowed mother Mary Jane Beals moved to Windsor, presumably moving in with the family. [92]
[event may have happened after the one below]
c.1924
 Beals' Bakery moved across the street, to 1119 Wyandott, a better, corner location. The family also lived there.  This building no longer exists, but the service garage noted in the city directory as being behind the store is still there.  George also had a second bakery at 109 Erie East at this time, but by 1926 it was no longer listed in the city directory. [99h-k]
c.1926
 Son Laverne listed in the city directory as a clerk at Beals' Bakery.  He would have been 18, and recently graduated from high school. [99l]
11/12/1930
 George's mother Mary Jane Beals died at George's home in Windsor [92] and interred 11/14 at Green Lawn MP, Rte 3/Huron Church Dr., Oldcastle, Ont.  [100]
- George's brother 'R. Charles Beals' lived in Port Huron MI at this time
- George's sister 'Mrs. E. Lane' lived in Almont, MI (about 40 miles west of Port Huron).
c.1932 George and Edythe moved to St.Thomas, ONT [99m & ff] [118a] [76]
Motivation for move is unknown [7].
1933-1939 George had a bake shop on Talbot, the main street, in St. Thomas, and George and Edythe lived in 3 different rental units near his shop. [118]  [119]
12/26/1938
 Son Laverne married in Windsor; George and Edythe did not attend the wedding or reception. [76] [120]
[BWB: In defense of the parents, it was wintertime and snow was on the ground, which would have made travel from St.Thomas difficult.  Also, a severe winter storm hit the area the next day; if forecast this may have cancelled travel plans.  And, of course, George had a bake shop to run in St. Thomas.]
2/1939 George stopped working as a baker, which he had done all his life. [l7]
c.7/1939 Moved back to Windsor, 911 Langlois St. [l7] [l18d]
[BWB: reason for moving back to Windsor might be better medical care there.]
10/27/1939 Died[l7] at Windsor Regional Hospital/Metropolitan Campus (was called Metropolitan General in 1939), 1995 Lens Ave., Windsor, Ontario; interred 10/30 at Green Lawn MP, Rte 3/Huron Church Dr., Oldcastle, Ont.  [101]  [369]
 
Date Edythe Mary Beals - Fact or Comment
7/12/1944
 Edythe's sister-in-law Eleanor (Beals) Lane died in Dryden, Michigan, and is buried there.
c.9/1946 Edythe lived at 965 Howard Ave, Windsor [16]
9/16/1946 Died[16] at Windsor Regional Hospital/Metropolitan Campus (was called Metropolitan General in 1946), 1995 Lens Ave., Windsor, Ontario; interred 9/19 at Green Lawn MP, Rte 3/Huron Church Dr., Oldcastle, Ont.  [102]

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