George William Edwards and Rose (née Gilday)

George William Edwards was born in September quarter 1878 in Claines, near Worcester. George married Rosalia Gilday (also known as Rose or Rose Annie) in December 1896 in the Worcester district. Rose was the daughter of James Gilday and Charlotte, and was born in Manchester in about 1879. She attended the ‘Protestant Dissentry Charity School’ - this should probably read Dissenters! George was a ‘Bootmaker sew round’  in 1901. The family emigrated on 18^th April 1907 from Liverpool on the Empress of Britain, arriving 27^th April at St John’s. New Brunswick. They gave their destination as Killarney (Manitoba), but by 1911, the family are settled not far away in Ninette, Manitoba. George is a labourer on the railroad, and Samuel is a labourer on a farm. Some further information on the Edwards stay in Ninette may be seen at http://www.ourroots.ca/e/toc.aspx?id=4917. George was the first full time school caretaker of Ninette School.  George is living within view of the Lions Mountains in Vancouver in 1961, and died on 5th Dec 1965, in Vancouver. Rose died later in 31^st May 1967 in Vancouver. George and Rose had two children Samuel H Edwards and Alyce Edwards, the latter may be spelled Alice. According to an obituary in the Winnipeg Free Press, George worked for 34 years for the CNR (railway) in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and moved to Vancouver after his retirement. This would put his work at 1909-1943, and his retirement in Vancouver 1943-1965.

Samuel H Edwards was born on 16^th Apr 1897 in Worcester. He  attested at Brandon on 27th June 1915, and his service started on the 1^st Sept 1915 in the 8th Battalion Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment). Residence of his parents at enlistment was Ninette, Manitoba.

His attestation (sign up) papers can be seen here : -

http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gpc003/310306a.gif  and http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gpc003/310306b.gif

Samuel sailed for England from Montreal on the SS Corsican on the 25th September 1915.

Samuel was killed in the large scale assault by Canadian forces at Vimy Ridge in France on 26th Sept 1916.

He was hit by a shell near Courcelette.

His death is recorded here 

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem/Detail&casualty=1567560

His parents are listed by this time in Vandura, Saskatchewan. 

His pay was sent to his sister Alice.

His service records indicated he twice lost his mess tin, was guilty of drunk and disorderly, and neglect of duty once.

Samuel's complete army record is now available here.

Alyce Edwards was born July qtr 1900 in Worcester, she married Frederick Porter on an unknown date and his fate is unknown. She was paraplegic. She died on 16^th May 1970 in Vancouver.

The family was buried in Section 2, Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver (though not Alyce’s husband). this includes a stone for Samuel

Samuel H Edwards	Ninette War Memorial	Alyce ( or Alice) Edwards in Vancouver
(probably) Tess (Theresa), Alyce, George and Rose Edwards		Alyce Porter, George and Rose (Rosalia) Edwards
Rose, Alyce, Florence

Edwin Albert Edwards                                    Emma Caroline Smith

Frederick James Edwards                         Richard Whateley Edwards        

Caroline Emma Edwards (mother)

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