Deseronto Archives

Edward Mckenney, a butcher, was conscripted in Kingston on this day in 1918. He was born in Richmond Township, Lennox and Addington County on March 20th, 1891 (he said 1893 on his form), the son of Edward Mckenney and Annie (née Leonard). By 1901 his father had died and Mckenney’s mother and her five children were living in Deseronto.

Mckenney joined the 1st Depot Battalion of the Eastern Ontario Regiment with the regimental number 3057016. He was five feet three inches tall, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair. His service record shows that he was demobilized on October 13th, 1918 and a medical board in Belleville determined that he was suffering from chronic bronchitis on October 28th.

In 1921 Edward was back working as a butcher in Deseronto, living with his mother in Brant Street.

On this day in 1918 Arthur Bull, a steamboat fireman, was conscripted in Kingston. He was born in Deseronto on January 3rd, 1896 (although he said 1898 on his draft paper), the son of Charles Bull and Augusta (née Gardner). By 1901 the family had moved to Trenton, which is where they were living when Arthur was drafted. His mother died in 1904.

Arthur joined the 1st Depot Battalion of the Eastern Ontario Regiment with the regimental number 3057037. He was five feet four inches tall, with a fair complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair. His service record shows that he originally left Halifax on the SS City of Vienna on June 28th, 1918. This ship hit rocks at Sambro Island on July 2nd, with all on board rescued. Arthur re-embarked on the SS Thongwa on July 10th, arriving in England on July 22nd.

Bull served in Seaford, England, with the 6th Canadian Reserve Battalion. He was in hospital in Eastbourne with influenza between October 20th and November 8th. He left Liverpool on the SS Belgic on June 21st, 1919 and was demobilized in Kingston on July 3rd. He married May Evelyn Brown on January 8th, 1921 in Toronto.

Ernest Wilmot Howard, a teamster, was conscripted in Kingston on this day in 1918. He was born in Deseronto on March 18th, 1896, the son of Henry Howard and Bertha (née Luffman). In 1914 Ernest was a member of the Deseronto Fire Team and had his photograph taken with the rest of the team by James Fairbairn. He married Marietta Bradshaw on August 17th, 1917 in Belleville.

Howard joined the 1st Depot Battalion of the Eastern Ontario Regiment with the regimental number 3056835. He was five feet eight inches tall, with a dark complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His service record shows that he served in Kingston with No. 3 Depot Field Battery and was demobilized with the rank of corporal on December 2nd, 1918.

In the 1921 census Ernest and Marietta were living in Oshawa with their two daughters, where he was working as a brakeman. He died in Oshawa on August 29th, 1961 and is buried in the Mount Lawn Cemetery in Whitby.

On this day in 1918 Charles Herbert Froste, a store-keeper, was conscripted in Kingston. He was born in Thurlow Township, Hastings County on August 14th, 1894, the son of Frederick Froste and Nancy (née Brooks). By 1901 the family were in Deseronto, where Frederick was working as an engineer. Charles was attending Deseronto Public School and has been identified as one of the boys in this school photograph, taken in around 1900 by James Fairbairn:

In 1911 Frederick was running a dry goods store in St. George Street, Deseronto. He died in 1913 and Charles took over the running of the store. He joined the 1st Depot Battalion of the Eastern Ontario Regiment with the regimental number 3056847. Froste was five feet nine and a half inches tall, with a dark complexion, blue eyes and brown hair.

Froste’s service record notes that he was admitted to hospital in Kingston on March 11th, suffering from deafness caused a narrowing of the eustachian tubes in his ears, caused by a bout of scarlet fever when he was a child. He was treated with politzerization and released a month later, with his condition improved. Froste was appointed Lance Corporal on May 6th, 1918. He served in Canada with the 3rd and 2nd Canadian Garrison Regiments.

Charles was demobilized in Toronto on February 4th, 1919. He married Gladys Gertrude Clokey, a bank clerk, in Toronto on June 8th, 1920. At the time of the 1921 census the couple were back in the store in Deseronto, with a young son.

Charles Frederick Dougherty, a shipping clerk, signed up in Ottawa on this day in 1918. He was born in Deseronto on December 6th, 1887, the son of John Dougherty and Emma (née Woodcock). By 1911 the family had moved to Ottawa and on May 27th, 1915 Dougherty married Marie Anne St. Amand. They had a one-year-old son at the time of Charles’s enlistment.

Charles joined the 74th Battery of the Canadian Field Artillery with the regimental number 345187. He was described as having a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair and was five feet ten inches tall. His service record shows that he embarked the SS Metagama in Halifax just one week later, arriving in Scotland on March 11th. He trained in Witley Camp until August, when he was posted to the 5th Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery, which he joined in France on the 29th of that month. Dougherty returned to England on April 14th, 1919 and sailed back to Canada on the SS Minnekahda, disembarking on May 23rd. He was demobilized in Ottawa on May 26th.

Charles Dougherty died in Ottawa on April 13th, 1955 and was buried in Beechwood Cemetery.

On this day in 1918 Clarence Snider, an optician, was conscripted in Vancouver. He was born in Deseronto on March 24th or 25th, 1890, the son of George Edmund Snider and Ida (née Wartman). Clarence’s older brother, Leo, had enlisted in October 1917. When he was drafted, Clarence was living at 666 12th Avenue East in Vancouver.

Snider joined the 1st Depot Battalion of the British Columbia Regiment with the regimental number 2021635.He was five feet six and a half inches tall, with a fair complexion, brown eyes and light brown hair. His service record shows that he was transferred to 11 Special Service Company in Vancouver and served there until December 11th, 1918, when he was demobilized.

Clarence married Elizabeth Grey on November 2nd, 1932 in Vancouver, when he was working as an optometrist. He died in Vancouver on December 13th, 1972.