Deseronto Archives

James Malcolm Wright signed up in Kingston on this day in 1916. He was born in Elzevir on September 24th, 1885, the son of John Wright and Sarah Ann (née Juby). By 1901 the family were living in Deseronto and James was a labourer in the Rathbun Company’s sash and door factory in Mill Street. He married Lily May McConnell in Belleville on November 22nd 1909, two weeks after his father had died. His mother died in 1911.

RATHCO-06-28 Rathbun Company’s sash and door factory in Deseronto

Wright had previously served in the 155th Battalion. On this day he joined the 207th Battalion with the regimental number 636838. He was five feet four inches tall, with a medium complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His service record shows that he left Halifax in May 1917 on the SS Olympic. He arrived in France in January 1918 and served there until September, when he was admitted to hospital, suffering from myalgia in his legs. He was sent home to Canada on the SS Empress of Britain on March 23rd, 1919 and was demobilized in Kingston on April 1st, 1919.

James was living in Adolphustown with Lily May and their three sons in 1921. He died in Toronto on August 28th, 1966.

On this day in 1916 Leon Henry Morris signed up in Deseronto. He stated that he was born in Deseronto on December 17th, 1891. He was the son of Dennis Morris and Laura (née Ruise) and married Nellie Mountenay on August 8th, 1911 in Napanee.

Morris was an ‘automobile driver’ who had previously served in the Canadian Horse Artillery. He joined the 254th Battalion with the regimental number 1093018. He was five feet seven inches tall, with a fair complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His service record shows that he was transferred to the Nova Scotia Forestry Battalion, stationed in Halifax, where he was appointed acting sergeant in April 1917. He suffered from recurring bouts of appendicitis, and refused to undergo an operation to remove the appendix. The army recommended in July 1917 that he be discharged and his file notes that he deserted in September 1917.

Leon Henry Morris seems to have divorced Nellie, as she left Canada for Detroit in 1925 with their daughter, Margaret.

Thomas Brant signed up in Belleville on this day in 1916. He stated that he was born in Shannonville on March 1st, 1899. Our colleagues at the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte’s Research Unit have identified him as Thomas Hill.

Thomas joined the 235th Battalion with the regimental number 1027453. He was five feet six and a half inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and chestnut hair. Thomas’s service record states that his father, also Thomas, was at the front. This is possibly the Thomas Hill who enlisted in February 1915.

Thomas junior was discharged from the army in March 1917 when he was considered to be under age. The medical board which examined him determined that he was fifteen years old, but he may have been even younger (census records suggest that he was born in 1905).

Extract from medical board report in Thomas Brant/Hill’s service record, courtesy of Library and Archives Canada.

10 (a) Disease or disability. Under age

(b) Date of origin. 1902

…
11. Present Condition (Most Important). Big strong boy, first class condition, apparent age about 18 years, in good health.

On this day in 1916 Joseph Maricle signed up in Hamilton. He gave his date of birth as May 29th, 1872 and his place of birth as Deseronto. His next of kin was his wife, Margaret (née Lickers), with whom he had several children by the time he enlisted. The family lived in Grimsby, Ontario.

Joseph joined the No. 2 Construction Battalion with the regimental number 931593. His service record shows that he was transferred to the 256th Battalion in Nova Scotia in January 1917 but never reported for duty and was struck off the strength of that battalion as a deserter on March 6th, 1917.

Maggie, Joseph’s wife died on February 10th, 1919 at the age of 44 from an infection after childbirth. Family tree information on Ancestry suggests that Joseph died in Tyendinaga in 1954, aged 80.

Edward Gardner Craig, an electrical mechanic, signed up in Kingston on this day in 1916. He was born in Deseronto on April 27th, 1885, the son of Robert John Craig (the Presbyterian minister) and Fanny Gertrude (née Rathbun, sister of Edward Wilkes Rathbun). He married Frances Isabel Butt on December 4th, 1912 in Parry Sound.

Craig joined the Field Ambulance Depot for Military District No. 3 with the regimental number 536053. he had a dark complexion, grey eyes and iron grey hair. His service record shows that he arrived in England on the SS Missanabie on April 7th, 1917. He served with the Canadian Army Medical Corps in England and was admitted to hospital in February 1918 suffering from neurasthenia.

He was invalided home to Canada in October 1918 and was admitted to the Ontario Military Hospital in Cobourg on October 19th with a diagnosis of constitutional neurasthenia. A hospital report in his file dated December 12th, 1918 notes that he was a

7 mo. [month] child (mother had fright) & the youngest child – always delicate. Always hypersensitive and worried over trifles. Had a nervous breakdown about 1911 following overexertion on a hot day…never as well since…was an invalid on enlistment – thought the army life and open air would help him – but they didn’t…health went down while in Eng. Was not in France…always interested in astrology, planetary influences, moroscopes [horoscopes] etc as well as in telepathy, spirit influences etc…These items from civil life probably explain hallucinatory and delusional tendencies noted in Eng.

Craig was discharged as medically unfit for further service on December 26th, 1918. A note on his file reads “Deceased 12-3-1939”.

On this day in 1916, Gerald Cecil Burton, a fireman, signed up in Toronto. He stated that he was born in Deseronto on July 29th, 1897. At the time of enlisting his mother, Margaret, was living in Elm Street, Sudbury, Ontario.

Gerald joined the 69th Battery of the Canadian Field Artillery with the regimental number 340069. He was five feet seven and three quarter inches tall, with a fair complexion, grey-blue eyes and brown hair. He arrived in England on board the RMS Mauretania on November 30th, 1916. He got to France on March 11th, 1917, serving with the 1st Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery. His service file notes that he was tried at a court martial on August 29th, 1917:

 25.9.17 In confinement awaiting trial 31 days. Tried & convicted by F.G.C.M. [Field General Court Martial] of W.O.A.S. [while on active service] Stealing goods the property of an officer in that he in the field on or about 13 July stole a revolver & Holster the property of H. J. Rolph & sentenced to Hard Labor for 1 year 29.8.17

This sentence was commuted to 90 days of Field Punishment number 1. On March 19th, 1918 Burton was struck off the strength of his unit and sent to England when it was discovered that his true date of birth was July 29th, 1900. He left Liverpool for Canada on May 13th and was examined by a medical board in Toronto on July 11th. This board noted that he was under age (17) and was suffering from bronchitis caused by poison gas. He was discharged as medically unfit on July 25th, 1918.

It is not clear what happened to him after the war, but a Gerald C. Burton with a birthdate of Jul 29th, 1898 died on October 9th, 1976 in Pinellas, Florida.