Deseronto Archives

On this day in 1916, Joseph Penn, a teamster, signed up in Hamilton. He was born in Deseronto on August 20th, 1897 (he claimed 1895 on the attestation form) the son of David Penn and Mary (née Powless), who were both Mohawks. In 1911 Joseph was living in the Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford.

Penn joined the 129th Battalion with the regimental number 785036. He was five feet four inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His service record shows that this was his second enlistment – he first signed up in Belleville on February 24th, 1915 with the 39th Battalion but was found to have deserted when the battalion was due to embark for England on June 23rd, 1915.

Joseph left Canada for England with the 129th Battalion, arriving there on August 30th, 1916. His record shows that he deserted again in November 1916. He was taken on the strength of the 124th Battalion in April 1917 and arrived in France in that month. The extract below shows that Penn continued to have a troubled career in the army.

4.7.17 O.C. 124th Battn. Sentenced to 21 days F.P. [Field Punishment] No. 1 for
1. W.O.A.S. [when on active service] Drunkeness (3rd.)
2. Creating a disturbance in Camp Lines.
3. Being out of billets after 9.00 p.m. without permission.
Field 3.7.17

2.9.17 O.C. 124th Battn. Sentenced to forfeit 3 days pay, for “W.O.A.S. Being in Ecquoivris, without a pass.”
19.8.17

10.10.17 O.C. 124th Battn. Sentenced to 28 days F.P. No. 1 for “W.O.A.S. Drunkeness 4th Drunk.”
Field 9.10.17

12.1.18 O.C. 124th Battn. Granted 14 days leave
Amiens 11.1.18

2.2.18 O.C. 124th Battn. Rejoined unit
Field 29.1.18

18.2.18 O.C. 124th Battn. Sentenced to 28 days F.P. No.1, for “W.O.A.S.
1.Drunkeness (5th)
2. Loosing by Neglect Govt. Property.
3. Causing by Neglect injury to a mule the property of the Govt.
Field 12.2.18

Things got worse: in March 1919 Penn was tried for being absent without leave for ten days and for committing a civil offence (theft). He was initially sentenced to five months imprisonment with hard labour, but this was commuted to imprisonment at Wandsworth Detention Barrack. Joseph was released on July 18th, 1919 and left England for Canada on September 3rd.

We next find Penn in the 1921 census, when he was a prisoner at the Kingston Penitentiary. He married May Eliza Schuler in Hamilton on May 16th, 1927, at which point he was working as a wood turner. His wife died just over two years later in the Hamilton General Hospital.

Joseph Penn died on May 7th, 1959.

On this day in 1916, James Albert Paul, a barber, signed up in Toronto. He was born in Deseronto on April 4th, 1889, the son of Robert John Paul and Sarah Alma (née Wrightmyer). He married Sarah Esther Thompson on December 7th, 1910 in Toronto and the couple had a son in 1911 and a daughter in 1914. They were living at 63 Eaton Avenue when James enlisted.

Paul joined the 180th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force with the regimental number 862086. He was five feet five inches tall, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. His service record shows that he left Canada in November 14th, 1916 on the SS Olympic. In April 1917 he joined the 123rd Battalion in France. He was admitted to hospital in November 1917, suffering from bronchitis and, in January 1918, nephritis. In April 1918 he was taken on the strength of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Works Battalion

He left England on May 3rd, 1919 on the HMT Royal George and was demobilized in Toronto on May 16th. He died on May 20th, 1945, suffering from chronic bronchitis and emphysema. He had been working as a machinist for the Canadian National Railway.

On this day in 1916, Samuel James Barber, a machinist, joined up in Orillia. He was born in Deseronto on February 18th, 1898, the son of John Alexander Barber and Mary Elizabeth (née Williams).

Barber joined the 157th Battalion with the regimental number 643849. His service record shows that he arrived in England on May 4th, 1916 and was transferred to the 4th Battalion in the following month, arriving in France on July 20th. On October 11th, 1916 he received a gun shot wound to the head and was discharged from hospital after three days. He was wounded again on September 16th, 1917, this time in the right buttock. He spent six weeks in hospital in England. Between November 1917 and April 1918 he was treated for an infection and in June 1918 he was in hospital with tonsillitis. In July and August he was treated for a recurrence of the infection. He returned to the front on September 26th, 1918 and left England for Canada on April 14th, 1919.

He was demobilized in Toronto on April 24th, 1919 and was back with his parents in Orillia in 1921. Barber married Beatrice Kirkland in Toronto on August 7th, 1924. He died in Toronto on June 27th, 1952.

On this day in 1916, Herbert Sager enlisted in Barton, Ontario. He was born in Deseronto on May 9th, 1901, the son of Robert Sager and Adeline (née Smart). He was working as a loom operator in the wire works.

Herbert joined the 129th Battalion with the regimental number 784998. He was five feet three and a quarter inches tall, with a fair complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. His service record shows that he arrived in England on the SS Olympic on August 30th, 1916. He served in England with the 124th Battalion and the 12th Reserve Battalion until it was discovered that he was under age. He was sent back to Canada on August 26th, 1917 on the SS Carmania. On May 17th, 1918, Herbert was demobilized in Kingston.

Information from a family tree on Ancestry suggests that Herbert died in Toronto on May 31st, 1967.

On this day in 1916 Isaac Powless, a farmer, signed up in Barton, Ontario. He was born on March 1st, 1895 in Deseronto, the son of Isaac Powless, a Mohawk, and Myrtle (née Thompson).

Isaac Powless joined the 129th Battalion with the regimental number 784967. He was five feet seven and a half inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His service record shows that he was discharged in Toronto on November 22nd, 1917 due to damage caused by a previous injury to his arm.

He married Mary Bell Cook in Hamilton on August 8th, 1916. He was killed by a train at Louth on November 15th, 1930.

On this day in 1916 Peter William Maracle signed up in Barton, Ontario. He was born on March 17th, 1893 in Marysville, the son of Moses Maracle and Eliza Annie (née Barnhart), who were Mohawks. He married Celia Maracle on June 24th, 1913 in Burlington. Peter’s older brother, Jacob, had enlisted earlier in the month.

Maracle joined the 129th Battalion with the regimental number 784956. He was five feet seven and a quarter inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair.

Peter’s service record shows that he arrived in England on the SS Missanabie on April 7th, 1917. He was transferred to the 52nd Battalion when he landed in France on March 30th, 1918.

Peter did not make it home.

On this day in 1916, Ernest John Jackson joined up in Deseronto. He was born in London, England on July 9th, 1897, the son of Ernest John Jackson and Louisa Josephine (née Pearson). His mother had died in 1904 and his father married Laura Shuttleworth in 1906 in London. The family left England for Canada in 1907 and had settled in Pearl Street, Deseronto, by the time of the 1911 census.

Ernest joined the 155th Battalion with the regimental number 636502. He was five feet three inches tall, with a fair complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. His service record shows that he joined the 21st Battalion in France on February 8th, 1917. He received gunshot wounds to the right leg and back in April 1917 and was hospitalized in England for five months. He then served in reserve battalions in England and got married in Barnet on October 23rd, 1918 to Elizabeth Anne Jerram. In December 1918 he was in hospital again with nephritis.

The Jacksons left England for Canada in October 1919 and in 1921 the couple were living in Fourth Street, Deseronto. Ernest died in Deseronto on July 7th, 1969. He and his wife were both buried in the Deseronto Cemetery.

Gilbert Dionne, a machinist, signed up on this day in 1916 in Orillia. His birth was registered in Trenton in 1891 (when his younger brother Alphonse was born) and the date given then was August 4th, 1889. On his attestation paper he gave the location of his birth as Deseronto and the date as December 26th, 1889. His parents were Gilbert Dionne and Louise (née Deronceau). On September 26th, 1911, he married Evelyn Craddock in Oshawa and the couple had two daughters.

Gilbert joined the 157th Battalion with the regimental number 643868. He was five feet nine inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. His service record shows that he left Canada on October 17th, 1916 and arrived in England on October 28th on the SS Cameronia.

Gilbert did not return home.

On this day in 1916, Edward ‘Teddy’ Jerome Freeman, a student, signed up in Belleville. He was born in Deseronto on May 1st, 1900 (he claimed 1897 when he enlisted), the son of John Freeman and Julia (née Meagher).

Freeman joined the 155th Battalion with the regimental number 636493. He was five feet eight inches tall, with a dark complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. His service record shows that he spent 13 days in hospital at Camp Barriefield in June 1916 with Erythema nodosum and that he arrived in England on the SS Northland on October 28th, 1916. He served with a variety of battalions in England, before being transferred to the 2nd Battalion in France on May 25th, 1917.

In January 1918 Edward was admitted to hospital with defective vision and diagnosed with short-sightedness. He was discharged four days later. On April 10th, 1918 he was appointed Lance Corporal.

In August Freeman’s right arm was wounded by a gunshot at the Battle of Amiens, in an attack which was described in his battalion’s war diary in the following way:

2nd Battalion war diary 9th August 1918, courtesy of Library and Archives Canada

War Diary of the 2nd Canadian Inf. Battalion, Eastern Ontario Regiment. For the month of August, 1918.
IGNAUCOURT, BEAUFORT & ROUVROY 9/8/18 Transport and nucleus reached IGNAUCOURT between 2.00 and 3.30 A.M. and occupied various billets and standings vacated by the enemy. Orders were received at 4.00 A.M. for the Battalion to take up fresh assembly positions. For these, the Battalion moved off at 8.00 a.m. and later in the day leap-frogged and attacked BEAUFORT and ROUVROY-en-Santerre. The two villages were taken after stiff fighting. In the evening the Battalion was relieved by the 3rd Can. Bn., and on completion of relief, Battalion moved back to BEAUFORT and vicinity.

Freeman was treated at #16 General Hosptial at Le Treport and discharged on September 9th, 1918. On the same day he was promoted to the rank of corporal. Just over a month later, on October 21st, he was promoted sergeant.

Edward sailed home on the SS Olympic in April 1919 and was demobilized in Kingston on April 24th, a week before his 19th birthday (the age at which he could have legally been serving overseas). He married Raye Ripple on June 2nd, 1924 in Toronto, when he was working as a sales manager.

On this day in 1916, Sampson Green signed up in Deseronto. He was born on December 16th, 1882, the son of Isaac Green, a Mohawk, and Elizabeth (née Pearson). Sampson married Jennie Boumhower in Shannonville on August 9th, 1909.

Green joined the 155th Battalion with the regimental number 636472. He was five feet nine and three quarter inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His service record shows that Sampson arrived in England on October 28th, 1916. On assessment, it was determined that he was effectively deaf, possibly as a result of measles, made worse by a blow from his mother at the age of thirteen. Green was discharged as a result of this discovery and he left England for Canada on June 22nd, 1917.

In 1921 Sampson and Jennie were living in North Fredericksburgh with their five children. Sampson died of pneumonia on January 10th, 1934.