Annie and William leave for Canada 1907

Annie Amelia Ball and Granddad (William Huxtable Ball, 1903-1971) left for Canada on 25 April 1907, aboard the Dominion, sailing from Liverpool. Travelling with them was Elizabeth Turner, Annie's older sister. Having been separated from Thomas for nearly a year, Annie sailed with her young son, aged 3, to Montreal and landed on 7 May 1907. They sailed on the ship Dominion, which sailed as part of the Dominion Line. This is a photo of a Dominion Line ship:

Granddad contracted pneumonia during the voyage. He was hospitalized in Montreal for a month. Whether Elizabeth stayed with them in Montreal or went ahead to Vancouver, I do not know. Once Granddad was well enough to travel, he and Annie began the long train ride across Canada to Vancouver. Annie's determination to see the journey through and to begin a new life with her husband in Canada, despite the long separation, an arduous journey, a very sick child, the financial strain of a month's layover in Montreal, and a language barrier at her port of arrival, makes her, in my eyes, a very strong and courageous person.

Cheers,
K.

Thomas H. Ball sails to Canada 1906

Thomas left for Canada on 31 May 1906, aboard the S.S. Southwark, from Liverpool. He landed at the port of Montreal, Quebec on 9 June 1906. The passenger list for the ship's arrival in Canada lists him as a "plumber" with no stated destination. It also states that he was an Englishman from Yorkshire.

This is a photo of the S.S. Southwark, from Ancestry Library Edition, which sailed under the Dominion Line flag:

What pushed or pulled Thomas to go to Canada? I suspect that there may have been friends or colleagues or the promise of a job, which influenced his decision to leave for Canada. The choice of Vancouver, as a final destination, required Thomas to travel by train across Canada, a journey near as long as the sea voyage that brought him to Montreal. Who or what was there waiting for him?

Cheers,
K.

Thomas Ball's' occupation in 1906

Thomas Ball was a plumber and gas fitter by trade. He was apprenticed in 1891 to Joseph Samuel Shepton in Penarth, Glamorgan, Wales. This is his 1906 National Registration of Plumbers card:

Interestingly, Thomas' card is dated 18 Apr 1906. He left for Canada on 25 May 1906. It makes me wonder when were his plans to emigrate made? I suspect that he needed his plumbers' registration completed before leaving for Canada. Cheers, K.

Annie and Thomas' residence at the time of Granddad's birth, April 1903 - New Wortley, Leeds

On Granddad's (William Huxtable Ball, 1903-1971) birth certificate, it lists Annie and Thomas' address as 6-8th Avenue, New Wortley, Leeds. This is a Tracks in Time map showing 8th Avenue in New Wortley.

This Google Street View image shows Eighth Avenue as it is today:


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The school shown on the 1910 Ordinance Map appear to still be on the same property.

Cheers, K.

Historical map and image resources for Leeds

The staff at the Local Studies Department, Leeds Central Library pointed me to the Leodis website, which contains historic photographs for Leeds and district. There no photographs of Sultan Place in Wortley. However, photos of the 1900's decade will give you a good idea of Leeds and area in which Thomas, Annie and Willilam Ball lived.

Another resource of mention is the Tracks in Time website, which can produce comparative historic maps. In order to see Sultan Place you will need to search for Armley and move the map southward to see Wortley. The search feature is not that precise, but this is the map that will show Sultan Place.

Thomas and Annie in Leeds 1901

Many apologies for the delay in posting. Work has been very busy (my library hosted a genealogy fair on 29 October 2011 in Kitchener and over 400 genealogy enthusiasts attended!) and I am still catching up on emails and requests.

I've also heard back from the Local Studies Department at the Leeds Central Library to have been able to confirm a location for Sultan Place, which no longer exists. Thanks go to the staff in the Local Studies Department for their help. Unfortunately, the Leeds Council websites are down today for maintenance, but I will update their links once they are back online.

Annie and Thomas Ball lived at 12 Sultan Place, Wortley, Leeds according to the 1901 Census of England. Sultan Place no longer exists, but its location can be tagged close to present day, Addingham Gardens, which is located slightly north and west of the junction of Whingate and Tong Roads and south of Wortley Road:


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This is a street view from Google Maps of Addingham Gardens to give you an idea of what is there now. Back in 1901 there would have likely been smaller row houses:


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More to follow.....

Sorry for the delay....

Hi, I just wanted to let everyone know that I am sorry for the delay in updating my posts. I am waiting for confirmation of information from a public library in the UK. I'll be back with more information shortly. Cheers, K.