Arthur Wilton/Wilkins

[Jackbenny57]

Wilton/Wilkins, Arthur.(Also Faulkner and Hopkins Families) I am looking for a soldier who fathered a child with my great grandmother, Ellen/Ella Maude they were married in Ottawa, Ontario Canada but their child was born in Scotland in 1914 and went by the last name McEwan. We cannot seem to trace any history on Arthur and was wondering if anyone in the UK may have information since Harriet was born in Glasgow.
Further to the above, here is a little more information. Harriet's mother Ella Maude Hopkins was my great grandmother, her mother and father were William Hopkins and Patcy Sarah Faulkner. Harriet's mother Ellla and her sister Ada May Hopkins were in put in Quarrier's Home for Children and sent from Bridge of Weir on May 09, 1890 to Canada. Their siblings Jphn, Henry and Fannie Elizabeth remained with their parents. Any information on descendants of our relatives would be very much appreciated.

 

[gibbo]

Hi,

I moved your thread to the Genealogy Beginners Help forum

Do you have the birth certificate for Harriet? Which surname was her birth registered with?

Also where does the name McEwan come into it? Did Harriet's mother remarry? If she remarried that marriage cert. should state if she is divorced or widowed which in turn might help to find out what happened to Arthur.

 

[gibbo]

You may already have this

1901 census Canada
Name: Ella Hopkins
Event Place: D, Lanark (north/nord), Ontario, Canada
Ethnicity: Scotch
Nationality: Canadian
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
Birthplace: Scotland
Birth Year (Estimated): 1885

All born Ontario except Ella who was born Scotland

Head Richard Langford 57
Wife Mary Langford 60
Son James Isaac Langford 22
Son George S Langford 19
Daughter Ella Hopkins 16 Scotland

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KHLZ-N9Z

 

[gibbo]

Do you know when Ella arrived back in Scotland?


I got one hit on Scotspeople for births for Harriet.

Harriet WILTON born 1914 Scotland.

I dont have access to get further information.

 

[davelambert271]

there is a shipping record for Ellen M 5 and Ada M 8 from Glasgow to Quebec 9th May 1890

There are census records

1871 - RG10 - 986 -119 -28
gives Patcy S Hopkins 19 with child John W.C 1. Patcy born Landport, John born Sheerness. It says she is the wife of a Stoker, R.N.

Also in 1871 on the entry above Patcy is

Patcy Faulkener 48 Tor Point, Mary A 10 Cornwall, George S 5 Cornwall and
Harriet 5 Sheerness

1881 - RG11 - 891 - 107 - 30 116 Britton St, Gillingham

Patsy S Hopkins 29 Landport, Mary A Faulkener 20 sister Tor Point, George S Faulkener 18 brother Tor Point, Henry G Hopkins 8 Sheerness

there are birth records on FreeBMD which may be applicable

John 1870 on census
Henry 1873 ''
Fanny Elizabeth 1895 Faversham
Ellen Maude 1886 Gloucester
Ada May 1882 Greenwich

 

[Jackbenny57]

You may already have this

1901 census Canada
Name: Ella Hopkins
Event Place: D, Lanark (north/nord), Ontario, Canada
Ethnicity: Scotch
Nationality: Canadian
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
Birthplace: Scotland
Birth Year (Estimated): 1885

All born Ontario except Ella who was born Scotland

Head Richard Langford 57
Wife Mary Langford 60
Son James Isaac Langford 22
Son George S Langford 19
Daughter Ella Hopkins 16 Scotland

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KHLZ-N9Z

We do have this information thank you so much for your reply. I did not want to put all the information regarding Ella and Harriet as to avoid confusion.

 

[Jackbenny57]

Hi,

I moved your thread to the Genealogy Beginners Help forum

Do you have the birth certificate for Harriet? Which surname was her birth registered with?

Also where does the name McEwan come into it? Did Harriet's mother remarry? If she remarried that marriage cert. should state if she is divorced or widowed which in turn might help to find out what happened to Arthur.

Thank you for your reply, we were told that Harriet's mother Ella supposedly married a soldier. Arthur Wilton in Ottawa but we cannot find any marriage certificate Ella was married prior to this to a George MacFarlane in Ottawa and had 5 sons one of which was my grandfather, Teston MacFarlane.
The name McEwen came about when Ella went back to Scotland due to a death in the family where Ella gave birth to Harriet , Ella returned to Canada but left Harriet in Scotland to be raised by an Aunt by the last name of McEwen, Harriet grew up as McEwen and believed her aunt to be her mother until she found out the truth when she was 18. We know a lot of both Ella and Harriet's life except the facts of this Arthur Wilton/Wikins.

 

[Jackbenny57]

Do you know when Ella arrived back in Scotland?


I got one hit on Scotspeople for births for Harriet.

Harriet WILTON born 1914 Scotland.

I dont have access to get further information.

Thank you for your reply, she was born on June 13 1914 in Glasgow, Scotland. We do have that information. My brother who is the main genealogist on our family is a member or of Scotspeople. I appreciate your help thank you very much. We are trying to find any information on Arthur Wilton/Wilkins and also on Harriets mother's siblings that were stayed in Scotland/

 

[Jackbenny57]

there is a shipping record for Ellen M 5 and Ada M 8 from Glasgow to Quebec 9th May 1890

There are census records

1871 - RG10 - 986 -119 -28
gives Patcy S Hopkins 19 with child John W.C 1. Patcy born Landport, John born Sheerness. It says she is the wife of a Stoker, R.N.

Also in 1871 on the entry above Patcy is

Patcy Faulkener 48 Tor Point, Mary A 10 Cornwall, George S 5 Cornwall and
Harriet 5 Sheerness

1881 - RG11 - 891 - 107 - 30 116 Britton St, Gillingham

Patsy S Hopkins 29 Landport, Mary A Faulkener 20 sister Tor Point, George S Faulkener 18 brother Tor Point, Henry G Hopkins 8 Sheerness

there are birth records on FreeBMD which may be applicable

John 1870 on census
Henry 1873 ''
Fanny Elizabeth 1895 Faversham
Ellen Maude 1886 Gloucester
Ada May 1882 Greenwich

Thank you very much for your reply, I Believe we have all this information but will forward to my brother (the genealogist in the family) again thank you!

 

[gibbo]

Even tho you do have most of the info we posted, it still helps us to look for Arthur as Ella and Harriet are the only connection to him we have.

Ella must have married George when she was young. To have 5 sons and then Harriet in 1914. Did George die or were they divorced? If they divorced the divorce file may mention other names in it.

Have you obtained Harriet's birth certificate? There maybe information regarding the father on it.

 

[rusty]

To All:
According to her birth registration, Harriet McEwan Wilton was born June 13, 1913 in the District of Camlachie, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Father was Arthur Wilton, electrician and mother was Ella MacFarlane, m.s. Langford (her birth surname was Hopkins). The birth record states that Arthur Wilton and Ellen Maude (Ella or Nellie) MacFarlane, also Langford (nee Hopkins) were married on December 25, 1913 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. When "Ella" Wilton/MacFarlane/Langford/Hopkins returned to Canada she left Harriet McEwan Wilton with her aunt Harriet McEwan who raised her as her own daughter. At the age of 18, when her mother passed away, Harriet McEwan Wilton discovered during the reading of the will, that her mother (Harriet McEwan) was really her aunt and that her aunt in Canada (Ella Langford-Hopkins) was really her mother.

On June 13, 1941, Harriet McEwan Wilton married John Brennan in Dennistoun, Lanarkshire, Scotland and their daughter, Anne, was born on March 9, 1943 in Springburn, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

In 1890 Ellen Maude Hopkins and her sister Ada May were sent to Canada from Scotland as home children. Ellen Maude was taken in by the Langford family and was accepted as one of their own. She was treated very well by them and although there are no adoption records she eventually assumed the surname of Langford. She married George MacFarlane in 1904, ( George passed away in 1911), then she supposedly married Arthur Wilton in 1913 and then she married Dennis Himes in 1915 (I have a copy of the marriage record).

During our family research my sister and I became aware of our great-aunt (Harriet McEwan Wilton) and her husband and daughter living in Canada. All three immigrated to Canada in 1968, Sponsored by Archibald MacFarlane (brother of George MacFarlane). We have had several telephone conversations with aunt Hattie and her husband John, who have helped us tremendously in our research but unfortunately never got a chance to meet them in person. Hattie, John and Anne passed away within a few short years of each other. We have come into possession of several pictures that were left by Aunt Hattie and are currently trying to figure out who is who. If anyone has any knowledge Hattie and John and Anne Brennan and can help us with the sharing of information we would be ever so grateful.

Rusty (brother of jackbenny57)

 

[gibbo]

For Arthur's name to be on Harriet's birth reg. would he have had to been there when the birth was registered Just a thought as i was wondering if he might have gone to Scotland with Ella.
With her birth reg stating name as Harriet McEwan Wilton sounds like it was pre arranged for Harriet to be raised by her aunt. So maybe Arthur had already left the scene by then

Im just throwing ideas around hoping something will come up that will help.

When Ella married Dennis Himes does the cert. state if she was divorced or widowed?

 

[Jackbenny57]

Even tho you do have most of the info we posted, it still helps us to look for Arthur as Ella and Harriet are the only connection to him we have.

Ella must have married George when she was young. To have 5 sons and then Harriet in 1914. Did George die or were they divorced? If they divorced the divorce file may mention other names in it.

Have you obtained Harriet's birth certificate? There maybe information regarding the father on it.

Ella married George in 1904and he died in 1911. My brother does have a copy of her birth certificate. I have forwarded him the replies on this forum and he is going to register and add or improve on the information that I have listed here.

 

[Jackbenny57]

Even tho you do have most of the info we posted, it still helps us to look for Arthur as Ella and Harriet are the only connection to him we have.

Ella must have married George when she was young. To have 5 sons and then Harriet in 1914. Did George die or were they divorced? If they divorced the divorce file may mention other names in it.

Have you obtained Harriet's birth certificate? There maybe information regarding the father on it.

Ella married George in in 1904 and he died in in 1911 I believe. My brother does have a copy of Harriet's Birth Cert. I have given him this link and he is going to register and will add any pertinent information etc within the next few days. Thank you so much for replying and your help.

 

[rusty]

Gibbo
Arthur Wilton did not in attend Harriet McEwan Wilton birth registration. In the column which states "Signature and qualifications of informant, and residence, if out of the house in which the birth occurred", there is only Ellen Maude's signature - "Ella Wilton" and one other word underneath "mother".
Perhaps he may have gone with her to Scotland but it is more likely that when he was shipped overseas she may have followed him. She put her four children in an orphanage here in Ottawa and took them out when she returned. Apparently he was killed in the war.
I can only assume that Harriet McEwan Wilton was named after her aunt, Harriet McEwan, who eventually raised her as her own.
The marriage certificate states that Joseph Dennis Himes was "B"_a bachelor and Ellen Maude MacFarlane was "W" a widow.
Rusty

 

[gibbo]

Interesting she married Himes under the MacFarlane name. Maybe she never married Wilton after all. May have used his name tho.

My thoughts are :2fun::2fun:

4 little kids and becomes a widow. Meets Arthur and falls pregnant, he is then called up for service and Ella was left alone with 4 little ones and one on the way. Not easy back then on your own with little ones so her aunt raises Harriet.

As for Arthur dying in the war, have you checked the War Graves site?

http://www.cwgc.org/

Another thought :biggrin:

Im not sure what the rules are concerning orphanage records in Canada but i wonder if there is any information in your grandfather's records.

 

[rusty]

Gibbo:
Re - your reply on Sep. 22, 2013

I suspect that you are correct. She places four children in an orphanage in Canada, goes to Scotland, meets a Arthur Wilton or Wilkens becomes pregnant and Arthur Wilton or Wilkens dies during the war. Harriet's birth record states that Ellen Maude and Arthur were married in Ottawa, Canada. I live in Ottawa and have search several records and have found no records, to date, referring to this marriage. I have search the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records for a Arthur Wilton/Wilkens in the U.K. and Canadian listings for WW I and came up empty. I believe there was a Arthur Wilton/Wilkens but they never were married. Ellen Maude was in a desperate situation and therefore, stated on the birth record that they were married in Canada, knowing that there was very little chance of it being checked out.
I have just recently received a copy Harriet's death certificate and it is interesting to not that it states the following;
- father's surname and given names and birthplace "UNKNOWN"
- mother's maiden names and given names "WILTON" "UNKNOWN", birthplace "SCOTLAND".
Informant was her husband John
Rusty

 

[gibbo]

Hi Rusty,

I wonder if Ellen Maude can be found on a passenger list leaving Canada when heading to the UK
The date and the surname she used on a passenger list would be interesting.
For example we could compare the date she left Canada to the date that Harriet was born, at least then we would know if she had met this Arthur fella in Canada or the UK.

 

[gibbo]

A quote from post #11

During our family research my sister and I became aware of our great-aunt (Harriet McEwan Wilton) and her husband and daughter living in Canada. All three immigrated to Canada in 1968, Sponsored by Archibald MacFarlane (brother of George MacFarlane).


I find the above very interesting. Is it just me or does that seem unusual.
Why would Archibald some 50 odd years after Harriet was born sponsor her and her family to go to Canada. Harriet was a half sister to his nephews and was born and lived in a different country. How did Archibald know about her and what was his interest in sponsoring her