Find Living Relatives

Hi, I have been looking for a living relative of William H Ashby for about 12 years now
and because I was helped on another matter this week I was hoping that someone could help on this one.
Wiliam H Ashby was born 1916 East York's Canada he was married to a Gladys and had two children Joe ( Joseph) and Margaret Rose.

William was killed in Feb 1945.

I am looking on behalf of his other son John William Widdowson born 1945

fingers crossed for any help

Pete

was john William the son of William h ashby and gladys

Hi,
No he is the son of William H Ashby born 1916, his mother was Margaret Widdowson

She was in the S.O.E. and was a radio Operator in WW11

sorry I did ask if he was the son of William h ashby and you just said no he is the son of William h ashby

He has half brother and sister Joseph Ashby and Margaret Rose Ashby

Pete

William Ashby, 1916, Canada, appears to be in John William's tree on here, but not in anyone else's?

He is in several trees on ancestry - have you contacted those tree owners?

As you're asking on behalf of the son born 1945, are you specifically looking for descendants of his half brother and sister Joseph Ashby and Margaret Rose Ashby?

When & where were they born? What's the last record you've found for them?

Alternatively, are you asking for living relations of any siblings William H Ashby 1916 might have had?

One tree on Ancestry says that his wife was Gladys Hand.

Birth 10 September 1916 • Toronto, County York, Ontario
Date is very clear on his death certificate. On at least one obituary he is called Harry (Jim).

Residence
Jun 1921 • York Township, York South, Ontario, Canada
Age: 4; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Grandson

Marriage
26 Sept 1936 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Gladys Hand

Death
28 February 1945 • The Netherlands

Burial
1945 • Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Netherlands

Its going to be awkward finding Joseph & Margaret Rose (born 1936/37-1945) as we'll be hampered by the Canadian privacy laws.

The obituaries mentioned might give some clues

Could this be Gladys Hand?

1921 Census of Canada

Gladys Hand
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Single
Age: 4
Birth Year: abt 1917
Birth Place: Ontario
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Father's name: Joseph Hand
Father Birth Place: Ontario
Mother's name: Laura Hand
Mother Birth Place: Ontario
Racial or Tribal Origin: Irish
Province or Territory: Ontario
District: Victoria
District Number: 135
Sub-district: Lindsay town, East Ward
Sub-District Number: 46
City, Town or Village: Lindsay Town
Street or Township: 52 Logie St
Municipality: East Ward

Joseph Hand 30
Laura Hand 25
Margaret Hand 7
Gladys Hand 4
Lilly Hand 2
Gertrude Hand 1

Note the names of her father and sister - Joseph and Margaret. It could be just a coincidence

Looking through his pay book, he names the following relatives as of 28 Jun 1944

Wife Gladys Anna Ashby
Son Joseph Henry Ashby
Daughter Margaret Rose Ashby
Address 7 Sycamore Ave, Toronto

Younger brother & sister
Charlie Ashby
Margaret Ashby
Father Wm Henry Ashby
Mother Nellie Ashby
Address Lorsens/Florrens? Ave, Toronto

After he had died, his relatives had their ages added
Document dated 28 Mar 1945 & signed by his mother on 25 Apr 1945

Gladys Anna Ashby (wife) 28
Joseph Harry Ashby 7
Margaret Rose Ashby 3
Now living at 1032 Eastern Ave, Toronto

Parents
William H Ashby 58
Nellie Ashby 48

Full blood, living, brothers and sisters
Charles T Ashby (Charlie?) 23
George W Ashby 19

Florence Irene Ashby 30
Elsie Victoria Ashby 25
Margaret May Ashby 22
Gladys Audrey Ashby 10

All living at 147 Torrens? Ave

Siblings who had died
Gordon Ashby
Bernice L Ashby
….
Parents were married in Toronto on 29 Nov 1912
He was born 49 Torrens Ave East York, Toronto

A typed document further on says that the street name is Torrence Ave, East York, Ontario.
On 5 Jun 1940, he says that Joseph Henry was aged 2 which ties in with Margaret Rose being born c 1942
.......

It doesn't directly help you find immediate living relatives, but with more names, there's a better chance of finding a lateral one.

Hi, Yes I am looking on behalf of John William .

He did contact a Canadian agency that got in touch with Margaret Rose and was told she was not interested in meeting him but the grandson of Joseph was
no contact details were given.
Also John William is now in his 70's and would like to at least know what his father looked like he was given his war records by the Canadian Government and he has been to his grave in the Netherlands.
I did say at the begining that it was a long shot and just keeping my fingers crossed for him
Pete

Yes I have written to all those addresses as they were on the war records, plus the local Church also the local newspaper, the trees on Ancestry also they replied that they were very distant relatives and had no contact with that side of the family. tho one did send a picture of Nellie Harburn's mother.

I do know Gladys got married again.

Pete

Can he not ask the Canadian Agency to trace Joseph's grandson, or at least pass on his own address? If they'd been in contact, you'd have thought they would have automatically done that.

That was 12 years ago and the fact that Margaret Rose had said she did not want to have any contact I think put John William off going forward with that because of any more rejection.

He was given up for adoption when 2 years old and has found some contact with the Widdowson side of his family. on the adoption papers William H Ashby was named as the father and that he had died in Feb .1945

Pete

Have you looked on the Canadian 411 pages (phone book) ?

There's a J G Ashby listed for York, Ontario
http://www.canada411.ca/res/4164884326/J+G-Ashby/202723575.html

No I have not tried that one I will have a go over the weekend many thanks.
It could be a relative

Pete

This from the Canadian Virtual War Memorial:



In memory of
Private
William Harry Ashby
February 28, 1945
Germany
Military Service:

Service Number:
B/88888
Age:
28
Force:
Army
Unit:
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
Citation(s):
1939-45 Star
France and Germany Star
Italy Star
Defence Medal
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp
War Medal 1939-45

Additional Information:

Born:
September 8, 1916 East York, Ontario
Enlistment:
June 5, 1940 Toronto, Ontario

Son of William Henry and Nellie Ashby of Toronto, Ontario. Husband of Gladys Anna Ashby and father of Joseph and Margaret Ashby of Toronto, Ontario. Brother of Charles, George, Florence, Elsie, Margaret and Gladys.

Commemorated on Page 492 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page.
Burial Information:l

Hi Margaret,
yes that's the one,
John has had a copy of the Remembrance page from the Canadian Government.

Many thanks

Pete