William Edwin Simmons Sr (1871 - 1934)

Born 8 Nov 1871 in Whistlers Cove, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Jane Hayes (Lawrence) Simmons — married 8 Sep 1904 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 1934 at about age 62 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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Biography

William was born on November 8, 1871 in Whistlers Cove near East Dover, Halifax County.^[1] (The birth record called it "Wisling Cove".) He was the son of William Simmons and Margaret Beck. He was baptized on December 22 at Blind Bay according to the records of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Parish, Prospect.^[2] In 1881^[3] he was living with his grandparents, Michael and Sarah Beck, in Upper Prospect. He apparently was still living with them in 1891^[4] however he was accidentally double counted in with the rest of his family who at this time were living in Rockingham along the Bedford Basin.^[5] At some point after 1891 he went to the US where he married Jennie Hayes Lawrence at Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts on September 8, 1904.^[6] He gave his occupation at that time as a telegraph operator. From there, they moved to Truro, Nova Scotia at the birth of their first child, Annie, in 1905.^[7] They remained at Truro until their third child, Caroline, was born in 1908 where William was a train dispatcher.^[8] and then they moved to Alberta. They appear in the 1911 census in Strathcona district just east of Edmonton at which time he was also train dispatcher.^[9] There was a prairie census in 1916^[10] and they were found in Tofield, Alberta ... a little farther east from Edmonton. In the census of 1921^[11] and the prairie census of 1926^[12] they were living in the city of Edmonton. He passed away in 1934^[13] and is buried in Edmonton Municipal Cemetery.^[14]

Although William's age is confirmed from his baptism record, it seems that likely he and the family did not remember the exact date as it varied from 1870 to 1874 in other documents.

Sources

1. ↑ Nova Scotia Archives Year: 1871 book: 1810 page: 132 number: 1254
2. ↑ FamilySearch Baptism records of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Parish, Prospect. - "1871. Dec. 22nd. Blind Bay. Baptized William Edmund, aged six weeks, lauf. ch. of William Simonds and Marguarate Back. Sp., George Duggan and Katrine Beck. Martin Maas." (Image 38 - Page 25) [This Belgian priest was poor at spelling names.]
3. ↑ Census of 1881 Province: Nova Scotia - District Name: Halifax - Sub-District Name: Upper Prospect - Page 7, Line 18
4. ↑ Census of 1891 Province: Nova Scotia - District Name: Halifax (County) - Sub-District Name: Polling District 38 - Page 8, Line 19
5. ↑ Census of 1891 Province: Nova Scotia - District Name: Halifax (County) - Sub-District Name: Polling District 15 - Page 1, Line 21
6. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89Q1-F7NV?cc=2061550&wc=Q4D3-7M3%3A353350401%2C353366201%2C354838101 : 13 July 2016), Suffolk > Boston > Marriages 1904 no 4001-5000 > image 561 of 1051; citing Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston.
7. ↑ Britich Columbia Archives Deaths
8. ↑ Nova Scotia Archives Births, Registration: Year: 1908 number: 57700004
9. ↑ Census of 1911 Province: Alberta District Name: Strathcona - Sub-District Name: Alberta Township - Sub-District Description: Townships 41, 42, 43, 44 in ranges 4, 5, 6, 7 west of the 4th Meridian, including Wainwright Town - Page 29, Line 9
10. ↑ Prairie census of 1916 Province: Alberta - District Name: Victoria - Sub-District Description: Townships 51 and 52, ranges 18, 19 and 20, west of fourth meridian, including the town of Tofield - Page 5, Line 45
11. ↑ Census of 1921 Province: Alberta - District Name: Edmonton East - Sub-District Name: City of Edmonton (Part) - Page 23, Line 18
12. ↑ Prairie census of 1926 Province: Alberta - District Name: Edmonton East - Sub-District Name: Edmonton (City) - Sub-District Description: Polling Subdivision No. 72. - Page 8, Line 48
13. ↑ Alberta Archives Alberta Death Index - PDF Page 26, Index No. 752
14. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166805652/william-e-simmons: accessed 18 September 2023), memorial page for William E Simmons (1871–1934), Find a Grave Memorial ID 166805652, citing Edmonton Municipal Cemetery, Edmonton, Edmonton Census Division, Alberta, Canada; Maintained by Alison (contributor 46917968).