Frederick Wilfred Sleigh (1886 - 1964)

Born 1 May 1886 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Matrer (Allen) Sleigh — married 12 Jun 1933 in Ferncrest, Anndale, Nova Scotia, Canada

Died 9 May 1964 at age 78 in Halifax, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Canada

Biography

Frederick Sleigh was a British Home Child and was one of many Children Transported to Canada.

Frederick Wilfred was born on 1 May 1886 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom. He was the son of Thomas Sleigh and Rosa Emma Laura Bacon. ^[1]

In 1891, according to the England Census, he was living with his parents and siblings on Victoria Road in the town of Handsworth, Staffordshire, England. ^[2]

Handsworth Park, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom (now Birmingham) wikimedia commons

Sadly, his mother died when he was 11 years old, and like many other families in England, it must have put a lot of pressure on their father to care for his children. All 8 children were sent from their home at 10 Icknield Port Rd, Birmingham to the Middlemore Home on 1 May 1898. The home made an application on 20 Mar 1899 through the program that brought children from England to Canada, with the hope of giving them a better future. The British Child Emigration Movement. ^[3]

Frederick and his brother Samuel (age 15) were brought to Canada as labour workers along with 96 other children. They left on 5 Jun 1899 from Liverpool with another 116 passengers aboard the Siberian with Matthew Stirrat as the captain of their ship. They arrived in the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia on 17 Jun 1899. ^[4]

Upon arrival he came to the Fairview Middlemore Home and then was placed in the home of J Howard Pearson from Apohaque, Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada where he stayed until 1904 when he turned 18 years old. ^[3]

In 1901, according to the Canada Census, he was recorded at the home of Howard Pearson, a farmer, in Studholme, Kings, New Brunswick, Canada. ^[5]

When he was 20 years old he married Dorothy Evelyn Hiltz on 28 July 1908 at the Methodist Church in Halifax, Halifax County, Nova Scotia. He was employed as a Clerk at the time and listed his parents as William, a mail carrier and Mary Sleigh. Dorothy was 17 years old and born in Halifax. Her parents were Sos, a Foreman, and Evelyn Hiltz. Witnesses to the marriage were Redmund Bracket and Maude Whittemore ^[6]

They had at least five children.

1. Ernest Wilfred Sleigh 1909–1990
2. Mildred Evelyn Sleigh 1910–1975
3. Frederick Edward Sleigh 1913–1984
4. Archibald Samuel Sleigh 1918–1995
5. Living Sleigh

In 1911 he was 21 years old, working as a Teamster for a Carting outfit and living at 41 Pleasant St in Halfiax with his wife and two young children. ^[7]

In 1921 Frederick was living at 22 Swain St, Halfiax with his wife Dorothy (age 30) and their five children. They rented their home for $12.00 per month, a 4 room house built primarily of wood. He was employed as a Salesman (business to business) and worked 52 weeks of the year earning $1200. ^[8]

Dorothy passed away in 1931 at the age of 41 years. She was laid to rest at Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax. ^[9]

Frederick Wilfred Sleigh married Sadie Allen on 12 June 1933 at 'Ferncrest', 5 Fairmount Road, Armdales, Nova Scotia, the residence of their Rector, by banns. Frederick was employed as a Milk Salesman, a widower. He was 42 years old, living at 22 Swaine Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and his religion was Church of England. At the time he thought his Mother's name might be Mary Pottie (with a question mark).

Sadie was a teacher and spinster. She was 21 years old and her religious denomination was UnitedChurch. She lived at Mount Uniacke, Hants County, Nova Scotia, where she and her father Alfred Allen were born. Her mother was Maud Archibald.

Witnesses to the marriage were Charles W. Allen and Bertha Allen, both living in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Edward Morris, the Rector at St. Mathews Church of England, performed the ceremony. ^[10]

In 1935 he was still living at 22 Swain Street, Halifax and employed as a Salesman, according to the Canada Voters Lists. ^[11]

In about 1949 he began work at as a manager at a Billiard Parlour and worked there until his retirement in 1961. ^[12]

In 1953 he was living at 28 Swaine Street, Halifax with Sadie. He was the manager of a billiard parlour. ^[13]

Mount Uniacke Union Church Cemetery Photo by Barrie Wile

In 1963 Frederick became ill with esophageal cancer and he went into surgery in Jan 1964. Frederick Wilfred Sleigh passed away after his 6 month illness, on 9 May 1964 at the Halifax Infirmary in Halifax, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, Canada at the age of 78 years. ^[12] He was laid to rest at Mount Uniacke Union Church Cemetery in Mount Uniacke, Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada on 12 May 1964. ^[14]

Census Information

1891 England Census, Victoria Road, Handsworth, Staffordshire, England

1921 Canada Census, 22 Swain St, Halfiax, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Research Notes

• There was another Frederick W Sleigh born in Birmingham around the same time (1883) who has been confused with Frederick Wilfred Sleigh. The former remained in Birmingham and can be seen on the 1939 census (Ancestry Record 61596 #31108052 accessed on 20 Feb 2021) with his full dob listed
• DOB listed on his death certificate was 1 May 1887. His birth registration was in 1886.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Record England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content : Accessed 19 Feb 2021), database entry forSLEIGH, FREDERICK WILFRED (Mother's maiden surname: BACON) GRO Reference: 1886 S Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 173
2. ↑ Residence: "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WQD4-B2M : 26 November 2020), Frederick W Sleigh in household of Thomas Sleigh, Handsworth, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Staffordshire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Middlemore Application: British Home Children Registry, database online, (http://www.britishhomechildrenregistry.com/Person/bhcInfo/34518), Middlemore Children's Emigration Homes, Application Book: Frederick Wilfred SLEIGH, Age: 12 - Date of Document: 1898-05-01,Siblings: Samuel Lancelott + 6 others, Address in United Kingdom: 10 Icknield Port Rd, Guardian: Thomas Sleigh, Date of Application: 1899-03-20, Notes: Mother dead, Source: Library and Archives Canada - Database Item Number: 170457
4. ↑ Middlemore: Government of Canada Library Archives, database online, Frederick W SLEIGH (48858), Gender: M, Age: 12, Ship: SIBERIAN, Port of Departure: Liverpool, Date of Arrival: 1899-06-17, Port of Arrival: Halifax, Party: Birmingham, England, Destination: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Children travelling together: H99AC, Comments: 98 Middlemore children, Microfilm Reel Number: C-4519, Reference: RG 76 C1b, (view record, , accessed on 20 Feb 2021)
5. ↑ Residence: "Canada Census, 1901," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHK4-BWZ : 9 December 2020), Fred Slay in household of Howard Pearson, Kings, New Brunswick, Canada; citing p. 5, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa.
6. ↑ Marriage: "Nova Scotia Marriages, 1864-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WQJF-ZN2M : 14 December 2020), Frederick W Sleigh, 28 Jul 1908; citing Marriage, Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Nova Scotia Archives, Halifax; FHL microfilm 004059105., also at Marriage register
7. ↑ Residence: "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV9R-Z3LV : 16 March 2018), Frederick Sleigh, 1911; citing Census, Halifax Sub-Districts 29-92, Nova Scotia, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,417,685.
8. ↑ Residence: Library and Archives Canada. Sixth Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2013. Series RG31. Statistics Canada Fonds. Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 44; Census Place: 44, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Page Number: 26 , Image no. Image No.: E002909498, view census, , accessed on 20 Feb 2021
9. ↑ Wife"Nova Scotia Vital Records, 1763-1957," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMLG-T2C : 8 December 2014), Dorothy Evelyn Sleigh, 1931, Death; citing p. 1314, volume 135, Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Nova Scotia Archives, Halifax.
10. ↑ Marriage: Nova Scotial Historical Vital Statistics, Marriages, (https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com), database online, Sadie Allen and Frederick W Sleigh married 1933, Halifax County, Registration Year: 1933, Book: 69, Page: 758, (Marriage Register, accessed on 20 Feb 2021)
11. ↑ Residence: Ancestry.com. Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980 (Ancestry Record 2983 #7791480 accessed on 20 Feb 2021). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980, Reference Number: M-4756
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Death: Nova Scotial Historical Vital Statistics, Deaths, (https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com), database online, Frederick Wilfred Sleigh, died 1964, Halifax, Halifax County, Year: 1964, Page: 3067 (Death Register, accessed on 20 Feb 2021)
13. ↑ Residence: Ancestry.com. Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980 (Ancestry Record 2983 #32139067 accessed on 20 Feb 2021). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980, Reference Number: M-4904
14. ↑ Burial: Find a Grave, database and images (Find A Grave: Memorial #170735161 accessed 19 Feb 2021), memorial page for Frederick Wilfred Sleigh (1 May 1886–9 May 1964), citing Union Church Cemetery, Mount Uniacke, Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada; Maintained by WintonTaylor (contributor 48830407).

• See also FamilySearch profile
• Ancestry Profile