William John WELLER^{[1, 2]}

1895 - 1959  (64 years)

• Name	William John WELLER
  Born	9 Sep 1895	Smethwick, Lancashire, England   [1]
  Gender	Male
  _UID	2EF82D6957860A4882A1A3D260E4A98DFD63
  Died	15 Oct 1959	St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
  Person ID	I367	Chamberlain Family
  Last Modified	22 Jul 2019

  
  

  Father	William J. WELLER,   b. Jun Qtr 1871, Smethwick, Staffordshire, England
  Mother	Isabella POOLE,   b. 1868, Slyne, Lancashire, England
  Married	16 May 1897
  _UID	6AF86DC05649D042A03E29A3E8D7C4A20FA1
  Notes	Couple separated during April 1904.
  Family ID	F222	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Gladys EASBY,   b. 30 Oct 1899, Beeford, Yorkshire, England ,   d. 19 Apr 1987, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada  (Age 87 years)
  Married	9 Feb 1927	Lincoln, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  _UID	48AB8099A6A4EF4F85CBD3EE73CE28F60404
  Children	1. Living   2. Robert Dean WELLER,   b. 13 Mar 1935, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada ,   d. 14 Mar 1935, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada  (Age 0 years)   3. Living
  Last Modified	15 May 2022
  Family ID	F5	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Married	9 Feb 1927	Lincoln, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  _UID	B04E4A8F3BF2AF4D917A7A703B1ECD5772B7
  Last Modified	15 May 2022
  Family ID	F221	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Birth registration WELLER, WILLIAM JOHN POOLE GRO Reference: 1895 D Quarter in KINGS NORTON Volume 06C Page 457 William John Weller, 1895 - 1959 From 1865 to 1920 some 100,000 children between the ages of 7 and 14 were sent to Canada and other British commonwealth countries pursuant to The Child Migration Act of England. For the most part, these children were sent from large orphanges — Dr.Barnardo's, the Fegan and Maria Fry Homes, as well as from many industrial schools. In all, approximately 50 other agencies participated in this scheme. In 1890 the situation worsened when additional legislation was passed that made it possible to send children abroad without the knowlegdge or permission of the parents. Largely, the "home" children came from broken homes: widowed mothers who could no longer care for them or from families weighed down by the grinding poverty of Britain at that time unable to feed and care for the large numbers of household members. Some children were abused by those into whose care they were given and treated as virtual slaves. Others were sent to homes where they were treated as if they were members of the receiving family. In the past, it was hard to get any "home" child to speak about his or her past. Most of the children felt as if they were the "dregs" of society, that no one wanted them. In fact, this sadly appears to be the case in most instances. During 1920, legislation was passed in Canada forbiding the emigration of children under the age of 14. This was not done to protect the poor depressed British child but rather to prevent the "watering down" of good Canadian blood or, as it is known, for the preservation of good "Eugenics". The following is the report of a child that was taken into one of these homes in 1906: William John Weller. He was the father of Isobel Joan Weller, wife of the designer of this Web Page. Image of description of William John Weller prepared by Dr. Barnardo's home on entrance into care. Remarks of Medical Officer — Inspector Welling, N.S.P.C.C., Birmingham, applied to our local branch on behalf of this lad, who had begged that he might be removed from living with his father. Our superintendent took charge of the lad and afterwards procured the following particulars. The parents were married at St.James Church, Handsworth, on May 16 1895, at which time the father was a coachman to Dr. Urquhart,of Smethwick. His drinking habits caused him to be dismissed at the end of six years. He then became a Cab Driver,and from that time the home was wretched and unhappy,and eventually (in April,1904), everything was sold, even the mother's wedding ring. The mother entered service, placing the two sisters with aunts and undertaking to provide them with clothing, which she has since done. For the past two years, William has been with his father, who has no regular abode and has frequently been turned out of his lodgings because of his drunkeness. The boy would have starved but for the kindness of cabmen who knew him and shared their food with him. A newspaper cutting shows that the father was charged on the 21st of June last at Smethwick Police Court on an N.S.P.C.C. charge of neglecting and abandoning the boy. It was said that the two had slept in outhouses until the father deserted the boy, who then had a "fearful experience". Applicant stated that he was found in rags and alive with vermin. Council announced that a Mr. Pitt, an engineer of Handsworth, offered to arrange for the father's future, suggesting emigration, and in view of this proposal, the man was dealt with under the First Offenders Act and fined 40/ and 14/6 costs, which Mr.Pitt paid. The latter turned out to be his brother-in-law. William was temporarily with the aunt, Mrs Allen, who expressed her inability to keep him. Applicant could not understand why the father had not been sent to prison. He was most anxious the boy should have been placed in the Homes beyond reach of such a man. He is healthy and intelligent and a bright, willing lad. Relatives:Father — William John Weller (36) oddjobber, no abodeMother — Isabel Weller (36), servant, 8/ a week, 9 Pearman Road, SmethwickSisters — Bertha (8) with aunt, Mrs Allen. Maud (5) with aunt Mrs. RodgersGrandfather (maternal) —John Pool (67), time-keeper, 9 Pearman Rd. SmethwickGrandmother (maternal) —Charlotte Weller (65), kept by her sons, 50 Grantham Road, SmethwickUncles (paternal) — Arthur Weller (23), nail maker, and Harold Weller (15) apprentice, 30 Grantham Road, SmethwickUncles (maternal) — William Poole, at sawmills, cripple, 3 Lord Steet, Skerton, LancasterAunts — Margaret Allen, wife of turner, 21 Salisbury Road, Smethwick, Jane Rodgers, wife of planer, 9 Pearman Road, Smethwick

  
  

• Sources

  [S16] Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928, 1933-1934, Ancestry.com and Genealogical Research Library (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Archives of Ontario; Series: MS932; Reel: 815. [S70] England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005, Ancestry.com, (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;).