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The Gilkes in Canada |
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Crossing the Atlantic One of the Cuba's voyages from Liverpool ended on 24th April 1872 in New York. The extract (above right) from the Passenger List for that voyage shows Samuel Gilkes, widower, four of his children and a grand-child on their way to a new life in Canada. About 355 steerage passengers travelled on Samuel's trip, with a further 70 in cabins, but I'm not sure of the full capacity. It was a brave thing to do to start a new life at his age, but the family were not going into a total unknown. Samuel's eldest son, William Thomas, and his nephew, Thomas William, seem to have gone before him, probably by about a year. Also there was Martin Dew and a good contingent of his family from Neithrop, who arrived in Canada in 1871 in time to be included in the census. Martin Dew was the father of Samuel's grandson, Henry Martin Dew Gilkes! The child was born in the first quarter of 1870, so Martin must have gone ahead to set up a home; or Sarah forced her dad to chase him across the Atlantic. As they married and had 6 further children, it was probably the former. The Gilkes Family in Canada A bit of sensationalism is always a good place to start. The poster on the right is a wanted poster for the infamous James Gang, America's answer to Robin Hood and his Merry Men! It is there because of the family story, which has newspaper back up, that the gang stayed on the farm of George Gilkes when it was on the run and in need of some safety and peace. There is a tree that still(?) has the bullet holes put there by the gang as they practised their aim. Although the main part of the story is less glamorous, I think it is also more interesting and a fascinating look at the pioneering spirit needed to cross the Atlantic for a new life. You will see, however, that Canada was the next step in a very mobile life - and wasn't the final move for some of the family. More will follow as soon as I can get it written, but I will not let it be quite such a long time as it was before. |
The Cunard ship "Cuba" was an iron built, screw driven steam ship, 338 feet long, 42 feet broad, of 27 feet depth and 2,348 tons, and was built by Tod and McGregor in Glasgow in 1864. On December 3rd she sailed from Liverpool on her maiden voyage to New York via Queenstown. It was sold in 1876 and turned into a four masted sailing ship, renamed the Earl of Beaconsfield. She ended her life wrecked near Withernsea on a trip from Calcutta to Hull.
The Gilkes Family in Canada - Part 2
BUILT TO LAST It seems that William Thomas and Thomas William may have travelled together, but I haven't yet found when. William went to Michigan around 1890 and died there in 1910. His youngest sister, Ann Barbara went with him. The rest of the family stayed quite close to each other in Grey County, Ontario.
George Henry's father was George Gilkes who was born in Neithrop, Banbury, Oxfordshire in September Quarter 1852. As a 16 year old he had spent Census Day 1871 in the Barlemow public house in Cosgrove, Northamptonshire, with his father, Samuel, working as sawyers. The rest of the family, in England, were at Warkworth, Northamptonshire, with daughter Sarah in charge. By the following year they were in Canada, reunited with Samuel's older son William Thomas, nephew Thomas William, son of his younger brother Frederick, and Martin Dew, father of his grandson Henry Martin Dew Gilkes! The poor little chap did not last long, for he died and was buried in September 1872 - before Martin and his mother even got married.