Friends and Neighbours

Winnifred E. Byrne.  July 7, 1877 -? Ontario, Canada Births, 1858-1913 for Elizabeth Winnifred Byrne

A friend of Eliza's from childhood, she was one of the witnesses at Herbert and Eliza's wedding.
The 1891 Cenus lists Winnifred's family living in Ward 7, they were neighbours with Eliza's parents who lived on Emerald Street:
John R. Byrne - 54, Labourer, Elizabeth (Porter) Byrne -  48, John Byrne - 24, Teacher, Joseph Byrne - 20, Labourer, Francis Byrne - 15, Message Boy, Winifred Byrne - 13, Nurse Girl, Cecilia Byrne - 12, Grace Byrne - 9, Ethel Byrne.  John Byrne 1891 Census of Canada
n.b. - Winnifred is listed as a Nurse Girl,  perhaps influenced Eliza into that profession.

 

Beatrice Barker

Also a friend of Eliza's before her marriage, Beatrice and Eliza worked together at St. Luke's Hospital as nurses.

 

James Wild. June 21, 1885  - March 22, 1919 James Henry Wilds  in the Ontario, Canada Births, 1858-1913 / James Henry Wild in the Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1947

A friend of Herbert's, James lived on Barton street in Hamilton.  His father, George was a market Gardner and likely the Fox family became friends with the Wild family through this common occupation.  James was born in Hamilton in 1886 and married Myrtle Mima Hayes on Sept. 12, 1908

Myrtle passed away on October 2, 1908.

James re-married to Mary Cecelia Harbison on September 22, 1915. 1.  James passed away of Tuberculosis on March 22, 1919 at the age of 33 in his residence at 564 Barton St. E. 2.

1. James Henry Wild in the Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1826-1937 /Myrtle Mima Wild in the Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current /  James Henry Wild in the Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1826-1937. 2. James Henry Wild in the Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1947

Post Card Collection

Click on the thumbnails to open the photos in full size.

James Henry Mitchell.  September 8, 1834 Fort Erie, Ontario - April 20th, 1912, Hamilton, Ontario. Ancestry Library Edition: James Henry Mitchell Family Tree Search

James was a Pattern Maker and Captain of the pleasure vessel 'Dennis Bowen' on Lake Ontario.  He and his son, Robert Mitchell - also a Pattern Maker, were friends to Herbert.
H and E friends - 6 of 10

April 26, 1912

Mr. and Mrs. H Fox.

256 Gibson Ave, City

Dear Friends, Please accept our many thanks for your sympathy & beautiful flowers, you so kindly sent in our recent bereavement.

Very gratefully yours, The Mitchell Family

60 Ferrie Street West

H and E friends - 7 of 10

Joseph B. Berry (1882 - 1956) and his wife Wilhelmine (1889 - 1964)

Neighbours to Herbert and Eliza living at 260 Balmoral Avenue.  They had three sons - two died in infancy in 1920 and 1925.  Their son Lloyd Joseph Berry was in the RCAF and was killed in action in 1945.  See August 17, 1949 letter and sketch of L.J. Berry's burial plot on Letters Back Home Page.

John Harrower and Family - 40 St. Matthews Ave. Hamilton, On., 

The Woolleys of 66 William Street

Herbert and J. Harrower were both employed as Pattern Makers - perhaps this also brought them together as friends, although Herbert worked for Smart Turner and Harrower for an elevator company.  John Harrower was the Recording Secretary for Hamilton's Pattern Makers' League and signed off on Herbert's Withdrawal Request:

The 1911 census for the Harrowers on 40 St. Matthews :  John Harrower (1858 - 1936) Scotch - immigrated in 1905, Pattern Maker at an elevator company (52), wife Jane/Jeanie (51), sons David (26), Thomas (24), James (22) and daughters Margaret (20), Jean (Jane) (16) and Ina (Williamina) (14).  They had 3 other children who passed away before they immigrated.  Lodger William McCleod (36) also came to Canada in 1905 - a molder at an elevator company

 

The Harrower Children:

John (1882 - ?) ) not included in 1911 census or pictures.  Married to Marguerite, one son.  Lived in Montreal in 1921.

David:  (1884 - ?)  Has WWI record, Roomed at 88 Oak St., 40 yrs old in 1921, Single, Labourer.

Thomas (1886 - 1963) - Machinist, Married Alice Maude Leake in Montreal in 1922 and moved out to B.C. One son.

James (1888 - 1988) Married Mary Jane, lived in Brooklyn NY in 1919 as a plumber. 1921 back in Hamilton on 1172 King Street.  Two children. Buried at Woodland Cemetery.

Margaret (1890 - ?)  Was a tailoress and married John Findlay Hamilton (1888 - 1933) on Sept. 29, 1911. He signed up for the CEF in 1916.  Lived at 490 Wentworth St. in 1912 and 1190 Cannon St. E in 1921, and 46 Melbourne St in 1933. Had two sons:  Thomas (1912 - ?) and Gordon (1916 - ?)  John Findlay buried in Woodland Cemetery.

Jane/Jean (1894 - 1951) Became a nurse, single,  and worked in Brooklyn NY, sponsored in 1932 by her sister Ina.

Willemina/Ina (1897 - 1979):  became a US Citizen in 1927, worked in Brooklyn NY as a nurse. Stayed single.

H and E friends - 1 of 5

Herbert Fox and John Harrower and the Woolleys are brought together in the 1917 St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church annual report:  Herbert is one of the Board of Management, John Harrower is 1st. vice-Chairman, and a C.  Wooley is in a list of soldiers at the back of the book in an honour call to soldiers.  Clifford Wooley, sometimes written as Clifton, was Thomas and Annie's eldest son enlisted to fight in WW1 in November, 1914.  He was initially listed as MIA in 1916.  Records now show he was killed in action on June 2, 1916 and is buried at Ypres.  There are many plaques bearing his name in remembrance - including a tombstone in the Hamilton Cemetery under the name Clifton Woolley.  For more visit:  livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5798604

1911 Census for the Woolleys:  Thomas Arthur Woolley 42 yrs (1869 - 1944) - real estate agent , with wife Annie 40 yrs and two sons - Clifford 14 yrs (written as Clifton) and William Allan 5 yrs, they lived on 66 William street. They're listed as Presbyterian.

T. A. Woolley worked with Herbert Fox for a better part of 27 years, as a mechanic in design for improving Grain Shocking Machines.  It seems he held both occupations of Mechanic and Real Estate Agent as part-time occupations. It was recorded by his younger son William (on his Registration of Death) that he was a Real Estage Agent from 1930 onward - which marks about the same time the patents for International Harvester had stopped being produced.

In 1914, Clifford's attestation papers lists Thomas Arthur Woolley living on 15 Arthur Avenue South, 63 King Street East in 1918 (recorded on T.A. Woolley's father's death certificate), and at 780 King Street East in Hamilton upon his death in 1944.

Harry and Beatrice Sidebottom

Perhaps only later in life, Harry is featured in pictures as a close friend (invited to Herbert and Eliza's child's wedding), and Beatrice left behind many cards of congratulations and notes to Dorothy Fox.  It is believed that Beatrice gave Dorothy the Princess Mary's Gift Book (Artefacts Page) when she was young.  The name 'Sidebotham' popped up during the Fox Ancestry research in the town of Bradwell, UK, so Harry might also have had relatives from the old country.