#Chatham #Deserter #England #Kent #Military #Vancouver #WWI
William1 ELLENDER was the eldest of two children born to William2 ELLENDER (1835 – 1907), a Labourer, and Maria WEBB (1840 – 1865).
His father William2 seems to have lived all his life around Folkestone, Kent. Maria was also born in Elham District and they married Q2 1861 at about age 26 for him and 21 for her. Sadly, she passes away at a young age and so he remarries Harriet REUBEN (1840 – 1924) and they go on to have more children.
William1 has one full brother in George ELLENDER (1863 – 1931) and five half-brothers – John ELLENDER (1866 – 1926), Alfred ELLENDER (1868 – 1911), James ELLENDER (1876 – 1877), Henry Robert ELLENDER (1872 – 1936), Charles ELLENDER (1878 – 1955) and Albert ELLENDER (1881 – 1944).
Sadly we see that one brother died very young and so did both sisters – Emily Frances ELLENDER (1871 – 1871) and Elizabeth Charlotte ELLENDER (1879 – 1880) which must have been very difficult times for the family.
In the 1861 Census Maria is listed as Unmarried and aged 21. She is living with her family somewhere in Lyminge, Kent. Cannot find an entry for William2 but his parents are listed in Lyminge as well so presumably this is where they met. The census was 07 April 1861 but one of the records re marriage was 31 March 1861. Not sure they would have wed in secret as appears it was presumably at St Mary & Ethelburga Church in Lyminge so that may have been first date of the banns being read.
William1’s birth was registered Q4 1861 in Elham District. According to other records he was born on 19 October 1861. Not sure if he was baptised as have not found a record. His brother George came along Q1 1863 and then mother Maria passed away Q4 1865. It is doubtful the children would have remembered her at all in later life having been only 4 and 2. I am not sure if they had still been living in Lyminge at this time.
Unsurprisingly with young children involved his father remarried less than a year later to Harriet. The record found is for 01 July 1866 at Christ Church, Folkestone. She was a few months younger than Maria so 26 when she wed to his 31. She had been born in Saltwood, Kent.
Their first son John’s birth was registered Q4 1866, second one James the following year (who did not survive long) and then Alfred’s Q3 1868. It is not sure if all the children are being brought up together at this time. It is possible that other relatives had helped out especially in the early days of Maria dying.
In the 1871 Census they are all at 3 Queen Street in Folkestone. Interestingly they are sharing this property it appears with Harriet’s parents and two of her sisters. She is one of nine children so presumably used to being in close quarters. William1 is now nine and a Scholar. It says he was born in Lyminge, George in Elham and then the two surviving half siblings in Folkestone.
In the next few years they have more children (including two girls that did not live long either) and by 1881 Census the family has moved to 3 Coolinge Cottages, Folkestone. Unable to establish exactly where this is on a map so presumably been replaced now. [They have moved by 1891 since a different family living there at this date].
William1 has moved out at some time before 03 April 1881 when the census was taken and appears to have joined the Royal Marines. He is found in the 1881 Census at the Royal Marine Light Infantry Barracks in Chatham Parish as a Private. He is unmarried, aged 19, with birthplace Folkestone. He is the only William ELLENDER whose birth is registered between 1855 and 1866 in Kent.
Was he actually there at that date though? I have found a record for a couple of months prior to this though which does not put him in the best light. In a report published 16 February 1881 he is on a list of Military Deserters. It gives desertion date of 06 February 1881 and place as Chatham. Not sure when he has returned if at all. [I don’t have a Fold3 Subscription so cannot find out more.]
Could not find any obvious data for him on Forces War Records. The next items come from the Ancestry Family Tree of a Robin SANDERS. [Not sure quite how he links in as has over 7000 names to his tree but seems to have a lot of ELLENDER research undertaken]. He has a post in 1883 with note of Discharged as Run but no records. Later data seems to indicate that William1 left not only the military but also the country.
I would imagine that punishment was severe for desertion so it is likely that he straight away left the UK and has ended up in Canada. It is quite possible therefore, that he never met his youngest half-sibling who was born in Q2 1881 or even saw his family again unless they went out to visit him.
Did his family ever know what happened to him or is this just being pieced together at a later date by other people? Again there is a non-evidenced note for 1891 that Residence is British Columbia, Canada.
He has clearly researched the family and has a marriage for him. On this he notes that there are some discrepancies on the record probably due to his desertion however the death record confirms right marriage. This does indeed hold some issues as the only thing to really give it as the William ELLENDER in question is the name and there would have been more than a few of those around the world during this period.
It has a birth year estimated of 1868 so making him about 7 years younger than he actually was and claims he was born in Fort Darwin, Australia 1. Also, the mother’s name is given as Madeline WEBSTER.
The certificate has him marrying at 34 to the 21-year-old Clara COSTA (1881 – 1962) whereas if this is definitely him then he is actually 20 years older than her. His employment a waiter and he was living at the Secord Hotel, Powell Street, Vancouver when they married.
They do not seem to have any children so unable to use any DNA matches for confirmation. Do not seem to find any more records for where they were living or what their lives were like.
His father William2 passed away on 05 May 1907 at 3 The Plain, Folkestone aged 71. If this is the right William then he survived most of his siblings and step-mother who died 26 October 1924 at 57 Greenfield Road, Folkestone.
William1 himself then dies 07 September 1951 in Vancouver 2. Looking at this record it is almost as if the truth is now out since his year of birth now shown as 1861 and so it is probable that this is the right one. Maybe his brothers’ descendants would know more.
William1 ELLENDER was a 2C 3R to me on his paternal line. The nearest shared ancestors are my 4x Great Grandparents Robert ELLENDER (c1808 – 1887) and Sarah Jane HOGBEN (1811 – 1898).
I have a confirmed DNA match with a great grandchild of Henry but the parent that connects us is actually related to me on both their paternal and maternal lines. It all gets very complicated.
Footnotes –
Most research undertaken using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps. Additional resources listed below if utilised.
- FamilySearch – https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JD8B-PBV ↩︎
- Find A Grave – https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26324267/william-ellender ↩︎
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