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Record #14576
Name :
: John Hay BLANCE (1873 - 1940)


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 26 Nov 1873

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 16 Nov 1940
Abode (1) : Place of BirthScotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh

4 Infirmary Street
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialCanada, Perth
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 19 Jun 1884
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Buenos Ayrean

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Quarriers
NotesJohn arrived in Canada as a 10 year old boy and had in his possession a
bible which was inscribed with the date the children sailed from Scotland
to Canada.He also had his parents' marriage banns, and his father's
military discharge papers. Somehow, he managed to keep these papers and
they survived to the pr esent. John was taken in by a Butler family near
Perth, Ontario. In the year2000, letters that he wrote to his mother,
Hellen, and his half sister, Nellie, were located in the possession of
Winifred Geeson of England, who is Nellie 's daughter. From the letters
it is clear that John cared a great deal about his lost mother and half
sister and he tried repeatedy to get his sisters, Mar garet and Mary, and
his surviving brother, Andrew, to write to her, as well


Porcupine Aug 1, 1911
My Dear Mother
I received yours of the 16th and was indeed glad to hear from you. You did not say, Mother, how you were keeping, whether you were well or not. But I hope & trust that you are well and enjoying good health, as this leaves us all very well with the exception of poor James. Yes, Mother, it was a desperate fire we had here, One of the worst ever witnessed in Canada. We got out with our lives alright. Thank God. But there were a lot of lives lost, between 70 and 80 reported but I think there are a lot more not heard from yet. Yes, Mother, I got your letter last winter sometime in January. And I answered it and I intended writing again soon if I had not heard from you. Well, Dear Mother, I am very sorry I could not send you some money, I thought if I had good luck this summer that I would send you some this fall. But I am in hard enough circumstance at present. But I have our little home in North Cobalt yet to the good and enough to eat and wear, So we must be thankful that none of our lives were lost. When you write again, Mother, Address as usual North Cobalt for my family live there and I may not stay here much longer. My wife has not been very well since the fire. And I want to go down and see poor James before he gets any lower. I am sending your letter on to Maggie. I think she will write you soon. I will close for now dear Mother hoping to hear from you soon. I remain as ever your loving Son John
John Blance X
North Cobalt, Ont
North Cobalt Nov 17th 1913
Mrs Sandow
Dear Mother
I received your welcome letter and was glad to hear from you again but sorry to hear that you have been so ill, But I sincerely hope that you are enjoying the best of health by now. My Dear Mother I have some sad news to relate to you now. Poor James died on Friday the 7th of Nov and was buried Monday 10th. I got a message but to late to go to the funeral. Well the poor fellow is better gone for there was no hope of him ever getting better, we tried everything and all the good Dr we could get. The sadest feature of all is his poor Wife and six children the youngest is six months old the eldest is nine years of age. Poor James did not suffer a great deal although he was helpless the last year. Andrew came home from the West when he got the message but he was to late for the funeral to. I think Andrew will stay down East for the winter. Mary was quite sick some time ago but I guess she is better now. I have not heard from her or Maggie lately, They are both very poor at corresponding I don't know the reason why but they don't answer my letters when I write them. Mary's last address was Watertown U.S. But she moves around a good deal So I don't know whether she is living in Watertown or not now. But I will let you know in my next letter. Maggies Address is Mrs Fred Edgley RockPort Ont Well, as for Andrew his postoffice Address when he is at home out West is Plenty Post Office Sask. Well, Dear Mother I will close for now. I will send you a photo soon of myself. We have not had the children taken yet. As soon as we do I will send you one of them. Closing I wish you a Merry Xmas and a happy New Year and many of them, God bless you, my Dear Mother. I would dearly love to see and talk to you. I remain as ever your loving Son John Blance
North Cobalt
Ont
good by Dear Mother and love from all the family XXXXXXXX
North Cobalt Nov 17th 1913
Mrs Moore
Dear Sister
I received your letter and was delighted to hear from you again as I love to hear from Poor Mother as often as possible. I was very sorry to hear of Mother's illness. It grieves me to think I can't see her and talk to her, But I earnestly hope that she is enjoying the best of health again, We are all well and I hope Dear Sister that you and your two small children & husband are all well also. There is a few questions I would like to ask you Sister, if you don't mind answering them, I am curious to know if I have any Uncles or Aunts or Cousins on either Mother or Fathers side living. kindly ask Mother and let me know when you write again if we were all baptised or not and of what religion was Mother & Father. It seems natural Dear Sister that I would like to know all those things. Now Sister I would treasure that photo of Mothers very much. Maggie had a tin type photo of Mother when we came to this Country thirty years ago next July or June rather. When I grew up to earn money for myself I had a picture enlarged of the tin type. It is hanging on the wall in front of me as I write, I prize that picture more than anything in the house. I got it done in water colors and paid $25 dollars for the work & frame. I wish you seen it Sister it is splendid. Andrew looks very much like mother in the picture. Well I will close for now wishing you all a Merry Xmas and a happy New Year and many of them. kiss Mother and the little children for me. I remain your loving Brother John Blance please write soon same address
Maggies address
Mrs Fred Edgley
Rock Port Ont Andrew's address at present same as Maggies Mr Andrew Blance, Rock Port Ont
will send Mary's as soon as I can her name is Mrs D L Rogers
Porcupine Jan 3 1914
Mrs Sandow
My Dear Mother
I received your letter at Xmas And also the Photo of yourself and the cards And thanks ever so much Mother. I will prize the Photo. I will have a picture enlarged of it I have one enlarged from a Photo Maggie brought to this country of you It is a splendid piece of work done on the enlarging I paid $25 to have it done But I would not take the world for it, everybody admires the Picture that comes into the house. I had it done thirteen years ago when I was out West. Yes, Dear Mother I imagine how you felt when you heard that poor James was dead. It was a sad blow to me to as I thought more of James than I did the rest of our family. I am away from my little family at present I follow Diamond Drilling the greater part of the time and of course we are moved around a good deal. I was home for Xmas stayed two days and came back to Porcupine again. My Wife and children be very lonesome for me when I am away And you bet I be lonesome for them I have a good Wife and four nice children, I would give the world to have you see them at home I give them every comfort I can Mother, of course it takes a lot to do it. I earn one hundred and fifty dollars per month, but it takes it to live. Now my loving Mother my Wife is sending you a Photo of me it was taken ten years ago, She is also sending you one of Maggie & Mary together it was taken about the same time. Mary is the one with her hair hanging loose. Maggie was considered one of the prettiest girls in the neighbourhood each of the girls had beautiful hair. Maggie was married twice, her first Husband died about three years after they were married. She had no children to the first husband. She was married again seven years ago they have one child I think he is four years old or perhaps five I forget. My two eldest boys Robert James and John Andrew are going to school and doing nicely, our youngest boy will go to school next summer and our baby is a girl a cute little lady she was two years old last September. Oh how I would love to sit and talk with you Mother. I will do my best Mother and try to have Andrew go over to England and see you. I only wish I had the chance he has, and I would have been over before this time to see you & my other Brothers and Sisters. Now Mother I will write a few lines to Sister Nellie. Cheer up Dear Mother I will do my best to get Andy go over to see you. So good-by for now & God bless and comfort you My Mother. I remain as ever your loving & affectionate Son John Blance XXXXXXXX PS I dearly love to hear from you Mother so write when you can
Porcupine Jan 3 1914
Mrs Moore
My Dear Sister
I received your welcome letter the Photo & also the card And I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Yes I will take good care of the Photo, Sister. We are sending Mother a Photo of mine and also one of the two girls taken together. I will send you some more photos later on. How many Sisters & Brothers are in your family I have forgotten please tell me and I will make a note of it as I send the letters to Maggie to read. and they don't send them back sometimes. I am away from home now and I miss my little family very much, But I don't expect to be away over two months. We are moved a good deal at our line of work I follow Diamond Drilling and that takes us in all the new Mining Camps. I am 550 miles from home at present. So when you & Mother write just address as usual North Cobalt and my Wife will send my mail to me, as we may be moved somewhere else by that time. Now dear Sister I will close wishing you all a prosperous and happy New Year and many of them, I remain your loving Bro John Blance with love to Mother yourself your children and your Husband bye bye Sister write soon
Casey Cobalt Mine March 22 1914
My Dear Mother
I received your letter and was as usual glad to hear from you again and to hear that you were well. As this leaves us all enjoying good health Dear Mother I am so glad that Maggie has written to you. I wrote Mary some time ago and asked her to write to you. but Mary is very strange Mother she does not care to write to you as she says you didn't use us right. But my Dear Mother you don't need to mind her I will have a talk with her when I go down East this summer. Poor Mary is very fickle minded. But she is old enough now to have better sence. I have not heard from Andrew now for some time, I don't know whether he has gone West yet or not. I go home every two weeks go down on Saturday and back on Monday. I am only 18 miles from home. Mother our baby is the girl she is going on three years old will be three years next September. We call her Florence Helen. You should see her every time I go home. She seems so glad to see me coming home. The boys have been at home from school the past two weeks with whooping cough. I am glad you liked the little photos I will send you more later on. We are not going to have our photos taken until we go East in the Summer. My Wife's people live in Perth Ont, that is the Town where I was brought up in my young days, I was shipped from the Brockville Home to Perth. I lived with fine people. God bless them they used me well. The old folks are both dead now, they were sure good Father & Mother to me in my young days. Well my Dear Mother I will close for now hoping to hear from you soon again. When I go home next Saturday I will get some Easter cards and send to you, good by and God bless you Mother I remain your loving Son
John Blance XXX
Casey Cobalt Mine March 22 1914
My Dear Sister Nellie
I received your letter and was delighted to hear from you again and to learn that you were all well as this note leaves us all enjoying the best of health. We do not have much sickness in our family I am thankful to say. My Wife and the children are all healthy and I very seldom be sick myself, The truth of the matter is I don't get time ( ha! ha! ha! ) A busy boy ain't I. Well Nellie I am very glad you like the postal cards I sent you. I will try and send you some more, I will have some more snap shots taken of our Drilling Machine when the weather turns warm. We have lots of snow here yet and the weather is quite cold yet. We don't mind the cold here much we wear heavy clothing, I laughed where Mother said in her last letter that we must eat a lot of food we sure do eat lots of it, I eat so much that I have to pay one dollar per day for board ( ha! ha! ha! ) It is not for all I eat but the food is very high priced in this country. Yes, Nellie my Sister It is a shame we live so far apart. I would dearly love to talk with Mother & yourself, how is your husband Nellie I hope he is well kindly remember me to him and my other Sisters and Brother. And say Nellie tell Poor Mother not to mind Mary she is a foolish little goose anyway. She has got it into her head that Mother did not do right by us. but I will change her mind when I get talking to her. Say Nellie write to her in Mother's behalf and if she sends Mother an angry reply do not let Mother see it for I would not for the world have Mother's feelings hurt. Now I must close for this time hoping to hear from you soon again I remain your loving Bro Jack XXX
Mary's Address is Mrs Mary Rogers
Alexandria Bay NY USA
Address my mail as usual
North Cobalt Ont
Perth April 5th 1915
My Dear Mother
I received Sister Nellie's letter the other day and was delighted to hear that you were well. But I was very sorry to hear that poor Sister had been so ill, And I hope & pray that she is well & strong again by this time. Dear Mother I also had a letter from My Brother James Sandow and was delighted to hear from him, How I would love to see you all, no one can tell. And believe me Mother I feel as much for your second family as I do for my full Bros & Sisters. If I were only a free man Mother, what I mean to say if I were a single man and had no family to keep me here, I would soon see you all. Dear Mother the last time I wrote you we were living in North Cobalt. But last summer my Wife's Father living here in Perth took sick and sent for her to come home, So I brought her & the children down and went back North again myself. But on account of this terrible war times got very slack up North and my Wife's Father kept failing all the time and he wanted us to stay in Perth until he got better. But poor man he died on the 17th of January And my Wife had a young son on the 2nd of March. So that you see I have been tied to home for the last seven months. I have done no work since last September, but I will be able to get away now as my wife is getting strong again. I sold my place in Cobalt and I intend to live in Perth for the present. Dear Mother I was down to see Sister Maggie in Feb last. She & little son & husband are well. I didn't get across the river to see Sister Mary & her family as the ice was not safe for crossing. Maggie told me to ask you to write her as she got no answer to her last letter. Well Dear Mother I will close for now as I want to write some to Sister Nellie. So hoping to hear from you soon I beg to remain your loving & affectionate Son
John Blance XXX
Box 185
Perth Ont
Perth April 5th 1915
Mrs Moore
Dear Sister Nellie
I received your welcome letter a few days ago and was delighted to hear from you and to hear that Mother was well. But Dear Sister I was awful sorry to hear that you had been so ill yourself. but I hope & trust that you will be well and strong again by now. We have had a good share of trouble this last winter ourselves as you will see by Mothers letter. But Dear Sister we must content our selves as best we can. Dear Sister you call this war dreadful. I could call it worse names than that ( ha! ha! ha! ) but dare not. Yes Nellie it is a terrible war, to bad that poor people have to suffer at the hand of that old Kaiser. But I hope & trust that the war will soon be over. I forgot to tell Mother that I also seen Andy when I was down east in Feb And he is well. He and Jim's Wife are married now they got married on the 3rd of March. There is no use asking him to write to you. Nellie I have asked him often to write to Mother but he won't listen to it. Sister Mary is the same, She says Mother should write her first. So Nellie you write to her for Mother and see if she will answer. her address is Mrs D L Rogers Alexandria Bay NY. Yes Nellie I will have some photos taken soon and send you all one. I will close for now as I want to write to Bro Jim I will send him a photo to when I have them taken. kiss Dear Mother and my other Sisters for me love to all I remain your loving Bro John Blance XXX
Address as usual Perth
Box 185 Ont

Terrible Forest Fire Destroy Life and Property in
Porcupine District.

Toronto, July 15--Hundreds of lives have been snuffed
out and property worth millions has been destroyed by
the forest fires which have been sweeping over the
Porcupine district during the past few days. Two
hundred miners, muckers and other workmen have been
suffocated at the Dome mine, and of eighty-four men
employed at the West Dome only three are known to have
escaped. The mines burned include the Dome, North
Dome, East Dome, West Dome, Preston, Vipond, Foley,.
OBrien, Philadelphia, United Porcupine, El Dorado
Porcupine, Standard Imperial and Success. The known
dead are:
Drowned in Porcupine Lake--William A. Moore, R. F.
Mondue, Mervin Strain, Haileybury; Andrew Larue,
Nathan Haas, mining engineer, Spokane.
Suffocated or burned--Angus Burt, assayer at West
Dome, and Mrs. Burt; Robert A. Weiss, manager at West
Dome, and his wife and three-year-old daughter;
Captain Jack Hamilton, West Dome; McQueen, carpenter,
West Dome, and his wife; Andy Yuill, foreman,
Porcupine mines; Frank Flynn, United Porcupine; Joseph
Fletcher and C. E. Adams, United Porcupine; William
Koher, Thomas Geddes, Dan Smith Philadelphia mines;
Captain George Dunbar, William Gohr, Max Smith and Tom
Geddes, South Porcupine.
Reports from the north give but a vague idea of
what the loss of life will be, but all tell that
hundreds must have perished. The flames were driven
by a sixty mile gale, and scores of prospectors whose
names will never be known must have lost their lives.
In four short hours, commencing at 12.30 yesterday
afternoon, the fire swept from the Standard mines,
through to the shore of Porcupine Lake, where it ate
up the towns of South Porcupine, Pottsville, and part
of Golden City, as well as many small buildings along
the lake front. While some loss of life occurred in
the vicinity of Porcupine Lake, the greatest havoc was
wrought around the main mines, notably at Dome and
West Dome mines. At Preston and East Dome, an
untimbered shaft gave shelter and many were saved.
The streets of South Porcupine are strewn with dead
human beings, horses and cattle.
It is known that of the staff of 300 at the Dome
but a few were saved, while at the West Dome, but
three out of 84 employees are now known to be alive.
Along the highway between West Dome and South
Porcupine, over a comparatively open section, there
are six charred bodies. In the ruins of the town of
South Porcupine there lie the bodies of William Gohr
and his clerk, Max Smith, George Dunbar and Tom
Geddes.
The fire came down on the mining villages with
startling suddenness. Early yesterday morning heavy
clouds of smoke were noticed to the southwest, but the
fire that produced it was apparently remote and as
bush fires had been frequent in the district, little
attention was paid to it. By noon, the clouds of
smoke had reached the zenith, marking the approach of
the fire and soon the sun was obscured. At 2.30 the
fire had covered and area of 2 miles in length and
over two miles in width and had reached the base line
of Tisdale.;


Home Kids Bill Blance



1 When he was sent out to this country, he was only 8 years old.

The oldest of 5 little children, arriving tired scared and cold.

Carried a picture in his pocket, a tin-type of his mother dear.

The picture might keep him connected and help push away his fears.

CHORUS

And the people called them "home kids", indentured labour for the farms,



Nevermore to know the comfort and the love of mother?s arms.



Nobody wants those cast-off "home kids", not even their own family.

We don?t want those kids around here, just solid folks like you and me.



2

The kids were scattered like the wind here, sent away to earn their keep.

Separated from each other, brothers and sisters out of reach.

Well, life is never very easy but we do the best we can,

They grew and never gave up hoping that someday they?d meet again.

CHORUS



3

They? d find each other when they?re older, some day reunion time would come.

Through the years and tears and problems, they made sure that it was done.

And in my mind now I can see him, though I never really have.

That little 8 year old "home child" grew up to be my father?s dad.

Chorus

karenthom05added this on 27 Mar 2009John Blance's grandson, Bill Blance, plays banjo in a blue grass band. This is the lyrics to a song he wrote to honor his grandfather. 
ContributorsCreated : 2011-05-11 10:38:30 / From original database

Last Updated : 2011-05-16 10:34:55 /

Family History ResearchersRootsChatters with family connections to John Hay BLANCE:



 
Readers Comments

Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  31 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
17306 AULD, Florence Christison1900SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jul 1910 : Southwark CAN Quarriers  
26654 BAGGETT, Amelia Williamina McBeath1889SCT, MLN, Leith, Edinburgh Jun 1906 :  CAN  Chiad Fhear  
14577 BLANCE, Andrew1875SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jun 1884 : Buenos Ayrean CAN Quarriers  
13346 BLANCE, James William1880SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jun 1884 : Buenos Ayrean CAN Quarriers  
14576 BLANCE, John Hay1873SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jun 1884 : Buenos Ayrean CAN Quarriers  
14575 BLANCE, Margaret1871SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jun 1884 : Buenos Ayrean CAN Quarriers  
14578 BLANCE, Mary1878SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jun 1884 : Buenos Ayrean CAN Quarriers  
5549 BOWRY, William Arthur1914SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Oct 1928 : Beltana AUS Fairbridge Homes  
14766 CRERAR, Susan Mein1887SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Sep 1895 : Sardinian CAN Barnardos  
16516 DALY, John 1876SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Mar 1888 : Manitoban CAN Emma Stirling  
16455 DELANEY, Annie1879SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Apr 1877 : - Unknown - CAN Emma Stirling  
16451 DELANEY, James1876SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Sep 1886 : Carthaginian CAN Emma Stirling  
16454 DELANEY, Robina Mowat1880SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jun 1886 : Caspian CAN Emma Stirling  
26251 DICK, Alfred Lindsay1926SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jan 1937 : Oronsay AUS Fairbridge Homes  
10284 DURHAM, Matthew1895ENG, MLN, Leith Apr 1908 : Grampian CAN Quarriers  
16507 HARPER, Davina1877SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Sep 1892 : Hibernian CAN Emma Stirling  
16585 LEACH, Edward Kenneth1897SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Apr 1914 : Hesperian CAN Quarriers  
13355 MASON, Marion Elizabeth1875SCT, MLN, Edinburgh May 1888 : Corean CAN Quarriers  
3635 MENZIES, Hugh1895SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Apr 1906 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
3636 MENZIES, John1891SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Apr 1906 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
23520 ORMAN, James Alexander1897SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Apr 1910 : Hesperian CAN Quarriers  
23521 ORMAN, Mary Isabella1900SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jul 1910 : Southwark CAN Quarriers  
15995 PRYDE, Annie1897SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jun 1913 : Grampian CAN Quarriers  
15994 PRYDE, Isabella1901SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jun 1913 : Grampian CAN Quarriers  
15996 PRYDE, Nancy1901SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jun 1913 : Grampian CAN Quarriers  
3712 RUSSELL, David Moffatt1893SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Apr 1907 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
3713 RUSSELL, Thomas1894SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Apr 1907 : Sicilian CAN Quarriers  
23326 STEWART, George Sherlett1898SCT, MLN, Leith Apr 1912 : Scotian CAN Quarriers  
16522 STIRLING, James Brunton1874SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Sep 1886 : Carthaginian CAN Emma Stirling  
23299 TELFER, James1893SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Aug 1910 : Orthia CAN Cossar (George Carter)  
26416 WATT, William Anderson1920SCT, MLN, Edinburgh Jul 1931 : Oronsay AUS Fairbridge Homes  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  31 Entries