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Record #23313
Name :
: Ernest Frederick BETTS (1900 - 1977)
  aka : Fred


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 15 Nov 1900

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 12 Feb 1977   Notes : Massive Coronary
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Lincolnshire, Stamford
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialCanada, Ottawa
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 19 Oct 1908
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Dominion

Placement Family
: Bryant, Robert
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Barnardos
NotesAt the age of 7, Fred Betts arrived in Canada Oct. 19, 1908. In England, his father had abandoned the family. His mother tried to take care of her three children, but unfortunately died of unknown causes. His sister, Elsie May, had arrived in Canada earlier in the year. His older brother, Sydney, remained in England, never to be heard from again. His parents were Charles Betts, who apparently spent his time in local pubs singing for drinks, and Annie Maria Linfoot,who died in 1904. Despite the willingness of some family members who, I'm told, were willing to care for the children, they were removed and sent to a Barnardo home.
From information and stories retrieved, he was sent to a farm in Reach, Ontario and spent the next few years as a child labourer in various farms throughout the region. I know he did not have a pleasant childhood and he refused to speak of it. I believe because it was too painful for him to talk of those memories.
His sister in the meantime, I believe was adopted, received an education and went on to be a nurse, and live a very satisfying life.
At some point in time, they were able to find each other. I'm uncertain as to when that was.

At the age of 16, he left. I'm not certain where he went or what he did, but it has been mentioned that possibly he began the life of a sailor and sailed the seven seas.
1936 - Border crossing at Niagara Falls
1941 - He was a merchant seaman on the "SS Canadian Cruiser" which was torpedoed and sunk by the German pocket battleship "Admiral Scheer". He spent the rest of the war as a POW. I have an account of his time in Germany and will post it here shortly.

After his liberation from the POW camp, he returned to Canada. He took a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant in Ottawa, on Sparks Street called Bowl's Lunch. There he met the love of his life, my mom, Rhea Rose Alba Blondin. The only way he could get her to go out with him was to lie about his age. He told her he was 34, she believed him, she fell in love, they got married, then he told her his real age. Kind of funny, I don't think she ever forgave him for that.


BETTS, Ernest - 10, lodger with Robert Bryant family in Reach, Ontario, arr 1908 on SS Dominion with Dr Barnardos SEE McDONALD 
ContributorsCreated : 2013-11-10 07:11:05 / From original database

Last Updated : 2013-11-10 11:57:03 /

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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  6 Entries        
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
23314 BETTS, Elsie May1897ENG, LIN, Stamford Aug 1908 : Dominion CAN Barnardos  
23313 BETTS, Ernest Frederick1900ENG, LIN, Stamford Oct 1908 : Dominion CAN Barnardos  
6229 BOUGHTON, Violetta1880ENG, LIN, Stamford May 1892 : Mongolian CAN Maria Rye  
5081 BRITTON, Cyril1914ENG,    , Stamford Aug 1926 : Montrose CAN Barnardos  
7247 LATTIMORE, Arthur William1915ENG,    , Stamford Sep 1929 : Duchess of Atholl CAN Barnardos  
3297 SHAW, Frederick Robert1909ENG, LIN, Stamford Jul 1923 : Minnedosa CAN Barnardos