Notes The birth of a Constance Elizabeth Branch was registered in Apr Qtr of 1861 in St George Hanover Square
On July 7 1861, Constance Elizabeth Branch was baptised at St Andrew, Stockwell Green, daughter of George and Elizabeth, of No 2 Bedford Row, Stockwell Green, England.
In 1872, Constance Branch, 11, arrived at Quebec, Canada, in a group of 53 Maria Rye children en route to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada.
"Charges made against Miss M. Rye before the Poor Law Board at Islington and her reply thereto. [S.l. : s.n., 1874?]
[Constance Branch] was beaten by her mistress while the latter was in a passion. A neighbor saw the ill treatment and at once went to her clergyman, Rev. Henry Holland, of St. Catherines, who communicated with me, as also the Police Magistrate, Mr. Burns, before whome the case was tried. I was present when the mistress was sentenced; she was fine $40, and I took the child back with me to the Home."
[EDITORS NOTE: A Thomas Steele and a Constance Branch who may be the one above were married at some point as birth records show a number of children born to the couple. (I have been unsuccessful so far in finding their marriage record so cannot be 100% certain it is the right girl). The information below is based upon the assumption that this is the correct person.]
Thomas and Constance Branch Steele had at least 9 children, all born in St. Catharines, Lincoln, Ontario, Canada, except for Thomas who was born in the USA: Thomas Steele, born about 1884; Mabel Ella Steele, born September 12, 1885 and died March 17, 1896 of congestion of the brain; Richard Howard Steele, born October 30, 1887, and died June 7, 1970; Charles Burwell ("Burley") Steele, born September 25, 1889; Flossy Grace Steele, born July 9, 1891 (twin, but both probably stillbirths); Edward Steele, born July 9, 1891 (twin, but both probably stillbirths); Esther Alberta Steele, born September 8, 1893, and died September 11, 1894, of "diarrhoea" duration one week; Louis Henry Steele, born February 5, 1896; and Wilfred Ernest Steele, born May 17, 1899.
September 19, 1927, at General Hospital, St. Catharines, Lincoln, Ontario, Canada, Thomas Henry Steele, 66, carpenter, died of a cerebral abscess. The informant was his wife, Mrs. Constance Steele, who resided at 1 Vollette Street, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
Constance Branch Steele died on February 16, 1945, in Ontario, Canada, at the age of 82.