Notes R.J. was born Nov. 1900, and as he recalled from having been told the story by his older sisters and brother, his mother died as a result of his birth. There is some confusion, as to his birth date, but he felt it was Nov. 5th, but the confusion stemmed from it not being registered until Nov. 8th, or that his mother died on the 8th. From his earliest memories his older sisters, Ethel, Daisy and Rose were already out working, and didn't reside with his father, Edward, his older brother Alf (Alfred), and him. His dad as he recalled was a farm labourer and thatcher (thatching roofs), and R.J. was bounced back and forth between his maternal and paternal grandparents while his father was working. He was named Robert John, after his two maternal uncles, Robert and John Havers, at the insistence of his maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Havers. His older brother who had predeceased him, also had the same name. At age seven his dad came to his bed and told him, as he tucked him in, that the next morning, some people from the Barnardo home would be coming to pick him up, He thought this was going to be some kind of a day adventure. The next morning when he woke, his dad was already gone to work. Barnardos came and picked him up, and he never saw nor heard from his father, who was illiterate, again. Before he knew it, he was on a ship, on his way to Canada.
Contributors Created : 2012-10-08 10:46:09 / From original database
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