A Royal Connection?

When I was growing up, every once in a while, at family gatherings I would overhear mention of our

blue blood. One day I asked my mother what they were talking about.

It seems that in 1972 shortly after the death of the Duke of Windsor (Edward the VIII) a Milroy family monument appeared in a cemetery in Galt, Ontario, Canada. The inscription is as follows:

“Millicent A.M.M.M.P.St., daughter of James and Helen Milroy (1890 – ), wife of Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor (1894 – 1972)”.

She not only claimed to be a Princess of the Stuart line of Kings in Scotland but also the wife of the Duke of Windsor. At the time the news made the newspapers around the world.

The story is that they met during a visit by the Prince to Galt, fell in love and were secretly married in 1943. The Prince of Wales did spend a lot of time at his ranch in Alberta and apparently Millicent is to have spent some time teaching in Alberta. The rumor even goes so far as to claim there were two children, Edward and Andrew who went to live with their father in England. She always said that the truth would be known after her death. Then shortly after her death her home was broken into, and many items stolen. It’s believed by some that the break in was to remove all evidence of the Royal connection.

The Honourable Ralph Goodale PC MP

The Hon. Ralph Goodale has been appointed the Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Preparedness. I wanted to know what the responsibilities were for this position and found the following information on Wikipedia.

“The Minister of Public Safety, formerly the Solicitor General and then the Minister of Public Safety

and Emergency Preparedness, is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government’s domestic security department, Public Safety Canada. The position was nominally created in 2003 and incorporated the responsibilities associated with the Solicitor General including responsibility for the federal Canadian prison system (Correctional Service of Canada), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Parole Board of Canada, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, although the incumbent was formally sworn in as Solicitor General of Canada.

Another Field line in Canada

The Forge, Field family home.  Frant, Sussex. C. 1910

Last night I was surprised to discover that another member of the Field family had immigrated to Canada. Arthur Edward Field and his wife Ann Chapman were married in Cranbrook, Kent in 1903. They then took a trip to the United States to visit some Chapman relatives in Sycamore, Illinois. I'm not sure how long there were there but their oldest son Arthur M. Field was born in the United States in 1905.

In 1907 Arthur Field arrived in Canada and apparently settled in Vancouver, Canada. They had four children that I know of, Arthur M., Stephen E., Alice D., and Frederick John. Arthur and his wife Ann both passed away in 1939, Arthur in March and Ann in November.

***I have not yet been able to trace any of the family after 1939.***

Update May 30th 2012: I have now been in touch with the family, a descendant of Frederick John Field. We will be updating our family tree.

My great grandfather Philip Percy Field and Arthur Edward Field were second cousins.

Philip Percy Field Arrives in Canada

RMS Royal George

It has always been thought that my great grandfather Philip Percy Field arrived in Canada in 1912. Now that the Canadian passenger records have been index and available on-line I now know exactly when the family arrived in Canada.

Philip age 41 left Bristol, Gloucestershire, England alone on a 3rd class ticket (T2543) September 6th 1911 aboard the RMS Royal George. The voyage took eight days and he arrived in Montreal, Quebec at 11 pm on September 14th. Located beside Philips name on the manifest, there's a notation, "S. Army", I believe this is in reference to the fact that the Salvation Army use to assist families with their relocation. From Montreal Philip travelled to Toronto via the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). To be continued....