IGI shows Christened 1885 July 5 at Saint Paul, Warwick, England, and name listed as: Ethel Adah Gardner.
Worked as a domestic servant in Birmingham, England as a teenager, then in Quebec City prior to marriage. She was nursemaid for some of the grandchildren of the Hon. Richard Turner (1843-1917), member of the Legislative Council in Quebec City.
Listed as General Domestic Servant, Aston, Birmingham in 1901.
Came to Canada, landing at Quebec, 1908 September.
Living at 28 Leonard Ave., Ottawa, Ontario in 1919.
Returned to England with family 1922 April 8 departing St. John’s. Returned to Canada in 1923 leaving September 13 from Southampton on the ship Minnedosa, Canadian Pacific Steamship Line. Ship master was J Sibbons.

Baptised 1874 June 21 at Saint Matthias, Bethnal Green, Tower hamlets, Middlesex by John Heathfield. Address given as 11 Little York Street.
Occupation was Carman in 1891.
Served in Queen’s Own Highlanders in the Sudan, then Boer War.
Canadian Army: First World War Regimental Number 1288252.
Living at 4 Chance Street, Bethnal Green, London, England in 1891. Listed as “Carman.”
Living at 563 McLeod, Ottawa in 1912 and described as “Orderly Dept M & D.”
Living at 28 Leonard Ave., Ottawa, Ontario in 1919.
Came to Canada on the ship “Canada” (Dominion Line) that left Liverpool 1904 August 18. Reported final destination on the manifest was Toronto.
Returned to England with family 1922 April 8 from St. John’s. Returned to Canada in 1923 leaving September 13 from Southampton on the ship Minnedosa, Canadian Pacific Steamship Line. Ship master was J Sibbons.
Married by J. F. Gorman in Rectory of Grace Church, Ottawa. Witnesses: CharesClair and Alice Maud Parsons.

Close friend, along with his wife, of Charles Claire (ID=9590) and Annie Massey (ID=9591).

Interview with my Grandfather in 1957:

In 1957, as a teenager, I took an interest in genealogy and made a point of interviewing some elderly relatives. While the interviews were primarily to get information on earlier generations and get vital statistics, the interview with my Grandfather Bill Flinn turned into an interesting history lesson.

Bill Flinn was born in the notorious "Slums of Bethnal Green" in east-end London in 1874, of Irish stock. He recalled his father drove a horse-drawn "Handsome Cab." His schooling was limited, he said, because he was often pulled out for chores or to undertake short-term paid work.

At age 17 he was ordered by his father to get out and find work. He went to the army recruiting office. He said he knew that to be accepted at an age less than 18 he had to have permission of his father. But he refused to ask his father permission for anything. When the recruiting officer asked his age, he responded "18, Sir." My Grandfather said there was a moment of silence as the recruiting officer looked him in the eye and said "You're a bloody liar. But you're in."

My Grandfather was in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. He was sent to the Sudan where he served under Lord Kitchener. My Grandfather said they were fighting "savages." My Grandfather showed me the scar on his forehead where a bullet grazed his head during the Battle of Omderman in 1898 on September 2. When his son was born on that anniversary 16 years later, he gave his son the middle name of Omderman. My Grandfather was later sent to South Africa where he fought during the Boer War. He said he recalled meeting a reporter there by the name of Winston Churchill.

By 1902, he was back in England. He recalled enjoying meeting his wartime buddies at the local pub and would always order his "arf 'n arf" -- a mixture of ales. He said a common greeting among friends in the pub was "What did Billy Gladstone say in '81?" -- reference to Prime Minister William Gladstone. He didn't have the answer. I don't think anyone ever did know what Gladstone said in '81.

My Grandfather came to Canada about 1905. He said he was attracted to a Canadian ad saying "Come to the Golden West." He took up that offer. He heard that Canada was so rich that the streets were paved with gold. Jobs were plentiful, he was told. The trip consisted of a steamship trip to Quebec, followed by a train trip to Toronto. "That," he chuckled, "was the golden west." He said he got off the train, wandered about Toronto not knowing what to do, when he was offered a "steady job" on a farm north of Toronto. He got there and worked for $1.00 a day and his hours were from 4:00am until 10:00pm. He quit shortly thereafter. He said the farm owner asked why he was quitting. Typical of my Grandfather's sarcastic sense of humour, he said his response was "You said this would be a steady job. It's not. I have nothing to do from 10:00pm until 4:00am."

My Grandfather never had a steady career. He soon joined the Canadian army and eventually made the rank of Sergeant and involved largely with clerical duties. He married my grandmother and they settled in Ottawa in 1910. He was in-and-out of the army several times and during World War II he served in the Corps of Commissionaires, part of which was duties on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. He tells the story of being on duty at the East Block of the Parliament Buildings when Prime Minister Mackenzie King arrived. My Grandfather was trained to follow orders without question and his orders were "no one gets in without their authorised identification pass." The Prime Minister didn't show his pass. My Grandfather says he wouldn't let the Prime Minister in until he produced his pass. "After all, we were at war and this might have been an impostor" said my Grandfather.

I asked my Grandfather about his siblings. He was the only one of the family to come to Canada and he lost regular touch with most of his siblings. He corresponded with an older sister in London, who remained in Bethnal Green all her life. He mentioned that in her letters during World War II she said that she slept on a mattress under the kitchen table. The reason was that she was fed up having to get up each night during the air raids to go to a shelter, so she figured the kitchen table would protect her.

My grandparents never had much money. I recall my childhood of visiting my grandparents at their small flat above a grocery store. He always listened to the daily BBC news, via short wave, at noon each day on the CBC. He went to bed right after the 10:00pm CBC news each night. I never saw him go out without his Bowler hat -- that was his trademark.

My Grandfather had a large tattoo on his chest, done in the late 1890's. It was of St. George slaying the dragon -- as he was doing in Sudan in 1898. He also showed me his legs: The dark tan was still there from his knee down a few inches: from the sun burns he had while wearing a kilt during his years fighting in Africa.

My Grandfather mentioned during that interview in 1957: "I guess there aren't many men who can say they have served six monarchs: Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI, and Elizabeth II." "But," I proclaimed, "you retired before Elizabeth became Queen." "I have never been formally discharged from the Corps of Commissionaires" he replied.

In 1958, a year after I interviewed him, my Grandfather died at the age of 84. As was appropriate, his coffin was draped in the Union Jack. We could not find one of his army hats, but we had his Bowler. Knowing the only hat that could be on a flag over a coffin was a military hat, my aunt asked, in humour, "can we put his Bowler on the flag?"


Also, see comments under his sister Maria Flinn (#3208).