Events
Date of Birth: 13 June 1898.
Place of Birth: Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England (10 St James Street).
Date of Death: 25 July 1978.
Place of Death: Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Sunnybrook Medical Centre).
Date of Burial: 1978.
Place of Burial: Toronto (Mount Pleasant Cemetery).
Relationships
Father: Charles John Thomas Ward (1861 - 1940).
Harry’s father is named on his marriage registration.
Mother: Sarah Harper (about 1863 - 1933).
Harry’s mother is named on his marriage registration.
Spouse: Doris Winstanley Molineux (1901 - 1990). Married 8 November 1925 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (St Anne’s Anglican Church).
The date comes from the marriage license. Harry and Doris separated on 20 January 1940.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Doris June Ward (born 21 June 1926 - died 12 January 2008 in Toronto) married Charles Michael Bishop in 1953.
Lois Alda Ward (born 13 May 1928 in North Bay - died 17 December 2024 in Ottawa) married Robert Malcolm Buchanan 17 May 1949 in the Hart House chapel at the University of Toronto.
Daniel Roderick Allan Ward (17 October 1930 in North Bay, Ontario - died 13 April 2015 in Ingersoll, Ontario) married Isabel Yvonne Crozier 1 July 1963 in Bracebridge, Ontario.
Evidence
Merchant Seaman Identity Certificate no. 850166:
Surname: Ward
Christian Name: Harry Ewart
Rating: Std
Date and Place of Birth: 13-6-1898 Wolverhampton
Nationality: Brit
Father: Brit
1901 census of Wales (Newport, Monmouthshire)
41 Vivian Rd
Charles J T Ward, Head, M, 40, Stocktaker in Iron Works, [born] Shops. Shrewsbury,
Sarah [Ward], Wife, 38, [born] Worcestr Stourbridge
Rose M. [Ward], Daur, S, 15, Mothers Help, [born Worcestr] Kidderminster
Violetta M. [Ward], Daur, S, 13, [born Worcestr] Wolverley
Daniel C. [Ward], Son, S, 12, [born Worcestr] Kidderminster
Lilian M. [Ward], Daur, 8, [born] Staffs Wolverhampton
Harry E. [Ward], Son, 2, [born Staffs Wolverhampton]
Olive E. [Ward], Daur, 2 mo, [born] Monmouth Newport
1911 census of Wales (Newport, Monmouthshire)
38 Bishton Street
1. Charles John Thomas Ward, Head, 50, Married, [married 26 years, 8 children, 7 children still living, 1 dead], Life Assurance Agent, [born] Salop, Shrewsbury, [speaks] English
2. Sarah Ward, Wife, 49, Married, [born] Worcester Stourbridge, [speaks] English
3. Daniel Charles Ward, 22, Single, Ironworker (Sheet Marker. Sheet Mills), [born Worcester Kidderminster]
4. Harry Ewart Ward, 12, School, [born] Staff. Wolverhampton, [speaks English]
5. Olive Edith Ward, 10, School, [born] Mon. Newport, [speaks English]
6. Harold Frederick Ward, 7, School, [born] Mon. Newport, [speaks English]
signed Charles John Thomas Ward
1921 census of Canada (Ottawa, Ontario)
117 Waverley Street
-Perkins William Henry, Head, male, married, 64, born England, parents born England, Church of England, soldier (militia), income $1500.
-[Perkins] Nansophie (?), Wife, female, married, 46, born Ontario, parents born Ontario, Church of England, no occupation
-Morgan Thomas Trevor (sic), Sister-in-law, female, widow, 38, born Ontario, parents born Ontario, Methodist, nurse, income $240 (?)
-Ward Harry, Roomer, male, single, 23, born England, parents born England, Canadian citizen, race or tribe - English, Methodist, Mechinest (factory), income $860.
-Strong Gordon, Roomer, male, single, 22, born England, parents born England, Methodist, labor, income $760 (?)
1931 census of Canada (North Bay, Ontario)
Name: Ward, Harry
Place of Abode: 480 Main St.
Description of Home: rented at $30 a month, single house, wood, 6 rooms, no radio
Head, male, married, 32 years old, born in England, father and mother born in England
Immigrated to Canada in 1920
Nationality: Canada
Racial origin: English
Can speak English; can’t speak French
Religion: Church of England
Can read and write
Occupation: statistician, railway, for a wage
Earnings in previous 12 months: $1572
Employed on 1 June 1931: yes.
Same residence:
[Ward] Doris
Wife, female, married, 29 years old, born in England, father and mother born in England
Immigrated to Canada in 1923
Nationality: Canada
Racial origin: English
Can speak both English and French
Religion: Church of England
Can read and write
Occupation: homemaker
[Ward] June
Daughter, female, single, 4 years old, born in Ontario, mother and father born in England
Nationality: Canada
Racial origin: English
Can speak English; can’t speak French
[Ward] Lois
Daughter, female, single, 3 years old, born in Ontario, mother and father born in England
Nationality: Canada
Racial origin: English
Can speak English; can’t speak French
[Ward] Alan
Son, male, 7 months old, born in Ontario, mother and father born in England
Nationality: Canada
Racial origin: English
Can speak English; can’t speak French
Molineux Eric
Brother in law, male, single, 31 years old, born in England, mother and father born in England
Immigrated to Canada in 1923
Nationality: Canada
Racial origin: English
Can speak English; can’t speak French
Occupation: stenographer, railway, for a wage
Earnings in previous 12 months: $1500
Employed on 1 June 1931: yes.
McCloud Edna
Maid, female, single, 15 years old, born in Ontario, father born in Ontario, mother born in Scotland
Nationality: Canada
Racial origin: Scotch
Can speak English; can’t speak French
Occupation: maid, private home
Earnings in previous 12 months: $60
British Royal Naval Reserve:
R.N.V.R. Division: Wales
No. Z 4065
Name in full: Harry Ewart Ward
Date of Birth: 13 June 1898
Place of Birth: Wolverhampton, Staffs.
Occupation: Mercantile Marine.
Whether formerly R.M. or R.N. [blank]
Date and Period of Engagements: 23 April 1917. Hostilities
Chest, in.: 35
Height: 5 ft. 3 in.
Hair: Dk Brn
Eyes: Blue
Complexion: Fresh
Wounds, Scars or Marks: Scar rt groin
Ship, &c., served in:
-Victory VI; SS 7345.; C. Sea; from 7 May 17 to 16 Sept 17
-Vivia III; 152 eno[...] C. Sea, from 17 Sept 17 to 9 Oct 17
-Orcoma; 5c; 20; C. Sea; from 10 Oct 17 to [blank]
- “ ; “ ‘ “ A.B.; from 1 Aug 18 to 7 Feb 19 [Shore on Demob]
UK Navy Lists 1920
Sea Cadet Corps.
Honorary Sub-Lieutenants (C).
Name: Harry Ewart Ward
Seniority: 9 Jan 1920
Newport (Mon.) Boys’ Naval Brigade
Approx. Strength of Unit: 53
Date of Recognition 14 April 19
Hon. Sub-Lieut. Harry Ewart Ward, R.N.V.R (C)
Canada, Ocean Arrivals Form 30A (June 1920)
Description of Passenger
Height: 5.4.
Complexion: Fresh.
Colour of eyes: Blue
Colour of hair: Brown
Marks of identification: Scar Right. Thigh.
Name: WARD Harry Ewart
Age:21, Single
Occupation: Clerk
Intended Occupation: Farming
Birthplace: Wolverhampton
Race or People: English
Citizenship: British
Religion: C. of E.
Object in going to Canada: Farm Work
Have you ever lived in Canada: No
Money in possession belonging to passenger: £ 25
Able to read? Yes
Can you write? Yes
What language? English
By whom was passage paid? General Settlement Committee
Intend to remain permanently in Canada? Yes
If admission refused, cause of rejection No
Destined to: Director of ...zation Toronto
Nearest relative in country from whence passenger came [...?] S. Ward 98 Bishton St. Newport -Mon
If ever in insane asylum where and between what dates No
Ever had tuberculosis or epilepsy? No
If relative ever insane, tubercular or epileptic, give particulars No
Physical defective None
Signature: H. E. Ward. April 28th 20
Commentary
Parentage:
Harry’s parents are identified in an affidavit signed by him at his marriage registration.
[Name of Bridegroom’s Father: Charles. John Thos. Ward; Name of Bridegroom's Mother: Sarah Harper]
Harry and his parents are also identified in the 1910 and 1911 UK censuses. (See above.)
A letter from Charles John Thomas Ward to his son Harry survives. There are a number of other references to Harry’s parents and other family members among his surviving papers.
[Seen by the author of this page.]
When acquiring an Ancestry Certificate for the UK, I obtained a copy of Harry’s birth certificate, which named his parents (I no longer possess this copy.) The GRO birth register index records that the maiden name of the mother of Harry and of all of his siblings was “Harper”.
The nature of the evidence (multiple independent records directly giving the relationships, including an affidavit signed by Harry; consistent information about the date and place of birth) is clearly enough to establish the relationships according to usual genealogical standards.
There is also supporting DNA evidence that Harry was the son of Charles John Thomas Ward and Sarah Harper. I am a paper-trail grandson of Harry, and I share DNA with paper-trail descendants of Harry’s sisters (and Charles and Sarah’s daughters) Rose and Lilian.
Date and place of birth:
The date of Harry’s birth was communicated to the author of this page by his son, Allan.
The date and place are recorded on his Merchant Seaman Identity Certificate (See above.)
The date and place are documentation related to the British Royal Naval Reserve (See above.)
Harry’s age and place of birth are recorded in the 1901 and 1911 censuses. In both censuses, the ages correspond exactly to the birth date on the Merchant Seaman Identity Certificate. (In the 1901 census, taken 31 March 1901, Harry’s age is given as 2, and in the 1911 census, taken 2 April 1911, it is given as 12.)
In the affidavit signed by Harry at his marriage registration (20 October 1925), Harry gives his age as 27 and his place of birth as “Wolverhampton, England”, which exactly corresponds with the evidence already given.
Date and place of death:
I have a newspaper clipping given the place and date of death, but I haven’t been able to identify the paper. I clearly recall it being in the summer of 1978.
References
“AncestryDNA ThruLines for Charles John Thomas Ward database report”, AncestryDNA. Accessed 26 February 2025.
Charles J T Ward household, 1901 census of Wales. Monmouthshire, Newport, Newport (ED 5), Newport, piece 4962, folio 106, page 43; digital image at Ancestry.com (accessed 11 April 2014) citing Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey. England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA), 1901.
Charles John Thomas Ward household, 1911 census of Wales. Monmouthshire, Newport (registration district 587), Newport (ED 24), Newport; RG14, Piece 31983; digital image at Ancestry.com (accessed 11 April 2014) citing Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911. Kew, Surrey. England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA), 1911.
William Henry Perkins household, 1921 census of Canada. Ontario, Ottawa, sub-district 30, Central Ward, page 9; digital image at Ancestry.com (accessed 25 August 2014) citing Library and Archives Canada. Sixth Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2013. Series RG31. Statistics Canada Fonds.
British Navy Lists. Peter Singlehurst. 1920, page 1802, 1805; digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 11 April 2014)
Harry Eward Ward household, 1931 census of Canada. Ontario, Nipissing, sub-district 42, North Bay (City), Ward 1, page 14; digital image at Ancestry.com (accessed 6 January 2025), citing Library and Archives Canada. Seventh Census of Canada, 1931. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Library and Archives Canada, 2023. Series RG31. Statistics Canada Fonds.
Ward, Harry Ewart. Ocean Arrivals, Form 30A, 1920, (dated 28-4-1920); digital image at Collections Canada (from microform t-15229)
Harry Ewart Ward - Doris Winstanley Molineux marriage registration (stamped 11a 006227), digital image Ancestry.com (accessed 31 March 2014) citing Ontario, Canada. Registrations of Marriages 1869 - 1928. MS932, reel 706. Archives of Ontario, Toronto. A digital image can be viewed at FamilySearch: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKM5-BSG9