Arthur, Tom Bryce and Annie – Sibling migrants to Canada

At the beginning of the 20th Century four Gillard siblings migrated to Alberta, Canada to start a new life.

It all started in 1905 when Arthur Gillard a single man in his late twenties left South West England to travel to Liverpool and board the “Vancouver” for Montreal with a target destination of Burnt River, Alberta.

In 1907 he and his brother Tom both apply for Homesteads and in 1910 their brother Bryce followed suit. Ultimately their sister Annie Lenton and her family follow in 1921.

In 1910 Tom his granted the patent on his Homestead and marries Ethel Hughes in Glenbow, Alberta. Together they have 3 children. Tom remains farming in Throne, Alberta until he retires in 1948 and moves to British Columbia, dying at Campbell River, Victoria when he was 85.

Arthur is also granted his Homestead in 1910 and returns home in 1921 to marry Matilda Griffiths. His sister Annie and her husband Job Lenton and their children follow Arthur out that year and they live with Arthur and Matilda at the farm in Throne, Alberta. Arthur remains there until his death aged 60.

Elder brother Bryce arrived with his wife Alice Claydon in 1910. He is granted his Homestead in 1914 and lives in Battle River, Alberta. By 1935 the pair have moved to Barrhead and this is where Bryce dies aged 64.

Its not clear what prompted these four siblings to leave south west England leaving three surviving siblings behind. The Canadian government encouraged migrants at the start of the 20th century to set up farms and build the transport infrastructure for a growing country and maybe a local agent in Dorset convinced them to try – Arthur certainly seemd to be the pathfinder. The family had also seen their parents divorce, unusual for “ordinary folk” in that period and maybe that disillusioned them or they had divided loyalties between the parents (a story for some other time). What we do know is that there was a large Gillard presence in the Veteran area of Alberta although only two of the siblings, Tom and Annie had any descendants.