Private Nelson Duheme CEF

[marc leroux]

This is one of the names that is on the memorial I am researching. Private Duheme was likely from the Huntingdon area, or someplace in South-West Quebec, (or had lived there at one point, or had a great-aunt who married someone important: the 'rules' for getting your name on the memorial seem to be quite loose).

I can't find any reference to 'Duheme' in the CWGC database, the Soldiers of the First World War database or the Canadian Virtual Memorial. I also can't find him in the 1901 census for the area.

I do, however, have a photo of him, so I'm pretty sure that he existed. Unfortunatly the scan is from a very yellowed newspaper copy. There was no additional info, just the name.

If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated.

TIA

marc

[Guest Hill 60]

The CEF Roll of Honour shows (page 211)

808578 Pte Duhaime, Nelson

31st Bn

Missing - 3 May 1917 aged 21.

Previously in the 137th Bn

[Guest Hill 60]

Marc - Here are some links for you.

Attestation Papers

CWGC

[marc leroux]

Aha!

I would never have thought to spell it like that! Just goes to prove that the pen is mightier than the chisel.

Thanks Lee

marc

[Guest Hill 60]

No problem mate

[chris.wight]

Marc, there seems to be a number of variations in the spelling of his name. This index of surnames, Quenneville Research gives two variations, Duheme, and Duhesme (only one of these). The Duheme family seems to have roots in the Huntingdon area. There is a Sylvestor Duheme who could be an uncle since the dates seem right, link .

Still there is the question of the spelling of his name on the attestation paper to be explained, which contradicts that on the memorial, link

I did some more checking and here's a link to a 1901 census with him link - spelling here is Duhaime. His father was Josephe Duhaime born May 1st, 1892, mother Malvina born September 23rd, 1858.

A couple of asides, Marc. I used to visit two companies in Huntingdon regularily so I know the town well - never saw the memorial though. There must have been a substantial number of Scottish emigrants living there, and in not too far off Ormstown at one time - the Black Watch was granted the Freedom of the Town to each, Ormstown in 1997, and Huntingdon the following year. They still contribute men to the regiment as I hired a piper from the Black Watch for my Dad's funeral in 1997, and he was from Ormstown (his name was Gough, more of an Irish name! )

I also didn't know that there was an on-line source for Canadian town memorials so that was a great find!

Marc, are you researching the Huntingdon memorial, or men from Quebec who went out west where they joined the CEF?

[marc leroux]

Hi Chris, you went a lot further than I expected!

I didn't know that the Valleyfield census was on-line. That will be a big help to my brother (the genealogist in the family) and myself. My guess is that the family originally settled in eastern Ontario (I was thinking that it might be Crysler on the attestation papers), and then moved around to the other side of the river via Valleyfield. I noted that there was one family in Huntingdon, and they are likely related.

My interest started innocently enough. My mother grew up on a farm outside Huntingdon. Her father served in the CEF, and he never talked to any of the children about it. So I grew up hearing all the stories about how he joined up at the start of the war, earned medals at Vimy, and all that, but no one really knew. So for my mother’s birthday (she turned 29 ... again) this year I figured out how to get his papers and write the story they never really knew. I got it done (barely, and somewhat crudely) in time to send it to her. I have to update it in time for a family reunion in August.

Anyway, along the way I found this forum, and got hooked on the whole thing. I've flitted through various parts of Canadian history, and this was a time that resonated with me. So I decided to research the men that are on the Huntingdon Memorial, starting with some other family members. At the same time, I noticed a trend of westward movement; many of the men on the memorial enlisted out west, and when I tried to find the links to the area, many were originally from the area, but had moved out west. So a side-bar is to study the emigration west. For an area that had a small population, a whole lot moved, so there had to be some social drivers for this.

Since I started my project I am finding that the 'criteria' for inclusion is somewhat vague, and that some people are listed on other area monuments (Huntingdon, Ormstown, Riverfield and Valleyfield all have intertwined histories and they all have monuments and names). So I'm now expanding my project to include the 'rest' of south-west Quebec, or at least the 4 monuments that fall into the region of the bus routes for my old High School.

Huntingdon was settled by Scots and Irish (with little intermixing). The Huntingdon Gleaner was published by a gentleman named Sellar. My brother has conversations with someone doing the extracts from the early paper and asked him why there was so little information about the Catholic (Irish) people. He responded that the Catholic priests encouraged people not to read the paper, so if they weren't reading, there wasn't much point in writing about them!

marc

PS My wifes reaction to all this was "What! They send him out to die for his country and they can't even spell his name right!"

[chris.wight]

Hi Marc. Thanks for the background on your interest in the Huntingdon Memorial. I think that's great you have been able to fill in some of the missing details for your mother. Huntingdon really is an interesting blend of nationalities. (By the way I used to visit Cleyn & Tinker, and another textile plant located adjacent to the railway line - you tend not to forget things like that when you're a rail buff!)

How many men from the Memorial have you found out west?

I've found the same thing about inclusion on the local Memorial - some links seem very tenuous. I wonder if any towns have preserved the documentation relating to the founding of them?

[marc leroux]

I have just started to put a database of names together as a(nother) research project to share with the other CEF Pals. My thought was to use this as an area that was predominatly 2nd or 3rd generation Canadians, some bilingual influence, definate religious split, which should yield some interesting trends.

I'd say (this is from memory) that at least 25% from Huntingdon were out west when they enlisted/were conscripted. Many of the men going out west were Catholic. It is going to take some time to complete the analysis.

BTW Did you also go to DomTex in Valleyfield?

marc

[chris.wight]

Marc, that is great news about the database - one of the many positive aspects of being a member of this forum. That whole area is an interesting blend of peoples. I look forward to hearing more about what you find out.

I'd look to put something together too. I was considering the 24th/60th battalions Victoria Rifles, maybe spend time transcribing their war diaries which with some of the writing would make it so much easier on the eyes. Also the Bibliotheque Nationale in Quebec has the 24th's WW1 history written by Fetherstonhaugh which I'm thinking of getting on interlibrary loan, and then scan it. Well, we'll see!

I used to visit DT; shame that such a new plant was closed especially since they were a good customer. I always enjoyed travelling through the area.