George Bricknell Blencowe  [1706]

1864-1933

Father Nm: John Blencowe [851] born Dec Q Banbury mother Mary Mold c 6.11.1839 Middleton Cheney; Oldest known ancestor Thomas Blencowe d1755 Kings Sutton.

Mother Nm: Mary Bricknell 1840 Middleton Cheney. Died unknown, North York, Ontario

Marriage Dt:

Kin comments:

Spouse Comments:

Children:

(Research):1871 Census* GR[B] Banbury Dec 1864.

1871 Census Middleton Cheney with Parents

Age 8 years emigrated to Canada with his parents in 1873 on the ship SS Circassian arrived in Quebec 4th May 1873

Family accompanying him

• Mary mother
• John father
• Anne sister
• Charles’s Infant brother (who may have died not in the 1881 census)

1881 Census of Canada Whitchurch Ontario

1. John Blencowe 41
2. Mary Blencow 41
3. George Blencowe 16
4. Ann Blencowe 11
5. William Blencowe 6
6. Frederick Blencowe 4
7. Minnie Blencowe 8m

1901 Census Newmarket Ontario

1. Jno Blencowe 61
2. Mary Blencowe 61
3. George Blencowe 36 Farm Labourer
4. Annie Cowan 31
5. Wm Blencowe 26
6. Fred Blencowe 24
7. Minnie Blencowe 20

Pre War

In 1885 there was an unsuccessful uprising in Saskatchewan by the Metis people, George was mobilised into the 12^th Bn. York Rangers. The 12th Battalion of Infantry (York Rangers) mobilised four companies for active service on 10 April 1885.

The companies served with the York and Simcoe Provisional Battalion in the Alberta Column of the North-West Field Force. The force crushed the opposition and the companies were removed from active service on 24 July 1885.

WW1

Blencowe George Bricknell, 1864, Banbury, Pioneer, 136309, 12^th York Rangers, 74^th Bn. CEF, 4^th Labour Bn.

1915

• 17^th Aug. Enlisted Newmarket with previous Military experience 12th York Rangers – Incorrect date of birth given.

1916

• 9^th Apr. Departed Halifax for England on ‘Empress of Britain’.
• 11^th Oct. Transferred to Prov. Bn.
• 2^nd Dec. Attached to 3^rd Labour Battalion

1917

• 9^th Feb. Embarked for France. Arrived in France 10-11 February 1917.
• 2^nd Mar. Transferred to 3^rd Labour Bn. Can not find a war diary for this unit. The labour battalions were used to repair roads, and carry ammunition ie general labouring roles, however, in November the 3^rd Labour battalion was converted into the 11^th Canadian Railroad troops and would have had in 1917 a role predominantly with the Canadian rail efforts. This could have included guarding trains etc. and was very much a fit for George who at 53 yrs was not likely to be able to do hard labouring work.
• Nov. Dunkirk. The war diary records that the Battalion were unloading ships and also filling sandbags for the Governor of Dunkirk. This work would likely have been very hard on George and perhaps the reason he is transferred the next month.
• 3^rd Dec. Ypres. Attached 4^th Labour Bn. in the field.  A draft of 139 men arrived from the 3^rd Labour Battalion ….Of the 139,  one man immediately went to the hospital. 76 others were immediately rejected as unsuitable for work with the battalion.¹ George is very likely one of these unsuitable men his age alone would be an impediment to hard labouring work in perilous conditions (5 men of the Bn. being killed while at work the previous week).
• 24^th Dec. Presumably rejected by the 4th Bn. George returns to England. Transferred to Quebec Regiment Depot.

1918

• 31^st Jan. Returned to Canada.
• 1^st Mar. Discharged unfit to serve.

Research Note

George gave his age as 44 yrs and birth year as 1871 this was incorrect he was born in 1864 evidenced by the 1871 Census in England as age 6, Emigration records of 1873 and 1881 Canadian Census in Newmarket as age 16.

Sources

1. 4th Labour Battalion War Diary.
2. Full-service record– George Blencowe.
3. Further reading history of the 12th Regiment York Rangers.
4. 11th Canadian Troops war diary

Medals

In 1885 awarded the North West Canada medal and the British and Victory medals plus the Canadian War Service badge, Class A.

After the War

Death 1933, Age 69

Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938 and Deaths Overseas, Name: George Blencowe, Death Date: 22 Mar 1933 Death County or District: York, Age: 68, Gender: Male.

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1865 Birth Location: England, Single, Father: John Blencowe Mother: Mary Bricknell.

Death Record

George Blencowe, of 10 Colter Street, Newmarket, d. 23 March 1933, aged 68 years, 6 months, at Christie Street Hospital, Toronto; born 30 September 1865 in England; single, labourer, son of John Blencowe, b. England & Mary Bricknell, b. England; cause: arteriosclerosis, hypertension & cardiac hypertrophy; informant was William Blencowe, brother, of Newmarket. Burial in Newmarket.

Gravestone in Newmarket

Gallery