Chapter 9: Willy Ross and Georgina Dobson
The first record we have showing Willy Ross living away from home is the 1891 Census of Canada.
Willy is no longer living on the Lewis farm at Park Head. He is living on a farm at French Bay,
with the family of his mother Annie’s sister, Mary Jane Lewis,
who had married John Walker. Willy’s occupation is recorded as ‘farm labourer’.
1891 Census of Canada
Shortly after the 1891 Census was taken, Annie Lewis Ross moved to a farm at French Bay, and Willy moved back to live with his mother and his brother Harry, who was 11. Three years later, in 1894, Annie married Jim Longmire and Willy started working in lumbering on the Bruce Peninsula.
William Lewis Ross married Georgina Louisa Dobson on July 2, 1901. Willy was 23 and Georgina was 21. On the registration, Willy recorded his occupation as labourer and Georgina recorded her occupation as domestic. The 1901 Census shows Willy and Georgina living with Annie and Jim Longmire on the farm at French Bay.
1901 Census of Canada
Their first child was William Henry Ross, who was born in Amabel Township on June 19, 1902. Our assumption is that Willy and Georgina were still living with Annie and Jim on the farm at French Bay. The birth was reported by Annie Longmire, and Willy’s occupation was recorded as labourer
Their second child was George Murton Ross, who was born in Wiarton on January 19, 1904. Sometime during this interval Willy and Georgina had left the Longmire farm and moved to Wiarton. We believe Willy was still working in lumbering at this time. He again recorded his occupation as labourer.
Sometime after Murton was born, Willy Ross decided to become a sailor on Georgian Bay rather than continue working at lumbering or farming, and he started working for the Crawford Tug Company in Wiarton. In 1904 there were no cars or trucks. Railways and ships were used to transport people and goods, and there was a bustling commercial shipping industry on Georgian Bay. Initially fishing tugs had stopped at the fishing stations to deliver supplies and bring the fish back to the railway at Wiarton. As time went by, the industry became more multi-purpose, with small ships transporting passengers and all kinds of freight, as well as fish, around Georgian Bay.
1891 Census of Canada
| Name | Sex | Age | Married or Widowed | Relationship | Place of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walker, John | M | 35 | M | Head | Ontario |
| Walker, Mary | F | 30 | M | Wife | Ontario |
| Walker, John | M | 10 | S | Son | Ontario |
| Walker, Lewis | M | 8 | S | Son | Ontario |
| Walker, Leonard | M | 3 | S | Son | Ontario |
| Walker, Vincent | M | 1 | S | Son | Ontario |
| Ross, Wm. | M | 13 | S | Domestic | Ontario |
Shortly after the 1891 Census was taken, Annie Lewis Ross moved to a farm at French Bay, and Willy moved back to live with his mother and his brother Harry, who was 11. Three years later, in 1894, Annie married Jim Longmire and Willy started working in lumbering on the Bruce Peninsula.
William Lewis Ross married Georgina Louisa Dobson on July 2, 1901. Willy was 23 and Georgina was 21. On the registration, Willy recorded his occupation as labourer and Georgina recorded her occupation as domestic. The 1901 Census shows Willy and Georgina living with Annie and Jim Longmire on the farm at French Bay.
1901 Census of Canada
| Name | Sex | Age | Married or Widowed | Relationship | Place of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longmire, James | M | 38 | M | Head | Ontario |
| Longmire, Annie E. | F | 44 | M | Wife | Ontario |
| Ross, Henry | M | 21 | S | Step Son | Ontario |
| Ross, William L. | M | 23 | M | Step Son | Ontario |
| Ross, Georgina L. | F | 21 | M | Daughter-in-law | Ontario |
Their first child was William Henry Ross, who was born in Amabel Township on June 19, 1902. Our assumption is that Willy and Georgina were still living with Annie and Jim on the farm at French Bay. The birth was reported by Annie Longmire, and Willy’s occupation was recorded as labourer
Their second child was George Murton Ross, who was born in Wiarton on January 19, 1904. Sometime during this interval Willy and Georgina had left the Longmire farm and moved to Wiarton. We believe Willy was still working in lumbering at this time. He again recorded his occupation as labourer.
Sometime after Murton was born, Willy Ross decided to become a sailor on Georgian Bay rather than continue working at lumbering or farming, and he started working for the Crawford Tug Company in Wiarton. In 1904 there were no cars or trucks. Railways and ships were used to transport people and goods, and there was a bustling commercial shipping industry on Georgian Bay. Initially fishing tugs had stopped at the fishing stations to deliver supplies and bring the fish back to the railway at Wiarton. As time went by, the industry became more multi-purpose, with small ships transporting passengers and all kinds of freight, as well as fish, around Georgian Bay.
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J. H. JONES
One such ship was the J. H. JONES, which belonged to the Crawford Tug Company. She had been
built in Goderich, Ontario in 1888, as a fishing tug for the Dominion Fish Company. Later, she
was re-built as a general purpose vessel and sold to the Crawford Tug Company. Willy Ross
signed on to the J. H. JONES and worked there for some time. The Harry Ross tape tells us that
it was a steady job, and he had worked his way up to Wheelsman.
Willy and Georgina also had a daughter named Guiella, who was born in Wiarton on March 28, 1906. Almost immediately Guiella became known as Ulah, and we will use the name Ulah in this book. In what now seems almost like an omen of the impending disaster, William L. Ross reported the birth himself, and recorded his occupation as sailor on the birth registration.
Willy and Georgina also had a daughter named Guiella, who was born in Wiarton on March 28, 1906. Almost immediately Guiella became known as Ulah, and we will use the name Ulah in this book. In what now seems almost like an omen of the impending disaster, William L. Ross reported the birth himself, and recorded his occupation as sailor on the birth registration.
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Willy Ross
‘It was at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 22nd, 1906, that the JONES departed from Owen Sound with a full load of freight and seventeen passengers, en route to Lion’s Head and Tobermory on her regular run for the collection of fish in boxes from the various fishing stations. The weather, as might have been anticipated that late in the season, was inclement, and heavy seas were being stirred up on the open sections of Georgian Bay. The steamer passed Cape Croker Light at about 1:30 p.m., her passage observed by lightkeeper Richard Chapman, who noted that she was having a difficult time of it in the heavy seas. The JONES then disappeared from Chapman’s view, and to this day has never again been seen.
It is thought that she foundered somewhere off Cove of Cork Bay, which is a large bight located between Cape Croker and Montresor Point, and the area to which the steamer had fought her way before the lightkeeper lost sight of her. All on board perished, including Capt. James Crawford, 51, and only one body was ever found, that being a crew member who later washed ashore on the east side of Christian Island. One week after the sinking, the cabin of the JONES also washed up on the shore of Christian Island. To this day, the location of the wreck has remained a mystery, in spite of the considerable underwater exploration that has been done in the region.
The Wiarton Echo of Thursday, November 29, 1906 printed a list of a total of thirty passengers
and crew who were believed to have been lost in the sinking, under the headline ‘The saddest
calamity that has ever befallen Wiarton’. The crew were Capt. James Crawford, master; Edward
Lennox, first mate; George Smith, second mate; Charles Shaw, first engineer; Wesley Sadler,
second engineer; George McEwen, Wheelsman; Willie Ross, Wheelsman; - McVittie fireman; Thomas
Simmons, fireman; James Tilley, deckhand; - Spears, deckhand; Frank Jackson, cook; and Mervin
Clark, cook. All but Sadler, McVittie and Spears were immediately confirmed to have been from
Wiarton.’
This tragedy hit the community of Wiarton very hard. Many families were left without a breadwinner, at a time when social safety nets did not exist. The Ross family was no exception. Willy Ross left his wife Georgina and three small children. William Henry was 4, Murton was almost 3, and Ulah was only 8 months old. The community and other family members helped with a little money, but nobody had much.
In 1907 Annie and Jim Longmire sold the farm at French Bay and moved to Wiarton (Chapter 8). We assume they moved to Wiarton to help Georgina and the grandchildren. Georgina remarried in 1909, and Annie and Jim moved back to Park Head in 1912.
The two sides of the Ross family drifted apart after the death of Willy Ross. Harry Ross had gone to South Africa 18 months before Willy and Georgina were married (Chapter 10). He may not have met Georgina before he left. By the time he got back in 1909, Georgina had already remarried and started a new life. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the two families didn’t really come back together again after Harry returned.
After she remarried, Georgina Dobson Ross became Georgina Mitchell, and she was known by this name for the rest of her life. For the sake of completeness, brief stories about Georgina Mitchell and her family follow.
These stories are a bit sketchy because official documents are not made public for ‘recent’ events. At the time of writing, the 1911 Census of Canada is the last census we have. More recent BMD (Birth, Marriage, and Death) documents are also held back, to protect the privacy of living people. As a result, more recent family history tends to be based on people’s memories rather than on official records.
Georgina Mitchell:
When Willy Ross died in 1906, Georgina was left as a widow with 3 small children to support. On April 7, 1909 she was married for a second time, to a widower from Wiarton named William Mitchell. The 1911 Census records the new Mitchell family living in Wiarton:
1911 Census of Canada
As we have noted with other census records, there are a number of errors here. The name ‘Mitchell’ and the name ‘Ulah’ are both misspelled, and the correct age for William Mitchell should be 49 rather than 39. More importantly, Henry, Murton, and Ulah Ross should have been recorded as the stepsons and stepdaughter of William Mitchell, with the last name Ross. We believe this is a census error rather than family decision, because the children continued to use the name Ross after Georgina remarried.
On December 6, 1911, William and Georgina Mitchell had a son named Garnet Mitchell, who was a half brother to Henry, Murton, and Ulah Ross.
Georgina suffered another major loss when William Mitchell died of heart failure on May 18, 1914. The death registration says his age was 52, and his gravestone says he was 53. This would make his age recorded on the 1911 Census incorrect by about 10 years.
Georgina Mitchell was left as a widow for a second time, now with 4 children to support. William Henry was almost 12, Murton was 10, Ulah was 8, and Garnet was 2. She stayed in Wiarton while the children were growing up, and supported her family by taking in boarders, doing sewing work, and making clothes.
This tragedy hit the community of Wiarton very hard. Many families were left without a breadwinner, at a time when social safety nets did not exist. The Ross family was no exception. Willy Ross left his wife Georgina and three small children. William Henry was 4, Murton was almost 3, and Ulah was only 8 months old. The community and other family members helped with a little money, but nobody had much.
In 1907 Annie and Jim Longmire sold the farm at French Bay and moved to Wiarton (Chapter 8). We assume they moved to Wiarton to help Georgina and the grandchildren. Georgina remarried in 1909, and Annie and Jim moved back to Park Head in 1912.
The two sides of the Ross family drifted apart after the death of Willy Ross. Harry Ross had gone to South Africa 18 months before Willy and Georgina were married (Chapter 10). He may not have met Georgina before he left. By the time he got back in 1909, Georgina had already remarried and started a new life. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the two families didn’t really come back together again after Harry returned.
After she remarried, Georgina Dobson Ross became Georgina Mitchell, and she was known by this name for the rest of her life. For the sake of completeness, brief stories about Georgina Mitchell and her family follow.
These stories are a bit sketchy because official documents are not made public for ‘recent’ events. At the time of writing, the 1911 Census of Canada is the last census we have. More recent BMD (Birth, Marriage, and Death) documents are also held back, to protect the privacy of living people. As a result, more recent family history tends to be based on people’s memories rather than on official records.
Georgina Mitchell:
When Willy Ross died in 1906, Georgina was left as a widow with 3 small children to support. On April 7, 1909 she was married for a second time, to a widower from Wiarton named William Mitchell. The 1911 Census records the new Mitchell family living in Wiarton:
1911 Census of Canada
| Name | Sex | Age | Married or Widowed | Relationship | Place of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchel, William | M | 39 | M | Head | Ontario |
| Mitchel, Georgina | F | 33 | M | Wife | Ontario |
| Mitchel, Henry | M | 8 | S | Son | Ontario |
| Mitchel, Murton | M | 7 | S | Son | Ontario |
| Mitchel, Ulla | F | 5 | S | Daughter | Ontario |
As we have noted with other census records, there are a number of errors here. The name ‘Mitchell’ and the name ‘Ulah’ are both misspelled, and the correct age for William Mitchell should be 49 rather than 39. More importantly, Henry, Murton, and Ulah Ross should have been recorded as the stepsons and stepdaughter of William Mitchell, with the last name Ross. We believe this is a census error rather than family decision, because the children continued to use the name Ross after Georgina remarried.
On December 6, 1911, William and Georgina Mitchell had a son named Garnet Mitchell, who was a half brother to Henry, Murton, and Ulah Ross.
Georgina suffered another major loss when William Mitchell died of heart failure on May 18, 1914. The death registration says his age was 52, and his gravestone says he was 53. This would make his age recorded on the 1911 Census incorrect by about 10 years.
Georgina Mitchell was left as a widow for a second time, now with 4 children to support. William Henry was almost 12, Murton was 10, Ulah was 8, and Garnet was 2. She stayed in Wiarton while the children were growing up, and supported her family by taking in boarders, doing sewing work, and making clothes.
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Georgina Mitchell, Annie Longmire,
Ulah Ross, and Garnet Mitchell
In the late 1920s, after her children had grown up, Georgina moved to Owen Sound and worked for the McKay Brothers clothing store. She stayed in Owen Sound for about 10 years before moving back to Wiarton in 1938.
Georgina’s grandson, Don Mitchell, lived with Georgina for 11 years when he was growing up, from 1939 until 1950. He recalls that during this time Georgina first worked at Levine’s clothing store in Wiarton, and later ran a small tourist home using the extra room in her house. This was a predecessor of what would now be called a ‘B & B’.
There was not much contact between Georgina Mitchell and Annie Longmire in later years. Don Mitchell recalls that Annie Longmire had wanted her son Willy to become a farmer, not a sailor. She thought Georgina had encouraged Willy to sail on the J. H. JONES. We do not know exactly what was said, but some hard feelings were the result.
Georgina Mitchell died at the home of her son Murton Ross, in Montreal, in 1950. She was 70 years old. She is buried with her husband William Mitchell in Bayview Cemetery, Wiarton.
William Henry Ross:
Like his Uncle Henry Ross, William Henry Ross was always called Harry, so he is called Harry2 Ross in this book. Harry2 Ross was born on June 19, 1902. He was 10 years older than my aunt Eila Ross and 12 years older than my father Bruce Ross. As a result, they did not get to know him very well.
The Eila Ross notes tell us that Harry2 Ross was a wanderer. He left home at a young age and found work as a sailor who travelled the world, starting on the Great Lakes. He came by this honestly. His father Willy Ross had been a sailor and his grandfather William2 Ross was a wanderer who wound up in South Africa.
Harry2 Ross married Louise Martin in Vancouver on August 30, 1924. We believe they lived in Vancouver for some time, where they had a daughter named Isabelle who was born in about 1926. When his wife Louise died in 1937, Harry2 Ross and his daughter Isabelle came back to Park Head and lived with Jim and Annie Longmire for about a year. There was not much interaction with his uncle Harry Ross or his family, even though they lived only a mile away.
When William2 Ross died in South Africa, Harry2 Ross received a small inheritance. He was living in Toronto in 1941 when he signed the receipt letter. Don Mitchell told us that Harry2 Ross had served in the RCAF during WWII, but he was too old to go overseas.
After the war Harry2 Ross married Grace Ona Delain and continued to live in Toronto. He died in Toronto on May 24, 1962.
The fact that Harry2 Ross named his daughter Isabelle is fascinating to me. Harry2’s great grandmother was named Isabella (Isabella Murray Ross - Chapters 3 and 4), and she was still alive and living in Toronto when Isabelle was born. Could Harry2 have known this? My aunt Eila Ross and my father Bruce Ross were Harry2’s first cousins, and they did not know anything about their great grandmother. Their father Harry Ross had been sworn to secrecy about his father William2 in South Africa, and by extension about his grandmother Isabella in Toronto.
It is possible that there was some contact between Isabella Ross in Toronto and Willy’s family in Wiarton. Isabella would have learned about Willy’s death in the Toronto newspapers, since it was a front-page story. If my speculation that William2 Ross made a second trip back to Canada in about 1908 is correct, this could also have resulted in Isabella and Georgina finding out about each other and perhaps making contact. At the time of writing, this is pure speculation. It would be an interesting area for further research.
George Murton Ross:
Murton Ross was born in Wiarton on January 19, 1904. The Eila Ross notes tell us that as a young man he was a sailor on the Great Lakes and Oceans, and that he travelled to South America. This would be a similar early life to that of his brother Harry2 Ross. They were both sailors like their father.
Sometime about 1930 Murton was married. His wife’s was named Jean, but we don’t know her maiden name or where they were married. They had a son named Billy who was born in Montreal in 1933. At about the time Billy was born, Murton quit working as a merchant sailor and began working in building maintenance. We believe he worked in the Sun Life Head Office building in downtown Montreal.
Like his Uncle Henry Ross, William Henry Ross was always called Harry, so he is called Harry2 Ross in this book. Harry2 Ross was born on June 19, 1902. He was 10 years older than my aunt Eila Ross and 12 years older than my father Bruce Ross. As a result, they did not get to know him very well.
The Eila Ross notes tell us that Harry2 Ross was a wanderer. He left home at a young age and found work as a sailor who travelled the world, starting on the Great Lakes. He came by this honestly. His father Willy Ross had been a sailor and his grandfather William2 Ross was a wanderer who wound up in South Africa.
Harry2 Ross married Louise Martin in Vancouver on August 30, 1924. We believe they lived in Vancouver for some time, where they had a daughter named Isabelle who was born in about 1926. When his wife Louise died in 1937, Harry2 Ross and his daughter Isabelle came back to Park Head and lived with Jim and Annie Longmire for about a year. There was not much interaction with his uncle Harry Ross or his family, even though they lived only a mile away.
When William2 Ross died in South Africa, Harry2 Ross received a small inheritance. He was living in Toronto in 1941 when he signed the receipt letter. Don Mitchell told us that Harry2 Ross had served in the RCAF during WWII, but he was too old to go overseas.
After the war Harry2 Ross married Grace Ona Delain and continued to live in Toronto. He died in Toronto on May 24, 1962.
The fact that Harry2 Ross named his daughter Isabelle is fascinating to me. Harry2’s great grandmother was named Isabella (Isabella Murray Ross - Chapters 3 and 4), and she was still alive and living in Toronto when Isabelle was born. Could Harry2 have known this? My aunt Eila Ross and my father Bruce Ross were Harry2’s first cousins, and they did not know anything about their great grandmother. Their father Harry Ross had been sworn to secrecy about his father William2 in South Africa, and by extension about his grandmother Isabella in Toronto.
It is possible that there was some contact between Isabella Ross in Toronto and Willy’s family in Wiarton. Isabella would have learned about Willy’s death in the Toronto newspapers, since it was a front-page story. If my speculation that William2 Ross made a second trip back to Canada in about 1908 is correct, this could also have resulted in Isabella and Georgina finding out about each other and perhaps making contact. At the time of writing, this is pure speculation. It would be an interesting area for further research.
George Murton Ross:
Murton Ross was born in Wiarton on January 19, 1904. The Eila Ross notes tell us that as a young man he was a sailor on the Great Lakes and Oceans, and that he travelled to South America. This would be a similar early life to that of his brother Harry2 Ross. They were both sailors like their father.
Sometime about 1930 Murton was married. His wife’s was named Jean, but we don’t know her maiden name or where they were married. They had a son named Billy who was born in Montreal in 1933. At about the time Billy was born, Murton quit working as a merchant sailor and began working in building maintenance. We believe he worked in the Sun Life Head Office building in downtown Montreal.
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Murton Ross
Murton Ross served on the frigate HMCS Waskesiu during WWII. HMCS Waskesiu sank the German submarine U-257 in the North Atlantic on February 24, 1944. This was the first sinking of a German submarine by a Canadian frigate, and it received extensive coverage in the Montreal newspapers.
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HMSC Waskesiu and Crew
In this photograph, Murton Ross is in the middle row, second from the left as viewed by the
reader.
After the war Murton returned to Montreal and worked as the Superintendent at an apartment building in Cote-Saint-Luc. He was living in Montreal in 1950, when his mother Georgina died. We believe Murton Ross died in Montreal in about 1974.
Guiella (Ulah) Ross
Ulah Ross never used the name Guiella, but it does appear on her birth registration document. She was born on March 28, 1906, which made her six years older than my aunt Eila Ross. Eila had much more contact with Ulah than with Ulah’s brothers, because Ulah was closer to her age and still living at home in Wiarton when Eila was growing up in Park Head. Before she was married, Ulah was one of the early telephone operators in Wiarton.
After the war Murton returned to Montreal and worked as the Superintendent at an apartment building in Cote-Saint-Luc. He was living in Montreal in 1950, when his mother Georgina died. We believe Murton Ross died in Montreal in about 1974.
Guiella (Ulah) Ross
Ulah Ross never used the name Guiella, but it does appear on her birth registration document. She was born on March 28, 1906, which made her six years older than my aunt Eila Ross. Eila had much more contact with Ulah than with Ulah’s brothers, because Ulah was closer to her age and still living at home in Wiarton when Eila was growing up in Park Head. Before she was married, Ulah was one of the early telephone operators in Wiarton.
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Eila Ross and Ulah Ross Walker
(This is not the same Bob Walker that I worked for on the farm at Park Head in the 1950s. The two Bob Walkers in this book were not related to each other, and neither of them was related to the family of John Walker and Mary Jane Lewis.)
Bob Walker served in the Canadian Army during WWII. Because of his age he was stationed at Army bases in Canada rather than going overseas. While he was away, Ulah lived in Toronto. For part of this time, in about 1940, she lived with my parents Bruce and Edith Ross on Falcon Street.
Ulah’s half brother Garnet Mitchell had a son named Don Mitchell who was living with his grandmother Georgina in Wiarton during this time. Ulah was very fond of her nephew Donny, and sent him a weekly allowance of 50 cents from Toronto. Don Mitchell told us how he used to go to the Post Office in Wiarton to get his weekly letters from Ulah.
After the war Ulah and Bob Walker lived in Toronto where Bob worked at a brokerage business and subsequently at a liquidation business. During this time Ulah worked in personnel at Kresges. They did not have any children. When Bob Walker retired in 1962 they built a new home in Owen Sound, and returned to the town where they had been married in 1927. It was not the same, and they moved back to Toronto after 2 or 3 years.
Bob Walker died in Toronto on June 1, 1969. Ulah Ross Walker died in Pickering, Ontario on
March 11, 1996 at the age of almost 90. She was living in a Retirement Home near the home of
Don and Karen Mitchell.
Memorial Service in Wiarton
Willy Ross was lost on Georgian Bay on November 22, 1906. His body was never found.
One hundred years later, on November 22, 2006, a memorial service was held at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Wiarton to commemorate the loss of the 17 passengers and 13 crew of the J. H. JONES. Descendants and relatives of those on board, who could still be found, were invited to attend. The small church in Wiarton was almost full, and it was a sad occasion even 100 years later.
A memorial plaque has been erected on the walking trail in the park at Wiarton harbour.
Memorial Service in Wiarton
Willy Ross was lost on Georgian Bay on November 22, 1906. His body was never found.
One hundred years later, on November 22, 2006, a memorial service was held at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Wiarton to commemorate the loss of the 17 passengers and 13 crew of the J. H. JONES. Descendants and relatives of those on board, who could still be found, were invited to attend. The small church in Wiarton was almost full, and it was a sad occasion even 100 years later.
A memorial plaque has been erected on the walking trail in the park at Wiarton harbour.
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J. H. JONES Memorial Plaque
Descendants of Willy Ross and Georgina Dobson