Catharine Compston is an artist in Canada whose work can be seen at www.compstonart.com   She has a brother Michael Compston in Calgary, Alberta.

 

I emailed Catharine in Alberta and she replied to me on 5th May 2011 with the following information which I have filed under Cumbria as county of origin.

 

Her grandfather was Sydney Compston (note my addition in gold - his full name was William Sydney) and his wife was Eva Punch. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Catharine has records of William Sidney Compston's mother as Isabella Brooks and father as Robert Compston.  She also has Eva Punch's  mother as Mary Golding.  The census however (see below) has her as Elizabeth.  I shall do further work on this!

 

They had 3 children, her father Charles Roy Compston, Elizabeth and Gertrude.

 

She remembers that her grandparents both had northern English accents and they emigrated to Alberta. 

 

 

 

 

Catharine's father Roy (Charles Roy but he used Roy) was a captain in the Canadian army during WW II.   He met her mother there and they married  in England in Jan. 1943.  

             

 

 

 

Catharine adds an interesting point about her own name - she was named Catharine after St Catharine's Ontario...her mother was a Hamilton before she married; and was descended from the Hamiltons who came to Canada in the 1700s and founded Hamilton Ontario. George Hamilton's wife was Catharine, and he named a town after her!

 

Thanks for all this wonderful information Catharine - see my further research into Sydney and Eva Punch.

 

NOTE RE. OTHER SYDNEY COMPSTONs

 

There are 3 other entries in the Midlands of the UK which have noted connections with Cumbria:

 

Births Mar 1919    

Compston  Sydney  Parker  Dudley  6b 1310

 

Marriages Dec 1943  

Compston  Sydney  Brain  Rowley R.  6b 1786    

 

Marriages Sep 1944    

COMPSTON  Sydney L  Wall  Rowley R.  6b 2109

 

I shall check to see if these are related to this family

Note - my research in gold boxes

 

1881 CENSUS Middlesbrough UK

 

Name: Eva Punch  Relation: Daughter Gender: Female  Where born: Mbro, Yorkshire, England under 1 year

 

Father's name: Burton Punch age 32 a cabinet maker born Sedbergh Yorkshire

(Note - this was wrongly transcribed as Sadbergh)  See his details in the next box

 

Mother's name: Elizabeth Punch age 29 born Kirkby Stephen Westmorland

 

There was also a sister Gertrude Punch 11 years born in Middlesbrough

 

Civil parish: Middlesbrough County/Island: Yorkshire Country: England  

Street Address: 59 Newport Road  

ED: 18 Piece: 4849 Folio: 37 Page Number: 18

 

 

Marriage Mar 1943  

Hamilton  Constance Neville Aileen  and Compston  registered in the Eton registry area  3a 2452

Births Dec 1880   Punch  Eva    Middlesbrough  9d 544  

Middlesbrough was originally in the North Riding of Yorkshire

1891 Census UK

 

Eva Punch Age: 10 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1881 Relation: Daughter

Where born: Middlesborough, Yorkshire, England

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note there is no mention of her father Burton PUNCH as he died in 1888

 

Births Dec 1848   Punch  Burton    Sedburgh  23 537  

Marriages Sep 1878   PUNCH  Burton     E. Ward  10b 825    

Deaths Mar 1888   PUNCH  Burton  39  Middlesbro'  9d 360

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mother's name: Elizabeth Punch aged 39 Living on own means  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Gertrude Punch 11 born Middlesbrough >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Eva Punch 10 born Middlesbrough

Olive Seddon Punch 8 (Birth Dec 1882   Middlesbro'  9d 564)

Florence Mary Punch 3  (Birth Sep 1887  Middlesbro'  9d 552 and married Dec 1918  to Mattocks  E.Ward  10b 1361)

 

Residing at Civil parish: Church Flags, Kirkby Stephen Ecclesiastical parish: St Stephens Westmorland  England.  

Registration district: East Ward Sub-registration district: Kirkby Stephen

ED: 12 Piece: 4324 Folio: 120 Page Number: 32

 

 

 

 

I have found their marriage in Canada: Eva Punch & William Sidney Compston

13 Jun 1907 Vancouver BCA Number: B11373 Registration Number: 1907-09-053973 GSU Number: 1983530

1911 Census CANADA

 

Name: Eva Compston age 30 Gender: Female Marital Status: Married Age: 30

Birth Date: Oct 1880 England relation to Head of House: Wife

 

Spouse's Name: William P Compston (Note - this should have been William S and I have supplied this updateto transcription organisation) age 29 working in real estate.

 

Gertrade Compston 1 (should be Gertrude)

 

Immigration Year: 1907 Province: British Columbia District: Vancouver District Number: 12 . Sub-District: North Vancouver Sub-District Number: 61 Place of Habitation: View St

 

 

 

Elizabeth Compston 

Age: 67  Death Date: 4 Apr 1957  Place of Death: Vancouver  Registration #: 1957-09-004337

BCA #: B13232

GSU #: 2033148

 

WHO IS THIS - Elizabeth in Sydney's tree was born 1910 - see census for 1911 so this is not her death.

NOTE ON COLOURS

 

YELLOW REFERS TO THE FAMILY ON THIS TREE.

RED REFERS TO MY QUERIES

GOLD IDENTIFIES MY DATA

Updated 24th May 2011

Births Sep 1881  

COMPSTON  William Sidney     Lancaster  8e 728a

 

Although census show him born in Sedbergh I think this is his birth

Is this Elizabeth's death?

Deaths Dec 1919  

Punch  Elizabeth  67  Lancaster  8e 811

Marriages Jun 1902   >>>>>>>>>

Punch  Gertrude  E. Ward  10b 1293  married either Atkinson  Alfred William    East Ward  10b 1293    or Carrick  Hugh     E. Ward  10b 1293    

 

These photos have been provided by Catharine Compston who owns the copyright.  Please ask permission to download them.  Double click on each photo to enlarge.

PHOTOGRAPHS - TEXT

 

1.  1898. of COMPSTONS when still in England. Front Sitting- L  is Ted, died young, Grandmother in middle (name?) and then Lena (mother ) and father.  Back L is Royden sitting, middle is Sidney  grandfather. Right is Hart (oldest).

 

2.  On November 3rd 1916, The Times hailed the Duchess of Connaught Hospital as "one of the two best hospitals in England" and amongst its many visitors at this time were King George V and Queen Mary.

 

3.  WWII & Beyond: 1940 - 1948.  During the Second World War, the Canadians built a larger, more substantial hospital on the same site. These buildings were to remain in use, largely unchanged for 45 years. Further equipment was sent from Canada and put to use in treating more casualties. It was at this point that the building aquired the name Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital for the first time. The stone tablet which once stood just to the right of the entrance doors commemorated the event.

See http://www.crcmh.com/abandonment.htm  for a fuller history.

 

4.  Charles Roy during WW II about 1943 in Cndn army uniform

 

5.  Newspaper account of the marriage of Charles Royden Compston RCA and Constance Aileen Neville Hamilton, Lieut. (P/A) RCAMC, Taplow January 30 1943.

 

6.  Photograph of above

 

7.  Sidney Compston and Eva PUNCH from the 1960s standing outside their home in Stony Plain Alberta (near Edmonton) Canada.

 

8.  Death Notice for Charles Roy Compston Nov 1 1979.

 

9.  Catharine Compston

 

10.  John and Michael Compston in 1999. Sons of Charles and Constance COMPSTON.

Michael lives in Calgary alberta and John in Edmonton Alberta.  

 

 

Catharine has sent me photos of the sisters of her father CHARLES ROY COMPSTON:

Elizabeth on the left with baby on lap  likely in the 1940s (married name DAVIES, then divorced and married Ted IRWIN). and Gertrude with husband Wynne Abott in 1942

 

The photos will be uploaded shortly.

GM 31 May 2011