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
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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
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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