Charles Henry Ross was born on the 23rd October, 1906 in Withybed Green, Alvechurch, Worcestershire.
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| Belleville in April, 1922 |
When he was still only 7-years-old his father Alexander Stewart Ross, a painter, died on the 8th July, 1914 leaving his widow Harriet (née Walters), my great-grandmother, a single parent of 8 children. 5 of these were still under 10-years-old with the youngest, Alice M. still a babe in arms.
Further woe struck the young family when the eldest child, Walter Scott Ross, after answering Kitchener’s call to arms the week following his eighteenth birthday was badly wounded and invalided home.
Although he recovered enough to marry on his return to civilian life, in his weakened state of health he succumbed to Influenza on 15th April, 1920, himself leaving two children under 2 years of age.
Charles Henry Ross, came to the attention of the authorities whether this was simply due to extreme poverty or for other reasons is not known.
What is known is that he was sent to Canada as a British Home Child. He arrived at the port of St. John, New Brunswick Province, Canada on board the S.S. Montcalm, out of Liverpool, on the 3rd April, 1922, one of a party of 42 boys destined for the Annie Macpherson home, Belleville, Ontario.
Half a century later he was to see his sister Norah, my grandmother, again when she flew to visit him in Canada.
Location; Worcestershire, and Canada
Picture; photo of party of boys, including my great-uncle, arriving in Belleville in April, 1922. It is from A British Home Children Canada website. the picture credit is given to Can. Govt. Motion Picture Bureau / Library and Archives Canada / C-034837
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